IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FORCING AND DISCHARGING WATER, AIR, AND OTHER FLUIDS AND GASES FOR EXTIN- PROVISIONAL SPFICATION
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Dennis, of Holborn, in the City of
London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FORCING
AND DISCHARGING WATER, AIR, AND OTHER FLUIDS AND GASES FOR EXTIN-
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Dennis at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on tho
25th January 1873.
J, WILLIAM DENNIS, of Holborn, in the City of London, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR FORCING AND DISCHARGING WATER, AIR, AND OTHER FLUIDS AND GASES FOR
EXTINGUISHING FIRES AND FOR OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
-
This Invention relates, first, to improvements in apparatus such as
was described in the Specifications of Letters Patent granted to William
Henry Phillips, dated 5th October 1865, No. 2550, and 22nd March 1869,

page_text: No. 858, and also to John Scott, dated 31 May 1867, No. 1014, caclı
of which described similar portable apparatus for the purpose of extin-
guishing fires by means of vessels containing water, and charged with
compressed air.
The first part of my improvements has for its object the application of
a safety valve to the vessel or chamber containing water and compressed
air or gases, so constructed that the air and water is allowed to escape
through the valve when the pressure within the vessel arrives at a
determined pressure. The valve is enclosed in a chamber, and is pressed
down on to its seat by a spring, the tension of which is regulated by a
screw so as to determine the pressure at which the valve will be raised
from its scat by the internal pressure within the vessels.
The second part of my improvements relates to the method of
arranging the inlet valves of fire-extinguishing apparatus of this
character which, as heretofore constructed, has been liable to fail in
closing, owing to the back pressure, and so prevent it from acting
properly whilst the apparatus is being charged. Now according to my
improvements I surround the valve with a cover or cap, so that the
back pressuro is prevented from acting upon the valve to prevent its
closing; or I effect the same object by means of a duplicate valve.
The third part of my improvements in apparatus of this character
consists in attaching the nozzle of the discharge pipe to a series of
"director tubes" which are combined together into one length by screw
sockets or other suitable couplings, by which means a rigid tubular rod
is formed with a discharge nozzle at one end, the other end being
attached to the hose of the vessel containing the water or chemical
solutions and compressed air, or to the hose of a fire engine pump or other
apparatus for forcing air or water. By this means a jet of water,
liquids, or gases combined therewith, can be directed with great case and
facility from a distance on to the scat or source of a fire.
Director rods or tubes of this character may also be employed in
accordance with my Invention for cleaning windows or the exterior of
buildings or edifices, soap, soda, or other suitable clicmical solutions
being employed and discharged therefrom for these purposes. Several
dischargo tubes and nozzles may be combined together in accordance
with this part of my improvements for discharging a number of jets
simultaneously for washing and cleaning purposes.

page_text: According to another part of my improvements I employ apparatus of
this character for forcing currents of air, gas, or other fluids or liquids
through pipes or passages for illuminating, signalling, purifying, disin-
fecting, impregnating, and other useful purposes.
For illuminating purposes the vessels are either charged with air or
gas, and with petroleum, hydrocarbons or other oils or spirits which may
be discharged through orifices suitable for producing flames for giving
light, or for heating or cooking purposes. Or the ignated gases may be
employed for signalling at sea or otherwise, the flames being varied in
color by means of chemical ingredients introduced into the liquid hydro-
carbons or other oils or spirits employed for this purpose, or by other
means, as is well understood.
The director tubes and hose previously described may be employed for
clevating signal lights of this character at sea or elsewhere if desired.
In place of charging the vessels as previously described, the com-
pressed air or gases may be passed through separate vessels containing
the oils or spirits in order to impregnate the air or gas therewith for
illuminating or heating purposes. According to this part of my im-
provements apparatus of this character may be charged with compressed
air or gases and chemical solutions such as are well known and employed
for purifying, disinfecting, impregnating, and other purposes, the con-
tents of the vessels being discharged from the apparatus into sewers,
mincs, ships' holds, or other places where required for the above pur-
poses. Or the compressed air or gases discharged from the apparatus
may be passed through separate vessels containing chemical solutions
for these purposes. By this means regulated quantitics of air or gas
may be discharged from the apparatus for cooking or other purposes,
and currents of air or gas may be induced in pipes or passages by jets of
compressed air or gas discharged from the apparatus entering suitable
openings or orifices, and acting in like manner to what is known as
"Giffard's injector." Jets of water, or other liquids in place of air or
gas, or combined therewith, may also be discharged from the apparatus
for similar purposes and in like manner to that last described. Portable
artificial fountains may be produced by these means of a very effective
character and of long duration.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Dennis in the Great Seal Patent Oflice,
on the 25th July 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
DENNIS, of Holborn, in the City of London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said William Dennis, Her special
license that I, the said William Dennis, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, tho said William Dennis, 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 APPARATUS FOR FORCING AND DISCHARGING WATER, AIR, AND OTHER FLUIDS
and Gases for ExTINGUISHING FIRES AND FOR OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Dennis, my
exccutors 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Dennis, do hereby declaro
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 thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention relates, first, to improvements in apparatus such as
was described in the Specifications of Letters Patent granted to William
Henry Phillips, dated 5th October 1865, No. 2559, and 22nd March
1869, No. 858, and also to John Scott, dated 31st May 1867, No. 16141,
cach of which Specifications described similar portable apparatus for

page_text: the purpose of extinguishing fires by means of vessels containing water
and charged with compressed air.
The first part of my improvements has for its object the application of
a safety valve to the vessel or chamber containing water and compressed
air or gases, the valve being so constructed that the air and water is
allowed to escape through the valve when the pressure within the vessel
arrives at a determined pressure. The valve is enclosed in a tube or
chamber, and is pressed down on to its seat by a spring, the tension of
which is regulated by a screw so as to determine the pressure at which
the valve will be raised from its scat by the internal pressure within the
vessels.
Figure 1 of the Drawing hereunto annexed shows a safety valve of
this character arranged and constructed in accordance with my improve-
ments. a is the valve, which I prefer to make of india-rubber, pressed
down upon its scat by the screw which determines the pressure at
which the water and compressed air is allowed to escape from the
chamber to which it is applied, so as to prevent any dangerous excess of
pressure when charging the vessel.
Figure 2 shows a section of a vessel for containing compressed air and
water, or other fluid or gases, for extinguishing fires or other purposes,
the safety valve a being applied thereto at the top of the central tube c
which acts as a tic to the top and bottom of the vessel, e³ being a hole or
passage forming a communication between the interior of the vessel and
the safety valve a.
The second part of my improvements relates to the method of
arranging the inlet valves of fire-extinguishing apparatus of this
character which, as heretofore constructed, has been liable to fail in
closing, owing to the back pressure, and so prevent it from acting
properly whilst the apparatus is being charged. Now, according to my
) improvements I surround the valve with a cover or cap, so that the back
pressure is prevented from acting upon the valve to prevent its closing;
or I effect the same object by means of a duplicate valve.
Figure 3 shows a double inlet valve arranged in accordance with this
part of my improvements. The valves d, d, are protected or enclosed by
5 the tubular parts d', d, which prevents the back pressure from acting
upon the under surface or scating of the valve to keep it open.

page_text: For some purposes I prefer to employ inlet valves constructed as
shown at Figure 4, the inlet passages d' in the tube d being closed by
the tube of india-rubber which yields to the pressure of the air or
fluid as it is forced into the vessel to which the valve is applied.
The third part of my improvements in apparatus of this character
consists in attaching the nozzle of the discharge pipe to a series of
"director tubes" which are combined together into one length, as shown
at Figure 5, by screw sockets or other suitable couplings tightened up
by hand, by which means a rigid tubular rod is formed of considerable
length with a discharge nozzle at one end, the other end being attached
to the hose of the vessel containing the water or chemical solutions and
compressed air, or to the hoze of a fire-engine pump or other apparatus
for forcing water. By this means a jet of water can be directed with
great case and facility from a distance on to the scat or source of
a fire.
Director rods or tubes of this character may also be employed in
accordance with my Invention for cleaning windows, or the exterior of
buildings or edifices, soap, soda, or other suitable chemical solutions
being employed and discharged therefrom for these purposes. Several
discharge tubes and nozzles may be combined together in accordance
with this part of my improvements for discharging a number of jets
simultaneously for washing and cleaning purposes.
According to another part of my improvements I employ apparatus
of this character for forcing currents of air, gas, or other fluids or liquids
through pipes or passages for illuminating, signalling, purifying, disin-
fecting, impregnating, and other useful purposes.
For illuminating purposes the vessels are either charged with air or
gas, and with petroleum, hydrocarbons, or other oils or spirits, which
may be discharged through orifices suitable for producing flames, for
giving light, or for heating or cooking purposes. Or the ignited gases.
may be employed for signalling at sea or otherwise, the flames being
varied in color by means of chemical ingredients introduced into the
liquid hydrocarbons or other oils or spirits employed for this purpose, or
by other means, as is well understood.
The director tubes and hoze previously described may be employed for
elevating signal lights of this character at sea or elsewhere, if desired.

page_text: In place of charging the vessels as previously described the com-
pressed air or gases may be passed, according to this part of my
improvements, through separate vessels containing the oils or spirits, in
order to impregnate the air or gas thorewith for illuminating or heating
purposes. According to this part of my improvements, apparatus of
this character may be charged with compressed air or gases and chemical
solutions such as are well known and employed for purifying, disin-
fecting, impregnating, and other purposes, the contents of the vessels
being discharged from the apparatus into sewers, mines, ships' holds, or
other places where required for the above purposes; or the compressed
air or gases discharged from the apparatus may be passed through
separate vessels containing chemical solutions for these purposes. By
this means regulated quantities of air or gas may be discharged from
the apparatus for cooking or other purposes, and currents of air or gas
may be induced in pipes or passages by jets of compressed air or gas
discharged from the apparatus entering suitable openings or orifices, and
acting in like manner to what is known as "Giffard's injector." Jets of
water or other liquids in place of air or gas, or combined therewith,
may also be discharged from the apparatus for similar purposes and in
like manner to that last described. Portable artificial fountains may
be produced by these means of a very effective character, and of long
duration.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Dennis, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of July, in the year
Witness,
J. G. TONGUE,
Patent Agent,
34, Southampton Buildings,
W.C.
W. DENNIS. (L.S.)