Improvements in Mechanism for Fumigating and Extinguishing Fires in Closed Compartments with Gas.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Dec., 1899-Accepted, 5th May, 1900
Improvements in Mechanism for Fumigating and Extinguishing
Fires in Closed Compartments with Gas.
I, THOMAS ADAM CLAYTON, of 212, West Coulter Street, Germantown, City and
County of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, one of the United States of America,
Accountant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement;-
:
My invention relates to apparatus primarily intended for the extinguishment
of fires in closed compartments by filing such compartments with gas incapable
of supporting combustion, cooling them down by causing such gas to circulate
through the chamber and a cooling apparatus, such devices being also capable of
useful application as a means of fumigating and preserving the contents of closed
chambers. For the best results these apparatus are adapted for the generation
and circulation of sulphurous acid gas and comprise a gas generating fur-
nace, circulating pipes leading to and from the closed compartments, a pump
or other device for compelling a forced circulation and, preferably a refrigerating
or cooling apparatus situated in the circulating conduits, such apparatus as it
existed prior to my present invention being as shown in my former application
for Letters Patent under No. 14950 and date 20th of July 1899.
Another
This present, invention consists, primarily, in the arrangement of an inlet pipe
provided with a series of openings in its under side so that the gases forced into
the chamber through it are forced downward on entering the chamber; preferably
also the inlet pipe is situated close to, but somewhat above the floor of the
chamber, this position being desirable because the pipe should not be actually
on the floor, but should be close to the bottom of any inflammable material with
which the chamber is filled. In combination with such an inlet pipe I use an
outlet pipe situated near the top of the chamber and preferably having openings
in its top through which the gases are drawn from the chamber.
feature of my invention consists in providing a cooling apparatus situated in the
circulating system between the furnace in which the gas is generated and the
inlet conduit in the chamber and by means of which the gases are cooled after
issuing from the furnace and before they enter the chamber. I prefer to construct'
the apparatus with a bypass, by which the circulation can be maintained through
the chamber and cooling device, but not through the furnace, in this way
enabling me to avoid any excess of temperature in the closed compartment after
it is no longer necessary to generate additional gas.
Reference being now had to the drawings in which my invention is illustrated,
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of an apparatus embodying my invention, and
Figure 2 a plan view of the compartment showing the arrangement of inlet and
outlet pipes therein.
A indicates the closed compartment having, as shown, a door A. B is the
inlet pipe, situated, as shown, a slight distance above the bottom of the chamber
and having branches B B'; the pipe B and its branches being formed with open-
ings on their under sides, as indicated at B3, and the branches also having down-

page_text: wardly turned open ends, as indicated at B2. B is a valve for closing the inlet
pipe when for any reason it is desired to disconnect it with the generating and
circulating apparatus. C is the outlet pipe having branches C¹ and formed, as
shown, with openings, C3, in the upper part of the pipe and its branches, C² indi-
cating upwardly turned open ends of the branches and C a valve for closing the
outlet pipe. As shown. I have also provided this outlet pipe with an open lateral
extension Chaving a valve C for closing or regulating it. 1) is the gas gene-
rating furnace. The furnace is provided with a firebox D and the flues D and 14
leading to a stack 15 and around a retort compartment D in which is situated a
series of shallow pans D D7 D8 arranged to make a tortuous passage through the
chamber and each of which is filled with sulphur which is melted by the heat of
the furnace. 1 is a deflecting diaphragm, E is a trap for intercepting flowers of
sulphur, a cooling device having heads F1 and F2 at either end connected by a
series of pipes f passing through a water compartment F3, F4 indicating an inlet
pipe for water and an outlet pipe for water. G is a fan for maintaining
circulation. HH hose couplings for connecting the pipes B and C with the pipes
pertaining to the gas generating and cooling apparatus. I is a pipe connecting
with the outlet pipe C and leading to the bottom of the retort chamber D. As
shown it is provided with a lateral open extension I having a regulating valve 12
and also with a valve indicated at I by which it can be closed. J is a pipe lead-
ing from the upper part of the retort into the trap E, its end J¹ opening near
the bottom of the trap. is a pipe leading from the trap, its end K' opening near
the top thereof into the water cooler F having in it a valve K2 for closing the
pipe. L is a bypass leading from the pipe I to the pipe K as shown and having
in it a valve L by which it can be closed. Mis a pipe leading from the cooling
device F to the fan G having an open lateral extension M₁ with a regulating
valve M N is a pipe leading from the fan G to the inlet pipe B as shown.
In use the valves C 13 K and B are opened, the valves CFL and M
closed; fire being in the furnace D the fan G is set in operation and the air in
the dhamber A forced to circulate through the retort D', trap E, cooler F, and
chamber A, the oxygen in the air combines with the sulphur in the retort form-
ing sulphur dioxide gas; the fume of sulphur is caught in the trap E, the gases
cooled in the device and forced into the chamber A through the perforations B³
of the inlet pipes and the contact of the richly impregnated gas with the material
in the lower part of the chamber thus insured.
When it is desired to cool the gases in the chamber without increasing their
percentage of sulphur dioxide, the valve L' is opened and the valves 13 and K
closed, the circulation of the gas is then maintained through the cooler but not
through the furnace. When it is desired to increase the amount of air going
to the retort the valve I may be opened to the necessary extent. When it is
desired to free the chamber A from the sulphur dioxide the valves 13 and L' can
be closed and the valves M2 and C opened, the fan will then draw air through the
lateral opening M³, force it into the chamber A through the inlet pipe while the
gas in the chamber will pass through the outlet pipe C through the lateral
opening C.
Again in using the sulphurous acid gas for extinguishing fires I have found
that even after the fire is extinguished and the chamber cooled down there is
still danger of reignition on the admission of large volumes of air to the charred
material, and I have found that this danger can be avoided by admitting air
gradually thus the circulating apparatus being in use a regulated admission of
air can be secured by partially opening valves C or M2 or, if the furnace is not
heated, by opening valve I³.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
-
1. A device for charging closed compartments with was having in camhination

page_text: an inlet pipe leading into the compartment said inlet pipe having a series of outlet
openings formed through its under side, an outlet pipe leading from the top of
the compartment, a gas generating furnace, conduits connecting the inlet and
outlet pipes aforesaid with a furnace and means, as a fan, for maintaining a
circulation through the furnace and closed compartment.
2. A device for charging closed compartment with gas having in combination,
an inlet pipe leading into the compartment, said inlet pipe having a series of
outlet openings formed through its under side, an outlet pipe leading from the
top of the compartment having a series of openings in its upper side, a gas gene-
rating furnace, conduits connecting the inlet and outlet pipes aforesaid with the
furnace and means, as a fan, for maintaining a circulation through the furnace
and closed compartment.
3. A device for charging closed compartments with gas having in combination,
an inlet pipe leading into the lower part of the compartment a short distance
above its floor, said inlet pipe having a series of outlet openings formed through
its under side, an outlet pipe leading from the top of the compartment, a gas
generating furnace, conduits connecting the inlet and outlet pipes aforesaid with
the furnace and means, as a fan, for maintaining a circulation through the fur-
nace and closed compartment.
4. A device for charging closed compartments with gas having in combination,
inlet and outlet pipes leading into and from the compartment, a gas generating
furnace connected with said inlet and outlet pipes, means for maintainng circu-
lation through said pipes, and a cooler for gases situated in the inlet pipe between
the furnace and the chamber.
5. A device for charging closed compartments with gas having in combination,
inlet and outlet pipes leading into and from the compartment, a gas generating
furnace connected with said inlet and outlet pipes, means for maintaining circu-
lation through said pipes, a cooler for gases situated in the inlet pipe between the
furnace and the chamber, a bypass connecting the inlet and outlet pipes through
the cooler and not through the furnace and means for cutting out from the circuit
the furnace or the bypass at will.
6. A device for charging closed compartments with gas having in combination,
inlet and outlet pipes leading into and from the compartment, a gas generating
furnace connected with said inlet and outlet pipes, means for maintaining circu
lation through said pipes and valves, as C and M², by opening which the circu-
lating fan forces air into the chamber and the gases escape from the outlet pipe.
Dated this 12th day of December 1899.