IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-EXTINGUISHING APPARATUs
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-EXTINGUISHING APPARATUs.”
A communication from abroad by William Leydard Ellsworth, of
1
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
Declaration, on the 25th March 1872, pursuant to the 9th Section
of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.

page_text: WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for “IMPROVEMENTS IN
FIRE-EXTINGUISHING APPARATUS," and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant
unto me, my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters
Patent for the same, and have made solemn Declaration that it has been
communicated to me from abroad by William Leydard Ellsworth, of
Brooklyn, New York, United States of America.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and
seal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, in and by the following
statement, reference, being had to the accompanying Drawing forming a
part of this Specification.
This Invention relates to a fire-extinguishing apparatus which has
within an outer case or cylinder containing an alkali a vessel containing
sulphuric or other acid that is discharged from the said vessel when the
extinguisher is to be used.
In the former
In these fire extinguishers as heretofore constructed the acid vessel
has sometimes been made of glass, and has been broken by some suitably
arranged device for the purpose of discharging the acid, and in other
cases such acid vessel has been suspended near or towards its lower end,
and in such manner that when the cork is drawn from the vessel the
same would capsize or tip over and thus discharge itself.
case whenever the extinguisher is used the acid vessel is entirely
destroyed by being broken, and to recharge the extinguisher a new ácid
vessel has to be supplied, and fixed in the extinguisher before the same
can be again used, while in the latter case the acid vessel having been
discharged has to be removed from the cylinder, reversed in position
before it can again be filled, and then again inserted and fixed in the
cylinder. The points or pivots on which such a vessel is suspended and
turns are very liable to become corroded by the action of the acid, and
thus the free movement of the acid vessel will be much interfered with
and oftentimes almost prevented. In the use also of such a reversible
acid vessel the whole acid is discharged with a dash, and above the
carbonate of soda or other alkali which naturally settles at the bottom
of the extinguisher, and after the acid is so discharged a shaking of

page_text: the whole instrument is generally necessary to cause a proper mixing of
the acid and alkali, and insure a proper generation of the gas for use.
By this Invention the acid vessel is discharged without breaking or in
any manner injuring the same, and the acid though permitted to pass
out freely therefrom is discharged without any sudden shock or impulse
and is also discharged at or near the bottom of the cylinder where. lies
the alkali, with which it gradually combines or mixes, and thus its
action is made most effective. The mixing of the materials being "thus
effected gradually it has been found that a charge of the extinguisher
will last longer than under other circumstances. Moreover the extin-
guisher will be at once ready for use by a simple manipulation of a small
rod or piston, and does not require any shaking or agitation as when the
reversible acid vessel is made use of.
Figure 1 shows the said fire extinguisher “charged” and ready for
use; Figure 2 is a vertical section of the said fire extinguisher with the
acid vessel in the position it occupies before being discharged; Figure 3.
is a vertical section of the same with the acid vessel in the position it
occupies while discharging; Figure 4 is a plan of the top of the said.
fire extinguisher...
The cylinder A contains the water and alkali or carbonate of soda
from which the carbonic acid gas is generated by the action of the
sulphuric or other acid; B is the orifice from which the generated gas
is forced through any suitable tube; C is the acid vessel within the
cylinder A. This acid vessel is of glass, lead, or any material not acted
upon by the acid, and is contained or supported in an open frame formed
by three or more rods a of brass or other material that will not be
[affected by the acid, within this frame it can be moved up or down at
pleasure by means of the rod 6 which is fixed to the upper end or bottom
of the acid vessel C and extends through a packing c to the outside of
the cylinder A, so that it can be lifted by taking hold of the handle or
cross bar d. To the bottom of the said frame is fixed a stopper D of lead,
ground glass, or the like, made to accurately fit the mouth of the vessel
C, so that when the said vessel is in the position shown in Figure 2 the

page_text: vessel will be tightly closed and no acid can escape therefrom: A
washer D of india-rubber may be placed over the stopper as represented.
in the Drawing to render it more perfectly tight. Whenever it is desired
to make use of the extinguisher the only manipulation necessary is the
unscrewing of the cap and pulling up of the rod 6, by which the vessel C
will be lifted from its cork D, when the acid will escape at the bottom
of the cylinder A without any necessity for shaking or other like dis-
turbance of the material in the cylinder and will fall directly upon or
near the alkali used, the apparatus being at once ready for use. When
the charge of the extinguisher has been expended the vessel C and its
enclosing frame of rods are unscrewed at e and lifted out of the cylinder.
The cylinder A can be recharged and the vessel C again filled with its
supply of acid, and the cork being dropped into the mouth of the vessel C
it is ready to be placed and fastened in the cylinder A, and the extin-
guisher is then again ready for use.
By this construction and arrangement of parts no oxidation can take
place which will in any manner interfere with the proper manipulation
or operation of the vessel C, as all its movements are positive and under
the control of the operator. Careful experiments have proved that by
the use of an acid vessel constructed and operating as described, a
fire extinguisher of a given size and with the same charge will continue
to act with effect a longer time than when constructed according to the
methods hitherto adopted. The cap f, connected with the cylinder A. is
made to fit tightly over the top or handle d of the rod b, when the
extinguisher is not required for use to prevent the acid from being
discharged by incautious handling of the extinguisher.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the
same, I wish it understood that I claim, the construction and arrange-
ment of the acid vessel C and its enclosing open frame substantially as
described, so that such vessel may be discharged by simply lifting the
same, and will be discharged at or near the bottom of the containing
cylinder.

page_text: bination with an enclosing cylinder A, to which is attached the cap f,
for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
Witness,
W. J. LOWE.
W ROBT. LAKE. (L.S.)