Improvements in Apparatus to Start Alarms on the Occurrence of Fire or Increase of Heat.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Apr., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 28th Jan., 1890-Accepted, 1st Mar., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus to Start Alarms on the Occurrence of
Fire or Increase of Heat.
I WILLIAM MILLER of 212 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain. Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as
follows that is to say :-
My said Invention has for its object to provide improved apparatus in combination
with any suitable kind of alarm appliance to be started in action on fire or increase of
heat occurring near the apparatus.
In carrying out my Invention one or more bells or other concussion sounder or a
whistle or whistles to be sounded by steam or by compressed air or gas may be placed
near the starting apparatus; or the aların appliance or appliances may be placed at
any convenient distance and if desired at more than one place, the action being
transmitted by means of one or more electrical wires. In general a weight or spring
will be provided for operating on the alarm appliance and will be held out of action
by a detent which will be arranged to be withdrawn by the starting apparatus, electro
magnets being employed when electrical communicating wires are used.
The starting apparatus consists of parts to be acted on by fire or heat and extend-
ing over the area to be protected in a warehouse, factory, or other interior.
According to one modification wires are stretched horizontally or in other
directions and are connected to the detents of the alarm appliances or to detents of
spring clectrical contact makers for transmitting currents along wires to a distance.
The wires consist mainly of metal which is sufficiently strong and not fusible, but
such strong wire is used in short lengths which are connected or soldered together
with very fusible metal. On a fire occurring within the protected area the heat fuses
the connections of the strong wires, and the tension of the wires being thereby
destroyed the detents are withdrawn and the alarm appliances are sounded. The
wires may be arranged to form a kind of network with fusible connections at
numerous points so that at whatever point a fire may commence it must very soon
loosen some connection and thereby start the alarm appliances.
Instead of wires, chains or cords may be used, or any combination of such
connections which are united at numerous points by substances easily fused or
loosened by heat. Cords alone may be used if of an inflammable nature; and a
coating of an inflammable substance may be put on the cords or on the fusible
connections.
Dated this Twenty-ninth day of April 1889
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus to Start Alarms on the Occurrence of
Fire or Increase of Heat.
I, WILLIAM MILLER, of 212 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, that is to say :-
My said Invention has for its object to provide improved apparatus in combination
with any suitable kind of alarm appliance to be started into action on fire, or increase
of heat occurring near the apparatus.

page_text: In carrying out my Invention one or more bells or other concussion sounder, or a
whistle or whistles to be sounded by steam or by compressed air or gas may be placed
near the starting apparatus; or the alarm appliance or appliances may be placed at
any convenient distance, and if desired at more than one place, the action being
transmitted by one or more electrical wires. A weight or spring may be provided for
operating on the alarm appliance and may be held out of action by a detent arranged
to be withdrawn by the starting apparatus, electro magnets being employed when
electrical communicating wires are used.
The starting apparatus consists of parts to be acted on by fire or heat, and
extending over the area to be protected, in a warehouse, factory, or other interior.
According to one moiification wires are stretched horizontally or in other directions,
and are connected to the alarm appliances. The wires consist mainly of metal which
is sufficiently strong and not easily fusible, but such strong wire is used in short
lengths which are connected or soldered together with very fusible metal. Or the
wire may consist to any desired extent of easily fusible metal. On a fire occurring
within the protected area the heat fuses the connections of the strong wires, and
the tension of the wires being thereby destroyed the detents (when used) are with-
drawn and the alarm appliances are sounded. When electrical communication is
employed the fusing of any fusible connection or joint breaks or interrupts an electric
circuit of which the wires form part and the sounding of an electric bell is thereby
caused or an electro magnet withdraws or ceases to hold a detent which holds the
alarm appliance out of action, as hereinafter explained.
The wires may be arranged to form a kind of network with fusible connections at
numerous points, so that at whatever point a fire may commence it must very soon
loosen some connection and thereby start the alarm appliances.
Instead of wires, chains or cords may be used in some cases, or any suitable com-
bination of such connections may be used being united at numerous points by
substances easily fused or loosened by heat. Cords alone may be used if of an
inflammable nature and if arranged to act on detents by tension; and a coating of
an inflammable substance may be put on cords or on fusible connections. In cases
in which a continuous electric current is employed it may be led through one or
more fine wires made up into a cord with cotton or other inflammable material;
and such combination may be used with or without easily fusible connections.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing the same
may be properly understood I hereunto append two sheets of explanatory drawings
to be hereinafter referred to and showing by way of example some of the various
modes in which my Invention may be practically applied.
In the example shown in the diagram, Figure, 1, on sheet, 1, of the accompanying
drawings, a protected area is indicated by dotted lines, A A A A, this part of the
diagram being a plan. Over this area there is placed an arrangement of wires, B,
consisting of short lengths of strong wires connected by joints, C, of fusible metal.
The wires, B, are arranged so as to be in tension, and they are connected by a
wire, chain, or cord, D, passing over a pulley, E, to a weight, F. The pulley, E,
weight, F, and other parts still to be referred to are shown as in elevation. The
alarin appliance shown in this example is an electric bell, G, connected to a battery
by wires, H and in order to ring the bell the current has to pass through two
spring contact pieces, J, which are ordinarily kept apart by a tongue or detent, K,
of insulating material. The tongue, K, is attached or connected to the cord, D, so
as to be pulled from between the contact pieces, J, when the weight is free to
descend. The alarm bell, G, may be placed at any distance from the contact pieces, J,
and other parts of the apparatus; and if desired two or more bells may be arranged
in the same circuit. The wires. B, are arranged so that when any joint, C, is fused
and broken by heat, the combination of wires becomes free to be drawn by the
cord, D, and the weight, F, on drawing the cord at the same time withdraws the
tongue, K, thereby allowing the spring pieces, J, to touch each other and complete
the circuit, whereupon the electric current rings the alarm bell or bells.

page_text: I prefer to make the joints, C, with thin ribbon-like strips, L, of strong metal as
shown in figures, 2, to 5; and such joint strips may be attached to wires, B, chains, M,
cords, N, or other suitable material in various ways.
In the example shown in the diagram, figure, 6, on sheet, 2, of the drawings and
which diagram is partly a plan and partly an elevation-the area, AA AA,
indicated by dotted lines is protected by wires, B, connected by joints, C, of fusible
metal, and arranged in one line which is led to and fro' in a manner to sufficiently
cover the area. This line of wires, B, forms part of an electric circuit over which a
current is always flowing excepting when any joint, C, has become fused and opened.
The current thus constantly flowing through the line of wires, B, is arranged to be
comparatively weak, but sufficient to bring about the desired action in the event of
a fire occurring or of heat causing the rupture of a joint, C, as hereinafter explained.
In order to maintain the constant current efficiently for a considerable length of time.
an expedient known to electricians is adopted which consists of a battery of greater
power than would be required to supply the required weak current in a circuit of
small resistance, but which is restrained and regulated by a suitable resistance made
to form part of the circuit.
An electric bell, G, is shown as the alarm appliance in the example of apparatus
shown in figure, 6, and for ringing this hell there is provided a sufficiently powerful
battery shown as consisting of three cells, P. The circuit for ringing the bell, G, and
the wires of which are plainly shown in the diagram, is completed by a switch, Q,
which is arranged as the armature of an electro magnet, R, the exciting coils of which
consist of wire forming part of the circuit of the line of wires, B. The battery for
this circuit which includes the protecting wires, B, is shown as consisting of two
cells, S, one pole of which is connected by wires, T, to one end of the line of wires, B,
whilst the other pole is connected by wires, U, to the coils of the electro magnet, R,
and thence to the other end of the line of wires, B. When the protecting circuit
through the wires, B, is unbroken the electro inagnet, R, is excited and holds the
switch, Q, out of contact from the contact point, V, communicating with the bell, G ;
but when the protecting circuit is broken through the fusion or detachment of a
joint, C, the electro magnet, R, ceases to be excited and then a spring, W, shifts the
switch, Q, so as to complete the bell circuit. The contact point, V, is connected by a
wire, X, to the bell battery, P, and the switch, Q, is, through the frame holding it and
a wire, Y, connected to the bell in the usual manner.
The alarm bell, G, may be
placed at any convenient distance from the protecting wires, B, and if desired there
may be two or more such bells in the same circuit.
In order that the working condition of the apparatus may be tested at any time I
introduce into the protecting circuit an electric push, Z, arranged to break contact
when its button is pushed in, and when the apparatus is in order the pushing in
of the button will cause the bell to ring.
When it is desired to economise the battery materials, switches may be provided
for connecting the battery wires at night or when a factory or building is closed, and
for disconnecting them at other times.
Where
I am aware that various devices have been proposed and tried for causing the
completion of an electric circuit through the action of heat; but my apparatus in
which the protecting wires, B, form part of an electric circuit is distinguished from
such earlier devices in being arranged and combined so that an electric circuit is
broken or interrupted by the action of the heat, instead of being completed.
contact pieces are provided, as in the earlier devices referred to, to be put into contact,
it may be a considerable time after they have been fitted up, they become oxidised or
otherwise affected, and their acting properly so as to complete the circuit cannot be
relied on; but with my apparatus nothing of that kind can occur, but on the contrary
if any defect occurs at any time in the protecting wires or in the current flowing
through them, from any cause the alarm bell will ring, and in the event of there being
no fire will at least show that the apparatus requires to be put in order.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. Improved apparatus for starting alarmns on the occurrence of firo or increase of
heat, and comprising a network or extension ove the area to be protected, of wires,
chains, or cords, made up with easily fusible or inflable joints and connected in a
state of tension to detents or stops which on any jo being fused or detached and the
tension being thereby relieved cause a weight or ring or an electric current to set
the alarm or alarms in action, the parts of the a; paratus being arranged, combined,
and operating substantially in the manner herein before described.
2. Improved apparatus for starting alarms on the occurrence of fire or increase of
heat, and comprising a line of wires extended over the area to be protected and
forming part of an electric circuit through which a current is constantly maintained
the said line of wires consisting of portions connected by joints made with easily
fusible metal or other suitable easily fusible or inflammable substance such as to break
the circuit when sufficiently heated, an electro-magnet and spring switch or equivalent
device being arranged to throw an electric alarm bell into effective circuit on the
interruption of the current through the protecting wires, the parts being arranged,
combined, and operating substantially as herein before described.
Dated this Twenty-seventh day of January 1890. ■
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.