IMPROVE- MENTS IN FIRE-ALARMS, AND EXTINGUISHERS, AND BURGLAR ALARMS, PARTLY APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Thompson Braham, of the City of Manchester,
in the County of Lancaster, Watchmaker, for an Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN FIRE-ALARMS, AND EXTINGUISHERS, AND BURGLAR ALARMS, PARTLY
APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Thompson Braham
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th November 1881.
WILLIAM THOMPSON BRAHAM, of the City of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Watchmaker. "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE ALARMS, AND EXTINGUISHERS,
AND BURGLAR Alarms, Partly APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES."
The first part of this Invention consists of an apparatus that shall on the
occurrence of a fire in its immediate vicinity do any or all of the following acts,
that is to say, it may sound an alarum or alarums, transmit electric currents or
telegraphic signals to any place or places desired, or turn on a supply of water
through a series of perforated pipes for the purpose of extinguishing the Bames.
In carrying out this part of my Invention I employ for the purpose of liberating
or setting the apparatus in motion a vessel of convenient size and of a material
which is an insulator to electricity, as a glass tube, in which is placed some
mercury. Upon the mercury I place a suitable float, which when a fire occurs will
be carried upwards by the expanding mercury and come in contact with and
liberate a trigger which releases the apparatus. The apparatus is actuated by
means of a weight or coiled spring, and when the spring or weight is released, as
before described, the revolving barrel by means of a chain winding round it draws
back a lever and liberates a heavy key, which in falling turns on the water supply.
The barrel of the apparatus is connected by cords or wires with a distinct
apparatus consisting of a driving barrel, the axis of which carries a wheel upon
which is mounted a revolver charged with blank cartridges. This wheel carries as
many studs as there are chambers in the revolver; these as they rotate raise a
lever, which as soon as a stud has passed it, is forcibly driven by a spring on to the
revolver nipple and so explodes a cartridge. A lever having its fulcrum on the
Paine BA1

page_text: framing of the apparatus is connected at one end by means of a wire or cord to a
bell, the other end of the lever is actuated by successive teeth or pins upon a wheel
gearing with the driving wheel of the apparatus, so that the bell rings continuously
until the apparatus has run down. For the purpose of transmitting electric
currents or telegraphic signals I connect the metal work of the apparatus to one
pole of an electric generator or battery, and the other pole to a spring contact piece.
Upon one of the wheels of the apparatus are placed studs at regular or irregular
intervals; these studs as the wheel rotates come in contact with the contact piece
and complete the electric circuit. These signals may be transmitted in the usual
way to any desired place, as, for example, a fire station, where they may be caused
to denote the place where the danger exists by their characteristic intervals,
which are dependent on the position of the contact studs before mentioned.
Another wheel is driven by the apparatus upon which is mounted a crank pin,
which through a connecting rod actuates bellows, and by their means forces air
through suitable pipes to sound a whistle.
In carrying out the second part of my Invention I employ the driving apparatus
already described with as many of the alarums as may be desired. In order to
relense the weight or spring and set the apparatus in action when a burglarious
attempt is made on the promises it is desired to protect, I attach a cord or cords
to the catch or detent holding the apparatus at rest. These cords or wire are
carried to the doors and windows or other places, where it terminates in a ring
enclosed in a box. This ring is connected with a spring, which is actuated by
means of a hook fixed upon the door or window. The rings may be disengaged
by being drawn back by their respective cords when it is required to open the
doors or windows without releasing the apparatus. The cords connected with the
rings at the doors and windows may be also connected with and actuate a separato
alarm in a bedroom or elsewhere.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Williain Thompson Braham in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 27th May 1882.
WILLIAM THOMPSON BRAHAM, of the City of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Watchmanker. "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ALARMS, AND EXTINGUISHERS,
AND BURGLAR ALARMS, PARTLY APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES."
The first part of this Invention consists of an apparatus that shall on the
occurrence of a fire in its immediate vicinity do any or all of the following acts,
that is to say, it may sound an alarum or alarums, transmit electric currents or
telegraphic signals to any place or places desired, or turn on a supply of water
through a series of perforated pipes for the purpose of extinguishing the flames.
In carrying out this part of my Invention I employ for the purpose of liberating
or setting the apparatus in motion a vessel of convenient size and of suitable material,
such as glass, in which is placed some mercury. Upon the mercury I place a
suitable float, which when a fire occurs will be carried upward by the air, which in
expanding forces the mercury up a tube and causes a float to come in contact with
and liberate a trigger which releases the apparatus. The apparatus is actuated by
means of a weight or coiled spring, and when the spring or weight is released, as
before described, the revolving barrel by means of a chain winding round it draws
back a lever and liberates a heavy key, which in falling turns on the water supply.
The barrel of the apparatus is connected by cords or wires with a distinct apparatus
consisting of a driving barrel, the axis of which carries a wheel upon which is
mounted a revolver charged with blank cartridges, or the wheel may explode any
suitable detonator. This wheel carries as many studs as there are chambers in the
revolver; these as they rotate raise a lever, which, as soon as a stud has passed it,
is forcibly driven by a spring on to the revolver nipple and so explodes a cartridge.
A lever having its fulcrum on the framing of the apparatus is connected at one end
by means of a wire or cord to a bell; the other end of the lever is actuated by
successive teeth or pins upon a wheel gearing with the driving wheel of the
apparatus, so that the bell rings continuously until the apparatus has run down.
For the purpose of transmitting electric currents or telegraphic signals, I connect
the metal work of the apparatus to one pole of an electric generator or battery,
and the other pole to a spring contact piece. Upon one of the wheels of the
apparatus are placed studs at regular or irregular intervals; these studs as the wheel
rotates come in contact with the contact piece and complete the electric circuit.
These signals may be transmitted in the usual way to any desired place, as, for
example, a fire station, where they may be caused to denote the place where the
danger exists by their characteristic intervals, which are dependent on the position
of the contact studs before mentioned. Another wheel is driven by the apparatus,
upon which is mounted a crank pin, which through a connecting rod actuates
bellows, and by their means forces air through suitable pipes to sound a whistle,
which may be placed outside the building.
In carrying out the second part of my Invention I employ the driving apparatus
already described, with as many of the alarums as may be desired. In order to
release the weight or spring and set the apparatus in action when a burglarious
attempt is made on the premises it is desired to protect, I attach a cord or cords to
the catch or detent holding the apparatus at rest. Each cord or wire is carried
to the door, or window, or other place, where it terminates in a ring enclosed in n
box. This ring is connected with a spring, which is actuated by means of a hook
fixed upon the door or window. The rings may be disengaged by being drawn
back by their respective cords, which are connected to a lever when it is required
to open the doors or windows without releasing the apparatus. The cords connected
with the rings at the doors and windows may be also connected with and actuate
a separate alarm in a bed-room or elsewhere.

page_text: And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect, I will describe the accompanying two Sheets of Drawings, reference
being had to the figures and letters marked thereon.
On Sheet 1, Fig. 1 shows my improved apparatus for turning on water on the
occurrence of fire, and for setting in motion mechanism that will cause the trans-
mission of electric currents or sound an alarum, and for turning off the water after
the fire has been extinguished.
a is a vessel (preferably of glass) partly filled with mercury; in this vessel is
fitted the tube a!, the upper rim of which is hermetically scaled in the neck of the
vessel a; this tube extends almost to the bottom of the vessel and the mercury
partly fills it; in the tube is a float a³, the lower end of which rests on the mercury
and the upper end is connected to the triggers b, b; the trigger b vibrates on a
stud c; d is a retaining catch which turns on a stud or screw; to this catch is
fixed an arm d¹ connected by a link d to the trigger b; e is a retaining lever, one
end of which rests against the catch & when the apparatus is set; the other end of
this lever is fixed on a stud or shaft e¹ that has fixed to it a catch piece e, which
enters a slot in the flange of the barrel f to retain it when set; the barrel fis fitted
on a fixed stud or shaft g between two plates; the inner end of a coiled spring is
fixed to the stud g, and the outer end of the spring is fastened to the barrel f; fixed
to and passing round or partly round the harrel fis a chain f¹, at one end of which
is fastened a ring f connected to a weighted lever 1, Fig. 2, fitted on the tap of a
water pipe, which when tho tap is turned supplies water to any number of perforated
pipes arranged in any desired position in the building; m is a catch on the
lever m', connected to the chain ƒ³, one end of which is fixed to the barrel f',
which contains a coiled spring; the barrel is retained in position when the
apparatus is set by a catch piece e³ on the stud to which the lever e is fixed; the
retaining catch is connected to the trigger by an arm d and link d³, and the
catch is provided with a second arm which rests against the pin projecting from
the levere so as to keep the catch d³ from turning if the mercury and float should
fall while the apparatus is set, owing to decrease of temperature. When a fire
breaks out the heat causes the air in the vessel a to expand, and it forces the
mercury up the tube a', lifts the float a, which raises the trigger b, partly turning
the catch &, which releases the lever e and allows the coiled spring to turn the
barrel and draw back the chain f', which moves the weighted lever Z which turns
the tap; the lever rests on the catch m until the flow of water has extinguished'
the fire when the decrease of temperature causes the mercury and the float to
fall, thus drawing down tho trigger b', releasing the lever et, and allowing the
spring in the barrel f' to draw in the chain f³, which moves the lever m and
withdraws the catch m from the lever l, the weight of which causes it to fall, and
so turn off the water. The apparatus may release a catch which will allow a fire-
proof curtain to descend and thus prevent the spread of fire.
The studs on which the triggers vibrate are so arranged that they may be moved
up and down in order that the apparatus may be set so that the barrel for the
barrel may be released at any given temperature.
This apparatus may be fitted in a hot-house so as to cause the windows to be
opened automatically when the temperature becomes too high, and to cause them to
be closed when the hot-house has become cool again, or a single barrel f' with its
mechanism may be placed in a greenhouse or out of doors connected to an
aların in a gardener's house to give notice when the temperature descends to
freezing point or any desired degree of cold.
On Sheet 2, Figure 3 shows my improved mechanism for sounding alarms or
signalling.
O is a shaft on which is wound a rope to which a weight is attached ; a suitable
retaining catch is provided, which must be released to allow the apparatus to
work; O' is a wheel which gears into a wheel on the shaft p, on which is a By
wheel p' provided with a crank pin, to which is connected the rod på attached to
the piston 9 of a bellows or air pump; studs project from the wheel O', and when