Improvements in Fire Alarm Apparatus.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Aug., 1592-Accepted, 29th Oct., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Fire Alarm Apparatus.
I, JOSEPH SACHS a citizen of the United States of America residing at
1839 Lexington Avenue, New York, in the County of New York, and State of
New York, one of the United States aforesaid, Electrician 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 and
accompanying drawings
The object of the present invention is to provide a system of electrical
communications with fire alarm boxes whereby an alarm can be sent by an operator
at an auxiliary sending box located at any distance from the street fire alarm
mechanism, as for instance, in a private dwelling house and a return signal received
at the auxiliary sending box to show that the device which operates the alarm
mechanism has performed its proper functions, without opening the street case in
which the alarm mechanism is placed.
Heretofore auxiliary fire alarm signals have been made use of which form a part
of or are electrically connected with the fire alarm apparatus or mechanism located
in the street case but in my present invention the objects are not only to supply a
separate, simple and inexpensive electrical device which can be placed within any
fire alarm street-case for operating the alarm mechanically as heretofore, but to
provide a single circuit which may consist of one wire and the ground, or of two
wires and in providing in said circuit, an auxiliary sending box at the opposite end
of the line provided with a circuit closer and a return signal therein which is
operated only when the operating device in the street fire alarm case has been
properly actuated by this auxiliary sending box, all of which will now be set forth
in detail.
In the accompanying drawings:-
Figure 1 is a view of a complete circuit showing the fire alarm street case
containing the alarm mechanism and the operating device for releasing the same,
and an auxiliary sending box containing a circuit closer and a return signal, both
the operating device and the auxiliary sending box being connected by a single
wire and ground return.
Figure 2 is a front view of the auxiliary sending box showing circuit closer and
return signal.
Figure 3 is a side view of the same.
Figure 4 is an end view of the same showing return signal only and
Figure 5 is a view showing modified form of connecting the different devices
shown in Figure 1.
In constructing my invention it should be borne in mind that the primary object
is to place in the street fire alarm case an electrical device, which is operated by a
circuit that is entirely independent of the circuit which operates the fire alarm
mechanism, and the only connection between this operating device and the fire
alarm mechanism is a mechanical connection, preferably in the form of a link, rod
or cord, so that when the armature of the operating device is actuated it will
operate the fire alarm mechanism in the street case in the same manner as if it had
been operated by hand directly at the street case.
This mechanism consists of a magnet A, which is mounted-in this instance―
on one limb B of a U-shaped piece, the other limb C having hinged thereto an
armature D, which armature is connected by means of a rod E with the trip arm F
of the alarm mechanism. To the limb C is attached, by means of an insulated
piece, a.contact finger G with which the armature D engages when the magnet is
energized and the alarm mechanism is set in motion. This contact finger G is

page_text: connected by a conductor H with the ground at H and also with one pole of the
battery I. The limb C of the magnet is connected by a wire J with the other
pole of the battery I by the wire K. One end of the magnet winding A, also
connects with the limb C, and the other end of the winding with the circuit wire L
running to the circuit closer in the auxiliary sending box.
The auxiliary sending box may be located at any distance from the street fire
alarm box which contains the mechanism just described, for instance, in a private
dwelling house, and such sending box contains a circuit closer M which may be
made in any desired form best adapted to the purpose. I prefer using it in the
form of an ordinary push button as shown. Below this circuit closer is a base
piece which is provided with a right-angled or forwardly projecting limb P,
having a short return bend Q. To this limb P is secured a magnet R. To the
projecting end of the base O, I hinge an armature S which projects out slightly
beyond the magnet R. To the return "bend" is attached an L-shaped plate T
which extends over the magnet and terminates at the end of the magnet in close
proximity to the free end of the armature S. Centrally on the body of this
plate T is an inscription "Signal received" or words of similar import, and
directly in front of this is an aperture in the case through which this inscription
may be seen. This plate has also hinged thereon a swinging plate U adapted to
cover up the inscription or words. The free end of this swinging piece U has a
finger U which, when the hinged piece is in its normal position over the inscription
is held in place by a latch V hinged to the face of the plate T. The latch is held
in place by a spring Vas shown.
The end of the L-shaped plate T has on its lower side a projecting point or
lug W, and the free end of the armature S has a finger W which projects over.
the plate T and is then bent down behind the point W so that the throw of the
armature is regulated by this stop or lug. The finger Wit will be observed,
engages with the latch V, below the notch so that when the hinged piece U is
placed in position, as shown in Figure 2, and the armature S is attracted by the
magnet R and moves toward the end of the plate T, the finger Wengages the
latch V, moving it over sufficiently to trip or release the lug U₁ from the notch
of the latch, permitting the hinged piece to drop down and rest on the finger W1
and when the armature again returns to its normal position the hinged piece drops
down by force of gravity to the position shown by dotted lines Y, Figure 2, thus
exposing the inscription or return signal, referred to
It will be seen that one end of the magnet winding R is connected with the
circuit closer and the other end of the winding with the ground at Z.
The auxiliary sending box has in its front face an aperture Y¹ through which
access is gained to the push button or circuit closer. Over this aperture I paste a
slip of paper Z on which is placed any suitable direction for operating the device.
The object of this is to keep the circuit closer normally scaled up so that in order
to operate it the paper seal Z¹ would have to be ruptured in order to actuate the
push button. This is one of the important features of my invention.
In operation we will suppose that one of these auxiliary sending boxes is located
in a residence remote from the strect fire alarm box with which it is connected by
the wire L. When the circuit closer is pushed in, the current from the battery I
is sent through wire K, limb C, magnet A, wire L, thence through circuit closer M,
and magnet R, to the ground at Z. The magnet A being thus energized, the
armature D is drawn down, and thus actuates the trip arm of the street alarm
mechanism. Simultaneously the armature D engages with the contact finger G,
thereby short-circuiting the battery I and again returning the armature to its
normal position. As the sending of a current through the magnet R also attracts
the armature A, the hinged piece U is, at the first movement of the armature,
tripped or disengaged from the hook of the latch V, and held on the finger W' of
the armature S, and when the battery is cut out, the armature is released and
returns to its normal position thereby allowing the hinged piece U to drop.
I particularly call attention to one important feature of this system.
It is

page_text: cbvious that a fire alarm box equipped with an operating device of this character,
does not require to be opened in order to give positive assurance that the signal
is given or properly responded to by the alarm box, because the auxiliary operating
device, or the circuit closer therein and the return call, which are always together
in one case are adapted to show the return sigual only when the alarm box has
done its work properly, or rather when the operating device has properly acted
upon it. The device is, therefore, perfectly adapted as a return call or signal for
hotel bells or for any other purposes for which return signals are desirable.
It should be understood, however, that the attachment, of this operating
mechanism in the alarm box does not interfere with the operation of this alarm
mechanism at the case, nor is the auxiliary mechanism operated or the return call
set in motion when the alarm mechanism is actuated by hand.
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:
First: A fire alarm system consisting of a fire alarm mechanism, and a separate
and independent electro-magnetic tripping device, for said fire alarm mechanism, a
circuit controlling device directly connected with said tripping device, and an
auxiliary operating device, at the other end of the circuit consisting of a circuit
closer and a return call.
Second A. fire alarm system consisting of the fire alarm mechanism, a separate
electro-magnetic tripping device for said fire alarm mechanism, a circuit controlling
device connected with said tripping device, and an auxiliary operating device
composed of a circuit closer and return call in the same circuit as the tripping
device and circuit controller in the fire alarm box, but remote from said box,
substantially as set forth.
Third A fire alarm system, consisting of fire alarm mechanism, a separate
electro-magnetic tripping device, for said fire alarm mechanism, a circuit breaking
device connected with said tripping device, a circuit closing device remote from
said box, a return call, adjacent to said circuit closer, and a single electric circuit,
connecting said tripping device said circuit breaking device, said circuit closer, and
said return call.
:-
Fourth A fire alarm system, consisting of a fire alarm mechanism, a separate
electro-magnetic tripping device, for said fire alarm mechanism, a circuit controlling
device connected with said tripping device, and any number of circuit closers and
return calls, remote from said fire alarm mechanism, and in one and the same circuit
with each other, and with said tripping device, and said circuit controlling device.
Fifth A fire alarm system, consisting of a fire alarm mechanisin, a separate
electro-magnetic tripping device for said fire alarm mechanism, a number of circuit
closers and return calls, remote from said fire aların mechanism, and in the same
circuit with each other and a single generative battery in the circuit with said
circuit closers and return calls.
Sixth A fire alarm system consisting of a fire alarm mechanism, an electro-
magnetic tripping device for said alarm mechanism, a circuit controlling device on
said tripping device, a circuit closer remote from said alarm mechanism, and a
return call, adjacent to said circuit closer, and comprising a movable guard,
normally held by a latch, said magnet, circuit closer, tripping device and circuit
controlling device being in one and the same electric circuit, whereby, when the
circuit closer is operated, the tripping device will be actuated and simultaneously
the said magnet will be energized, thereby tripping the said latch, allowing the
movable guard to fall upon the armature of the said magnet, and whereby the
said circuit controlling device will be operated simultaneously with the move-
ment of the tripping device, thereby breaking the circuit, so as to allow the
armature of the said magnet to retract, allowing the movable guard to drop to its
limit of movement.

page_text: Seventh An auxiliary fire alarm signal box, provided with a push button
therein, for the purpose mentioned, and a seal directly over said push button,
having instructions printed thereon.
JOSEPH SACHS.