improvements in Apparatus for Extinguishing Fires, Certain Parts of which Improvements are Applicable to Apparatus Used for Sprinkling Water and for other Purposes.
Year: 1885

page_text: improvements in Apparatus for Extinguishing Fires, Certain
Parts of which Improvements are Applicable to Apparatus
Used for Sprinkling Water and for other Purposes.
We JAMES CARTER of Atlas Works Stalybridge in the county of Chester Brass
and Iron Founder JOSEPH ALLMARK of Oldham Road Middleton near Manchester
in the county of Lancaster Engineer and JoHN HENRY PICKFORD of 197. Margaret
Street Ashton under Lyne in the County of Lancaster Engineer do hereby declare
the nature of our invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR EXTINGUISHING
FIRES CERTAIN PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO APPARATUS
USED FOR SPRINKLING WATER AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to the apparatus commonly called sprinklers or automatic
fire extinguishers and used for extinguishing fires and our said invention also
relates to apparatus to be used for other purposes such as watering or scattering
water over plants trees or floors and for other purposes to which such apparatus
may be applied.
Our invention consists firstly in improvements in the apparatus commonly called
sprinklers or automatic fire extinguishers and used for extinguishing fires. In
carrying the first part of our invention into effect we provide that portion of each
of the sprinklers or automatic fire extinguishers which is secured to the water
supply pipe with a seating of soft alloy or metal against which seating of soft alloy
or metal is forced as will be hereinafter described a valve provided with a pro-
jecting part which projecting part is pressed upon by a metal thimble secured
by means of alloy or metal capable of being fused at a low temperature to a
part which by means of screw threads formed thereon is secured to that part of
the sprinkler or automatic fire extinguisher which is secured to the water supply
pipe The screw threads above mentioned serve to enable the valve above referred
to to be forced against the above mentioned seating of soft alloy or metal.
In some cases we form the seating of soft alloy or metal upon the valve above
mentioned instead of upon that portion of the sprinkler or automatic fire
extinguisher which is secured to the water supply pipe.
We place the alloy or metal forming the above mentioned seating of soft alloy
or metal in a groove or recess which groove or recess we form undercut or of
such other form as will retain the soft alloy or metal in such groove or recess
when water is flowing through the sprinkler or automatic fire extinguisher above

page_text: mentioned, When the fusible alloy or metal by which the thimble above
mentioned is secured to the sprinkler or automatic fire extinguisher becomes fused
the valve, above referred to will be liberated and water will be allowed to flow
from the sprinkler or automatic fire extinguisher.
In some cases we provide the thimble above mentioned with screw threads
which screw threads take into screw threads formed in the alloy or metal capable
of being fused at a low temperature by means of which screw threads the said
thimble is or may be readily secured to or removed from the sprinkler or automatic
fire extinguisher to which such thimble is applied.
In some cases we form holes apertures or recesses through or in the thimble
above mentioned and the part to which it is secured into which holes apertures or
recesses we insert plugs or pins of alloy or metal capable of being fused at a low
temperature and thus prevent the said thimble from being displaced by the pressure
of the water supplied to the above mentioned sprinkler or automatic fire extin-
guisher until the said alloy or metal becomes fused.
A further part of our invention relates to what are commonly called sprinklers
or automatic fire extinguishers and used for extinguishing fires and consists in
arrangements by the employment of which we cause the water passing through
each of such sprinklers or automatic fire extinguishers to be distributed better than
has hitherto been possible-In carrying this part of our invention into effect we
provide each sprinkler or automatic fire extinguisher with two discs or plates one
or both of which discs or plates is or are mounted so as to be at liberty to be
rotated and we form in one or both of the said discs or plates grooves so disposed
and arranged that the said disc or plate or discs or plates will be caused to rotate
by the water passing through the grooves above mentioned. We also form and
place the grooves above mentioned at such varying inclinations to the plane or
planes in which the disc or plate or discs or plates above referred to rotates or
rotate that the water issuing from such grooves will be thrown in various
directions.
In some cases we mount the disc or plate or discs or plates above mentioned so
that such disc or plate or discs or plates shall be in a plane or planes inclined to
the axis or axes of rotation of the said disc or plate or discs or plates and thus
distribute the water issuing from the sprinkler or automatic fire extinguisher over
a large surface more readily and efficiently than has hitherto been possible.
We have hitherto only described our invention as applied to what are commonly
called sprinklers or automatic fire extinguishers and used for extinguishing fires
but the above described arrangements of apparatus in so far as they relate to
means for distributing water we also use for watering or scattering water over
plants trees or floors or for other purposes for which such apparatus are capable of
being used and when we so use the said portions of the above described arrange-
ments of apparatus we provide the said apparatus with any suitable valve by means
of which valve the flow of water to such apparatus may be controlled or regulated,
Dd
JT... 100K
W. T. CHEETHAM,
Agent to the Applicants.

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Extinguishing Fires, Certain
Parts of which Improvements are Applicable to Apparatus
Used for Sprinkling Water and for other Purposes.
We JAMES CARTER of Atlas Works Stalybridge in the County of Chester, Brass
and Iron Founder JOSEPH ALLMARK of Oldham Road, Middleton near Manchester
in the County of Lancaster Engineer and JOHN HENRY PICKFORD of 197 Margaret
Street Ashton-under-Lyne in the County of Lancaster Engineer do hereby declare
the nature of our invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR EXTINGUISHING
FIRES CERTAIN PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO APPARATUS
USED FOR SPRINKLING WATER AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
Our invention relates to the apparatus commonly called sprinklers or automatic
fire-extinguishers and used for extinguishing fires and our said invention also
relates to apparatus to be used for other purposes such as watering or scattering
water over plants trees or floors or for other purposes to which such apparatus may
be applied.
Our invention consists firstly in improvements in the apparatus commonly called
sprinklers or automatic fire-extinguishers and used for extinguishing fires.
In order that our invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect we will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the drawing
hereunto annexed in which drawing Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of a
sprinkler or automatic fire extinguisher constructed according to the first part
of our invention and Fig. 2 is a cross section taken on the line A B of Fig. 1.
a is the body or part of the sprinkler or automatic fire-extinguisher which is
secured by means of the screw-threads b to the water supply pipe. We shall for
convenience of reference hereinafter refer to the sprinkler or automatic fire-
extinguisher as the sprinkler c is a part formed with wing-pieces c¹ formed upon
which wing-pieces c¹ is a part d provided with screw-threads d' which take into
corresponding screw-threads formed upon the body a. Longitudinally through the
part c is formed a hole in which and capable of being slidden longitudinally therein
is a spindle e upon the upper end of which spindle e is formed a valve f-Upon
the lower end of the part c is formed a socket g in which is a thimble h-The
thimble is secured within the socket by being soldered thereto with alloy or
metal capable of being fused at a low temperature-The lower end of the spindle e
rests upon the thimble h―The part c is formed so as to be capable of being turned
by any suitable key applied thereto-By turning the part the valve f may be
forced upwards and into contact with a seating ; formed of soft alloy or soft metal
carried in a recess formed in the body a which recess is made of a form suitable

page_text: for retaining the soft alloy or soft metal placed in the said recess Instead of the
soft alloy or soft metal above mentioned being placed in a recess formed in the
body a of the sprinkler such alloy or soft metal may be secured to the valve f in
which case we should place the said soft alloy or soft metal in a groove or recess
formed in the valve f which groove or recess we should form suitable for retaining
the soft alloy or soft metal placed therein-The screw threads d¹ serve to enable
the valve fabove mentioned to be forced into contact with the seating of soft alloy
or soft metal so that the leakage of water from the pipe by which water is supplied
to the sprinkler may be prevented or arrested-By placing the soft alloy or soft
metal in a recess formed as above described we cause the seating ; of soft alloy or
soft metal to be retained in position when water is flowing through the sprinkler.
In some cases we provide the thimble h with screw-threads which screw-threads
take into screw-threads formed in the alloy or metal capable of being fused at a
low temperature, secured by soldering to the interior of the socket g. This mode
of carrying our invention into effect is shown in the detached view Fig. 3 which
shows so much of a sprinkler as is requisite to illustrate this mode of carrying our
invention into effect. g is the socket to which by soldering or in any other
suitable manner is secured the metal or alloy capable of being fused at a. low
temperature in which metal or alloy we form screw-threads corresponding to
screw-threads ¹ formed upon the thimble h-By means of the screw-threads h¹ the
thimble his or may be readily secured to or removed from the sprinkler in which
such thimble h is employed.
In some cases we cause the valve employed in a sprinkler or automatic fire-
extinguisher to come in contact with the body of the sprinkler or automatic
fire-extinguisher without the interposition of a seating of soft metal or soft alloy
or without the said valve being provided with soft metal or soft alloy placed in
a groove or recess formed in such valve.
A further part of our invention relates to what are commonly called sprinklers
or automatic fire-extinguishers and used for extinguishing fires and consists in
arrangements by the employment of which we cause the water passing through
each of such sprinklers or automatic fire-extinguishers to be distributed better than
bas hitherto been possible-This portion of our invention is also shown by
Figs. 1. 2 and 3.
Upon the part c we form a projecting flange k upon which flange k rests a disc
or plate . The upper part of the disc or plate is provided with a collar m which
loosely embraces the lower part of the body a of the sprinkler-In the lower face
of the disc or plate which rests upon the flange k we form grooves or recesses n
as shown in Fig. 4 which is a view of the lower face of the disc or plate -The
action of the sprinkler above-described is as follows-Upon a fire occurring below
the sprinkler the alloy or metal capable of being fused at a low temperature
becomes fused or melted. As soon as the said alloy or metal capable of being fused
at a low temperature is fused or melted the thimble will become loosened from
the socket g and the valve f will fall or will be forced away from the seating j
by the pressure of the water upon such valve f until the shoulder f¹ rests upon the
upper part of the part c-Water will then flow from the pipe to which the
sprinkler is attached and will pass from the tube o into the cavity p formed within
the body a of the sprinkler then through the openings between the wing-pieces c
and through the grooves or recesses n formed in the disc or plate l. In Fig. 5 the
parts are shown in the positions which they occupy when water is being allowed
to issue to extinguish a fire, the direction of the flow of the water being indicated
by the arrows C. The flow of water through the grooves or recesses n will cause
the disc or plate / to rotate and thereby cause the water issuing from the grooves
or recesses n to be thrown outwards and descend in the form of drops. The water
issuing from the sprinkler will tend to raise the disc or plate out of contact with
the flange k and as the quantity of water issuing or escaping from the sprinkler
increases the disc or plate will continue to be raised until the part q of the disc

page_text: or plate will arrive against the lower edge of the body a-The disc or plate Z
being only raised from the flange k according to the quantity of water issuing from
the sprinkler we ensure that the water issuing from the sprinkler shall be well and
evenly distributed.
The grooves or recesses n are or may be placed at various inclinations to the
plane in which the disc or plate rotates, so that the water issuing from such
grooves or recesses n will be thrown in various directions.
In some cases we form in the disc or plate holes or openings leading from the
grooves or recesses n to the upper surface of the disc or plate thereby causing
water to be thrown upwards.
In some cases we employ the arrangements shown in Fig. 6 in which figure we
shall apply to parts corresponding to the parts herein before referred to the same
letters of reference as have been applied to the corresponding parts in Figs. 1. 2. 3. 4
and 5 and to such parts we shall not refer further than is necessary to fully
describe the other parts of the sprinkler. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section of a
sprinkler constructed according to this arrangement of our invention-The flange k
supports a disc or plate 7 and the disc or plate 7 supports a disc or plate ¹ which is
provided with a collar formed upon its upper surface and loosely encircling the
body a of the sprinkler.-In the lower surfaces of the discs or plates 1, l' we form
grooves or recesses n as shown in the detached views Figs. and 8 When the
sprinkler is in action in extinguishing a fire the water passing along the grooves
or recesses n of the disc or plate will cause such disc or plate to be.rotated in
one direction and the water passing along the grooves or recesses n of the disc or
plate will cause the disc or plate to be rotated in a direction opposite to that
in which the disc or plate is rotated-We also place the grooves or recesses n in
the discs or plates L, at such varying inclinations to the planes in which such discs
or plates, are rotated that the water issuing from the said grooves or recesses
will be thrown in various directions.
In some cases we form in the disc or plate holes or openings leading from the
grooves or recesses n to the upper surface of the disc or plate thereby causing
water to be thrown upwards.
In some cases we mount the disc or plate or discs or plates above-mentioned so
that such disc or plate or discs or plates shall be in a plane or planes inclined to
the axis or axes of rotation of the said disc or plate or discs or plates.
This modification of our invention is shown by Fig. 9 which is a longitudinal
section of a sprinkler constructed according to this modification of our invention.
7 is the body of the sprinkler: s is a flange which supports the disc or plate t which
is free to be rotated around the body of the sprinkler-We form or place the
lower face t' of the disc or plate t at an angle to the axis of rotation of such disc
or plate t When the sprinkler is in action in extinguishing a fire the water issues
between the flanges and the lower face t¹ of the disc or plate t-As the disc or
plate t is rotated by the water issuing from the sprinkler or automatic fire-
extinguisher such water will be distributed over a larger surface more readily and
efficiently than has hitherto been possible.
We have hitherto only described our invention as applied to what are commonly
called sprinklers or automatic fire-extinguishers and used for extinguishing fires
but the above described arrangements of apparatus in so far as they relate to
means for distributing water we also use for watering or scattering water over
plants trees or floors or for other purposes for which such apparatus are capable of
being used This application of our invention is shewn in Fig. 10 in which
figure u is the body of the sprinkler, to which by means of the screw-threads v is
secured a plug w We form the plug w with a flange which supports a ring or
plate y which loosely encircles the lower edge of the body u of the sprinkler-In
the lower face of the ring or plate y we form grooves or recesses z as shown in
the detached view Fig. 11-Through the plug w we form openings or passages 1
leading from the interior of the body r of the sprinkler to an annular cavity 2-

page_text: The water or other liquid will pass through the interior of the body u of the
sprinkler and passages 1 in the directions indicated by the arrows D and will
escape between the upper surface of the flange x and the lower surface of the ring
or plate y The water or other liquid issuing from the sprinkler will cause the
ring or plate y to rotate and thereby cause the water or other liquid issuing from
the sprinkler to be evenly distributed over a large surface-We provide the above
described apparatus for watering or scattering water over plants trees or floors or
for other purposes for which such apparatus are capable of being used with any
suitable valve by means of which the flow of water or other liquid to such apparatus
may be controlled or regulated or arrested or prevented.
We would have it understood in reference to our invention that we do not
confine ourselves to the use of such invention precisely as above described, as the
manner in which our invention may be carried into effect may be varied without
departure from the principles of our invention and although we have in many cases
hereinbefore only referred to apparatus, constructed according to our invention as
being used to distribute water, we would have it understood that apparatus
constructed according to our invention is also applicable for distributing liquids
other than water.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. In each of the apparatus known as sprinklers or automatic fire-extinguishers
the thimble hand socket g acting in conjunction with each other to hold the valve f
in contact with the seating and joined together by means of metal or alloy capable
of being fused at a low temperature and constructed and arranged substantially
as shown in and hereinbefore described in reference to Figs. 1. 2. 3. 5 and 6 of the
drawing hereunto annexed.
2. In each of the apparatus known as sprinklers or automatic fire-extinguishers
means provided and operated substantially as herein before described in reference
to and shown in and by Figs. 1. 2. 3. 5 and 6 of the drawing hereunto annexed
whereby the valve employed in such sprinkler or automatic fire-extinguisher may
be pressed into and held in contact with the seating in conjunction with which it
acts which means consist in screw-threads or any mere equivalent therefor formed
within the body of the sprinkler or automatic fire-extinguisher and corresponding
screw-threads or any mere equivalent therefor formed upon the part carrying the
part by means of which the said valve is supported and in which the said valve is
capable of being slidden when the sprinkler or automatic fire-extinguisher is in
action to extinguish a fire.
3. In each of the apparatus known as sprinklers or automatic fire-extinguishers
the disc or plate surrounding the body of the sprinkler or automatic fire-
extinguisher and provided or not provided with grooves or recesses or holes or
openings and constructed arranged and acting substantially as herein before
described to regulate the distribution of and assist in distributing the water or
other liquid passing through the sprinkler or automatic fire-extinguisher when
such sprinkler or automatic fire-extinguisher is in action for extinguishing a fire.
4. In each of the apparatus known as sprinklers or automatic fire-extinguishers
the flange k and disc or plate l acting in conjunction with each other and constructed
arranged and operating substantially as herein before described in reference to and
shewn in and by Figs. 1 4 and 5 of the drawing hereunto annexed for the purpose
of distributing or assisting in distributing the water or other liquid passing through
the sprinkler or automatic fire-extinguisher when such sprinkler or automatic fire-
extinguisher is in action for extinguishing a fire.
5. In each of the apparatus known as sprinklers or automatic fire-extinguishers
the disc or plate and disc or plate acting in conjunction with each other
and constructed arranged and operating substantially as hereinbefore described in

page_text: reference to and shown in and by Figs. 6. 7 and 8 of the drawing hereunto
annexed for the purpose of distributing or assisting in distributing the water or
other liquid passing through the sprinkler or automatic fire-extinguisher when
such sprinkler or automatic fire-extinguisher is in action for extinguishing a fire.
6. In an apparatus for watering or scattering water or other liquids over plants,
trees or floors or for other analagous purposes the flange x and ring or plate y
acting in conjunction with each other and constructed arranged and operating
substantially as hereinbefore described in reference to and shown in and by
Figs. 10 and 11 of the drawing hereunto annexed for the purpose of distributing
or assisting in distributing the water or other liquid passing through the apparatus
for watering or scattering water or other liquid over plants trees or floors or for
other analagous purposes.