IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR EXTINGUISHING FIRE
Year: 1884

page_text: I, WILLIAM BRUCE DICK, of 20 Bucklersbury, in the City of London, Engineer
and Contractor, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR EXTINGUISHING FIRE" to be as follows:-
My invention relates to apparatus for extinguishing fire and is chiefly designed,
for use in connection with that class of portable apparatus in which the required.
pressure upon the water is obtained by means of gas generated by chemical
substances within the apparatus.
The objects of my invention are to provide improved means for opening and
closing the upper, part of the apparatus; also for facilitating the insertion and
withdrawal of the bottlé or vessel containing chemical substances; also for
facilitating the operation of breaking the said bottle or vessel and thus releasing
the chemicals contained therein for the generation of the gas when the apparatus is
to be put into operation.
My invention is carried into effect in the following manner viz:
Below the orifice provided at the upper part of the apparatus for charging the
same, I provide a valve or closing piece pivotted or hinged in such a manner that
it'
may
be brought up to the said orifice so as to completely close the same, and
may also be moved downwardly, and rearwardly within the apparatus so as to leave
the orifice quite clear and unimpeded for the reception of water and of the bottle
or vessel containing the chemicals, or for the removal thereof. The disc forming
this pivotted or hinged valve or closing piece is provided, around its upper edge,
with India-rubber or some similar material, which, when the valve is in its closed
position, is pressed against the lower face of the metal around the orifice so as to
secure an air and gas tight joint. This valve or closing piece is operated by the
following means, that is to say, the said valve or piece is connected at its hinged or
pivotted portion with a horizontal rod which passes through a stuffing box and
extends to the outside of the apparatus. This outer end has upon it a square or
otherwise shaped block having an aperture completely through the same at right.
angles to the axis of the rod, another rod being fitted loosely within this aperture
in such a manner that it will readily slide therein but will not become entirely
disengaged therefrom, being provided with an enlargement at each end, one of
which enlargements is made of convenient shape and dimensions to be grasped by
the operator. I provide upon the outside of the apparatus, immediately below the
s

page_text: outer end of the valve-rod, a holder for the reception of the lower part of the
sliding rod when the valve is in its closed position. This holder may consist of a
curved piece of metal soldered, or otherwise secured, to the apparatus in such a
manner and position that the lower part of the sliding rod may be pushed within
the space enclosed thereby so that the said rod, and consequently the valve, will
be securely held until the former is raised. To uncover the orifice the sliding rod
is first lifted and .then is used as a lever to turn or partially rotate the horizontal
rod and thus cause the valve to descend. The operation in a reverse direction
closes the orifice. For holding and breaking 'the aforesaid bottle or vessel I provide
the following arrangement, that is to say, an open cylinder or tube is attached
firmly to a vertical rod within the apparatus which rod is supported in bearings so
as to be capable of movement. The said rod passes through a stuffing box in the
upper part of the apparatus, one end extending outside the same and a handle
being secured to this end; by moving this handle the cylinder for holding the
bottle may be moved from one side to the other side of the apparatus, its path
being in the arc of a circle. When it is desired to insert or withdraw the said
bottle or receptacle the handle is so moved as to bring the cylinder or holder
immediately beneath the orifice, the hinged or pivotted cover having been first
depressed so as to be out of the way. The bottle or vessel having been inserted,
the handle is operated so as to withdraw the same to one side so that it shall form
no impediment to the movement of the valve or closing piece for closing the orifice.
This closing having been effected there is then nothing to prevent the cylinder and
bottle from being moved which is done by operating the handle; that is to say
when it is desired to put the apparatus into operation the handle is moved to cause
the cylinder, and with it the bottle, to pass suddenly to one side of the apparatus
whereupon the naked portion of the bottle protruding from the cylinder or holder
comes violently against sharp or other suitable projections secured to the interior
of the apparatus and is thus broken in such manner that the chemicals are liberated
therefrom and the gases are at once generated.
22
1
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Extinguishing Fire.
"
⚫I, WILLIAM BRUCE DICK, of 20 Bucklersbury, in the County of Middlesex, 38
Engineer and Contractor, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR EXTINGUISHING FIRE and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:-
My invention relates to fire-extinguishing apparatus wherein water is stored in 4
a suitable receptacle and provision is made for ejecting or discharging such water

page_text: under pressure, and wherein the required pressure is obtained by the generation of
gas by the mixture of chemical substances.
In apparatus of the class to which my improvements are applicable, one or more
of the said chemical substances are contained in a bottle or vessel suitably supported
in the water-receptacle, and this bottle or vessel has to be broken for the purpose
of generating the gas when the apparatus is to be put in operation.
My improvements are designed to facilitate the opening and closing of the mouth
of the apparatus, the insertion and withdrawal of the said bottle or vessel, and the
breakage of the same for the purpose above specified.
My improvements, as applied to a portable apparatus, are illustrated in the
accompanying drawing, in which
Figure 1 is a plan, and
:
.
Figure 2 a side elevation, partly in vertical central section, of the said apparatus.
Figure 3. is a horizontal section on the line x, x, Figure 1.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.
a indicates the water-receptacle, which has an orifice a¹ at the top. is a valve
or closing piece, which consists of a metal disc or plate provided with a ring or
washer of india-rubber or other suitable material. This valve is fixed on a rod
or spindle c carried in bearings c¹, so that it may be turned around or about the "
axis of the said spindle, either into position to close the orifice a! as shown in
Figure 1, or into the position shown in Figure 2 so as to leave the said orifice clear
for the purpose of filling the receptacle a with water, or for the insertion or removal
of the bottle or vessel containing the chemicals. When the valve is in the position
shown in Figure 1, the ring or washer 6¹ presses against the lower face of the metal
around the orifice a¹ and thus tightly closes the said orifice.
The rod c passes through a stuffing box d and extends beyond the exterior of
the receptacle a. It has, at its outer end, an enlargement c², in which another rod e
is fitted to slide. The rod e is provided at its extremities with enlargements e¹, e²,
so that it cannot be withdrawn from the rod c. The said rod e serves as a handle
for turning the valve b to open or close the orifice a', the enlargement e'. being made
of convenient shape and size to be grasped by the hand of the operator. To
provide for retaining the valve b in its closed position, I secure a holder or socket f
upon the exterior of the receptacle a, in such a position that, when the valve is
closed, the end e² of the sliding rod e can be pushed into the said holder, as shown
by dotted lines in Figure 2, and will thereby be securely held in position. This
holder or socket may be conveniently formed by soldering or otherwise securing a
curved piece of metal to the receptacle a. To open the orifice a¹, the sliding rod e
is first withdrawn from the socket f and is then used as a lever to partially rotate
the rod c in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 2. The partial rotation
of the rod c in the reverse direction closes the said orifice.
By these means, moreover, I provide for very readily ascertaining, at any time,
if the orifice a¹ is properly closed, as the rod e cannot be pushed into the socket f
except when the valve is closed. I sometimes employ other suitable means for
retaining the said valve in its closed position.
An important advantage is obtained by arranging "the valve or closing piece
within the receptacle a, instead of on the outside thereof as heretofore, as any
pressure in the said receptacle will tend to force the valve more tightly against its
seat instead of tending to open the said valve.
g is a frame or carrier for supporting the bottle or vessel containing the
chemicals. This frame is firmly secured to a vertical rod or spindle / supported in
bearings i so as to be capable of rotation therein. The said rod passes through a
stuffing box j in the upper part of the apparatus, and extends above the same, and
a handle k is secured to the upper end of the said rod; by turning this handle, the
frame g can be moved from side to side of the apparatus, around or about the axis
of the rod h. When it is desired to insert the bottle in, or withdraw it from,
the frame g, the handle is moved in the direction indicated by the arrows in
Figures 1 and 3 to bring the said frame immediately beneath the orifice a¹, the

page_text: valve b having been previously moved into the position shown in Figure 2. When
the bottle or vessel has been inserted, the handle k is turned in the reverse direction
to move the frame g'to one side of the receptacle a as shown in Figure 3, so that it
will offer.no. obstruction to the movement of the valve b in closing the orifice a'.
A spring is provided for retaining the handle / and frame g in the positions
shown in Figures 1 and 3.
., are fingers or projections provided upon the inner side of the receptacle a for
the purpose hereinafter explained.
When it is desired to put the apparatus into operation, the frame g and the
bottle held therein are moved rapidly from side to side of the receptacle a in the
direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 3, so that the bottle is brought violently
against the projections and is thereby broken; the chemicals being thus liberated,
gas is at once generated and the required pressure obtained within the receptacle a.
There may be one or any other desired number of the projections l, and they
may be either formed on, or attached in any suitable manner to, the receptacle a..
m is a pipe for the discharge of the water from the receptacle a. This pipe is to
be provided with a short length of hose and a suitable stop-cock.
It is obvious that the construction of the apparatus may be somewhat modified
without departing from the nature of my said invention..
Having now 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.
First. In a fire-extinguishing apparatus of the class above described, a valve or
closing piece arranged within the water-receptacle so that pressure therein will tend
to force the valve against its seat, and provided with means for opening and
closing it, substantially as, and for the purpose, set forth.
Second. In the said apparatus, the employment of a frame or carrier within the
water-receptacle, arranged to be moved from side to side thereof and to operate in
combination with one or more fingers or projections on the inner side of the said
receptacle, substantially as, and for the purpose, set forth.
+
Third. The improved apparatus consisting of the parts constructed and combined
substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawing for the
purpose specified.