AN ELECTRIC HEAT-DETECTING ALARM
Year: 1887

page_text: I, JOHN ADAIR, of the City and County of Waterford, Ireland do hereby declare the
nature of my invention for AN ELECTRIC HEAT-DETECTING ALARM and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
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My invention specially relates to a means of detecting the rising of heat in working
Machinery of any kind or description, also Mill-stones or Grinding Apparatus, or may
be more extensively used.
To explain such invention I place two Electric Wires thro' which a current of
Electricity is passing in connection with two conducting Arms A & B Fig. 1.
I put these two conducting Arms out of contact by placing a material . which will
melt with heat, having such Material large enough to press back the Conducting
Arm A until it is out of Contact with the Conducting Arm B, the Electric Current
being therefore obstructed and discontinued.
Now this Apparatus being placed in position by the Screw N. Fig. 1 in such a
manner that the Material C. will come in contact with the Body in which the heat
arising is to be detected.
It is evident that as the Material C. melts it permits the Spring X to force the
Conducting Arm A forward into Contact with the Conducting Arm B. thus permitting
& continuing such previously obstructed & discontinued Electric Current.
This Description relates to Fig. 1 where a Material that melts with heat is used.
I confine a Material which will expand with heat, in a case R. Fig. 2 which case
is made of some good heat-conducting Material; this case to come in Contact with the
Body in which it is to detect heat rising-This case R has a small tubular Apperture,
in which a piston S is placed, having a rod out of it, which is fastened into Conducting
Arm A. as piston rises with the Expansion of the Material in the case R-caused by the
heat rising in the Body which it is placed in Contact with to detect the heat rising.
The Conducting Arm A is Elevated until it comes in Contact with the Conducting
Arm B & thus the previously obstructed and discontinued Electric ('urrent is now
permitted & continued, therefore sounding Alarm Bell.
In some cases it might be preferable to use an Indian Rubber balloon shaped cap,
which would be fastened tightly over the small tubular Apperiure in case it & the

page_text: Expansion of Material would in this case press a body of air into Cap which would
Elevate it & act upon Conducting Arm A as previously Explained.
The advantage of this system is that as several heat-letectors may be placed in
several important parts of machinery which require attention, all the several wires
may be arranged to meet in one room & if desirable be connected with one Alarm
Bell.
When Alarm rings the wires can be separately tested, say by having them free to
unhook out of connection- or some other convenient method, and thus the wire or
wires causing Bell to ring, could be detected & therefore the part of machinery
heating be discovered.
This invention will be of great service in preventing Machinery from heating, as
the person in charge, knowing he will be detected for any neglect, will consequently
be more careful than if his neglect could not be detected.
This Invention will also be very convenient, as the wires may be carried to any
required place, distance being no hindrance to its working.
This Invention will be admirable for detecting heat in flour-grinding stones or other
parts of Machinery required to be kept cool, as it can be conveniently attached to any-
thing small or large Also Railway trains, could by a very simple contrivance have
such detectors attached to all their carriage axle-bearings, the expense being slight, &
the keeping in order no cost-Detectors could communicate with Guards Van or if
more desirable with Engine driver.
Having now, particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention
& in what manner the same is to be performed—I declare, that what I claim is :
1st. The introduction of a material that will melt with heat as a means of obstructing
and discontinuing an Electric Current and the melting of such material as a means of
permitting and continuing such Electric Current & the making use of this means as a
heat detector-after the nature as described in this invention.
(By Material in this case I mean any material that will melt with heat-spermaceti,
wax, tallow or any convenient material.)
2nd. The Expansion of a material as a means of permitting & continuing an Electric
Current which before such Expansion was obstructed & discontinued & the making
use of this means, as a heat-detector, after the nature as described in this invention.
(By Material in this case I mean Mercury, fluid, Gas or air, or any material that
will Expand with heat.)
3rd. The Methods of using a material that will melt with heat, or expand with heat
as described in this Invention and as represented on Drawing Sheet. Fig. 1 & Fig. II.
JOHN ADAIR,
Waterford, Ireland,
Commission Agent.