IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRICAL SIGNALLING AND FIRE-EXTINGUISHING APPARATUS
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Robert Lake at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 7th August 1883. Communicated to him
from abroad by Stanislaw Ziembinski of Črncow in the Empire of Austria,
and Maurycy Szwambaum and Henryk Stypulkowski, both of Warsaw, 'in the
Empire of Russia.
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WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRICAL SIGNALLING
AND FIRE-EXTINGUISHING APPARATUS [a communication to him from abroad
by Stanislaw Ziembinski of Cracow in the Empire of Austria, and Maurycy
Szwambaum and Henryk Stypulkowski, both of Warsaw, in the Empire of
Russia.]
This invention relates to electrical apparatus for automatically signalling the
presence of fire in a building and for extinguishing the same
The object of the said invention is to provide apparatus which, being mounted
inside a building, in case of a fire breaking out therein, causes alarm-signals to be
given at any desired place, and at the same time automatically opens a water cock,
hydrant, water-valve or the like, whereby water is allowed to flow from perforated
tubes or other suitable apertures upon the flame and cause the extinguishing of the
same.
The operation of the said apparatus can be based upon two different systems,
that is to say ;-
The apparatus may be constructed so as to begin to act as soon as the temperaturo
of the surrounding air has reached a certain degree; or it may commence to act as
soon as the temperature of the surrounding air rises very rapidly although it has
not attained any great heat.
In the first case the apparatus is termed, a maximum-apparatus and in the
second case a differential one.
The action, in both cases, is such as to cause the apparatus to operato directly or
indirectly, closing an electric circuit, whereby a signal-bell is rung and at the same
time a water-cock, bydrant, valve or the like is opened. The closing of the electric
circuit is performed by means of small devices arranged inside the buildings that

page_text: are to be protected from fire, and constructed either according to the said maximum-
system or according to the said differential system, or finally in accordance with a
combination of both systems. To those devices we have given the name of "firo
indicators."
Both the maximum and the differential indicators act in a direct or indirect 5
manner, that is to say, either by closing or by breaking the electric circuit, in case,
when the working is indirect, the constant current of the circuit of the indicator
is broken and instead of it, a second circuit, or working circuit, is closed by means
of a relay:
According to the said invention the maximum indicator having an indirect 1
action, that is to say operating by interrupting the current comprises a small glass
tube hermetically closed at its top and bottom by two plugs. Through these two
plugs pass the ends of the conducting-wires, these ends being either made of copper
and provided with platinum points, or of platinum plated copper. Above the
bottom-plug is placed a layer of wax, resin, tallow, ceresine, or some other substanco 1
which easily melts. Above this fusile layer, a layer of mercury is placed, in which
dip both ends of the conducting-wires, so that under normal conditions this
layer of mercury completes the circuit. But as soon as the temperature of tho
surrounding air has reached a certain height, it causes the fusible layer to melt and
the mercury to fall upon the bottom whereby the conducting wires are dis-
connected from each other. The maximum indicator thus causes a break in the
circuit.
According to a modification the indicator acts directly by completing the circuit,
In this case the ends of
and has a construction similar to that above described.
- both wires pass through the bottom plug and_terminate in a fusible layer of wax,
resin, or the like, whilst the mercury floats freely upon the surface of this insulating
layer. Whenever the temperature has reached a degree of heat sufficient to causo
the said insulating layer to melt the mercury is lowered, the wire ends are dipped
into it, and the circuit is completed again.
As already mentioned, the maximum-indicators act only when the temperaturo
reaches a certain point whilst the differential indicators begin to operate when the
temperature rises very rapidly although not considerably.
Sometimes the indicators are arranged to work simultaneously both as maximum-
indicators and as differential indicators In one form the apparatus acts indirectly,
by breaking the circuit, whilst in another the indicator acts directly, by completing
the circuit
A screw
According to this part of the said invention I provide a cylindrical vessel of thin
sheet-brass and having a conical bottom arranged in a box of convenient size and
form, or upon a supporting plate; the said conical bottom terminates below in a
small U-shaped glass tube. This small U-shaped tube is partially filled with
mercury, and one of its branches is enlarged into the form of a bulb or funnel.
The cylindrical vessel is hermetically closed by a lid having a hole or aperture
provided with a plug of plaster of Paris or some other porous substance.
having at its thin bottom-end a point of platinum passes through the said lid, and
the said bottom end is immersed in the mercury layer contained in the corresponding
branch of the said U-shaped tube. In the mercury contained in the opposite
branch of the said U-shaped tube is immersed the end of the conducting-wire of
the maximum-indicator. The top of said screw communicates also with the
conducting wire, so that under normal conditions, an electric current circulates in
the described apparatus. When the temperature of the surrounding air rises
gradually for a small number of degrees, the air contained in the said cylindrical
vessel expands gradually, but does not effect a pressure upon the surface of the
mercury because it can freely escape through the porous plug. But if the
temperature rises rapidly, the air suddenly expanding and not having time to
escape through the porous plug, causes a pressure upon the surface of the mercury,
thereby causing a lowering of its level below the bottom point of the screw, and
consequently the interruption of the circuit

page_text: If the elevated temperature continued for some time, the expanded air would
have time to escape through the porous plug, which would result in a rising of the
mercury-level and in a closing of the circuit To prevent this inconvenience, the
differential indicator is combined with a maximum indicator thereby effecting a
definite interruption of the circuit, as soon as the temperature has reached a
certain degree. Sometimes the circuit conductor is not dipped into the cylindrical
vessel but into the funnel-shaped enlarged branch of the U-shaped tube; the screw
then is so arranged that, at a normal temperature, its point stands freely above tho
mercury-level and does not dip into the mercury unless a rise of the temperature
has produced a difference of the mercury-levels in both branches of the U-shaped
tube when the circuit closes.
The said screw allows the apparatus to bo regulated by placing its bottom point
more or less above the level of the mercury. The bottom of the cylindrical vessel
has a conical shape in order to allow the mercury, which might have entered the
vessel whilst the apparatus was being transported or otherwise displaced, to reenter
automatically the U shaped tube as soon as the apparatus is mounted and acting
in the above described manner.
The two indicators first herein before described of which the first is a maximum
and differential indicator both of them acting directly, that is to say by closing the
circuit, are placed in the circuit of an electric current, which is broken at normal
conditions of the temperaturo and closes only at the moment when the indicator
begins to operate. As soon as this circuit is closed, it puts into movoment the
alarm-bell and the extinguishing device. The indicators first hereinbefore described
work on the contrary by interrupting their circuits. As soon as these indicators
begin to operate the circuits in which they are placed and which are closed at
normal conditions of the temperature are broken. In this last case the movement
of the fire-alarm and extinguishing apparatus ought to be effected by the current
of another electric circuit, which being broken at ordinary conditions is closed only
whenever the first circuit is broken. It is true, that this arrangement is somewhat
complicated but this complexity is more than compensated for by the efficient
working of the apparatus and by its affording an easy control at every desired
moment; moreover this construction of the apparatus allows the utilization of
the first current for a house-telegraph or for some other analogous purpose.
Upon the whole the indicators having an indirect working are, notwithstanding
their more complex arrangement, to be preferred to the direct indicators. Thus
the working of the indirect indicators, causes its own current to be broken
and another working current to be closed; to offect this the apparatus is provided
with a relay. This relay consists of a magnetic needle oscillating upon a knife-
edge between the two poles of a bobbin composed of a horizontal spiral coil. The
current of the indicator passes through the coil and keeps the magnetic needle in
position. But as soon as the indicator has broken the current the said needle falls
back. A fork fastened to one of the arms of the said needle enters then with both
its branches made of platinum wire into two small cups containing mercury so that
the said branches dip in the mercury. On the other hand this mercury-layer
communicates by means of small platinum wires passing through the bottoms of
the said cups with the conducting wires of the working current, so that the fork in
dipping in the mercury layer closes the working circuit which till now has been
broken
According to a modification of this part of the said invention I dispense with
the cups and the mercury layers and arrange two plates communicating with the
conducting wires of the circuit and covered with two small platinum bands the
upper surfaces of which correspond to the bottom surface of a platinum band
fastened upon a vertical needle. This needle is fastened to one arm of the magnetic
needle and bears at the same time the disc signal; as soon as the magnetic needle
is lowered by the interruption of the current of the indicator, it causes also the
lowering of the vertical needle, the platinum band thereby comes into contact with
the small bands and the working circuit is closed.
'

page_text: The whole relay is preferably placed in a box having any convenient shape, and
provided in front with a circular notch or with a glass through which the disc
´signal, fastened upon the said platinum fork or upon the vertical needle can be
observed when the magnetic needle occupies its lowered position. Thus the said
apparatus is provided not only with an acoustic signal-bell or the like but with an 5
optic signal in the shape of the said disc.
In all cases, whether the alarm-bell and the extinguishing mechanism or each of
these devices separately, are started by means of the working current or by means
of the current of the indicators, a current circulates in the circuit as soon as the
indicators of either system have begun to operate. When the indicators have a 1
direct action that is to say (when by interrupting their own current they close the
working current) this current is generated by tho battery of the working current ;
in the contrary case, that is, when the indicators act directly, by closing their own
circuit, the current is generated in the battery of the circuit of the indicator.
It is evident that this circuit can be completed by an earth-circuit.
The extinguishing apparatus, the water-cock, hydrant, water-valve or the like
is thrown into gear by special electric mechanism; this mechanism, enclosed in a
box, is fitted upon the water pipe itself, in a suitable manner, immediately behind
the valve. This water-valve consists of a cylindrical valve-chamber provided with
a cover and containing a horizontal spindle passing through a stuffing-box fitted
in the said cover. Two vertical arms of the said spindle support a slide having
the form of a ring-segment
When the apparatus is at rest the said slide shuts the discharging opening of the
valve, being pressed toward this opening by the pressure of the water, which
pressure is increased by the pressure of two.springs.
In order to prevent a constant dropping out of the water from the perforated
tubes or the like of the extinguishing mechanism, which dropping out may be
caused by an imperfect stuffing of the said slide, a self-acting ball-valve is placed
immediately behind the said slide. Whilst the said slido is shut the ball-valve is
open, so that the water escaping through the packing of the said slide is let off
by this ball-valve. But as soon as the slide is opened the ball-valve is shut by
the pressure of the water which rushes into the pipes conducting to the extinguisher
formed by perforated tubes or the like.
Upon the said spindle outside the stuffing-box is loosely fitted a lever provided
with a weight. This lever is put into motion by the above mentioned electric
mechanismn; this mechanism causes the said lever to fall during which it bears
upon a second lever fitted upon the valve-spindle thereby causing the opening of
the slide. This electric mechanism consists of an electro-maguet, above the soft-
iron core of which oscillates an armature supported on a pivot. The rear end of
this armature is provided with a spring-pawl or nose catching in the top end of a
third lever carrying a weight. This third lever turns upon a bolt and its short
arm has the shape of a finger. When the third lever is retained by the spring-
pawl of the armature it turns over and its other arm comes behind the crooked
end of a small sliding bolt fastened to a lever arm turning upon a pivot. The
bottom end of this lever arm is provided with a pawl or nose catching in the end of
the first lever, thereby supporting the lever-arm.
The operation of this system of levers is as follows, that is to say, as soon as a
current passes through the electro-magnet it attracts the armature, the spring-pawl
then rises and frees the lever, which in moving, bears with its finger-shaped bottom
end against the crooked end of a sliding bolt and draws it backwards; the pawl of
the lever-arin fastened to the said sliding-bolt and therefore equally drawn back,
frees the first lever, which, not being supported by anything, is carried downwards
by the weight; in falling it strikes another lever and thus opens the valve.
To ensure the above described operation of the mechanisin the electro-magnet is
placed in the circuit of the working current and one of the conducting wires of the
said current, closed either by the direct or by the indirect systein, communicates
with the terminal of the electro-maguet and with a terminal of the electric aların-

page_text: bell. The other conducting wire communicates with a terminal which, in its turn,
communicates with a second small lever-arm; the. top-end of this lever arm is
fastened upon a pivot, whilst its bottom end rests upon the contact-plato
communicating by means of a conducting wire with the second terminal of the
electro-magnet. Close to this contact-plate is placed a second contact plate
communicating with the second terminal of the electric alarm-bell. It is evident,
that as soon as the working circuit is completed, either directly or indirectly, by
one of the indicators, the apparatus works in the above described manner.
The water-valves moved by the above described electric mechanism, may be.
constructed in different manners or be supplied by water-cocks, hydrants, or the
like. They may also be constructed so as to be movable by hand.
Instead of the mercury layer employed to establish the contact of the conducting
wires of the indicators some other conducting fluid may be employed