U.S. patent number 3,837,405 [Application Number 05/359,549] was granted by the patent office on 1974-09-24 for fire protection system for arch supported membrane structures.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Tension Structures Co.. Invention is credited to Carl Frederick Huddle.
United States Patent |
3,837,405 |
Huddle |
September 24, 1974 |
FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEM FOR ARCH SUPPORTED MEMBRANE STRUCTURES
Abstract
A fire protection system for an arch supported membrane
structure comprising a plurality of hollow arches containing a
cooling medium. The arches can be made water tight so that they can
serve as water mains to supply a sprinkler or deluge system above
or below the roof membrane.
Inventors: |
Huddle; Carl Frederick
(Pleasant Ridge, MI) |
Assignee: |
Tension Structures Co.
(Pleasant Ridge, MI)
|
Family
ID: |
23414298 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/359,549 |
Filed: |
May 11, 1973 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
169/56; 135/119;
169/16; 52/168; 135/906; 239/209; 135/124; 135/120.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A62C
3/00 (20130101); Y10S 135/906 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A62C
3/00 (20060101); A62c 035/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;169/1R,2R,5,16
;239/207-209 ;52/168 ;135/1R,DIG.8 ;62/259 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: King; Lloyd L.
Assistant Examiner: Kashnikow; Andres
Claims
I claim:
1. A fire protection system for an arch supported membrane
structure comprised of a multiplicity of arches with curved bights
mounted on a base or the ground; a flexible roof membrane
operatively attached to said arches and tensioned between them to
form a roof of compound curvature; at least one of said arches
having a hollow cavity containing a cooling medium.
2. Same as claim 1, except that said arch with a hollow cavity has
a relief valve connected to its hollow cavity to vent off air,
vapor or/and liquid to keep the arch cool.
3. Same as claim 1, except that said hollow cavity in said arch
serves as a conduit between a fire quenching liquid supply system
and a fire quenching liquid distribution system.
4. Same as claim 3, except that said fire quenching liquid
distribution system includes a liquid spray device.
5. Same as claim 4, except that said liquid spray device is
automatically operated by a rise in temperature.
6. Same as claim 4, except that said fire quenching distribution
system includes at least one branch conduit operatively attached to
said hollow arch conduit.
7. Same as claim 3, except that said hollow arch conduit is
operatively connected to a roof membrane wetting system.
8. Same as claim 7 except that said roof (spray nozzles are)
wetting system is controlled by a pressure sensitive device.
9. Same as claim 3, except that said hollow arch serves as a dry
conduit between a control valve that is operatively connected to a
pressurized fire quenching supply system and said fire quenching
distribution system.
10. Same as claim 9, except that said control valve is operated by
a heat sensing device.
11. Same as claim 9, except that the hollow arch is segmented with
the joints sufficiently tight to prevent excess leakage.
Description
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
Hollow arches can be used to support membrane structures such as
described in my U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,388,711 (June 18, 1968), 3,465,764
(Sept. 9, 1969), and my application Ser. No. 93,293 filed Nov. 27,
1970, now abandoned.
These arches can have slip joints that can be made water tight, or
sufficiently so, that they can serve as water mains to supply a
sprinkler or deluge system above and below the roof membranes.
Heat sensing devices attached or located in the structure can
operate valves to fill the arches with a liquid, to keep arches
cool and prevent collapse.
Sprinklers and other deluge systems can be operatively attached to
the arch mains to spray the roof and/or the structure interior.
The arch supply mains can be directly connected to a reliable
liquid source and kept under pressure all the time or connected
through a manual or automatic valve to turn on or off the liquid
supply to the sprinkler and/or deluge systems.
When these structures are used for public gatherings such as
expositions, meetings, sports and the like, or when they are used
to shelter expensive equipment such as aircraft, war supplies, or
to shelter inflammable materials, there is great concern about a
method to control such a conflagration especially to prevent
collapse of the structure. By using hollow arch members such as
described in my patent application Ser. No. 317,509 filed Dec. 22,
1972, the arches not only are kept cool by water, or another liquid
used to reduce the fire, but they also can serve as fire mains to
which sprinklers, deluge nozzles or branch lines can be
attached.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
The principal object of this invention is to provide a fire
protection system for Arch Supported Membrane Structures to make
them safe for public occupancy and to provide a means for cooling
the arches to prevent collapse of the structure in a
conflagration.
Another object of the invention is to use the arches as water
supply mains to a sprinkler and/or deluge system and at the same
time keep the arches cool to prevent their collapse in a
conflagration.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 illustrates a typical arch supported membrane structure with
arches used to supply the roof deluge system.
FIG. 2 is a cut-away partial view of the above structure showing
sprinklers attached to the arches and to branch lines from the
arches which may be necessary on large structures.
FIG. 3 illustrates a typical hollow arch cross-section with a
membrane attachment.
FIG. 4 illustrates a water main connection to an arch at the base
through a control valve that automatically opens to charge the fire
protection system. This can be a manually operated valve if
desired.
FIG. 5 is a schematic control circuit to operate the automatic
valve by heat sensors.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1 illustrates a typical arch supported membrane structure with
inclined arches 1 and an intermediate arch support 2. All of the
arches can be hollow to supply a fire extinguishing fluid such as
water and, are attached by 3 to, and supported by, a common base.
The flexible membrane 4 is attached to and extends between the
arches 1 and 2 and if the structure is enclosed a membrane 5
extends from the exterior arch 1 to the base. The hollow arches are
connected to a fluid supply directly or through a valve 6 which is
between the arch 1 or 2 and the main supply line 7.
In FIG. 2, two modules of a vertical arch supported structure are
illustrated showing sprinklers 8 or deluge nozzles directly
attached to the hollow arch supply mains 9 that are in turn
connected directly to a supply source 10 or through a valve 11 to
the supply main 12. Spray nozzles 13 can be located above the roof
membrane as well as below it 8.
In FIG. 3, typical square or hollow cross-sections of arches 14 are
illustrated to show the membrane attachment and the spray nozzles
13 directly attached to the arch for covered area when the arches
are close enough together. If the arches are too far apart to get
effective coverage with the spray devices, branch lines 15 may be
connected to the arch mains.
The spray devices can be automatic in operation with temperature
actuation when the system is pressurized from the supply
system.
In FIG. 4 the arch main is directly connected 16 to a supply main,
indirectly connected through a manually operated valve 17 or
indirectly connected through an automatic valve 18. The latter
system is usually used where there is danger of freezing and the
arch mains remain unfilled or not pressurized by the extinguishing
fluid until a heat sensor 19 reacts to a temperature rise, see FIG.
1.
In FIG. 5, a schematic electrical control circuit that is actuated
by such a heat sensor 19 is shown. In a simple circuit, the heat
sensor can close a bi-metal circuit which energizes a relay and
closes a circuit that actuates a solenoid valve 18 on the supply
line. Where such valves are used, the system is commonly called a
"dry" system. If the contents under the spray nozzles would be
badly damaged due to a failure in which water leakage occurred,
such as a library, this system is frequently used.
The spray nozzles 13, FIG. 1, 2, & 3, above he membrane can be
pressure operated so that they will automatically release a spray
when a high pressure is reached. When the spray system below the
roof membrane is operated by a temperature rise, the roof system
can be conveniently used to wash off the roof and cleanse it of
dirt or snow.
When the arches remain pressurized, like a typical sprinkler
system, a non-freezing fluid can be used (if required), the arch
joints are made leakproof and the arches are not only kept cool in
case of a fire but the added weight of the fluid in the arches adds
to the mass inertia of the arches. In such cases, however, it would
be best to add an air or steam bleed valve 21 (FIG. 1) and (FIG. 2)
near the crown of the arch to make sure the arch is full of liquid.
If only fluid filled arches are used, without a sprinkler system, a
water circulating system can be used by installing a water outlet
valve 22 (FIG. 1) on the opposite end of the arch from the supply
end--along with a steam and air bleeding valve near the crown if
desired.
* * * * *