Im- PROVEMENTS IN Apparatus for EXTINGUISHING FIRES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Bruce Dick, of Glasgow, in the County
of Lanark, North Britain, Merchant, for the Invention of “Im-
PROVEMENTS IN Apparatus for EXTINGUISHING FIRES."
Sealed the 29th July 1873, and dated the 30th January 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Bruce Dick
"
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 30th January 1873.
I, WILLIAM BRUCE DICK, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
be as
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR EXTINGUISHING FIRES," to
follows, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to fire-extinguishing apparatus of the kind in
which carbonic acid gas mixed with or dissolved in water is projected by
its own expansive force along with the water from a strong vessel
through a stop or regulator valve and delivery hose or pipe.
The Invention consists in fitting the apparatus with improved appli-
ances for causing the sulphuric or other acid to mix with the bicarbonate

page_text: or carbonate in the water, for the purpose of generating the carbonic
acid gas, as is well understood. A bottle of glass or other easily broken
material is provided for containing the acid, and is by preference formed
with indentations in its side or bottom, or both, to facilitate its being
broken. This noid bottle is placed on a bottom support which is rigidly
fixed to the top or sides of the vessel, and which is furnished with one
or more hard points capable of breaking the glass on the application of
sufficient pressure or percussion. The bottle is held firmly on its sup-
port by a cap, which also is furnished with one or more hard points, and
which is fixed to a rod passing out through a stuffing box in the top of
the vessel. An external cap is provided for covering the end of the rod,
and when it is desired to generate the carbonic acid gas this external cap
is removed and the rod is struck with a small mallet or other convenient
instrument, by which action the acid boule will be broken, and the
mixing of the ingredients will be brought about.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Bruce Dick in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 29th July 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
BRUCE DICK, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Merchant, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Lotters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Bruce Dick, Her special
licence that I, the said William Bruce Dick, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Bruce Dick,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time, and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR EXTINGUISHING FIRES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Bruce Dick, my executors

page_text: or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and scals, 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 Seal Patent,
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of
the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Bruce Dick, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement in writing, reference being
had to the accompanying Drawings, that is to say :—
My said Invention relates to fire-extinguishing apparatus of the kind
in which carbonic acid gas mixed with or dissolved in water is projected
by its own expansive force along with the water from a strong vessel
through a stop or regulator valve and delivery hose or pipe.
"
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing
the same may be properly understood I hereunto append an explanatory
Drawing, to be herein-after referred to, and representing an "extincteur
(as the apparatus is commonly called) as fitted with my improved
details.
The Drawing comprises, Figure 1, a front elevation of the apparatus
partly in vertical section, and Figure 2 a horizontal section as at A-A
in Figure 1. The parts of the apparatus which remain as before are the
strong cylindrical vessel 1 with curved top 2 and outlet valve 3. The
water and chemicals are also as before introduced through an opening in
the curved top 2, which opening is afterwards closed by a screwed plug
picce 4; it is, however, to this screwed plug piece that my improved
details are attached.
The chemicals I prefer to employ are bicarbonate of soda, which is
mixed with the water, and sulphuric acid, which is contained in a glass
bottle 5, fitted with a ground stopper, and it is in the details for holding
this bottle 5, and for breaking it when required, that my present
improvement consist. A bottom socket 6, in the shape of a ring, as
seen in plan in Figure 2, to receive the bottom end of the bottle is
attached by two rods 7, 7, to the screw plug piece 4, and a cap-shaped
piece 8, fitting over and enclosing the neck and stopper of the bottle 5, is
attached to a rod 9 which passes out through a stuffing box 10 in the
"

page_text: scrow plug piece 4, and has a knob 11 fixed on its outer end. This
rod 9 is drawn outwards to insert the bottle 5 in its place, and is then
pushed cautiously in to firmly grasp the bottle, and so prevent it shaking
about and running the risk of being broken when not intended. In the
bottom socket 6 there are three prongs 12 which project up against the
bottom of the bottle 5, and which cause the fracture of the bottle when
it is driven down forcibly against them, by administering a sufficient
blow on the end of the rod 9 with a mallet or other convenient instru-
ment. A cap 13 is fitted over the rod 9 to prevent its being struck by
accident, and when the apparatus is about to be used this cap is drawn
off, and the rod 9 is struck down to break the bottle 5 so that the acid
may get access to the bicarbonate and liberate the carbonic acid.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, I have to state that I do not restrict myself to
the precise details herein described or delineated, but that what I believe
to be novel and original and claim as the Invention secured to me by
the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the holding of the
acid bottle (5) between a fixed bottom support (6) and a movable cap (S);
by forcing down which cap the bottom of the bottle may be broken
against prongs or points (12) in the bottom support (6), substantially as
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Bruce Dick, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of July, in the
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
W. B. DICK. (L..s.)