Improvements in and Apparatus for the Prevention or Extinguishing of Fire and the Extermination of Vermin in Ships, Warehouses, Mines, and other Places.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Feb., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 6th Nov., 1898
Complete Specification Accepted, 5th Feb., 1889
Improvements in and Apparatus for the Prevention or Extinguishing
of Fire and the Extermination of Vermin in Ships, Warehouses,
Mines, and other Places.
I, ROBERT ATKIN of 2 Ironmill Place Wandsworth, in the County of Surrey
Master Mariner do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to provide means for the prevention of and the
extinguishing of fire, and to destroy when necessary vermin in ships mines and other
places.
According to my invention provision is made as hereafter described for the
immediate generation when required of carbonic acid gas together with means
for circulating such gas throughout the hold of a ship or other part thereof
or other place such as in a warehouse or mine where the said gas is required to
circulate.
For the above purpose I arrange in any convenient position at the bottom of the
hold or compartment of a ship for example any required number of generators or
vessels in which the gas is to be produced, a ship of say 2000 tons might be provided
with six of such generators they may be made of iron or steel lined inside with lead
or of earthenware or glass or other suitable material such as acid proof metal or
combination of materials having a perforated top to each generator for the gas when
generated to escape. In these generators I place lime whiting or other equivalent
material, and water. Each of such generators is connected by a suitable pipe or pipes
with suitable receivers for containing sulphuric acid and these receivers should be
placed in some safe and convenient position for example on the spar deck or in some
other accessible and convenient place not to interfere with the traffic or working of
the ship. Taps are provided so as to make and break connection betweeen the
sulphuric acid receivers and the carbonic acid gas generators. By allowing sulphuric
acid to flow into the material in the generator carbonic acid gas is immediately
generated and evolved therefrom through the perforations and such gas circulating
throughout the contents quickly extinguishes any fire or destroys vermin.

page_text: For some places instead of having the sulphuric acid receiver and the
gas generators
at a distance apart they may be arranged close together and sometimes in one vessel
divided into two compartments one for the sulphuric acid and the other for the lime
or its equivalent and water provision being made as in the other arrangements for
making and breaking the connection between the two vessels such an arrangement
would be applicable for deck houses and saloons for theatres warehouses and other
buildings and the gas there generated can be forced through flexible pipes and directed
to the seat of the fire as an ordinary water hose.
Sometimes oil tanks can be utilized for storing the carbonic acid gas for which
purpose it is stored in the tank on the oil surfaco and when it is desired to generate
more carbonic acid gas and to admit samo to the tank the latter is provided with a
sulphuric acid and linio receptacle communications between which is made by valve
and the gas thus generated is received in the tank. The top of the tank should
be provided with pipes for the distribution of the carbonic acid gas as may be
required.
Tanks or receptacles whether containing oil or not constructed and arranged as
before described can be applied to each separate compartment or room of a building
or cabin of a ship or different parts of a mine or other place the valves of the
generators may communicate by cord or rods to some convenient central position so
that by acting on any particular cord or rod carbonic acid gas can be generated and
distributed in any place or compartment where a generator or tank is fitted,
without going to that particular compartment to turn on the gas, and this
would be particularly applicable to such places as theatres and other large buildings.
The generators and receptacles may be mounted on wheels if desired so as to
convey the same to any particular spot that may be required and the carbonic acid
gas can be thus distributed to any required point by hose or otherwise with great
facility.
When the invention is applied to theatres and other public places there should be
provided a curtain made of canvas painted on both sides with asbestos paint or any
other suitable material attached to a roller and placed in theatres or any other places
to prevent the spread of fire.
When the compartments of ships are filled with cargo and the hatches are secured
by generating carbonic acid gas it will prevent fire being generated from spontaneous
combustion and exterminate all vermin among the cargo.
A
There may be an extra Tap with a measure between to be filled with sulphuric
Acid to ascertain correctly the quantity of acid supplied to the Lime or Chalk.
safety valve should be provided for each compartment.
Dated this Seventh day of February 1888.

page_text: Improvements in and Apparatus for the Prevention or Extinguishing
of Fire and the Extermination of Vermin in Ships, Warehouses,
Mines, and other Places.
{
I, ROBERT ATKIN of 2 Ironmill Place, Wandsworth, in the County of Surrey,
Master Marinor, 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:—
The object of my invention is to provide means for the prevention and the extin-
guishing of fire, and to destroy when necessary, vermin in ships, mines, and other
places.
According to my invention provision is made as hereafter described for the
immediate generation when required of carbonic acid gas together with means for
circulating such gas throughout the hold of a ship or other part thereof or other
place such as in a warehouse or mine where the said gas is required to circulate.
My invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a tank or vessel wherein carbonic acid gas can
bo generated according to my invention. Figure 2 is an end view of such a generator
and shewn applied outside a building. Figure 3 is a front elevation of a warehouse
shewing the invention applied thereto. Figure 4 is a front elevation, Figure 5 is a
sectional elevation, and Figure 6 is a sectional perspective view shewing the invention
as applied to a dwelling house. Figures 7, 8, 9 10, 11 and 12 illustrate the invention
as applied to the extinguishing of fire on board ships.
A is a
The generators may be made of iron or steel lined inside with lead, or of earthen-
ware or glass or other suitable material such as acid proof metal or combination of
materials having a perforated top to each generator or an aperture for the gas, when
generated, to escape. In these generators I place lime, whiting or other equivalent
material and water; one of such generators is shewn at Figures 1 and 2.
compartment for containing sulphuric acid; B that for containing lime or equivalent
material. These compartments are in communication with one another by the pipe C
to which there is a tap fitted whereby communication can be cut off or made between
the two compartments A and B as may be required. The tap is regulated by a
weighted lever D one arm of which is connected to a wire or other suitable cord E
or rod for operating the same. F is a tube leading from the receiver to the interior
of the building or other place, whereby the gas generated in the receiver is conveyed
to the apartment or place required. Or each of such generators is connected by a
suitable pipe or pipes with suitable receivers for containing sulphuric acid and these
receivers should be placed in some safe and convenient position. Taps are provided
so as to make and break connection between the sulphuric acid receivers and the car-
bonic acid gas generators. By allowing sulphuric acid to flow into the material in

page_text: .
the generator carbonic acid gas is immediately generated and evolved therefrom
through the perforations or other apertures and such gas circulating throughout the
contents quickly extinguishes any fire or destroys vermin.
For some places instead of having the sulphuric acid receiver and the gas generators
at a distance apart they may be arranged as before described close together and some-
times in one vessel divided into two compartments, one for the sulphuric acid, and the
other for the lime or its equivalent, and water; provision being made as in the other
arrangement for making and breaking the connection between the two vessels, by such
means as those before described with reference to Figures 1 and 2.
On reference to Figure 3 the application to a warehouse of such appliances as those
shewn at Figures 1 and 2 is shewn. The cords or rods E coming from the weighted
tap lever D each from separate generator lead down to the case G on the outside of
the building in which there are buttons or knobs provided and corresponding in
number with the number of cords or rods E ench corresponding with the various floors
of the building. This case is locked or so secured as to be accessible only to some
authorized person. As soon as the locality of the fire is ascertained without entering
the warehouse, gas is generated and evolved by opening the case and releasing the cord
or rod communication with the generator or generators situate on the floor where
the fire exists. The generator tanks may be outside the building, as for example is
shewn at Figure 2, or inside as for example is shown by Figure 6, in which latter figure
'the arrangement of the generator itself is as before described with reference to Figure 2
while the weighted lever D is connected by wire or other suitable rope to rods or other
wire rope passing down the side of the house through tubes, or otherwise, to any con-
venient place for operating the weighted lever from.
Sometimes oil tanks can be utilized for storing the carbonic acid gas, for which
purpose it is stored in the tank on the oil surface and when it is desired to generate
more carbonic acid gas and to admit same to the tank the latter is provided with a
sulphuric acid and lime receptacle communication between which is made by valve and
the gas thus generated is received in the tank. The top of the tank should be
provided with pipes for the distribution of the carbonic acid gas as may be
required.
Referring to Figures 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12, S represents the spar deck of a ship,
and A represents cisterns for storing sulphuric acid. The said cisterns if made of
metal nust be lined with lead but they may be made of earthenware or glass.
Figure 8 represents a side view of a ship, and A represents a side view of cisterns for
sulphuric acid whilst 2 represents the carbonic acid gas generators which are perforated
on the top and contain lime or whiting as before described. 3 represents lead or other
suitable pipes fastened to the bulkhead of the compartment to convey the sulphuric acid
to the lime. 4 indicates the taps. Figure 9 represents side view of sulphuric acid
cistern. 1 represents taps, and 2 represents measures to measure the sulphuric acid
into the lime. Figure 10 represents in plan the perforated top of carbonic acid gas
generator. Figure 11 represents top view of carbonic acid gas generator placed in mid-
ships on spar deck for use of deck houses or saloons whilst 1 in same figure represents
a tap to which hose may be screwed on to reach to either end of the ship. Fig. 12
represents side view of generator, and C in the same figure represents a tap similar to
that shewn at Figures 1 and 2, for allowing the sulphuric acid to mix with the lime
when required.
When the cargo is stowed and the hatches are battened down for the voyage, by
generating carbonic acid gas among the cargo all the vermin will be also destroyed,
and spontaneous combustion will be made impossible, and ships fitted with such
apparatus will not burn if the carbonic acid gas is generated and applied to that part
where the fire exists.
.
Or I may arrange in any convenient position at the bottom of the bold or com-
partment of a ship for example any required number of generators or vossels in which
the gas is to be produced, a ship of say 2000 tons might be provided with six of such
generators.

page_text: Tanks or receptacles whether containing oil or not constructed and arranged as
before described can be applied to each separate compartment or room of a building,
or cabin of a ship or different parts of a mine or other place the valves of the generators
may communicate by cord or rods to some convenient central position so that by acting
on any particular cord or rod, carbonic acid gas can be generated and distributed in
any place or compartment where a generator or tank is fitted without going to that
particular compartiment to turn on the gas, and this would be particularly applicable
to such places as theatres and other large buildings.
The generators and receptacles may be mounted on wheels if desired so as to
convey the same to any particular spot that may be required and the carbonic acid
gas can be thus distributed to any required point by hose or otherwise with great
facility.
When the invention is applied to theatres and other public places there should be
provided a curtain made of canvas painted on both sides with asbestos paint or any
othor suitable material attached to a roller, and placed in theatres or any other places
to prevent the spread of fire.
There may be an extra tap with a measure between such as is shewn at
Figure 9 to be filled with sulphuric acid to ascertain correctly the quantity of acid
supplied to the lime or chalk. A safety valve should be provided for each
compartment.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
:
:-
First In apparatus for preventing and extinguishing fire the construction and
arrangement of gas generators whereby the sulphuric acid is kept separate from
the lime or other equivalent material until it is actually required to have the gas
itself generated together with the appliances described for operating same whon
required substantially as described and shewn with reference to Figures 12 and 3 of
the accompanying drawings.
Second In apparatus for the prevention or extinguishing of fire and the ex-
termination of vermin in ships, warehouses, mines and other places, the construction
and arrangement of gas generators wheroby the sulphuric acid is kept separate
from the lime or other equivalent material until it is actually required to have the
gas itself generated together with the appliances described for effecting the junction
of the acid and other material together with the means described for the carriage
or distribution of the evolved gas substantially as described and illustrated with
reference to Figures 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 of the accompanying drawings.