Abstract:
A firefighter&#39;s tool for opening a standpipe cap comprising a base having slots at one end to engage the pins on a cap and having a head member on the end opposite to the slots to engage with a wrench or ratchet.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    This invention relates to hand tools for use by firefighters. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Prior Art 
         [0004]    In the fire service the firefighter is required to carry a myriad of tools in order to perform his/her duties on the fire ground. For example, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,298,754, the firefighter&#39;s tool bag may include, among other things a pipe wrench for operating a valve stems and a spanner wrench for operating pipe caps and hose coupling rings, which caps and rings generally have circumferentially arranged pins to which the spanner wrench engages to spin the cap or hose ring. 
         [0005]    One particular operation is that of high rise fires. When confronted with a fire on an upper floor of a high rise building the firefighter typically will bring a hose and tools to the fire floor in order to extinguish the fire. In high rise buildings, water is typically provided for the fire fighter by means of standpipe. A standpipe is a pipe running from the ground to the roof allowing water to reach upper floors. In general, each floor of the high rise includes at least one such standpipe such that the firefighter may have water at that floor to charge the firefighter&#39;s hose to fight the fire. Attached to the standpipe is an outlet with a valve enabling firefighters to turn on and off the water. Also attached to the outlet is a cap, see  FIG. 1 . The purpose of this cap is to protect the threads of the standpipe as the firefighter&#39;s hose will connect to this standpipe water supply through these threads. The cap also serves to prevent debris from entering the standpipe system. 
         [0006]    The purpose of the cap as indicated above is apparent; however it can lead to serious problems and a dangerous situation during a fire if the cap cannot be readily, easily or quickly removed. While conventional tools will remove a cap under normal circumstances, they do not work as efficiently with the more difficult to remove caps. For, example, over time the cap may become stuck do to corrosion, over tightening rust or the like. In addition some standpipe outlets are located in a recessed cabinet, which reduces the range of motion to remove the cap. Furthermore, the pins of the cap may have been aligned such that the firefighter&#39;s tools do not readily engage the pins to rapidly remove the cap. In these situations, the conventional tools may be just cumbersome or counterproductive. It is apparent that the extra time involved in removing a stuck or inaccessible cap can lead to a more dangerous situation to the firefighters and the occupants of the building and to more damage to the building as the fire is not being addressed because the firefighters are struggling to obtain access to the standpipe water supply. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    According to the invention, a firefighter&#39;s tool a base having slots at one end to engage the pins on a cap and having a head member on the end opposite to the slots to engage with a wrench. The head member may be shaped with four or more sides, similar to a conventional bolt-nut or it may include a slot disposed within the head member, or both, to be engaged by a socket wrench, square drive, hex-drive or the like. 
         [0008]    In a preferred embodiment, the tool includes a cylindrical base one end of the cylindrical base having at least two slots for engaging the pins on a standpipe cap. On the other end of the cylindrical base is disposed a head member having multiple sides for engagement by a wrench, including an adjustable wrench, such as a pipe wrench. Further, included in the head member are side portions defining a slot disposed in the head member to be engaged by a socket wrench ratchet drive or a correspondingly sized “Allen Wrench”. 
         [0009]    In a further embodiment of the invention, as the cap pins may be spaced circumferentially about the cap at various angular locations, the base member includes multiple slots spaced to accommodate such various cap-pin locations. For example, it is common to have only two pins spaced 180 degrees apart, whereas it is also known to have three pins spaced 120 degrees apart. Such variable pin locations may be accommodated by including multiple slots in the base to engage the two pin situation as well as the three pin situation or other pin locations. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of one type of standpipe cap. 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a schematic of a preferred embodiment of the tool of the invention, in perspective. 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a view of the tool of the invention shown in  FIG. 2  in the direction shown by arrows  3  of  FIG. 2 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0013]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of one type of standpipe cap  10  comprising a cover  11 , internal screw threads  12  to engage the standpipe (not shown) and pins  13 . The cap  10  is typically threaded to the standpipe to protect the standpipe threads where the hose will be connected and to protect debris from entering the standpipe system. 
         [0014]      FIG. 2  is a schematic of the firefighter tool  20  to engage the standpipe cap  10 . The tool includes a base  21 , in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 2  the base is a cylindrical shape to engage the cap  10 . The base  21  further includes side members  22  forming at least two slots  23  arranged about the base  21  to cooperatively engage the pins  13  of the cap  10 . The base member further includes a head member  25  disposed at the other end of the base opposite the side members  22  forming the pin engaging slots. 
         [0015]    The head member may be shaped with multiple side walls  26  for engagement by a wrench, including an adjustable wrench. In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3  the head member  25  includes eight side walls, although four, six or other common “nut” like combinations may be employed. 
         [0016]    As more clearly seen in  FIG. 3 , the head member  25  may be formed with side walls  28  forming a recessed slot  29  sized and shaped to be engaged by socket wrench ratchet, e.g., the recessed slot  29  may be formed by four side walls  28  to engage a ½ inch socket wrench ratchet or an “Allen wrench” of similar size. 
         [0017]    In operation, the firefighter tool  20  would be placed over the cap  10  such that slots  23  engage the pins  13  of the cap. In one embodiment, the base member  21  and side members  22  may need to be spaced such that the tool  20  accommodates any intervening members of the cap  10  such as attachment  14 , which in some embodiments is an attachment for a chain (not shown) to attach the cap to the wall or other secured member, such that cap is not mis-placed and is readily available after use of the standpipe. Once the tool  20  is placed on the cap such that the pins  13  are engaged, the firefighter may readily remove the cap. In particular, the firefighter may employ a wrench to engage the head member to rotate the tool  20  and the engaged cap  10 . The wrench may engage the side walls  26  or a socket wrench may be employed to engage the recessed slot  29 . In situations in which the standpipe offers little freedom of motion for a wrench, a socket wrench ratchet allows ease of use the tool and efficient removal of the cap as a result of the ease of engagement of the pins  13  and range of motion offered by the tool even in connection with a standpipe disposed within a recessed cabinet. 
         [0018]    It will be recognized that the firefighter tool  20  will engage the pins  13  even when the cap is positioned such that the pins  13  are positioned to prevent easy access by conventional firefighter tools such as a spanner wrench. 
         [0019]    While the foregoing description represents a preferred embodiment of the invention, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the teachings herein. Thus, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than is specifically described above.