Improvements in Automatic Fire-extinguishing Apparatus.
Year: 1889

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by JOSEPH CLAPP, of the Village of Evanston, in the
County of Cook, State of Illinois, Manufacturer, and PALMER A. MONTGOMERY,
of Chicago, Illinois, Insurance Agent, both in the United States of America.]
Improvements in Automatic Fire-extinguishing Apparatus.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co. Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex 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 automatic fire extinguishing apparatus, and is illustrated
in the accompanying drawings in which
Figure 1 is a vertical section of a portion of a building supplied with a stand-
pipe and water distributing pipes showing the present invention applied thereto, the
various parts being in their respective normal positions.
Figure 2 is an enlarged detail view partly in section, of the principal features of
this invention, showing the operative parts in their respective normal positions.
Figure 3 is a similar view showing the said parts respectively in their abnormal
positions.
Figure 4 is a detail view partly in section of a three-way valve, showing the same
in its normal position.
Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view of a building showing a modification of the
invention.
and
Figure 6 is a sectional view in detail of a portion of a pipe with a valve therein,
Figure 7 is a detail view showing a modification of the shut-off valve.
Like letters of reference indicate like parts in the different figures.
In the extinguishment of fires in factories and other buildings supplied with the
usual distributing pipes and automatic valves damage has frequently been done to
goods and stock by reason of the water continuing to flow long after the fire is
extinguished. The object of this invention is to overcome this objection and to provide
means for cutting off the flow of water upon any given floor or portion of a building
or upon all the floors, if there are more than one, and at the same time to sound an
alarm to indicate that said water is thus turned off, so that as soon as the sprinklers
which have opened have been repaired or replaced by new ones, the apparatus may
be re-adjusted so as to cause the water to re-enter and traverse the pipes as before,
upon the reopening of one or more of the sprinklers.
A further object is to so construct said mechanism that the water cannot be shut
off from the distributing pipes without causing an alarm to be sounded, thereby
preventing unauthorized persons from tampering with said mechanism for unlawful
purposes. To this end, my invention consists in the combination of elements herein-
after more particularly described.
Referring to the drawings A represents the wall of a building of which B indicates
the floors. C is the usual stand-pipe connected with a source of water supply such
as a tank above or a pump beneath or both. D indicates the distributing pipes
which are provided with automatic sprinklers D' which are held normally closed by
means of fusible solder in any well known way.
In the lower part of the building, as for example, the engine room, I place an
air reservoir E which is supplied with compressed air by means of an air pump E'
connected therewith. Communicating with said reservoir is a pipe E², which is, by
preference carried upwardly near to and parallel with the stand pipe C. In each of
.
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page_text: the distributing pipes near to the stand-pipe, I place a valve F. The valve seat f
is shown in section in figures 2 and 3. The said valve is normally open and is
connected with a valve-stem 1, which, in turn, is attached to a flexible diaphragm G
enclosed in a case or frame G', the whole of said parts serving to form a shut-off
valve of differential area, and the valve F, may be generally understood as including
them. The bottom of said case is connected by means of a pipe G2 to the pipe E2
or to an intermediate pipe as hereinafter stated if it is desirable to shut off the water
from more than one floor at the same time. Interposed in the pipe G2 is a valve H,
having a handle H upon the outside for rotating the valve-plug H2 the normal
positions of said handle and plug being as shown in figures 2 and 4, so that the air
from the reservoir is prevented from passing upwardly to the diaphragm G while any
air which may be contained in the pipe G2 between the diaphragm G and valve H,
is free to escape through the way h Figures 2 and 4, when the valve H is in its
normal position.
In Figures 2 to 4 inclusive, I have indicated a three-way valve for controlling the
flow of air in the pipe; in which case it is necessary to form an opening ¹ in the
shell of the valve opposite the way h, when in its normal position as shown in
Figures 2 and 4; but a simple stop-cock may be utilized with equal advantage,
provided a separate escape is made for the air from the diaphragm G when it is
desirable to open the valve F. When there is more than one floor or more than one
set of distributing pipes, I prefer to employ a separate escape for the air as stated ;
in which event the three-way valve may be dispensed with as hereinafter set forth.
J represents a box or case located near the valve H and provided with a door J
and a suitable lock for fastening the same. Within said case I place a windlass J²,
to which is attached a weight and cord j, j¹, which, when wound up, is held normally
in that position by means of a ratchet J³ and pawl 2. Said pawl is attached by
means of a rod 3, to the handle H' of the valve H. A pivoted arm is arranged
in the case with its free end bearing upon a square portion of the windlass J2 and is
in turn connected by means of a rod to a pivoted bell-hammer arranged in proximity
to a bell J. Upon turning the arm H¹ to an abnormal position as indicated in
dotted lines in Figure 3, the pawl is released from the ratchet and the weight falls;
thereby ringing the alarm and indicating by its position that said valve has been
opened. Upon turning the valve H as described the compressed air from the
reservoir E acts upon the diaphragm valve G which, in turn closes the valve in the
distributing pipe, with the stem of which it is connected. It will be observed that
this valve cannot be closed except by admitting the air thereto, which is dependent
upon the opening of the valve H. This cannot be accomplished except by sounding
the alarm in the box J, which operates as a check against closing the valve F by
unauthorized persons; and, as the alarm is protected by lock and key, it is also
prevented from thus being interfered with. If there is more than one floor, I prefer
to have such alarm box upon each as well as in the office or engine room, but a single
one in the office or engine room may serve all purposes. In Figures 1 and 5, I have
shown such an one so located the pawl 2 of which is actuated by means of a diaphragm
valve K, the stem k, of which is attached to said pawl as shown. Said diaphragm
valve is connected with the valve H by means of a pipe K', so that the air from the
reservoir may be admitted to said diaphragm either directly through the three-way
valve or as shown in Figure 5, hereinafter described. L Figures 1 and 5 indicates a
pressure regulator connected with the reservoir to indicate the degree of air pressure
therein.
In Figure 1, the valve H, as stated, is shown upon the floor upon which the dis-
tributing pipe is located. In Figure 5, I have shown my invention as applied to a
number of distributing pipes located upon different floors. It is obvious that in this
event, the air should be permitted to escape from the diaphragm valves from but
one point; and the three-way valves would permit the air to escape when not
desired. I therefore prefer to provide a separate pipe E³ parallel with the pipe E²,

page_text: and to connect the pipes G2 therewith. Stop-cocks H, normally closed, are then
located in pipes E, which connect the pipes E2 E³. In the pipe K, which com-
municates with the bottom of the pipe E³, and preferably within the case J, is
located an escape-valve K², which is normally closed. Upon opening any one of
the valves H, the air is admitted to the pipe E³, through which it passes up and
down, into the several pipes G2, thus closing all the valves F connected therewith.
Simultaneously, it actuates the diaphragm K and sounds the alarm in the office.
Upon replacing the sprinklers after the fire is extinguished, and closing the valve H
that has been opened, the air from the diaphragms G and K is permitted to escape
through the valve K' when the weight is wound up and the case locked; thus
leaving the apparatus in its normal condition and ready to shut off the water in the
distributing pipes and to sound an alarm whenever any one of the valves H are
closed, whether there be a fire in the building or not.
I have shown a diaphragm valve of differential area, as the preferable construction
for shutting off the flow of water to the distributing pipes; but it is obvious that
the pipes may be connected with cylinders in lieu of the cases G¹, in each of
which may be inserted a piston attached to the valve-stem f, the whole forming a
shut-off valve of differential area, as shown in Figure 7.
I do not confine myself therefore, to either forin, as I regard one as the mechanical
equivalent of the other; my object being to employ a shut-off valve of differential
area to be closed by means of compressed air acting upon the larger surface.
The advantages of said invention are that it renders it possible to shut off the
flow of water from the distributing pipes of a building as soon as a fire therein is
extinguished; thus avoiding damage by unnecessary flooding, while it is possible for
those in charge of the building to know the condition of the shut-off valves through
the alarm mechanism.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondents 1 declare that what I claim is :-
First. The combination with the distributing pipes of a fire-extinguishing apparatus
of the class described, of one or more valves of differential area for shutting off the
flow of water to the distributing pipes, a source of compressed air connected there-
with by a suitable pipe or pipes, and one or more valves normally closed, for
admitting said compressed air thereto, substantially as shown and described.
Second. The combination with the distributing pipes of a fire-extinguishing
apparatus of the class described, of one or more valves of differential area for
shutting off the flow of water to the distributing pipes, a source of compressed air
connected therewith by a suitable pipe or pipes, one or more valves normally closed
for admitting said compressed air thereto, and means, as an escape-valve, for per-
mitting the escape of air from the shut-off valves when it is desirable to open the
same, substantially as shown and described.
Third. The combination with the distributing pipes of a fire extinguishing apparatus
of the class described, of one or more valves of differential area for shutting off the
flow of water to the distributing pipes, a source of compressed air connected there-
with by a suitable pipe or pipes, one or more valves normally closed for admitting
said compressed air thereto, means for permitting the escape thereof from said shut-
off valves when it is desired to open the same, and an alarm mechanism in operative
connection with said valve or valves by which the flow of air is regulated substantially
as shown and described.
Fourth. The combination with the distributing pipes of an automatic fire extin-
guishing system, of one or more normally open differential valves for shutting off the
flow of water to the distributing pipes, a source of compressed air, a pipe or pipes for
conducting the same to said differential valves, normally closed shut-off valves
located in said pipe and in operative communication with an automatic alarm
mechanism, and means, as described, for enclosing and locking said alarm mechanism,

page_text: whereby the opening of said shut-off valves may close said differential valves and
sound an alarui by means of a mechanism protected from unauthorized interference,
substantially as specified.
Dated this 19th day of July 1889.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for, the Applicant.