Improvements in connection with Automatic Fire Extinguishers or Sprinklers.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Oct., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 6th July, 1894-Accepted, 25th Aug., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in connection with Automatic Fire Extinguishers or
Sprinklers.
I, THOMAS WITTER, of Crown Works, Bolton, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to the alarm apparatus in connection with those automatic
fire extinguishers or sprinklers in which the pipes from the main water valve to the
automatic sprinklers are charged with compressed air while the main or pipe below
the main vaive is charged with water, and the chief object of my invention is to
indicate leakage of water through the main valve, or the presence of water in the
pipe leading from the main walve to the sprinklers, and this I effect by employing
a water gauge or tube connected to the pipe leading from the main valve to the
sprinklers.
The main valve spindle carries two valves of different areas, one of which, the
smaller or main valve, controls the supply of water to the sprinklers and the other
is placed in a chamber above both valves, the chamber being supplied with water
by a small pipe from the supply pipe below the main valve, the difference in areas
in the valves being sufficient to close the water supply. Attached to the case of
the water chamber or otherwise is a valve casing connected by a small pipe to the
main sprinkler pipe above the main valve, this sprinkler pipe is also connected by
a small pipe to a receiver as well as to the lower end of the water gauge or tube,
and the top of the gauge is connected to the sprinkler pipe some distance above the
main valve.
The pipes above the main valve are filled with air under pressure in any
convenient manner. When the pipe leading from the main valve to the sprinklers
is free from water the gauge glass or tube will be filled with air, but should the
main valve leak and allow water to pass through it the water will be conducted by
the small pipe into the receiver and when this is full it will find its way into the
gauge glass which will indicate the presence of water to the attendant. The water
can be emptied from the receiver as often as required and a tap is placed in the
pipe just above the receiver to allow the water to pass direct into the gauge glass
if desired.
The valve casing, attached to the water chamber, is connected to the pipe above
the main valve by a small pipe so that when air under pressure is pumped into the
former the valve casing is also filled, and a valve in it supports a weighted lever
connected to a tap or valve fitted in a pipe leading from the water chamber to the
alarm, the tap being closed. so long as the air valve is supported by the pressure of
air in the casing and pipes.
As soon as a sprinkler opens and so relieves the pressure of air in the pipes, the
air valve will fall and allow the weighted lever to descend, immediately this
occurs the tap or valve on the pipe to the alarm, which may be a gong or other
alarm, is opened and the water from the chamber above the main valve is released
and the alarm set in action, at the same time the pressure is taken off the main
valve and the water is free to pass without interruption to the pipe leading to the
sprinklers.
The weight of water in the vertical pipes has no tendency to check the opening
through the main valve because the valve of larger area on the main valve spindle
which kept the main valve closed while the pipes were full of air is entirely
relieved of all water pressure since the tap which is fitted in the pipe between the
water chamber and the alarm remains open until closed by hand.

page_text: In the arrangement described a very slight pressure of air is required since it
has only to support the small air valve and is quite independent of the water
pressure in the main.
The water gauge or tube to indicate the presence of water in the sprinkler pipes
can be applied to other alarm valves by making slight modifications.
Dated this 6th day of October 1893.
H. B. BARLOW & GILLETT,
Agents for Applicant.
CUMLELE DI MUIFICATION.
Improvements in connection with Automatic Fire Extinguishers or
Sprinklers.
I, THOMAS WITTER, of Crown Works, Bolton, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
My invention relates to the alarm apparatus in connection with those automatic
fire extinguishers or sprinklers in which the pipes from the main water valve to the
automatic sprinklers are charged with compressed air, while the main or pipe
below the main valve is charged with water, and the chief object of my invention is
to indicate leakage of water through the main valve, or the presence of water in
the pipe leading from the main valve to the sprinklers, and this I effect by
employing a water gauge or tube connected to the pipe leading from the main valve
to the sprinklers.
And in order that my invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect I will describe the accompanying three sheets of drawings reference being
had to the figures and letters marked thereon.
Fig. 1 is an elevation showing a portion of the water supply pipe, the main valve,
the branch pipe leading to the sprinkler installation, a pump for forcing air under
pressure into the branch pipe, and into a valve chamber and a connection to an
alarm apparatus, and
Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the chief parts shown in Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation taken on the line A B, Fig. 4, and
Fig. 4 is a plan of the alarm apparatus.
In the drawings,-a represents part of the water supply pipe in which the water
is constantly under pressure 6 the main valve spindle on which are secured two
valves c and d, the valve c is the smaller of the two and controls the water supply
in the pipe a, while the other and larger valve d is placed in a water chamber f
above the two valves this chamber is supplied with water by a small pipe 9
taken from the supply pipe a below the valve c, and the difference in area between
the two valves causes the valve c to be held to its seating by the water
pressure only.
Attached to the outside of the chamber fis secured a valve casing / the lower
part of which is connected by a small pipe i to the sprinkler pipe j; a small pipe k
is taken from the sprinkler pipej to a receiver / provided with a draw off cock /;
in the pipe k is a tap k¹ and a branch pipe m from the pipe k connects the sprinkler
pipe to the lower end of a water gauge or tube n the top of which is connected to
the pipe some distance above the valves ed by a pipe o.
An air pump p is employed for forcing air to the required pressure into the
sprinkler pipe and its branch pipes, not shown, through a pipe p' and into the
valve casing below a valve h the spindle of which supports a weighted lever g to
which are fixed two fingers q' which support a weighted lever t in an approximately
vertical position in which it is maintained by the pressure of air within the casing h
which is sufficient to support the weighted lever g in a horizontal position. The
weighted levert is fulcrummed on a stud t' supported in brackets w, see Fig. 4.

page_text: The water chainber fis connected by a pipe r to a gong or other alarm, not shown,
from which it is shut off by a tap s.
The drawings represent all the parts in their normal positions, the water in the
supply pipe a being shut off by the main valve c which is kept closed by the water
pressure on the larger valve d as before described, and the sprinkler pipe j, valve
casingh and gauge glass n being filled with air under pressure supplied by the air
pump p.
In case the valves c or d should leak and allow water to escape into the
sprinkler pipe and thence into the installation, the water would find its way
through the small pipe k into the receiver l, and when that was full, or if the tap k
were shut, the water would pass through the pipe m into the gauge glass n, where it
could be seen by the attendant who would thereby be made aware of the leakage
through the valves c d. The water in the tube n, pipe and receiver can be
drawn off through the cock '.
In case of fire and the consequent opening of an automatic sprinkler or the
opening of a sprinkler from any other cause the air pressure in the pipes would be
immediately reduced, the valve h¹ would fall and the weighted lever would
drop from its horizontal position and one of the two fingers q' secured to it would
be inoved away from while the other would be pushed against the weighted lever t
which in its turn would fall downwards in the direction of the arrow and open the
taps on the alarm pipe and thus admit water from the chamber to the gong
through the pipe r and as the chamber fis connected to the pipe a through the
small pipe g a continuous alarm will be sounded, at the same time as the pressure is
taken off the valve d water passes without interruption to the.pipe leading to the
sprinklers, under the main valve c until a stop valve v on the water supply pipe a is
shut off after which the valves c and d can be closed and air pumped into the
sprinkler pipes after all the sprinklers have been repaired. A small pipe u serves
to allow the escape of air and water from the valve chamber h when the valve ¹
falls and this escape of water could be utilized to give a second auxiliary alarm if
desired.
A special feature of this arrangement of valves is that the pressure of air in the
sprinkler pipes is quite independent of the water pressure in the main pipe a.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
In a sprinkler installation in which the pipes to the sprinklers are kept normally
dry and charged with air under pressure-
1. Controlling the supply of water from the main pipe to the installation by
means of a valve held to its seating by the water pressure acting on a second valve
of larger area mounted on the same spindle as the first valve and independently of
the pressure of air in the pipes leading to the sprinklers substantially as herein
described with reference to the drawings annexed.
2. A water gauge or glass tube kept normally dry by compressed air but
arranged to indicate any leakage of water through the main valve on the water
supply pipe substantially as herein set forth.
3. Supporting by air pressure a weighted lever which when released by the fail
of air pressure opens a valve which controls the gong or other alarm apparatus
substantially as herein set forth.
4. The several combinations and arrangements of parts embodying my
improvements in alarm apparatus substantially as herein described and as illustrated
by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 5th day of July 1894.
H. B. BARLOW & GILLETT,
17, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for Applicant.