US2656958A - Portable pump apparatus of the shoulder pack type - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 27, 1953 R. w. AUSTIN 2,656,958

PORTABLE PUMP APPARATUS OF THE SHOULDER PACK TYPE Filed Feb. 18 1950 INVENTOR. Z a/b /4/ 41/575)? BY SMQM JL HTTO/PNEY Patented Oct. 27, 1953 PORTABLE PUMP APPARATUS OF THE SHOULDER PACK TYPE Ralph W. Austin, Weymouth, Mass., assignor to Badger Fire Extinguisher Company, Somerville, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application February 18, 1950, Serial No. 145,014

1 Claim.

This invention relates to portable pump apparatus of the shoulder pack type, and more particularly to a novel container for the liquid to be pumped by such apparatus;

The invention has for an object to provide a novel and improved container for embodiment in portable pump apparatus of the shoulder pack type which is light in weight, conformable to the back of the wearer, and of a non-corrodible nature. 7 I

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel container of the character specified which may be collapsed into small volume when not in use for shipping and storage purposes.

With these general objects in View and such others as may hereinafter appear, the invention consists in the container for portable pump apparatus of the shoulder pack type hereinafter described and particularly defined in the claim at the end of this specification.

In the drawing illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention, Fig. 1 is a plan and Fig. 2 a front elevation with a portion broken away and shown in section of a container for portable fire extinguishing apparatus of the shoulder pack pump type.

Prior to the present invention portable fire extinguishing apparatus of the shoulder pack pump type has been extensively used for fighting forest fires and for fighting other fires in more or less remote places where a supply of water under pressure is not available. This type of apparatus as heretofore constructed has included a metal container or tank to which a hand pump is operatively conected. The tank is of a size suificient to hold a substantial quantity of a fire extinguishing liquid such as water, and in practice these tanks have usually been of a fivegallon capacity. The metal container when filled with five gallons or other quantity of Water or other extinguishing liquid represents a relatively heavy load for the operator and the metal of the container when strapped to the back by suitable straps extending over the shoulder becomes uncomfortable for the wearer after the apparatus has been worn for any substantial length of time.

The present invention contemplates a construction of container particularly useful in fire extinguishing apparatus of the shoulder pack pump type which may be worn by the operator with maximum comfort, is economical to manufacture, corrosion resisting, relatively light in weight, and which may be collapsed into relatively small volume for shipping and storage purposes.

Referring now to the drawing, I0 represents the present container for the fire extinguishing liquid of portable extinguishing apparatus of the shoulder pack pump type. The container I0 in accordance with the present invention is made of a flexible resilient waterproof material of a size comparable to the size of the metal containers heretofore embodied in fire extinguishing apparatus of this type. For most purposes the container II! will be of a size sufficient to hold five. gallons of the extinguishing liquid such as water. While various materials may be utilized in the production of the container, I prefer to mold the container of rubber or rubber composition in the general shape illustrated in the drawing in which the top and bottom of the container are fiat and the side walls corrugated or plaited for a purpose to be described. As herein shown, the corners [2 of the container are preferably rounded and the side wall l4 concave to conform generally to the back of the wearer. The side wall l4 may and preferably will be provided with metal belt clips l6 molded in or vulcanized to the side wall [4 for the reception of the usual shoulder straps by which the container and its load of extinguishing liquid may be supported on the back of the wearer with the straps extended over the shoulders in accordance with the usual practice when shoulder pack pump types of extin guishers are worn.

The upper wall ill of the container may and preferably will be provided with a filling opening for the introduction of the extinguishing liquid into the container, and as herein shown a metal nipple 29 is molded or vulcanized into the upper wall I8 and the nipple is provided with a removable cap or closure 22 screwed onto the threaded nipple. The cap is provided with a vent opening 24 for permitting the introduction of air when the extinguisher is being used. The lower portion of the container is provided with a metal outlet nipple 26 herein shown as vulcanized or molded in the lower portion of one corner of the container, as shown. The upper wall l8 may also be provided with a handle 28 to enable the container tobe conveniently transported prior to its application to the back of the wearer, and preferably the legs 30 of the handle may be molded o-r vulcanized in the rubber of the upper wall to be securely attached thereto.

The usual hand pump, not shown, has the inlet thereof connected by a flexible hose to the discharge nipple 26 of the container, and the usual outlet hose from the pump enables the operator to direct the stream of extinguishing liquid at the fire. In order to enable the pump to be conveniently carried, the handle 28 of the container is provided with suitable metal clips 32 for the reception of the pump so that when the complete apparatus is assembled, the pump may be conveniently carried on top of the handle.

The side walls of the body portion of the con-- tainer are preferably-corrugated or'plaited horizontally, as indicated at 34, so that an empty container may be readily collapsed into a relax-w tively small volume to enable it tdheconveniently packed, shipped or stored, and'in practice'the upper and lower walls of the container may be provided with reenforcing :metai; ofi

which is shown at 36 molded -into-theirubbeircomi r stituting such walls.

While I prefer to produce the present container of rubber, it will be understood that other suitable flexible waterproof materials may be used; such. as fabrics impregnated with rubber or with suitable synthetic resinous materials: now 7 on the market,

use the; present conformable container: may; be worn with. much more comfort. than theprior metalcontainers; and in addition: the collapsible construction or the container enables thesamec to be; stored;v shipped and. packed arelativelysmall volume.-

-While: the, presentv construction of shoulder packipump unit is particularly useful as a: fire extinguisher of this type, nevertheless it, will; 'be observed that. the DOHr-COI'TOdiblQ nature; ofttne container lends:itself partimilarly to the use ot the pumpunitfor. spraying and other purposes,

whene liquid insecticides-or thelikezoften present 3 serious; problems: because: of? their corrosive; nae turei,

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

A container for a portable pump apparatus of the shoulder pack type comprising a resiliently flexible and hollow body portion having substantially rectangular top, bottom and four side walls, the and bottom walls being: provided with metal reenforcing: plates to' praserve the substantially rectangular shape of the container when it is filled with liquid, the four intervening side walls beingreadily flexible and provided with :auzseries or transversely extended corrugations formed thereacross generally parallel to said top and bottom walls-wand with their crest portions ingi outwardly at least as far as the boundai ies oftsaict top-and bottom walls whereby said crests, engage thewearers back and support said container therefrom, the flexible side wall adaptedrfla: contact the wearers back being concave for flexible conformity to the wearers back, the concave portion. thereof being, ofxa widthlequaltmthe width of art-average man sashoulders back. contacting. flexible "sidewallprovided with shoulder-strap clips spaced. thereon suchcthat. shoulder. straps fastened thereto will. restzcomfortably. oniand overl the shoulders of the-wearer. when the. liquidsfilled container worn.

RALPH- W..IAUSHIIN.,

"References: Cited in the fll'e ot thiis patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name: Date;

660,014: Hogan .6et.-.16i1900; 1,003,855 Adams: Sept 19;} 1 151!- '1,02l;601 Holitzkii Max:261;- 1912 Lil-L458 nJune .18;;19291 72,187,868 vSchweitzer JaneZEhdQO':

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