Vehicle mounted aerial lift

An aerial boom system for a fire-fighting vehicle which has a hollow piercing nozzle on the outer end thereof for passing through the wall of a structure such as an aircraft fuselage to the interior of the structure where a fire-retardant material may be injected. The nozzle may pierce the fuselage from a remote distance because of the extensible boom. It has thereon a torque limiter to protect the nozzle assembly when forces are applied to the nozzle assembly in a direction transverse to the piercing direction.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to vehicle aerial lifts in general and in 
particular to an aerial lift that has a boom that can be extended in front 
of the cab while in the resting position and which can be elevated up to a 
maximum height but which also can be tilted to allow the nozzles on the 
end of the boom to be lowered to or below ground level. In addition, the 
nozzle has the capability of rotating 90.degree. either side of the center 
line of the boom or 225.degree. in the vertical plane, 45.degree. above 
the plane of the boom and 180.degree. below the plane of the boom. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Prior art aerial lifts or hydraulic platforms are of many types. In U.S. 
Pat. No. 4,453,672, there is disclosed an aerial lift which permits 
rotation about a vertical axis during use through a full 360.degree. to 
any position. The lift accommodates extensions and retractions of an 
extensible boom formed as a part of conventional lower and upper booms. A 
single hydraulic cylinder raises and lowers a pair of pivotally connected 
lower and upper booms. The upper and lower booms are connected together 
such that the movement of the lower boom causes the outward end of the 
upper boom to move generally vertically upwardly rather than in an arc 
toward or away from the vehicle. A fluid supply line for a nozzle at the 
upper end of the lift accommodates relative movement between various parts 
of the lift as well as rotation of the lift to different angular 
positions. 
One of the problems associated with the aerial lift disclosed in U.S. Pat. 
No. 4,453,672 is that the upper boom with the fluid nozzle at the end 
thereof can move only from the horizontal upwardly. It can not be tilted 
upwards so that the boom can be extended downwardly toward the ground. 
Further, the nozzle on the end of the boom can be moved in a vertical 
plane but it can not be directed in a horizontal plane. Thus, it is 
difficult to use such aerial lift for purposes such as fighting fires 
because the vehicle itself must be positioned in certain instances to 
direct the fluid flow and in other instances can not project the fluid 
from positions near the ground level. Further, the entire boom assembly 
must be rotated to aim the fluid in various directions. 
It would be advantageous to have an aerial lift assembly which has an upper 
boom that could be tilted toward the ground as well as pivoted upwardly. 
It would also be advantageous to have a nozzle assembly on the outer end 
of the upper boom which not only could be pivoted in the vertical plane 
but could also be rotated in a plane perpendicular to the vertical plane. 
Further, where a fire is contained within the structure, it would be 
advantageous to know where the fire needs control most urgently. If the 
hot spots were known, the fire could be attacked at those points. 
Also, in remotely controlled aerial lifts, the fluid flow quantity is fixed 
and can be adjusted only by changing the pressure. 
In addition, where the operator is sitting in a vehicle, it is sometimes 
difficult to have a complete view of the object containing the fire 
because of other objects blocking the view. 
Finally, if the structure or object containing the fire is surrounded with 
a great deal of smoke, it is difficult to know how close the nozzle 
assembly of the aerial lift is to the structure containing the fire 
because of the smoke. 
The present invention adds a piercing nozzle to the boom which has a 
hardened steel point and a sprayer unit that enables the piercing nozzle 
to be forced through the wall of the structure containing the fire so that 
the flame-retardant fluids may be injected directly into the interior of 
the structure. In addition, a heat sensor is mounted on the end of the 
boom assembly, so that it can be used to scan the object containing the 
fire and determine where the hot spots are located. The piercing nozzle 
can then be directed towards the hot spots and pierce the structure so 
that the fire retardant fluids can be injected into the interior of the 
container at the proper locations. 
While the most efficient means of forcing the piercing nozzle through the 
wall of a structure is to align the upper boom perpendicular to the 
penetration point with the piercing nozzle parallel with and in axial 
alignment with the boom, the piercing nozzle may hit an obstruction that 
is difficult to pierce. It may tend to force the piercing nozzle to form 
an angle with the boom which will then create side forces perpendicular to 
the longitudinal axis of the piercing nozzle and if force is continued to 
be applied, damage may occur to the piercing nozzle, the mount on which it 
is positioned or the drive means that is tending to resist the side 
movement of the forces on the piercing nozzle. Therefore, a slip clutch is 
mounted between the outer end of the boom and the drive means such that 
the undesirable side forces on the elongated piercing nozzle are limited 
to a predetermined value in the Y plane perpendicular to the piercing 
direction of the elongated nozzle. This will protect the piercing nozzle, 
the mounting apparatus and the drive means from damages. 
Also, because the structure containing the fire may be surrounded with 
thick smoke so that the operator cannot see the container, an acoustic 
proximity system is placed on the end of the boom to detect the position 
of the end of the boom relative to the structure as it is approaching the 
structure, even though the structure cannot be seen. 
Further, a video camera is mounted on the outer end of the boom so that the 
operator can raise the boom and the aerial lift high above the structure 
containing the fire and can scan the area about the structure so that the 
picture can be transmitted back to the operator in the cab of the vehicle 
thereby ensuring that all information necessary to the containment of the 
fire can be available to the operator. 
Finally, the present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art 
by having a remote electronic control of the fluid flow quantity by 
restricting an orifice and simultaneously controlling the flow pattern by 
varying the orifice fluid flow direction. This control is accomplished by 
switches in the cab that can be mounted as needed. 
The present invention also allows the upper boom to be tipped upwardly 
approximately 45.degree. above horizontal and to be tilted downwardly to a 
point just above the cab of the vehicle. In this position, extension of 
the upper boom will position the nozzle device in various positions below 
the horizontal plane to address a variety of tasks. By extending the boom, 
the nozzle can be lowered to ground level or below ground level if 
necessary to reach over embankments, bridges or piers. The nozzle itself 
has the capability of rotating 90.degree. either side of the center line 
of the boom. This allows the nozzle to be rotated 180.degree. in the 
horizontal plane. In addition, the nozzle can be rotated plus 45.degree. 
above the center line of the boom and minus 180.degree. below the center 
line of the boom for a total rotation in the vertical plane of 
225.degree.. This unique feature makes positioning of the vehicle less 
critical in respect to a fire. 
Thus, it is an important aspect of the present invention to provide a 
movable boom which can be elevated not only above the horizontal but can 
also be tipped downwardly below the horizontal and extended to the point 
that a nozzle on the outer end thereof can be lowered to or below ground 
level. 
It is also an important aspect to the present invention to have a nozzle 
that can operate in both the horizontal plane and vertical plane with 
respect to the center line of the boom thereby enabling the nozzle to be 
extended into a doorway, for example, of a building or a vehicle and the 
nozzle rotated in both horizontal and vertical planes to extinguish a fire 
on the inside of the object. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Thus, the present invention relates an aerial boom system for a 
fire-fighting vehicle comprising an elongated boom mounted on the vehicle, 
power means for selectively raising and lowering the boom to a desired 
location, a conduit on the vehicle for carrying a flowable fire-retardant 
material to the outer end of the boom, an elongated hollow piercing nozzle 
coupled to the conduit and having a tapered point with at least one 
orifice therein for expelling the fire-retardant material, mounting means 
on the outer end of the boom for supporting the hollow piercing nozzle, 
drive means coupled to the mounting means for independently moving the 
hollow piercing nozzle in both a horizontal and a vertical plane, and the 
piercing nozzle extending beyond the end of the boom such that only the 
hollow piercing nozzle can be used to penetrate a wall of a structure from 
a remote distance and enable the fire retardant to exit the at least one 
orifice into the interior of the structure. Further, the piercing nozzle 
can be moved to a position where it is in substantial axial alignment with 
the boom for aligning the forces on the nozzle substantially parallel to 
the boom when piercing a structure thereby obtaining maximum piercing 
force with minimal side forces on the piercing nozzle. In addition, a slip 
clutch is mounted between the outer end of the boom and the drive means 
such that undesirable side forces on the elongated nozzle that may occur 
when piercing a structure are limited to a predetermined value in the Y 
plane perpendicular to the piercing direction of the elongated nozzle so 
as to protect the piercing nozzle, mounting and drive means from damage.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
An aerial lift of the prior art is shown in FIG. 1 and may be mounted on a 
vehicle V as illustrated. The lift may include a turntable T conveniently 
rotatable 360.degree. and on which a lower boom L and a pair of links K 
are pivotally mounted at different positions. A hydraulic cylinder C, 
which may be pivotally mounted to turntable T at the same position as the 
link K, is also pivotally attached to lower boom L to elevate the same. A 
knee joint J is mounted on and fixedly receives a portion of the inner end 
of upper boom U while both the lower boom L and the link K are pivotally 
connected to the knee joint J. A slightly modified parallelogram is formed 
by lines connecting the pivot points at the inner and outer ends of the 
lower boom and link. Thus, the parallelogram is formed by the lines 
between the outer pivot points of the lower boom and links and the inner 
pivot points of the lower boom and links, respectively. An extensible boom 
E is slidable outwardly and inwardly from an upper boom U while a 
workmen's cage or basket B is pivotally supported by the extensible boom. 
As in FIG. the extensible boom E may be moved outwardly to a position E' 
with the basket B thereby being moved to a position B'. Also the hydraulic 
cylinder C may be extended to move the lower boom L upwardly to a position 
L' which automatically moves the joint J to a position J' and the upper 
boom U to a position U' with the links K moving to a position K' and 
determining the angularity between the lower boom and the upper boom. It 
will be noted that the sides of the modified parallelogram formed by the 
lines between the above pivot points will remain the same in length, but 
the angles at the corners of the modified parallelogram will vary when the 
lower boom is raised to the position as indicated by the phantom lines 
from the stored position shown in FIG. 1. As can be seen in FIG. 1, as the 
lower boom L is raised, the upper boom U can never be moved to a position 
below the horizontal and in fact moves increasingly above the horizontal 
as the lower boom L is moved upwardly about its pivot point on the 
turntable T. 
The present invention is disclosed in detail in FIG. 2 and illustrates a 
vehicle 10 that may include a turntable T, conveniently rotatable 
360.degree. about a vertical axis, on which a lower boom 12 and a pair of 
links 14 are pivotally mounted at different positions. A hydraulic 
cylinder 16, which may have one end pivotally attached to the turntable T 
at the same position as the links 14, is also pivotally attached at the 
other end to the lower boom 12 to elevate or lower the same. A knee joint 
18 is rigidly mounted on, or may be integrally formed with, a portion of 
the inner end of an upper boom 20. Both the lower boom 12 and the links 14 
are pivotally connected to the knee joint 18 at spaced locations. An 
extensible boom 22 is slidable outwardly and inwardly within the upper 
boom 20. A nozzle assembly 24 is pivotally supported by the extensible 
boom 22. When at rest, the lower boom 12 and the upper boom 20 are nested 
on top of the vehicle 10 as illustrated in FIG. 2. As piston 16 is 
actuated to move lower boom 12 upwardly, the upper boom 20 has a tendency 
to move as disclosed by the prior art device in FIG. 1 because of link 14. 
In the present invention, link 14 has a selectively variable length and is 
formed in two sections slidable within each other as will be seen more 
clearly hereafter in relation to FIGS. 4 and 5. A hydraulic piston 26 
couples the outer end of links 14 which are coupled to the knee joint 18 
with the lower end of links 14 which are coupled to the turntable T. As 
the hydraulic cylinder 26 is actuated, the length of the links 14 changes, 
thus pivoting the upper boom 20 about pivot point 28 and causing the upper 
boom 20 and its extension 22 to be moved upwardly or downwardly as 
indicated in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the existing unit can be pivoted 
upwardly a distance 50 feet above ground and downwardly until the nozzle 
assembly 24 is at ground level. 
As can be seen FIG. 3, the turntable T is rotatably mounted to the vehicle 
as described earlier. The link 14 has an outer end 30 and an inner end 32. 
The inner end 32 is pivotally attached to the rotatable turntable T at 
pivot point 34 while the outer end 30 of link 14 is attached to the knee 
joint 18 at pivot point 36. The hydraulic cylinder 26 is coupled at one 
end to the outer end 30 of the link 14 at point 38 while the other end of 
the hydraulic cylinder 26 is coupled to the inner portion 32 of link 14 at 
point 40. The inner portion 32 of link 14 is telescopically inserted on 
the inside of the outer portion 30 of link 14 as illustrated by joint 33. 
The hydraulic cylinder 16 is pivotally coupled at its inner end to the 
pivot point 34 on turntable T while its outer arm or rod is attached at 
point 41 to the lower boom 12. Upper boom 20 is pivotally attached at 
point 28 to lower boom 12. A water supply pipe 42 includes a swivel joint 
and receives water at the center point of the rotatable turntable T and 
passes it through a flexible hose 44 or any other desired connection to 
the outside of boom 12. It travels in a pipe 43 on the other side of boom 
12 as shown in phantom lines to and is connected with the rotatable joint 
46 in the knee joint 18. Joint 46 couples pipe 43 to the fluid pipe 48 
which continues longitudinally on the outside of upper boom 20 to carry 
fluid such as water to the nozzle assembly 24 on the outer end of boom 20. 
A pipe 49 is slidable within pipe 48 and is connected to extensible boom 
portion 22 for movement therewith. Thus, as the boom portion 22 moves 
inwardly and outwardly with respect to boom 20, pipe 49 moves inwardly and 
outwardly with respect to pipe 48. Thus, as can be seen in FIG. 3, when 
hydraulic cylinder 16 is actuated, lower boom 12 begins to pivot upwardly 
about pivot point 50 where its inner end is attached to turntable T. If 
link 14 does not change its length, movement of the lower boom will cause 
the upper boom 20 to pivot above pivot point 28, thus moving upper boom 20 
away from lower boom 12 as illustrated in the prior art by FIG. 1. 
However, by varying the length of link 14 with piston 26, upper boom 20 
can be pivoted about the point 28 with respect to lower boom 12 thus 
enabling the boom 20 to assume any of the positions illustrated in FIG. 2. 
When the upper and lower booms 12 and 20 are in the bedded position 
illustrated in FIG. 2, they are positioned directly over the cab roof of 
the vehicle. The upper boom 20 can be extended approximately 16 feet in 
front of the cab while in the bedded position. This allows the operator to 
push any impending or approaching fire back away from the vehicle thus 
adding to the safety of the operating personnel. When the need arises to 
elevate the nozzle, the operator simply moves a single joystick hydraulic 
control in the vehicle cab in the proper direction to elevate the upper 
boom to a height of 50 feet or more with the existing unit. The nozzle 
device 24 is compact and versatile and can be positioned inside the door 
of an aircraft to deluge the interior if necessary. The tilt down feature 
of the boom allows the nozzle assembly 24 to be lowered to ground level. 
This feature will position the nozzle device in various positions below 
the horizontal plane. 
As illustrated in FIG. 4, the variable length link assembly 14 includes a 
hydraulic cylinder 26 installed between the two telescopic pivot links 52 
and 54. The link 52 includes an outer portion 30 and a telescoping inner 
portion 32. In like manner, link 54 includes an outer portion 30' and a 
telescoping inner portion 32'. The assembly 14 provides the capability to 
tilt the boom at an angle up to 40.degree. below horizontal. The 
telescoping pivot links 52 and 54 are constructed of steel alloy testing 
at 46,000 psi or equal suitable material and is equipped with a bushing. 
The combination of articulation and tilt down allows the nozzle to be 
placed at ground level approximately 15 to 20 feet in front of the 
vehicle. 
The upper boom 20 consists of a rectangular steel alloy tube outer section 
with an aluminum alloy telescoping inner section (or other materials 
suitable for the construction). The upper boom 20 is adequately reinforced 
to sustain all anticipated loads and nozzle reaction forces at full flow 
in all sweep directions. The extension and retraction of the upper boom is 
accomplished by a hydraulic cylinder providing a fully extended stroke of 
approximately 16 feet. The telescoping section is supported by phenolic 
pads for smooth, wear-free operation. Hydraulic hose and electrical lines 
are carried within a flexible tube support. All hydraulic hoses and 
electrical cables are contained inside the upper boom assembly 20 for 
maximum protection. The waterway piping system 48 shall be capable of 
flowing up to 1,000 gallons per minute with minimum friction loss. The 
waterway begins with a nominal 4-inch ID system containing a flexible 
connection at the base and extending along the lower boom section as light 
weight rigid tubing. The 4 inch waterway passes through the articulating 
section with the swivel assembly 46 and extends along the outside of the 
upper boom section 20. A 31/4 nominal ID telescoping waterway is provided 
on the upper boom assembly inside the 4-inch piping consisting of rigid 
tubing. Telescoping sections are sealed by special polypropylene glands 
158 (FIG. 9). The waterway terminates with a 3-inch fitting for the nozzle 
sweep assembly 24. 
The nozzle sweep assembly 24 consists of a 3 inch ID double swivel unit 
allowing the nozzle to sweep in both horizontal and vertical planes. Thus, 
as can be seen in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8, the waterway 48 turns at a first right 
angle and couples into a first swivel 52 and then turns a second right 
angle into a second swivel 54. The first swivel 52 has a sprocket 60 
driven by a chain 58 which moves the nozzle 56 in a vertical plane with 
respect to the boom as can be seen best in FIG. 8. The drive system can 
cause the nozzle 56 to move upwardly above horizontal 45.degree. and 
downwardly below horizontal 180.degree. for a total movement of 
225.degree.. As can be seen in FIGS. 6, 8 and 9, a motor 62 drives a worm 
gear 64 that couples to gear 66 at the second swivel joint 54. Thus motor 
62 can swivel the nozzle 56 90.degree. in each direction from the axis of 
the boom for a total of 180.degree.. The roller chain 58 rides on and is 
driven by a sprocket gear 154 which, in turn, is connected to an electric 
drive motor 150 through a gear box 152. Horizontal and vertical travel 
motions can be adjusted by placement of stops in the drive system that 
actuate a slip clutch in the drive motor. 
If desired, a halon or other specific agent nozzle 70 may be attached by 
means 72 to the nozzle assembly 24 along side the water/foam nozzle 56. 
Nozzle 70 receives the agent from a supply tank 17 shown on the vehicle in 
FIG. 2. Piping consists of a stainless steel or equal telescoping tube 74. 
Stainless steel swivel fittings 73 and 75 similar to those described for 
the nozzle assembly 24 are installed to allow the auxiliary nozzle to 
rotate and elevate in conjunction with the movements of nozzle assembly 
24. Flexible tube 76 couples telescopic tube 74 to swivel fitting 75. 
If desired, instead of using the short halon nozzle 70, an elongated 
piercing nozzle 71 may be used. This nozzle has a piercing head 65, a 
sprayer unit 67 and a stop collar 69. The stop collar 69 may have an 
outside diameter of approximately 5 inches, while the nozzle 71 itself may 
have an outside diameter of 2 inches. These diameters are for example only 
and may vary. The stop collar 69 is rigidly attached to the nozzle 71 such 
as, for instance, by welding or being integrally formed therewith. The 
stop collar 69 sits just in front of nozzle 56. The purpose of the stop 
collar 69 is to protect the nozzle assembly when the piercing nozzle 71 is 
used to penetrate a structure wall or container. It is able to provide a 
stop which protects the nozzle 56 and its related elements by limiting the 
distance the piercing nozzle 71 can penetrate the structure wall. The 
nozzle 71 may use any special agents, such as halon or dry chemicals in 
conjunction with the piercing point 65 and the spray unit 67. Thus, the 
operator can approach an object or structure on fire, such as an airplane, 
and extend the boom with the piercing nozzle extending in the front 
thereof and penetrate the fuselage wall to spray the fire retardant on the 
interior of the plane. The length of the nozzle 61 from the attachment 
point at 63 where it may be screwed to the tube 74 is approximately 24 
inches. It may also extend in front of the stop collar 69 approximately 18 
inches. 
It may, of course, be impossible to tell where in a structure that hot 
spots are occurring simply by viewing the structure. By placing a heat 
sensor 164 on the nozzle assembly as illustrated in FIG. 8, the nozzle 
assembly on the end of the boom can be used to scan the fuselage or other 
structure to find the hot spots. When the heat sensor indicates the 
greatest amount of heat, the operator can then use the piercing nozzle 71 
to penetrate the structure at that point to release the fire retardant 
chemicals. Heat sensor 164 may be of any well-known type in the art. 
In addition, there are occasions when the structure cannot be seen visually 
because of clouds of smoke surrounding it. In that case, a proximity 
sensor 170 mounted on attachment means 72 can be utilized to give the 
operator an indication of the distance from the nozzle assembly to the 
structure. Thus, the operator, by using the heat sensor 164, can tell 
where the hot spot is without being able to see the structure. He can then 
extend the nozzle end of the boom into the smoke and utilize the proximity 
sensor 170 to determine the distance of the nozzle from the structure even 
though he cannot see the structure. The proximity detector may be of the 
type entitled "Ultra-Sonic Tattletale Safety System", a trademark for a 
system for use on vehicles. The heat sensor 164 may be of any type well 
known in the art and in particular such as the type sold under the 
trademark "Life Sight", which works on the principle of radiated heat. It 
"sees" heat and creates a small television heat image that allows the user 
to see through smoke, utilizing the fact that thermal energy is not 
blocked by smoke particles as is ordinary light. With this device, any 
object that is 0.5.degree. F. different from the surrounding area can be 
detected. 
In addition, there are times when the operator has forward vision blocked 
by an object of some type. For instance, it may be advisable to "see" on 
the other side of the fuselage of an airplane. With the present advice, as 
illustrated in FIG. 8, a video camera transmitter 160 is mounted on the 
mounting structure 72 so that the operator can raise the boom and position 
it in the vertical and horizontal planes to scan the area of concern. By 
raising the boom, and maneuvering the nozzle assembly, the camera can be 
caused to view areas and transmit pictures to a receiver in the vehicle so 
that the operator can "see" the entire area, thus aiding in the ability to 
control a fire. Again, the video camera 160 may be of any type well-known 
in the art which is controlled electrically in any well-known manner from 
the cab of the vehicle. 
Further, present nozzles used on the aerial assemblies do not have the 
capability of changing the flow quantity except by changing pressure. The 
only way to change it in the prior art is to simply change the volume of 
water flowing by restricting water flow through a valve on the side of the 
supply vehicle. In the present invention, nozzle 56 is of a type 
well-known in the art, but not used on remote aerial booms, that control 
flow quantity by restricting the orifice and control the flow pattern 
thereby varying the fluid flow direction through the orifice. Such a 
nozzle is sold by Feecon Corporation. In the present device, as seen in 
FIG. 6, electric driven motors 166 and 168 are mounted on each side of the 
nozzle pipe 68 and are electrically controlled from the cab. Electric 
motor 166 changes the orifice restriction of the Feecon Corporation nozzle 
to control the flow quantity of fluid at the output of nozzle 56. Electric 
motor 168, also operated from the cab in a well-known manner, controls the 
flow pattern by varying the direction of fluid flow through the nozzle. 
Thus it can be a fine spray pattern or a concentrated stream. Thus, the 
quantity of fluid flow can be controlled without changing the pressure. 
Further, if desired, two combination flood/spot lights 77 and 79 with one 
million peak candle power each may be attached to the nozzle assembly 24. 
In that case each light has quartz halogen bulbs and operates on a 12 volt 
system. The lights may be remotely switched from spot to flood modes. The 
flood mode provides full 150.degree. illumination. The complete system is 
weather proofed and the lights rotate and elevate with the nozzle movement 
to provide illumination of the water/foam stream or act as an independent 
remote controlled light tower. Provision has also been made to accommodate 
other electrically or pneumatically operated devices that may be located 
at or near the end of the boom. 
FIG. 10A is an elevation view of a vehicle 180 on which an aerial boom 182 
is mounted as previously described for movement in the vertical and 
horizontal planes. A piercing nozzle assembly 184 is mounted on the outer 
end thereof. FIG. 10B illustrates some of the possible horizontal 
movements of the boom 182 with the hollow piercing nozzle assembly 184 
mounted on the outer end thereof. Note that the piercing nozzle itself is 
substantially in axial alignment with the boom 182. 
FIG. 11 is a plan view that illustrates the ideal approach angle of the 
vehicle with the aerial boom system thereon for approaching an object such 
as an aircraft 186. In this case, there may be a fire on the inside of the 
aircraft 186 and the piercing nozzle on assembly 184 can be used to 
penetrate the fuselage and inject the fire-retardant material on the 
interior of the aircraft. Since the boom 182 is extensible, the hollow 
piercing nozzle can be used to penetrate the fuselage from a remote 
distance, thus offering some protection for the operator thereof. 
FIG. 12 illustrates the system where it is necessary to penetrate 
vertically into the top of a structure such as the fuselage of an 
aircraft. In that case, the hollow piercing nozzle assembly can be driven 
in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the 
boom 182 thus allowing the piercing nozzle to penetrate the upper portion 
of the fuselage as the tip of the boom follows an arc 188 in its downward 
movement. 
FIG. 13 is an elevation view of FIG. 11 that illustrates the preferred 
method of piercing a wall of a structure wherein the upper boom has its 
longitudinal axis substantially in alignment with the longitudinal axis of 
the hollow piercing nozzle and the piercing nozzle enters the fuselage 186 
at right angles thereto. As the boom 182 is extended as illustrated by 
phantom lines 188, the extension force can be used to push the piercing 
nozzle of assembly 184 through the fuselage wall 186. 
Referring now to FIG. 14, if the piercing nozzle assembly 184 should be out 
of axial alignment with the longitudinal axis of the upper boom 182 or if 
the piercing nozzle hits an obstruction in the fuselage 186 that is too 
hard to pierce, then continued force inwardly along arrow 190 would create 
transverse forces on the piercing nozzle assembly 184 that would tend to 
force it out of its fixed position and damage the piercing nozzle 
assembly, its mount or the drive means for driving the piercing nozzle in 
the vertical plane. Thus, a slip clutch assembly 204 is added between the 
outer end of the boom 182 and the drive means, as will be explained 
hereafter, to eliminate these undesirable forces and limit them to a 
predetermined value so as not to damage the piercing nozzle, its mounting 
or its drive means. 
FIG. 15 is an exploded view of a piercing nozzle 192. It has a body portion 
194, a tapered portion 196 of a piercing tip that has orifices 200 therein 
and a penetrating tip 198. The tapered portion 196 of the piercing nozzle 
192 is threadedly attached to the body portion 194 with threads 195. 
Threaded extensions may be inserted between the threads 195 and the 
tapered portion 196 of the piercing nozzle with the orifices 200 therein 
to obtain sufficient length to penetrate the wall of a particular object. 
The extensions may be 24 inches, 36 inches or 72 inches or any other 
desired size. This enables the piercing nozzle to be forced through a 
fuselage wall to the interior of an aircraft or other object and the 
retardant sprayed on the inside to extinguish the fire in that area. It is 
possible then for firemen to enter that area, remove the tapered portion 
196 of the piercing nozzle and attach their hose to the threads 195 to 
personally direct fire within an aircraft or other structure as needed. 
The outer portion 198 of the piercing nozzle is a penetrating tip 
preferably made of chrome and is threadedly attached to the portion 196 by 
means of threads 197. The entire piercing nozzle is threadedly attached to 
the piercing nozzle assembly by threads 195. 
FIG. 16 is an isometric view of the piercing nozzle assembly 184. It is 
generally as described earlier in the present application with the 
exception that a slip clutch assembly 204 is added between the outer end 
of boom 182 and drive gear plate or wheel 206. Drive gear wheel 206 forms 
a part of the slip clutch assembly 204. A drive chain 210, shown in FIG. 
17, is coupled between the gear plate or wheel 206 and the gear wheel 208 
to move the nozzle 192 in the vertical plane. The slip clutch 204 is a 
torque limiter which is a protective device that limits torque transmitted 
in the drive system by slipping when the torque demand exceeds a preset 
value as a result of shock loads, overloads and the like. It automatically 
re-engages when the overload torque has passed. No resetting is required. 
Such a torque limiter is provided in the prior art under the designation 
Morse Torque Limiter. Thus, if the extensible boom 182 is moving inwardly 
as illustrated in FIG. 14 and the piercing nozzle 192 is forced out of 
alignment with the longitudinal axis of boom 182 as illustrated in FIG. 
14, the torque applied by drive gear 208 to drive gear 206 through the 
chain 210 in FIG. 17 will cause slip clutch assembly 204 to operate and 
allow gear wheel 206 to slip thus freeing the entire hollow piercing 
nozzle assembly 184 and preventing damage to the components. 
FIGS. 17 and 18 are side view and top view, respectively, of the novel 
hollow piercing nozzle assembly 184 shown in FIG. 16. It will be noted in 
FIG. 17 that a chain 210 is shown that couples the gear plates 206 and 
208. It is also noticed in the top view in FIG. 18 that the center line 
212 of the hollow piercing nozzle is aligned substantially with the 
longitudinal axis 214 of the upper boom assembly. This allows the forces 
to be applied to the hollow piercing nozzle in a manner to minimize side 
forces on the hollow piercing nozzle 192. 
Thus, there has been disclosed a novel aerial boom system which allows a 
vehicle to be operated for a full range of responsibilities. The system is 
designed to be placed in operation during the roll in approach to a fire 
such as an aircraft incident and to begin discharging agent on the fire 
without restricting the mobility of the vehicle. The engine driven or 
P.T.O. driven hydraulic system allows the nozzle to be operated without 
disruption of the vehicle normal operation. When the vehicle is responding 
to a normal incident where there is no need to elevate, the all electric 
control nozzle can be utilized much like a standard roof mounted turret. 
Joystick controls simplify the operation. Joysticks incorporate 
potentiometers to allow proportional adjustment of hydraulic cylinders as 
is well known in the art. Capability is provided for preprogrammed 
boom/nozzle movements. 
When the assembly is in the bedded position, it is positioned directly over 
the cab roof. The boom can be extended approximately 16 feet in front of 
the cab while in the bedded position. This allows the driver/operator to 
push any impending or approaching fire back away from the vehicle, thus 
adding to the safety of the operating personnel. When the need arises to 
elevate the nozzle, the operator simply moves a single joystick in the 
proper direction. Hydraulic pressure then elevates the boom to a height of 
50 feet or more on existing models. The nozzle device is compact and 
versatile and can be positioned inside the doorway of an aircraft to 
deluge the interior if necessary. The additional halon or other auxiliary 
agent system gives greater depth to the overall performance. The halon 
auxiliary agent nozzle is attached to the water/foam nozzle and is 
positioned by utilizing the joystick control that moves the water/foam 
nozzle. 
The nozzle has the capability of rotating 90.degree. either side of the 
center line of the boom. This allows the nozzle to be rotated 180.degree. 
on the horizontal plane. It can also be rotated in the vertical plane plus 
45.degree. above horizontal and minus 180.degree. below horizontal in the 
vertical plane. 
The two one million candle power spot/flood lights enhance nighttime 
capabilities. The power for the light is supplied by a switch on the 
instrument panel. 
Auxiliary electric or pneumatic functions can be added to the end of the 
boom for other fire fighting or rescue operations. 
Joystick controls are capable of proportional hydraulic cylinder movement 
and can be combined with other electronic components for preprogrammed 
nozzle/boom movements. 
The tilt down feature of the nozzle allows the nozzle to be lowered to 
ground level. This feature positions the nozzle device in various 
locations below the horizontal plane to address a variety of tasks. 
The piercing nozzle allows the operator of the boom to extend the piercing 
nozzle through the wall of a structure to inject the fire-fighting 
chemicals directly inside the structure containing the fire. The use of 
the stop collar prevents the nozzle assembly from being damaged by 
inserting the piercing nozzle too great a distance into the structure. 
Through the use of a heat sensor, the operator can scan the structure with 
the boom movements and the nozzle movements to find the hot spots. In 
addition, the heat sensor can locate the hot spots even though the 
structure is surrounded by heavy smoke. In addition, the proximity sensor 
can allow the operator, after locating the hot spots, to insert the 
piercing nozzle through the wall at that point, even though the wall 
cannot be seen because the proximity sensor indicates to the user the 
distance of the end of the boom from the structure. Also, the remote 
control of the nozzle by two electric motors allows the user to vary not 
only the volume of water being used, but also the flow pattern. 
Further, the use of a slip clutch mounted between the outer end of the boom 
and the hollow piercing nozzle drive means enables undesirable forces on 
the elongated hollow nozzle that may occur when piercing a structure to be 
limited to a predetermined value in the Y plane perpendicular to the 
piercing direction of the elongated nozzle. This protects the piercing 
nozzle assembly, the mounting and the drive means from damages. 
While the invention has been described in connection with a preferred 
embodiment, it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the 
particular form set forth, but, on the contrary, it is intended to cover 
such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included 
within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended 
claims.