IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF EXTINGUISHING FIRE AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Philip Middleton Justice of Southampton Buildings
in the County of Middlesex Patent Agent for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE METHOD OF EXTINGUISHING FIRE AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED
THEREFOR
Communicated to him from abroad by Victor Vankeerberghen
of Brussels in the Kingdom of Belgium
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Philip Middleton Justice
at the Office of the Cominissioners of Patents on the 9th August 1882.
PHILIP MIDDLETON JUSTICE of Southampton Buildings in the County of
Middlesex Patent Agent IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF EXTINGUISHING
FIRE AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR A communication to me from
abroad by Victor Vankeerberghen of Brussels in the Kingdom of Belgium
This invention consists of a simple and positive method for automatically
extinguishing fire in buildings and also in the apparatus employed to accomplish
this result.
The apparatus consists of two blocks attached to the wall of the room or building
to be protected. To one of these blocks is secured a plate of unequally expanding
metals while the other block holds or carries the following apparatus: a trigger
moved by the aforesaid plate when it is expanded by the action of heat said
trigger operating a hammer which in its turn acts or strikes upon a book or catch
plate and by unlocking it permits a mallet to move or spring out striking in its
path a steam cock which is thereby turned and permits steam to pass freely from
any convenient steam generator or source of supply to a series of perforated steam
pipes from whence it is rapidly discharged into the room or building. At the
same moment a spring or piece attached to the mallet strikes against an electric
button and causes an alarm bell to ring.

page_text: It is obvious that a room or building being flooded with a large volume of
steam the fire will be rapidly extinguished and by means of this invention the
fire itself is caused to operate the extinguishing apparatus
It is evident that modifications of the apparatus may be readily made as for
example the plate of unequally expanding metals may be replaced by any ordinary
steel spring held from the trigger in a curved position by means of strings or cords
of readily combustible material while about the room or building may be a series
or net work of such cords one of which becoming ignited will rapidly communicate
with the trigger cord and by burning it release the spring operating the trigger
when the operation of the extinguishing apparatus will be as before described

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Philip Middleton Justice in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd December 1882.
PHILIP MIDDLETON JUSTICE of Southampton Buildings in the County of
Middlesex Patent Agent IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF EXTINGUISHING
FIRE AND IN THE APPARATUS THEREFOR A communication to me from abroad
by Victor Vankeerberghen of Brussels in the Kingdom of Belgium
This Invention relates to an improved system of extinguishing fire by its own
action upon the simple and positive form of apparatus hereinafter described, by
which steam, gas or water is automatically admitted into the burning room or
building The apparatus consists of two blocks permanently fixed to the wall of
the room or building to be protected To one of these blocks is affixed a plate
composed of metals of different expansive powers, the other block holds a mechanical
apparatus composed of the following parts; A trigger operating a hammer by the
action of the aforesaid plate, which in turn acts upon a hook or catch plate and by
unlocking it permits a mallet to move or spring out striking on the key of a
steam, gas or water cock, by means of which said cock is opened, allowing the
entrance of steam, gas, or water into pipes, through the perforations of which it is
at once discharged into the room or building At the same moment a spring
attached to the mallet strikes against an electrical button causing an alarm bell to
ring It will be understood that an apartment being flooded with a large volume
of steam, gas, or water, the fire will be almost instantly extinguished To clearly
explain the invention and how the same may be practically employed, reference is
made to the accompanying drawings in which
Figure 1 represents a side elevation showing the general arrangement of the
apparatus and Figure 2 represents a plan of the same
A. is the plate composed of different metals of unequal expansive powers, provided
with a slide a. B is the trigger, B¹ is a pivoted intermediate piece in contact
with plate A and serving to release trigger B but its use is optional, C is the
hammer which strikes upon the hook catch or plate C, D is a hinged locking
plate, E is a metal faced spring mallet which opens steam cock F. F, is a steam
cock connecting pipes M and N. F¹ is the key of said cock, G is a spring plate
attached to mallet E adapted to ring alarm bell h through electric button when
mallet E is released. M is main steam, gas or water pipe from boilers, tank or
reservoir to cock F. NNN are perforated pipes through which the steam, gas
or water is admitted into the burning room or building; K is a stop cock on
pipe M; L. L' are two small catches to hold mallet E in case of necessity; O is a
spiral spring on shaft p, by means of which mallet E is projected; p is the shaft of
mallet E; P is the case containing shaft p, and spiral spring OR is a mortised
block holding plate A; j is a buffer or stop, faced with rubber, to limit the move-
ment of mallet E The operation of the apparatus is as follows, being set as
represented in Figure 1; as soon as there is any material increase of temperature,
as in the case of fire, the metal plate A expands but so unequally as to cause it to
curve over and release the trigger B, either directly or through the intermediate
pivoted piece B¹ The trigger being released, causes mallet C to fall striking the
hook or catch C and thereby releasing the hinged locking plate D.
The action of
spring O forcibly projects mallet E outward when it strikes and turns the key F¹
of the cock F which is thereby opened, permitting the steam, gas or water to pass
from pipe M into the perforated pipes N from whence it immediately escapes into
the burning room or building The spring plate G at the same time comes in

page_text: contact with the button g of an electric alarm bell thereby giving immediate
and automatic notice of the fire In factory rooms or in other places where the
necessary temperature is at all times very considerable, an ordinary steel spring
may be substituted for the plate A, said spring being curved back from the trigger
and held in position by means of a readily combustible cord or strap which in turn
is connected with a number or net work of inflammable threads stretched along the
room or building to be protected In this case should fire break out, the com-
bustible threads will rapidly communicate the fire to the holding cord and by its
burning the steel spring will be released and fly forward, striking the trigger B and
putting the entire system into operation Having thus described the invention of
my foreign correspondent, and how the same may be practically employed
What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is
1st In automatic fire extinguishing systems, a. plate or sheet of unequally
expanding metals in combination with releasing mechanism and mechanism for
operating the valve of the extinguisher pipe, substantially as and for the purposes
set forth
2nd In automatic fire extinguishing systems, a spring held back from the trigger
or releasing mechanism by a combustible cord or other inflammable substance, in
connection with a number or net work of combustible cords or threads as and for
the purposes set forth.
3rd In automatic fire extinguishing systems, the combination with the mechanism
for operating the valve upon the extinguisher pipe of holding and releasing
mechanism substantially as and for the purposes set forth
4th In automatic fire extinguishing systems, the combination with the mechanism
for operating the valve upon the extinguisher pipe, of the automatic electric alarm,
arranged and operating substantially as set forth
In Witness whereof I the said Philip Middleton Justice have hereunto set
my hand and seal this twenty third day of December in the year of Our
Lord one thousand eight hundred and eighty two
Signed, sealed and delivered
in the presence of
ALLEN P JONES
53 Chancery Lane
London W.C.
PHILIP M. JUSTICE (L.S.)