Novel or Improved Means or Apparatus for Automatically Discharging Jets of Water or Fire Extinguishing Vapour, and Giving the Alarm in Case of an Outbreak of Fire.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Feb., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 21st Dec., 1893-Accepted, 17th Feb., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Novel or Improved Means or Apparatus for Automatically
Discharging Jets of Water or Fire Extinguishing Vapour,
and Giving the Alarm in Case of an Outbreak of Fire.
I, JOHN ANDERSON of 5, West Terrace, North Ormesby, in the County of
York, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to means or apparatus to be used for automatically dis-
charging jets of water or fire extinguishing vapour upon fires when breaking out in
rooms, apartments or the interior of buildings generally and for giving an alarm at
the same time.
· The object of my invention is to effect this by means of the heat generated by
the fire acting upon bars exposed thereto and controlling valves and ports com-
municating with pipes charged with water or fire extinguishing vapour under
pressure so that when the bars reach a certain degree of expansion due to the
increased temperature the ports begin to open and jets of water or fire extinguishing
vapour are discharged into the room or building for the extinction of the fire
which jets are again shut off as the extinction of the fire proceeds and brings
about the reduction of the heat to the normal or usual temperature.
A further object of my invention is to notify the presence of a dangerous
temperature in the said room or building by an alarm such as a bell or whistle
which is set off by the same means by which the valves are set in motion for
discharging the jets of water or fire extinguishing vapour.
The nature of my invention consists as follows:-The room or building in which
my automatic fire extinguishers and fire alarms are to be applied is provided with
a system of pipes connected say with a tank or water supply of their own or with
the general water supply of the town so as to be always charged with water under
pressure. This system of pipes can be arranged in any manner consistent with
the architectural or other requirements of the room or building so long as they
are available at suitable positions for the purposes of my invention by having ports
or the like attached to them from which jets of water or fire extinguishing vapour
can be delivered into the interior of the room in a manner effectual for subduing
the flames when the place gets on fire.
The essential feature of my invention is to cause these ports to open and close
according as the temperature of the room is above or within the usual or normal.
degree of temperature. I effect this by controlling each port by a slide valve
attached to a bar preferably of zinc so as to be sensitive to variations of tempera-
ture one end of which is secured to a fixture so that all expansion and contraction
of the said bar due to variations of temperature must be taken up by the other end
thereof and shared by the slide valve attached to it. It will thus be seen that by
a suitable adjustment of the length of the expansion bar the area of the port and
movement of the valve to open and close the port, the apparatus as a whole can be
designed to operate within any desired scale of degrees of temperature, that is to
say the discharge of the jets of water shall commence when a certain degree of
beat acts upon the expansion bar which discharge is again cut off when the heat
falls below the particular degree of temperature at which the jets are intended to
operate.
In order to make the action of the valve accurate and reliable the valve spindle
is furnished with a spiral spring or its equivalent abutting against the valve casing
so that the expansion bar is always kept in a state of tension by the spiral spring

page_text: which is always in a state of compression so that the spring draws the valve in the
direction of opening the port as the bar expands and the bar as it contracts
draws the valve back again in the direction of closing the port and against the
spring.
The expansion bar may be attached directly to the valve or its spindle or where
more power is desirable the connection of the valve to the expansion bar may be
transmitted through suitable leverage.
Where the instant extinction of the fire is the object in view in the place of
jets of water taken from pipes charged under pressure jets of carbonic acid' or the
like fire extinguishing vapour may be substituted, the requisite provision for an
adequate supply of such vapour being substituted for the water supply in other
cases. If desired the movement of the valve itself or one of its accessories mayy
be transmitted to an alarm bell or whistle to keep up a constant alarm as long as
the valve remains open that is as long as the heat of the room is above the
intended maximum temperature and in some cases the connection with the said
alarm is so adjusted that the alarm is set off before the movement of the. valves:
is sufficient to turn on the jets of water or fire extinguishing vapour.
.
1000
G. J. CLARKSON,
Chartered Patent Agent,
Stockton-on-Tees, Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Novel or Improved Means or Apparatus for Automatically
Discharging Jets of Water or Fire Extinguishing Vapour,
and Giving the Alarm in Case of an Outbreak of Fire.
I, JOHN ANDERSON, of 5, West Terrace, North Ormesby, in the County.of
York, Engineer, 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 :-
:
My invention relates to means or apparatus to be used for automatically:3
discharging jets of water or fire extinguishing vapour upon fires when breaking
out in rooms, apartments or the interior of buildings generally and for giving: au
alarm at the same time.
The object of my invention is to effect this automatically, the heat or abnormal,>
temperature generated by the fire being the agent whereby bars exposed thereto,
and controlling valves and ports communicating with pipes, tanks or other source:
of supply charged with water or fire extinguishing vapour for delivery under
pressure into distributing pipes, are caused to expand so that when the bars reach.:
a certain degree of expansion due to the abnormal increase of temperature the
ports are opened and jets of water or fire extinguishing vapour are continuously:
discharged into the room or building for the extinction of the fire until again shut
off by the contraction of the bars as the extinction of the fire proceeds and brings
about the reduction of the heat to the normal or usual temperature. Or the:
apparatus is in some cases so modified in construction that when the bars reach a
certain degree of expansion the ports are suddenly opened by the slide valve:-
becoming disconnected from the expansion bar which in consequence does not,
automatically close the said ports again when the corresponding reduction of the.
temperature contracts the bars to their original length.
:
A further object of my invention is to automatically notify the presence of ai
dangerous or abnormal temperature in the said room or building by giving an
alarm, such as a bell or whistle which is set off and kept in action by the same
means by which the valves are set in motion for opening the ports.
The room or building in which my combined automatic fire extinguisher and fire:

page_text: alarms are to be used is provided with a system of pipes connected say with a
tank or water supply of their own or with the general water supply of the town or
district, it being essential that on the opening of the ports connected with my fire.
extinguishing apparatus the system of distributing pipes is at once charged with
water at an effective pressure for the purpose of my invention, or when preferred
fire extinguishing vapour such as carbonic acid is similarly or suitably supplied to
the pipes. This system of pipes can be arranged in any manner, consistent with.
the architectural or other requirements of the room or building so long as they are:
available at suitable positions for the purposes of my invention by being furnished.
with ports, spouts or the like outlets from which jets of water or vapour can be
delivered in sufficient force and quantity into the interior of the room or building
for effectually subduing the flames should the place get on fire.
,
And in order that my invention may be readily understood and carried into,
effect I will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the drawings
hereto annexed in which
Figure 1 is a part sectional side elevation of the apparatus fixed in position;
with the valve ports open and
Figure 2 is a corresponding view in plan with the supply pipe removed.
Figure 3 illustrates by way of example a system of pipes arranged for
distributing the jets of water or vapour about the interior of a building, and':
Figures 4, 5 and 6 illustrate a modification of the apparatus by which the slide,
valve is suddenly detached from the expansion bar in the manner hereinafter..
described, Figure 4 being a part sectional side elevation with the side, valve
connected to the expansion bar and the valve ports closed, to which Figure 5 is a.
corresponding plan view, and Figure 6 is a part sectional side view of the
apparatus showing the slide valve detached from the expansion bar and the valve
ports open.
J
In the figures a is the expansion bar, the slide valve spindle, o the slide valve,
d the valve ports, e the supply pipe, and the distributing pipes.
:
.These several parts being arranged as shown and described, they are fitted
together and intended to operate as follows:-The expansion bar a is adjustably
secured at one end to a bracket or knee plate a¹, which must be taken to represent
any fixture suitable for the, purpose. The expansion bar a is connected at the
other end to the slide valve spindle 6 furnished with a button headed or the like
terminal so that a spiral spring imparts to the said valve spindle ba constant
tendency to draw the slide valve c in the direction of the arrow which tendency
is checked and controlled by the expansion bar a: This expansion bar is preferably
made of zinc as being, especially sensitive to variations of temperature and is.
found in practice to elongate about of an inch in 10 feet on a rise of,
temperature from 50 to 120 degrees Fahrenheit, from which data the exact
temperature at which the discharge of water or vapour will commence can be
readily ascertained and worked out with reference to the particular design and..
construction of the apparatus in question, it being understood that as the:
expansion of the bar a proceeds with an increasing temperature the spiral spring ª
draws the slide valve c in the direction of the arrow until the ports d are open,
when the water or vapour in the supply pipe e passes through the ports d into.:
the distributing pipes from which it is discharged in the several directions
intended over the room or space within the range and power of the apparatus.
When the fire is put out and the temperature falls the bar a contracts and if
permanently secured to the valve spindle as shown in Figures 1 and 2 draws back
the slide valve cover the port d and the discharge of water or vapour is
stopped.
But when the apparatus is constructed as shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6 in which
provision is made for detaching the slide valve spindle from the expansion bar a, it
is of course obvious that the subsequent contraction of the bar a will not re-close
the ports d, and the water or vapour supply to the distributing pipes ƒ must be cut
off by some other means,
:

page_text: The object in view in making the slide valve spindle b detachable from the
expansion bar a is that as soon as a certain temperature is reached the water or
vapour is turned full on at once instead of being turned ou gradually with the
continued expansion of the bar a, the detachment being automatically effected by.
any suitable combination of parts such as that shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6, in
which the free end of the bar a is constructed in the form of a claw, one limb a
of which is hinged thereto so that when not held down by the combined action of
the spring and pin or stop piece y', the said limb a' is free to lift up and slip the
slide valve spindle b. The proper action of this arrangement is attained by
furnishing a slot or recess in the limb a in such a way that as this slot or recess is
carried forward with the expansion of the bar a it is brought directly under the
end of the pin or stop piece g¹ which obviously looses its grip on the limb a³ in
consequence and the valve is forthwith drawn forward to the full open position
shown in Figure 6.
But in order to make the apparatus as effective as possible as an automatic fire
extinguisher and fire alarm combined, the advance of the terminal 6' results in
touching a button by which an electric bell is set off ringing and preferably before
any discharge of water or vapour actually takes place so that the alarm is given,
of a dangerously high temperature in good time and is of course kept going until
the terminal & is again withdrawn from contact with the electric button, but any
other alarm device which can be similarly actuated by continued pressure is equally
available for the purpose of this invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be and can be performed, I here declare
that I do not limit myself to the precise details of my invention as hereinbefore.
specified and illustrated on the accompanying drawings because equivalent
modifications and variations can be made in such details and quite consistent with
the essential principle or characteristic features of my invention, as for instance
the apparatus can be constructed as a combined fire extinguisher and fire alarm, or
as a fire extinguisher only, or a fire alarm only, and in conclusion I declare that
what I claim is :-
Firstly. In means or apparatus for automatically extinguishing fires and for
giving an alarm at the same time or for separately effecting either of these results,
the use of a bar, which is especially sensitive to variations of temperature, the
expansion of which by controlling valves and ports communicating with pipes for
supply and distribution, discharges jets of water or vapour upon the fire, and by
operating a button or the like device sets up a continuous alarm, all arranged,
combined and operating together, substantially in the manner and for the purpose
as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Secondly. The particular arrangement and combination of parts constituting an
automatic fire extinguisher and fire alarm, substantially as hereinbefore described
and illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.
Thirdly. The particular arrangement and combination of parts constituting an
automatic fire extinguisher and fire alarm, substantially as hereinbefore described]
and illustrated in Figures 4, 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings.
1000
G. J. CLARKSON,
Chartered Patent Agent,
Stockton-on-Tees, Agent for the Applicant.