AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR EXTINGUISHING FIRE IN SHIPS, HOUSES OR OTHER STRUCTURES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS. PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London for an Invention of
"AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR EXTINGUISHING FIRE IN
SHIPS, HOUSES OR OTHER STRUCTURES "
communicated to him from abroad
by William Henry Thompson, of the City and State of New York, United
States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st May 1883.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS
FOR EXTINGUISHING FIRE IN SHIPS, HOUSES, OR OTHER STRUCTURES "-[A com-
munication to him from abroad by William Henry Thompson, of the City and State
of New York, United States of America.]
This invention relates to apparatus for extinguishing fires on ship board or in
buildings or other structures and comprises an arrangement of pipes leading into
the holds or below decks when applied to navigable vessels or to the interior of
buildings or the like whereby a volume of steam alone or steam commingled with
carbonic acid gas is blown into the holds or chamber where the fire exists, whether
the same has been produced by spontaneous combustion or otherwise.
In carrying the said invention into practice I employ a vertical pipe or pipes (of
any suitable material) leading into each hold or water-tight compartment when-
applied to shipping, or into the interior of a building or the like. The said-vertical
pipe or pipes connect at the upper end thereof with a horizontal pipe running
along the main or upper deck or upper part of a building and communicating with
the main or donkey boiler as may be found most convenient for the time and place.
The said horizontal pipe may be employed for supplying steam for deck winches
or for other purposes, or a separate pipe may be used if desired. I use any suitable
pipes to connect the vertical pipes to the main steam pipe, flexible or rigid, but by
preference I use flexible hose pipe or copper pipe provided with suitable couplings
[Price B71

page_text: that can be attached at any moment to the vertical pipe leading into the compart-
ment in which the fire may exist. When using steam charged with carbonic acid
gas I attach the pipes above described to a gas chamber properly constructed and
containing material for generating carbonic acid gas. The steam is admitted into
this chamber by means of a fusible plug, and by means of a similar plug the gas is
generated in the vessel as hereinafter described.
The steam carries the carbonic acid gas along with it as it escapes from the said
gas chamber to the locality of the fire where it accomplishes its object of extin-
guishing the same. When carbonic acid gas is used alone I employ any suitable
vessel for the manufacture of the same connecting thereto the pipes leading down
into the hold of the vessel or between decks, the said pipes being provided with
suitable taps to allow the gas to flow in volume through the pipes under pressure
to be blown out into the compartment on fire.
In applying the said invention on board ship, I lead from each hold or water-
tight compartment or interior, a vertical pipe from the main deck to the upper
deck, another pipe from between decks to the upper deck and another pipe from
the hold to the upper deck. These pipes terminate in a metallic quadrant or
coupling piece and when not in use are separate from all connection with the steam
boiler. Extending from the boiler to within a few feet of the coupling piece is a
main steam pipe which may be employed to supply steam for the deck winches
and other uses. To connect the vertical pipes to the main steam pipe I employ
flexible hose pipe or other suitable pipe may be used, this pipe couples on to the
stop valve and leads to the quadrant or coupling piece and is so arranged that it
will couple on to the vertical pipes as may be required to direct the steam to the
compartment where the fire. exists.
I sometimes arrange three steam pipes and connecting taps in connection with
the main steam pipe and lead them into the different compartments below deck.
According to another mode of constructing the apparatus I provide a single
steam pipe connected with the main steam pipe and provided with two branches
to supply the different compartments with fire extinguishing steam or steam and
gas.
When necessary to use steam charged with carbonic acid gas I attach the flexible
or other pipe to the gas generator and from the generator I lead a pipe to the
coupling piece or quadrant and thereby cause it to communicate with the vertical
pipes. The steam from the main pipe enters the gas generator by a fusible plug
a fusible plug is also employed to generate the gas in the gas chamber by mixing
the contents of the chamber, the steam carries the contents of this chamber
along with it through a pipe which is coupled to the vertical pipes leading to the
main deck between decks or hold as the case may require.
When carbonic acid gas is used alone I employ a portable tank adapted for the
manufacture of gas, having a coupling to attach a pipe connecting with the vertica
pipes so that by simply turning a suitable cock the gas will pass off in volume
through the said vertical pipes according as the coupling pipe is attached.
The advantages of the above described improvements are that a more convenien
and effectual method for extinguishing fire is always available, the vertical pipe
being fixtures, and at the same time (when not required) being disconnected from
the steam or gas supply thus preventing any damage and danger to the cargo.
ready and simple method of connection is provided by the coupling quadrant an
hose pipe; in most instances the hose pipe can be connected to the pipe whic
supplies steam to the winches.

page_text: 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 1st November
1883.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake and C° Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS
FOR EXTINGUISHING FIRE IN SHIPS, HOUSES, OR OTHER STRUCTURES:"-A com-
munication to me from abroad by William Henry Thompson, of the City and
State of New York, United States of America.
This invention relates to a method of, and apparatus for, extinguishing fires on
ship board, or in buildings, or other structures and comprises an arrangement of
pipes leading into the holds or below decks, when applied to navigable vessels or
to the interior of buildings or the like, whereby a volume of steam alone, or steam
commingled with carbonic acid gas, is blown into the holds or chamber where the
fire exists, whether the same has been produced by spontaneous combustion or
otherwise.
In carrying the said invention into practice I employ a vertical pipe or pipes
(of any suitable material) leading into each hold or water-tight compartment when
applied to shipping or into the interior of a building or the like. The said vertical
pipe or pipes connect at the upper end thereof with a horizontal pipe running along
the main or upper deck or upper part of a building and communicating with the
main or donkey boiler, as may be found most convenient for the time and place.
The said horizontal pipe may be employed for supplying steam for deck winches
or for other purposes or a separate pipe may be used if desired. I use any suitable
pipe either flexible or rigid to connect the vertical pipes to the main steam pipe,
but by preference I use flexible hose pipe or copper pipe provided with suitable
couplings that can be attached at any moment to the vertical pipe leading into the
compartment in which the fire may exist.
When using steam charged with carbonic acid gas, I attach the pipes above
described to a gas chamber properly constructed, and containing material for gene-
rating Carbonic acid gas. The steam is admitted into this chamber through an
aperture, which is opened by the fusion of a plug with which it is provided and
by the fusion of a similar plug the materials for producing the carbonic acid
gas are allowed to mix whereby gas is generated in the vessel as hereinafter
described.
The steam carries the carbonic acid gas along with it as it escapes from the said
gas chamber to the locality of the fire, which it is desired to extinguish
When carbonic acid gas is used alone I employ any suitable vessel for the manu-
facture of the same connecting thereto the pipes leading down into the hold of the
vessel or between decks or other compartment the said pipes being provided with
suitable taps to allow the gas to flow in volume through them under pressure, to
be blown out into the compartment on fire
In the accompanying drawing
Figure 1 is a plan of a steam ship fitted with the apparatus for extinguishing
fire constructed according to this invention.
Figure 2 is a transverse section of a vessel fitted with steam pipes only.
Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing the means for charging the steam
with carbonic acid gas.
Figure 4. is a plan showing the manner of connecting the pipes when used for
steam only.
Figure 5 is an elevation of the parts shown in Figure 4.
50

page_text: Figure 6 is a plan showing the method of connecting the pipes and gas
generator.
Figure 7 is an elevation of the parts shown in Figure 6.
Figure 8 shows a portable gas tank or chamber as applied to sailing vessels.
.Figure 9 shows the mode of packing the said chamber.
Figures 10 and 11 are views hereinafter described.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the
drawings
In applying the said invention on board ship, I lead from the interior of each
hold or water-tight compartment a vertical pipe (see Figures 2 and 3). The pipe A
leads from the main deck to the upper deck the pipe B from between decks to the
upper deck and the pipe C from the hold to the upper deck. These pipes terminate
in a metallic quadrant or coupling piece D, and when not in use, are disconnected
from the steam boiler. Extending from the boiler to within a few feet of the coupling
piece D is a main steam pipe E which may be employed for supplying steam to the
deck winches and for other purposes.
To connect the vertical pipes A, B and C to the main steam pipe E I employ
flexible hose pipe F or other suitable pipe may be used, the pipe F couples to the
stop valve H and leads to the quadrant or coupling piece D and is so arranged that
it will couple on to the vertical pipes A. B and C as may be required to direct the
steam to the compartment where the fire exists.
I sometimes arrange the steam pipes F and their connecting taps in connection
with the main steam pipe E and lead them into the different compartments below
deck as shown in Figure 10.
According to another mode of constructing the apparatus I provide a single steam
pipe F as shown in Figure 11 connected with the main steam pipe E and provided
with two branches 1 and 2 to supply the different compartments with fire extin-
guishing steam or steam and gas.
When it is necessary to use steam charged with carbonic acid gas I attach the
pipe F to the gas generator K (Figures 3 6 and 7) and from the generator K I lead
& pipe F¹ to the coupling piece or quadrant D and thereby cause it to communicate
with the pipes A B and C. The steam from the main pipe E enters the gas gene-
rator by melting a fusible plug, a fusible plug is also employed to enable the
contents of the gas chamber to mix and generate gas The steam carries the gas as
it is generated from this chamber along with it through the pipe F which is
coupled to pipes A. B or C leading to the main deck between decks or hold as the
case may require.
When carbonic acid gas alone is used I employ a portable tank P (Figure 8)
adapted for the manufacture of gas, having a coupling M to attach a pipe connecting
with the vertical pipes A. B. and C so that by simply turning a suitable cock the
gas will pass off through the said pipes A B or C according as the coupling pipe is
attached.
The advantages of the above described improvements are that a more convenient
and effectual method for extinguishing fire is always available, the vertical
pipes A B and C being fixtures and at the same time (when not required) being dis-
connected from the steam or gas supply, thus preventing any damage to the cargo.
A ready and simple method of connection is provided by the coupling quadrant
D and hose pipe F in most instances the hose pipe F can be connected to the pipe E
which supplies steam to the winches S (see Figure 1).
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent and the manner of performing the same I wish it understood
that I do not claim the use of steam for extinguishing fires on ship board or else-
where neither do I claim carbonic acid gas as applied for such purpose alone nor do
I wish to confine myself to the above described arrangement of the several parts of
the apparatus as shown in the Drawing as the same may be modified to suit the
different applications but I Claim,

page_text: First. The method of extinguishing fire in the holds of vessels or in compart-
ments of any kind by means of a series of pipes, for conducting steam alone or
steam mixed with carbonic acid gas, arranged and operating in the manner set
forth.
Second. In fire extinguishing apparatus to be used on ship-board or in buildings
or other structures, the pipes F F F permanently or temporarily arranged as shown
in Figure 10 of the drawing, in combination with the main steam pipe E having
any suitable coupling D, and internal vertical pipes A, C and B, the whole arranged
and operating in the manner, and for the purpose, set forth.
Third. A single pipe F having arms or branches on each side thereof (as shown
in Figure 11 of the drawing) in combination with the coupling D, the said arms
discharging into the pipes A, C and B by means of valves or cocks, substantially as
above set forth.
In witness whereof I the said William Robert Lake have hereunto set my
hand and seal this First day of November in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty three.