Improvements relating to Fire Extinguishing in Tubes or Passages for Conveying Cotton Fibres and other Combustible Material.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 20th July, 1892-Accepted, 17th Sept., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by ROBERT LANE CUMNOCK, of Henderson, in the
County of Henderson and State of Kentucky, United States of America,
Manufacturer.]
Improvements relating to Fire Extinguishing in Tubes or Passages
for Conveying Cotton Fibres and other Combustible Material.
1, HENRY HARRIS LAKE of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents
45 Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex, 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 :-
In all trunks or covered passages of small cross area for use in conveying cotton
or other fibres, or dust, flour or meal and the like, whether the means of conveying
be mechanical or pneumatic, there is great danger from fire. This invention
relates to a mode of attachment of automatic sprinklers, so called, to such con-
veyors whereby the sprinklers will be efficient in case of fire and yet will not
interfere in any way with the operation of the conveyor, nor have their action
interfered with by the adjacent parts of the conveyor.
This invention will be understood by reference to the drawings in which
Figure 1 is a cross section of a rectangular conveyor to which the sprinkler is
applied in the manner invented by me.
Figure 2 is a plan showing the top of such a conveyor and
Figure 3 is a cross section of a tubular conveyor to which a sprinkler is
applied.
In each case A, A are the walls of the conveyor. In the top of the conveyor
is cut a hole B. C is a saucer or dome shaped piece of cast iron or other like
material which forms a cover for the hole B. Through this dome shaped piece is
passed the neck D of the automatic sprinkler E for which it forms a hanger. Fis
the supply pipe.
The disk or saucer C is so proportioned with respect to the length of the
sprinkler and the thickness of the conveyor wall that it will form a cavity in
which the sprinkler is so hung that its innermost point, namely the point e, shall
be in substantially the same plane as the inner surface of the adjacent wall of the
conveyor. Thus the sprinkler will not interfere at all with the free way of the
conveyor, being hung in a cavity out of the way.
In practice the hole B should be of such diameter that its walls will not
interfere materially with the distribution of the sprinkler when in action, in case
of fire. Ordinarily ten inches is a sufficient diameter. The dome shaped sprinkler
hanger should be tightly fitted to the neck of the sprinkler D where it passes
through it, and also be tightly bolted to the top of the conveyor in order to
prevent leakage of the material being conveyed through the conveyor, or of air if
the conveyor be pneumatic.
The opening B may be made in one of the other walls of the conveyor if.
thought best, and in that case a sprinkler should be used of a kind suitable to
throw the water to the best advantage.
Instead of a saucer or dome shaped hanger, any other form of hanger inay be
used which will form the required cavity to contain the sprinkler, but I have
found the shape shown to be the best in most cases, the point being however,
to suspend the sprinkler within the confined area of the conveyor trunk and yet
out of the way of the moving material.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is:
1st. The conveyor trunk above described having in one of its walls a series of
cavities within each of which is contained an automatic sprinkler, hung in sub-
stantially the manner described, all adapted for 'the purposes set forth.
2nd. The sprinkler hanger above described consisting of a dome shaped piece
having a hole through its centre through which a sprinkler may be hung and
adapted to be suitably attached at its edges to the outer wall of the 'conveyor
trunk, all as set forth.
3rd. A conveyor trunk having an opening closed on the outside by a cap, in
combination with an automatic sprinkler having its head or rose contained within
said opening and cap, all as set forth.
4th. A conveyor trunk having an opening closed on the outside by a dome-
shaped, removable cap, in combination with an automatic sprinkler having its head
or rose secured to the cap and contained within said opening, all as set forth.
Dated this 20th day of, July 1892.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.