CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF FIXING SAFES, BOXES, OR OTHER DEPOSITORIES FOR THE PROTECTION OF PAPERS OB OTHER MATERIALS FROM FIRE
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Peter Carlsson Kjellberg, of Christianstad, Sweden,
but temporarily residing at the Minories, in the County of Middlesex,
for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF FIXING
SAFES, BOXES, OR OTHER DEPOSITORIES FOR THE PROTECTION OF PAPERS OB
OTHER MATERIALS FROM FIRE."
Sealed the 12th January 1866, and dated the 11th August 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter Carlsson Kjellberg
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
11th August 1865.
I, PETER CARLSSON KJELLBERG, of Christianstad, Sweden, but temporarily
residing at the Minories, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF
FIXING SAFES, BOXES, OR OTHER DEPOSITORIES FOR THE PROTECTION OF PAPERS OR
OTHER MATERIALS FROM FIRE," to be as follows, that is to say: -
This Invention of improvements in the mode of fixing safes or other
depositories for the protection of papers and other articles from fire, consists in
so fixing the said safes that the fire or heat of the fire causes them to descend
to the bottom of a pipe or into a recess out of reach of the fire.

page_text: To carry out the Inventiou I make use of an iron pipe cylinder or shaft
placed vertically, extending some distance below the floor or into the ground,
and also rising above the floor or ground, and provided with a proper door or
doors. In the part of the pipe above the floor is placed the safe, fixed or
suspended by rope or other fusible or inflammable fastenings, so that on the
'fire coming in contact with the said iron pipe the heat would destroy the
connection between the pipe and the safe or box, which latter would therefore
descend to the bottom of the pipe. The top of the said pipe in place of
rising above the floor or ground may be of the same level, but in this case
the safe instead of being placed in must be suspended over the top of the pipe
or shaft, when the heat of the fire would cause it to descend as before. In this
arrangement a loose cover should be provided, which after the descent of the
safe would fall over and fit into a rebate in the top of the pipe, thus
effectually closing the opening.
If this latter arrangement is employed the safes could, if desired, be lowered
into the pipe at night, and the cover secured by locks, which would serve as a
protection from burglars.
The pipe or shaft for containing the safe can be made of other material than
iron; and the lower part thereof, if it does not descend into the ground, should
for safety be enclosed below the floor with brickwork, or the pipe can with
advantage be placed in the wall of a building, especially if built of stone, and
the pipe could end below in a recess of brickwork.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Peter Carlsson Kjellberg in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 8th February 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PETER
CARLSSON KJELLBERG, of Christianstad, Sweden, but temporarily residing at
the Minories, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting..
.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Peter Carlsson Kjellberg, Her special licence that I, the said Peter
Carlsson Kjellberg, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Peter Carlsson Kjellberg, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time, and

page_text: 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:
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN. THE MODE OF FIXING SAPES, BOXES, OR OTHER;
5. DEPOSITORIES: FOR THE PROTECTION OF PAPERS OR OTHER MATERIALS FROM
FIRE," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Peter Carlsson;
Kjellberg, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 Peter Carlsson Kjellberg, do hereby.
declare the nature of my 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 of improvements in the mode of fixing safes or other
depositories for the protection of papers, books,. money, and other articles of
value from fire, consists in so fixing the said safes that, the fire or heat of the
fire causes them to descend to the bottom of a pipe or into a recess out of
reach of the fire when it occurs...
To carry out the Invention I make use of an iron pipe, cylinder, or shaft,
placed vertically, extending some distance below the floor or into the ground,.
and also rising above the floor or ground, and provided with a proper door or
5 doors. In the part of the pipe above the floor is placed the safe, fixed or
suspended by ropes or. other fusible or inflammable fastenings, so that on the
fire coming in contact with the said iron pipe the heat would destroy the
connection between the pipe-and. the safe or box, which latter would then.
descend to the bottom of the pipe. The top of the said pipe in place of
rising above the floor or ground may be on the same level; but in this case
the safe instead of being placed in must be suspended over the top. of the pipe
or shaft, when the heat of the fire would cause it to descend as before.
this arrangement a loose cover should be provided which after the descent of.
the safe would fall over and fit into a rebate in the top of the pipe,.thus
5 effectually closing the opening.
In
If this latter arrangement is employed the safe could, if desired; be lowered
into the pipe at. night, and the cover secured by locks, which would serve as
a protection from burglars..
The pipe or shaft for containing the safe can be made of another material.

page_text: than iron; and the lower part thereof, if it does not descend into the ground,
should for safety be enclosed below the floor with brickwork, or the pipe can
with advantage be placed in the wall of a building, especially if built of stone,
and the pipe could end below in a recess of brickwork.
And having thus described the nature of my Invention, I will now proceed
to describe more particularly the manner of putting the same into effect by
reference to the accompanying Drawing, in which the same letters represent.
arrangements. a, a, is a vertical iron tube extending below the floor 6 into
the ground, and rising some distance above it. Inside the part of the tube
above the floor or ground b is placed the box c resting on a bar d placed
across the tube; one end of this bar is hinged to the side of the tube at h;
the other end is attached by means of a hook or otherwise to the lower
extremity of the vertical rod or bar e. The upper extremity of this bar
(which bar can move a little up and down against the inside of the tube) is
connected to the rope f, which extends upwards through a hole in the cover g
of the tube and passes over the pulley i; to the lower extremity of this rope
is attached the weight j. When the fire comes in contact with the rope f the
latter being very combustible will be destroyed, and the vertical bar e will
become free and be carried down by the weight of the box so far as to unhook
the end of the horizontal bar d, which being thus released will fall against the
side of the tube, when the box having no longer any support will descend to
the bottom of the tube where it will be safe from the fire.
Figure 2 is a section showing another of my improved arrangements for
fixing a safe. The safe a, as before described, is placed in the upper part of
the iron tube b, but in this case it is suspended by the levers i, i, pivotting at
j; and furnished with the hooks c, c. These hooks are pressed together by
the weights d, d, fastened to the lower ends of the ropes e, e, the upper ends
of which are attached to the ends of the levers i, i, as shown. On the top of
the safe rests the loose cover f, which fits in the tube so as to move easily up
and down in it; this cover is attached by means of the rods g, g, to another
cover of the same dimensions as the cover f. On the ropes e, e, being
destroyed by fire the weight of the safe will draw apart the hooks c, c; and
fall with the covers f and h with their connecting rods g, g. The cover f
will lodge a little below the ground at the points marked k, k, but the safe
and cover h will descend to the bottom of the tube, and the cover of being

page_text: strong will protect the safe from fire and also from injury by the falling of
walls or beams, even should the part of the tube above the ground be
destroyed,
Figure 3 is a section showing the mode of fixing a small box where the
tube does not extend above the floor. In this case the suspension rope fis
fixed to a hook g. Where small boxes are fixed upon this plan they could,
if desired, be lowered to the bottom of the tube at will, ropes, chains, or other
suitable contrivances being employed to raise and lower the box.
This improved mode of fixing is also applicable to other depositories or
receptacles, such as writing desks or chests of drawers, which may be fixed in
a similar manner. Instead of employing an iron tube descending into the
ground, tubes of another material may be employed; where the tubes do not
descend into the ground they should be protected by a strong covering of
cement, brick, or stone work.
In stone or brick buildings the tube may be
placed in the walls, or if the latter are sufficiently thick a flue or shaft may
be made in the wall, in which case no tube would be required.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself
to the precise details of the arrangements herein described; but what I claim
is, the mode of and arrangements for fixing safes, boxes, and other depositories
for keeping and preserving books, papers, money, and other valuable articles
from fire, substantially in the manner herein-before described and shown in
Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Peter Carlsson Kjellberg, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of January, in the year.
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
PETER C. KJELLBERG. (L.B.)