Year: 1886

page_text: .
We, ALFRED THOMPSON, and ROBERT ORD RITCHIE, both of 14 and 15:Saint
Swithins Lane, in the City of London, Engineers 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:—
Our invention relates to automatic fire extinguishing apparatus, operated
electrically by a rise in temperature of the chamber or building in which the
apparatus is fixed, and our device is so constructed as to permit of immediate
discharge of water over a considerable area of floor upon the rise of the temperature
of the room, or building, above a certain maximum, and is capable of being tested
at any time as to its efficiency, it can be operated mechanically at desire, and can,
after operation, be placed again in its former condition for service by any unskilled
attendant.
In order that our invention may be the better understood, we now proceed to
describe the same in relation to the drawings hereunto annexed, reference being had
to the letters and figures marked thereon. Like letters refer to similar parts
throughout the drawings.
Figure 1 is a vertical section through our device.
Figure 2 is any known heat indicator or thermostat, by which our device is
electrically operated by change of temperature.
Figure 3 is an outside end view of our device.
Figure 4 is a modified detail of the water valvė chamber.
A is a screwed union or nozzle of non-magnetisable metal, by which our device
is attached to a branch from a water main, the said water mains being
conveniently distributed as desired near the ceiling or ceilings of any chamber or
building which it may be desired to protect from fire, a series of our devices being
attached thereto at suitable intervals from one another, so as to cover the whole
area of the floor with a discharge of water at need. The said nozzle A is attached
to a core or barrel B of iron or other magnetisable material, forming a continuation
of the water passage, which is closed at the mouth by a valve C, which may make
a joint conveniently upon a ring of india-rubber D fitted therein. A screw
spindle E is fitted into the said valve C, and is guided in a nut F, the adjustment
of the valve being effected by turning the spindle on its screw thread e, where it
fits into the valve. The valve is prevented from turning by a pin f. The valve C

page_text: is normally held closed against the water by the pressure on its spindle E of a
lever G; the said lever, pivotting on a fulcrum g (which is made as part of the
main casting or structure B), engages by a pin g' in a recess of the armature-
lever H. The said armature-lever H is pivotted on the framing at h and holds up
so as to engage the pin g¹ of the lever G by the tension of a suitable spring K.
The water, on issuing from the valve C, is received into the annular chamber L
Figs. 1 and 4 from whence it issues in any desired direction by suitable perfora-
tions Fig. 1 or by a suitable orifice as in Fig. 4.
Around the core or barrel B is wound a coil of insulated wire M, which is
enclosed, after winding, by a cylindrical shell R of iron or other magnetisable.
material, forming part of the frame, which is secured to the inner core by screws
or in any convenient way. One end of the said coil is attached to the insulated
set screw N, and thence to one set screw on any suitable thermostat or mechanical
heat indicator P, which by its movement, in accordance with the variations of
temperature, will, at a maximum temperature, close a battery circuit by touching
a contact piece p, the other pole of the battery being either connected direct to any
part of the frame of our device, and thus to the other end of the coil of insulated
wire M'; or, equivalently one pole of the battery may be put to earth, and one
extremity of the coil, being connected to the frame of our device, and thus also to
the water mains, may be considered as equally put to earth.
The coil M, being carefully insulated, is closed by a ring of vulcanised fibre or
other suitable material, shellached into place, so as to be perfectly watertight.
The connection of the earth end of the coil M is made to frame in the following
way-It, is brought insulated through the external shell R, and placed in metallic
contact with a finger r, the lever G making the metallic contact with this spring
finger by the set screw S, the circuit being thus made through the lever G to earth.
Any suitable annunciator may be introduced into the circuit at a suitable position
to attract attention, and is immediately operated by the closing of the electrical
circuit by the thermostat P. It may be caused to operate an electrical bell in
au auxiliary circuit, to be closed in any known manner by the operation of
our device.
Our apparatus works as follows :—
Upon any abnormal rise of temperature in a room or building, any, suitable
thermostat, such as that P, placed in a convenient and suitable position, is thereby
operated, until it closes the electrical circuit through the battery Q, the annunciator,
and our device. Visible and audible indication by the annunciator and auxiliary
bell is thus at once given of danger, and the electro magnet M B R in our device
causes the iron armature H to be attracted forcibly down upon the end of the said
electro magnet. The pin gl of the lever G is thus released from its detent, and
the lever G falls against the stop V by its own weight aided by the pressure of the
water on the valve. The valve C is thus released and the water is allowed to
escape, the electrical circuit being broken, after it has fulfilled its purpose, by the
movement of the lever G away from the contact finger r. The discharge of water,
spread over a considerable area, is thus continued until the apparatus is again
closed, which can be easily effected by any unskilled person, by whom the lever G
may be thrust back into place, forcing hoine the valve C, and causing the pin g¹ of
the lever G once more to engage in its detent. The apparatus is thus once more
ready for action, and can be tested experimentally at any time, by artificially
closing the electrical circuit through the thermostat, or otherwise. The pressure
upon the valve C to effect a watertight joint may be adjusted at any time by
turning the spindle E upon its screw thread.
"
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
.
1st The combination with the fire extinguishing appliance as described of an
electro magnet, battery, annunciator, and thermostat of any known construction;

page_text: by which the electrical circuit may be automatically closed upon an abnormal rise
of temperature, and the fire extinguishing device operated thereby, substantially as
described.
2nd In such an automatic electrically operated fire extinguishing device, the.
combination of an electro magnet surrounding the water pipe, with a spring pressed
or weighted armature also embracing the water pipe, acting as a detent to a lever,
by which a valve may be released, so as to open the water orifice, substantially as
described.