Improvements in Automatic Sprinklers.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Feb., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 13th Nov., 1893-Accepted, 27th Jan., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Sprinklers.
SAMUEL WALKER, Engineer, Eagle Works, Radcliffe, Lancashire, and
GEORGE LEEK, Manager, 72 Victoria Street, Radcliffe, Lancashire, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :—
A brass sprinkler head is made with a water deflector, composed of two bevelled
rings projecting downwards and separated from each other by a groove; the centre
of this head is bored out and an internal screw thread is cut in; a hollow spindle
provided with an external thread of similar dimensions is fitted into this; the
lower extremity of the hollow spindle is turned and forms the valve seating which
is thus made adjustable to the valve face by means of the afore-mentioned screw-
threads, these being made of sufficient length to allow of such adjustment.
The upper end of the hollow spindle is provided with another screw-thread
for making the necessary junction with the water pipes and a nut is cast on the
outside of the spindle between the two separate threads for the purpose of receiving
a screw-key in order to make tight the last mentioned joint.
Immediately within the inner ring of the sprinkler head is a U shaped brass
casting attached to the head by its upper ends or legs; on the lower part of these
legs are cast four small projections which serve the purpose of carrying the valve
when the sprinkler is open.
The valve which is circular in form is dished out on its upper surface and
becomes a water deflector, it is fixed in position centrally underneath the sprinkler
head and between the legs of the afore-mentioned U shaped casting down which
legs it is free to slide being provided with suitable slots to guide it. The dished
out face of the valve is partially covered with a body of soft metal run into it in
a molten state and afterwards faced up; when in position it is held up against the
valve seating on the afore-mentioned hollow spindle by a small vertical spindle, the
upper end of which is fitted into and coincides with a small hollow or recess ou
the underside of the said valve, the lower end rests on a small flat bar of brass
or other metal, bent up at one end to keep the vertical spindle in its place;
this bar lies on, and is soldered to, by means of a fusible metal, a small horizontal,
bevel, or vertical table cast near the bottom of the U shaped casting, or it may
be soldered directly to the lower portion of this casting; the bent up end of the
bar projects beyond the table just a sufficient length to receive the bottom end of
the small vertical spindle which is further provided with two ears to prevent it
from catching on the bottom of the U in its fall, these ears also assist to keep the
spindle in its vertical position when the valve is closed. The lower end of the
vertical spindle is bevelled off so that the point of pressure on the small flat bar and
the fulcrum beneath it are, as nearly as possible, in the same vertical plane, thus
reducing the pressure on the fusible joint to the lowest possible minimum.
Dated this 9th day of February 1893.
SAMUEL WALKER.
GEORGE LEEK.

page_text: improvements in Automatic >prinklers.
SAMUEL WALKER Eagle Iron Works, Radcliffe Manchester Engineer, Iron-
founder &c. GEORGE LEEK, Machinist Oak Bank, Radcliffe near Manchester,
late of 72 Victoria Street, Radcliffe, 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:-
A the sprinkler head, having two annular rings, bevelled outwardly on their
edges at a. a. for breaking and spreading the water, which is thrown up by the
deflector D when the sprinkler is in action.
The arms of suspender C are attached to sprinkler head by means of stangs b. b.
which are rivetted over.
The sprinkler head is bored and an internal fine thread cut in to receive the
coupling B.
B the coupling to connect the sprinkler head with water pipes, has a hexagonal
belt in the middle for screwing up, and is truly turned at the extremity 6. for
contact with the deflector D, thus making the joint. C. the suspender is rivetted
to sprinkler head by means of the stangs b. b. On the arms of suspender are
four projections d. d. which receive and hold the deflector in position when the
sprinkler is in action.
On the lip of the suspender at g. is the soldered joint of the angle fulcrum
plate F.
D. the deflector is to throw the water against the annular rings of sprinkler
head A., when in action.
The inside of deflector is dished out to contain the flexible spring n. supporting
the valve seat p. made of spring brass and is run up with a soft metal m. in a
molten state, and afterwards turned up perfectly true to receive the end of coupling
at C. thus making the joint, there are two openings in the rim at l. 1. to correspond
with the two arms of the suspender C. to ensure a perfectly vertical drop of
deflector when released.
The deflector has four holes which are drilled close to the outer rim at e. e. e. e.
and by this means the water is distributed directly in the central area below, when
the sprinkler is in action.
E the fulcrum pillar to hold the deflector in position when in contact with
coupling at C, thus making the joint, the lower end of pillar is checked out, where
it rests upon fulcrum plate F, and thus forms two projecting arms f. f. which assist
in keeping the fulcrum pillar in its vertical position and also direct its fall when
released by the tilting of fulcrum plate by the fusing of the joint, the part of
fulcrum pillar which rests upon the fulcrum plate is bevelled from both sides to a
knife edge at j, the top of fulcrum pillar is rounded to fit into concave of deflector
at K.
F. angle fulcrum plate, soldered to the lip of suspender and thus making the
joint at g. The top of plate is bent over and receives the checked out end of
fulcrum pillar, the bottom is also bent over where soldered, thus giving increased
leverage or it may be left straight down.
The point of contact of fulcrum pillar at j. and the point of support below at h.
are as nearly as possible in the same vertical plane, cousistent with the positive
certainty of action.
This condition assures the smallest possible pressure on the fusible joint.
Fig. 1. Front elevation of complete sprinkler in section.
Fig. 2. Side elevation of complete sprinkler in section.
731

page_text: The operation of the mechanism is as follows: In case of fire the heat generated
would fuse the solder at point g. releasing the angle fulcrum plate F, when the
fulcrum pillar E. also falls away, thereby allowing the deflector D to drop on the
projections d. d.
The water will now flow freely through the coupling B. and coming in contact
with the deflector D. will be thrown against the annular rings of the sprinkler head
and distributed in various directions, causing the fire to be quickly extinguished.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
1. An automatic sprinkler for extinguishing fires, the head of same sprinkler
having annular rings which break and spread the water and having further a
flexible spring in the deflector D. to enable the water joint to be casily and durably
made, substantially, as and for the purpose described.
2. An automatic sprinkler for extinguishing fires having an annular ring spreader
and flexible spring deflector, with also the arrangement of levers as shown at E
and F., for reducing the pressure on the soldered joint substantially as and for the
purpose described.
3. An automatic sprinkler for extinguishing fires, constructed and arranged
substantially as herein described.
Dated this 10th day of November 1893.
SAML. WALKER.
GEORGE LEEK.