Technical field This invention relates to a device that may be mounted on scooters, motorcycles and the like, enabling fire-fighters to reach a fire in a very short space of time, avoiding heavy traffic or queues, in the case of an accident, for example ; the device consists of a combination of water tank and compressed air canister, so that the water used to extinguish the fire can be shot from a high-pressure nozzle.

Background of the art It is a well-known fact that in countries that are particularly sensitive to the huge problem of fires, fire- fighting devices are used capable of extinguishing fires rapidly with small amounts of water.

The system consists of a combination of water and compressed air shot through a nozzle at a speed of approx.

400 Km/h. At such a speed the friction caused by the water pulverizes the molecules, reducing them from their normal size of between 700 and 2000 microns to 5-200 microns, whereby it becomes possible to subtract heat from the fire with very small amounts of water.

By way of example, tests carried out in the United States have shown that the temperature in a burning furnished room can be reduced from about 1, 000° C to 40° C with only two litres of water.

Generally, the fire-fighting device is carried on the shoulders, which is possible due to the small amount of water that is needed : operate il ; for example, only one or two litres of water are needed to extinguish a burning car, while a fire in a flat can be extinguished with only 15 or 20 litres of water.

Obviously, such a device can be used to extinguish all kinds of fire, but the speed with which it extinguishes fires makes it especially suited to smaller environments, where the faster the fire is extinguished, the greater the chances are of saving peoples'lives.

A typical case is tha of a burning motor vehicle, where there is the risk tha all the occupants of the vehicle may die and that the fire may propagate to other vehicles involved in an accident, for example.

Unfortunately, this is a very common event on our heavily trafficked roads and motorways. We all know that, when an accident occurs, enormous queues immediately form, which often occupy the emergency lanes too, due to the irresponsibility and lack of public spirit of the drivers, blocking the way for the emergency relief vehicles, fire-

fighters, ambulances and police. Similar situations may also occur in built-up areas, where heavy traffic often hinders the access of fire-engines and slows down emergency relief operations considerably.

However, although the above-mentioned fire-fighting device may be carried on the shoulders, if the emergency vehicle is obliged to stop far from the place of the accident the speed of the emergency operation is severely jeopardised and the fire-fighters required to do a lot of unnecessary work.

Disclosure of invention This invention relates to a device which exploits the operating principle of the above-mentioned equipment and may be mounted on a scooter, motorcycle, or the like, thus making it easy to handle even in the presence of heavy traffic, or if the carriageway is blocked by cars, and capable of speedily reaching the place of the accident.

According to the present invention there is provided at least one U-shaped tank; at least one support for a detachable compressed air canister; at least one (preferably tilting) support on which to fasten a hose reel for the hoses connecting the nozzle to the water tank and compressed-air canister.

According to the present invention the above-mentioned components of the fire-fighting device are designed to be

mounted on a two-wheeler, preferably a scooter, in such a manner as, (i) not to jeopardise the manoeuvrability and stability of the vehicle, and (ii) not to increase its dimensions, especially its width, so as to maintain the fundamental characteristic of the scooter, which is its capacity to move easily between vehicles. This is the reason why the water-tank is U-shaped, so that it may easily be mounted around the seat, projecting only slightly from sides of the scooter and thus hardly altering its normal profile.

Above the back of the seat, or on the pack, in the case of a single-seat scooter, there is a support, which may be tilted to access the compartment below the seat, to which a hose reel is attached, for winding the hoses connecting the water tank to the nozzle.

Immediately beneath the water-tank, along the sides of the scooter, there are two compressed air canisters, one on each side, also connected to the nozzle.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a three-quarter view of the side and back of the scooter where the components of the device have been mounted.

Figure 2 shows a rear view of the equipment, when mounted.

Figure 3 shows a view from the side with the hose reel and the seat raised.

Figure 4 shows a detail of the hose fittings at the back of the tank.

Referring to the drawings, the device comprises a tank (1), consisting of a U-shaped cylinder, with the bend (2) around the rear of the scooter and _he two projecting parts (3 and 4) close to the footboard (5').

Immediately beneath the tank (l), along the sides of the scooter, there are two compressed air canisters (8) fastened by means of suitable attachment systems (6,7).

On a hinged support (9) bridging the rear part of the seat is the hose reel (10) and the nozzle (12) holder (11).

As may be seen in the drawings, all the equipment components have been designed to achieve a good balance between water tank capacity, reduced bulkiness and easy handling of the scooter, so as not to penalize its agility.

Obviously, the nozzle is suitably connected to the compressed air canister too, according to the usual equipment operation diagram.

Based on the trials carried out, it has been found that, on some types of motorcycles, it might be better to mount the hose reel vertically, in order to better access the compartment beneath the seat ; it has also been found that, for some applications, the compressed air canisters can be

placed inside the compartment beneath the seat, or in other spaces or compartments either already present or specifically made, in which case the canisters must obviously be of a suitable size.

Furthermore, normal attachment systems are used to fasten the tank, the canisters, the hose reel and the nozzle, according to the various embodiments, as also the valves, taps and hose joints, and all are weatherproof.

In the illustrated embodiment, reference has been made to equipment specifically designed to be mounted on G scooter or motorcycle; the device, however, may also be mounted on other vehicles with the same characteristics, such as cross-country motorcycles, useful to access difficult terrain or to pass over traffic barriers or pedestrian pavements, tricylces or even minicars, which combine the versatility of motorcycles and enhanced stability and the possibility of carrying other materials, such as a first aid kit, for example.