Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 14th May, 1886.
Complete Left, 14th Feb., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 1st Apr., 1887.
1, JOHN ARTHUR SWINSCOE, of 15 Westmoreland Street, Upperthorpe, Sheffield, in
the County of York, Chemist's Assistant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My invention consists of a couple of metallic jaws, pivoted at one end, and brought
in contact with each other at the opposite end, by means of a spring. The jaws are
prevented from getting over one another, or out of place, by pegs or other suitable
means. The jaws are included in an electrical circuit, in which a bell or bells or other
electrical signal or signals is placed. The closed ends of the jaws, are so formed, as
to afford the least possible amount of friction, on an insulating peg, which is inserted
between them. The insulating peg is made in such a form, as to afford the least
possible amount of friction, against the jaws, and to prevent its being pushed too far
in between the jaws. The insulating peg is fastened in the most convenient manner,
to a thread or wire, which is stretched across the place or object it is desired to
protect. When the thread or wire, is disturbed, the insulating peg is pulled from
between the jaws, the jaws come in contact with each other, the circuit is completed,
and the alarm is given. For giving an alarm of fire the thread or wire is fastened
across a bracket, by means of a plummet or other suitable means and wax or other
material of suitable fusibility. The thread or wire is connected by means of a spring,
to a hook or other suitable holdfast, placed in the most suitable position. When fire
occurs, the wax or other material melts, the thread or wire, being liberated, is pulled
by the spring, the insulating peg is pulled from between the jaws, which come in
contact with each other, the circuit is completed, and the alarm is given.

page_text: I, JOHN ARTHUR SWINSCOE, Chemist's Assistant, of 15 Westmoreland Street,
Upperthorpe, Sheffield, in the County of York, 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 :-
The object of my invention is to signal or give the alarm of the entrance or
presence of any burglar or burglars or other unauthorised person or persons on the
premises, to which the invention is applied, and also to give an alarm in case of fire
on the said premises.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this
specification in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the
different figures.
My invention consists of a couple of metallic jaws, each of them pivoted at one end
apart from each other, and brought together at the other end by means of a spring or
springs, or one or both of the jaws may be made in the form of a spring or springs
so that they may spring together of themselves.
The box or cover is so made as to allow the closed ends of the jaws to protrude a
little and also to prevent the jaws from getting over each other.
The aforesaid jaws are included in an electrical circuit or circuits preferably as
shown in the accompanying drawings.
The ends of the jaws where they come in contact with each other are rounded off
and smoothened so as to afford the least possible amount of friction on the insulating
peg and to allow of its being pushed in easily between the jaws. The insulating peg
is made of any solid insulating material capable of receiving a polish so as to afford
the least possible amount of friction on the jaws when pushed in or taken out from
between the jaws, and is made with a shoulder to prevent its being pushed too far
between the jaws. A thread or wire is fastened in the most convenient manner to the
insulating peg, stretched across the room, door, window, or any other place or object
it is desired to protect, and is fastened at the other end to a wall or other position by
an Shook and staple or other convenient hold fast. If when the thread or wire is
stretched across any place or object and the insulating peg is between the jaws whilst
the jaws are included in an electrical circuit with electrical bell or other electrical
signal also included, any person or persons or any object or objects disturb the thread
or wire, it causes the insulating peg to be drawn from between the jaws, which come
in contact with each other, the electrical circuit is closed, and the signal or alarm is
given.
For giving an alarm of fire the thread or wire is passed through a plummet in
connection with a metallic plate and spring in a manner to be described, (1) or
attached to a weight sliding freely in a metallic tube, in a manner to be hereafter
described (2).

page_text: (1) The thread or wire is passed through the plummet which is fastened upon a
preferably thin metallic plate by means of wax or other material of suitable fusibility.
The plate is pierced with holes and blackened, so as readily to absorb the heat. The
plummet is fastened to a spring placed in such a position that when the wax or fusible
inaterial melis & releases the plummet, it is pulled away from the plate. The bottom
of the plummet is made in such a manner as to avoid undue cohesion. (Fig. V) When
fire occurs, the heat is absorbed by the metallic plate, the fusible material melts,
releasing the plummet, which in being pulled away by the spring pulls the thread or
wire with it, withdrawing the insulating peg from between the aforesaid jaws, closing
the electrical circuit, and thus giving the signal or alarm. A short thread is best in
this case.
(2) The thread or wire is fastened to a weight sliding freely inside a preferably thin
metallic tube (otherwise a plate rolled up) which is blackened so as readily to absorb
the heat. The weight is fastened in the tube by means of wax or other material of
suitable fusibility. When fire occurs, heat is absorbed by the metallic tube, the fusible
material melts, liberating the weight which drops, pulls the thread or wire, withdrawing
the insulating peg from between the aforesaid jaws, which come in contact with each
other, closing the electrical circuit, and thus giving the signal or alarm.
The fire alarm should be placed as near the ceiling as possible, as, in case of fire, the
heat ascends.
The construction and mode of fixing the invention will be seen by consulting the
accompanying drawings, of which the following is the key:-
:-

page_text: Fig. III is the form of fire alarm with metallic plate, plummet, and spring in
clevation.
Fig. IV is the form of fire alarm with metallic plate, plummet, and spring, in plan.
Fig. V is the underview of the plummet L in the previous figures, showing its
construction.
Fig. VI is the form of fire alarm with metallic tube and weight.
Sheet II.
Fig. VII is the plan showing in what manner the invention may be applied.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. That particular part of the Invention which consists in the arrangement of the
jaws, springs, insulating peg, and thread or wire, already described, or any modification
of these; and the combination of these or any modification thereof with a battery or
other generator of electricity and an electric bell or other electrical signal to form a
burglar alarm.
2. A metallic plate, tube, or other suitable contrivance, and the plummet, spring, and
weight, already described, or any one of these, in conjunction with an attached and
adjacent fusible substance; or any modification of one or more of these.
3. The combination of the invention described in claim 2 with that described in the
preceeding claim, to form a fire-alarm.