[0001] The subject of the invention is a fire tower with a drying room and climbing facility.
The tower was designed for drying fire hoses, firefighting clothes, ropes and as a
training facility for learning rescue techniques. The tower is equipped with a climbing
facility located outside the tower.
[0002] Various training devices for fire brigades are available, such as a training simulator
in the form of a wall (patent number:
PL221440). This wall enables firefighters to train on various fire hoses in the situation
of a fire hazard. Its construction is adapted for stationary work and mobile transport
on a car trailer. It is equipped with power and support units for the training simulator,
such as gas and flammable liquid cylinders, gas hose or for the transport of flammable
liquids. It also contains elements supporting the loading and unloading of the training
simulator. Similar devices are described and presented in numerous patents, e.g. in
DE 10 2006 020 944 B3,
EP 1 037 190 A2 and
DE 101 18 077 A1. Mentioned devices are generally used for training firefighters in different fire
hazard situations.
[0003] Rectangular fire towers, most often built as part of the fire station and serving
mainly as lookout points are also well known. However, there are no known solutions
for fire brigades in round or angular metal facilities that would combine a training
facility with a drying facility for the equipment and firefighter clothing after fire
response.
[0004] The purpose of this invention is to build a fire tower, which on the one hand gives
the possibility of rapid drying of fire hoses, ropes and firefighting clothes using
gravitational method (while not causing any damage during the drying process) and
on the other hand enables training of rescue techniques by using a climbing facility
located outside the tower. Currently, hoses, ropes and firefighters' clothes are usually
dried in a horizontal position.
[0005] The goal set for the construction of the fire tower meets the solution according
to the essential features of the invention, which are characterized in that the tower
is in the form of a cylinder or a prism consisting of two segments permanently connected
to each other.
[0006] Preferred embodiment of the tower consists of a concrete foundation with a steel
anchor and two steel segments made by "carg" rolling.
[0007] The first segment consists of four rolled steel sheets, longitudinally and butt welded
to form a uniform block in the form of a cylinder. The lower part of the cylinder
attached to the foundation in the form of a footing is equipped with four entry holes
with a door made of stainless steel. These holes are used to operate winches and allow
air to circulate inside the tower when the door is opened. The second tower segment
also consists of four rolled steel sheets, longitudinally and butt welded, forming
a uniform block in the form of a cylinder, which is also equipped with a flange allowing
the connection of both segments by means of a prestressed connection.
[0008] In a preferred embodiment, the bottom segment mounted on the base plate 1 has four
entrance doors with engraving made of stainless steel 2 arranged symmetrically along
the entire perimeter of the cylinder slightly above the base (Fig. 4). Outside the
tower, at the level of the entrance door, there is a panel controlling the tower (3)
equipped with a touch screen for controlling the tower's functions such as winches
(17), external lighting (8), internal backlighting, aviation lighting (14), weather
station (15), temperature sensors measuring temperature inside the tower at three
different levels (4), air flow sensor, ventilation flap actuators (12). Fire tower
(18) according to the invention is equipped with a "Soll" ladder located on the outside,
reaching from base (1) to the top platform. The top platform is equipped with a guardrail
and a spotlight outdoor lighting (14). On the outer surface of the cylinder of the
first (bottom) segment of the first tower, there are two training platforms (6), used
for training rescue techniques. Above each training platform there is a railing (7)
used to attach a rope during fire training.
[0009] The tower illumination (8) is located at the bottom of the tower, at the level of
the base plate (1). Both lower (I) and upper (II) tower sections (18) are made of
hot-galvanized sheet steel and are connected by a prestressed flange (9) allowing
the two segments to be assembled together. Tower (18) painted with red paint with
a thickness up to 160ยต is equipped with an air flow sensor (10) located inside the
upper segment above the flange (9). In the upper part of the upper segment, there
is an inspection platform (13) on the outside, which leads to the service room door
(11) located inside the tower and equipped with three hinged ventilation flaps (12),
controlled by mechanical actuators from the control panel (3). On the top platform,
next to the guardrail equipped with an outdoor spotlight (14) there is a mounted weather
station for measuring wind speed and direction, humidity and temperature. There is
also a lightning rod (16) located in the center of the top platform. The tower (18)
according to the invention has four winches (17) (fig. 2) equipped with heads for
assembly hoses, ropes and firefighting clothing.
[0010] In another preferred embodiment, the bottom segment is attached to the foundation
in the form of a glass, depending on the subsoil.
[0011] In another embodiment, both segments consist of edge bent steel sheets, welded longitudinally,
forming a uniform block in the form of a prism.
[0012] An example of a useful embodiment 'of the tower according to the invention is shown
in the drawings. Fig. 1 shows the fire tower with a drying room and climbing facility
in general view, Fig. 2 shows the cross-section of the second (upper) tower segment
below the inspection platform at the service room, Fig. 3 shows the cross-section
of the first (lower) tower segment between the training platforms, Fig. 4 shows cross-section
of the first (lower) tower segment below the training platforms.
[0013] The advantage of the tower according to the invention is the possibility of quick
drying of fire hoses and ropes thanks to hanging and gravitational drying. The height
of the tower allows hanging the hoses without "breaking" them, which significantly
extends their lifetime. Winches with variable lift speeds located in the tower allow
mounting hoses easily in the head and to easily pull them up. An additional advantage
is the possibility of using training platforms to practice rescue techniques and to
practice on various types of rescue equipment such as a boom or ladder.
[0014] The tower presented in the embodiment of the invention, according to the essential
features of the invention, does not exhaust all its possible implementation variants.
This detailed description of the preferred two cylindrical and angular varieties,
as well as detailed examples of its implementation, should not be interpreted as limiting
the essential inventive idea described in the general part of this description.
1. Fire tower with a drying room and climbing facility, designed for drying fire hoses,
firefighting clothes and ropes, consisting of a concrete foundation with a steel anchor
and two steel segments, characterized in that the bottom segment mounted on the base plate (1) has four access doors (2) arranged symmetrically around the entire perimeter and the upper segment has a top
platform, the bottom segment has two training platforms (6) attached to the outside, used for training rescue techniques, and above each training
platform there is a railing (7) used to attach a rope during fire training.
2. The fire tower according to claim 1, characterized in that the steel segments are made as cylindrical elements made by "carg" rolling or angular
elements made by edge bending.
3. The fire tower according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that both tower segments (18) are joined by means of a prestressed flange connection (9).
4. Fire tower according to claims 1 or 2 and 3, characterized in that it has four winches (17) (fig. 2) equipped with heads for assembling hoses, ropes and firefighting clothes.
5. Fire tower according to claims 1 or 2 and 3 and 4 characterized in that outside the tower at the level of the entrance door there is a panel controlling
the tower (3). equipped with a touch screen for controlling the tower's functions such as winches
(17). controlling external lighting (8), internal, backlight, aviation lighting (14), weather station (15), temperature sensors (4), air flow sensor, ventilation flap actuators (12).
6. Fire tower according to claims 1 or 2 and 3 and 4 and 5 characterized in that it is equipped with a ladder (5) located on the outside, reaching from the base (1) to the top platform, fenced with a guardrail equipped with spotlight outdoor lighting
(14).
7. Fire tower according to claims 1 or 2 and 3 and 4 and 5 and 6 characterized in that in the upper part of the upper segment, there is an inspection platform (13) on the outside, which leads to the service room door (11) located inside the tower and equipped with three hinged ventilation flaps (12) controlled by mechanical actuators from the control panel (3).
8. The fire tower according to claims 1 or 2 and 3 and 4 and 5 and 6 and 7, characterized in that on the top platform, next to the guardrail equipped with a spotlight (14), there is a mounted weather station for measuring wind speed and direction, humidity
and temperature. There is also a lightning rod (16) located in the center of the top platform.