Abstract:
A safety device includes a first loop arranged around a handle of a nozzle. A second loop is arranged around a body of the nozzle and adjoins the first loop via a first strip of material. A second strip of material extends across the second loop. A first strip of material includes a fastener for creating a third loop that prevents a bale of the nozzle from being opened. The safety device may include a visual indicator arranged at a free end of the first strip of material for indicating that a firefighting crew maintaining the nozzle has passed inspection and the type of agent the fire hose expels.

Description:
[0001]    There are no related patent applications. 
         [0002]    This application did not receive any federal research and/or development funding. 
       TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0003]    Generally, the present invention relates to a safety device used in training firefighters and other damage control personnel. More specifically, the invention is a strap device that attaches to a hose nozzle and prevents a bale of the hose nozzle from being inadvertently opened during training exercises. The strap device comprises a plurality of loops arranged around a handle of the nozzle, the nozzle body and the bale to prevent fire fighting material from being discharged from the nozzle. One or more of the loops may include a fastener means that quickly detaches to decouple the loop from the nozzle part about which it is arranged. The device may also comprise a visual indicator, such as a flag, that is attached to the device to indicate that it has been visually inspected during a training exercise. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    Damage control and firefighting personnel periodically perform training operations to train for fighting fires. During these training operations, the personnel practice deploying firefighting equipment, such as hose gear and nozzles. In the modern Navy, all sailors are trained in damage control and firefighting operations. 
         [0005]    During these training exercises, problems arise when personnel inadvertently open a bale on a nozzle to allow water, foam, or other firefighting agent to flow from the hose nozzle. Currently, many naval personnel use bungee cords, or other such elastic bands, wrapped around the firefighting nozzle during training exercises to prevent inadvertently opening it. Industrial sized paper clips with attached rags are typically utilized to indicate that a hose crew has been inspected. Other problems arise when these bungee cords and paper clips break, are lost, or fall off during the training exercise. 
         [0006]    The instant invention overcomes the problems associated with the aforementioned prior art by providing a safety device that prevents the bale from the hose nozzle from being inadvertently opened. A visual indicator device is also provided for assisting inspectors in verifying that a hose crew has been inspected and passed the inspection. Moreover, the safety device may be easily removed by disengaging a detachable loop from the bale. The bale may be operated and the safety device is removed from the hose nozzle. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    A nozzle safety training device includes a plurality of straps, preferably two, arranged around a hose nozzle to prevent the bale from being inadvertently opened during training exercises. An agent test satisfactory indicator is arranged on the device for simulating an agent being expelled from the nozzle during damage control training. The indicator may be a flag of a specific color fastened at an end of the device. For example, a green indictor may simulate salt water agent or a white flag may mean an aqueous filming agent. 
         [0008]    The device is preferably formed from a plurality of cloth strips or webbing and preferably includes permanent stitching that fastens the cloth strips together. One of the strips of webbing includes a fastener, preferably of hook and loop material, that forms a dis-engageable or detachable loop which fastens to a bale of a hose nozzle for securing it in a closed or off position. Another loop of material or webbing is arranged at an opposite end of the device for fastening the device to a handle of the hose nozzle. The nozzle includes a flow end that passes through a further loop of material to secure the device to the body of the nozzle. 
         [0009]    It is an object of the invention to provide a nozzle safety training strap device that prevents the bale of a nozzle, on which the device has been deployed, from being inadvertently opened during a training exercise. 
         [0010]    It is another object of the invention to teach a safety training device that is an agent test satisfactory indicator that shows when a hose crew has passed an inspection. 
         [0011]    It is a further object of the invention to provide a safety training device for use in training exercises. The safety training device includes a pair of loops that are connected together via at least one strap. The first loop surrounds a handle on the nozzle handle and the second loop surrounds the body of the nozzle. A strip of material extends from one side of the second loop to the other side to pass across the end of the nozzle from which water or fire fighting agent is expelled or discharged. A third loop includes a fastener and is detachable to allow the third loop to be easily and quickly fastened or coupled to the bale to prevent the nozzle from being accidentally actuated during training exercises. However, the bale third loop may be decoupled from the bale by pulling a loose end to disengage the fastener. 
         [0012]    It is another object of the invention to teach a safety training device that is made from common materials such as strips of cloth or webbing that are stitched to create a pair of permanent loops of material for attaching the device to a hose nozzle. A fastener is included for creating a loop that surrounds the bale to prevent it from being inadvertently actuated during a training exercise. In a preferred embodiment, two strips of webbing are used. A permanent loop is formed at one end of a longer strip of webbing via stitching. The second end of the longer strip includes a fastener such as hook and loop material that forms a non-permanent loop. A fastener is also provided at the tip of the second end for securing a visual indicator thererto. The shorter strip of webbing is formed into a circular loop and fastened to the longer strip between the first and second ends. Permanent stitching preferably secures the circular loop to the longer strip. 
         [0013]    The above and further objects, details and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the instant invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 2A  is a perspective view of the instant invention affixed to a nozzle that is in a closed position.  FIG. 2B  is perspective view of the instant invention affixed to a nozzle that is in the open position. 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the invention on a nozzle and including a visual indicator attached to the device indicating that the hose crew has been inspected. 
           [0017]      FIG. 4A  is a prior art nozzle in the closed position.  FIG. 4B  is a prior art nozzle in the open position. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0018]    The embodiments of the invention and the various features and advantageous details thereof are more fully explained with reference to the non-limiting embodiments and examples that are described and/or illustrated in the accompanying drawings and set forth in the following description. It should be noted that the features illustrated in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, and the features of one embodiment may be employed with the other embodiments as the skilled artisan recognizes, even if not explicitly stated herein. Descriptions of well-known components and techniques may be omitted to avoid obscuring the invention. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the invention may be practiced and to further enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. Accordingly, the examples and embodiments set forth herein should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention, which is defined by the appended claims. Moreover, it is noted that like reference numerals represent similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings. 
         [0019]    In a preferred embodiment of the invention, as shown in  FIG. 1 , the device  1  includes a first strip of material  10  having two ends  10 A and  10 B . The first strip of material  10  is formed into a first loop  12  via permanent stitching  25  at a first end  10 A thereof. The handle  103  of the nozzle  100  is inserted into the first loop  12  of material  10 . The second end  10 B of the first strip of material  10  includes a fastener  29 , having complementary portions  29 A and  29 B that arranged on respective portions of material  10 , as shown in  FIG. 2B . These complementary portions  29 A,  29 B engage one another to create a dis-engageable loop  13  that fastens about the bale  105  of the hose nozzle  100 . The second end  10 B of the first strip of material  10  is tugged on to detach the dis-engageable loop  13  from the bale  105 . A second strip of shorter material  15  is formed in a loop  16 . The flow end  101  of the hose nozzle  100  passes through this loop  16  and into a basket end  17  of the device  1  that includes a basket comprising the loop  16  and a basket strip of material  14  that is formed to partially encapsulate flow end  101 . The second strip of material  15  is fastened in two places to the first strip of material  10  via permanent stitching  25  using a square pattern as shown. Fastener element  29 B is preferably attached on a top end of the material  10  where it overlaps the loop  16 . A second set of permanent stitching  25  is provided along a bottom of the loop  16  to secure it to the first strip of material  10 . The region of material between these permanent stitching  25  comprises strip of material  14  which encapsulates a portion of flow end  101 . As indicated by the drawings, one of the complementary portions  29 A,  29 B of the fastener  29  is arranged near or atop the area of permanent stitching that couples the first 10 and second 15 strips of materials together. The strips of material may be a nylon webbing, cloth or other such durable material that can be fastened with permanent stitching. 
         [0020]    As indicated,  FIG. 1  shows a safety training device  1  that preferably includes a pair of strips of webbing  10 ,  15  that are formed to include a basket  17  which comprises the loop  16  formed from a shorter strip of material  15  and strip  14  of a longer strip of webbing  10 . The flow end  101  of hose nozzle  100  rests within this basket  17  when the hose nozzle  100  is being inspected or when not in use. An indicator flag  40 , as shown in  FIG. 3 , may be included on the second end  10 B of the first strip of webbing. The indicator flag includes a complementary strip of fastening material that fastens to fastener strip  30 A. 
         [0021]    Strip fastener  30 A is arranged at the second end  10 B of first strip of webbing  10 . This end  10 B is pulled upwards to separate fastener  29  into complementary portions  29 A and  29 B. These complementary portions  29 A,  29 B are permanently fastened to the same face of the material  10  via stitching  25 . When mated together, the fastener  29  creates loop  13  that secures about bale  105  to prevent it from being opened, as shown in  FIG. 2A . 
         [0022]    Permanent stitching  25  that secures complementary fastener  29 B to one face of material  10  also preferably secures material  10  to material  15 . That is, one half of fastener  29  is arranged directly above where one of material  10 ,  15  overlaps the other and is permanently stitched together. Permanent stitching  25  is also provide on a bottom of the loop  16  to secure materials  10 ,  15  together. Another loop  12  is formed at a first end of the material  10 , as shown. 
         [0023]    As can be understood by  FIG. 2A , which is a perspective view of the instant invention affixed to a nozzle that is in a closed position, the device  1  is arranged around a hose nozzle  100 . In this instance, the handle  103  is passed through loop  12 . Discharge end  101  passes through loop  16  and into basket  17 . The second end  10 B of material  10  is passed through an opening  102  of the bale  105 . The complementary strips  29 A,  29 B of fastener  29  are brought together to create the detachable loop  13  around bale  105 . This loop  13  prevents bale  105  from being inadvertently opened. Loop  13  is disengaged by tugging on end  10 B to decouple complementary strips  29 A,  29 B from one another, as shown in  FIG. 2B . Bale  105  may be pulled rearward to allow fire retardant to flow from discharge end  101 . As can be understood from  FIG. 2B , discharge material will cause basket  17  to be removed from discharge end  101 . The operator can then slip loop  12  downward and away from handle  103 . 
         [0024]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the invention  1  on a nozzle  100  and including a visual indicator  40  attached to the device  1  indicating that the hose crew has been inspected. In this instance, the visual indicator  40  includes a complementary fastener strip  30 B (not shown) that mates with fastener strip  30 A to couple the visual indicator  40  to the second end  10 B of material  10 . Visual indicator  40  may be provided in a variety of colors. The visual indicator is used as an agent test satisfactory indicator and is arranged on the device for simulating an agent being expelled from the nozzle during damage control training. The visual indicator may be a flag of a specific color fastened at an end of the device. For example, a green indictor may simulate salt water agent or a white flag may mean an aqueous filming agent. Other identification indicia may be provided on each visual indicator. 
         [0025]      FIG. 4A  is a prior art nozzle in the closed position.  FIG. 4B  is a prior art nozzle in the open position. In  FIG. 4B , the nozzle  100  includes a discharge end  101  that discharges fire retardant material (not shown) when the bale  105  is forced rearward away from the discharge end  101 . A hose end  104  is coupled to a hose that provides pressurized fire retardant that flows through nozzle  100 . In  FIG. 4A , the bale  105  is shown in the open position to correspond with  FIG. 2A  when the device  1  is typically installed on the hose nozzle  100 . The body of the nozzle includes that part of the nozzle to which the bale  105  and the handle  103  attach. A valve is arranged within the body to be closed when the bale  105  is in a defined position such as the forward position shown when the nozzle is in the closed position. 
         [0026]    While the invention has been described with respect to preferred embodiments, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in limiting sense. From the above disclosure of the general principles of the present invention and the preceding detailed description, those skilled in the art will readily comprehend the various modifications to which the present invention is susceptible. Therefore, the scope of the invention should be limited only by the following claims and equivalents thereof.