WATER LANCE ASSEMBLY

This invention relates to a water lance assembly which is suitable for firefighting purposes, cleaning purposes or agricultural spraying especially if the water lance assembly can be operated from a height above the desired location such as from a tower or being supported from a helicopter or other suitable aircraft.

Conventional water lance assemblies are described for example in US

Patent 6,618,966 which refers to a water lance for removing dirt or other substances from an underground hole by the use of air and water under pressure. The water is used as an abrading material to loosen dirt in a hole or to remove substances from an underground pipe. The water lance has a long tube having a forked end wherein each prong of the fork is in fluid communication with air and water respectively. The tube also has a handle at an end remote from a nozzle end for manual control of the lance. US Patent Application 2003/0070629 describes a water lance blower for cleaning heat installations. A water lance linked with a water feed conduit is swivel mounted with an inner end located in a hatch. The water lance can blow a jet of water through the heating installation in operation and where flames and/or flue gases are guided to wall areas of the heating installation that can be reached from the hatch.

US Patent Application 2004/0052573 refers to a bearing system for a water lance of a water lance blow which contains a ball joint having a ball which has a passage in which the water lance can be located.

US Patent 4,225,362 refers to a water lance having a spray head with

nozzles to spray high pressure water to clean the interior of tubes such as in heat exchangers. The high pressure water, in addition to cleaning the interior of the tube is used to both rotate the lance and move the lance in and out of the tube. US Patent 6,526,999 refers to an elongate lance having a high pressure nozzle which delivers a high pressure water jet. A spherical bearing pivotally and rotatably supports the lance on a vertically reciprocatable carriage.

US Patents 6,283,069 and 6,035,811 refer to a water lance which can blow a water jet at a heating installation wherein the water lance is controlled by three movement elements which are fixed so that they from an angle of approximately 80° to 140° to the point of movement of the lance.

Reference also may be made to International Publication WO 83/02100 which refers to a vehicle for deicing aircraft which carries a spray device having a pump and a connected spray nozzle. The spray nozzle is supported on a longitudinally adjustable lightweight boom carried by an operators cabin which is rotatably supported on the vehicle by a turntable construction. The nozzle is also connected to remote control means in the operators cabin for pivotal movement of the nozzle about two axles extending perpendicular at a point coinciding with the direction of the jet from the nozzle.

However none of the abovementioned conventional water lances or spray devices can be used above a desired location such as being supported by a helicopter.

Reference also may be made to International Publication WO 94/19851 which refers to a multi-purpose cleaning and maintenance system for installation on the Hughes 500 Series helicopter. In this arrangement an external work platform is installed on landing skids of the Hughes 500 Series helicopter which carries a water cannon or water lance for cleaning of insulators on high voltage transmission lines. The water lance is removable so that the work platform can be used to conduct servicing and repairs on high voltage transmission lines. The water lance consists of a fluid storage tank located inside the helicopter, an external pumping system located on the starboard side of the external work platform and the water lance being mounted on the port side of the external work platform. An operator is seated on a chair attached to the external work platform and can control the water lance so that a boom of the lance can be moved both vertically and horizontally. A unique nozzle is also mounted on the boom to allow for precision control of the water lance to clean the underside and interior of insulators.

However this conventional arrangement was disadvantageous because support platforms carried by longitudinal skid members of a helicopter often requested structural modifications to comply with operating regulations and this was not only expensive but undesirable.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a water lance or water lance assembly which may alleviate the abovementioned problems of the prior art. The invention therefore in one aspect provides a water lance operable from a height above the ground which includes:

(i) a lance tube or boom;

(ii) means for pivotable movement of the lance tube or boom about a vertical axis;

(iii) means for pivotable movement of the lance tube about a horizontal axis;

(iv) biasing means to return the water lance to a horizontal position; and ■

(v) adjustment means to adjust or control the degree of bias so as to accurately direct the water lance at a desired location. The water lance may also include mounting means for mounting to a helicopter or other aircraft or for mounting to a tower. Preferably the maximum movement about a vertical axis is 120° although this is not essential. It will also be appreciated that the desired maximum pivotal movement about a horizontal axis will be 45° although again this is not essential.

The water lance may also be kept in a desired locked position at a fixed angle to horizontal, i.e. from 0° to 45°. This is useful for transport or storage or for fire fighting purposes if an operator is not present.

However when an operator is required it is essential for the water lance to include the biasing means and adjustment means discussed above.

The biasing means may include a pair of springs which are located on each side of the water lance and which may each be controlled by a spring tensioner to provide a fine degree of adjustment of the water lance as is required by the operator. In this regard there may be provided a spring

tensioner rod which can be moved as required by the operator to reach the desired degree of angle to horizontal.

The pivot means for pivoting the lance tube about the vertical axis may comprise a support bearing which may provide the maximum movement of 120° by a stop block located in the support bearing.

There also may be provided a pivot bracket rotatably attached to the stop block and a gimbal block which is pivotable with respect to the pivot bracket about the horizontal axis up to the desired maximum of 45° to horizontal. The lance tube may have an attachment frame which may be fixedly attached to the gimbal block so the attachment frame moves in unison with the lance tube when required.

In another aspect of the invention there is provided a water lance assembly for a helicopter including:

(i) a body frame attachable to a floor of the helicopter;

(ii) a support frame which in use is located on one side of the helicopter for supporting a pump which is in fluid communication with a water tank supportable by the helicopter which support frame is releasably attachable to the body frame; and (iii) a water lance supportable by the helicopter and located on another side of the helicopter directly opposite to said one side.

In yet another aspect of the invention there is provided a helicopter and water lance assembly in combination including:

(i) a body frame attached to a floor of the helicopter; (ii) a support frame which is located on one side of the helicopter which supports a pump which is in fluid communication with a water tank attached to the helicopter which support frame is releasably attachable to the body frame; and (iii) a water lance supported by the helicopter and located on another side of the helicopter directly opposite to said one side.

Reference may be made to a preferred embodiment of the invention as shown in the attached drawings wherein:

FIG 1 is an exploded perspective view of the water lance of the invention; FIG 2 is an assembled view of the water lance of the invention using the components shown in FIG 1;

FIG 3 is a front view of the water lance shown in FIGS 1 to 2 mounted to a helicopter by a mounting assembly;

FIG 4 shows an exploded view of the mounting assembly shown in FIG 3;

FIG 5 shows a side view of the water lance and mounting assembly as shown in FIG 3; and

FIG 6 shows a top plan view of the water lance and mounting assembly shown in FIG 6.

In FIG 1 there is shown water lance assembly 10 and associated attachment frame 11. Water lance assembly 10 incorporates a bearing 12 having a lower flange 14 and an upper flange 15 which in use are enclosed by cover 16. Lower flange 14 has attachment holes 17 which are attached by suitable fasteners (not shown) to attachment apertures 18 shown in support frame 19 for water lance assembly 10. The upper flange 15 has attachment apertures 20 which are aligned with corresponding apertures 21 of pivot bracket 22 and attached thereto by suitable fasteners (not shown). Pivot bracket 22 is attached to stop block 23 and cover 16 by bolt 24 which is attached to a corresponding washer 25 and nut 26 as shown.

Stop block 23 has a central aperture 27 for passage of bolt 24. There are also provided upstanding lugs 28 and 29 which are each welded to the undersurface of pivot bracket 22. Each of lugs 28 and 29 may move in mating slots 30 and 31. Pivot bracket 22 has opposed side walls 33 and 34, base wall 35 and end wall 36. There is also provided a gimbal block 37. There is also provided a spring assembly 40 having opposed springs 41 and 42 each having outwardly extending lugs 43, 44, 45 and 46 at each end. There is also provided pivot axle 47, bearing 48, fastener 49, washers 50 and 51 and housing 52 for pivot axle 47. There is also provided tension lever 55 which counteracts tension lever 53 and barrel 56 which engages with tension adjuster rod 57 which extends through bearing 58 and engages screw threadedly with aperture 59 of barrel 56. There is also provided spacer 54 between each tension lever 53 and 55.

There is also provided fastener 60 and washer 61 which extend through each bottom aperture 62 of each tension lever 53 and 55 to attach barrel 56 to each tension lever 53 and 55 where each fastener 60 engages with end apertures 9 of barrel 56. Each lug 44 and 45 of springs 41 and 42 engage with apertures 63 of each tension lever 53 and 55. Each lug 43 and 46 engage in a selected aperture 68 of gimbal block 37 and is held in place by retaining pin 68A. Pivot axle 47 extends through apertures 8 of lever 53 and 55 as well as bore 7 of spacer 54.

The entire spring assembly 40 as described above fits within a compartment 65 of gimbal block 37 as shown with opposed fasteners 49 extending through aligned apertures 66 in each side wall 67 of gimbal block 37 as well as aligned apertures 69 of each side wall 33 of pivot bracket 22. Gimbal block 37 is also provided with a plurality of adjustment holes 68 in each side wall 67 for adjustment of the orientation of gimbal block 37 to pivot bracket 22 as may be required.

Attachment frame 11 is attached to water lance tube 70 and in particular lance block 72 as shown in FIG 2. Lance block 72 has opposed components 73 and 74 attached to each other through adjustment apertures 76. There is also provided elongate bolts 77 and 78 which each extend through opposed apertures 79 and 80 and 81 and 82 of gimbal block 37 and also through hollow frame members 83 and 84 of attachment frame 11. Each bolt 77 and 78 may be locked in place by locking nuts 85. Each elongate bolt 77 and 78 may also extend through opposed apertures 77A and 78A of lance block 72.

Attachment frame 11 also has opposed handlebars 86 as well as cross member 88 and longitudinal frame members 92 and upright frame members 93 interconnecting each frame member 83 and 84 with cross member 88. There is also provided gimbal cover 90 with associated fasteners 94 as well as aligned brackets 95 to attach cover 90 to gimbal block 37.

The gimbal block 37 is also provided with three slots 96, 97 and 98. Middle slot 97 receives the tension adjuster rod 57 and each of slots 96 and 98 receive upstanding lugs 28 and 29. Each of lugs 28 and 29 extend through aligned apertures 99 in pivot bracket 22.

The water flow from the pump through pressure hose 100 is activated by a solenoid control (not shown) and it will be appreciated by virtue of bearing 12 that the gimbal block 37 and its associated pivot bracket 22 can pivot through 120° about a vertical axis which is a preferred limited value of the rotation because the assembly of pivot bracket 22 and gimbal block 37 will then avoid contacting frame 11 or a helicopter shown hereinafter. Bearing 12 functions as a slewing ring bearing with upper flange 15 rotating relative to stationary bottom flange 14 and stationary stop block 23.

The maximum amount of rotation of gimbal block 37 relative to pivot bracket 22 about a horizontal axis as defined by pivot axle 47 is about 45°.

The function of spring assembly 40 which has opposed springs 41 and 42 is to provide an effective counterweight to neutralise the weight or load of water passing through pressure hose 100 and subsequently through lance tube 70. The tension in each spring 41 and 42 may be controlled by

tension adjuster rod 57 which is screw threaded Iy engaged in aperture 59 of barrel 56 so that a fine adjustment of the required tension may be achieved. Usually the tension in each spring 41 and 42 is set by the choice of a suitable adjustment aperture 68 in block gimbal 37 when lance tube 70 is in a locked position.

The use of counteracting springs 41 and 42 means that control of movement of water lance 70 is balanced of each side and the spring tension is delivered equally to springs 41 and 42.

FIG 2 shows an assembled water lance assembly 10 and it will be noted that water lance 101 has a limited movement about a vertical axis which is achieved by bearing 12 and stop block 23 as described above as well as a limited movement about a horizontal axis as indicated by movement of gimbal block 37 relative to pivot bracket 22. As shown each bolt 77 and 78 has integral heads or nuts 102. The lower frame member 19 also has transverse frame members 103, arcuate frame member 104 and longitudinal frame members 105 as well as attachment lugs 106 with apertures 107.

In FIG 3 there is shown lance assembly 10 fitted to a helicopter 110 having rotor vanes 109 and body 113. There is provided a water tank 114 which is attached or supported by skid. members 115 of helicopter 110. There is also shown pump 116. supported on support frame 117 which is preferably a positive displacement pump such as a piston pump or having a plurality of lobes or rotors. The pump 116 is in water communication with tank 114 through connection hose 118. The pump 116 is also connected to

pressure hose 100. The operator 111 is shown directing the flow of water through lance tube 70 at a fire, for example, by controlling movement of handlebars opposed handlebars 86.

There is also provided an optional attachment in the form of submersible pump 86A known as a "hoverpump" which may be electrically connected to the electrical system of helicopter 110 which has a perforated screen 86B. This is connected to tank 114 by conduit 87A and may be used for filling of water tank 114 when required whereby pump 86A is immersed in a source of water such as a dam, creek, reservoir or river when helicopter 110 is still in the air.

The mounting assembly 120 for the water lance assembly 10 is shown in FIG 4 and includes water lance support frame 19 and pump support frame 130. Support frame 19 also has support plate 121 having attachment apertures 8 and central hole 119 for fastener 26 shown in FIG 2. Also included is utility mount or body frame 122 which is attached to the floor 112 of helicopter. This may be achieved by any suitable securing means. A suitable securing means (not shown) is the use of turnbuckles, having long dee shackles secured to each of "hard point" locations on the floor 112 of helicopter 110. Each turnbuckle at an inner end thereof has a hook which engages with a selected attachment aperture 113. There also may be provided ratchet straps (not shown) which are passed over body frame 122 and secured to the hard point locations.

The body frame 122 includes longitudinal frame members 123 and transverse frame members 124. There are also provided attachment clevises

125 having notch 126 and attachment apertures 127 whereby attachment lugs 106 of frame 19 extend into notch 126 and attachment aperture 107 is aligned with attachment apertures 127 and secured thereto by a suitable fastener (not shown). There is also provided web plates 128 which incorporate apertures 113 and floor contact members 129.

There is also provided a pump support frame 130 having a mounting base or floor 131 for supporting pump 116 by the use of attachment apertures 132. The pump support frame 130 also includes frame uprights 133, arcuate bottom frame member 134, cross members 135, top frame member 136, cross members 137 and brace 138. There are also included two pairs of attachment lugs 106 which engage with corresponding attachment clevises 125 of body frame 122 as described above.

FIGS 5 to 6 also show the same arrangement as shown in FIG 3 and it is evident that water tank 114 is attached to support struts 135 of skid members 115 as shown in FIG 6.

From the foregoing it will be appreciated that the air lance assembly 10 of the invention is very effective in use and can be used for a variety of purposes including fire fighting, cleaning insulators of power lines, or agricultural spraying. The use of maintaining the tube or boom 70 in a locked position using locking apertures 68 will keep the boom at a desired angle to horizontal up to 45° in practice and thus may be used for transport purposes or when the water lance is used in a fixed position for fire fighting without an operator.

However when it is desired to have an operator in control by using

opposed handlebars 86 it will be appreciated that the bias of spring assembly 40 is to return the tube 70 to a horizontal position and the use of tension adjuster 57 enables the operator to have a fine adjustment control of the tube so that the tube can be maintained at a desired angle to horizontal and thus the water lance of the invention is very accurate. There is also provided an electrically operated solenoid to operate the water lance assembly if an operator is not required.

In another variation of the invention it will be appreciated that water lance support frame 119 may constitute an integral extension of body frame 122.