IMPROVE- MENTS RELATING TO THE PROTECTION OF HOUSES, SHIPS, SAFES, AND OTHER STRUCTURES AND RECEPTACLES FROM FIRE
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Stewart Wallace and Edward Tucker, both
of Belfast, in the County of Antrim, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS RELATING TO THE PROTECTION OF HOUSES, SHIPS, SAFES, AND OTHER
STRUCTURES AND RECEPTACLES FROM FIRE."
Sealed the 30th April 1875, and dated the 10th March 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Stewart Wallace
and Edward Tucker at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 10th March 1875.
We, JOHN STEWART WALLACE and EDWARD TUCKER, both of Belfast,
in the County of Antrim, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO THE PROTECTION OF HOUSES,
SHIPS, SAPES, AND OTHER STRUCTURES AND RECEPTACLES FROM FIRE," to be as
follows:-
Our present Invention is designed to further increase the efficiency
and value of the methods of obtaining protection from fire described in
the Specifications of former Letters Patent bearing date the 29th day
of April, A.D. 1874, No. 1487, and the 29th day of October, A.D. 1874

page_text: are described various forms of apparatus containing gas generating
materials which are kept apart or separate from each other until their
combination is effected by the elevation of the temperature through
the agency of fusible or other casily destructible connections, and
similar appliances.
The second of the said Specifications describes the preparation of
blocks or balls of gas generating substances or compounds to be placed
in buildings to be protected, or thrown inside a building to be protected
from fire and ignited by the elevation of temperature or otherwise.
Our present Invention is designed to provide means for causing
automatically or otherwise the combination or ignition of these sub-
stances or compounds placed within houses, ships, safes, and other
structures or receptacles, for the generation of carbonic acid gas or
other gas therein, to prevent the breaking out of fire, or to extinguish
the same.
According to our present Invention we use an apparatus consisting of
two vessels, each of which contains one of the gas generating ingredients,
or we may use any other suitable form of apparatus, as described in the
said former Specification, No. 1487, but instead of depending upon the
elevation of temperature to destroy the connection which keeps the two
vessels, or the two gas generating ingredients from combining we
maintain the separation of the two gas generating materials by a string
or cord, or other connection, which will be ruptured or destroyed by the
direct action of fire, that is to say, by the flames arising from the
burning structure or its contents, or by the falling of flaming or
incandescent particles thereon. And when we use the blocks, balls, or
cubes of gas generating compounds as described in the Specification of
the said Letters Patent, No. 3746, we may attach to them or connect
with them pieces of string, cord, paper, or other materials easily ignitable
by contact with flames or incandescent particles, so that we do not
depend entirely upon the elevation of temperature for the production of
the gas; or when using the said apparatus in the form in which the two
gas generating ingredients are kept apart by a fusible or other easily
destructible connection we may use an electric current passed through
a suitable wire extending from a battery or electrical machine to the
said apparatus, and which will act on the outbreak of firo and rupture

page_text: or destroy the said connection, whereby the gas generating materials
are kept apart; or we arrange a conducting wire in connection with
the said blocks or cubes of charcoal compound, and arrange suitable
apparatus to discharge a current of electricity through the said wire to
ignite the compound on the outbreak of fire; or we employ a fuse
similar to those used for blasting in mining and other analogous
operations to rupture or destroy the said connections to effect the
aforesaid combination or to ignite the charcoal or carbonaceous com-
position.
In cases where the object is to cause the combination of gas generating
materials or the ignition of the gas generating compound on the
outbreak of a fire, we may use a spring instead of the weight described
in the aforesaid Specification, No. 1487, said spring being connected
with a bar, lever, trigger, or other device and held back by a spring,
cord, or other means which will be destroyed by the direct action of the
fire, or by the elevation of temperature, or any of the other agencies
above enumerated.
The above description applies only to means for effecting the automatic
action of the various devices, but if desired we may arrange the aforesaid
fuse or electrical apparatus to be worked by hand inside or outside of the
building, and we may also use a lever, handle, trigger, spring, cord,
or other means to be operated inside or outside of the building to
effect the combination or ignition of the gas generating materials or
compounds; and we may use in combination therewith an indicator
consisting of a weight or weighted arm or other contrivance connected
with the gas generating materials by a string or cord, which when these
materials are combined or ignited will fall, or so operate as to indicate
the existence of the deleterious gas in the building.
30
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said John Stewart Wallace and Edward Tucker in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 10th September 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
STEWART WALLACE and EDWARD TUCKER, both of Belfast, in tho
County of Antrim, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said John Stewart Wallace and Edward
Tucker, Her special licence that we, the said John Stewart Wallace and
Edward Tucker, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said John Stewart Wallace and Edward Tucker, our
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 RELATING TO THE PROTECTION OF HOUSES, SHIPS, SAFES, AND
OTHER STRUCTURes and ReceptaclES FROM FIRE," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said John Stewart Wallace and Edward Tucker,
our exccutors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
our, 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 we, the said John Stewart Wallace and
Edward Tucker, do hereby declare the nature of our 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 part of this Specifi-
cation :-
Our present Invention is designed to further increase the efficiency
and value of the methods of obtaining protection from fire, described in
the Specifications of former Letters Patent bearing date the 29th day
of April, A.D. 1874, No. 1487, and of Letters Patent bearing date the
29th day of October, A.D. 1874, No. 3746.
In the Specification of the first of the aforesaid Letters Patent there
are described various forms of apparatus containing gas generating
materials which are kept apart or separate from each other until their
combination is effected by the elevation of the temperature through the

page_text: appliances.
The second of the said Specifications describes the preparation of
blocks or balls of gas generating substances or compounds to be
placed in buildings to be protected or thrown inside a building to be
protected from fire, and ignited by the elevation of temperature or
otherwise.
Our present Invention is designed to provide means for causing
automatically or otherwise the combination or ignition of these sub-
stances or compounds, placed within houses, ships, safes, and other
structures or receptacles, for the generation of carbonic acid gas or
other gas therein to prevent the breaking out of fire or to extinguish the
same.
According to our present Invention wo use an apparatus consisting of
two vessels, each of which contains one of the gas generating ingredients,
or we may use any other suitable form of apparatus as described in the
said former Specification, No. 1487, but instead of depending upon the
clevation of temperature to destroy the connection which keeps the two
vessels or the two gas generating ingredients from combining, we
maintain the separation of the two gas generating materials by a string
or cord, or other connection, which will be ruptured or destroyed by
fire, that is to say, by the flames arising from the burning structure
or its contents, or by the falling of flaming or incandescent particles
thereon. And when we use the blocks or cubes of gas generating
compounds as described in the Specification of the said Letters Patent,
No. 3746, we may attach to them or connect with them pieces of
string, cord, paper, or other materials casily ignitable by contact with
flames or incandescent particles, so that we do not depend entirely
upon the elevation of temperature for the production of the gas; or
when using the said apparatus in the form in which the two gas
generating ingredients are kept apart by a fusible or other easily
destructible connection, we may use an electric current passed through
a suitable wire extending from a battery to the said apparatus and
which will act on the outbreak of fire and rupture or destroy the said
connection whereby the gas generating materials are kept apart; or we
arrange a conducting wire in connection with the said blocks or cubes of
charcoal compound, and arrange suitable apparatus to discharge a current

page_text: Figure 4 shews the said apparatus fixed to the ceiling a and connected
with a cord d extending to the outside of the building, and provided with
a handle d.
Having thus fully described our said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, we wish it understood that we claim,-
.
First. The arrangement of the apparatus or compound in combination
with a string, cord, or other connection which may be separated or
destroyed, either by a rise of temperature or by actual contact of the fire
or flame, as herein set forth.
Second. The employment of electricity for causing the combination or
combustion of the gas generating materials as hercin set forth.
Third. The employment of a fuse for igniting or combining the gas
generating materials, as herein set forth.
Fourth. The employment of springs, levers, triggers, or other devices
to be operated by hand for causing the combustion or ignition of the gas
generating materials, as herein set forth.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Stewart Wallace and
Edward Tucker, have hereunto set our hands and scals, this
Eighth day of September, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-five.