Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Mar., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 13th Dec., 1899-Accepted, 27th Jan., 1900
I, LOUIS BERTLING, of Ashleworth, Honor Oak Park, in the County of London,
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the extinguishing of fires in houses or other buildings
or in other places or situations, and has for its object the utilization of the force
of an explosion for this purpose.
According to my invention I utilize the principle whereby flames can be extin-
guished by a draft or current of air. For this purpose I enclose a suitable explo-
sive substance within a chamber or receptacle provided with a fuse or igniter.
This explosive chamber may if required be provided with means whereby a
substance inimical to ordinary combustion such for instance as alum, or sodium
carbonate, may be scattered in the vicinity of the conflagration when the said
chamber is exploded so that the explosion will not only blow out the flames but
will render the surrounding atmosphere unfit to support combustion.
According to one form of the apparatus which I employ the explosive material,
such for instance as gun powder, is enclosed in an inner cylindrical, globular, or
other conveniently shaped chamber, surrounded by an outer shell or jacket; the
space between the said chamber and jacket being filled with the sodium car-
bonate, alum or other substance of a similar nature. A fuse is passed through
the outer shell or jacket and communicates with the explosive in the inner
chamber.
The apparatus may be made like a hand grenade so that upon the occurrence
of a fire the fuse can be ignited and the apparatus thrown into the burning
building or other place. Or the apparatus may be fixed in a house, or other
building and so arranged that when a fire occurs the fuse will be at once ignited.
When the fuse ignites the explosive and the apparatus consequently explodes, the
force of the blast or current of air caused by such explosion tends to extinguish
the flames and scatter the alum. sodium carbonate or similar substance in the
vicinity, thereby reducing the conflagration so that firemen or others can approach
or enter the room or space in which it exists and employ whatever means may
be necessary for the complete extinction of the same.
The explosive chamber and outer shell or jacket may be made of india rubber,
cardboard, paper, metal, or other suitable substance, but I prefer to use india
rubber as it is damp proof and splits in all directions when the apparatus
explodes. The outer shell or jacket is preferably perforated with small holes
and covered with paper or a thin film of any suitable material to prevent the
accidental escape or deliquescence of the alum or similar substance. Moreover

page_text: the powder chamber must be protected against the entrance of moisture by a paper
covering or by other suitable means.
I may use ordinary or any suitable grade or quality of gun powder or dynamite
or other of the well known high explosives.
Dated this 10th day of March 1890
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co..
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.. Agents for the Applicant.
An Improved Method of and Means for Extinguishing Fire.
I; LOUIS BERTLING, of Ashleworth, Honor Oak Park, in the County of London,
Merchant, 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:-
This invention relates to the extinguishing of fires in houses or other build
ings or in other places, and has for its object the utilization of the force of an
explosion for this purpose.
According to my invention I utilize the principle whereby flames can be extin-
guished by a sudden and forcible draft or current of air. For this
purpose I enclose a suitable explosive substance within a chamber or
receptacle provided with a fuze or igniter, the said chamber being
preferably provided with means whereby a substance inimical to ordinary com-
bustion such for instance as alum, or sodium carbonate, will be scattered
in the vicinity of the conflagration when the said chamber is exploded,
so that the explosion will not only blow out the flames but will render
the surrounding atmosphere unfit to support combustion.
In order that my said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried
into effect I will proceed to describe the same more fully with reference to the
accompanying drawing which illustrates a section of one form of the apparatus
constructed according to my invention.
A is an inner cylindrical, spherical, or other conveniently shaped chamber con-
laining the explosive material, such for instance as gun powder, and surrounded
by an outer shell or jacket B. The space C between the said chamber and
jacket is filled with the sodium carbonate, alum or other substance of a similar
nature. A fuze D is passed through the outer shell or jacket and communicates
with the explosive in the inner chamber.
The apparatus may be made like a hand grenade so that, upon the occurrence
of a fire, the fuze can be ignited and the apparatus thrown into the burning
building or other place. Of the apparatus may be fixed in a house or other
building and so arranged that when a fire occurs the fuze will be ignited. When
the apparatus explodes, the force and suddenness of the blast or current of air
caused by such explosion, tends to extinguish the flames and scatters the alum.
sodium carbonate or similar substance in the vicinity of the flames, thereby reduc-
ing the conflagration and preventing re-ignition, so that firemen or others can
approach or enter the room or space where the fire has occurred and employ what-
ever means may be necessary for the complete extinction of the same.
The explosive chamber A and the outer shell or jacket B may be made of india-
rubber, cardboard, paper, metal, or other suitable substance, but I prefer to use
india-rubber as it is damp proof and will split in all directions when the appa-
ratus explodes. The outer shell or jacket B is preferably perforated with small
holes and, to prevent the accidental escape or deliquescence of the alum or

page_text: similar substance, is covered with paper or a thin film of any suitable material.
The explosive chamber A should also be protected against the entrance of
moisture by a paper covering or by other suitable means.
I may use ordinary or any suitable grade or quality of gun powder or dynamite
or other of the well known high explosives.
The size of the apparatus and the amount of the explosive charge it contains.
depends upon the size of the room, building or other place where it is required
for use.
For instance, a charge of one ounce or thereabouts of ordinary black
powder with about three pounds of the alum, sodium carbonate or similar sub-
stance, may be used for a medium sized apparatus. If dynamite, gun cotion or
other high explosive is employed, a smaller charge than one ounce would be
required with the three pounds of alum sodium carbonate or similar substance.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. A method of extinguishing fires in houses or other places by firing an explo-
sive in the vicinity of the flames and simultaneously scattering a substance that
will tend to render the atmosphere incapable of supporting combustion.
2. A fire extinguishing apparatus containing an explosive substance adapted
to be ignited with a fuze, with or without a substance which when scattered in
the vicinity of the fire by the explosion of the apparatus will serve to check com-
bustion substantially as described.
3. The fire extinguishing apparatus constructed substantially as described with
reference to the accompanying drawing for the purpose specified.
Datod this 18th day of Docomhan 1800
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.