IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR EXTINGUISHING FIBES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the "International
Patent Office," No. 8, Southampton Buildings, London, Consulting
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
EXTINGUISHING FIBES."-A communication from abroad by George
F. Pinkham, of Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of
America.
Sealed the Sth March 1870, and dated the 11th September 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 11th September 1869.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office,"
No. 8,, Southampton Buildings, London, Consulting Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR EXTINGUISHING FIRES," a communication, to be as follows:-
The said Invention relates to an apparatus wherein carbonic acid gas
is generated by the mixture of an acid and an alkali, the contents of
Price 8d.1

page_text: the apparatus being by the pressure of such gas discharged upon the
burning object.
It is of great importance that any fire extinguishing apparatus should
be capable of quick preparation for use, and it has therefore been
customary in the class of apparatus to which my Invention relates to
mix the acid and alkali when they were first introduced into the same.
It has been found however when this practice is adopted a slight leakage
will exist, and the contents of the vessel will escape, so that when
required to be used the apparatus will be found inoperative and will be
uscless until it has again been charged.
The main object of this Invention is to furnish the means whereby the
two gas generating substances may be kept separate till the apparatus
is to be used, and then conveniently and quickly brought into contact
with each other in such a manner as to cause the instantaneous gene-
ration of the gas.
I therefore provide the vessel or reservoir of the
apparatus with an interior receptacle, within which is placed one of the
gas generating ingredients, and which is so arranged that by means of
suitable mechanism operated from the outside of the vessel the said
receptacle may be turned over therein and caused to empty its contents
into the body of the reservoir which contains the other gas generating
ingredient. The vessel or reservoir of the said apparatus is made of
copper or other suitable material of a cylindrical form and of sufficient.
thickness to endure the internal pressure to which it will be subjected.
The top of the said reservoir is constructed with a mouth or opening,
which is provided with a screw cap whereby it may be tightly and
hermetically closed. To the under side of the said cap are secured two
eyes for the reception of hooks on the upper extremity of a wire frame,
which consists of two vertical pieces united by a horizontal bar at the
bottom. The said frame is suspended in the vessel and extends about
to the middle of the same, or far enough downward to allow the required
freedom to the receptacle above mentioned. The receptacle, which is a
jar or similar vessel made of glass or other suitable material, is supported
in a metal socket, on whose under side are eyes, through which the
horizontal bar of the wire frame passes. The neck or upper part of the
receptacle or jar is protected by a metal collar secured to the socket by
rods, which hold the jar in place. The mouth of this jar is closed by a
plug or stopper secured upon the lower end of a rod, which slides through
a stuffing box in the cap of the reservoir and is provided with a knob or

page_text: handle outside the same. The said vessel or reservoir is intended to
contain a suitable alkaline solution (preferably water and bi-carbonate of
soda), and the jar is intended to contain sulphuric or other acid. When
the stopper is in place in the mouth of the jar the same is kept within
the frame, and the acid and alkali remains separate in whatever position
the apparatus may be placed during transportation or otherwise. When,
however, the apparatus is to be used the stopper is withdrawn by raising
the rod, and the top of the jar is left unsupported; the said jar then turns
over upon the horizontal part of the frame, and falling with its mouth
downward allows the acid which it contains to escape and mingle with
the alkaline solution in the reservoir. It is not absolutely necessary
that the jar or receptacle should have a stopper, but if left open its
mouth must be kept above the level of the alkaline solution in the
reservoir. The said apparatus is provided with a stop-cock and flexible
hose and nozzle, through which its contents are ejected upon the fire.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 10th March 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Oflice," No. 8, South-
ampton Buildings, London, Consulting Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors
give and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special
licence that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert Lake,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR EXTINGUISHING FIRES," a communication

page_text: to me from abroad by George F. Pinkham, of Cambridge, Massachusetts,
United States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said William Robert Lake; my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the saine to be filed-in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare the nature of the said "Invention, 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-
The said Invention relates to an apparatus wherein carbonic acid gas
is generated by the mixture of an acid and an alkali, the contents of
the apparatus being by the pressure of such gas discharged upon the
burning object.
It is of great importance that any fire extinguishing apparatus should
be capable of quick preparation for use, and it has therefore been
customary in the class of apparatus to which my Invention relates to
mix the acid and alkali when they were first introduced into the same.
It has been found however that when this practice is adapted a slight
leakage will exist, and the contents of the vessel will escape, so that
when required to be used the apparatus will be found inoperative, and
will be useless until it has again been charged.
The main object of this Invention is to furnish the means whereby the
two gas-generating substances may be kept separate till the apparatus
is to be used, and then conveniently and quickly brought into contact
with each other in such a manner as to cause the instantaneous gene-
ration of the gas.. I therefore provide, the vessel or reservoir of the
apparatus with an interior receptacle, within which is placed one. of
the gas generating ingredients, and which is so arranged that, by means
of suitable mechanism, operated from the outside of the vessel the said
receptacle may be turned over therein and caused to empty its contents
into the body of the reservoir which contains the other gas generating
ingredient.

page_text: Figure 1 is a side elevation of the said improved apparatus; Figure 2
is a vertical central section of the same; Figure 3 shows detached
portions of the said apparatus. Like letters indicate the same parts
throughout the Drawing.
The vessel or reservoir A of the said apparatus is made of copper or
other suitable material of a cylindrical form and of sufficient thickness
to endure the internal pressure to which it will be subjected. The top
of the said reservoir is constructed with a mouth or opening, which is
provided with a screw cap B whereby it may be tightly and hermetically
closed. To the under side of the said cap are secured two eyes a for
the reception of hooks on the upper extremity of a wire frame C, which
consists of two vertical pieces united by a horizontal bar b at the bottom.
The said frame is suspended in the vessel A, and extends about to the
middle of the same, or far enough downward to allow the required
freedom to the receptacle E above mentioned. The receptacle, which is
a jar or similar vessel made of glass or other suitable material, is sup-
ported in a metal socket D, on whose under side are eyes d, through
which the horizontal bar b of the wire frame C passes. The neck or
upper part of the receptacle or jar E is protected by a metal collar e
secured to the socket D by rods f, which hold the jar E in place.
mouth of the receptacle or jar is closed by a plug or stopper g secured
upon the lower end of a rod h, which slides through a stuffing box in
the cap B of the reservoir and is provided with a knob or handle h
outside the same. The vessel or reservoir A is intended to contain a
suitable alkaline solution (preferably water and bi-carbonate of soda),
and the jar C is intended to contain sulphuric or other acid.
The
When
the stopper is in place in the mouth of the jar E the same is kept within
the frame C, and the acid and alkali remain separate in whatever
The
position the apparatus may be placed during transportation.
apparatus will not be disarranged by rough handling, and may be placed
with its bottom side-uppermost without any liability of bringing the gas
I thus entirely.
generating ingredients into contact with each other.
obviate the leakage which in such apparatus has hitherto been caused by;
the constant internal pressure, and which has so often rendered the
'apparatus useless in-time of need. When, however, the apparatus is to
be used the stopper g is withdrawn by raising the rod h, and the top of

page_text: the jar E is left unsupported; the said jar then turns over upon the
horizontal part of the frame, and falling with its mouth downward
allows the acid which it contains to escape and mingle with the alkaline
solution in the reservoir. It is not absolutely necessary that the jar or
receptacle should have a stopper, but if left open its mouth must be
kept above the level of the alkaline solution in the reservoir. The said
apparatus is provided with a stop-cock G and flexible hose and nozzle,
through which its contents are ejected upon the fire or burning object.
By pivoting the upper end of the frame C to the cap B, so that it may
be vibrated to either side, the length of the receptacle E may be made
nearly equal to the inside diameter of the vessel A, the frame being
forced out to one side by the turning over of the receptacle, as indicated
in dotted lines in Figure 3, and I am thus enabled to employ a recep-
tacle E of greater length than would be practicable were the frame C
attached rigidly to the cap B, and consequently the diameter of the
opening at the top of the main reservoir and the size of the cap B and
parts connected therewith are reduced, thereby increasing their strength
and diminishing their cost. The above described apparatus is inex-
pensive, simple, and reliable, and by its use a fluid acid (which is cheap
and instantaneously mixes with the alkali) may be advantageously
employed, as there is no liability of its coming into contact with the
alkaline solution during transportation; by placing the stopper g at the
top of the receptacle E, and so arranging the latter within the main
reservoir A that it may be overturned therein to discharge its contents,
instead of providing the receptacle with a valve at its bottom operated
by a rod extending through the acid, all liability of the working parts
to be corroded and injured is avoided, as the acid does not come into
contact with such parts.
I do not confine myself to the particular method above described of
supporting the receptacle E, as it is evident that it may be supported
in some other manner to admit of its being overturned within the
reservoir A and its contents may be discharged by mechanism operated
from the outside of the apparatus, without departing from the spirit
of this Invention. As before stated this receptacle E may be left
open at the top instead of being provided with a stopper if its mouth
is kept above the level of the alkaline solution in the reservoir A. I
prefer, however, to close the receptacle E by means of a stopper or
cover, as it allows the apparatus to be transported and roughly handled

page_text: without any liability of the acid and alkali coming into contact with
each other, which would be likely to occur if the top of the receptacle E
were left open.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, I claim,-
An open or closed receptacle for containing one of the gas generating
ingredients, when so arranged that it may be turned over within the
main reservoir by means of suitable mechanism operated from the
outside of the apparatus to bring the acid and alkali into contact with
each other to generate carbonic acid gas, substantially as set forth.
Also the receptacle E, so hung or supported in a frame C attached to
the cap B that it may turn over within the reservoir A on the with-
drawal of the stopper g, substantially in the manner and for the purpose
set forth.
Also a frame C pivoted to the cap B, so as to allow the receptacle E
to turn over within the reservoir A, substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE. (L.S.)
Witness,
JAMES TEARE,
Clerk to Messrs. Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
Southampton Buildings,
London.