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EP-4371621-B1 - FIREWATER MONITOR BRAKE SYSTEM AND METHOD

EP4371621B1EP 4371621 B1EP4371621 B1EP 4371621B1EP-4371621-B1

Inventors

  • LAVERGNE, ERIC
  • MORGAN, JAMES

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20191112

Claims (15)

  1. A firewater monitor brake system (100), comprising: a horizontal brake (140) comprising a horizontal locking disc collar (112), wherein the horizontal locking disc collar is adapted to be affixed externally or internally to a vertical swivel (188); a horizontal brake mount (122) configured to affix the horizontal brake to the vertical swivel; a horizontal actuation system (174) coupled to the horizontal brake; a tiller bar coupled to the firewater monitor; and a horizontal brake lever movably attached to the tiller bar (194), wherein the horizontal brake lever is coupled to the horizontal brake via the horizontal actuation system such that depressing the horizontal lever deactivates the horizontal brake.
  2. The system (100) of claim 1, wherein the horizontal brake (140) is a plate-on-plate brake system.
  3. The system (100) of claim 1, wherein the horizontal brake (140) is a caliper brake system.
  4. The system (100) of claim 1, wherein the horizontal brake (140) is a disc brake system.
  5. The system (100) of claim 1, wherein the horizontal brake (140) is capable of an activated, closed position, clamping the horizontal locking disc collar (112) with sufficient energy to prevent rotational movement of the vertical waterway (184).
  6. The system (100) of claim 1, wherein the horizontal brake (140) is capable of a deactivated, open position, releasing the horizontal locking disc collar (112) to allow rotational movement of the vertical waterway (184).
  7. The system (100) of claim 1, wherein the horizontal actuation system (174) is selected from the group consisting of a cable-linkage system, a hydraulic system, a pneumatic system, and combinations thereof.
  8. The system (100) of claim 1, further comprising a master cylinder (150) adapted to be affixed to the tiller bar (194), wherein the master cylinder is connected to and/or coupled to the horizontal brake lever and wherein the master cylinder is connected to and/or coupled to the horizontal brake via the horizontal actuation system (174).
  9. The firewater monitor brake system (100) of claim 1, further comprising: a vertical brake (130) comprising a vertical locking disc collar (110), wherein the vertical locking disc collar is adapted to be affixed externally or internally to a horizontal swivel (186); a vertical brake mount (120) configured to affix the vertical brake to a horizontal swivel; a vertical actuation system (172) coupled to the vertical brake; and a vertical brake lever movably attached to the tiller bar (194), wherein the vertical brake lever is coupled to the vertical brake via the vertical actuation system such that depressing the vertical lever deactivates the vertical brake.
  10. The system (100) of claim 9, wherein the vertical brake (130) is selected from the group consisting of a plate-on-plate brake system, a caliper brake system, a disc brake system, and combinations thereof.
  11. The system (100) of claim 9, wherein the vertical brake (130) is capable of an activated, closed position, clamping the vertical locking disc collar (110) with sufficient energy to prevent rotational movement of the horizontal waterway (182).
  12. The system (100) of claim 9, wherein the vertical brake system (130) is capable of a deactivated, open position, releasing the vertical locking disc (110) collar to allow rotational movement of the horizontal waterway (182).
  13. The system (100) of claim 9, wherein the vertical actuation system (130) is selected from the group consisting of a cable-linkage system, a hydraulic system, a pneumatic system, and combinations thereof.
  14. The system (100) of claim 9, further comprising a master cylinder (150) adapted to be affixed to the tiller bar (194), wherein the master cylinder is connected to and/or coupled to the vertical brake lever and wherein the master cylinder is connected to and/or coupled to the vertical brake via the vertical actuation system (172).
  15. The system (100) of claims 8 or 14, wherein the master cylinder (150) is a radial master cylinder.

Description

PRIOR RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 62/760,675, entitled "FIREWATER MONITOR BRAKE SYSTEM AND METHOD," filed on November 13, 2018. BACKGROUND OF INVENTION The present invention relates generally to fire water monitors. More specifically, the present invention relates a firewater monitor brake system and method. Firewater monitors range in size - flowing from hundreds to tens of thousands of gallons of water flow per minute. Firewater monitors offer motive water flow to a nozzle affixed to the monitor tip for delivering water and/or extinguishing agents as a mitigating factor onto an airborne hazard and/or fire. Monitor designs include both manually-operated and motor-actuated configurations. Motor-actuated monitors are controlled by protected electric, hydraulic or pneumatic-actuated gear mechanisms that produce vertical and horizontal travel, determining positon while also limiting free movement of the monitor along its course of travel. Manually-operated monitors may also include gear mechanisms for controlling monitor travel, where gears are manipulated manually by hand by an operator. Pace of movement along both horizontal and vertical axes for gear-operated monitors is limited by the mechanical ratio of the controlling gears. In lieu of gears, manually-operated monitors may also include a tiller bar design-a single point of contact with the monitor either by one controller bar or lever, or by a dual, handle-bar style controller used by an operator to control monitor movement more freely along both vertical and horizontal axes. This monitor design allows for more rapid, free movement along both axes and commonly relies on manual locking mechanisms to fix and to secure the monitor positon - one lock for vertical travel and a second lock for horizontal travel. This tiller-bar styled monitor offers the benefit of rapid monitor movement by the operator. In fire response, this rapid response capability is preferred in a manned response effort to assure prompt critical life safety controls against what is commonly an ever changing threat. While tiller bar control over the fire monitor is quicker and more responsive, as monitor size and flow rates increase, the monitor becomes more difficult to control with manual monitor brake systems. An automated, fail-safe monitor brake system that is more ergonomic and easy to use would be ideal, particularly, for larger monitors with higher flow rates. Therefore, there is a need for an automatic firewater monitor brake system and method. US2998199A describes a hydraulic monitor used in mining and fire fighting and is arranged to utilize the reaction force of liquid discharged therefrom to change the direction of discharge of said liquid about to angularly related axes. SUMMARY The firewater monitor brake system and method of the present invention offers an automated, fail-safe safety mechanism that locks the position of a manually-operated monitor in the event of loss of control by the operator. Mechanical in nature, the firewater monitor brake system may comprise one or more brake system, each activated and deactivated by one or more lever system, which opens or closes each brake system around a "locking disc" collar. One locking disc collar may be affixed externally around a circumference (i.e., circular cross section) or an outer surface (e.g., elliptical cross section) of a horizontal waterway of a firewater monitor system; and another locking disc collar may be affixed externally around a circumference (i.e., circular cross section) or an outer surface (e.g., elliptical cross section) of a vertical waterway of the firewater monitor system. Alternatively, when the monitor uses a first slewing drive for the horizontal waterway and a second slewing drive for the vertical water way, one locking disc collar may be affixed internally around an inner circumference (i.e., circular cross section) or an inner surface (e.g., elliptical cross section) of a horizontal waterway of a firewater monitor system; and another locking disc collar may be affixed internally around an inner circumference (i.e., circular cross section) or an inner surface (e.g., elliptical cross section) of a vertical waterway of the firewater monitor system. Each brake system has an open and a closed position. The closed or "actuated" position of the brake system is its "resting state," which clamps the locking disc collar with sufficient energy as to prohibit rotational movement of the monitor waterway around its particular axis. When the brake system is "deactivated" to its open position by depressing the lever system, the brake system releases the locking disc collar allowing free movement of the monitor waterway around is particular axis. Again, intentional or accidental release of one or more lever system actuates the brake system, thereby, clamping down on one or more locking discs collars to stop / lock the firewater monitor