Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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T~i s invention relates to a system for distri-
bution of a powder and water mixture from a flying aircraft,
and more particularly, to a system of the type adapted to
be carried onboard a water scooping aircraft to produce a
powder and water mixture upon scooping of water and to
provide for dropping of the mixture from the flying aircraft~
The use of a fire retardant and water mixture to
extinguish fires, such as forest fires, has been proposed
and the use of an aircraft to drop the fire retardant and
water mixture over a fire has also been proposed before
now. ~Iowever, so far the fire retardant powder and water
have been mixed and thereafter loaded onboard -the aircraft
at a ground base. This is not fo~md convenient due in
particular to the flying distance and time required to reach
the properly equipped ground base, and to the extra
personnel and time used to effect the mixing and loading
operation.
It is a general object o~ the present invention
to provide a powder and water mixing system which is
particularly adapted to produce mi~ing of powder and water
onboard an aixcra~t~
It is an object of the present invention to
provide a powder and water mixing system which is associated
to water scooping by the aircraft to produce onboard mi~ing
under the effect of the scooping action, and more specifi-
cally, to use the inflow of water produced by the water
scooping action to inject the powder into mixture wi-ch the
water.
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It is a mor2 specific object o. tha pres~nt
invention to provide a powder and water mixing system on-
board an aircxa~t wherein the water is provided b~.successive
water scoopings by the airc:aft and predetermined loads o~
powder are automatically mixed with the water se~uentially
and under the action of the successive water scoopinys,
during any sortie of the aircraft.
According to the present invention, the powder
and water mixing and dropping system onboard an aircraft
comprises a powder injection and powder and wa-tex mi~iny
device having a water inlet, a powder inlet, and a mixture
outlet, a water droppiny tank connected to the m.ixture out-
let to receive a powder and water mixture ~rom the mi.xi.ng
device, a wa-ter scoop projecting unc~er the a.;.rcraft and
connected to said water inlet to supply water ko the injec-
tion and mixing device, powder container means, a powder
distribu-~ion device communi.cating the powder container means `
with the powder inlet and adapted to selectively dispen~e
powder to the powder and water mlxing device, and a control
connected to tho pow~ler ~i~tribu~ion device and con~tructed
and arranyed to se~uentially actuate the latter and allow
injection of powder into the injection and mixing device for
mi~incJ with scoopcd wa-tor~ .
The powdqr container msans ~ffectively includes
a plurality of powder containing bins arranged fore and aft
of the center of gravity of the aircraft, a compressed air
supply pump is connected to each of the bins to fluidize the
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powder and facllitate the flow thereo~ out o~ che bins, a
pair o~ powder distribution valve devices define a plural-
ity o~ powder inlets connecte~ to the powder containing bins
respectively, each powder distribution valve device has a
powder outlet connected to one i.njection and mixing device,
a first group of air supply valves are connected to the
group of bins respectively, forward of the center of gravi-ty,
a second group of air supply valves are connected to the
group of bins respectively aft of -the center of gravity and
the control is connected to the powder dis-tribution valve
devices and to the air supply valves to sequentially actuate
the same and empty each forward bin concuxrently with a
corresponding aft bin.
The above and other objec1t.s ancl advantagas o~ the
present invention will be better understood with reference
to the following detailad description o~ a pre~erred embodi-
ment thereof which is illustrated, by way of example, in
the accompanying drawings; in which:
Figure 1 .is a schematic diagram o~ a powder and
wat~r mixing and droppiny system accordin~ to the present
in~ention;
Figure 2 is a top plan view of the system o~
Figure 1 operati~el~ mounted onboard an aircra~t;
Fiyure 3 is a side elevation view o~ the syst~m
shown in Figure 2; and
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Figure 4, on the same shee-t of drawings as Figure .
2, is a side elavation ~iew of a powder distr.ibution device
forminy part of the present invention.
As illustrated in Figures 2 and 4, the powder
and water mixing and dropping sys-tem is operatively mounted
onboard an aircraft schematically represented by part of
the fuselage 1, the wing 2, and the wheel 3. It must be
noted that this aircraft is provided with a fuselage which
allows amphi~ious operation as well as normal landing and
ta~e off..
More particularly, the po~rder and water mixin~
and dropping system includes a pair o liquid tanXs 4 and 5
symmetrically mounted w.ith respect to the center o:E gra~i-ty
of thc aircra~t~ r~hc tanks are ,pro~idecl each with a bot~om
door, not shown, whic'h selectively opsns to outwardl~r drop
the liquid rom the tank. Roller beds, each ormed of a
pair parallel roller runs 6, are fixed on the floor of the
aircraft fore and aft of the liquid tanks ~ and 5. rt'~le two
roller run~ 6 of each roller bed axe laterally spaced apaxt
for a purpos~ which wi.ll be better understoofl lator~
Genorally cylindxic~l powc~er containers 7 are
mounted on th~ roller beds both ~ore and aft of the tanks
4 and 5. The group of powder cont.a.iners 7 ~orward
o~' t'he tarl'ks has the same number o:E containers as the group
aft of the tanks such that for each powder container forward
of the ta.nks there is a corresponding powcler container aft
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of ~ha tan~s, and vice versa. Each powder container is of
~he bin type as identi~ied by the tradem æk PHOS-BIN of
Monsanto Company. Each of these bins includes a plastic
base 8 having a dow~ard projection 9 laterally guided
between the two runs 6 of the supportin~ roller bed~
; Essentially, each such bin 7 has its plastic base 8 formed
with a compressed air inlet diametrically alignea with a
powder and air outlet, not shown, and is arranged such that
the inward flow of compressed air fluidizes the powder to
facilitate outward flow thereof. The powder containing
bins 7 are firmly held in place by tie down straps 10 suit-
ably connected thereto and to the internal structure o~ the
aircraft.
A pair o~ water scoops 11 project downwardly from
the bottom of the ~uselage to pick up water upon forward
displacement of the aircraft on a body of water such as a
lake or a river. Each water scoop is connected to an
upwardly extending tube 12.
A pair o~ powder injection and powder and water
mixing devices 13 and 14 extend Lengthwise o~ the aircraft ~;
and are firmly held in elevated position by any appropriate
bracket or straps, not shown. Each powder injection and
powder and water mixing device includes an outlet tube 15
for the powder and water mixture, and water inlet tube 16
e~nnected to the upward tube 12 and of decreasing cross
section at its outer end to merge with the outlet mixing tube
15. The injection and mixing device also includes a powder
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injection or inlet tube 17 of smaller diame-ter than the
water inlet tube 16 and engaging in the latter, as shown
by the dotted lines in Figures 1, 2, and 3~ I-t may be
noted that the internal end of the powder inlet tube 17
is coaxial with the water inlet tube 16 to leave an annular
internal space around the latter o smaller cross sectional
area than ~he water inlet tube. The wa-ter is kherefore
accelerated in passing through the annular space thus creat-
ing a vacuum to draw the powder rom the containers and to
inject it into the outlet mixing tube 15 from where it is
discharged into the tank 4 or 5 through a tu~e 18.
A pair of powder dis-tribution ~al~e devices 19
are mounted fore and aft respectively of the li~uid tanks
4 and 5. As best seen in Figure 4, each powder distributi.on
valve device 19 includes a pair of sector shape side walls
between which is pivoted a -tube 20 about a pivot 21 defining
a pivot axis extending transversely through th~ pivoting
tuhe. The latter constitutes the outlet oE the ~alve de~ice
19 and is connected to a ~lexible tube 22 which at its o~her
end is connected to the tubular powAer inlet 17 o~ the
corresponding injection and mixing device 13 or 14. rrhe
other end Oæ the pivoting tube 20 is slidabl~ engaged in
mutu~lly :Eacing guideways 23 secured against the inner side
of the sid~ walls, respectively. Five tubular powder
inlets 24 axe fixed in spaced apart relationship along the
arc shape edge of the two side walls of the valva device 19.
A powder dispensing tube 25 is connectad between the powder
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outlet at the base of each bin 7 and a corresponding inlet
24 of the corresponding powder distribution valve device l9o
As can be seen in the drawings, the forward bins 7 are
sequentially connected to the powder inlets 24 of the forward
valve device 19 while the aft bins 7 are sequenkially
connected to the powder inlets 24 of ~e aft valve device
19. An actuator 26 is connected to each pivot or shaft 21
to sequentially pivot the corresponding tube 20 for sequen-
tial endwise re~istry thereof with the powder inlets 25.
As now shown in Figure 1, a pump or compressor 27
is mounted o~board the aircra~-t and is connected via a pair
of compressed air lines 28 to ten compressed air supply
valves 29 of the solenoid type arranged in two groups fore
and a~t respectively o~ the water tarlks 4 and 5c The air
compressor or pump 2~ i.s energized by a conductor 30
connected to control switch 31 praferably .installed in t~e
cockpit of the aircra~t. An indicator light 32 is pre~erc~bly
connected to the air compressor 27 to indicate th~ reguired
pressure level ~or proper operation of the system. ~ach o~
the solenoid valves 29 and the 5-way rotary actuators 26
is electrically connected to five (S) contacts 33 of the
control switch 31 such that rotary stepwise actuation o~
the latt~r will produce sequ~ntial operation of the air
supply valves 29 and o~ the distribution valve de~ice 19.
A compressed air supply tube or line 34 connects each air
supply valve 29 to the compressed air inlet o~ the
corresponding bin.
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Before takeoff, the powder containing bins 7 are
loaded and secured onboard by the straps 10 and the
compressecl air tubes 34 and the powder and air outlet tube
25 are connected to the bases 8 of the bins 7. When the
aixcraft is lowered and travels on a bod~ o~ water, the
actuation of the control sw~.tch 31 causes the pivoting
tube 20 of each powder distribution valve device 19 to
register with one of the powder inlets 24. An air supply
valve 29 forward of the center of gravity and a correspon-
ding air.supply valve 29 aft of the center of gravity are
also actuated such that compressed a.ir is blown in the base :.
8 oE the corresponding forward bin and aft bin. This happens
simultaneously with water scooping by the scoops 11. The
water inflow produced by the water scoopi.ng produces injec-
tion of the powder f~om the forward 'bin 7 into the injection
and mixing device 13 concurrently with injection of the .
powder from the aft bin into the injection and mixing device
14. ~he mixing process extends alony the tubes 15 and 18 and
khe mixtures are captured in the tanks 4 and 5 respectivel.y
to 'be cdropped at a .selectecl site ~xom the fl~lng aircra~t~ ; '
For subsec~uent second, third, fourth, and Ei~th water scoop-
ings, the other bins are similarly emptied in pairsO AEter
all ~le 'bins 7 have been emptied, the a.ircxa~'t must return
to a ground station to replace the 'bins~ :
It must be noted that the system o:E the present
invention is designed for use of a f.ire retardant powder in
the 'bins 7 'but it is applicable as well to other powder such
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as fertilizers.
It must be noted that changes in the details of
construction ma~ be made without departing from the
principle and scope of the invention as defined in the
appended claims. ~or instance, the predeterminecl quanti- ~ -
ties or loads of powder can be supplied o-therwise than by .~:
bins of prede-termined size and/or powder load.
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