AN IMPROVED SYSTEM OF SECURING BUILDINGS, TOWNS, DOCKYARDS, AND SHIPS FROM FIRE, AND FOR THE RAISING OF WATER TO THE TOPS OF BUILDINGS FOR GENERAL PURPOSES
Year: 1812

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, Colonel
WILLIAM CONGREVE, of Cecil Street, in the City of Westminster and County
of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third, did, by:
His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great.
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Thirty-first day of.
October, in the fifty-third of his reign, give and grant unto me, the said
William Congreve, my exors, adññors, and assigns, His especial licence, full
power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said William Congreve, my
exors, adiñors, and assigns, should and lawfully might, during the term of
years therein mentioned, make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "AN IMPROVED
SYSTEM OF SECURING BUILDINGS, TOWNS, DOCKYARDS, AND SHIPS FROM FIRE, AND
FOR THE RAISING OF WATER TO THE TOPS OF BUILDINGS FOR GENERAL PURPOSES;" in
which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso that if I, the said
William Congreve, shall not particularly describe and ascertain the nature of
my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, and cause the same to be
inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within two calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent, that
then the said Letters Patent, and all liberties and advantages whatsoever
thereby granted, shall utterly cease, determine, and become void, as in and

page_text: by the same (relation being thereunto had) may more fully and at large
appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Congreve, do declare that my said Invention of an Improved
System of Securing Buildings, Towns, Dockyards, and Ships from Fire, com-
bining also a Power for Raising of Water to the Tops of Buildings, and for
other general Purposes, is described as follows, that is to say:-
The general principle of power which I make use of for the different pur-
poses to be here specified is obtained from the compression of air, and its first
application for the security of buildings, &c. from fire is thus arranged :-A
large reservoir of cast iron or other metal or substance is provided that shall
be capable of being made perfectly air and water tight, and that will continue
So. This reservoir, which may be placed at the bottom of the house, or at a
distance from it, and which may be either cylindrical or globular or any other
more convenient form, is to be filled in part with water and in part with air
condensed by means of a powerful air pump, forming a part of the apparatus,
a general view of the whole of which is given, Figure 1. The water being
pumped in' or laid on from the main of any established waterworks. where
such are at hand, and the quantity of it being calculated to be sufficient
for the required security, for instance, 1, 2, 3, or more hundred hogsheads,
according to the extent of the building. By this arrangement the reservoir
therefore not only contains the requisite supply of water, but, by means of the
quantity of air compressed into it, it has within itself also a power that will at
any time when allowed to act force this water to any height required. Thus,
if the reservoir be half filled with water and half with air six times compressed;
in addition to its natural atmosphere, the power thus obtained will force every
drop of the contained water to a mean height of about 135 feet, on the mere
opening of a cock to allow it to issue, and so on to any greater or less-height.
due to the number of atmospheres compressed and the proportion of the
reservoir occupied by the compressed air. Now such being the principle for
the supply both of power and water, the reservoir is made to communicate
with the different parts of the building by means of a cast iron or other main,
to which are attached smaller branches for dispersing the water in particular
apartments or divisions of appartments when required, in modes that will be
separately detailed. The main is filled from the reservoir on opening a prin-
cipal or main sluice or cock; and in like manner the branches are filled
from the main by the opening of particular valves or cocks connected with
them individually. There need not, therefore, be a single drop of water even
in the main until the alarm is given; when by first turning on the main any

page_text: particular part, by the opening the particular cock belonging to that part, may
instantly be inundated without in the least degree wetting any other; so that
there is no useless waste of water, nor any inconvenience incured by the dis-
persion of it where it is not required. The modes of dispersion are various,
and are delineated in Figures 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9.
The first I shall describe is that through a length of perforated pipe, which
may be straight (as Fig. 3), or curved (as in Fig. 9), in either case filled from
the main on the opening of a particular cock. This pipe may be of any
suitable diameter, and must be perforated with tiers of holes proportioned
in size and number to the bore and length of the pipe, the position of these
tiers of holes being determined by the nature of the room, space, or object
required to be protected, as explained by Figs. 2, 3, 4, &c.
remarked, that these pipes being pierced with holes sufficient to allow for the
easy escape of the water forced into them, they are but little acted on by the
pressure of the air in the reservoir, and may therefore be made of much
slighter material than the mains, and yet will be sufficient to deliver any
quantity of water.
It is to be
Another mode of dispersion, Fig. 5, is by a pipe of 3 or 4 feet in length, or
more or less, according to circumstances, and of any bore, according to the
quantity of water to be delivered, fixed at the end of a branch pipe connected with
the main; and this short pipe, with holes in its sides and ends, being constructed
to revolve on its centre by the rushing of the water from the main through
these holes, when the valve is opened; in this way the rotatory disperser not
only delivers all the water laid on from the main, but scatters it round in all
directions, and will throw it to various distances according to the length of the
revolving pipe.
Another mode is by large bulbs or roses, Fig. 7 and 8, in the middle and
at the ends of branch pipes communicating with the main, and applied either
as stand pipes, Fig. 7, or as horizontal ones, Fig. 8, according to circumstances.
In short, it is obvious that an almost endless variety of modes of dispersion
may be arranged on these principles.
These means, therefore, being varied as occasion may require, and the
different valves or cocks supplying and bringing them into action being con-
structed to be opened and shut from a place of security outside the building by
means of iron rods and cranks, Fig. 1, and the handles working them outside
being labelled so as to indicate without the possibility of mistake the particular
parts they secure, the supply of water moreover being provided on a sufficient
scale, and the power of compression in the cylinder being always kept to a
degree of intensity adequate to the height and distance to which the water is

page_text: to be thrown, it cannot be doubted that the system amounts to a moral
certainty of perfect security, not only from the concentrated force, action, and
quantity of water applied, but from the easy and instantaneous application of
which it is capable even by the agency of a single person. And here it must
be remarked, that altho' this description has hitherto considered the limit of
the supply of water to be that contained in the reservoir, still where this supply
is derived from any established waterworks, as in the plan for securing the
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, there it may be rendered not only immediate but
permanent also; immediate by means of the reservoir, whether the engine of the
waterworks is acting or not, and permanent by giving time to set that engine
to work, so as to throw into the reservoir a continued supply when the
intensity of the pressure in the reservoir comes down by the exhaustion of a
part of its contents to a level with the working powers of the waterwork,
engine, or head of water, however created. Now, by combining, the above
principle on a great scale, with the different waterworks diffused of late thro' out
London and many other towns, this security may in fact be extended to whole
towns, including dockyards, warehouses, &c., at a much less proportionate
rate of expence than where the operation, as above, is supposed to be confined
to a single building; for in this case only one large reservoir would be
required for a parish, or at least a considerable district, which could give tho
power of immediate action to the mains of that district on the opening a
particular sluice, and would continue in them the full supply until the
steam engine or other moving power of these works could be laid on;
whereas without such reservoir there could not exist a supply con-
stantly ready for immediate application (which is indispensible in any
security against fire) inasmuch as the waterworks' steam engines are seldom
kept at work more than twelve hours out of the twenty-four, and generally
not at all during the night, when the danger of fire is greatest. Without
this combination, therefore, it is evident that notwithstanding the great extent
of waterworks now existing in the principal towns of England, still their
application under present circumstances as a security against fire is very
limited, while, on the other hand, with a reservoir of sufficient magnitude, not
only would the supply be certain and instantaneous, but it would last
until the engine itself cod be got into action. Nor is this, in fact, the
whole advantage derivable from this combination, because by increasing the
condensation of the air in the first instance beyond the power of the steam
engine itself, a vast energy is given to the first operations of this system
beyond that which they otherwise would possess even if the engine were
always to be in action. And here it should be remarked, that the force

page_text: and quantity of the first supply of water in all cases of fire breaking out
is in fact even of much more importance than any prolonged duration of
the supply. The identical mains at present existing in the streets would be
found fully sufficient to extend the security to all parts, by giving them
communication with the grand reservoir in each particular district, so that
the full force of its contents might be turned on to any particular main at
a moment's notice; and the application of this water in particular houses
might be arranged at the choice of the possessor, and either on the internal
principles of dispersion above described, with the power of being worked
on the outside, or by the external application either of the common hose
and branch, or of a new construction of branches here to be specified as a
part of this extended system of security. For either of these modes it is
necessary that fire plugs should be provided on the main or rider in every
street, so near together that 4, 5, 6, or more of these plugs may by leather
hoses be brought to bear at any one point, where they may be applied, as at
present, with the common branch or mouth-piece,
The following new system of branches or dispersers for this purpose will,
however, be found much more powerful and effectual, as carrying the water more
into the heart of the fire although applied externally, and as acting very much
upon the principle of the fixed and internal mode of dispersion already described,
instead of playing a small stream at a distance like the common branch and
hose.
The first of these new branches which I propose to specify is a metal tube,
capable of being extended to a considerable length by screwing on additional.
joints, and of equal bore with the fire plug. This branch is ttached to:
the end of the hose fixed into the fire plug, and being long enough to
be actually forced thro' the windows of the room on fire (Fig. 10), the end
thus protruded into the appartment being furnished with a rose or bulb, the
water cannot fail to be thrown into every part of it at once, without the smallest.
waste, and in vast quantities, as the whole supply of the main may be thus
concentrated. The termination of this pipe may be varied according to cir-
cumstances; thus, it may be armed with a length of perforated pipe, or even
with one of the rotatory dispersers for the more distant scattering of the water
in particular cases. A further variation of this plan may be effected by fixing
these different terminations at once on a long length of leather hose, which by
its flexibility may be carried into places that could not be got at by in inflexible
tube from the street, and which may be thrust through the windows of the
highest stories by means of appropriate fire hooks, Fig. 10:
.
Another variety is by providing short branches somewhat similar to those at;

page_text: -present use by hand, but larger in proportion to the supply and force of water
thus laid on immediately from the main. Some of these might be constructed
to throw a number of streams instead of one, so concentrated as to fill the whole
space of a large window; others, on the contrary, to project a number of
diverging streams, which may embrace a considerable portion of the front
of the building, these being principally applicable where such front is of wood.
This new system of jets or dispersers may also be applied to the present fire
engines. Now it must be obvious not only that the quantity and force of
water thrown by these different means into a burning house from the imme-
diate action of the main under a high pressure in the reservoir must infinitely
exceed any supply that could ever be given by hand engines, independant of its
being a spontaneous action, always ready, and requiring very few persons to give
it full effect, independent also of the more immediate application of the water
to the burning parts, and of there being no waste in this application, all the
contents of the main being at once thrown in, whereas by the present system, tho'
the main does not deliver one quarter of what it would do under the increased
pressure of the reservoir, not one-tenth even of what it does deliver is actually
thrown into the fire, the far greater part being wasted down the kennel. It is
obvious also that the bringing the subbordinate instruments (such as the
hoses and branches above described) to any spot is a work of much less labour
and time than the bringing engines as at present. But should any situation
exist where the reservoir above described might be difficult of application, its
operation, as combined with the waterworks, might in some degree be pro-
duced by the immediate application of the power of men or horses. For this
purpose a large central engine, connecting with the mains of any district, must
be erected to admit as many men as possible to be applied in working it; or where
a number of horses might be kept in constant readiness to give the first action
Altho' this
to the mains, as above, should the steam engines not be at work.
substitute must fall far short of the powers of the reservoir, there is no doubt
that the application of the same number of horses and men required for the
present system of fire engines would thus have a much greater effect towards
the security of the town, than as they are now applied in dragging and work-
ing the small moveable engines. And here I must state my confidence that
were the fire insurance companies to combine with the waterwork companies
for the general establishment of this system, they would not only add infinitely.
to the security of lives and property, but by that very preservation of property,
and other savings, these companies would be able, from the great reduction of
loss, to afford the first expenditure necessary to institute such an establishment,
and might even eventually reduce the premium of insurances.

page_text: The same substitution of the reservoir as above stated might of course also
be applied to the security of any detached or single building, tho' unquestion-
ably in all cases where there is no local objection to the reservoir, and previously
accumulated power of condensed air (and it is difficult to see any), this system
is by far the most preferable, on account of its instantaneous-and unlimited
operation. The mode of filling the reservoir with condensed air has hitherto
ouly been described to be done by an air pump, which pump, it is evident, may
be worked either by wind, water, or any other power, and being provided with
guages and safety valves it may be made to keep up a constant pressure or
quantity of power. But it is necessary now to state that other modes of filling
the reservoir with condensed air may also be resorted to, and are here there-
fore to be specified. Thus, the operation may be performed by the combustion
of saltpetre, or other substances, in a close retort connected with the reservoir,
and any quantity of gas thus generated may be passed into the reservoir, so as
to raise the condensation to any required degree of intensity. In fact, various
other modes may be adopted on this principle, for obtaining power by the con-
densation of gasses.
It is here, therefore, to be understood generally, that
whatever power may be obtained, either from the condensation of atmospheric
air by whatever mode produced, or by the condensation of any gas, either at
the time of its generation or by subsequent operation, that power and that
principle of action connected with or arising from such condensation, however
applied, is an essential part of this my Invention. I shall conclude this Speci-
fication, therefore, by enumerating some of the further uses to which this mode
of accumulating and storing of power is applicable.
In the first place, if a moderately sized reservoir, containing but a few hogs-
heads, at the bottom of a dwelling house, be connected with a good forcing
pump, which may serve both to inject the air and the water; or if this reservoir
be filled by any other process, as, for instance, first with water, by the exhaus-
tion of the air contained in the reservoir by the internal combustion of a lamp
inclosed in it, and thereby forming a vacuum for the indraft of water as the
oxygen is consumed, and subsequently with compressed air, on the foregoing
principle, by the combustion of saltpetre, or by any other process producing the
same effect; then, in either of these ways, (and in the latter, without labour,)
an accumulation of water is obtained, and combined with the power of throw-
ing it to every part of the dwelling house, not only for the purpose of a
security against fire on a small scale, but also for every other domestic use.,
And it is to be observed, that where the mode of filling the reservoir by hand
is adopted no greater power is expended than if the water had been itself at
once pumped to the height given by the condensation; whereas a very great
advantage is derived by having the reservoir at the bottom of the house, instead

page_text: of the ordinary mode of placing it at top, where it is necessarily a great
burthen, and constantly liable to cause mischief by leaking or otherwise.
:
After the detailed descriptions that have been given of the modes of securing
different buildings by means of the condensing reservoir and its apparatus, the
application of it to the security of ships from fire is too obvious to need
particularizing. It is obvious, also, that this same mode of accumulating
power may be applied for the working of fountains, or for the watering of
hothouses. The shower being produced in various quantities, and in drops
of various sizes, according to different occasions, by filling different dispersing
pipes, similar to those already described, the perforation of each pipe being
different, so that a heavy shower may be produced for the destruction of animal-
cula, or the finest and most imperceptible dew may be created for the luxuriance
of vegetation.
An hydraulic engine upon this principle is also applicable to canals wanting
a sufficient head. In this instance it may be employed for throwing back the
water consumed in working the locks, and for this operation the condensed air
and water may be collected in a large reservoir by wind or otherwise, which by
a due proportion of quantity may be made sufficient to supply the waste, or in
this instance the production of power by the generation of gas may be most
advantageously applied.
But there is another and still more general and important application
of this system of accumulating power by the condensation of air, namely, the
provision of some substitute for animal exertion in the draught of burthens or
other purposes and operations to which animal power is at present applied;
for by this means it will be practicable within a convenient space and
with apparatus of a convenient weight to obtain the power of any number
of horses required for the draught of a carriage, which may, by machinery
sufficiently simple, be made to act upon the wheels for a given distance,
inasmuch as the power of one horse for one mile may be compressed into
a cylinder 2 feet 6 in. long by 9 in diameter, and so on, therefore, in propor-
tion for a greater number of horses and an increase of distance. To apply
this extensively on a line of road, stations must be formed at certain distances,
where either by the aid of steam or other power, or by the generation of gas,
the cylinders containing the powers may be charged; the operation may
therefore thus be carried on from station to station by replacing the exhausted
cylinders with others that have been previously charged. The action of this
power upon the wheels is performed by the vibrations of a piston rod driven
backwards and forwards between two charged cylinders by the alternate
pressure of a small quantity of the compressed air allowed to escape by turns
from cach cylinder. From what is here specified any person conversant in

page_text: mechanism and the doctrine of forces will at once perceive the prodigious
extent to which this application of the system may be carried, so as if
not wholly to do away the necessity of horses for drawing burthens, &c. or at
all events greatly to diminish their numbers.
I shall here specify only one further application of this principle of
power by condensation; which is, that as it is applicable for the production of
motion for various purposes on the surface of the globe, so also in like
manner may the ascending power of hydrogen be collected by conden-
sation in a small space, and thus be made applicable to the replenishing
of the power of a balloon in its flight, or to give a vast facility for the
first filling of it by the immediate operation of allowing the gas to expand
from the vessels in which it is condensed, through a cock to which the tube of
the balloon may be applied when it is required to inflate it for ascension.
Various uses of no mean importance will be found immediately attainable by
thus facilitating and rendering momentary the operation of charging the
balloon, such as the communication of intelligence, the making signals, and
even the conveyance of inflamible matter for the destruction of towns, harbours,
&c., for which purpose small balloons may be sent on board ship, with a pro-
portionate quantity of ascending power, or hydrogen gas condensed into a very
small space, where it will remain for any length of time in store, and from
whence it may at any moment be applied for any of these ends by the most
simple processes.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Congreve, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and twolve