IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS AND THE ARRANGEMENT THEREOF FOR PREVENTING AND EXTINGUISHING FIRES IN THEATRES AND OTHER BUILDINGS."
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Kenneth McLennan Scenic Artist John McLennan
Horologist both of 84 Finsbury Park Road and Richard Owen Merchant
of England Lane Haverstock Hill all in the county of Middlesex for an
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS AND THE ARRANGEMENT
THEREOF FOR PREVENTING AND EXTINGUISHING FIRES IN THEATRES AND
OTHER BUILDINGS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Kenneth McLennan, Joha
McLennan and Richard Owen at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents on the 22nd February 1882.
KENNETH MOLENNAN Scenic Artist JOHN MCLENNAN Horologist both of S4
Finsbury Park Road and RICHARD OWEN Merchant of England Lane Haverstock
Hill all in the County of Middlesex. IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS AND THE
ARRANGEMENT THEREOF FOR PREVENTING AND EXTINGUISHING FIRES IN THEATRES
AND OTHER BUILDINGS."
In theatres it is well known that the greatest liability to fire exists in the neigh-
borhood of the stage, owing to the great quantity of light required to be thrown
on scenery and other parts, and also the close contiguity of lights to various
inflammable materials. And in the event of fire, difficulty is experienced in
extinguishing it owing to the crowded state of the parts at the back and sides of
the stage.
In order especially to obviate the dangers and difficulties above referred to, our
invention consists in an arrangement of apparatus whereby the water supply
apparatus is brought into connection with the gas supply apparatus, in such a
mauner as to admit of all the passages and outlets for the gas being readily con-
verted into passages and outlets for water when required, by merely pulling a
bandle or lever, and thereby acting on the apparatus so as to shut off the ordinary
supply of gas and turn on the supply of water through the same passages and
outlets.

page_text: And the said connection of the gas and water supplies is effected by means of
pipes and joints having unions, valves, taps, levers and other ordinary fittings,
whereby both supplies are laid on to the dial, and above and below to all tubes
barrels and other gas arrangements, also to additional fittings if desired. Also the
valves, cocks or inlets for the admission of gas and water respectively are connected
in such a manner, by means of a rod or rods and arms or links as to cause by the
same external action, the closing of one supply and the opening of the other as
required.
By the same connection and arrangement of the apparatus chemical liquids or
vapours adapted for extinguishing fires may be supplied.-A similar connection of
the gas and water supplies may be effected in other parts of the theatre besides
those above referred to, and also handles and levers for working the apparatus as
required may be disposed and arranged for use either from inside or outside the
building or any convenient part of it.
The above described mode of connecting the gas and water supplies may be
adapted and applied to other buildings besides theatres, by merely varying the
arrangement of the connecting parts to suit the existing apparatus.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Kenneth McLennan, John McLennan & Richard Owen in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st August 1882.
KENNETH MOLENNAN Scenic Artist JOHN MCLENNAN Horologist both of 84
Finsbury Park Road and RICHARD OWEN Merchant of England Lane Haverstock
Hill all in the County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS AND THE
ARRANGEMENT THEREOF FOR PREVENTING AND EXTINGUISHING FIRES IN THEATRES
AND OTHER BUILDINGS."
In theatres it is well known that the greatest liability to fires exists in the
neighbourhood of the stage owing to the great quantity of light required to be
thrown on scenery and other parts and also the close contiguity of lights to
various inflammable materials. And in the event of fire difficulty is experienced
in extinguishing it owing to the crowded state of the parts at the back and sides
of the stage.
In order especially to obviate the dangers and difficulties above referred to, our
invention consists in an arrangement of apparatus whereby the water supply
apparatus is brought into connection with the gas supply apparatus, in such a
manner as to admit of all the passages and outlets for the gas being readily con-
verted into passages and outlets for water when required, by merely pulling a
handle or lever and thereby acting on the apparatus so as to shut off the ordinary
supply of gas and turn on the supply of water through the same passages and
outlets and water joints.
And the said connection of the gas and water supplies is effected by means of
pipes and joints having unions, valves, taps, levers and other ordinary fittings,
whereby both supplies are laid on to the dial and above and below to all tubes,
barrels and other gas arrangements, also to additional fittings if desired and
especially a curtain or localizing partition as hereinafter described Also the
valves, cocks or inlets for the admission of gas and water respectively are
connected in such a manner by means of a rod or rods and arms or links as to
cause by the same external action the closing of one supply and the opening of the
other as required. By the same connection and arrangement of the apparatus,
chemical liquids or vapours adapted for extinguishing fire may be supplied.
A similar connection of the gas and water supplies may be effected in other
parts of the theatre besides those above referred to and also handles and levers for
working the apparatus as required may be disposed and arranged for use either
from inside or outside the building or any convenient part of it.
The above described modo of connecting the gas and water supplies may be
adapted and applied to other buildings besides theatres by merely varying the
arrangement of the connecting parts to suit the existing apparatus.
Having thus stated the nature of the said invention we will proceed to describe
more particularly in what manner the same is to be performed by the aid of the
accompanying drawings, in which are represented the parts of apparatus above
referred to.

page_text: the plug in the position for the gas supply to be on. Fig: 4 is a horizontal section
of the same. Fig: 5 is a similar section to Fig: 3 shewing the gas supply shut off
and the water supply turned on.-Fig: 6 is a horizontal section of the same.
Figures 7 and 8 are sections of the secondary gas and water junction cocks
corresponding with figures 3 and 5,
In these several figures the same letters of reference indicate corresponding
parts A A. are the ordinary gas pipes. B shews the existing gas dial C. C. are
pipes leading to all gas arrangements above the stage, D. D. are pipes leading to
all gas arrangements on and below the stage, E E are vertical and horizontal pipes
for supplying water or chemical fluid, F F are junction cocks for turning on water
or chemical fluid when the gas is shut off, G is the main junction cock which is
worked by a lever H acted upon as required by the pull line I either from inside
or outside the building, J is the main gas supply pipe leading into the junction
cock G as shewn, whence it passes through the pipe K to the existing gas
apparatus, L is the pipe for the supply of water or chemical fluid which is in
connection with the main junction cock G on the opposite side to that on which
the gas pipe J is connected. The line of stage flooring is shown at M and the
proscenium at N, O shows the position where the ordinary "flies are arranged
P is a pass door on the stage. Q is a gas supply pipe for lights not connected
with the water main, and which lights are used to guide in any part of the
building, R. is a coloured glass covered light.
"
We will now describe more particularly the junction cocks and their mode of
operation a is the plug or core which on being turned in its seat opens and closes
the passages for gas and water respectively as required-In figures 3 to 6 this plug
is shewn hollow at the lower part with two openings forming an inlet b and an
outlet c.
On reference to figures 4 and 6 it will be seen that the said inlet and
outlet are so situated that by giving the plug or core a a quarter turn the gas
inlet is closed and the water inlet is opened as shewn in Fig: 6.
On reference to Fig: 1, it will readily understood that the gas passing through
the main supply pipe J will enter the plug or core a, through the inlet 6 and pass
out through the outlet c (as indicated by the arrow in Fig: 3) into the pipe K
whence it will pass to the dial, and to the ordinary gas apparatus both above and
below the stage and other parts in connection therewith-But when the plug or
core a is turned into the position shewn in figures 5 and 6 the gas inlet will be
closed and the water inlet opened by which means water (or chemical fluid) will
be caused to enter the plug or core a through the water inlet and thence pass
through the pipe K. and through the whole system of gas arrangements and issue
from the jets. Fig: 7 is a horizontal section of one of the junction cocks F, fitted
to the horizontal supply pipe E with the plugs shewn in the position to receive a
supply of gas the water supply being shut off.
Fig: 8 is a similar section shewing the plug or core turned so as to reverse the
passages.
It will be seen in this case the plug or core a is formed solid except that there
are passages cut in it for the water and gas-The passage 6 for the gas is formed
by making a groove extending half round the circumference of the plug or core-
The passage for water (or chemical fluid) is formed by a groove made of an
J shape as shewn in Fig: 8, thereby allowing the water to enter from the pipe E
and pass into the pipe A as indicated by the arrow.
In Fig: 9 is represented an ordinary gas batten to which are adapted suspending
rods and fittings in order to prevent the batten from falling on to the stage in
the event of the suspending rope being burnt-The batten is usually supplied with
gas through a flexible pipe & which can be converted into a water supply pipe as
required by means of its connection with the gas and water supply apparatus
above described. The batten is prevented from falling by means of a stop e on the
fixed vertical rod f the batten heing suspended by the movable rod g- is a
telescope water joint through which water can be supplied to the batten from
above if required..

page_text: In Figures 10 and 11 is represented an additional fitting intended to be used
with the apparatus above described by being connected by water joints with the
gas dial supplies and mains-This fitting may be fixed in any convenient position
about the stage or building or between the gas arrangements and fittings and
consists in a curtain of woollen fabric or other suitable material immersed in a
tank supplied with water (or chemical fluid) from the water joints such curtain
being caused by a weight to pass over a roller and be carried down so as to form
by this means a localizing partition consisting of a fabric saturated with fluid by
which the water is drawn from the tank until it is empty.
i is the curtain jis the tank containing the water (or chemical fluid) which has
been supplied through the apparatus above described k is the roller over which the
curtain passes, the weighted rod fixed to the end of the curtain-This weighted
rod and curtain are suspended by lines as shewn in Fig: 10 and when such lines
are cut or burnt the weighted rod is released and carries down the curtain.
From the foregoing description of the combined gas and water apparatus and
the mode or method of working the same it will be readily understood that in the
event of a fire occurring in a portion of the building which is inaccessible by the
ordinary appliances for extinguishing fires it is only necessary to pull the line I by
which means the lever H will be worked so as to shut off the gas supply from the
junction cock G, and turn on the water supply to pass through the same cock aud
through the whole system of gas apparatus or to any portion thereof localized by
the interposition of a curtain saturated with fluid and drawing or supplied with
water from the tank.
Having thus described the nature of the said invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed we hereby declare that we do not claim as of our invention
any of the parts of the apparatus for supplying gas except as combined with the
water supply apparatus in the manner described.
Neither do we claim the water supply apparatus except as adapted to and combined
with the gas supply apparatus-But what we do claim as of our invention is
First The combination of pipes and junction cocks with the ordinary gas
apparatus so as to admit of the water supply being substituted for the gas supply
in the manner and for the purpose substantially as hereinbefore described.
Secondly The adaptation and application to the purpose of the junction cock G
as represented in Figures 3 to 6 and hereinbefore described.
Thirdly The adaptation and application to the purpose of the junction cock F
represented in Figures 7 and 8 and hereinbefore described.
And lastly-The combination of the whole of the apparatus hereinbefore
described for the purpose of extinguishing fire by converting the gas passages into
water (or chemical fluid) passages in the manner described.
In witness whereof we the said Kenneth McLennan John McLennan and
Richard Owen have hereunto set our hands and seals this twenty-first
day of August in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
Witness to all three signatures
WH. SPENCE
8 Quality Court
Chancery Lane.
KENNETH MºLENNAN. (L.S.)
JOHN MºLENNAN.
RICHP. OWEN.
(L.S.)
(L.S.)