IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR EXTINGUISHING FIRE
Year: 1868

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Thomas Atkins at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 6th
March 1868.
I, THOMAS ATKINS, of 62, Fleet Street, in the City of London, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR EXTINGUISHING FIRE," to be as follows:-
First. I construct a vessel or cylinder of metal of any convenient form
for generating carbonic acid gas on a scale adequate to the requirements
of this Invention, the interior of such vessel may be porcelained, glazed,
or covered with any coating suitable for resisting the action of carbonic
acid gas under pressure; such carbonic acid gas may be generated in the
usual way by acids operating upon chalk, marble, or any material most
readily obtained for that purpose; such apparatus to be capable of oscil-
lating to keep up agitation, and may be worked by hand or any artificial
power. I connect with such said apparatus a cylinder of any convenient
form constructed of metal capable of resisting great pressure, which I

page_text: term the receiver. The receiver may be connected to work with the
agitator or be separated and remain stationary and be fed through a
stuffing box or any convenient tap or valve, or the said cylinder may be
charged by a single or double-acting air or water pump for pumping
carbonic acid, the said cylinder to be fitted with in and outlet valves
made of any convenient form and made of porcelain or metal, as may be
found most desirable, but I prefer adamite as most suitable.
Second. I connect said vessel or cylinder with any hose or pipe, such
hose or pipe may be connected to any vessel containing water, either with
or without a pump connected with such hose; I construct a jet to act
on the interior of such hose, my object being to thoroughly saturate
all water passing through the hose by what I term the carbonic acid
injector, which may be capable of giving motion to fluids acting by
pressure from the receiver.
Third. This vessel may be connected with any fire-engine, either to
be worked by steam, hand, or any artificial power required for working
pumps of any desired diameter to furnish an adequate supply of water.
Fourth. For more effectually saturating and charging such water
with carbonic acid I construct an air chamber at the end of the delivery
nozzle which I term the saturating chamber. In the front of this
chamber I construct a number of tubes with a view of minutely
dividing the delivery of such fluids when charged with carbonic acid,
or I construct a plate or disc to screw in or on the said air-tight
chamber of any required thickness, and drill such holes at various angles
with a view of minutely dividing the fluid in its passage to the spot to
be operated upon, my object being to produce a mist at point of delivery,
such mist may be converted into steam by heat. I prefer using steam
at the point of delivery generated by any artificial process that may be
instantly applied, the object being to minutely divide the particles of
fluid with a view of extinguishing fire or flame, and thus accomplish the
purpose with the smallest possible quantity of fluid to prevent the serious
and wholesale destruction of property by the floods of water which are now
brought to bear in the operation of extinguishing fire. And further, with
a view of making this distributor still more effective, I adopt a telescopic
arrangement whereby the said nozzle for delivery may be extended or
shortened at the will of the person using the apparatus. And further, for
the more effective carrying out of this Invention, I lay pipes of any
convenient size, such as is generally used for the supply of gas or water,

page_text: through the various parts of any premises or building, I lay them in
conjunction with the water pipe and connect such pipes with a central
store chamber containing carbonic acid gas, which may be constantly
available for furnishing such gas under any desired pressure.