Fire Extinguishers.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Dec., 1891-Accepted, 20th Feb., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Fire Extinguishers.
I, GEORGE HENRY DOWNING, of 37 Centre Street, in the City, County and
State of New York, one of the United States of America, Gentleman, do hereby
declare the nature of my invention for FIRE EXTINGUISHERS, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :—
This invention relates to that class of fire extinguishers in which a liquid is
ejected from a container, and it consists in the construction and novel arrangement
of parts as hereinafter specified.
In the accompanying drawing
Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a container embodying my improvement.
Fig. 2 is a section of the lower portion of the container with a closure in place.
Fig. 3 is a side view of a nozzle employed.
Fig. 4 is a top view thereof, and
Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical section thereof.
Referring by letter to the drawing, A designates a container for liquid, here
shown as cylindrical in form, closed at its top and bottom and provided with a
hollow or flanged base A' which is open at the bottom.
B is a tube, having an opening at both its ends and extending through an opening
in the bottom a of the container to a point near the top of the container. As shown
in Fig. 1, the level of the liquid in the container is below the top of the pipe B, so
that the space B' between the liquid level and the top of the container serves as
chamber for compressed air or other gas.
B' is a piston having a valve and movable within the tube B and provided with
a stem which projects through an opening in a guide piece or spider 6 secured in
the lower portion of the tube B. The lower end of the stem is screw-threaded
so that a handle may be movably engaged with it.
It is obvious that by operating the valve piston B' air may be compressed in the
chamber B'.
After a sufficient amount of air shall have been forced into the container, the
handle 62 is removed and the lower portion of the tube B is then closed airtight.
As a means therefor I provide a cap or closure C which has an internally screw-
threaded flange engaging with a tubular boss c secured to the under side of the
bottom a and surrounding the lower end of the tube B. A flexible pad or disc c¹,
such as rubber, may be placed in the closure C, as shown, to insure a tight joint.
When in position, the cap C serves to support the stem b.
D designates a nozzle or outlet, consisting of a tubular portion d, externally
screw-threaded at its inner end to engage in a tapped hole in the wall of the
container A. The opening through the nozzle is reduced in diameter at the outer
end, as shown at d¹.
D' shows a cap or cut-off, having a lug or lugs d³, pivotally connected to a down-
wardly and outwardly extending arm d, on the tubular portion d, and the cap is
also provided with an upwardly extending lug d', to which a latch D* is pivotally
connected. This latch D is shown in the form of a bifurcated lever adapted to
engage over a lug d³ extending upwardly from the tubular portion d. The rear
edge of the lug d with which the catch D' engages is preferably curved,
longitudinally, outwardly and inwardly, as shown, so that the catch cannot be
accidentally disengaged. The cap D¹ is provided with a chamber e within which is
seated a flexible disc E, preferably rubber, adapted to impinge against the outer
end of the nozzle and close the opening thereof. A chamber E' is formed in the
cap D' forward of the disc E, and this chamber E¹ has an outward opening through
го

page_text: the cap D¹ which is normally closed by means of a screw e¹. By removing the
screw e air is admitted to the chamber E' and after replacing the screw, the air
within the chamber forms a cushion for the flexible disc E, and serves to support it
against the pressure of gas within the container.
In case of fire, and it is desired to discharge the liquid, it is only necessary to
raise the catch D³ above the plane of the lug d', when the cap will fall into the
position indicated in dotted line, Fig. 3.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :
1. The combination of a container having a hollow base, a tube extending
through the bottom of the container and opening into the hollow base and into the
container near its top, a valved piston, a stem attached thereto, a handle removably
secured to the lower end thereof, and which, when the piston is in its elevated
position, is contained within the hollow base, and a cap for closing the tube and for
supporting the piston stem when the handle is removed.
2. A nozzle or outlet having in combination a tubular portion, a cap pivotally
connected thereto, a flexible disc in the cap and the said cap having an air chamber
forward of the disc, and means for securing the cap in place, substantially as
specified.
3. In a fire extinguisher the combination with a container of a nozzle or outlet
consisting of a tubular portion, a cap pivotally connected to a downwardly and
outwardly extending arm on the tubular portion, the said cap having a chamber
providing a space for air, a flexible disc in said cap between the air space and outlet
of the tubular portion, a latch pivotally connected to the cap and lug on the
tubular portion having a curved or cam edge to engage with the latch, substantially
as specified.
Dated this 12th day of December 1891.