AN IMPROVED MODE OF EXTINGUISHING FIRES IN WAREHOUSES, OFFICES, DWELLING HOUSES, THEATRES, SHIPS, AND OTHER BUILDINGS OR STRUCTURES
Year: 1865

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by James Charles Edington at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 4th
November 1865.
I, JAMES CHARLES EDINGTON, of 23, Leicester Square, in the County of
Middlesex, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "AN IMPROVED MODE OF EXTINGUISHING FIRES IN WAREHOUSES, OFFICES,
DWELLING HOUSES, THEATRES, SHIPS, AND OTHER BUILDINGS OR STRUCTURES," to
be as follows:
This Invention relates to a peculiar combination and arrangement of water
tanks, pipes, and jets in connection with the interior and exterior of buildings
with a view to the immediate extinguishing of fires therein, and consists in
introducing into the building to be so protected a ramification of water pipes,
which shall lead into any one or more of the apartments, staircases, or other
parts of the building, and be provided with a number of jet pipes or tubes at
different angles at those parts of the building liable to take fire. For example,
in warehouses each room may have a perforated water pipe running across or
around the ceiling, through the numerous jets thereof streams of water can
be discharged, so as to completely saturate the entire chamber, as herein-after
described. For private dwelling-houses it is preferred to employ a large rose
provided with a number of radiating jets, and partly concealed in the centre

page_text: or other convenient part of the ceiling, so that the water may be discharged
from this rose to any part of the room simultaneously in case of need. These
water pipes may either derive their supply direct from the street mains when
sufficient water pressure is maintained therein, or they may be supplied from
a tank or tanks or cisterns situate at a convenient elevation inside or outside
the building. In either case there will be one main pipe leading direct from
the street main, or from the tank or tanks, as the case may be, from which
main pipe the various branch pipes for each floor and for each chamber on
the floor will lead. When more than one tank is used they are connected
with each other by pipes and cocks; the object of using two or more tanks
being to distribute the weight thereof more equally over the building. A
separate pipe connects such tanks directly with the street mains for the purpose
of keeping the tanks supplied with water. Each branch pipe is provided with
stop valves worked by a handle or "pull" in each of the apartments, with
which such pipe communicates, the connections between the valves or cocks
and the handles being effected by wires and bell cranks, after the manner of
bell-hanging. There will also be a second handle or "pull" in each apart-
ment, communicating by wires with the main outlet valve in the tanks, or with
a valve in the principal supply pipe from the street main. By keeping the
main valve closed the branch pipes will always reinain empty, and will not be
liable to burst by the action of frost, and as the several valves in the branch
pipes are also kept closed it follows that when the main valve is opened the
water, will be discharged only through that particular. branch the valve of
which has been opened. Supposing a fire to occur in any one room of the
house, or an inmate to catch fire therein, by pulling the nearest handle of
the main and branch valves a copious stream or streams of water will be
instantly discharged into every part of the room, which will at once extin-
guish the fire without further aid being required. With a view to the
rendering this system applicable at night when the inmates are asleep,
1 further propose to provide a series of bandles or "pulls" outside; the
street door, one of which will open the main valve, and each of the others
will open the valve of the particular branch pipe in connection therewith.
By marking on these, handles the story, or floor with which they com-
municate, a person from without can at once direct a supply of water to any
one or more of the floors, as required. To prevent these external handles
or "pulls." from being tampered with, it is proposed to protect them
by a locked door, of which only the policeman on duty or the turncock
and inmates. will possess the key. The same system of branch pipes,

page_text: valves, and jets is equally applicable to ships and vessels, but in that
case the water would be supplied by steam or hand fire engines, or
pumps.