The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1902-12-04
NEW FIRE, ExTINCUISHER
Working Plan Of an Automatic
Chemical Device.
INVENTION OF A FORMER CHIEF.

George C. Hale's Apparatus Is In
tended For Use In Buildings Re-
mote From Water-Heat Causes
Formation and R eIease of Carbonic
Acid Gas, Which Puts Out Flames
George c. Hale former chief of the
Kansas City fire department, inventor
of the swinging harness, the water toW-
er automatic alarm and other devices
in use in fire departments all over the
world, has invented an automatic
chemical extinguisher that promises to
do much toward reducing losses by
fire, says the Kansas City Star. After
working and experimenting for six
weeks Mr.. Hale made successful test
Of the device the other afternoon I'D the
rear of his house at Kansas City.
When Mr.. Hale was. in New York re-
Gently attending the international con
.vention of fire engineers, he was waited
upon by a party of eastern Insurance
men, who asked him if it was not posi-
Bile for him to get up an improved lent
on the automatic sprinkler system now
fn use in large buildings all over the
country that would Be adapted to
plants and factories isolated and re
mote from waterworks systems and
would also be Of advantage in5cifies in
minimizing damage from wafer. Hale
told them be believed such an appara-
atus could be devised, and he set to work
on it as soon as hereturned home. lie
has succeeded and has applied to
Washington for a patent.
The invention is in the nature of an
addition to or ain Improvement Of the
Babcocl chemical extinguishers, bat
Instead of the small tanks which fire
men carry into burning rooms the Hale
plan contemplates the installation in a
building Of stationary chemical tanks
capable of holding 500 or 1000 gallons,
if necessary The automatic chemical
extinguisher is also to be connected
with an automatic alarm. so that when
a fire breaks out and sets tire extin-
guisher in operation the fire depart
ment VIII be notified of the fact at the
same time.
In the test witnessed by a reporter
for the above mentioned paper a seven
gallon tank was used. This was set in
one corner Of the yard Ts the tank
there was attached line OF one inch
pipe leading to another part of the
yard At the far end of the pipe a
regular sprinkler head was attached.
and on the ground Immediately beneath
it material for a good sized bonfire was
piled up 1t is in the attachments in
side the tank that the main idea is
evolved. La the bottom of the tank was
seven gallons of solution Of water
and bicarbonate Of soda. Near the top
of the tank there was suspended an
open mouthed bottle containing sui
phuric acid The mouth of the bottle
was cover,a 10y circular cap pressed
down by a piston descending from d
valvular arrangement by which the
tank was closed. The piston was con-
nected with a spring, the action OF
which was to raise the cap off the. bot
tie. This piston was depressed by air
pumped into the lead pipe. and it held
the bottle upright.
When the fire was started and the
heat caused an expansion that opened
the distant sprinkler head the air was
released from the pipe, the piston in
the tank shot upward and released the
bottle. which was projected with great
force from the sprinkler head The
ire, which had MADE considerable head
way. was extinguished almost instant
ly. In subsequent test the air was al
lowed to leak from the pipe until the
pressure was only three pounds, but
that proved sufficient to operate the
sprinkler.
To meet the contingency Of prema-
ture action on the part of the extin-
guisher through leakage of air a
gauge is attached, and Hale is getting
up a device by which the indicator on
the gauge. when the air is reduced to q
certain number of pounds. will make
an electrical contact and sound an
alarm In the same manner the release
Of the air through the opening Of the
sprinkler head In case Of fire will turn
In fire alarm. In a closed room the
carbonic acid gas will extinguish fire
by snothering II, without much dam
q 90 From, uo4nr