Omaha daily bee., 1903-02-15
PREVENTS FIRES IN SHAFTS
Invention of an Omaha Man to Be
Applied to Elevators.
DEVICE THAT MEANS MUCH TO OWNERS
System Of Traps that VIII Close n
shafts ut Each Floor
and stop Spread OF
Flames.

Great loss Of life and destruction OF
property in hotel and other buildings by
reason OF IRE spreading In the structures
through the elevator shafts have caused
two Omaha men 20 iavont an automatic
elevator shaft system Of hampers that Is
intended to furnish thorough protection
with entire convenience. The principal
patent rapers we're received a few days
ago. and a thorough 5est Ct a full-sized APP
paratus will be made probably in the
course Of a few weeks. II the device Is
found satisfactory the organization Of a
company and the establishment OF a manu-
featuring plant in Omaha may follow.
The inventors are Assistant City En-
gineer George w. Craig and his brother,
James A. Craig. who is an assistant super
intendent for the Barber Asphalt company.
The original idea and main features OF the
device are James A. Craig's, while the as
sistant city engineer perfected many OF
the mechanical details. In' the patent
which is issued jointly TO both. James A.
Craig is given the benefit OF being the In
ventor. He was formerly a machinist, and
II was while repairing elevators in this
capacity that the necessity for better
means to stop the progress OF flames In
shafts was brought to his notice in a strik-
ing manner.
Experience Suggests Idea
He was standing at the foot Of a shaft
making a memorandum on a sheet OF paper,
which by the force OF the draft was blown
out Of his hand and upward to the top OF
the shaft. Great Scott" he calculated,
"what a place for a fire. This was several
years ago and the finished invention is the
-a.,It % harH atudy and practical eX-
perience in the meantime. Both the Craigs
| feel very sanguine Of it's success, though
| the possibilities OF the invention have been
| demonstrated as yet only by small models
There are few apparatus of this nature
on the market and none of them rssemole
that of the Craigs'. About the only one
hat Is practical IS the "1Gp-door' system,
which consists Of a trap on a hinge in the
shaft at each floor. They work indapend-
emily and from their limited use would
seem to be hardly satisfactory.
The Craig invention provides a separate
plate or trap for each floor, all OF the
| traps when not in use being confined at
the top of the shaft by a set of holding
blocks, or clutches, which are operated by
an endless cable, running down the side of
the elevator shaft 20 the bottom. The
trans are made OF a framework OF steel
covered by asbestos. They are raised on
the roof of the elevator rnd lowered auto
matically by their own weight. controlled
by a governor. The simple act OF pulling
the cable releases the entire set Of drops,
which descend instantly and prNtde an
absolute damper on every floor within ten
seconds.
Each Floor Protected.
Each floor has its own particular trap,
| the plates being arrested, floor by floor. by
an ingenious combination of slots and Tugs.
! Around the base of each floor in the shaft
are certain iron projections. over which
the traps for the floors below pass, while
the trap for its particular floor is caught
by the Tugs. The principle is the same
as that used in the Yale look, and the
number of combinations that can be made,
and floors thus provided for, is endless.
! Guide blocks on the traps prevent them
from going awry on their sudden descent
down the shaft.
1t is intended as a general thing TO
have the device operated manually by a
nipple pull Of the cable when a fire breaks
out, but arrangements are made for the
automatic dropping of the traps In case
of a sudden blaze or a fire by night, when
the hampers have been left at the top OF
the shaft. What is known as the flsable
link system does this. Wires with links
of soft metal are placed around the ceilings
Of each room. A fire will melt and sep
arate the links, permitting a weight re-
strained by the taut wire to drop on the
cable, which in turn releases the clutches
above and the hampers fall. Should the
elevator be at any point in the shaft, 1t
vii! be sent downward, also, automatically
and without delay.
During the day the hampers are 20 rest
secure at the top OF The shaft, there being
no indication of their presence. The APP
paratus can be fitted to any kind OF a
freight or passenger elevator and is COM
paratively cheap, the expense being esti-
mated at about $500 for a five or six-story
building, or about 500 for each floor.
Good Thing for Firemen.
provided the device works as it's in.
ventors claim It will, there is no doubt
but that 1t will prove extremely valuable
and save great losses Of life and property"
said Fire Chief Salter. Elevator shafts
are the best aids that FIRE has In large
buildings that otherwise are nearly Are
proof. Many Of the biggest fires of late
years could have been prevented had the
flames been confined to a single floor or two
until the aremen arrived. Then II the
shaft is protected by a covering on each
floor, a great deal of the danger to fremen
is eliminated. Many have been hurt and
killed while groping their way about in
the smoke near the scuttle holes"
Should the fire be on The fifth floor, for
example, the elevator may be run to and
from the landings below, thus assisting in
clearing the building Of people. Stock
may be saved from flooding by the hampers
and altogether there are many points in
favor Of the invention il it can be made
to work in actual practice.
Most Of the men who make a study OF
fighting fires who have seen the model say
that the invention should be a success. In
surance agents declare that n practicable
it will mean a considerable reduction In
rates where used, as exposed elevator
shafts are now the greatest menace in
many large wholesale. manufacturing and
office buildings. AS an instance. It is quoted
that the plant Of Armour q Co.. at South
Omaha, has a total Of seventeen elevators.
The mechanical construction is the very
simplest throughout and IL is declared that
there is nothing to get out Of order. At