Improvements in or relating to Automatic. Fire-extinguishing and Indicating Apparatus.
Year: 1895

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Automatic. Fire-extinguishing and
Indicating Apparatus.
I, WILLIAM HUMPHREY TRIMBLE, late of Devonport, New Zealand, but now
of Haven Green, Ealing in the County of Middlesex, Mechanician, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in automatic sprinkler apparatus for
protecting buildings and their contents from damage by fire. As is well known,
the use of such apparatus as beretofore constructed, whilst offering a sufficient
protection to buildings from fire, is often attended by much damage from water
owing to the fact that usually there is no provision for automatically shutting off
the water after a fire has been extinguished.
In order to obviate this defect, each sprinkler of such apparatus is provided,
according to this invention, in lieu of the fusible solder ordinarily used, with
means, which, when raised to a predetermined temperature by any fire which may
be near enough to influence it, will open a valve and allow water to play on,
and extinguish, the fire, and which, when its temperature has thus been lowered
to a predetermined degree, will shut off the water by means of the said valve
and then return to its original state ready for any number of similar subsequent
operations should the fire, through smouldering or any other cause, break out
afresh.
Suitable means for this purpose comprise two elastic metallic vessels (herein-
after referred to as sensitive vessels), of which one contains a liquid adapted to
boil at or about the temperature at which the valve is to be opened whilst the
other contains a liquid which is adapted to boil, and the vapour of which is there-
fore adapted to condense, at or about the temperature at which the valve is to be
again closed.
Each sensitive vessel may be made of two dished or concentrically corrugated
plates of thin elastic metal suitably joined together at their edges, there being
attached to one of the plates a pin and to the other a tube having screwed in it a
pin between the head of which and the adjacent end of the tube there is a leaden
washer. It is of importance that the proper quantity of the respective liquids
should be enclosed in these vessels: if too great a quantity be used, the vessels
might burst and if too little, they might not expand enough; but if the proper
quantity be used all, or nearly all, the enclosed liquid will be converted into
vapour if the surrounding air be, for a very short time, at or above the boiling-
points of the said liquids. For this purpose, in preparing such a vessel, more than
the said proper quantity of liquid is introduced into it, and the vessel, with the pin
in its tube screwed down, is heated to the boiling point of the contained liquid;
after this has proceeded for a suitable time, the vapour in excess is allowed to
escape, and the pin is then screwed down and the vessel hermetically sealed by
soldering.
A suitable arrangement of apparatus for utilizing such sensitive vessels is as
follows:-
To a short down-pipe leading from a suitable water supply-pipe is screwed a
cylindrical casing which is provided with ports in its cylindrical wall and the
bottom of which is closed by a blank or plug screwed into the casing and forming

page_text: with it a chamber open to the down-pipe. The casing and the blank or plug each
carry flanges and between these and around the said ports is mounted, so as to be
free to revolve, a short cylinder provided with hollow conical pieces of sheet metal,
the arrangement being such that water issuing through the said ports will rotate
the said short cylinder by means of its hollow conical pieces and will by them be
dispersed and formed into spray. The communication between the down-pipe and
the said chamber is controlled by a valve carried on the upper end of a short pipe
that passes freely through the said blank and is supported at its lower end by the
upper side of a vessel (hereinafter referred to as the collapsible vessel) which is
similar to the expansive vessels, which is of larger horizontal cross sectional area
than the main valve, and with the interior of which the said short pipe communi-
cates. This vessel is preferably enclosed in a casing to prevent it from being
expanded too much. The lower side of the collapsible vessel is supported by
another short pipe screwed into a stirrup, which is fastened to the above mentioned
blank or plug. There is a small hole through the centre of the aforesaid valve
(hereinafter referred to as the main valve) to admit water from the down-pipe to
the collapsible vessel. At the lower end of the pipe supporting the collapsible
vessel there is a small valve the cross section of the opening of which is larger
than that of the hole through the main valve. The stem of this small valve
projects a little through its seat and rests on a lever rotatably attached at one end
to the stirrup. The other end of this lever is adjustably supported by a rod
suspended on a rocking lever rotatably-mounted above it on the down-pipe. Above
this rocking lever are two arms fastened to the same pipe. These arms carry the
expansive vessels. The vessel for opening the main valve is arranged below the
arm farther from the aforesaid rod and with one of its pins abutting against
the said rocking lever; the other or closing vessel is arranged on the top of the
other arm.
On the upwardly bent portion of the latter arm is rotatably mounted
a bell-crank, the upper or horizontal arm of which engages between a spiral spring
around one of the pins of the corresponding sensitive vessel and an adjustable nut
screwed thereon; the lower arm of the said bell-crank ends in a catch arranged to
engage with and hold-up the said rocking lever. A suitable cover made in two
parts surrounds the apparatus to protect it from injury and improve its appearance.
The lower part of this cover is arranged to fall off automatically when the main
valve is opened, it being connected at one side to the upper part by a hook-like
device, and being supported at the other by a catch arranged to be operated by
the aforesaid rod.
The arrangement of the apparatus is such that when a fire occurs near enough
to affect it, the opening-vessel is expanded by the conversion into vapour of its
contained liquid and depresses the corresponding end of the rocking lever; the
other end of this lever consequently rises, engaging with the catch of the closing-
vessel (the liquid of which has previously been vapourized) and, by means of the
connecting rod, lifts the lower lever and thereby raises the small valve. Water is
thus allowed to escape from the collapsible vessel, and, as sufficient water cannot
pass into this vessel through the main valve to maintain the requisite pressure, the
water in the down-pipe opens the main valve, enters the aforesaid chamber, and
-rushes out through the spraying cylinder. When the fire has been extinguished,
the spray rapidly cools the air to such an extent that the liquid in the closing-
.vessel is condensed and the consequent collapse of that vessel releases its end of
the rocking lever, which falls, accompanied by the lever below and the small valve
normally supported by the latter. As water cannot now escape from the collapsible
vessel, sufficient pressure is created in it to close the main valve. The water is
thus stopped, and little, if any, more will have been used than was necessary to
extinguish the fire. The apparatus is theu ready to come into operation as often
as a fire may break out.
In order to obviate the necessity of keeping the supply-pipes in the building
full of water and thereby to prevent danger from freezing and accident, and in
order also to give proper alarms in case of fire, I may provide the following

page_text: arrangements, which, with suitable modifications may also be employed in
connexion with sprinkler-apparatus other than that hereinbefore described.
At some point near to where the supply of water enters the buildings, there is
arranged an apparatus which may be called an automatic turncock and comprises
a system of levers which normally keep closed a valve in the water-main, being
caused to do so by the lever-armature of a magnet. From the winding of this
magnet a conductor leads off having branches to the several sprinklers, where they
end in insulated contact-pieces. In the case of the apparatus herein before
described each of these contact-pieces may consist of a metal strip inserted in a
tube, which is secured on the end of one of the arms that carry the sensitive
vessels and in which is another insulated strip of metal in the same tube and
fastened to the rocking lever below, so that an electric contact will be formed
between these insulated strips when the rocking lever is depressed by the opening-
vessel. The aforesaid magnet being then energized, the lever-armature is turned
and liberates the levers, which are then forced from their position by the pressure
of the supply-water on a small piston in a pipe leading from the main. Water is
thus allowed to enter the pipes throughout the building. The piston just mentioned
also acts as a valve to a branch pipe so that when the piston is operated as just
described water is allowed to pass along this branch to a small water-motor, which
by its rocking or reciprocating motion, operates one or two hammers, which, by
striking on a gong or bell, make sufficient noise to be heard at some distance.
This water-motor may comprise two vanes or buckets mounted to oscillate about
a horizontal axis which is vertically under the downwardly directed end of the
said branch pipe and about which can also oscillate, within limits, a suitable guide
which is adapted to be operated by the said blades or vanes and to direct the water
first to one vane and then to the other; suitably connected to the blades or vanes
are two hammers, the arrangement being such that they will be alternately struck
against a gong by the oscillation of the vanes or blades.
For the purpose of indicating at a fire-brigade station or other suitable place,
the building in which a fire has taken place, I may employ, in connection with
the armature of a magnet connected with the fire-extinguishing apparatus-e.g., the
lever-armature aforesaid-a device comprising a wheel made of wood, bone, or
other suitable non-conducting material and having a wire (connected to earth)
wound across its periphery. This wheel is rotated at a practically uniform speed
by suitable means-e.g., by a weight suspended by a thread from its axle, accelera-
tion being prevented by arranging that the weight shall fall through a suitable
liquid contained in a vessel. The wheel is normally kept from rotating by the
aforesaid armature, against which a stop on the wheel abuts; but when the
armature is operated by its magnet, the wheel is free to rotate to an extent limited
by another stop which may consist of a pin placed in one of several holes made
in one side of the wheel. A strip of metal, in circuit with an indicating-device in
the fire-brigade station or other place, rests on the periphery of the wheel, which,
in turning, brings successive portions of the wire on the wheel into contact with
the strip, and thus makes and breaks an electric circuit. The indicating-apparatus
just mentioned may comprise an electro-magnet provided with an armature carried
on one end of a lever on the other end of which there is suitably mounted a small
ratchet-wheel in connection with which there are provided two pawls and two
stops. The oscillating motion of the lever, due to the making and breaking of the
current, causes the ratchet-wheel to move through a space of one tooth for each
make-and-break of the current. The ratchet-wheel, through two pinions, moves
a pointer on a spaced and numbered dial, through as many spaces as it has itself
been moved teeth; the number indicated on the dial represents, therefore, the
number of times the circuit has been made and broken by the aforesaid wheel. As
it is arranged that the last-mentioned number shall be different for the various
buildings with which the apparatus is connected, the particular building in which a
fire has broken out is clearly indicated. In conjunction with this indicating-
apparatus I may arrange a device comprising a continuous electric bell the magnet

page_text: of which is kept energized by a separate current; the armature of this magnet is
normally kept out of action by a catch operated by a lever which is normally
retained in its operative position by a double stepped catch and which carries the
armature of another magnet the winding of which is in the same circuit as the
indicating-apparatus. The arrangement is such that when a current passes through
the last-mentioned magnet, it attracts its armature and releases the armature of
the other magnet so as to allow the bell to be rung, the first-mentioned magnet
becoming caught in its inoperative position by the double catch, so that the bell
will continue to ring until the apparatus is re-set by hand.
·ני:
1
1007
Improvements in or relating to Automatic Fire-extinguishing and
Indicating Apparatus.
I, WILLIAM HUMPHREY TRIMBLE, late of Devonport, New Zealand, but
now of Haven Green, Ealing, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanician, 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 improvements in automatic sprinkler-apparatus for
protecting buildings and their contents from damage by fire. As is well known,
the use of such apparatus, as heretofore constructed, whilst offering a sufficient
protection to buildings from fire, is often attended by much damage from water
owing to the fact that usually there is no provision for automatically shutting off
the water after a fire has been extinguished.
In order to obviate this defect, each sprinkler of such apparatus is provided,
according to this invention, in lieu of the fusible solder ordinarily used, with
means, which, when raised to a predetermined temperature by any fire that may be
near enough to influence it, will open a valve and allow water to play on, and
extinguish, the fire, and which, when its temperature has thus been lowered to a
predetermined degree, will shut off the water by means of the said valve and
then return to its original state ready for any number of similar subsequent
operations should the fire, through smouldering or any other cause, break out
afresh.
Suitable means for this purpose comprises two elastic metallic vessels (herein-
after referred to as sensitive vessels), of which one contains a liquid adapted to
boil at or about the temperature at which the valve is to be opened, whilst the
other contains a liquid which is adapted to boil, and the vapour of which is
therefore adapted to condense, at or about the temperature at which the valve is
to be again closed. For the former vessel chloroform or a mixture of chloroform
and alcohol, or alcohol alone, may be used according to the temperature at which
it is desired that it shall operate; a suitable liquid for use in the latter vessel is
sulphuric ether.
Each sensitive vessel may be made of two plates 1 and 2 of thin elastic metal
which may be dished, as shown in sectional elevation and plan in Figs. 1 and 2 of
the accompanying drawings respectively, or concentrically corrugated, as shown in
like manner in Figs. 3 and 4, and which are suitably joined together at their

page_text: edges 3, there being attached to one of the plates a pin 4 and to the other a tube 5
having screwed in it a pin 6 between the head of which and the adjacent end of
the tube 5 there is a leaden washer 7. It is of importance that the proper quantity
of the respective liquids should be enclosed in these vessels; if too great a
quantity be used, the vessels might burst, and if too little, they might not expand
enough; but if the proper quantity be used, all, or nearly all, the enclosed liquid
will be converted into vapour if the surrounding air be, for a very short time, at
or about the boiling points of the said liquids. To ensure this the method I adopt
in preparing such a vessel is as follows:-I first introduce into the vessel more
than the said proper quantity of liquid and place the vessel, with the pin 6 in its
tube 5 screwed down on a suitable support in a box, such as an incubator, the
temperature in which can be accurately regulated and is kept a little above the
boiling-point of the liquid contained in the sensitive vessel and I cause the vessel
to support a weighted lever between its fulcrum and its weight; when the vessel
has been in the box a sufficient time to acquire the proper temperature, the liquid
in the vessel becomes converted into vapour and expands the vessel and thereby
raises the lever; the pin 6 is now unscrewed and the vapour is allowed to escape
until only sufficient vapour is left in the vessel to do the work required of it, which
is indicated by the movement of the lever; the pin 6 is then screwed down again
and the vessel hermetically sealed by soldering at the leaden washer 7.
I will now describe apparatus for utilizing such sensitive vessels, referring to
Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings, which represent in sectional elevation an example of
such apparatus in its closed state and its open state respectively.
To a short down-pipe 8, adapted to be secured by a union 9 to a suitable water-
supply pipe, is screwed a casing 10 which is provided with ports 11 in its cylindrical
wall 12 and the bottom of which is closed by a blank or plug 13 screwed into the
casing 10 and forming with it a chamber 14 open to the down-pipe 8 when the
apparatus is in the state shown in Fig. 6. The casing 10 and the blank or plug 13
carries flanges 10" and 13" and between these flanges and around the ports 11 is
mounted, so as to be free to revolve, a short cylinder 15 provided with hollow
conical pieces 16 of sheet metal, each having a slit 16 at one side and, preferably,
a flap. 16 partly covering the slit 16", the arrangement being such that water
issuing through the ports 11 will rotate the short cylinder 15 by means of its
hollow conical pieces 16 and will by the pieces 16 be dispersed and formed into
spray, the issuing water being preferably downwardly diverted by the flaps 16.
The communication between the down-pipe 8 and the chamber 14 is controlled by
a valve 17 (hereinafter referred to as the main valve) carried on the upper end of
a short pipe 18 that passes freely through the blank 13 and is supported at its
lower end by the upper side 19 of a vessel (hereinafter referred to as the collapsible
vessel) which is similar to the expansive vessels, which is of larger horizontal
central cross sectional area than the main valve 17 (i.e., the arrangement is such
that when the valve 17 is closed and there are equal pressures in the collapsible
vessel and on the valve 17, the effect will be to keep the valve 17 closed) and with
the interior of which the short pipe 18 communicates. This vessel is preferably, as
shown, enclosed in a casing 20 to prevent it from being expanded too much. The
lower side 21 of the collapsible vessel is supported by another short pipe 22
Ecrewed into, or otherwise suitably fixed in, a stirrup 23, which is fastened to the
blank or plug 13. There is a small hole 24 through the centre of the main
valve 17 to admit water from the downpipe 8 to the interior of the collapsible
vessel. At the lower end of the pipe 22 supporting the collapsible vessel there is
a small valve 25 the cross section of whose opening 26 is larger than that of the
hole 24 through the main valve 17. The stem 27 of the small valve 25 projects a
little through its seat and rests on a lever 28 rotatably attached at one end to the
stirrup 23. The other end of the lever 28 is adjustably supported by a rod 29
suspended on a rocking lever 30 rotatably mounted above it at 31 on the down-
pipe 8. Above the rocking lever 30 are two arms 32 and 33 fastened to the same
pipe 8. These arms carry the sensitive vessels 34 and 35. The vessel 34 for

page_text: opening the main valve 17 is arranged below the arm 33 and with one of its pins,
viz. 4, abutting against the rocking lever 30, the other, or closing, vessel 35 is
arranged on the top of the other arm 32. On the upwardly bent portion 36 of
the arm 32 is rotatably mounted a bell-crank 37, the upper, or horizontal, arm of
which engages between a spiral spring 38 placed around the pin 6 of the sensitive f
vessel 35 and an adjustable nut 39 screwed thereon; the lower arm of the bell-
crauk 37 ends in a catch 40 arranged to engage with, and hold-up, the corre-
sponding end of rocking lever 30. A suitable cover made in two parts 41 and 42
surrounds the apparatus to protect it from injury and improve its appearance.
The lower part 41 of this cover is arranged to fall off automatically when the main
valve 17 is opened, it being connected at one side to the upper part 42 by a hook-
like device consisting of a support 43 on which a projection 44 provided on the
part 41 normally rests, and being supported at the other by a catch 45 on which
normally rests another projection 46 provided on the part 41 and which is arranged
to be operated by the rod 29 by means of a pin 47.
The arrangement of the apparatus is such that when a fire occurs near enough
to affect it, the opening-vessel 34 is expanded by the conversion into vapour of its
contained liquid and depresses the corresponding end of the rocking lever 30 ; the
other end of the lever 30 consequently rises, engaging with the catch 40 of the
closing-vessel 35 (the liquid of which has previously been vapourized) and, by
means of the connecting rod 29, lifts the lower lever 28 and thereby raises the
small valve 25. Water is thus allowed to escape from the collapsible vessel, and,
as sufficient water cannot pass into this vessel through the main valve 17 to
maintain the requisite pressure therein, the water in the down-pipe 8 opens the
main valve 17, enters the chamber 14, and rushes out through the spraying
cylinder 15. When the fire has been extinguished, the spray rapidly cools the air
to such an extent that the liquid in the closing vessel 35 is condensed and the
consequent collapse of that vessel releases its end of the rocking lever 30, which
falls, accompanied by the lever 28 and the small valve 25 normally supported by
the latter. As water cannot now escape from the collapsible vessel, sufficient
pressure is created in it to close the main valve 17. The outflow of water is thus
stopped, and little, if any, more can have been used than that necessary to
extinguish the fire. The apparatus is then ready to come into operation again as
often as a fire may break out.
In order to obviate the necessity of keeping the supply-pipes in the building full
of water and thereby to prevent danger from freezing and accident, and in order,
also, to give proper alarms in case of fire, I may provide the following arrange-
ments, which, with suitable modifications, may also be employed in connection with
sprinkler-apparatus other than that herein before described.
At some point near to where the supply of water enters the building, there is
arranged an apparatus which may be called an automatic turn-cock. An example
and 8
of this apparatus is represented in sectional elevation and plan in Figs.
respectively. It comprises a system of levers 48, 49, 50, and 51, which normally
keep closed a valve 52, in the water-main 53, being caused to do so by an arm 54
of the lever-armature 55 of an electro-magnet 56. From the winding of the
magnet 56 a conductor leads off having branches to the several sprinklers, where
they end in insulated contact-pieces. In the case of the apparatus hereinbefore
described with reference to Figs. 5 and 6, each of these contact-pieces may consist
of an elastic metal strip 57 inserted in a tube 58 of vulcanite, or other suitable
insulating-material, which is secured on the end of one of the arms 32 and 33 that
carry the sensitive vessels 34 and 35 and in which is a rod 59 of metal that is
fastened to the rocking-lever 30 and the middle part (ie., the part between the
line 60 and 61) of which is covered with vulcanite or other suitable insulating-
material, the strip 57 being elastic and normally pressing against the insulating
material of the rod 59 so that an electric contact will be formed between the
insulated parts 57 and 59 when the rocking lever 30 is depressed by the opening-
vessel 34. The magnet 56 being then energized, the lever-armature 55 is turned

page_text: and liberates the levers 48, 49, 50, and 51, which are then forced from their position,
by the pressure of the supply water on a small piston 62 in a pipe 63 leading from
the main 53; in the example shown, the rod 64 of the piston 62 is secured by
means of a nut 65 in a slot in a lever 66, which is pivoted at 67 and bears against
a rounded projection or tooth 68 on the lever 49 the object of the lever 66 being
to continue the pressure against the projection 68 whilst the latter is moving along
a considerable arc. Water is thus allowed to enter the pipes throughout the
building. The piston 62 also acts as a valve to a branch-pipe 69 so that when the
piston is operated as just described water is allowed to pass along this branch-pipe
to a small water-motor which, by its rocking or reciprocating motion, operates one
or two hammers, which, by striking on a gong or bell, make sufficient noise to be
heard at some distance. This water-motor may, as represented in side elevation in
Fig. 9 and in end elevation in Fig. 10, comprise two vanes or buckets 70 mounted
to oscillate about a horizontal axis 71 which is vertically under the downwardly
directed end 69* of the branch-pipe 69 and about which can also oscillate, within
limits 72 and 73, a suitable guide 74 which is adapted to be operated by the blades
or vanes 70 by means of projections 70° and to direct the water first to one of the
vanes 70 and then to the other; suitably connected to the blades or vanes 70 are
two hammers 75, the arrangement being such that they will be alternately struck
against a gong 76 by the oscillation of the vanes or blades 70.
For the purpose of indicating, at a fire-brigade station or other suitable place,
the building in which a fire has taken place, I may employ, in connexion with the
armature of a magnet connected with the fire-extinguishing apparatus-e.g., the
lever-armature 55-a device comprising a wheel 77 (Figs. 7 and 8) made of wood,
bone, or other suitable non-conducting material and having a wire 78 (connected to
earth) wound across its periphery. The wheel 77 is rotated at a practically
uniform speed by suitable means-e.g., by a weight 79 suspended by a thread 80
from its axle 81 acceleration being prevented by arranging that the weight shall
fall through a suitable liquid contained in a vessel 82. The wheel 77 is normally
kept from rotating by the armature 55 against which a stop 83 on the wheel abuts,
but when the armature 55 is operated by its magnet 56, the wheel 77 is free to
rotate to an extent limited by another stop which may consist of a pin placed in
one of several holes 84 made in one side of the wheel 77. A strip 85 of metal, in
circuit with an indicating-device in the fire-brigade station or other place, rests on
the periphery of the wheel 77, which, in turning, brings successive portions of the
wire 78 on it into contact with the strip 85, and thus makes and breaks an electric
circuit. The indicating-apparatus just mentioned may comprise, as represented in
back elevation in Fig. 11, an electro-magnet 86 provided with an armature 87
carried on one end of a lever 88 which is pivoted at 88* and on the other end of
which there is suitably mounted a small ratchet-wheel 89 in connection with which
there are provided two spring pawls 90 and 91 and two stops 92 and 93. The
oscillating motion of the lever 88, due to the making and breaking of the circuit,
causes the ratchet-wheel 89 to be moved by the pawls 90 and 91 through a space
of one tooth for each make and break of the circuit. The ratchet-wheel 89,
through two pinions, only one 94 of which is shown, moves a pointer 95 over a
graduated and figured dial 96 to the extent of as many graduations as it has itself
been moved teeth; the number indicated by the dial represents, therefore, the
number of times the circuit has been made and broken by the wheel 77. As it is
arranged that the last mentioned number shall be different for the various buildings
with which the dial-apparatus is connected, the particular building in which a fire
has broken out is clearly indicated.
In conjunction with this indicating-apparatus I may arrange a device, also
represented in Fig. 11, comprising a continuous electric bell the magnet 97 of
which is provided with a separate operating battery 98; the armature 99 of the
magnet 97 is normally kept out of action by a catch or abutment 100 formed by
one end of a lever 101 which is normally retained in its operative position by a
catch 102 having two steps 102 and 102° and which carries the armature 103 of

page_text: another magnet 104 the winding of which is in the same circuit as the dial-
apparatus. The arrangement is such that when a current passes through the
magnet 104, the latter attracts its armature 103 and releases the armature 99 of the
magnet 97 so as to allow the bell 105 to be rung, the armature lever 101 of
the magnet 104 becoming caught in its inoperative position on the step 102 by the
catch 102, which is pivoted at 102° and is weighed down by its heavier non-stepped
end 102d so that the bell will continue to ring until the apparatus is re-set
by hand.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In an automatic sprinkler an operating device that when raised to a pre-
determined temperature, will open a valve so as to allow water to pass out through
the sprinkler and which, when its temperature has been lowered to a predetermined
degree, will close the said valve and return to its original state.
2. In an automatic sprinkler, the combination of a valve arranged to control the
main outlet of water, and a sensitive vessel that contains a liquid adapted to boil
at or about the temperature at which the valve should be opened for extinguishing
a fire and by the expansive force of its vapour, to expand the vessel and thereby
open the said valve, substantially as described.
3. In an automatic sprinkler, the combination of a valve, means for automatically
opening the valve on sufficient rise of temperature, and a sensitive vessel that
contains a liquid the vapour of which will condense and allow the said vessel to
contract and thereby cause the closing of the said valve at a lower temperature
than that at which the valve should be automatically opened.
4. An automatic sprinkler having a main valve adapted to be normally kept
closed by the water pressure exerted on the internal surface of a collapsible vessel
which has a larger cross sectional area than the opening controlled by the main
valve and which is arranged to be normally filled with water received from the
main supply pipe and is provided with an outlet valve, which is adapted to be
opened and closed by sensitive vessels acting as set forth in Claims 2 and 3 and
controls a hole having a larger cross sectional area than that of the com-
munication between the main supply pipe and the chamber, so that when the
cutlet valve is opened, more water will escape from the collapsible vessel than can
enter the same, and the pressure therein will be thereby rendered insufficient to
keep the main valve closed.
5. An automatic sprinkler constructed, arranged and operating substantially as
herein before described with reference to and shown in Figs. 5 and 6 of the
drawings annexed.
6. In automatic sprinkler apparatus means constructed, arranged, and operating
substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and shown in Figs. 7 and 8
for automatically opening a water supply valve when a sprinkler at a distance
therefrom is put into action.
7. In automatic sprinkler apparatus, means constructed, arranged and operating
substantially as herein before described with reference to and shown in Figs. 7 to 11
inclusive, for indicating at a fire-brigade station or other place the particular
building or the like amongst a number of buildings or the like connected thereto,
in which a sprinkler has been operated.