IMPROVEMENTS IN BAND GRENADES FOR FIRE- EXTINGUISHING PURPOSES
Year: 1884

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON Fel Inst PA of the Agency for Foreign Patent
Solicitors, 6 Lord Street Liverpool in the County of Lancaster, and 323 High
Holborn in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer do hereby declare the
nature of the said invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN BAND GRENADES FOR FIRE-
EXTINGUISHING PURPOSES" and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :--
This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in hand grenades
for fire extinguishing purposes of which the following is a description, reference
being had to the accompanying drawing in which,
Fig 1 is a perspectivo view of the improved hand grenade fire extinguisher.
Fig 2 is a plan view of one of the bottles composing such grenade.
Fig 3 is a view of another form of the improved hand grenade, and
Fig 4 is a plan view of one of the bottles composing such gronade.
The most convenient form for a hand grenade, and tho form in which they are
generally made, is the spherical or nearly spherical form, because they present a
better appearance, are handled easier and can be thrown more accurately. But this
form adds to the difficulty in fracturing them. The shells must necessarily be of
considerable thickness to withstand the internal pressure of the confined gas and
the spherical arch shape of the walls gives them the greatest strength for any
given thickness; and this, together with the internal pressure of the confined gas,
renders them extremely difficult to fracture especially if they should strike against
a soft or yielding surface when thrown.
The object of the invention is to correct this difficulty and to produce a grenade
which may be of spherical or any other desired form, but which shall be certain to
break when thrown into a fire,
To this end it consists in constructing a single grenade of two or more
independent bottles or containing shells of such shape that when combined
preferably with irregular surfaces in contact, the structure shall have the spherical,
or any other desired form, with suitable means for retaining said individual bottles
in position.

page_text: In the drawing, Fig 1 represents a grenade composed of three individual
containing shells A B and C which are held together by the wire D. In Fig 2,
b' represents the neck of the bottle B which is securely sealed in any appropriato
manner b represents a depression in the surface of the glass. The bottles B and C
are also provided with necks like the neck b', and depressions or cavities like the
depression b. In combining the three bottles into a single grenade as in Fig 1, the
neck b₁ of the bottle B enters a corresponding depression in the bottle C, the neck
of the bottle C enters a depression in the surface of the bottle A, while the neck of
the bottle A enters the depression or cavity b, and the three bottles are held
together by the wire D; which is kept from slipping by resting, in the groove C.
Fig 3 represents a grenade composed of two bottles A and B, the bottle B being
represented by Fig 4. In combining these two bottlos A and B, the neck b¹ of the
bottle B enters a corresponding depression in the bottle A, while the neck of the
bottlo A enters the cavity b and the two bottles are held together by the wire D
which is kept from slipping by resting in the groove C.
If a grenade constructed. as above describod be thrown against any object, the
blow will cause the irregular surfaces of the bottles to strike against each other
with sufficient force to fracture at least one of the containing shells, and if one bo
thus broken, the force of the liberated gas. will generally result in breaking all the
scries.
„J
It is evident that the same results can be accomplished by varying the number
of bottles in a grenade, or by changing their form or the manner of connecting
them. Instead of the bottles being united by the necks and depressions and the
wire as above described, they may be united by any appropriate means and with
any suitable conformnation of, their, adjacent parts. But it is considered that a nest
of two or three bottles connected in tlie manner shown in the drawing is the
preferable form.
The bottles may be charged in any suitable manner, and with any suitable fire
extinguishing materials.
A grenade so constructed also affords opportunity for confining explosives
between the bottles in cavities which may be provided therefor, which explosives
will make absolutely certain the fracturing of any unbroken grenade within the
influence of the fire.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, as communicated to me, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
I declare that what I claim is :-
1st. A hand grenade fire extinguisher consisting of two or more bottles united
into a single structure by suitablo connecting devices, substantially as and for the
purposes set forth,
Da
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