IP Library Granted Patent US 10,561,872
Granted Patent B2
US 10,561,872 · App. 15/354,356 · Granted Feb 18, 2020

Fire sprinkler assembly including adjustable drop

Inventors: Odair Dafonseca (Pawtucket, RI); Joseph Beagen (Providence, RI)
Assignee: Anvil International, LLC
A62C35/68F16B1/0071F16L3/08F16L15/02A62C37/11F16B7/182F16L3/133
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,561,872
App. No.
15/354,356
Granted
Feb 18, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided herein is a fire sprinkler assembly including a bracket hub coupled to a bracket bar, and an adjustable drop coupled to the bracket hub. The adjustable drop may include an inner casing and an outer casing surrounding the inner casing, wherein the inner and outer casings include corresponding threading to permit rotation therebetween for adjusting an axial height, along a lengthwise axis, of the inner casing. In some approaches, a flexible metal conduit is directly coupled to a distal end of the inner casing or the outer casing. In some approaches, the inner casing includes a bellow disposed within an interior of the outer casing, the bellow having an expandable central component permitting contraction or expansion, which allows a sprinkler head coupled to the inner casing to be raised or lowered, accordingly.

Claims (36)

1. A fire sprinkler assembly comprising:

a bracket hub coupled to a bracket bar;

an adjustable drop coupled to the bracket hub, the adjustable drop defining a lengthwise axis oriented transverse to the bracket bar, and the adjustable drop comprising:

an inner casing, the inner casing comprising:

a distal end;

a proximal end opposite the distal end, the proximal end comprising a shouldered segment; and

a threaded segment between the distal end and the proximal end, the threaded segment starting at the shouldered segment and extending along the inner casting towards the distal end, the shouldered segment defining an outer radius that is greater than an outer radius of the threaded segment; and

an outer casing surrounding the inner casing, the inner and outer casings including corresponding threading to permit rotation between the inner casing and the outer casing to adjust an axial height, along the lengthwise axis, of the inner casing, the outer casing further comprising a proximal end, a distal end, and an inner surface, the inner surface comprising a distal shoulder configured to contact the shouldered segment of the inner casing and to prevent the inner casing from being released out the distal end of the outer casing; and

a sprinkler head coupled to the distal end of the inner casing.

2. The fire sprinkler assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a flexible conduit coupled directly to the adjustable drop.

3. The fire sprinkler assembly of claim 2 , wherein the flexible conduit is directly coupled to the outer casing.

4. The fire sprinkler assembly of claim 1 , wherein the threading of the inner casing is provided on an outer surface of the inner casing, and wherein the threading of the outer casing is provided on the inner surface of the outer casing.

5. The fire sprinkler assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a keying feature formed in a distal end of the adjustable drop, the keying feature configured to receive a device for providing rotation of the inner casing or the outer casing.

6. The fire sprinkler assembly of claim 1 , wherein the inner casing is a gasket, the gasket including a set of O-rings in contact with the inner surface of the outer casing.

7. The fire sprinkler assembly of claim 1 , wherein the bracket hub is integrally formed with the proximal end of the outer casing.

8. The fire sprinkler assembly of claim 1 , wherein the inner casing further comprises a ruler comprising markings configured to indicate the axial height.

9. The fire sprinkler assembly of claim 1 , wherein the shouldered segment of the inner casing comprises at least one notch for an O-ring.

10. The fire sprinkler assembly of claim 1 , wherein the distal shoulder of the outer casing comprises a section of the corresponding threading.

11. A fire sprinkler assembly comprising:

a bracket hub coupled to a bracket bar;

a flexible metal conduit coupled to the bracket hub; and

an adjustable drop coupled to the bracket hub and to the flexible metal conduit, wherein a lengthwise axis of the adjustable drop is oriented transverse to the bracket bar, and wherein the adjustable drop comprises:

an inner casing including external threading, the inner casing further comprising:

a distal end;

a proximal end opposite the distal end, the proximal end comprising a shouldered segment; and

a threaded segment between the distal end and the proximal end, the threaded segment starting at the shouldered segment and extending along the inner casting towards the distal end, the shouldered segment defining an outer radius that is greater than an outer radius of the threaded segment; and

an outer casing surrounding the inner casing, the outer casing including internal threading for engagement with the external threading of the inner casing, wherein the internal threading and the external threading permit rotation between the inner casing and the outer casing to adjust an axial height, along the lengthwise axis, of a sprinkler head coupled to the distal end of the inner casing, the outer casing further comprising a proximal end, a distal end, and an inner surface, the inner surface comprising a distal shoulder configured to contact the shouldered segment of the inner casing and to prevent the inner casing from being released out the distal end of the outer casing.

12. The fire sprinkler assembly of claim 11 , wherein the flexible metal conduit is directly coupled to threading provided along the interior surface of the proximal end of the outer casing.

13. The fire sprinkler assembly of claim 12 , wherein the bracket hub is integrally formed with the proximal end of the outer casing.

14. The fire sprinkler assembly of claim 11 , further comprising a keying feature formed in a distal end of the adjustable drop, the keying feature configured to receive a device for providing rotation of the inner casing or the outer casing.

15. A fire sprinkler assembly comprising:

a bracket hub coupled to a bracket bar;

an adjustable drop coupled to the bracket hub, the adjustable drop including a central axis of rotation oriented transverse to the bracket bar, and the adjustable drop comprising:

an outer casing including internal threading, the outer casing further comprising a proximal end, a distal end, and an inner surface, the inner surface comprising a distal shoulder; and

an inner casing concentrically arranged within the outer casing, wherein the inner casing includes external threading for engagement with the internal threading of the outer casing, wherein the internal threading and the external threading permit rotation between the inner casing and the outer casing to adjust an axial height, along the central axis of rotation, of a sprinkler head coupled to a distal end of the inner casing, the inner casing further comprising a distal end, a proximal end opposite the distal end, and a threaded segment between the distal end and the proximal end, the proximal end comprising a shouldered segment, the shouldered segment defining an outer radius that is greater than an outer radius of the threaded segment, the shouldered segment configured to contact the distal shoulder of the inner surface of the outer casing and to prevent the inner casing from being released out the distal end of the outer casing, the threaded segment starting at the shouldered segment and extending along the inner casting towards the distal end; and

a flexible metal conduit directly coupled to the proximal end of the inner casing or the outer casing.

Assignments (12)
RELEASE (REEL 049352 / FRAME 0012) Recorded Jul 11, 2024
From: JEFFERIES FINANCE LLC
To: FLO-RITE PRODUCTS COMPANY LLC; FLO-RITE ENERGY SALES, LLC; ANVIL INTERNATIONAL, LLC
Reel/Frame 068284/0113 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 11, 2024
From: ASC ENGINEERED SOLUTIONS, LLC; THE RELIABLE AUTOMATIC SPRINKLER CO. INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 068294/0382 →
RELEASE (REEL 049314 / FRAME 0619) Recorded Jul 11, 2024
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
To: FLO-RITE PRODUCTS COMPANY LLC; FLO-RITE ENERGY SALES, LLC; ANVIL INTERNATIONAL, LLC
Reel/Frame 068284/0226 →
RELEASE (REEL 049312 / FRAME 0447) Recorded Jul 11, 2024
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
To: FLO-RITE PRODUCTS COMPANY LLC; FLO-RITE ENERGY SALES, LLC; ANVIL INTERNATIONAL, LLC
Reel/Frame 068284/0213 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 10, 2024
From: ASC ENGINEERED SOLUTIONS, LLC
To: KKR LOAN ADMINISTRATION SERVICES LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 068264/0104 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded May 11, 2021
From: ANVIL INTERNATIONAL, LLC
To: ASC ENGINEERED SOLUTIONS, LLC
Reel/Frame 056787/0792 →
SECOND LIEN PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 3, 2019
From: FLO-RITE PRODUCTS COMPANY LLC; FLO-RITE ENERGY SALES, LLC; ANVIL INTERNATIONAL, LLC
To: JEFFERIES FINANCE LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 049352/0012 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT (FIRST LIEN) Recorded May 30, 2019
From: FLO-RITE PRODUCTS COMPANY LLC; FLO-RITE ENERGY SALES, LLC; ANVIL INTERNATIONAL, LLC
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 049314/0619 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT (ABL) Recorded May 29, 2019
From: FLO-RITE PRODUCTS COMPANY LLC; FLO-RITE ENERGY SALES, LLC; ANVIL INTERNATIONAL, LLC
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 049312/0447 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 27, 2018
From: FLEXHEAD, INDUSTRIES, INC.
To: ANVIL INTERNATIONAL, LLC
Reel/Frame 045651/0257 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 26, 2018
From: DAFONSECA, ODAIR; BEAGEN, JOSEPH
To: FLEXHEAD INDUSTRIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 045641/0045 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 9, 2018
From: DAFONSECA, ODAIR; BEAGEN, JOSEPH
To: FLEXHEAD INDUSTRIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 044574/0223 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20180133528A1 · May 17, 2018
Cited By (2)
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