Control damper

Abstract

A control damper is mounted in a building duct system for closing a control opening through a housing or frame and includes a linkage connected to the housing and to a vane positioned in the control opening and is operative for moving the vane between a flow permitting position and a position closing the control opening. The linkage includes a fusible portion permitting a resilient member to move the vane to the position closing the control opening in the event of temperature above the melting point of the fusible portion. Cooperating latch members are mounted on the housing and on the vane and are moved into vane holding engagement after melting of a fusible portion and movement of the vane to the position closing the control opening through the housing.

I claim: 
     
       1. A control damper for a fluid conduit, said control damper comprising: a. a housing defining a control opening;   b. at least one vane mounted in said housing and having opposed side portions and movable between a fluid flow permitting position and a position closing the control opening;   c. resilient means mounted on said housing and connected to said vane for urging same into the position closing the control opening;   d. means mounted on said housing and connected to said vane for moving same between the flow permitting position and the position closing the control opening and having a fusible portion thereby allowing said resilient means to move said vane into the position closing said control opening in the event of temperature above the melting point of said fusible portion;   e. means mounted on said vane and said housing for retaining said vane in the position closing the control opening after melting of said fusible portion, said means for retaining said vane in said closing position after melting of said fusible portion including: 1. a stop member mounted on said housing adjacent said vane;   2. a fusible link having opposite ends;   3. a first holder member mounted on said vane and having one end of said fusible link connected thereto; and   4. a second holder member mounted on said vane and having the other end of said fusible link connected thereto, said second holder member being resilient and retained in a position to clear said stop member during movement of said vane and movable to a position in engagement with said stop member upon melting of said fusible link.     
     
     
       2. A control damper as set forth in claim 1 wherein: a. said means for moving said vane between the flow permitting position and the position closing the control opening includes: 1. a first bracket mounted on said housing;   2. a second bracket mounted on said vane and movable therewith; and   3. an arm operatively connected to said first bracket and movable relative to same, said arm having said fusible portion connected thereto and extending therefrom and connected to said bracket.     
     
     
       3. A control damper as set forth in claim 2 wherein: a. said housing has a plurality of vanes mounted therein and including an upper vane and a lower vane;   b. each of said vanes has an axle portion extending therefrom and outwardly through said housing;   c. each of said axle portions has an arm extending therefrom; and   d. a connector link pivotally .[.is.]. connected to each of said arms whereby movement of one of said vanes effects movement of all of said vanes and locking of one of said vanes locks all of said vanes.   
     
     
       4. A control damper as set forth in claim 3 wherein: a. said control bracket of said means for moving said vanes between the flow permitting position and the position closing the control opening is mounted on the upper vane; and   b. said first holder member and said second holder member of said means for retaining said vanes in the position closing the control opening are mounted on the lower vane.   
     
     
       5. A control damper for a fluid conduit, said control damper comprising: a. a housing having side walls defining a control opening;   b. a plurality of elongated vanes mounted in said housing and including at least a first vane and at least a second vane with connecting mechanism for simultaneous movement, said vanes each having opposed side portions and being movable between a fluid flow permitting position and a position closing the control opening;   c. a resilient member mounted on said housing and connected to one of said vanes for urging same into the position closing the control opening;   d. means mounted on said housing and connected to first vane for moving said vanes between the flow permitting position and the position closing the control opening and having a fusible portion thereby allowing said resilient member to move said respective vanes into the position closing the control opening in the event of temperature above the melting point of said fusible portion, said means for moving said vanes between the flow permitting position and the position closing the control opening including: 1. a pair of laterally spaced first brackets each mounted on a respective one of said side walls of said housing, said first brackets being laterally aligned;   2. a shaft extending between and rotatably supported on said first brackets;   3. a second bracket mounted on the upper vane and movable therewith; and   4. an arm mounted on said shaft and movable therewith relative to said first brackets, said arm having said fusible portion connected thereto and extending therefrom and connected to said second bracket thereby retaining said vanes in a respective selected position;     e. means mounted on said second vane and on said housing for retaining said vanes in the position closing the control opening after melting of said fusible portion, said means for retaining said vanes in said closing position after melting of said fusible portion including: 1. a stop member mounted on said housing adjacent the second vane;   2. a fusible link having opposite ends;     
     
     
       3. a first holder member mounted on said second vane and having the other end of said fusible link connected thereto; and 4. a second holder member mounted on said second vane and having the other end of said fusible link connected thereto, said second holder member being resilient and retained in a position to clear said stop member during movement of said second vane and moveable to a position in engagement with said stop member upon melting of said fusible link.   
     
     
       6. A control damper as set forth in claim 5 wherein: a. each of said plurality of vanes has axle portions extending from opposite ends thereof and each extending outwardly through a respective one of said side walls of said housing; and   b. said means for retaining said vanes in the position closing said control opening after melting of said fusible portion includes: 1. a plurality of arms each mounted on and extending outwardly from respective one of said axle portions, said arms each being adjacent a respective one of the side walls of said housing; and   2. a connector link pivotally connected to each of said arms whereby movement of one of said vanes effects movement of all of said vanes and locking of one of said vanes effects locking of all of said vanes.     
     
     
       7. A control damper for a fluid conduit, said control damper comprising: a. a housing defining a control opening;   b. at least one vane mounted in said housing and having opposed side portions and movable between a fluid flow permitting position and a position closing the control opening;   c. resilient means operatively connected to said vane for urging same into the position closing the control opening;   d. means mounted on said housing and connected to said vane for moving same between the flow permitting position and the position closing the control opening and having a fusible portion thereby allowing said resilient means to move said vane into the position closing said control opening in the event of temperature above the melting point of said fusible portion;   e. means mounted on said vane and said housing for retaining said vane in the position closing the control opening after melting of said fusible portion, said means for retaining the vane in said closing position including:   
     
     
       1. a stop member mounted on said housing adjacent said vane; 2. a holder member mounted on said vane and having an end portion, said holder member being resilient; and   3. a fusible link having one end fixed relative to said vane and another end connected to said holder member adjacent said end portion for normally retaining said holder member in a position clear of said stop member during movement of the vane and releasing said holder member for movement to a position in engagement with said stop member upon melting of said fusible link. .Iadd. 8. A control damper for a fluid conduit, said control damper comprising:   (a) a housing defining a control opening;   (b) at least one vane mounted in said housing and having opposed side portions and movable between a fluid flow permitting position and a position closing the control opening;   (c) resilient means operatively connected to said vane for urging same into the position closing the control opening;   (d) means mounted on said housing and connected to said vane for moving same between the flow permitting position and the position closing the control opening and having a fusible portion thereby allowing said resilient means to move said vane into the position closing said control opening in the event of temperature above the melting point of said fusible portion;   (e) means mounted on said vane and said housing for retaining said vane in the position closing the control opening after melting of said fusible portion; said means for retaining the vane in said closing position including: (1) a stop member mounted on one of said housing and said vane;   (2) a holder member mounted on the other of said housing and said vane, and having a resilient end portion positioned adjacent to said stop member in the vane position closing the control opening; and   (3) a fusible link connected with said holder member end portion and normally retaining said end portion in a position clear of said stop member during movement of the vane, and releasing said end portion for movement to a position in engagement with said stop member upon melting of said fusible link. .Iaddend.