IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR EXTINGUISHING FIRES EITHER ON LAND OR WATER
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alphonse Vignon, of No. 20, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Major in the Corps of
Engineers, in the Empire of France, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR EXTINGUISHING FIRES EITHER ON
LAND OR WATER."-Partly a communication from abroad by François
Carlier, Doctor of Medicine, residing at Boulogne on Seine, in the
Empire of France.
Scaled the 23rd December 1862, and dated the 23rd July 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alphonse Vignon at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 23rd
July 1862.
I, ALPHONSE VIGNON, of No. 20, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Major in the Corps of Engineers, in the
Empire of France, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR EXTINGUISHING FIRES
EITHER ON LAND OR WATER," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object the more instantaneous and effectual
extinguishing of fires than is effected by the means in present use, and the
employment of apparatuses for this purpose that are always in readiness, and
which may be made exceedingly portable.

page_text: It consists in the employment of water charged with carbonic acid gas,
either at a high or low-pressure, by which as, firstly, the carbonic acid gas
acts much moro energetically than water, owing to its well-known property as
a non-supporter of combustion; and as, secondly, the water when under con-
siderable pressure absorbs about one and a half times its own volume of the
carbonic acid gas for every additional atmospheric pressure to which it is
subjected. It follows that if a certain volume of such a mixture of carbonic
acid gas and water be employed under a pressure of, say six atmospheres (or
about 90 lbs. on the square inch,) for extinguishing fire, it will represent about
ten times that volume of water alone; and owing to the two above-mentioned
properties combined, it will be more than ten times as efficacious.
For these reasons, and for other reasons to be hereafter mentioned, I much
prefer to employ the above mixture under, a high pressure. For this purpose
I prefer to employ an apparatus for containing and delivering the mixture
consisting of one or more closed vessels of any suitable material, and made of
such strength and form as to be capable of withstanding considerable internal
pressure. These vessels are provided with one or more branch tubes closed
by suitable cocks, and to these branch tubes are attached moveable delivery
nozzles, or else lengths of flexible hose with the nozzles at their ends.
Thus, supposing the above-named vessels to be filled with the mixture under
high pressure, then on opening the cock or cocks the force exerted by the
confined carbonic acid gas will cause the mixture to be ejected through the
nozzle or nozzles with such force as to render the use of pumps unnecessary;
from which it will be readily seen that if such an apparatus be kept ready
charged at the locality which it is desired to protect, then at the time of need on
opening the cock or cocks its action will be instantaneous, and therefore again
more efficacious than the ordinary fire engine, where connections have to be
made, and pumps to be worked before a jet of water can be produced. The
carbonic acid gas, as also the mixture of this gas with the water, either at
a high or a low pressure, may be produced or manufactured by any known
process.
'
Such apparatuses as above described may be filled with the mixture either
at a manufactory of aerated waters or ordinary aerated water machines for
producing the mixture and charging the vessels with the same, (but which
form no part of my Invention), may be kept on the premises which are
required to be protected from fire. The charging of the vessels may be
effected either through the before-mentioned branch tubes, the nozzle or hose
being removed for this purpose, or separate branch tubes, with cocks, may be

page_text: provided. This mixture of the carbonic acid gas and the water may also be
made in the vessels themselves by the separate introduction of the water and
the powders or ingredients that are capable of generating carbonic acid gas,
such as are well known; in which case the vessel is provided with a small
receptacle for containing the powders, which receptacle is capable of being
firmly screwed or otherwise attached to and detached from the main vessel; the
powders being caused to mix with the water after the receptacle has been
attached to the vessel in a similar manner to ordinary "gazogenes."
The above described vessels or apparatuses may be made of small dimen-
sions so as to be portable, and for convenience they may be provided with
straps or slings so as to be carried on the back of a person; or they may be
made of larger dimensions, and have wheels attached to them for facility of
transport; or they may be fixed at or near the locality which it is desired to
protect.
If I employ the mixture of carbonic acid gas and water at a low pressure to
extinguish fires, then I attach to the outlet tube of the before-described
apparatus (which need not then be made of so great a strength) an ordinary
force pump for projecting the mixture to wherever required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent;
filed by the said Alphonse Vignon in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 22nd January 1803.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALPHONSE
VIGNON, of No. 20, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Major in the Corps of Engineers, in the Empire of France, send
greeting⚫
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of July in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Alphonso Vignon, Her special licence that I, the said Alphonse
Vignon, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Alphonse Vignon, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might maké,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and

page_text: .
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR EXTINGUISHING FIRES EITHER ON LAND
OR WATER," the result partly of a communication made to me from abroad by
François Carlier, Doctor of Medicine, residing at Boulogne on Seine, in the
Empire of France, and partly of an Invention and discovery made by
myself, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alphonse
Vignon, 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 same to be filed in the Great Scal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alphonse Vignon, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying Drawing and to
the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object the extinguishing of fires in a more instan-
taneous and effectual manner than is attainable by means in present use, and
consists, firstly, in the employment of water charged with carbonic acid-gas
either at a high or at a low pressure as the extinguishing medium; and
secondly, in the construction of apparatus for containing and delivering this
extinguishing 'medium, which apparatus may be made of an exceedingly
portable nature, and kept always charged and ready for use at a moment's
notice at the particular locality which it is desired to protect.
The particular advantages to be derived from the employment of this
improved system for extinguishing fires may be shortly stated as follows:-
It has been found from experience that nearly every conflagration commences
on a very small scale, and that its rapid and uncontrolable increase is owing
either to the fact of the locality where it originates being inaccessible to the
means and apparatus employed, or to the fact that at the time of commence-
ment of the fire (when every moment's delay in checking it is of the utmost
importance) no such means or apparatus are ready at hand for use.
Now, with a view to remedy these evils, I have profited by the known
facts, firstly, that water, when confined in a closed vessel, will dissolve or absorb
carbonic acid gas, a non-supporter or extinguisher of combustion of a much
more powerful nature than even water, to an almost unlimited extent without
perceptibly increasing its weight or bulk; and, secondly, that the carbonic

page_text: acid gas when so held in solution in considerable quantities by water in a.
closed receptacle, will exert an exceedingly powerful pressure, which, on
allowing the mixture to escape from the vessel, will cause it to be propelled
with great force to a considerable distance. By virtue of the above-named
properties, therefore, I am enabled, firstly, to employ vessels containing a com-
paratively small quantity of the above-named mixture, and consequently of an
exceedingly portable nature, but yet representing a volume of fire-extinguishing
material many times greater than the actual contents of the vessel; secondly,
I am enabled, by keeping such vessels ready charged on the premises, to make
use of them at a moment's notice by simply turning a cock or opening a valve,
when the self-contained projective force of the carbonic acid gas will cause the
mixture to be propelled to a considerable distance without the aid of pumps
or other apparatus.
In order that the great efficacy of this system may be fully understood,
I need merely mention that water will absorb about one and a half times its
own volume of carbonic acid gas for every addditional atmospheric pressure
of 15 lbs. on the square inch to which it is subjected, and that consequently a
quantity of, say, 6 gallons of water contained in a closed vessel (a quantity that
can with ease be carried on the back of a person) will absorb, under a pressure
of, say, 6 atmospheres (or about 90 lbs. on the square inch), about nine times
its own volume of carbonic acid gas, and will therefore actually represent a
quantity of 60 gallons of extinguishing mixture of a more efficacious nature
than that quantity of water alone, and which on opening the cock or valve of
the vessel may be projected from a distance of about 38 feet upon a burning
object by the pressure of the gas alone. It will be evident, therefore, from
the foregoing, that if any number of such portable apparatuses containing, in
a condensed form, ten times their volume of the extinguishing solution (that
is, nine volumes of gas and one of water), ready to be made use of at a
moment's notice, be placed in buildings or on board ships, at or near the
various localities which it is particularly desired to protect from fire, then, in
the case of a fire breaking out, not only is the most efficient means for
checking the same ready to hand, but also if the place where the fire originates
is inconvenient to get at, such as the roof or cellar of a house, or the hold of
a ship, one or more persons may fasten the before described apparatuses on to
his back, or their backs, and may climb or crawl to the otherwise inaccessible.
place and extinguish the fire before it has time to spread.
I am aware that it is not new to employ carbonic acid gas or other gases
that are non-supporters of combustion as a means of extinguishing fires, but.

page_text: such gases have always been employed by themselves, and have consequently
not been efficacious, firstly, on account of a sufficient pressure not being
readily attainable by their employment in a gascous form; and, secondly,
because a jet of such gas alone, even if projected with the greatest available
force from the vessel containing the same, would, on account of its want of
mass, almost immediately lose its momentum on passing into the atmosphere,
and could not be thrown from any distance on to a burning object.
Now by the employment of my Invention the carbonic acid gas, which is
held in solution in the water without at all losing its characteristic properties,
is, on the solution being allowed to escape from the vessel, carried along with
the jet of water with such a velocity that it arrives at the burning locality
against which it is directed without any material quantity of the same having
escaped on its passage, and on being liberated suddenly when the jet of water
strikes the burning object it surrounds the latter with an atmosphere of
carbonic acid gas, which in combination with the water itself, effectively
operates in extinguishing the fire.
Although for reasons above stated I much prefer to employ the solution of
- carbonic acid gas in water at a high pressure, yet I wish it to be understood
that I do not limit myself to the employment of the solution in that form, as
in some cases the water may be saturated with the gas at a low pressure, and
may be thrown on to the burning object by means of force pumps, in which
case the solution would still operate much more effectively than water alone.
Furthermore, although I prefer to employ small portable vessels, for con-
taining this solution that may be readily moved from place to place, yet in some
cases I arrange the same as stationary receptacles, situated at or near the
localities which it is desired to protect, and I then make them of any desired
capacity, or in other cases, I arrange the apparatus to move on wheels. The
solution of the carbonic acid gas in the water, and the charging of the vessels
for containing the same may be effected in any known manner. Thus, the
solution may be made by means of the apparatus ordinarily employed for making
aerated waters, and the vessels may be charged with the same at a manufac-
tory of acrated waters, or such an apparatus may be kept on the premises for
that purpose. Or the gas may be generated and dissolved in the water in the
vessel itself which is to contain the solution, by introducing ingredients, such
as are well known, into the vessel, that in combination with the water will
disengage carbonic acid gas. I prefer to employ this mode of charging for
the portable apparatus, in which case they may be arranged as shown on the
accompanying Drawing.

page_text: Figure 1 shows an elevation; Figures 2 and 3 show longitudinal sections,
through such an apparatus, similar letters of reference indicate similar parts in
all the Figures.
will
. A is a casing of sheet steel or other suitable material capable of with-
standing considerable pressure with a comparatively small thickness, so as to
render the apparatus as light as possible. For portable apparatus I prefer to
make this casing of such a size that it will contain about 6 gallons of water
more or less. Its form is here shown cylindrical, with slightly spherical ends,
as being the most convenient for use, but it may receive any other form that
will effectually withstand internal pressure. This casing has an aperture at top
into which is screwed a plug B, having attached to it a cylinder C, closed at
the bottom by a cork D. The plug B has also an aperture, into which is
screwed a second plug E, to the lower end of which is attached a metal rod F,
having a button G at its extremity; to the upper end of this plug E is fixed a
perforated stem H, having a stop-cock h, and arranged at top to receive a pres-
sure gauge. The perforation passes through the plug E, as shewn, and commu-
nicates with the interior of the casing A, so that when the pressure gauge is
screwed on to the stem II, and the cock is open, the pressure gauge
indicate the pressure existing inside the casing. At the lower extremity the
casing A is provided with a stop-cock I, the inner opening of which is covered
by a perforated shield J in order to prevent any solid substances from entering
the same. Upon the outer end of the stop-cock is fixed a length of flexible
tubing or hose K, having a suitably formed delivery nozzle L, attached to it.
To the exterior of the casing A, are fixed handles or loops M, M, serving
either to carry the apparatus by, or to receive the hooks of shoulder straps, so
as to be slung on the back of a person. The mode of charging this apparatus
is as follows: The plug B being removed, the casing A is filled with water,
to which is added one of the ingredients employed for generating carbonic
acid
gas
s such as bi-carbonate of soda. The tube C being held in a reversed
position, and the plug E and rod F being in the position, as shewn in Figure 2,
it is filled with the other of the ingredients employed for generating carbonic
acid gas, such as tartaric acid. The open end of the tube is then closed with
the cork D, and it is inserted in the vessel A, the plug B being screwed into
the opening of the same, as shewn. If required, a pressure guago is fixed to
the stem of the plug E, and this latter is then screwed down into the
position, as shown at Figure 3, by which the button Gat the end of the rod F,
will have pushed out the cork D, and the water penetrating into the tube C,
and mixing with the ingredients contained therein, carbonic acid gas will be

page_text: generated in great quantities, and will be taken up or dissolved by the
water, to an extent, and at a pressure corresponding with, and depending
on the quantity of ingredients employed for generating the same. In the
portable apparatus just described, I prefer to employ such quantities of the
ingredients as will generate a pressure of about six atmospheres, or about
ninety pounds to the square inch, when, as before stated, the water will
absorb the carbonic acid gas in the proportion of about nine volumes of gas
to one of water. The apparatus, as described, may be made ornamental
externally, and placed ready charged at or near the locality which it is
desired to protect from fire. If a fire occurs, the apparatus is slung upon
the back of a person, by means of shoulder straps, as shewn at Figure 4, and
he, regulating the opening of the cock with his left hand, as shewn, directs the
delivery nozzle with his right hand, and causes the contents of the apparatus
to be thrown upon the burning object, when the exceedingly energetic action
of the carbonic acid gas, combined with that of the water, will speedily and
most effectually extinguish the fire. If preferred, instead of charging the
apparatus in the manner described it may be charged at a manufactory of
acrated waters, in which case the flexible tube K is removed from the cock I,
and the latter is attached to the apparatus for charging the vessel, the cock h
being open to allow of the escape of the air as the mixture enters the vessel.
In this case the tube C and rod F may of course be dispensed with, or they
may be provided so that the charging may be effected in either way at plea-
sure. In some cases, instead of fixing the pressure gauge to the top of the
plug E, as described, I arrange it as shown at Figure 5, where the plug E is
not perforated, and a separate tubo H with the cock his provided, into
which the pressure gauge is screwed. The object of the pressure gauge is
principally.to ascertain from time to time whether the requisite pressure is
still maintained in the vessel, so as to render it fit for instantaneous use, as,
without this precaution, a leakage, if ever so small, might occur unknown,
and the gas might nearly all escape, so as to render the apparatus useless
when it was wanted. If however the requisite ingredients were kept ready to
hand, even in such a case, this defect might be quickly remedied by the
introduction of fresh materials for generating the gas.
I sometimes arrange several of the before described apparatus upon a truck
running on wheels, as shewn at Figures 6 and 7, which shew respectively a
front view and an end view of the truck; the apparatus may either be made
use of whilst on the truck or they may be removed from the same and carried
on the back as described. Or instead of having several small apparatus on

page_text: a truck I make use of one large one placed upon wheels and furnished with
one or more delivery hose and nozzles.
Figure 8 shews the arrangement which I prefer to employ as a stationary
apparatus fixed at or near the locality which it is desired to protect
from fire. The general arrangement of the same is similar to that of the
portable apparatus before described, the principal difference being that it
is of much larger dimensions and that the details require in consequence
to be somewhat differently arranged. It may be charged by means of an
acrated water apparatus, but I prefer to charge it by means of ingredients
evolving carbonic acid gas, as before described with reference to the other
apparatus. A is the casing of sheet steel or other suitable material for
withstanding considerable pressure; it has an opening at top which is closed
by a suitable lid B pressed down over the opening by means of the screws
N, N, working in the bridge picce P; to this lid is attached the tube C for
containing one of the ingredients for generating carbonic acid gas, which
tube has an opening c at bottom capable of being closed by the valve D,
fixed to the rod F, working up and down in a threaded hole formed in the
cover. The bridge picce P is formed with hinges so as to turn down and
enable the tube C to pass out of the casing; I is the outlet cock, of which
there may be more than one; K is the flexible hose; and L, the delivery
nozzle; Qis the pressure gauge. In charging this apparatus the tube C is.
removed and the vessel A is filled with water in which one of the ingredients
for generating carbonic acid gas is dissolved. The tube C is then filled through
the opening c with the other ingredients, and the valve D being closed it is
placed into the vessel A again, the cover B being pressed tightly on to its scat
by the screws N, N. The rod F is then screwed down so as to open the
valve D, as shewn, when the generation and absorbtion of carbonic acid gas
will take place, as already described with reference to the other arrangement.
Such fixed apparatus may be made of any suitable dimensions or form,
according to the requirements of the localities where it is to be employed. If
the apparatus is of so great a capacity that the pressure in the same would
vary very considerably during the discharge of the solution, I, in that case,
prefer to employ an auxilliary apparatus, as shewn at R, connected to the
casing A by means of a tube and stop-cock S. This auxilliary apparatus
5 serves to generate carbonic acid gas, which is allowed to pass into the main
apparatus during the time that the latter is in action, in order to maintain the
requisite pressure in the same up to the end of the discharge. The auxilliary
apparatus may for this purpose be made of about one-thirtieth the capacity
of the main apparatus, and it is provided with a tube T for containing one of

page_text: the ingredients, a valve U and valve rod V, attached to the screw plug, as
also a perforated stem Y for a pressure gauge, as described with reference
to the other apparatus; it is only filled to such an extent with water as will
effectually cause the greatest possible amount of the carbonic acid gas to be
evolved. Besides serving to replenish the main apparatus with gas during
action this auxilliary apparatus may also be employed to supply the former
with gas whilst charging, by which the water would be agitated, and thereby
the absorption of the gas by the same facilitated. The cock X in the
auxilliary apparatus serves to discharge the water from the same after
action.
The above-described improved means and apparatus, whether portable or
fixed, may be with great advantage applied on board ships, particularly where
these are divided into water-tight compartments; and they may, in such cases
be effectually made use of to check spontaneous combustion in the hold or
other part of the vessel by leading one or more tubes from the apparatus to
such locality and connecting them there to other tubes provided with numerous
perforations and arranged in a zig-zag manner over the space which it is
required to protect. Then, if it is suspected that spontaneous combustion is
taking place among the materials stowed in the hold, by opening the com-
munication between the apparatus containing the solution of water and
carbonic acid gas at a high pressure and the perforated tubes placed in such
locality, the mixture will pass with considerable force through the perforated
tubes, and the energetic action of the carbonic acid. gas, together with that of
the water, will immediately and effectually check the spontaneous combustion
and extinguish any ignited portions, and the carbonic acid gas, being consi-
derably heavier than the atmospheric air, will displace the latter from that
compartment of the hold, and thus preventing the access of oxygen to the
materials will protect them from further spontaneous combustion.
Having now described the nature of this Invention, and the best means '
I am acquainted with of performing the same, I wish it to be understood that
I in no way limit myself to any particular mode of applying the solution of
carbonic acid gas in water for extinguishing fires, neither to the precisc
arrangements, forms, and dimensions of apparatus for preparing, containing,
and delivering the solution, as herein-before described with reference to thic
accompanying Drawing; neither to any particular ingredients for or method
of preparing the solution of carbonic acid gas in water; nor do I claim the
-use of carbonic acid gas when employed by itself for extinguishing fires; but
.what I claim is,--
Firstly. The employment of a solution of carbonic acid gas in water, either

page_text: at a high or at a low pressure, for extinguishing fires on land or on board
vessels.
Secondly. The construction and employment of apparatus, either portable or
fixed, for extinguishing fires, in which a solution of carbonic acid gas in water
is prepared and stored up, and whence such solution is ejected with the
requisite force without the aid of pumps.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alphonse Vignon, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
Witness,
Doct'. CARLIER.
ALPHONSE VIGNON. (L.S.)