Improvements in Hand Grenades or Chemical Fire-extinguishing Devices.
Year: 1884

page_text: Improvements in Hand Grenades or Chemical Fire-extinguishing
Devices.
I ABEL FRENCH SPAWN of No 221 Sansome Street, San Francisco, in the State
of California, United States of America, Manager to the California Fire Apparatus
Manufacturing Company, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN HAND GRENADES OR CHEMICAL FIRE-EXTINGUISHING DEVICES,"
to be as follows:―
My invention relates to improvements in fire-extinguishing devices of the kind
known as hand grenades, and it consists, first, in making a bottle, vessel or
receptacle to contain the gas-generating material with a partition or dividing
wall to give an independent compartment or space for each one of two solutions,
the one an acid and the other an alkali of suitable character to produce carbonic
acid gas by combination or mixture. This vessel is constructed of glass or other
frangible material but the device when completed and in condition for use, differs
from all fire-extinguishing devices in that the acid and alkali are in the form of
solutions and by simple combination will immediately evolve the gas and are in
the best form and relation to give complete, thorough and rapid combination when
required for service.
My invention also consists in combining with and applying to such hand grenades
or fire-extinguishing devices, composed of frangible material, a cartridge or explosive
plug connecting with a fuse or an electric conductor to generate an electric spark
whereby the plug can be fired and the device fractured by a person at a distant
point to set free the fire-extinguishing agent.
I make a vessel or receptacle with a partition or dividing wall to furnish two
seperate compartments having no communication and permitting no combination
of the liquid contents to generate the gas except through fracture.
Into one of these compartments is placed an acid solution and in the other an
alkali solution each compartment having a mouth or inlet for filling purposes which
is closed and sealed by a suitable cork or stopper.
To produce such a holder, the vessel may be a single receptacle divided by a
frangible partition, or it may be formed of two independent receptacles suitably
shaped to fit closely together and be united into one device by cement or by the
use of cords or binding wires,

page_text: The solutions are acid and alkali solutions of suitable character to generate
carbonic acid gas when brought together.
Such grenades or fire-extinguishing devices that require to be fractured in order
to operate can be used also as standing extinguishers in localities and situations
especially exposed to fire or where spontaneous combustion is liable to take place
by combining with the vessel or holder a means or device for breaking the holder
to set free the contents, this means being of such character and so applied that it
can be brought into action from a distant point or station by an operator or by
contact with fire within the vicinity of the extinguisher.
For such purpose I insert a small cartridge or plug of explosive character, as a
fire cracker for example, into a hole or recess in the bottom of the holder or in such
position that when ignited, the explosion will be sure to act upon the dividing wall
between the two solutions and therefore permit them to mingle. This explosive plug
is provided with a firing fuse of suitable length to be carried to the most exposed
part or laid in such position that it will be quickly ignited. This exploding device
will also be useful in connection with hand grenades in some conditions of service
where objects and surfaces, when the grenade is thrown by hand, may be of such
character as not to readily break the vessel.
A number of the extinguishing devices being connected with an electric battery
and a spark generating mechanism, provision can be made for firing them singly or
in a battery and thus bringing them into operation from a point or station at a
distance. In such arrangement it is only necessary to have the exploding plug or
cartridge interposed in a line of electric conductors whose connection with a source
of electricity can be made or broken at any time in such manner as to fire the
explosive agent. The extinguisher can be also suspended at a height by means of
inflamable cords made easily combustible by being saturated with a suitable
agent on the combustion of which the vessel is allowed to be dropped and be
broken.

page_text: Improvements in Hand Grenades or Chemical Fire-extinguishing
Devices.
I, ABEL FRENCH SPAWN of N° 221 Sansome Street, San Francisco, in the State
of California, United States of America, Manager to the California Fire Apparatus
Manufacturing Company, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN HAND GRENADES OR CHEMICAL FIRE-EXTINGUISHING DEVICES,"
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement reference being had to the
accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification :-
1
My invention relates to improvements in fire-extinguishing devices of the kind
known as hand grenades, and it consists, first, in making a bottle, vessel or receptacle
to contain the gas-generating material with a partition or dividing wall to give an
independent compartment or space for each one of two solutions, the one an acid
and the other an alkali, of suitable character to produce carbonic acid gas by
combination or mixture.
This vessel is constructed of glass or other frangible material, but the device
when completed and in condition for use, differs from all fire-extinguishing devices
in that the acid and alkali are in the form of solutions and by simple combination
will immediately evolve the gas, and are in the best form and relation to give
complete thorough and rapid combination when required for service.
All other constructions so far as known to me at this time have one of two forms
or modes of operation. In the one the solution in the vessel is decomposed or
caused to evolve the gas by contact with flame or in its immediate presence; while
the other has one of the ingredients in a solid form and in a separate receptacle or
compartment which being fractured precipitates the ingredient into the solution.
It is obvious that either of these constructions is defective and the operation is
therefore uncertain in many conditions and situations. It is frequently the case
that the extinguisher should operate under increased temperature alone and when
no flame exists or where the central point of combustion cannot be reached by
a grenade, while in that construction where one of the ingredients is in solid form
the required combination of the fluid and solid is not insured by the form of the
grenade.
My invention has for its object to enable two ingredients of an acid and alkali
to be employed and by fracture of the grenade or containing vessel to immediately
generate the gas independent of any surrounding agency or condition.
To such end and purpose it consists in making a vessel or holder of glass or
other suitably frangible material or substance and in two separate compartments
or divisions, one of which is filled with the acid solution while the other contains
the alkali solution.
My invention also consists in combining with and applying to such hand grenades
or fire-extinguishing devices composed of frangible material, a cartridge or explosive
plug connecting with a fuse or an electric conductor to generate an electric spark
whereby the plug can be fired and the device fractured by a person at a distant
point, to set free the fire-extinguishing agent,

page_text: The following description fully explains the nature of my said invention and the
manner in which I proceed to construct produce, apply and use my said invention.
The drawing herein referred to shows in figure 1 the application of such fire-
extinguishing device to situations particularly exposed to fire as in drying kilns, in
cotton mills and other places where inflamable material is stored.
Figures 2 and 3 show details of the form in which I make the vessel or holder.
These hand grenades are now usually made of glass as that material affords both
cheapness of construction and the required frangibility. I therefore make use of
the same material as being the most suitable at hand at the present time, although
I do not confine myself to glass alone for this purpose.
I make a vessel or receptacle A with a partition or dividing wall B to furnish
two separate compartments having no communication and permitting no com-
bination of the liquid contents to generate the gas except through fracture. Into
one of these compartments is placed an acid solution and in the other an alkali
solution, each compartment having a mouth or inlet for filling purposes which is
closed and sealed by a suitable cork or stopper.
To produce such a holder the vessel may be a single receptacle divided by
a frangible partition or it may be formed of two independent receptacles suitably
shaped to fit closely together and be united into one device by cement or by the
use of cords or binding wires.
In the construction shown in figure 2 the parts A A may be bottle-shaped
receptacles fitted closely together and secured by wire at the top and bottom,
while in figure 3 the two parts may be blown of corresponding shape and cemented
together.
I give these forms of receptacles as affording the most convenient as well as
practical shape in which to make a receptacle of the kind from glass but if the same
can be made of a single vessel with a partition to divide its space I should avail
myself of its construction.
The solutions C, C, are acid and alkali solutions of suitable character to generate
carbonic acid gas when brought together; their use for fire-extinguishing purposes
is already well known and no special instruction is therefore required in the
selection of the ingredients or the production of the mixture.
Such grenades or fire-extinguishing devices that require to be fractured in order
to operate can be used also as standing extinguishers in localities and situations
especially exposed to fire as before stated or where spontaneous combustion is liable
to take place, by combining with the vessel or holder a means or device for breaking
the holder to set free the contents, this means being of such character and so applied
that it can be brought into action from a distant point or station by an operator or
by contact with fire within the vicinity of the extinguisher.
For such purpose I insert a small cartridge or plug of explosive character, as
a fire cracker, for example, into a hole or recess in the bottom of the holder A or in
such position that when ignited the explosion will be sure to act upon the dividing
wall between the two solutions and therefore permit them to mingle. This
explosive plug is provided with a firing fuse E of suitable length to be carried to
the most exposed part or laid in such position that it will be quickly ignited. This
exploding device will also be useful in connection with hand grenades in some
conditions of service, where objects and surfaces when the grenade is thrown by
hand, may be of such character as not to readily break the vessel. Hay and grain
in stacks would be an instance of such matter. The explosive would insure rapid
action of the extinguisher.
A number of the extinguishing devices being connected with an electric battery
and a spark-generating mechanism, provision can be made for firing them singly or
in a battery and thus bringing them into operation from a point or station at
a distance. In such arrangement it is only necessary to have the exploding plug
or cartridge interposed in a line of electric conductors whose connection with
a source of electricity can be made or broken at any time in such manner as to fire
the explosive agent,

page_text: The extinguisher can be also suspended at a height by means of inflamable cords
made easily combustible by being saturated with a suitable agent on the combustion
of which the vessel is allowed to be dropped and be broken.
In all these applications and uses of such fire-extinguishing devices a rapid
production of gas is insured and an effective action is produced, for the union of
the two ingredients is certain under all conditions and the complete generation
of the gas depends only upon this combination.
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
First. A fire-extinguishing grenade consisting of a receptacle of glass or other
frangible material having separate compartments or spaces, one of which contains
an acid solution and the other an alkali solution, the two solutions being of such
character to produce carbonic acid gas by combustion and being brought into
combination upon the fracture of the receptacle, substantially as described.
Second: A vessel to contain two separate charges of an acid and an alkali in
solution for the production of grenades for fire-extinguishing purposes formed from
glass or other frangible material and divided internally into two separate compart-
ments of substantially equal size by a frangible wall or partition, and each
compartinent having a mouth or filling orifice.
Third. As an improvement in grenade fire-extinguishers the combination of the
receptacle formed from glass or other suitably frangible material of the explosive
plug or cartridge applied to operate substantially as described.
Fourth. In a grenade fire-extinguisher the combination with a glass or other
frangible receptacle of the suspending cord having qualities or properties, sub-
stantially as described.
T. N. PALMER & Co.,
For the Applicant.