Improvements in Apparatus for Watering Roads, Extinguishing Fires, and analogous purposes.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Aug., 1897-Accepted, 25th Sept.,
1897
Improvements in Apparatus for Watering Roads, Extinguishing
Fires, and analogous purposes.
I, ALFRED HENRI BARTHEZ, of The Hamma, Algiers, Africa, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed to be particularly describeu and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The apparatus constituting the subject of this invention is principally intended
to replace the jointed pipes mounted on wheels or rollers ordinarily employed for
watering public roads and other places and composed of short metallic tubes
flexibly jointed together one to the other.
The present invention has for its object to avoid the inconveniences those tubes
entail, principally due to the numerous leakages taking place at the articulations
or joints, the obstruction of the roads, the difficulties of manipulation and the
loss of water pressure or head due to the numerous sudden changes in direction at
the joints.
My improved apparatus consists of a trolley or truck carrying a rotary drum
upon which is wound or coiled a flexible hose pipe one extremity of which is
adapted for attachment to a hydrant. This pipe is in communication at its
opposite extremity with the hollow axis of the drum which in turn communicates
with a flexible tube terminating in an ordinary nozzle, the latter flexible tube
being connected to the axle of the truck by a coupling allowing rotation of the
said axle.
In order to distribute water over a long distance and large area, the truck or
trolley is moved away from the hydrant as the surface is watered, so that the
coiled pipe is gradually unwound from, the drum. This may be effected by the
tension on the pipe but preferably by means of a mechanical device actuated by
one of the wheels and adapted to turn the drum. The winding on of the pipe,
when the truck is moved backward towards the hydrant is also effected auto-
matically by this device.
It will be understood that with this apparatus the hose pipe can be extended in
a direct line upon the road from the hydrant, in a position where there is no risk
of its being pinched or contracted, along the edge of the pavement for example,
and thus it will cause no obstruction of the road. Thus also the loss of pressure,
due in the ordinary system to sudden changes of direction in the pipe, as well as
leakages are avoided, it is possible even without employing a very high pressure,
to water a wide road from one side to the other without trailing the pipe across it.
Regarding the avoidance of leakage, this is a simple matter since a pipe, uomo-
geneous throughout its length may be employed, made for example of india rubber
and having easily manipulated couplings; the liability to wear, too is reduced to
a minimum, since the pipe never rubs on the ground, being always laid approxi-
mately in a straight line and therefore not liable to be cut or damaged as in the
case of the articulated tubes ordinarily employed.
I will refer in further explanation to the accompanying drawings in which

page_text: Fig. 1 represents in longitudinal section an apparatus constructed according to
my invention, Fig. 2 is a plan and Fig. 3 a transverse section thereof, the drum
being cut on a vertical plane passing through, its axis. Figs. 4 and 5 are respec-
tively a part elevation anu plan of a modification of part of my invention with the
drum and gear removed.
Referring first to Figs. 1 to 3, A is the flexible pipe coiled on the drum B
carried by the truck. In the example shown this pipe is supposed to be composed
of indiarubber and of any convenient length and diameter. At its free extremity
it is furnished with a coupling U adapted for attachment to a hydrant. At its
opposite extremity it is jointed to a fixed pipe F by means of which it communi-
cates with a threeway pipe fixed at the end of the axle 1) of the drum. The short
indiarubber tube I carrying the nozzle is attached by means of a union H at the
extremity of the threeway pipe E so that the latter may turn with the drum with-
out turning the nozzle and pipe to which it is attached.
The mechanical rotation of the drum for the winding and unwinding of the
hose A is obtained by means of a chain passing round two chain wheels M one of
which is keyed to the axle D of the drum and the other fixed to the axle K of the
truck by means of a clutch such as N which also perimits of its disengagement
therefrom when it is desired to move the truck without actuating the drum.
The axle K revolves with the wheel c which is keyed upon it; the other wheel a is
preferably loose in order to facilitate the movement of the machine in a curve.
The proper winding of the hose pipe A upon the drum is assured by an auto-
matic travelling guide through which the tube passes before reaching the drum.
This guide consists of a small traveller Q movable along a transverse bar R and
fitted with two vertical rollers S of convenient shape between which the pipe A
4.
passes.
C
To effect the automatic displacement of the traveller Q along the bar R the said
traveller is furnished with a screw nut or equivalent device in engagement with
a screw having a pitch equal to the diameter of the pipe A; this screw is actuated
by two chain wheels f f geared together by a chain, one wheel being keyed to the
extremity of the screw and the other to the axle D of the drum. A loosely
mounted roller X serves to support the pipe at the rear of the guide Q.
The device acting as the screw nut, carried by the travelling guide Q and in
engagement with the actuating screw O, consists preferably of a small roller q,
Fig. 1 which is mounted on a stud fixed to the travelling guide Q. The drum B
instead of being mounted on a three wheeled truck as in the example shown in
Figs. 1 to 3, may be mounted on a two wheeled truck such as that shown in
Figs. 4 and 5. In this example the movable front wheel is suppressed and replaced
by a leg b rigidly fixed to the frame, two arms T, also fixed to the frame, permit of
raising the said leg when the apparatus is to be moved.
The travelling guide for the hose pipe is furnished with an appliance carrying
two guide rollers X¹ at a convenient distance from the rollers S. The provision of
these rollers X¹ is very useful for insuring the regular winding of the hose upon
the drum and also permits of the suppression of the roller ✗ above referred to,
which in the first example, supports the pipe at the rear of the apparatus.
In both cases the apparatus may be provided with a counterweight brake or
other suitable brake, adapted to act upon the winding drum so as to prevent
oscillation or rocking during the transit of the apparatus from one place to
another.
·
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. An apparatus for watering roads, extinguishing fires and analogous purposes,
consisting of a rotary drum mounted upon a truck or trolley and having wound
upon it a flexible hose pipe of which one extremity is adapted to be fixed to a
hydrant and the other extremity is attached at the axis of the drum, by a union

page_text: allowing of rotation, to the flexible hose carrying the nozzle, substantially as set
forth.
2. The combination with an apparatus such as referred to in the preceding
claim, of a device actuated by wheels during the movement of the truck, and
thereby effecting the automatic winding and unwinding of the flexible hose,
substantially as set forth.
3. The combination with apparatus such as referred to in the first claim of an
automatic guide traversed transversely of the drum during the rotation thereof
and insuring the proper lay of the hose spirals upon the said drum substantially
as set forth.
4. The several arrangement of my improved apparatus substantially as described
with reference to and shown respectively in Figs. 1 to 3 and Figs. 4 and 5 of the
accompanying drawings for the purposes herein set forth.
Dated this 7th day of August 1807
J. C. CHAPMAN,
70 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Associate Agent for Applicant.