Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Background of the Invention
(1) Field of the Invention:
This invention relates to cabinets in which portable fire
extinguishers may be positioned for convenient access in case of a fire.
t2) Description of the Prior Art:
Prior structures of this type have provided cabinets in which
portable fire extinguishers may be positioned. See for example U.S.Patent
3,042,910 of July 3, 1962 to Frank T. Shull wherein a cabinet with a hinged
door is provided with oppositely disposed pressure plates normally engaging
the sides of the extinguisher therein, the arrangement is such that
removal of the extinguisher actuates an alarm controlled by the pressure
plates normally engaging the sides of the extinguisher therein.
The prior art includes several devices which support or otherwise
hold fire extinguishers and incorporate alarm devices actuated by move~
ment of the supporting devices, for example hooks on which the fire
extinguishers can be suspended. See U.S. Patent No. 3,145,375 of Aug.
18, 1964 to V.B. Webb.
The present invention provides a cabinet with a transparent drop
front and built in alarm means which is actuated when the drop front is
moved to perm;t the fire extinguisher to be removed from the cabinet. ;
Summary of the Invention
A fire extinguisher cabinet comprises a wall mounted box of a size
sufficient to enclose a portable fire extinguisher, a transparent slidable
front panel normally closes the box and is held in closed position by a
simple latch which upon manual actuation drops the panel and permits the
fire extinguisher to be removed from the cabinet. An audible alarm
device is positioned in the cabinet and normally held inoperative by a
28 trigger arm. A key controlled lock having an actuating arm for engaging
and moving the trigger arm is positioned through the transparent slidable
front panel. Actuation of the key controlled lock will move the actuating
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arm to a second position where it will not engage the trigger arm of the alarm
device. The cabinet carries warnings of the audible alarm which will sound if
the cabinet is opened before the actuating arm of the loak mechanism is disengaged.
The cabinet thus substantially deters theft of the fire ext;nguisher therefrom and/or
sounds the audible alarm in the event of a fire and the legitimate removal of the
fire extinguisher for its indicated purpose.
Description of the Drawings
Figure 1 is a front plan view of the fire extinguisher cabinet with broken
lines indicating a fire extinguisher positioned therein and behind the transparent
front pane I thereof; .
Figure 2 is a front plan view of a portion of the fire extinguisher cbinet
seen in Figure 1 showing the transparent front panel moved downwardly to alarm
actuating position;
Figure 3 is a vertical section on line 3-3 of Figure l;
Figure 4 is a vertical section on line 4-4 of Figure 2;
Figure 5 is a vertical section on line 5-5 of Figure 3 showing a detail of
the alarm device in inoperafive position;
Figure 6 is a cross sectional view similar to Figure 5 showing the alarm
device in actuated position;
Figure 7 is a perspective view of a portion of the alarm device seen in
Figures 5 and o; and
Figure 8 is a horizontal section on line 8-8 of Figure 7.
Description of the Preferred Embodiment
:
By referring to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings the fire extinguisher
cabinet may be seen and in Figure 1 a broken line representation of a fire extinguisher
F is illustrafed positioned on a bottDm 10 of a rectangular cabinet including top
and side walls 11 and 12 respectively and a back panel 13. Tha forward edges
28 of the sid~s 12 and the top 11 define inwardly turned chunnels 14. There is no
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comparable channel on the forward edge of the bottom 10 of the cabinet.
transparent slidable front panel 15 is movably positionecl in the inturned channels
14 and held in a position closing the front of the fire extinguisher cabinet by a
manually movable latch 16 mounted on the bottom 10 of the cabinet. A key actuated
cylinder lock assembly 17 is posit;oned ;n an aperture in the upper right hand por-
tion of the transparent slidable front panel 15 and arranged to move an actuat;ng
arm 18 in an arc based on the axis of the cylinder lock assembly 17. :
In Fiaure 1 of the drawings the actuating arm 18 is shown in horizontal
position and overly;ng one end of a trigger arm 19 which is pivoted intermediate
10 its ends by a pivot 20 to the side wall 12. The arrangement is best illustrated ;n
Figures 3 and 4 of the drawlngs and by referring to F;gure 3 it will be seen that
the one end of the trigger arm 19 is posit;oned ;n spaced relation below the actuatin
arm 18. This relative positioning of the arms 18 and 19 is maintained as long as
the transparent slidable front panel 15 ;5 in elevated pos;tion clos;ng the front
of the fire extinguisher cabinet .
By referring now to Figure 2 oF the drawingsj the transparent front panel
15 is shown moved downwardly reiative to the top 11 ancJ the trigger arm 19 ;s shown
after hav;ng engaged the end of the actuating arm 18 and moved lt to a second position
as best seen in Figure 4 of the drawings. The trigger arm 19 normally is engaged
20 behind a pair of hori~ontally spaced members 21 which are formed on the upper end
of a vertically positioned cross sectionally c`hannel shape mounting bracket 22
An elongated leaf spring 23 is affixed to the mount;ng bracket 22 and is normally
held in vertical position by the trigger arm 19 as best seen in Figures 3 and 5 of
the draw;ngs.
Still referring to Figures 5 and 6 of the drawings it will be seen that the ~;
bracket 22 which is mounted on the wall 12 of the extinguisher cabinet and on the ~-
inside thereof normally supports a compressed gas container 24 which has an actua-
28 ting valve and stem 25 in its uppermost end on which is positioned a horn 26, the
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- arrangement is such ~hat when the stem 25 is moved from its normal vertica1
position the valve therein opens and the compressed gas contents of the con-
tainer 24 are discharged through the horn 26 to create a loud sound.
It will thus be seen that as a direct result of moving the latch 16
and dropping the transparent slidable front panel 15 to gain access to the
fire extinguisher F, the horn 26 is actuated and an audible alarm given.
In Figures 7 and 8 of the drawings, details of the bracket 22, the
spring 23 and a clamping band 27 may be seen and will be recognized as the
means for holding the gas container 24 in operative Position in the bracket 22.
The bracket 22, the pressure container 24, the valve stem 25 and
the horn 26 are commercially available items made by Falcon Safety ~roducts
Inc. of Mountainside, New Jersey, U.S.A.and are normally actuated by a slide
piece holding the spring 23 in vertical position with the slide piece being
attached to a chain which in turn is attached to a window sash, a door, or ~-the like so that the alarm is sounded when the window or the door is opened.
In Figures 1 - 6 the alarm device is shown enclosed in a housing 28 ~
which may be removed to permit replacement of a recharged compressed gas ~ -
container 24, etc.
It will thus be seen that a fire extinguishing cabinet has been
2û disclosed in which a portable fire extinguisher may be conveniently positioned
and that it is readily available by actuating a simpie manual latch 16 and ~;permitting the transparent slidable front panel 15 of the cabinet to drop
downwardly.
It will also be observed that when this occurs an audible alarm
will be given; if desired an electric switch 26 (see Figures 5 and 6) can be
incorporated in the audible alarm device and connected by a suitable electric
circuit with an adjacent or a remote audible or visible alarm as desired.
28 Although but one embodiment of the present invention has been illus-
trated and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various
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changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from th~ spirit
2 of the invention and havin~ thus described my inventlon what I claim is~
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