Improved Fire Indicating Apparatus.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Mar., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 21st Jan., 1892-Accepted, 19th Mar., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Fire Indicating Apparatus.
We JOAQUIN JOSÉ D'ALMEIDA and JOSÉ IGNACIO DA SILVA of 23 Travessa
do Monte do Carmo, Lisbonne, Portugal, Gentlemen do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention consists of two glass reservoirs identical to one another hermeti-
cally closed and connected with each other by a tube likewise of glass in the form
or shape of a U.
In the middle of the left branch of this tube, there is an internal spiral of
platinum-wire of 5 to 6 millimetres (=0.197 to 0-236 British inches) long, the
opposite end of this wire passing through the glass forms the positive pole of a
small electric battery of which the other pole is formed in the following manner;
in the upper part of the spiral a second platinum-wire crosses the glass; the
external part forms the negative pole and the internal part is soldered to an
elongated grain of zinc introduced into the spiral already described and as near as
possible to the latter without touching it.
The lower parts of this apparatus contain pure nitric acid so disposed that the
distance between the lower part of the grain of zinc and the level of the nitric acid
is some three to four millimetres a distance which can be increased or reduced
according to the sensitiveness which one desires to give to the apparatus.
Above the levels of the nitric acid is part hydride of heptyl (C'H"), a liquid
having the property of absorbing vapours of the nitric acid which may arise from
the change of the weather and which liquid prevents the zine of the small
battery being attacked..
The upper levels of the hydride is placed above the spiral and the grain of zinc.
The left reservoir of the apparatus is in its whole extent covered by a glass
tube closed at its upper end and lastly the whole system is fixed to a wooden
frame.
All the parts of the apparatus having been described let us now see how it
works after being placed in a room near the roof and fixed by means of a screw or
other equivalent fastening.
If both reservoirs are kept open the levels of the nitric acid will not be disturbed
by the different temperatures of the surrounding air whether these changes of
temperature be rapid or go on almost imperceptibly, as for example in passing
from winter to summer from night and day etc., and consequently the level of the
acid will never reach the zinc of the small battery the poles of which are
metallically connected with an alarum apparatus having a spring or a weight. If
the branch is kept covered the apparatus will still be insensible to too slight
variations of temperature as the air contained in the reservoirs has time to expand
or to contract (or to condense) equally thus preventing the displacement of the
levels. Not so with a sudden rise of temperature as for example the breaking out
of a fire, because then the air contained in one tube expands before that contained
in the other, owing to the covering on the former, the level of the nitric acid
descends causing it to rise in the other tube until it reaches the spiral of platinum
and the grain of zinc, and thus establishes an electric current which is directed
towards the alarum-apparatus which announces the fire in its very beginning.
Dated this 21st dar of March 1891.
FELL & WILDING,
1, Queen Victoria Street, London, Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: Improved Fire Indicating Apparatus.
We, JOAQUIN JOSÉ D'ALMEIDA and JOSÉ IGNACIO DA SILVA of 23 Travessa
do Monte do Carmo, Lisbonne, Portugal, Gentlemen, do hereby declare the nature
of our invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Our invention consists of two glass reservoirs, A B identical to one another
(Fig. 1) hermetically closed, and connected with each other by a tube likewise
of glass, in the form or shape of a U, as will be seen in the drawing.
In the middle of the left branch of this tube there is an internal spiral, of
platinum-wire p¹ of 5 to 6 millimetres (-0.197 to 0.236 British inches) long; one
end of this wire passing through the glass forms the positive pole of a small electric
battery of which the other pole is formed in the following manner; in the upper
part of the spiral a second platinum-wire crosses the glass; the external part
forms the negative pole n and the internal part is soldered to an elongated grain
or piece of zinc introduced into the spiral p already described and as near as
possible to the latter without touching it.
The lower parts of this apparatus 6 6' contain pure nitric acid so disposed that
the distance between the lower part of the grain of zinc and the level b¹ of
the nitric acid is some three to four millimetres, a distance which can be
increased or reduced according to the sensitiveness which one desires to give to
the apparatus.
Above the level of the nitric acid 6 b¹ is put hydride of hepty! (C'H¹³), a
liquid having the property of absorbing vapours of the nitric acid which may arise
from the change of the weather and which liquid prevents the zinc of the small
battery being attacked.
The upper levels a a' of the hydride are placed above the spiral and the grain or
piece of zinc.
The left reservoir of the apparatus is in its whole extent covered by a glass
tube closed at its upper end C, and lastly, the whole system is fixed to a wooden
frame T. T.
All the parts of the apparatus having been described we will now describe its
working after being placed in a corner of a room near the roof and fixed by means
of the screw P.
If both reservoirs A. B are similarly uncovered the levels of the nitric acid will
not be disturbed by the different temperatures of the surrounding air whether these
changes of temperature be rapid or go on almost imperceptibly, as for example in
passing from winter to summer from night to day etc. and consequently the level b
of the acid will never reach the zinc of the small battery whose poles n p are
metallically connected with an alarum-apparatus having a spring or a weight. If
the branch A is kept covered as shown in the drawing by an external glass
cover C the apparatus will still be insensible to slight variations of temperature, as
the air contained in the two reservoirs A B has time to expand or to contract
equally thus preventing the displacement of the levels. It is not so however with
a sudden rise of temperature; as for example on the breaking out of a fire because
then the air contained in B expands before that contained in A owing to the
covering C; the level of the nitric acid descends, causing b to rise until it
reaches the helix of platinum and the grain of zinc, and thus establishes an electric
current which is directed towards the alarum apparatus which announces the fire
at its very commencement.
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page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our inven-
tion and in what manner the same to be performed we declare that what we
claim is:-
1st. The combination and construction of parts forming a fire indicating
apparatus substantially as described in relation to the drawings hereto annexed.
2nd. In such an apparatus the combination of the positive and negative poles of
an electric battery, and an electrolyte, which is caused to submerge the said
battery by the uneven expansion of gases in a covered and uncovered connected
receptacle by sudden increase of temperature substantially as described.
Dated this 21st day of January 1892.
FELL & WILDING,
1, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C., Agents for the Applicants.