IMPROVEMENTS IN HAND FIRE-EXTINGUISHERS
Year: 1886

page_text: I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine Lake & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the nature
of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HAND FIRE-EXTINGUISHERS
" to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to fire-extinguishers which consist of frangible vessels,
such as glass, containing a fire extinguishing liquid. It is a common occurrence for
the fire extinguishing agent to generate a pressure within itself that endangers the
safety of the vessel containing it, unless some vent for gases generated is provided.
The objection to employing an ordinary vent for such a fire extinguisher vessel is
that it affords provision for the entrance of dirt and opportunity for the spilling of
the contents of the vessel, when the vessel is moved. The object of this invention
is to provide a vent which will be simple and inexpensive and which, withal, shall
not be liable to the objections above enumerated.
The said invention consists in the combination with a frangible vessel such as
glass, provided with a neck and mouth portion like a bottle, of a vent arranged in
the mouth and neck portion of the vessel, secured therein by a cork or other
stopping material, and comprising a tubular portion of small diameter, and an
upper chamber-like portion of spherical form and larger in diameter, the said
spherical portion communicating at the bottom with the tubular portion, and having
an opening at the top and containing a valve. This valve may be a ball adapted
to roll in the chamber, or it may have a stem extending down into the tubular
portion with which the chamber communicates. Gaseous pressure generated within
the vessel will raise the valve from the seat and escape past it from the upper end
of the spherical chamber. After the gases shall have been liberated the valve will
roll back and close the vent. If the valve should be shaken from its seat in
moving the vessel, it will nevertheless return automatically to its normal position
after the vessel is set down again.
According to the said invention the vessel for containing the fire-extinguishing
liquid is of frangible material, preferably glass. It is mainly of spherical form,
but is slightly flattened at the bottom, so that it may stand in the position it is
desired to occupy. At the upper portion it has a mouth and neck like a bottle.
Din 077

page_text: The vent consists of a lower tubular portion, which is straight, and of an upper
spherical portion forming a chamber which communicates with the tubular portion
and at the upper end is provided with an opening. In the spherical chamber-like
portion of the vent a valve is arranged.
The vent is preferably made of glass and the valve is also preferably made of
glass. The. said valve is spherical in form and just large enough to close the
opening between the tubular portion and the spherical chamber-like portion of
the vent.
Any gaseous pressure generated within the vessel can make its escape from the
vessel by lifting or rolling the ball valve away from its seat and passing by the valve.
After the escape of the gas, the ball valve will roll back to its seat, closing the
vessel again.
If the vessel should be shaken, as in moving it, and the valve thereby displaced,
the valve would return to its position automatically.
The valve is sometimes provided with a tubular extension or stem that extends
down into the tubular portion of the vent. The valve will thus be guided. The
valve and its stem are preferably made hollow, and the latter has holes near the
valve, and is open at the bottom so that gases may escape when the valve is raised
from its seat.
Should it become desirable to pour any of the contents of the vessel upon a fire
so small as not to require the whole contents of the vessel for its extinction, this
can be done by tilting the vessel, because the valve will then move away from its
seat into another portion of the spherical chamber, and then the contents of the
vessel may flow past it. The hole in the top of the spherical chamber should be so
small as to preclude the valve from escaping.
This vent is arranged in the mouth portion of the bottle to lessen liability of
breaking it, when made of glass or like material. It is secured in place by the
stopping material employed for closing the mouth of the vessel. This material
may be cork or some plastic compound.
Dated this 19th dow of To 100R

page_text: Improvements in Hand Fire-extinguishers.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co, Patent Agents,
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 :—
This invention relates to fire-extinguishers which consist of frangible vessels,
such as glass, containing a fire-extinguishing liquid. It is a common occurrence for
the fire-extinguishing agent to generate a pressure within itself that endangers the
safety of the vessel containing it, unless some vent for gases generated is provided.
The objection to employing an ordinary vent for such a fire-extinguisher vessel is
that it affords provision for the entrance of dirt and opportunity for the spilling of
the contents of the vessel, when the vessel is moved. The object of this invention
is to provide a vent which will be simple and inexpensive and which withal shall
not be liable to the objections above enumerated.
The said invention consists in the combination with a frangible vessel such as
glass, provided with a neck and mouth portion like a bottle, of a vent arranged in
the month and neck portion of the vessel and secured therein by a cork or other
stopping material. This vent comprises a tubular portion of small diameter and an
upper chamber like portion of spherical form, and larger in diameter, the said
upper chamber communicating with the tubular portion at the bottom, and having
an opening at the top and containing a valve. This valve may be a ball adapted
to roll in the chamber or it may have a stem extending down into the tubular
portion with which the chamber communicates. Gaseous pressure generated within
the vessel will raise the valve from the seat and escape past it from the upper end
of the spherical chamber. After the gases shall have been liberated the valve will
roll back and close the vent. If the valve should be shaken from its seat in
moving the vessel, it will nevertheless return automatically to its normal position
after the vessel is set down again.
In the accompanying Figure 1 is a vertical section of a fire extinguisher embodying
my improvements Figure 2 is a vertical section of the upper part thereof, showing
the valve in a different position from that which it occupies in Figure 1. Figure 3
is a vertical section of a fire extinguisher of modified form and Figure 4 is a like
sectional view showing the valve in a different position. Similar letters of reference
designate corresponding parts in all the figures.
A designates a vessel of frangible material preferably glass. It is mainly of
spherical form but is slightly flattened at the bottom so that it may stand in the
position it is desired to occupy. At the upper portion it has a mouth and neck a
like a bottle.
B designates a vent consisting of a lower tubular portion 6 which as shown is
straight, and an upper spherical portion 6¹ forming a chamber which communicates
with the tubular portion b, and at the upper end is provided with an opening b³..
In the spherical chamber like portion 61 of the vent a valve C is arranged.
The vent will preferably be made of glass. The valve C will also preferably be
made of glass. It is as shown in Figures 1 and 2, spherical in form, and just large

page_text: enough to close the opening between the tubular portion b, and spherical chamber
like portion 6' of the vent.
Any gaseous pressure generated within the vessel can make its escape from the
vessel by lifting or rolling the ball valve C away from its seat and passing by the
valve. After the escape of the gas, the ball valve will roll back to its seat; closing
the vessel again.
If the vessel should be shaken as in moving it and the valve thereby displaced,
the valve would return to its position then automatically.
In Figures 3 and 4 the valve C has a tubular extension or stem C¹ that extends
down into the tubular portion b of the vent B. The valve will thus be guided.
It and its stem are shown as made hollow and the latter has holes o near the valve
and is open at the bottom so that gases may escape when the valve is raised from
its seat.
Should it become desirable to pour any of the contents of the vessel upon a fire
so small as not to require the whole contents of the vessel for its extinction, this
can be done by tilting the vessel because the valve will then move away from its
seat into another portion of the spherical chamber, and then the contents of the
vessel may flow past it. The hole in the top of the spherical chamber should be so
small as to preclude the valve from escaping.
This vent is arranged in the mouth portion of the bottle to lessen liability of
breaking it, when made of glass or like material. It is secured in place by the
stopping material employed for closing the mouth of the vessel. This material
may be cork or some plastic compound.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
The combination with a fire extinguisher vessel made of frangible material, of a
vent consisting of a tubular portion and a surmounting spherical portion and a
valve arranged in the spherical portion of the vent substantially as specified.
Dated this 8th day of July 1886.