Improvements in and relating to Fireproof Clothing for Firemen and others.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Fireproof Clothing for Firemen
and others.
I, ROBERT SUTHERLAND WISEMAN, 157, Hardgate, in the City and County of
Aberdeen, Joiner, do hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to and comprises improvements in and relating
to fireproof clothing for firemen and others which will enable a fireman to get
right at the heart of a fire wherever situated, in any part of a building, or in a
ship's hold amongst cargo, as the clothing will prevent him from receiving burns,
and by the arrangements of the air supply he will always be able to breathe freely
without the fire being fed with fresh air. The circulating system of fresh air
within the helmet and blouse will also be most suitable for whitelead workers,
dippers in tile works, and workers in match factories. The invention would
also be useful on board steam ships in the event of steam pipes bursting and
for the inspection and repair of sewers and the like.
In carrying into practice the improvements of this invention the clothing
would consist principally of a blouse, belt, leggings, overall, boots, and a helmet
with air supply connections, all made fireproof. The blouse would be of leather.
preferably sheepskin, and made to pass over the wearer's head in putting on, and
be tightly confined around the waist by a belt to prevent the escape of air from
the interior. The belt would preferably be fastened by two straps and buckles
and could be utilized for carrying a lamp, hose key and other useful articles.
The neck of this blouse would be connected by lacing or otherwise to a brass or
other metal collar, which would rest on the shoulders by two adjustable springs
which would fit firmly against the breast and back of wearer. The leggings
would be made preferably of sheepskin leather covered wih asbestos cloth quilted
together with fine copper wire, with lapped seams, and be formed to reach from the
ankles to top of legs and fitted with straps at top to pass through holes in bottom
of blouse and fasten on to waist belt at each side.
The boots would have wood soles about one half inch thick having a protecting
brass plate, and the lower part of uppers would be made of sheet copper, which
would also cover the wood sole the heel to be covered in the same way and screwed
on from the inside and protected by a heel plate of brass the remainder of the
uppers would be made from same material as leggings, to reach half way to the
knee and to open down nearly to the toe the joint lapping over about one and
a half inch to fasten with Martin's clasps or any other suitable fastenings.
The overall would be made from the same material as the leggings to reach
from neck well down on to leggings and have sleeves terminating in gloves, and
made to fasten at the back, with attachments at waist for lamp, key, rope and
The sleeves of the overall would be fitted with straps to shorten them and
so keep the glove ends tight to the hands
axe.
The helmet would be made of copper and the joints be flanged outwards and
rivetted together, and the bottom splayed to fit on to the shoulder ring of blouse

page_text: to which it will be fastened with nuts and bolts. One sight aperture would be
formed in front in line with the eyes with glass and a thin sheet of mica on
outside and be protected by wires crossing between flanges of helmet. Another
aperture would be formed in line with mouth and be fitted with a sliding door.
Four pieces of cork may be secured inside the helmet near the top to keep it
firm on the head, and several small studs would be fastened inside. helmet with
holes in them to admit of a wire passing through for fastening the air pipe to top
of helmet.
The air supply hose would be made of leather with joints lapped and sewn in
preference to being rivetted and have fire hose couplings except on the two feet
length which would be attached to back of blouse by a brass coupling secured
by a ring and washer.. The other end of hose would be fastened to a holdfast on
air pump, the hose to be covered with asbestos cloth and protected by a covering
of suitable wire netting.
The air pipe which would be carried within the leather hose would be of rubber
and have male and female couplings with ground joints to be held in position
by a collar formed on cach to fit hard against a perforated ring fixed inside the
hose couplings to extend clear at end of hose couplings to allow of connecting
the pipe. One end of the air pipe would be attached to the air chamber of an air
pump or other source of supply of pressure air the other passing through the
Tcoupling at back of blouse and fastening on to collar of blouse with female
coupling. A short piece reaching from top of helmet to collar would be fitted
with a male coupling to fit into female coupling in collar, and the same would
be held in position by wires passing through studs in helmet.
Dated the 19th day of July 1898.
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Fireproof Clothing for Firemen
and others.
I, ROBERT SUTHERLAND WISEMAN, 157, Hardgate, in the City and County of
Aberdeen, Joiner, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement in writing reference being made to the accom-
panying drawings:-
This invention has reference to and comprises improvements in and relating
to fireproof clothing for firemen and others which will enable a fireman to get
right at the heart of a fire wherever situated, in any part of a building, or in a
ship's hold amongst cargo, as the clothing will prevent him from receiving burns,
and by the arrangements of the air supply he will always be able to breathe freely
without the fire being fed with fresh air. The circulating system of fresh air
within the helmet and blouse will also be most suitable for whitelead workers,
dippers in tile works, and workers in match factories. The invention would
also be useful on board steamships in the event of steam pipes bursting and
for the inspection and repair of sewers and the like.
And in order that my said invention may be properly understood I have here-
unto appended one sheet of illustrative drawings in which Figure 1 is a sectional
view of the helmet and blouse showing the arrangements for supplying fresh air
and facilitating the outflow of the foul air, while Figures 2 to 5 are detail views
to a larger scale.
Referring to these drawings:-

page_text: In carrying into practice the improvements of this invention the clothing would
consist principally of a blouse, belt, leggings, overall, boots, and a helmet with
air supply connections, all made fireproof. The blouse A is of leather preferably
sheepskin and made to pass over the wearer's head in putting on and is tightly
confined around the waist by a belt to prevent the escape of air from the interior.
The belt is fastened by two straps and buckles or in any convenient manner and
can be utilized for carrying a lamp, hose key and other useful articles by sus-
pending them in a convenient manner. The neck of this blouse A is connected
by lacing or otherwise to a brass or other metal collar B, which rests on the
shoulders of the wearer by two adjustable spring supports B₁ which fit firmly
against the breast and back of wearer. The leggings which being of ordinary
shape it is not necessary to illustrate are made preferably of sheepskin leather
covered with asbestos cloth quilted together with fine copper wire, with lapped
seams, and may be formed to reach from the ankles to top of legs and may be
fitted with straps at top to pass through holes in bottom of blouse and fasten on
to waist belt at each side, or they may be made in the form of trousers and long
enough to pass over the lower end of the blouse and be hooked to the belt.
The boots have wood soles about one half inch thick having a protecting brass
plate, and the lower part of uppers are made of sheet copper which would also cover
the wood sole, the heel to be covered in the same way and screwed on from the
inside and protected by a heel plate of brass, the remainder of the uppers being
made from same material as leggings, to reach half way to the knee and to open
down nearly to the toe, the joint lapping over about one half of an inch to fasten
with Martin's clasps or any other suitable fastenings.
The overall to be worn over the blouse is made from thick asbestos cloth quilted
to an inner cloth lining to reach from the neck well down on to leggings and have
sleeves terminating in gloves or mittens when gloves are fitted to ends of blouse
sleeves shown at A, and made to fasten at the back with loops or other attachments
at waist for lamp, key, rope and axe. The sleeves of the overall and also of the
blouse may be fitted with straps or clasp fastenings to shorten them and so keep
the glove ends tight to the hands.
The helmet C is made of copper and the joints are flanged outwards and rivetted
together, and the bottom splayed to fit on to the shoulder ring B of blouse A to
which it is fastened with nuts and bolts. One sight aperture e is formed in front
in line with the eyes with a glass covering C₁ and it may be a thin sheet of mica
on outside and is protected by wires crossing between flanges of helmet. Another
aperture would be formed in line with mouth and be fitted with a sliding door c¹.
A sponge is preferably carried on a wire which runs by eyes on two vertical
wires and held in its upper position by rubber or other springs c. The inner
side of the glass C₁ may be cleaned when desired by pulling down the sponge
along its surface by the cord c
Pieces of cork Care secured inside the helmet C near the top to keep it firm
on the head, and several small studs may be fastened inside helmet with holes
in them to admit of a wire passing through for fastening the air pipe C³ to top
of helmet, or as shown, this air pipe may be made as a part of the helmet.
The air supply hose D is preferably made of leather with joints lapped and sewn
in preference to being rivetted and has fire hose couplings except on the short
length which is attached to back of blouse by a large brass T piece I shown
in Figure 1, and to an enlarged scale in Figures 2 and 3 which are sectional views
at opposite angles. The other end of hose would be fastened to a holdfast on an
air pump, and the hose is preferably covered with asbestos cloth and protected by
a covering of suitable elastic wire netting such as shown at D³.
The air supplying pipe D3 which is preferably of rubber is carried within the
leather hose Done end being attached to the air chamber of an air pump or other
source of supply of pressure air and the other end to the tube of a special
union coupling E. A section of rubber tubing which passes through the
T piece D completes the connection between the coupling E and the pipe C³

page_text: leading to the top of the helmet, the portion between the T piece and the
coupling being covered by a leather and asbestos cloth envelope which is
secured to them by its ends. The coupling E shown to a larger scale in Figures 4
and 5 is outwardly an ordinary union coupling but each section is formed with
a perforated disc 2 through the centre of which a short length of smaller tube E¹
passes to the ends of which the rubber air tubes D³, are attached. The inner
ends of these lengths of tube are formed with collars e to rest against the perforated
dises and a small nipple el conoidal at both ends forms the connection between
them when the coupling is screwed up. Instead of employing the nipple e¹ a
screw gland may be placed on one to screw upon the end of the other length
and so connect them independently of the outer coupling. The air is driven by
the air pump through the rubber supply pipe D3, to the top of the helmet C
and the foul air collects within the body of the blouse and finds an exit through
the openings D in the T piece thence through the outer pipe and perforated
discs E2 of the coupling E and so through the hose D to the open air.
The blouse may if desired be made without gloves and a rubber band or other
means be used around the wrists to exclude smoke. When the dress is employed
without using the pressure air supply the end of short pipe from blouse or the
open end of coupling may be covered by an india rubber cap.
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: —
First. A fire and smoke proof dress constructed and arranged substantially as
herein described and partially illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Second. In a fire and smoke proof dress the construction and arrangements
of a blouse and helmet with air supply fittings substantially as herein described
and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Third. In a fire and smoke proof dress the combination with an air supply tube
of a piece and special union coupling constructed substantially as herein
described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Fourth. In a fire and smoke proof dress the construction of the union coupling
having inner air supply pipe and perforated discs for the escape of the foul air
substantially as herein described and illustrated by Figures 1, 4, and 5 of the
accompanying drawings.
Dated the 19th April 1899.