Abstract:
An apparatus adapted to be secured to an emergency vehicle such as a fire truck which is adapted to store a collapsible water storage tank and to be moved upwardly to the stored position with the stored tank in the inverted position to facilitate drainage therefrom. The apparatus includes a main bracket secured to the vehicle with a back arm pivotally secured to the main bracket and extending upwardly therefrom and a lower arm pivotally secured to the main bracket and extending outwardly therefrom. A shelf arm is pivotally secured to the distal ends of the lower arm and the back arm to facilitate control and movement thereof. Pivotal connection between the back arm and the shelf arm is made through an actuator drive pin. The actuator drive pin is also pivotally secured with respect to an axially extensible actuator such as an electrically powered piston adapted to facilitate movement of the article retaining apparatus between the stored and lowered positions. An article retaining device is fixedly secured with respect to the lower arm in order to be movable therewith from the lowered position wherein access to the interior thereof is available to the upper position which is the stored position for retaining of the article within an article holding chamber in an inverted fashion. An adjustment capability is included for varying the positioning of the various arms with respect to one another and maintaining alignment thereof.
Abstract:
A protective device for firefighters is disclosed, in the form of a bar that extends across the entrance of the jump seat compartment of a fire truck. Disclosed is an elongated tube connected by a universal joint to a support bracket. The tube has a slide that is spring urged outwardly into the socket of a companion bracket, thus providing a rigid safety bar strategically positioned to protect a firefighter when the fire apparatus is being driven at high speed over roughly paved streets and around sharp corners. A specially designed locking and release handle is normally biased to a locking position at the enlarged end of a guide slot. To be moved to a release position, the handle must be grasped and partially rotated with the slide, to align the handle with an elongated portion of the slot, whereby to permit the slide to be retracted and in this way permit the bar to be swung downwardly so that the firefighter may descend from the apparatus in minimum time.
Abstract:
A portable device, capable of being hand carried to a selective location along the length of a fire hose at the scene of a fire, is adapted to be swiftly and easily opened by reason of a hinged relationship of its basic parts, to receive the hose. When swung to a closed position about the hose, the clamping device automatically latches and locks in the closed position, to locate stationary and movable jaws at diametrically opposite points on the hose. Then, by operation of a hydraulic means incorporated directly in the device, the movable jaw is forced toward the stationary jaw, to clamp off the hose. The jaws have a particular configuration adapting the same to tightly clamp the hose against any leakage of water therethrough. For this purpose, the stationary jaw, in the sense of the transverse dimension of the hose, is shallowly depressed to define a cradle that will center the hose for clamping purposes, with the upper jaw having a mating convexity in the sense of the transverse dimension of the clamped object. The stationary jaw is also formed with upwardly convergent surfaces arranged to define a low, rounded clamping surface that will extend across the full diameter of the hose and that follows the shallow concavity defined by the cradle, while the movable upper jaw has downwardly convergent surfaces defining a gently rounded clamping surface cooperating with that of the stationary jaw. The clamping surface of the upper jaw mates with the lower jaw by reason of having a convexity complementing the concavity defined by the cradle.
Abstract:
A tank holding assembly for releasably securing a tank therewithin which is attachable to a hollow seat back to facilitate rapid tank donning when seated. A housing is included with a tank receiving recess positionable in the hollow seat back area. The housing is preferably made of a flexibly resilient plastic material for protection of the tank but includes a retaining bracket, preferably of metal, secured to the rear portion for strengthening and securement to a seat back. A restraining strap extends through openings defined in the housing and the retaining bracket and around the tank for firm securement thereof. A releasable clasping device can be included for selectively holding the restraining strap extending about the tank. A release lanyard can be included for facilitating speedy disengaging of the clasping device. A magnetic device is designed for holding the clasp in the opened position.
Abstract:
A backing plate member is securable preferably to a vertically extending wall with at least one or more C-shaped clamping members secured thereto and extending outwardly therefrom approximately horizontally. Each clamping member includes a first and second clamp arm with a unique clamp arm adjustment means attached therebetween and positioned between the clamp base and the cylinder gripping zone defined between the clamp arms. The clamp arm adjustment means preferably includes a locking member for adjusting the spacing between the clamps for adjusting the size of the cylinder gripping zone as well as a spacer member with an arcuate abutment surface mated to the adjustment abutment surface of one of the clamp arms to facilitate contact therebetween at various adjustment positions and contact therebetween as the preferably flexibly resilient clamp arms are resiliently flexed to a more open position during urging of a cylindrically-shaped member therebetween into the cylinder gripping zone.