IMPROVEMENTS IN AUTOMATIC FIRE EXTINGUISHERS
Year: 1884

page_text: I ALFRED JAMES EASTWOOD, of Monton, Eccles, Lancashire, Agent, do hereby
declare the nature of said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN AUTOMATIC FIRE
EXTINGUISHERS, to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in the construction of those automatic
distributors which are connected to a system of water supply pipes and are sealed
by a soft solder until an outbreak of fire takes place, when the action of the heat
on the soft solder, fuses the metal, releases the valve, and distributes the water over
a considerable area, thereby automatically extinguishing the fire.
My improvements consist in various novel constructions of such automatic
distributors, whereby I am enabled to dispense with loose parts, and insure the
prompt and certain action of the apparatus.
In each of these novel constructions I form the valve of the distributor with an
outlet which can be closed by a valve seating contained in a concave, flat or other
shaped deflector and for the purpose of holding the valve seating tight to the valve
until an outbreak of fire takes place and the water is required to be distributed,
I employ the following devices.
First. I fix a crossbar in the shell of the valve through a hole in which passes
a stem secured to the valve seating at one end and provided with a small collar at
the other. I form projections on the sides of the valve casing to which I pivot two
arms, to one of which I pivot one end of a crossbar, the other end of which I solder
to the remaining arm by metal, fusible at a low temperature; I form a hole with
a screw thread in the crossbar through which passes a screw which bears against
the outside of the deflector, and thus presses the valve seating tightly to the
valve.
When the heat of the fire is sufficiently great to fuse the solder, the crossbar with
its screw falls away from the deflector and thus the valve seating is allowed to fall
away from the valve as far as the stem permits, and the water instantly rushes
upon the deflector and is distributed upon the fire.
In some cases, the end of the crossbar, where soldered is supported by a pin on
the pivoted arm and rounded off so that when the solder fuses the crossbar slips
readily off the pin.

page_text: Second. I pivot or fix one arm to a projection on the valve casing in the manner
previously described, and to the other end of this arm I pivot or otherwise connect
one end of a curved arm, the other end of which I solder to the other projection on
the valve casing; on this curved arm I place a bracket through which passes the
screw which bears on the deflector and by which a watertight joint is maintained.
When the heat causes the solder to fuse the curved arm falls away taking with it
the bracket and screw, and allowing the valve to open.
Third. I secure two rigid straps or arms to the projections on the valve casing
and connect these arms by a crossbar (or the arms and crossbar may be formed
together in one piece); the stem of the deflector in this arrangement is passed
loosely through a hole in this crossbar which thus acts as a guide for the deflector
and a portion of the stem is provided with a screw thread on which a nut is placed;
on the stem of the deflector between this nut and the crossbar I place a curved bar
The valve seating
or lever the extremities of which are soldered to the rigid arms.
can be pressed tight against the valve by screwing the nut on the deflector stem,
against the curved bar.
When the heat melts the solder, the curved bar or lever falls away, the deflector
is released and the valve opened.
Fourth. I fix preferably by two screwed pins a slotted piece or bracket to each
side of the valve casing: these brackets are curved so as to leave spaces between
them and the casing and I form a metal frame on which are T or other shaped
projections which take into the slots and the spaces between the brackets and the
casing; this frame is held in position by two arms on each side which are pivoted
preferably on the same screwed pins which secure the brackets to the casing, the
loose ends of these arms being fastened together by soft solder: a screw passes
through the crossbar, which connects the two sides of the frame, and this screw acts
on the deflector and keeps the valve seating pressed against the valve until the fire
melts the solder and allows the frame to slide along the slots in the brackets
sufficiently to open the valve when the water is distributed by the deflector as
previously described,
H. B. BARLOW,
Agent for Applicant,
4, Mansfield Chambers,
7, St. Ann's Square, Manchester.

page_text: I ALFRED JAMES EASTWOOD of Monton, Eccles, Lancashire, Agent, do hereby
declare the nature of said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AUTOMATIC FIRE
EXTINGUISHERS and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
"3
-
My invention relates to improvements in the construction of those automatic
distributors which are connected to a system of water supply pipes and are sealed
with a soft solder until an outbreak of fire takes place when the action of the heat
on the soft solder fuses the metal, releases the valve and distributes the water over
a considerable area thereby automatically extinguishing the fire.
My improvements consist in various novel constructions of such automatic
distributors whereby I am enabled to dispense with loose parts and insure the
prompt and certain action of the apparatus.
And in order that my invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect I will describe the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, reference being had to
the figures and letters marked thereon.
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation and Fig. 2 a side elevation of an automatic fire
extinguisher constructed according to my Invention. Figs. 3 and 4 and Figs. 5 and 6
are similar views of other forms of automatic fire extinguishers constructed according
to my Invention. Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation, Fig. 8 a side elevation and Fig. 9
a plan of another automatic fire extinguisher constructed according to my Invention
and Figs. 10 and 11 are a sectional elevation and a side elevation respectively of
a modification of the form of extinguisher shown in Figs. 1 and 2.
Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.
In each of these novel constructions, a represents the shell of the valve which is
screwed on or otherwise secured to the water supply pipe, not shown. I form the
valve of the distributor with an outlet a¹ which can be closed by a valve seating b
preferably of soft metal contained in a concave, flat, or other shaped deflector c and
for the purpose of holding the valve seating b tight to the outlet a' of the valve
until an outbreak of fire takes place and the water is required to be distributed
I employ the following devices :-
First, see Figs. 1 and 2. I fix a cross bar d in the shell a of the valve through
a hole in which passes a stem e secured to the valve seating b and deflector c at one
end and provided with a small collar e at the other. I form projections a² on the
sides of the valve casing a to which I pivot two arms ff¹ to one of which I pivot
one end of a cross bar g, the other end of which is soldered to the remaining arm f¹
by metal fusible at a low temperature. I form a hole with a screw thread in the
cross bar g through which passes a screw h which bears against the outside of the
deflector c and thus presses the valve seating b tightly to the valve outlet a'. In
some cases the end of the cross bar g where soldered is rounded off and supported
by a pin i as shown in the Drawings.

page_text: When the heat of the fire is sufficiently great to fuse the solder the rounded end
of the cross bar g slips off the pin i and with the screw h falls away from the
deflector c and thus the valve seating b is allowed to fall away from the valve as far
as the collar c¹ on the stem e permits and the water under pressure in the supply
pipe instantly rushes upon the deflector c and is distributed upon the fire.
Second, see Figs. 3 and 4. I pivot or fix one arm f to one of the projections a² on
the valve casing a in the manner previously described and to the other end of this
arm fI pivot, as shown, or otherwise connect one end of a curved arm f³ the other
end of which I solder to the other projection a² on the valve casing: on the arm f
I pivot or secure a bracket j through which passes the screw h which bears against
the deflector o and by means of which a water tight joint is maintained.
When the heat causes the solder to fuse, the curved arm falls away taking with
it the bracket j and screw h and allowing the valve to open and the water to be
distributed as before described.
Third, see Figs. 5 and 6. I secure two straps or arms ff on the valve casing
and I connect these arms by a cross bar g' (or the arms and cross bar may be formed
together in one piece); the stem e in the deflector c of this arrangement is passed
loosely through a hole in the cross bar g¹ which thus acts as a guide for the
deflector c and a portion of the stem is provided with a screw thread on which
a nut is placed; on the stem e between the nut es and the cross bar g¹ I place
a curved bar or lever k the extremities of which are soldered to the arms ff. The
valve seating b can be pressed tight against the valve by screwing the nut es on
the deflector stem e against the curved bar k.
When the heat melts the solder the curved--bar
released and the valve opened.
fulls away, the deflector c is
Fourth, see Figs. 7, 8 and 9. I fix preferably by two screwed pins la slotted
piece or bracket m to each side of the valve casing a; these brackets m are curved
so as to leave spaces between them and the casing a and I form a metal frame ƒ³
on which are T (as shown) or other shaped projections which take into the shots
and the spaces between the brackets m and the casing a; this frame f³ is held in
position by two arms n on each side of the casing which are pivoted preferably on
the same screwed pins which secure the brackets m to the casing, the loose ends of
these arms n being fastened together by soft solder; a screw / passes through the
cross bar g¹ which connects the two sides of the frame f³ and this screw h acts
directly on the deflector c and keeps the valve seating b pressed against the valve
until the fire melts the soft solder and allows the frame f³ to slide along the slots in
the brackets m, sufficiently to open the valve, when the water is distributed by the
deflector c as previously described.
Figs. 10 and 11, illustrate a modified form of the extinguisher shown in Figs. 5
and 6.
In this arrangement the arms ff¹ and cross bar g¹ instead of being made in three
separate pieces, are formed together in one piece or frame f4 secured to the pro-
jections a³ and instead of having a curved bar or lever I employ a bar o which is
pivoted at one end to the frame f* and the other end which is rounded off rests
upon the curved pin or link i and is soldered to the frame f4. The bar o is provided
with a hole for the stem e to pass through and a tight joint is maintained by
screwing up the nut e³.
When the heat melts the soft solder, the bar o falls sufficiently to open the valve
and allow the water to be distributed by the deffector c as already described.
I would have it clearly understood that I lay no special claim to the use of soft
solder for the purpose of holding the valve seating to the valve until the solder is
fused by the action of heat, the chief feature of my Invention consisting in the
novel construction and arrangements of the parts whereby all loose parts are
avoided, every part which moves when the solder melts and the valve is allowed to
open being connected either directly or indirectly to the valve casing.

page_text: 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
1. The construction, combination and arrangement of parts forming the improved
automatic fire extinguisher, substantially as and for the purposes herein described
and as illustrated by Figs. 1 and 2.
2. The construction, combination and arrangement of parts forming the improved
automatic fire extinguisher, substantially as and for the purposes herein described
and as illustrated by Figs. 3 and 4.
3. The construction, combination and arrangement of parts forming the improved
automatic fire extinguisher, substantially as and for the purposes herein described
and illustrated by Figs. 5 and 6.
4. The construction, combination and arrangement of parts forming the improved
automatic fire extinguisher, substantially as and for the purposes herein described
and as illustrated by Figs. 7, 8, and 9.
5. The construction, combination and arrangement of parts forming the improved
automatic fire extinguisher, substantially as and for the purposes herein described
and as illustrated by Figs. 10 and 11.
Dated this 18th day of July 1885.
H. B. BARLOW,
Agent for Applicant,
17, St. Ann's Square, Manchester.