AN INSTRUMENT FOR ASCERTAINING AND INDICATING ANY EXTRAORDINARY TEMPERATURE IN BUILDINGS AND APARTMENTS OF EVERY KIND.
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Arthur Lee Sparkes, of Burslem, in the County
of Stafford, and Clement Marsh, of Wolstanton, in the same County,
for the Invention of "AN INSTRUMENT FOR ASCERTAINING AND INDICATING
ANY EXTRAORDINARY TEMPERATURE IN BUILDINGS AND APARTMENTS OF EVERY
KIND.
"
Scaled the 12th June 1874, and dated the 2nd April 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Arthur Lee Sparkes and
Clement Marsh at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 2nd April 1874.
.
We, ARTHUR LEE SPARKES, of Burslem, in the County of Stafford,
and CLEMENT MARSH, of Wolstanton, in the same County, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN INSTRUMENT FOR
ASCERTAINING AND INDICATING ANY EXTRAORDINARY TEMPERATURE IN BUILDINGS
AND APARTMENTS OF EVERY KIND," to be as follows :—
•
Our instrument is nomnosed of a class tube with hull,

page_text: fill this bulb with mercury, but so as to leave a bubble of air or other
gas above the mercury. We then introduce at one end a wire of copper
or other suitable metal, preferably passing into the bulb, and fixed in
this position in an air-tight manner. This wire leads from the bulb to a
galvanic battery of any kind. Another wire is then passed by the other
end of the glass tube, but so as to work freely therein, this end of the
tube being graduated from the bulb to indicate degrees of temperature.
The glass tube is set in any suitable framing.
The action of this instrument will be as follows:-The shifting wiro
is set at that point of the graduated scale which will indicate a tempe. 1
rature objectionable in the apartment in which the instrument is placed,
a greenhouse for example; so long as the temperature does not attain
this degree the mercury will not reach the moveable wire, but so soon as
the heat upon the bulb shall have caused such an expansion of the air
bubble within it as will allow the mercury to sink in the bulb and pass
down the tube to the wire the circuit will be complete, and the current
will pass from the battery to a bell and indicator or alarm of kind
any
with which it may be placed in connection.
It will be evident that this instrument may be usefully employed as a
fire alarm or fire detector in apartments of every kind, it being only 2
necessary to set the shifting wire at a degree of temperature above that
which the apartment could attain under any other conditions, and then
cause a bell to sound continuously, at the same time telegraphing the
fact in any convenient mode.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Arthur Lee Sparkes and Clement Marsh in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st October 1874.
3
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Arthur Lee Sparkes and Clement Marsh in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st October 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, wc, ARTHÜR 30
SPARKES of Burslim in the County of Stafford, and CLEMENT

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Second day of April, in the
year of our Lord Onc. thousand eight hundred and seventy-four,. in
the thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto us, the said Arthur Lee Sparkes and
Clement Marsh, Her special licence, that we, the said Arthur Lee Sparkes
and Clement Marsli, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said Arthur Lee Sparkes and Clement Marsh, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time, and at all times thereafter during the.
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland;
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN INSTRUMENT
FOR ASCERTAINING AND INDICATING ANY EXTRAORDINARY TEMPERATURE IN
BUILDINGS AND APARTMENTS OF EVERY KIND," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we,..tlie said Arthur Lec Sparkes and Clement Marsh,
our executors. or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
our, or one of our, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly describe.. and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to
be filed in the Great. Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
י
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Arthur Lee Sparkes, for myself
and my co-patentee, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference
being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawing, and to the figures
and letters of reference placed thereon:-
.
Our instrument is composed of a glass tube with bulb. We partially
fill this bulb with mercury, but in order to obtain a very rapid action.
we leave above the mercury a bubble of air or other expansive body.
We find carbonic acid or spirits of wine very suitable. We then
introduce at one end of the glass tube a wire of copper, platinum, or
other suitable metal, preferably passing into the bulb, and fixed in this,
position in an air-tight manner; this wire leads from the bulb to a
galvanic battery of any kind. Another wire is then passed by the other
end of the glass tube, but so as to work freely. therein, this end of the:

page_text: tube being graduated from the bulb to indicate degrees of temperature.
The glass tube is set in any suitable framing.
On the accompanying Sheet of Drawing Figure 1 represents a general
view or plan of an instrument embodying our Invention; and Figure 2
is an edge view of same.
A is the bulb containing the mercury, shown in red; a, air bubble;
B, C, tube; D, fixed wire to connect through stud at d to battery ;
E, shifting or regulating wire connected to battery through stud e;
f, extension of mercury tube towards the centre of the bulb; the object
of this prolongation of tube being to keep the quantity of air therein
constant.
The action of this instrument is as follows:-It is placed preferably
in a horizontal position against the wall or other convenient part of a
building or apartment, and the shifting or regulating wire E is set at
that point of the graduated scale which will indicate a temperature :
objectionable in the apartment in which the instrument is placed, a
greenhouse for example; so long as the temperature does not attain this
objectionable degree the mercury will not reach the wire E, but so soon
as the heat upon the bulb A shall have caused such an expansion of the
air bubble or other expansive body a within it as will allow the mercury
to sink in the bulb and pass down the tube B to the wire E the circuit
will be complete, and the current will pass from the battery to a bell
and indicator or alarm of any kind with which it may be placed in
connection...
"We would here observe that when a very rapid action is not required:
the bulb may be wholly filled with mercury, the air or other bubble a
being dispensed with, the shifting wire however being set as above.
described.
Figure 3 is a plan view illustrating our Invention applied to a
thermometer so as to indicate any increase and a fixed decrease of
temperature.
A is the bulb of mercury; B, branch tube leading to the bulb Ơ.
containing spirits of wine or other body, expanding or contracting under.
change of temperature: c. fixed wire passing through bulb C into tube B:

page_text: Upon any increase of temperature in the apartment or locality in
which this instrument is placed the mercury will pass along the tube G
towards the shifting wire, forming the circuit and giving the alarm
when the temperature reaches the degree at which the shifting wire E
is set, and upon the decrease of temperature. attaining. the degree at
which the fixed wire c is secured the mercury will have passed along the
tube B to the said wire, the circuit being also thus formed and an alarm
will be given
¨Upon any increase of temperature in the apartment or locality in
which this instrument is placed 'the mercury will pass along the tube G
towards the shifting wire, forming the circuit and giving the alarm
when the temperature reaches the degree at which the shifting wire E
is set, and upon the decrease of temperature attaining. the degree at
which the fixed wire c is secured the mercury will have passed along the
tube B to the said wire, the circuit being also thus formed and an alarm
will be given.
This instrument as announcing any increase of heat beyond that
desired, and also a fixed, degree of cold which will prove injurious will
be found of great value in greenhouses.
It will be evident that instruments made according to our Invention
may be usefully employed as fire alarms or fire detectors in apartments
of every kind, it being only. necessary to set the shifting wire E at a
degree of temperature above that which the apartment could attain
under any other conditions, and then cause a bell to sound continuously,
at the same time telegraphing the fact in any convenient mode.
One of the merits of this Invention is therefore that the presence of
fire is immediately detected by means of the instrument, and in large
establishments for storing furniture or goods the wires from all the
rooms or warehouses may centre in a special apartment occupied by a
watchman, who will thus know exactly where a fire has broken out, and
be able to attack it without loss of time.
Having now described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and in what manner the same is or may be performed, we
would have it distinctly understood that we do not claim as of our
Invention any particular form or construction of thermometer, nor the
use of a fixed wire or fixed wires for completing the circuit and giving
alarm upon the expansion or contraction of the mercury, but that what
we claim as secured to us by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is,-
Firstly. The use of the shifting wire, substantially as and for the
purpose herein-before set forth, and whether the mercury bulb has or
has not a bubble of air or other expansive body above the mercury.
Secondly. The use of the bubble of air or other expansive body above

page_text: the mercury in the bulb in combination with a shifting wire, sub-
stantially as and for the purpose specified..
In witness, whereof, I, the said Arthur Lee Sparkes, for myself
and on behalf of my co-patentee, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirtieth day of September, in the year of our 5
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.