A Fire-extinguishing Apparatus, and an Extinguishing Solution Employed in connection with it.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Jan., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 29th Oct., 1896-Accepted, 2nd Jan., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Fire-extinguishing Apparatus, and an Extinguishing Solution
Employed in connection with it.
I, JOSEPH TOMBEUR of 25 Rue d'Arenberg, Brussels in the Kingdom of
Belgium, Clerk do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is a fire-extinguisher, specially adapted for domestic
use, by the fact that it requires no technical knowledge on the part of the
individual using it and the most inexperienced person, or even a child can handle it
as effectively as any fireman.
It has nothing to do with special fire-extinguishing elements, such as certain
gases but on the contrary acts only by the medium of a liquid or ordinary water
and unlike those apparatuses which depend for their efficiency on the supply not
always forthcoming, of a certain gas, my extinguisher is always available and
ready for use.
Lastly, it is so made that it can be carried by any person with the greatest ease
and it will pour such a shower of water on the seat of the fire, that the latter will
be promptly and totally extinguished. Thus, in a word, it constitutes a portable
fire-engine, provided with all needful accessories and capable of casting a stream
of water to a considerable distance simply by hand power.
My extinguisher is provided with a tank, intended to be carried on a man's
back and to which the squirt is attached by a hook. The squirt communicates
with the bottom of the tank by a suitable flexible pipe. In order that it may be
the more easily carried, the tank is slightly curved inwardly, on one of its sides or
walls, so as to fit conveniently to the back of the person carrying it. It is also
provided with two straps for carrying it, or for hooking it up. The handle fixed
at the top, enables it to be carried in one's hand, if desired. The tank is closed by
a hinged lid, and in order to prevent the liquid from escaping at the joint, the edge
of the lid is made to fit tightly inside the vessel.
Under this lid, a very close grating, or strainer is secured, which covers all the
upper part of the tank and is intended to be hooked to its edges or to rest upon
flanges or other projections on the inside walls.
The object of this grating, or strainer, is to prevent any matter, or substance,
suspended in the water from passing into the tank.
One end of the flexible tube is connected with the tap of the tank and the other
end joins to the squirt by means of a small tube.
The squirt comprises the barrel, or chamber, in which moves a piston provided
with a rod and a handle.
The barrel, or chamber, is flanked by two pipes communicating therewith at
their two ends. One of the pipes is connected with the tank by the above
mentioned small tube on which the india-rubber pipe is fitted.
The liquid flowing into the said pipe is drawn alternately up and down, according
as the piston falls or rises in the barrel or chamber.
When the piston is raised the liquid enters the barrel at the lower end, by
lifting a spring valve. The fall of the piston expels the liquid through the
adjutage lifting another spring valve.
During the downward stroke of the piston, the liquid will have penetrated
through the upper valve of the first pipe into the chamber above the piston, and

page_text: the upward stroke of the latter drives it into the second pipe lifting its spring
valve. From there, it passes through an oblique channel into the chamber, whence
it is ejected by the adjutage.
In order to give the jet the largest possible superficies, the end of the adjutage
is in the form of a reversed truncated cone, measuring 24 millimeters in height, so
that the base of the cone, which is the orifice of the adjutage, may be a good
3 millimeters in diameter, whereas the top of the cone is only just 3 millimeters.
This funnel-like arrangement disperses the liquid in fan-shape.
The water-tightness of the squirt, is secured by a unio -nut firmly pressing a
small socket, packed with tow, on the upper end of the barrel or chamber.
The suppression of the fire will be all the more rapid and complete, if the
efficacity of the apparatus is increased by using, instead of ordinary water, some
suitable solution having special extinguishing powers and being of a nature to
check the spread of the fire, for instance: alumina-sulphate, borate of so la, boracic
acid, and water in suitable proportions. The effect of such a solution is to render
any objects sufficiently sprinkled or saturated with it, perfectly incombustible, and
consequently when used with the apparatus above described, the combined
advantages enable a fire to be extinguished more rapidly and thoroughly than can
be done by any other known means.
Besides its instantaneous action, the solution in question has the advantage that
it can be kept for any length of time and that, unlike explosive compounds, it is
not corrosive; also it has no injurious effect either ou materials or their colours,
while it does not damage the apparatus with which it is used; consequently the
latter may always be kept filled.
It is therefore evident that the apparatus, being kept in a state of readiness,
may be used at any moment with the utmost promptitude. All that need he done
is to pass one's arms through the shoulder straps and transport it to the scene of
the conflagration; then to turn the tap with one hand, seizing the squirt with the
other, whereupon an energetic stream of liquid can be directed on the seat of the
fire extinguishing the latter immediately. Carrying the apparatus on his back
leaves the bearer's movements free and thus a ladder can be mounted and difficultly
accessible parts reached while he is still using the apparatus.
Dated this 28th day of January 1896.
L. DUVINAGE,
Agent for Applicant.
A Fire-extinguishing Apparatus, and Extinguishing Solution
Employed in connection with it.
I JOSEPH TOMBEUR of 25 Rue d'Arenberg, Brussels, in the Kingdom of
Belgium, Clerk, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
The object of this invention is a fire extinguisher, specially adapted for domestic
use, by the fact that it requires no technical knowledge on the part of the individual
using it and the most inexperienced person, or even a child can handle it as
effectively as any fireman.
It has nothing to do with special fire-extinguishing elements, such as certain
gases, but on the contrary acts only by the medium of a liquid or ordinary water
and unlike those apparatuses which depend for their efficiency on the supply, not
always forthcoming, of a certain gas, my extinguisher is always available and
ready for use.
Lastly, it is so made that it can be carried by any person with the greatest ease

page_text: nd it will pour such a shower of water on the seat of the fire, that the latter will
e promptly and totally extinguished. Thus in a word, it constitutes a portable
ire engine, provided with all needful accessories and capable of casting a stream
f water to a considerable distance simply by hand power.
The extinguisher invented by me is represented in the accompanying drawings,
n which:
Fig. 3 a partial section of the water tank or receptacle,
Fig. 4 represents the supporting device,
Figs. 5, 6, 7 shows the composing parts of the latter,
Fig. 8 is a view of the syringe or squirt in section, actual size.
Fig. 9 is a section on the lines - or - of Fig. 1 and 10 is a view of the
syringe on a reduced scale.
My extinguisher is provided with a tank, intended to be carried on a man's
back and to which the squirt is attached by a hook p and pin pl. The squirt
communicates with the bottom of the tank by a suitable flexible pipe T. In order
that it may be the more easily carried, the tank R is slightly curved inwardly, on
one of its sides or walls, so as to fit conveniently to the back of the person carrying
it. It is also provided with two straps B, for carrying it, or for hooking it up.
The handle A, fixed at the top, enables it to be carried in one's hand, if desired.
The tank is closed by a hinged lid C, and in order to prevent the liquid from
escaping at the joint, the edge of the lid is made to fit tightly inside the vessel as
shewn in Fig. 3. Under this lid, a very close grating, or strainer C¹ is secured,
which covers all the upper part of the tank and is intended to be hooked to its
edges or to rest upon flauges or other projections on the inside walls. The object
of this grating, or strainer is to prevent any matter, or substance, suspended in
the water from passing into the tank.
One end of the flexible tube T is connected with the tap of the tank and the
other end joins to the squirt by means of the small tube g.
The squirt (Figs. 8, 9, 10) is composed of the barrel or chamber a in which the
piston 6 moves, the latter being provided with a rod (c) and a handle d.
The barrel is flanked by two tubes e, f, which are held by their extremities, as is
also the barrel a, in two valve chambers k,l which establish communication between
the three tubes.
The chamberk is pierced with an opening admitting to the barrel and through
which passes the piston-rod. This opening is surmounted by a cylindrical
extension m зcrew-threaded on the outside and on which the tightening nut n is
screwed.
Staunchness is assured by a small tube o surrounding the head of the piston-rod
and, furnished with a flange q, which rests at the bottom of the extension m at the
mouth of the tube a; on this flange is placed a cork washer also surrounding
the piston-rod and fastened by means of a ring s and the nut n.
The valve chambers k,l are composed of a metal piece on one side of which
there are three recesses to receive the ends of the tubes f, a, e. Each of these
recesses communicates, by a horizontal or oblique pipe, with an adjacent vertical
cavity in the walls of which two seats are cut for the valves t, u. The valve t
rests on a seat at the entrance of the barrel-pipe a, above the passage e to allow of
the liquid passing from e to a and prevent it from returning from a to e.
valve is provided with a guide-rod which engages in an opening formed in the
lower part of the valve u. The latter is situated at the entrance to the tube f
above the body a. It is also furnished with a guide-rod u' which engages in the
opening of a screw closing the valve-chambers.
The
The chamber is pierced with an opening facing the tube surmounted by a
cylindrical extension screw-threaded on the outside, upon which the adjutage his
screwed. On the tube f and near the chamber an air reservoir K is fixed intended
to ensure the continuance of the jet.

page_text: About the centre of the pipe e a tube g is fixed which is connected with the
reservoir R by the pipe T.
The action of this squirt is very simple and regular thanks to the automatical
valves which cannot possibly get out of order.
When the piston is raised, the liquid, drawn through the pipe T into the pipe e,
is sucked into the body a on the rising of the valve t of the chamber l. On lowering
the piston, the liquid contained in the body a is driven above the valve u of the
chamber and is expelled by the adjutage h whilst the liquid of the tube e is drawn
into the tube a through the valve t of the chamber k; then, when the piston rises
again, the liquid being above, is forced into the pipe f through the valve u of the
chamber k, whilst the liquid from the pipe e is again exhausted through the valve t
of the chamber l.
From what has been said above, it will be seen that the jet is continuous.
The momentary interruption due to the stoppage of the movement, when the
piston arrives at the bottom of its course, is compensated for by the air reservoir K
into which a part of the liquid is driven, as it passes from the body a through the
chamber. This liquid compresses the air contained in the reservoir, which, as
soon as the piston is raised, presses the liquid towards the adjutage whilst a new
flood of liquid is conveyed through the chamber k.
In order to give the jet the largest possible superficies, the end of the adjutage h
is in the form of a reversed truncated cone, measuring 24 millimeters in height so
that the base of the cone, which is the orifice of the adjutage, may be a good
3 millimeters in diameter, whereas the top y of the cone is only just 3 millimeters.
This funnel-like arrangement disperses the liquid in fan-shape.
The suppression of the fire will be all the more rapid and complete, if the efficacy
of the apparatus is increased by using, instead of ordinary water, some suitable
solution having special extinguishing powers and being of a nature to check the
spread of the fire. The solution which I prefer, because it gives the best effect is
the following Water, 20 kilogrammes; alumina-sulphate, 10 kilogrammes ;
borate of soda, 1600 grammes; horacic acid, 800 grammes.
For use this solution
it must be diluted in an equal volume of water.
The effect of such a solution is to render any objects sufficiently sprinkled or
saturated with it, perfectly incombustible, and consequently when used with the
apparatus above described, the combined advantages enable a fire to be extinguished
more rapidly and thoroughly than can be done by any other known means.
Besides its instantaneous action, the solution in question has the advantage that
it can be kept for any length of time and that, unlike explosive compounds, it is
not corrosive; also it has no injurious effect either on materials or their colours,
while it does not damage the apparatus with which it is used; consequently the
latter may always be kept filled.
It is therefore evident that the apparatus, being kept in a state of readiness, may
be used at any moment with the utmost promptitude. All that need be done is
to pass one's arms through the shoulder straps and transport it to the scene of
the conflagration; then to turu the tap with one hand, seizing the squirt with the
other, whereupon an energetic stream of liquid can be directed on the seat of the
fire extinguishing the latter immediately. Carrying the apparatus on his back
leaves the bearer's movements free and thus a ladder can be mounted and
difficultly accessible parts reached, while he is still using the apparatus.
In combination with my apparatus I use a supporting device shewn in
Figs. (5, 7).
The reservoir stand L may be of any shape and dimensions that are most suitable,
but I prefer it made of cylindrical form, furnished in its upper part with two
handles and sloping off in the form of a truncated cone surmounted with a neck.
On the cone is placed the reversed or inverted funnel, which supports the plate
of the lid M.
On this latter, I place the apparatus R which is held by the edge of the plate
furnished with an opening in which to lodge the tap of the apparatus.

page_text: This stand-reservoir as well as the apparatus itself, should always be filled with
my solution, so as to be ready, at any moment, in case of fire.
My device, it will be seen, has the advantage of having always a certain quantity
of the solution in reserve.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inveo-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A portable fire-extinguishing apparatus distinguished by a tank or receptacle
intended to contain either ordinary water or a solution, which water or solution
can be drawn therefrom by a syringe or squirt connected with the tank by a flexible
pipe or tube, the said tank or receptacle being provided with shoulder straps and
having one of its sides bowed or arched to inwardly, so as to more easily fit on the
back of anyone carrying it.
2. In the fire-extinguishing apparatus specified in Claim 1, an improved syringe
or squirt giving a continuous flow, and distinguished by a body, or principal part a,
in which moves a piston flanked by two tubes, one of which is connected with the
reservoir of liquid, and the other is provided with an adjutage, all three being
fixed, at their extremities in two valve-chambers for the purpose of driving the
liquid, alternately above and below the piston, into the pipe provided with the
adjutage.
3. In the syringe above described, the arrangement of an air-reservoir near
the adjutage to ensure that the jet or flow shall be continuous.
4. In the above described fire-extinguisher and other apparatuses used for the
same purpose, the employment of a solution consisting of the following
substances:
Water
Alumina sulphate
Borate of soda
Boracic acid
20 kilogrammes
10 kilogrammes
1600 grammes
800 grammes
to be diluted for use in an equal volume of water.
5. The combination with the extinguishing apparatus above described, of a
reservoir-stand and of a lid forming a support, with the object of having a constant
reserve of the extinguishing solution and of dispensing with a special support,
the whole substantially as described in the above specification and shewn in the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 28th day of October 1896
L. DUVINAGE,
Agent for Applicant.