AN IMPROVED ELECTRO AUTOMATIC FIRE EXTINGUISHER
Year: 1886

page_text: I ALFRED JAMES JARMAN of No 443 Brixton Road S.W in the county of
Surrey Electrician and Electrical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my
invention for AN IMPROVED ELECTRO AUTOMATIC FIRE EXTINGUISHER and in
what manner the same is to be performed; to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My Invention consists in an Improved Electro Automatic Fire Extinguisher
made in any suitable metal or material having a valve that is lifted by means of a
suitable Electro-magnet or magnets compounded or otherwise. The valve having
upon its top a peice of iron or steel suitably fitted so that the electro-magnet when
excited by means of an electric current lifts the valve with its peice of iron or steel
attached. This apparatus with its mechanism suitably fitted to a water supply
pipe, the base of the apparatus is so perforated that the water may be distributed
in all directions. The electric current may be supplied from any source a constant
primary or secondry battery answering well for the purpose. A Thermoelectric pile
may also be employed. The Extinguisher is put into action by the heat of the
apartment in the following manner A suitable thermometer is fitted in a suitable
part of the room or place to be protected from the ravages of fire, such thermometer
may depend upon the expansion of air, solid metals, fluids, or mercury. When a
mercurial thermometer is used a platinum wire is inserted in each end of the glass
tube, this thermometer forms part of an electrical circuit, when the heat of the
apartment has risen to a dangerous point the mercury rises in the tube and thus
completes the circuit, this brings the electro-magnet into play which at once lifts
the valve with its iron or steel crown peice attached against the magnet when at
the same time a metal catch instantly holds the valve up and retains it against the
force of the flowing water. The function of the electro-magnet being simply to lift
the valve with its crown peice of iron or steel and the clip into a suitable catch,
the valve thus becomes fixed and cannot be moved or readjusted until the supply
of water is stopped at the main.
The apparatus is so constructed that it may be tested at any time by hand, but ;
when it is tested by hand it will not lock itself, when put into action by electricity
it becomes locked and cannot be readjusted until the top of the apparatus is
removed.
The valve itself may be made of iron or any suitable metal or substance to be
acted upon by the electro-magnet.

page_text: In order that my invention may be further understood reference may be made
to Fig. 1. A consists of a valve with its iron or steel crown peice, B the electro-
magnet which is put into action by a current of electricity from the battery C,
and D is the thermometer which completes the electrical circuit when the heat of
the apartment has risen dangerously high. E shews the mechanical catch attached
to the top of the valve crown peice which locks the valve when it has been lifted
by the electro-magnet by lodging itself upon the top of the side springs F F 1
these side springs being suitably attached to either the electromagnet, or, to the
sides of the valve chamber.
Testing the apparatus by hand is accomplished by pressing up the slide rod G,
the distance between the head of the slide rod G and the bottom of the
distributer H being less than the distance which E at the top of the valve crown
peice has to travel enables the testing of the apparatus to be carried out without
locking the valve A, but when the electro-magnet lifts the valve A with its crown
peice, then, E is lifted somewhat higher than can be done by the slide rod G and
thus it becomes electro-automatically locked.
Fig. 2 shews a side view of the outside of the apparatus.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I would have it
understood that I lay no claim to any special shape, size, or configuration as these
may be varied in a number of ways without affecting my invention. I declare
that what I claim is
1. The lifting of a suitable valve or plunger, or the like in the above described
apparatus by means of an electro-magnet or magnets actuated by any source of
electricity, the electrical circuit being completed by any suitable means through
the heat of the apartment in which such apparatus is fixed or fitted.
2. The means employed for the self locking of the valve substantially as
described.
3. The employment of a suitable slide rod lever or other mechanism whereby
the valve or valves may be lifted by hand so as to test the perfect and efficient
working of the apparatus above described.
P
1000