Patent Document

BACKGROUND  
       [0001]     During construction of a multi-story building, it is known to install a sprinkler system for fire protection. A specially designed large volume stand pipe specifically for the sprinkler system runs vertically from the basement of the building up to and through the various floors of the building. The bottom of the stand pipe is connected to an output of a building water pump specifically designed for the sprinkler system. An input of the pump is connected to a water supply pipe to the building. On the various floors, the sprinkler system stand pipe connects through a pipe branching out from the stand pipe to the ceiling sprinkler pipe which has a plurality of sprinkler heads installed thereto.  
         [0002]     The building water pump must have sufficient pumping capacity to meet the local building code flow rate requirements—for example at least 22 gallons per minute per sprinkler head for a residential building. Depending on the number of sprinkler heads in the building, the pump and the stand pipe must have sufficient capacity to meet the building code pumping requirement per individual sprinkler head.  
         [0003]     In very high buildings, it is also known to provide in addition to a single pump such as in the basement, additional booster pumps in series along the stand pipe at various intervals.  
         [0004]     In non-sprinklered buildings, it is known to provide a stand pipe extending vertically through the multi-floor building and providing on each floor a so-called “houseline”—that is an individual fire hose outlet connectable or connected to a fire hose. The previously described booster pumps may also be employed in such a stand pipe with line outlets.  
         [0005]     It is also known that in non-sprinklered multi-story buildings, particularly older residential buildings, no water flow type fire protection system at all is provided—that is no stand pipes, no house lines, and no sprinkling systems. In these buildings, all that exists is a domestic water supply pipe extending to the various floors of the building to supply domestic water to restrooms, sinks, or water fountains, for example.  
         [0006]     It is very expensive to convert a non-sprinklered building to a sprinklered building after the building has been constructed. A large pump must first be installed such as in the basement of the building, along with a high volume high pressure stand pipe extending up through the various floors. This stand pipe must then be connected by branch-off pipes to the ceiling sprinkler pipes being installed on each floor. This is particularly true in non-sprinklered residential buildings where no stand pipe exists but only the low pressure domestic water pipe. Modification of such buildings is very expensive.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0007]     It is an object to reduce the expense of installing a sprinkling system in a multi-story building.  
         [0008]     In the system or method for sprinklering a building, the building has a water delivery pipe for delivery of water to at least two different floors of the building. On at least two floors, a respective sprinkler pipe with a plurality of sprinklers is installed. Also installing a respective pump is installed whose outlet is connected to the respective sprinkler pipe, and whose inlet is connected to the water delivery pipe. A respective sensor for the respective pump automatically activates the pump when at least one of the sprinklers is activated. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
       [0009]     The drawing is a side view of the interior of a building showing a sprinkler system for converting a previously existing non-sprinklered building to a sprinklered building. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0010]     For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the preferred embodiment illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended, such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated device, and/or method, and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur now or in the future to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.  
         [0011]     A sprinkler system for converting non-sprinklered buildings is shown in the drawing at  10 . A building  11  has, for example, a basement  11 A, and first, second, third and fourth floors  11 B- 11 E. Prior to addition of the building sprinkler system of the preferred embodiment, the existing building  11  was fed by a water supply pipe  12 , for example connected at an inlet  13 A of a water pump  13  typically located in the basement  11 A. The existing building water pump  13  has an outlet  13 B connected to a stand or domestic water delivery pipe  14  typically proceeding vertically up through the building to deliver water to the various floors of the building via existing floor supply pipes  15 A- 15 D. A cap  16  is provided on top of the pre-existing water delivery pipe  14 . If the pre-existing water delivery pipe  14  comprises a stand pipe, then in lieu of, or in addition to, the individual floor supply pipes  15 A- 15 D, pre-existing house lines (fire hoses) may be connected to the stand pipe  14  at house line outlets  9 A- 9 D shown in dashed lines.  
         [0012]     For converting the non-sprinklered building  11  to a sprinklered building, the sprinkler system generally shown at  10  is added.  
         [0013]     Sprinkler system  10  preferably comprises individual floor sprinkler systems  17 B- 17 E on each floor  11 B,  11 C,  11 D, and  11 E. An individual floor system may also be provided in the basement  11 A, although not shown.  
         [0014]     The individual floor sprinkler systems  17 B- 17 E are preferably respectively provided on each of the floors  11 B- 11 E. Only one of these individual floor sprinkler systems, namely individual floor sprinkler system  17 E, will now be described, although the other individual floor sprinkler systems are understood to be substantially the same.  
         [0015]     The individual floor sprinkler system  17 E comprises a pump  18  having an inlet  18 A, outlet  18 B, and pressure switch  18 C. The outlet  18 B connects through a vertical pipe  19  having a shutoff valve  20  with an operating lever  20 A inserted in pipe  19 . An elbow  20  connects the vertical pipe  19  to a ceiling sprinkler pipe  21  having introduced in series individual sprinkler units  22 A- 22 D, each having respective individual sprinkler heads  22 AA- 22 DA, such as bimetallic sprinkler heads, for example.  
         [0016]     The pump  18  may be ¼ to ½ horsepower, for example.  
         [0017]     The pump inlet  18 A is connected to a test water release valve  25  having a control wheel  25 B and a spigot  25 A. Beneath the spigot  25 A, a bucket  26  may be positioned for receiving discharged water during a test described hereafter.  
         [0018]     The valve  25  is connected in series with a pressure sensor such as a gauge  27 , which in turn is connected to receive water from the water delivery pipe  14  through a one-way valve  30 .  
         [0019]     The pressure sensor  27  may output either an electrical or pneumatic signal indicative of pressure. This electrical or pneumatic signal may either be directly connected to the pneumatic or electrical pressure switch  18 C of the pump  18  or through an intermediary control unit  29  for converting the pneumatic or electrical signal from the pressure sensor  27  into an appropriate signal for the pressure switch  18 C. The control unit  29  may also include a control for a setting an activation level for the pressure switch  18 C of the pump  18 , for example.  
         [0020]     Preferably the pump  18  is mounted on a mounting base  24  to raise its elevation sufficiently to allow placement of the bucket  26  underneath the spigot  25 A.  
         [0021]     Operation of the sprinkler system which converts the non-sprinklered building into a sprinklered building will now be described.  
         [0022]     Initially, it is noted that the pump  18  should have a sufficient pumping power so that in the event of a fire, the local fire regulation pumping water flow rate can be achieved from the individual sprinkler units  22 A- 22 D on floor  11 E, for example. If for example, the regulation calls for a flow rate of 22 gallons per minute, a regulation typical for a residential building sprinkler heads, the pump must be sufficiently strong to provide this flow rate from all of the sprinklers in the floor sprinkler pipe. Although only one sprinkler pipe is shown on floors  11 B- 11 E, of course branching additional sprinkler pipes may be employed to provide additional sprinkler pipes with associated sprinkler units.  
         [0023]     During normal operation, shutoff valve  20  is open so that pressure is present at the inlet  18 A of the pump  18 . If a fire occurs on floor  11 E, for example, one or more of the sprinkler heads automatically are activated in well-known fashion (for example by a bimetallic valve). This causes a pressure drop measured by pressure sensor  27 . This pressure drop is transmitted to the pressure switch  18 C of the pump  18  either directly or through control unit  29 , thus automatically triggering operation of the pump  18 . When the fire is extinguished and the sprinkler heads close, pressure again builds in the floor sprinkler system  17 E as measured by the pressure sensor  27  resulting in an automatic shut-off of pump  18 .  
         [0024]     The one-way valve  30  precludes a back flow of water from the individual floor sprinkler system into the vertical water delivery pipe  14 .  
         [0025]     To test the system, the shut-off valve  20  is closed and the test water release valve  25  is opened by wheel  25 B so that water flows out the spigot  25 A into the bucket  26 . This causes a pressure drop sensed by the sensor  27  such as a gauge, which then activates the pump  18 , indicating that the system is operational.  
         [0026]     With the disclosed system for converting a non-sprinklered building to a sprinklered building, substantial cost savings result since the existing stand pipe or domestic water pipe is used for delivery of the water to the individual floors. The existing building water pump  13  does not have to be changed. It is thus not necessary to run a new high-pressure pipeline strictly for the building sprinkler system, since the existing stand pipe or domestic water pipe is employed.  
         [0027]     While a preferred embodiment has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only the preferred embodiment has been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention both now or in the future are desired to be protected.

Technology Category: 2