IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-PROOF VAULTS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for.
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-PROOF VAULTS."-A com-
munication from abroad by Judson W. Warner, of Oneida, New
Sealed the 15th July 1873, and dated the 18th January 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 18th January 1873.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-PROOF VAULTS,"
a communication, to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to increase the safety of fire-proof
vaults by lining the inside of the same with independent metallic water
compartments communicating with each other and also with a pipe; the

page_text: latter supplies water from a tank or reservoir to the said compartments,
and there is an exit pipe at the top or highest point by which the water
is permitted freely to escape.
Other so called fire-proof vaults have proved inefficient in heavy fires,
which generally crack the walls or heat them through to such a degree
that their contents are destroyed.
For the purpose of preventing such disasters the herein specified metallic
fire-proof vault is used in combination with the commonly used fire-
proof vault. I prefer to use seven separate and independent compart-
ments formed of metal plates rivetted or otherwise securely fastened
together, and placed in such a position to each other that they form a
complete vault; inside the outer vault they are all connected by pipes.
Admittance to this inner vault is obtained through a door formed of
metal plates in the same manner as the other compartments, and hanging
on hinges which are made hollow and provided with grooves and holes.
A pipe with a check valve screwed into one of the compartments, by
preference at the bottom or lower part, and communicating with any con-
venient water supply, will permit a free flow of water into and through
all the compartments, and also into the door; the water escapes through
another pipe which by preference is placed in the top of the upper
compartment and leads into a sewer or other such channel. In case the
water should cease to flow the check valve closes and keeps the water
in the compartments and the door from running back. A cock is
provided for letting the water out of the compartments in case of repair
or for other purposes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent.
Office on the 16th July 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, 30
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.

page_text: of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special
licenco that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert Lake,
my 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 “IMPROVEMENTS IN
FIRE-PROOF VAULTS," a communication to me from abroad by Judson W.
Warner, of Oneida, New York, United States of America, upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or
one of their hands and scals, should particularly 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare the nature of the 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
Drawing forming a part of this Specification.
The object of this Invention is to increase the safety of fire-proof
vaults by lining the inside of the same with independent metallic water
compartments communicating with each other and also with a pipe; the
latter supplies water from a tank or reservoir to the said compartments,
and there is an exit pipe at the top or highest point by which the water
is permitted freely to escape.
Other so called fire-proof vaults have proved inefficient in heavy fires,
which generally crack the walls or heat them through to such a degree
that their contents are destroyed.
For the purpose of preventing such disasters I use the herein specified
metallic fire-proof vault, in combination with the commonly used fire-
proof vault, as shewn in the accompanying Drawing, in which :-

page_text: Invention and showing the door of the outer vault open; Figure 2 is a
vertical section of the same; Figure 3 is a vertical section through the
line x, x, Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a detached sectional view of the inlet pipe.
Figure 5 is a detached sectional view of one of the door hinges of the
inner vault.
A is the outer vault; B the door for the outer vault; C, D, E, F,
G, H, I, are seven separate and independent compartments formed of
metal plates, riveted or otherwise securely fastened together and placed in
such a position in relation to each other that they form a complete inner
vault inside the vault A; they are connected by pipes a.
Admittance
to this inner vault V is obtained through the door J which is formed of
metal plates in the same manner as the other compartments, and hangs
'on hinges K, L, which are made hollow and provided with grooves b
and holes c. A pipe M with a check valve d screwed into one of the
compartments, by preference at the bottom or lower part, and commu-
nicating with any convenient water supply, will permit a free flow of
water into and through all the compartments C, D, E, F, G, H, I, and
also into the door J; the water escapes through the pipe N, which by
preference is placed in the top of the upper compartment C and leads
into a sewer or other such channel. In case the water should cease to
flow through the pipe M, the check valve d closes and prevents the
running back of the water in the compartments and the door. O is
a cock for letting the water out of the compartments in case of repair or
for other like purposes.
In case of a heavy fire heating the outer vault A to a considerable
degree or causing the same to crack, the water flowing through the com-
partments and door of the inner vault V will become heated but will
just as fast carry away the heat communicated to the compartments and
the door, and as the temperature can in no case by any degree of heat
'be raised above 212 degrees, as long as the exit pipe has the same
diameter as the inlet pipe, it follows that the contents of such a vault
cannot be destroyed even by the most intense heat.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same,

page_text: I wish it understood that I claim, an inner vault V consisting of a
number of water-tight compartments connected by pipes a with the
door J, hollow hinges K and L, with grooves b and holes c, inlet pipe M
with check valve d, and exit pipe N, in combination with the outer
vault A, as herein set forth and for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
0 Witness,
HENRY J. NOONE,
8, Southampton Buildings,
London.
W. ROBT. LAKE. (L.S.)