Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Feb., 1887
Complete Left, 9th Nov., 1887
Complete Accepted, 9th Dec., 1887
I, DAVID SPENCE, of 83 Stockwell Street, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Furnishing Iron-
monger, do hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as follows:-
My Invention comprises a new or improved construction, or arrangement and
combination of portable fire-extinguisher and its fittings, which will be simple in con-
struction, and easily operated to discharge the chemical liquid, for the purpose of
extinguishing the flames of sudden fires in buildings, works or other places."
According to my Invention I form the vessel for containing the chemical solution,
of a vertical hollow cylindrical shape, preferably of about two and a half feet high,
and of various diameters as from four to twelve inches, of sheet iron with domed top
and bottom, and rim base below domed bottom for standing vertically on. A screwed
on removable cap would be fitted at its upper end or neck through which the vessel is
charged with an alkaline carbonate solution, and a tight sealed bottle is inserted con-
taining the acid for generating carbonic acid gas when it is broken. In the upper
hollow part of this vessel is fixed a central ring secured to two or more radial
metallic supports projecting out from the sides of the vessel, one of the supports being
made in the form of an internally screwed tube for a screwed spindle to work through
from the outside, as will hereinafter be described. The bottle or glass vessel
containing the acid is placed vertically within the central ring, which has three or
more short studs or projections on its internal surface, to hold the bottle firm and
assist in breaking it when the point of the screwed spindle is pressed up against the
bottle. A screwed stuffing box is formed in the outside of the vessel in line with the
screwed tube to keep the neck of the spindle fluid pressure tight, and out through
this stuffing box and tube is passed the screw spindle having its inner end passing out
and in through a hole in the central ring opposite the tube. The outer end of the
spindle is provided with a handle for turning round to the right or left according as
the spindle is screwed in through or out from the part of the central ring opposite
the tube within the vessel; a slight lateral inward traverse of the spindle being
sufficient to break the bottle and allow the acid which it contains to escape and mix
and act with the alkaline carbonate solution in the vessel. A hinged forked arm is

page_text: attached on the outside of the vessel, preferably above the screwed spindle, to enclose
the handle of the latter and prevent its being accidentally turned and the bottle
broken when not required; and which can be instantly folded up when the apparatus
is to be used and the bottle requires to be broken as stated; and one or more handles,
according to size may be fixed to the outside of the vessel for portably removing or
carrying it by for use. A vertical tube would project down from the upper part, to
near the bottom of the vessel, and might be led out through the top of the vessel
and coupled or attached to a flexible hose pipe, for the purpose of discharging the
whole of the chemical fluid to extinguish flames when the internal bottle is broken
by the screwed spindle as before described, and the acid is allowed to act on the
alkaline carbonate. The coupling of the internal vertical tube for attaching the
flexible pipe and hose jet to outside, instead of being carried vertically out through
the top of the vessel, might be led out laterally through the side at the upper part
of the vessel, and have a conical or tapered plug screw stop valve mounted on the
top, so as to set the pressure and current of the fluid on or off to the lateral branch
of the hose.

page_text: GUMI DEL DI MULTICATION.
Improvements in Chemical Fire Extinguishers.
I, DAVID SPENCE, of 83 Stockwell Street, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Furnishing fron-
monger, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described, and ascertained in and by the
following statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying sheet of
Drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
My Invention comprises a now or improved construction or arrangement and com-
bination of portable fire-extinguisher and its fittings, which will be simple in
construction, and easily operated to discharge the chemical liquid for the purpose of
quickly extinguishing the flames of fires at their inception or before they attain great
strength in buildings, works or other places.
And in order that my said Invention, and the manner of performing or carrying
the same into effect or practice may be properly understood, I have hereunto
appended an explanatory Sheet of Drawings, in which the same reference letters are
used to indicate corresponding parts in all the figures where shown. Figure 1 is a
sectional elevation of my new or improved chemical fire extinguisher, showing the
internal fittings for holding and breaking the bottle. Figure 2 is a front elevation
of the same at right angles to Figure 1. While Figure 3 is a sectional plan taken as
on the line 11 of Figure 1.
Referring to these Drawings. According to my invention I form the vessel A for
containing the chemical solution, of a vertical hollow cylindrical shape, preferably of
from 20 to 30 inches high, and of various diameters as from four to twelve inches
according to the size desired of sheet steel tinned with domed top and bottom A' A²
and rim base A3 below the domed bottom for standing vertically on. A removable
cap D is fitted at its upper end or neck at A', preferably by being screwed into a
socket piece or bush D₁ soldered to the domed top A, either by hand, (or by a
lever D, attached for the larger sizes, as shown dotted in Figure 2) through which
the vessel is charged with an alkaline carbonate solution, and a tight stoppered
glass bottle B, is inserted containing the acid for generating carbonic acid gas when
it is broken within the vessel A. In the upper hollow part of this vessel A is fixed a
central ring C, secured to two or more radial metallic supports C₁ C", projecting out
from the sides of the vessel A, one of the supports being made in the form of an
internally screwed tube C" for a screwed hand spindle c c to work through from the
outside as will hereinafter be described. The bottle or glass vessel B containing the
acid is placed vertically within the central ring C which has three or more short studs
or projections 6 on its internal surface, to hold the lower end of the bottle B firm and
assist in breaking it when the point c² of the screwed spindle c is screwed up against
the bottle B, and a ring is supported on vertical arms 63 from the ring C, to guide
and retain the bottle B, in vertical position within the vessel A. A screwed stuffing
box is formed in the outside of the vessel A in line with the screwed tube C" to
keep the neck of the spindle c fluid pressure tight; and out through this stuffing

page_text: box C2 and tube (" is passed the screw spindle c having its inner end e passing
out and in through a screw hole in the central ring C, opposite the tube (" and
bottle B. The outer end of the spindle c is provided with a handle c¹ for turning
round to the right or left according as the spindle c is screwed in through or out
from the part of the central ring Copposite the tube C¹ within the vessel; a slight
lateral inward traverse of the spindle c, by turning the handle to the right in the
direction of the arrow Figure 2, being sufficient to break the bottle B, and allow
the acid which it contains to escape and mix and act with the alkaline carbonate
solution filling the vessel A. A tight hinged forked arm c³ is attached on the outside
of the vessel above the screwed spindle c to enclose the handle c¹ of the latter and
prevent its being accidentally turned, and the bottle B broken when not required;
and which can be instantly folded up to the position shown in dotted lines Figure 1,
when the apparatus is to be used and the bottle B requires to be broken as stated;
and one or more handles H according to size may be fixed to the outside of the
vessel A for portably removing or carrying it by for use. A vertical tube E would
project down from the upper part, to near the bottom of the vessel A, where its
lower end would be covered with wire gauze E' to prevent sediment entering the
tube E and this tube E would be led out through the top A' of the vessel A,
(although this might be done laterally out through the side) and coupled or attached
at E to a flexible hose pipe E3 with nozzle e for the purpose of discharging the
whole of the chemical fluid to extinguish flames when the internal bottle B is broken
by the screwed spindle c c' as before described, and the acid is allowed to act on ile
alkaline carbonate solution filled up to the top within the vessel A as indicated at a
Figure 1. The coupling at E2 of the internal vertical tube E for attaching the
flexible pipe E³, and hose jet to outside, might be fitted with an intermediate conical
top or plug screw stop valve so as to set the pressure and current of the fluid on or
off to the hose and nozzle e.
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-
First. The construction or arrangement and combination of portable chemical fire
extinguisher and its fittings for securing and breaking the acid bottle all sub-
stantially as herein described, in reference to and shown in the accompanying
Drawings.
Second. In chemical fire extinguishers, the construction and use of a bottle sup-
port and breaking device, comprising a central ring C, and its fittings, supported
from the sides of the vessel A, in which the acid bottle is placed and broken by a
screwed hand spindle cc, passing through a tube and stuffing box ("operated from
the side of the vessel, all substantially as and for the advantages herein described in
reference to and shown in the accompany Drawings.
Dated this 9th day of November 1887.