IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-PROOF DOORS, SHUTTERS, SCREENS, SAFES, OR OTHER APPARATUS, OR STRUCTURES, REQUIRING TO BE RENDERED FIRE- PROOF
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Samuel Benjamin Wilkins at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd May 1882.
SAMUEL BENJAMIN WILKINS, of the City and County of Edinburgh, North
Britain, Fire Master "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-PROOF DOORS, SHUTTERS, SCREENS,
SAFES, OR OTHER APPARATUS, OR STRUCTURES, REQUIRING TO BE RENDERED FIRE-
PROOF."
This invention relates to improvements in fire-proof doors, shutters, screens,
safes, or other apparatus, or structures, requiring to be rendered fire-proof.
According to this Invention I construct fire-proof doors of a strong framing of
iron, or steel, to cover the opening forming the doorway.
The plates forming the panels of the door are bulged or what is sometimes
known as "buckled" and may be either welded or riveted to the frame proper, so
that a hollow space constituting a tank is thereby formed.
A tank, or cistern, is placed in any convenient position above the door, from
which two pipes are led one at the top and the other at the bottom.
Or the pipes may be placed one at or near to the top and the other at or near
to the bottom of the door working through hollow hinges. These pipes act as a
flow and return pipe similar to those used in a hot water heating apparatus.
The doors may be either worked on a pivot or pivots or on hinges.-If worked on
pivots the flow and return pipes leading from the cistern may be carried to and
connected with the top and bottom parts of the door.-To supply the door with
water from the tank, the pivots are made hollow and constructed in such a
manner as to allow of the admission and discharge and full circulation of the
water whatever position the door may be in either open, or shut.-Or the doors
may be supplied with water by other equivalent means.
This invention is also adaptable as a fire-proof shutter, or screen, for preventing
the spread of fire through large openings such as exist in Theatres and other
large buildings in which case the shutter is constructed as follows:-
Where the height will admit the fire-proof shutter, or screen, may be made in
one piece but in such a manner as to constitute a tank for holding water and it
may be worked by hydraulic power, counterpoise weights, or otherwise to suit the
requirements of the building. But where the height of the building does not allow
the shutter to be made in one piece it is divided into two parts. In this case the

page_text: sides and bottom of the upper half, of the fire-proof shutter, or screen, is made of
steel, or iron, which forms the frame proper, to which the plates are welded or
riveted, one on each side, thus allowing space between the plates and framing for
holding water. The lower half of the shutter is made in a manner similar to that
of the upper half, the two parts forming a tank when closed. The upper half
slides upwards above the opening, and the lower half slides downwards below the
bottom part of the opening.-A plate being provided to close the opening through
which the lower half passes when that half is down.-This plate is raised by the
shutter when moving upwards and closes the opening by its own weight when the
shutter is lowered.
The top and bottom half of the shutter are connected by a strong wire rope,
chain, or connection of other non-inflammable material which is secured to the top
corners, of the lower half and carried up over pulleys from which it is brought
down and secured to the bottom corners of the top half of the shutter.
The upper half of the shutter is constructed by preference slightly heavier than
the lower half either by adding weight to the upper half or by using counter
balance weights as circumstances may require, by this means the shutter is easily
raised and lowered.
Provision is also made to prevent the shutter from warping if exposed to heat.-
A tank or cistern is placed in a convenient position higher than the top part of
the shutter, a supply pipe is carried down from the cistern to the upper half,
this pipe being a fixture, the upper half of the shutter sliding up and down on
this pipe.
At the bottom of the top half of the shutter there are tubes varying in number
or dimensions according to the size of the shutter.-These tubes are tapered and
slide into openings in the top part of the lower half of the shutter and when
closed this allows the lower part to be filled with water.
By means of a rod, or other connection to a valve in the tank above, the other
end being attached to a lever placed in any convenient position the whole shutter
is at once filled with water.
The top part of the upper half of the shutter is constructed either wholly or
partly open, so as to allow water to overflow and by this means the whole shutter
is kept perfectly cool the water being allowed to flow over both halves.-At the
lower part of the bottom half of the shutter a plug or stop-cock is placed so that
the water can be run out at pleasure.
The shutter is fitted in guides of steel, iron, or other fire-proof material, for the
two halves of the shutter to travel up and down in such a manner as to prevent
either smoke or flame getting through to the other part of the building.
Another part of this invention consists in its adaptability for preserving
documents or other articles from destruction by fire which may be placed in iron
safes or fire-proof rooms, by adding another casing to the same, to form a space
for water.
This space is filled in a similar manner to that herein before described with
reference to the construction of fire-proof doors.
Another part of this Invention consists in its adaptability for protecting iron
beams which wholly or partly support water cisterns.
When iron beams are required to support any part of the tank which is to
supply the doors or shutters with water an outer casing is constructed to cover the
beam or beams proper, and by having holes at the bottom of the tank immediately
above this casing the water flows round the beam and thereby prevents its warping
and giving way when exposed to heat.