Improvements Connected with Apparatus or Subduing Fire in Buildings and Ships or Vessels.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Oct., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 26th July, 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 31st Aug., 1888
Improvements Connected with Apparatus or
Subduing Fire in Buildings and Ships or Vessels.
I THOMAS RALPH DOUSE of 28 Clover Street Chatham, Kent, Clothing
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to so construct or arrange apparatus capable of being
fixed within a room preferably at some level above the floor or in a loft or other con-
venient place with pipes connected and led to desired positions that on a lever, a wire
or other appliance being pulled or pushed or releasable automatically on the breakage
of a front glass say from the outside of the building any room in which a fire has
been discovered can be charged with carbonic acid gas for checking the progress of
the flames or for subduing the fire completely.
The apparatus is preferably of tank or cistern form for holding an alkali liquor and
has within it a trip lever or flap on which is supported a small vessel containing an
acid, said trip lever or flap being in connection with a tap plug to which a weighted
lever is also connected so that when the plug is closed, the weighted end rests at an
angle against a bar or its equivalent in order that it is free to fall when released from
the bar by a pull or push action, the fall of the lever causing the acid containing
vessel to turn over for discharging the acid into the alkali, the mixing of the two
chemicals producing carbonic acid gas, a pressure within the tank being also produced
so that gas spurts from the nozzles or outlets of the pipes with great force.
The cover of the tank is provided with a screw cap, this having on its inner face a
spring and plate which when the cap is screwed home causes the plate to press lightly
on the top of the acid vessel as a cover, but which spring is overcome by the drag of
the acid vessel when pulled over by the superior force due to the weight of the falling
tap lever.
have referred to placing the tank in a room or loft but it or any number of them
can be arranged inside a building, the pull lever or wire being carried to the outside

page_text: within reach of a person in the street or roadway, a tablet being affixed near thereto,
to direct a person, such as a Policeman how to act on discovering a fire.
The invention is applicable to all kinds of buildings or structures also to ships and
vessels.
H. GARDNER,
166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said T. R. Douse.
Subduing Fire in Buildings and Ships or Vessels.
I, THOMAS RALPH DOUSE, of 28 Clover Street, Chatham, Kent, Clothing
Manufacturer, 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 this invention is to so construct or arrange apparatus capable of being
fixed within a room preferably at some level above the floor, or in a loft, or other con-
venient place with pipes connected and led to desired positions, that on a lever, a
wire, or other appliance being pulled or pushed, or releasable automatically on the
breakage of a front glass, say from the outside of the building any room in which a
fire has been discovered, can be charged with Carbonic Acid or other Gas for checking
the progress of the flames or for subduing the fire completely.
The apparatus is preferably of tank or cistern form for holding an alkali liquor and
has within it a trip lever or flap, on which is supported a small vessel containing an
acid, said trip lever or flap being in connection with a tap plug, to which a weighted
lever is also connected, so that when the plug is closed, the weighted end rests at an
angle against a bar or its equivalent in order that it is free to fall when the bar is
released by a pull or push action, the fall of the lever causing the acid containing
vessel to topple or turn over for discharging the acid into the alkali, the mixing
of the two chemicals produces Carbonic Acid or other Gas, a pressure within the
tank being also produced, so thai gas spurts from nozzles or outlets of the pipes with
great force.
The cover of the tank is provided with a screw cap, this having on its inner face a
spring and plate which when the cap is screwed home causes the plate to press
lightly on the top of the Acid vessel as a cover, but which spring assists the fall of
the acid vessel when released.

page_text: I have referred to placing the tank in a room or loft but it, or any number of them
can be arranged inside a building, the pull lever or wire being carried to the outside
within reach of a person in the street or roadway, a tablet being affixed near thereto,
to direct a person, such as a Policeman, how to act on discovering a fire on the
premises.
The invention is applicable to all kinds of buildings or structures, also to ships and
vessels.
My invention will bo understood by reference to the annexed drawings, in which at
Figures 1, 2 and 3 I show a double tank A, A, each compartment B being provided
with a pivotted shelf or frame C on which a vessel D containing acid is placed, said
shelf and acid vessel being held above the level of the alkali liquor in the tank vessels A
by trip levers E, E, which are connected to rotatable tap plugs F, the outer ends having
weighted levers G, these being in a vertical position by prongs of a draw bar Has
clearly indicated in Figures 1 and 3.
The outer end of the draw bar H is connected by a chain, rod, or wire H¹ which
terminates in a looped wire I, the loop engaging over a stud J where it is locked
by a bolt K, the outer end of which presses against a sheet of glass as indicated in the
sectional view Figure 4, which bolt K by a breakage of the glass, springs outwards as
seen at Figure 5 under the action of its spring L when another spring M encircling
the looped rod I assisted by the weight N causes the prongs of the draw rod H. from
contact with the weighted levers G, which levers & then fall and open the taps F, F,
this action simultaneously moving the trip levers away from the shelves C, C, for the
acid vessel to fall as indicated by the dotted lines Figure 1, so that the acid from D
mixes with the alkali in the tank A. and a powerful gas generated which passes through
the pipes P, P, to a sprinkler, a spreader, or other appliance fitted within a room, the
gas so generated combined with the liquor acting to quench or subdue a fire that may
have happened in such building.
The acid vessels D, D, are kept ready charged and covered by spring plates which
are fixed in position by screw down covers Q, Q, as seen at Figure 1.
The appliance shown at Figures 4, 5, and 6 is intended to be placed within reach
of a person in a street or roadway and the inside of the glass bears the instructions to
a person, if a fire be discovered, the apparatus then acting automatically as will be
understood.
The apparatus Figures 1, 2, and 3 may be fitted in any part of a building and by
means of pipes P, P, the gaseous fluid can be conveyed to any desired part in which
spreaders or sprinklers are affixed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
The improved construction or arrangement of apparatus as hereinbefore described
and substantially as shown at Figures 1 to 6 in the annexed drawings whereby on the
release of a spring bolt an acid vessel is freed for its contents to mingle with an alkali
contained in a tank (which also contains the acid vessel) for producing a gaseous liquid
capable of extinguishing or subduing fire as set forth.
ור. שי
CTI 1000