Improvements in Combined Fire and Burglar Alarms.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Nov., 1897-Accepted, 19th Feb., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Combined Fire and Burglar Alarms.
I, JAMES HENRY ELLIS, Photographer, residing at Prescott, in the County of
Nevada, and State of Arkansas, United States of America, 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 has relation to combined fire and burglar alarms, and the object
is to provide a simple, effective and automatic fire and burglar alarm.
To this end the novelty consists in the construction, combination and arrange-
ment of the same as will be hereinafter more fully described and particularly
pointed out in the claims.
In the accompanying drawing, the same reference characters indicate the same
parts of the invention.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved fire and burglar alarm.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the same.
1 represents a rectangular bar provided with transverse screw orifices 2, 2, by
means of which it may be secured to a door, window or any other suitable support
in the room.
3, 3, represents longitudinal parallel guide flanges extending outwardly in each
direction from the central rib 4, and between each pair of flanges is pivoted the
inner end of a lever 5, the outer ends 6 of which project beyond the end of the bar 1.
7, 7, represent clamps screwed to the rib 4, and each is provided with a thumb-
screw 8.
9 represents a flat spring secured to said clamps and their free ends extend out-
ward along the levers 5, 5, and terminate a short distance from the free ends of
said levers.
10 represents a hammer-head formed integral with the inner face of each lever,
and 12 represents a stud or anvil secured on the upper face of the outer ends of the
bar 1, and in line with the hammer-heads 10, 10.
These studs 12, 12, receive an ordinary percussion cap 13, which is exploded to
sound an alarm when the hammer-head strikes it.
14, 14 represents detachable props, one of which is inserted under the outer
end of each lever to retain them in an elevated position when the alarm is in
operation.
15 represents a flexible cord having one end secured to the prop 14, while the
opposite end of the cord is drawn taut and fixed to the window-sash, door or other
point to be protected, so that if the door or window be opened, the prop 14 will
be withdrawn from under the lever, which then closes by the action of the spring
and explodes the cap.
16, 10 represent spiral springs fixed to the outer ends of the levers, and 17, 17'
represent jingle-bells mounted on the springs, which vibrate and assist in sound-
ing the alarm when the springs are in motion. The bell 171 is of different tone
from that of the one 17.
The prop 141 is preferably of metal, and it is secured in place between the end
of the bar and the lever by a lump of wax or other substance sensitive to the
077

page_text: action of heat, so that when the temperature of the apartment rises above_the
normal, the wax will soften and release the prop, and sound the alarm, and as
the bell 17 is of a different tone from the one at the opposite end, it will at once
indicate that alarm is caused by a fire instead of an intruder, as would be the case
if the bell first mentioned were sounded.
Although I have specifically described the construction and relative arrange-
ment of the several elements of my invention, I do not desire to be confined to
the same, as such changes or modifications may be made as clearly fall within the
scope of my invention, without departing from the spirit thereof.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
A combined fire and burglar alarm, comprising the bar 1, provided with the
studs 12, 12, in combination with the pivoted levers 5, 5, formed with the hammer-
heads 10, 10, the clamps 7, 7, provided with the thumb-screws 8, 8, the spring 9,
centrally secured in said clamps, the detachable props 14, 14', and the jingle-
bells 17, 171, located in the path of the free ends of said levers 5, 5, substantially
as shown and described.
Dated this 30th day of November 1897
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.