Improvements in Sprinklers or Apparatus for Automatically or otherwise Extinguishing Fire.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Jan., 1887
Complete Left, 27th Oct., 1887
Complete Accepted, 29th Nov., 1887
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sprinklers or Apparatus for Automatically or
otherwise Extinguishing Fire.
WILLIAM MAYALL of Bottoms Mill, Mossley in the County of Lancaster,
Cotton Spinner, do hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as follows:-
:-
The object of this invention is the construction of a sprinkler or apparatus which,
being connected with the water supply, is found to be exceedingly efficacious in
extinguishing fire and specially applicable to mills, warehouses, works &c.
To the water supply pipe carried along the ceiling of the room or other place to be
protected I connect one extremity of a screwed ferrule, the other extremity of which
opens out into a metal casing which is perforated in a radial direction around its
circumference and partially over the upper and bottom surface thereof. In case of a
fire breaking out the water from a cistern towns pressure or other source is turned
on (by hand in this case) to the supply pipe and thence, issuing in fine spray from
the perforated metal casing, produces a mist which rapidly pervades the apartinent so
preventing the spread of the fire and soon extinguishing the same.
And if I desire
to render this apparatus automatic I mount a valve inside my improved sprinkler, the
spindle of which passes through the casing to the outside where it is supported in
position by a lever, the longer arm of which is soldered to a bracket with a metallic
soldering compound consisting of lead, tin, bismuth, and cadmium mixed together
in such proportions as to melt at a temperature of about 160° Fahreneit. This
connection of solder is thus fusible at a low temperature and by perinitting the valve
to fall in case of the temperature of the room increasing to its melting heat so admits
water to the sprinkler.
In some cases I prefer the improved automatic valve to be fixed upon a length of
pipe and to have the casing of the valve provided with two or more branch pipes
leading the water to a series of my improved sprinklers.
Thi 07th.. f La 1007
JOHN G. WILSON,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: L
otherwise Extinguishing Fire.
I WILLIAM MAYALL of Bottoms Mill, Mossley, in the County of Lancaster Cotton
Spinner do hereby declare the nature of my 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 this invention is the construction of a simple and reliable sprinkler
or apparatus which being connected with a water supply is found to be exceedingly
efficacious in extinguishing fire and specially applicable to mills, warehouses,
works &c.
To the water supply pipe carried along the ceiling in the usual way of the room
or other place to be protected, I connect one extremity of a screwed ferrule (a)
(illustrated by front view Fig. 1 and by transverse sectional view Fig. 2 on the
accompanying drawing) the other extremity of which opens out into a metal casing b
which is perforated in a radial direction around its circumference with a series of
fine holes e and partially over the upper and lower surfaces thereof with holes d as
illustrated in plan views Figs. 3 and 4. In case of a fire breaking out the water
from a cistern, town's pressure or other source is turned on (by hand in this case) to
the supply pipe and thence issuing in fine spray from the holes c and d in the
perforated metal casing so produces a shower which rapidly pervades the apartment,
so preventing the spread of the fire and soon extinguishing the same. And if I
desire to render the apparatus automatic I construct it as represented by front view
in Fig. 5 and sectional view Fig. 6. In this case I mount a valve e inside my
improved sprinkler casing the seat of which consists of an india-rubber, vulcanite
or other suitable elastic washer e faced on the outside with a thin metallic washer e²
to prevent any possibility of the valve sticking.
b
The spindle of this valve passes through the casing f to the outside where it is
supported in position by a lever g one extremity of which is soldered to a bracket /
(forming an ear or elongation of the casing f) with any metallic soldering compound
capable of melting at a temperature of about 160° Farenheit and sufficiently strong
to bear the strain. The other extremity of the lever g is hinged or hooked on a
corresponding ear or elongation of the casing f as illustrated. This connection of
solder thus fusible at a low temperature by permitting the valve e to fall and open in
case of the temperature increasing (by the outbreak of fire) to its melting point so
permits water to issue from the sprinkler automatically.
I also illustrate in Fig. 7 a front exterior view of my improved sprinkler (similarly
fitted with an automatic valve and lever) in which the perforations through the
casing fare in the form of diagonal slots i i.
In some cases I prefer the improved automatic valve e with its supporting lever
soldered in position as aforesaid to be distinct from the sprinkler and to be fixed upon

page_text: a length of pipe and to have the casing of the valve (which is not perforated in this
case) provided with two or more branch pipes leading the water to a series of my
improved sprinklers. This arrangement is equally applicable to supplying water
self-actingly to other arrangements of sprinklers or fire extinguishing apparatus.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
1st. The improved arrangements and constructions of sprinklers for extinguishing
fire substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated on the accompanying
drawing.
2nd. The combination of my improved sprinkler with a valve and lever arrange-
ment soldered to a supporting bracket with fusible solder and so rendered automatic
substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described and illustrated on the
accompanying drawing.
3rd. The employment of a valve casing fitted with a valve and lever arrangement
soldered to a supporting bracket and so rendered automatic for use upon a length of
pipe and for supplying water to sprinklers or other apparatus for fire extinguishing
purposes substantially as hereinbefore described.
JOHN G. WILSON,
Agent for the Applicant.