IMPROVED MEANS FOR PREVENTING THE FLOODING OF WAREHOUSES AND OTHER BUILDINGS IN CASE OF FIRE OR OTHERWISE.
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of
"IMPROVED MEANS FOR PREVENTING THE FLOODING OF WAREHOUSES AND
OTHER BUILDINGS IN CASE OF FIRE OR OTHERWISE.'
."-A communication
from abroad by John Henry Morrell, of the City, County, and State
Time Staton of Amarian
Sealed the 20th July 1875, and dated the 2nd June 1875.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Alexander Melville Clark
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition
and Declaration, on the 2nd June 1875, pursuant to the 9th
Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVED MEANS
FOR PREVENTING THE FLOODING OF WAREHOUSES AND OTHER BUILDINGS IN CASE OF
FIRE OR OTHERWISE," and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto me,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent

page_text: c
for the same, and have made solemn Declaration that it has been com-
municated to me from abroad by John Henry Morrell, of the City,
County, and State of New York, United States of America.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, do hereby
declare that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and
seal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
The object of this Invention is to provide a means of preventing
warehouses and other buildings from being flooded in case of fire, as is
now commonly the case when a fire breaks out in any of the upper
stories of a building, and thereby save a large amount of goods which
might otherwise be destroyed by water soaking through the floors to the
rooms below, the construction and operation of which will be understood
from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings forming part of this Specification, in which Figure 1 repre-
sents a sectional elevation showing the Invention as applied; Figure 2
is a plan of the same. Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding
parts.
In the case here presented A represents a metallic pipe leading con-
tinuously from the top floor of a warehouse or other building to the
street, sewer, or other drain. B, B, are metallic sinks or reservoirs
countersunk in the flooring and located in the corners of the warerooms
or such other part or parts of the building as the aforesaid pipe or pipes
may pass. Each of said pipes has an opening or series of openings C
equal to its capacity in each sink or reservoir, so that in case of fire
breaking out on any floor or room of a building the damage by water
may be confined thereto, as the water thrown into such room readily
finds its way of escape into the sinks and down the pipes, thus keeping
the floor of such room or compartment sufficiently free from water to
prevent soaking through to the next floor below.
The aforesaid metallic sinks or reservoirs are to be sunk in the flooring
so that their upper edges may be flush with the floor or a little below.
I also propose having a series of grooves, channels, or pipes in the
flooring leading toward each sink or reservoir, tapping the same when
necessary so as to conduct the water thereto.
The aforesaid pipe or pipes have their openings protected by a wire

page_text: gauze, or have a series of holes C made or cast in the same so as to
prevent floating debris from getting in the pipe.
The aforesaid sinks or reservoirs have a grating D over them, which
being flush with the floor will enable the whole space of flooring to be
occupied.
In cases where the main pipe or pipes may not be near the sewer on
the lower floor or basement. I tap the main pipe or pipes and attach a
diagonal leader or leaders, as shown at E in the Drawing, and thereby
save the expense of digging in order to make the connection with the
sewer.
I do not limit myself to the exclusive form or arrangement of pipes
and reservoirs, as shown, as I also propose having both pipes and
reservoirs or either of them built in the walls of the building so as to
be out of sight.
The above described Invention also provides a means of escape for
water in case of pipes bursting from frost or otherwise, which if not
checked immediately would cause great damage both to building and
property contained therein. And furthermore the leader from the eaves
may, be turned inward so as to conduct the water from the roof into the
pipe or pipes, and thereby utilize them and save the additional cost of
full length of leader as ordinarily applied to the outside of buildings.
Having described the nature of the Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I declare that what I claim as new and desire to
secure by Letters Patent is, a floodway for warehouses consisting of one
or more pipes A leading continuously from the upper floor of warehouses
or other buildings to the street sewer, said pipe or pipes having apertures
on each story opening into metallic sinks B or reservoirs, the same being
arranged in the manner and for the purpose substantially as herein set
forth, shown, and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Second day of June, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-