US 5,775,431 AGranted

Dry sprinkler arrangements

AssigneeThe Reliable Automatic Sprinkler Co., Inc.

InventorJiri Ondracek

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Abstract

In the particular embodiments described in the specification, a dry sprinkler has a tube-like section with a sprinkler head at one end and a threaded portion to be received in a water supply line at the opposite end and it includes an internal support structure extending between a sealing plug in the end to be received in the water supply line and a cap in the sprinkler head which is supported by a thermally responsive structure. In one embodiment, the support structure includes a rod on which the sealing plug is mounted at one end and having a cap-engaging tip at the opposite end which is shaped to facilitate the flow of water from the sprinkler head toward a deflector, the rod being spaced from the tube-like section by two guide members, one of which acts as a stop for motion of the structure toward the sprinkler head and the other which engages a spring urging the structure toward the sprinkler head. In other embodiments, a spacer is inserted between the end of the rod and the cap in the sprinkler head and a separate rod tip may be inserted between the rod and the spacer.

Claims7

Dependent claims

A dry sprinkler comprising:

a tube section,
a sprinkler head having a deflector mounted at one end of the tube section,
a water supply line connection at the other end of the tube section having an opening to receive water from a water supply line,
a sealing plug normally positioned in the opening to prevent pressurized air or water from entering the tube section from the water supply line,
a sealing plug support structure extending through the tube section and having a first end supporting the sealing plug and a second end,
and a thermally responsive structure in the sprinkler head adjacent to the second end of the sealing plug support structure and arranged to maintain the sealing plug support structure in position to support the sealing plug in its sealing position and to permit the sealing plug support structure to move toward the sprinkler head, releasing the sealing plug from its sealing position, in response to an elevated temperature condition,
wherein the second end of the sealing plug support structure has a continuously inwardly tapered outer surface so as to be generally conical in cross section to facilitate flow of water through the tube section and toward the deflector upon actuation of the dry sprinkler.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.