Improvements in Pneumatic Fire Alarms.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 16th June, 1896-Accepted, 18th July, 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Pneumatic Fire Alarms.
I, ALBERT GOLDSTEIN, of the Girard Building, Broad and Chestnut Streets,
in the City of Philadelphia, County of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania,
United States of America, 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:-
The object of this invention is to provide a certain and quick acting operative
device for pneumatic fire alarms, and consists in certain combinations of inechanisms
whereby the result is obtained.
I will first describe the embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the
drawings, and then particularly point out the invention in the claims.
Fig. 1 is an inverted plan view of the operative device and portion of pipe
leading to signal.
Fig. 2 is a front elevation partially in section on line x-x of Fig. 1, the
operative device being shown previous to action.
Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 the operative device being shown after action.
Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view showing the plunger rod with a wedge-shape
locking bolt and locking plates.
A is the pipe extending through the building or room to be protected and leading
to the signal. At desired points, unions, a, are provided, and with which is
secured the threaded end of the pipe, B, of the operative device. This pipe B
terminates in the cylinder, C, in which is the piston D. This piston is adapted
for work in one direction only, and on one side of the piston head, d, I place a ring
or washer, E, of flexible material, preferably asbestos which is boiled in a lubricant,
which, when cold, is a solid, but fuses at comparatively low temperature. I prefer
to use paraffine. Above this ring or washer, E, I place a seal, F, which, when
cold is a solid, but readily fusible at low temperature, and for this I prefer also
to use paraffine, and which when cold hermetically seals the chamber at the
piston, preventing any leakage of air around the piston. F¹ is a case which
surrounds the piston and forms a guide for its movement. G is the piston rod
which at its free end has secured to it the wedge shaped head, H, and in the
bottom of the case, F1, is an orifice, f, of such size as to allow the head H to pass
freely, and upon the bottom case is a ridge or projection, f. II are the discs,
semi-circular in form, but with a portion in each removed as at ¹, so as to form
half of a rectangle, and when placed in position on the bottom of the case F and
brought together, close the orifice f sufficiently to prevent the wedge-shaped
end, H, passing through, (see Figure 2). These discs are provided with
orifices i, and are of such size that when placed in position upon the bottom of the
case Fa slight space is left between their periphery and the ridge, the space
being such, that if the two discs were separated a distance to cause them to reach
the ridge, the orifice, ¹, would be enlarged sufficiently to allow the wedge, H, to
pass through. Solder is poured in the orifices, i, and between the exterior of the
discs and the ridge,/. Within the casing at the lower end rests the spring box J,
and its disc, j. K is a spiral spring, one end of which is connected to the piston
head d, and when the piston, D, is at the end of the cylinder, C, the spring is
compressed in the box J, and its action tends to force the piston D in the
cylinder C. This spring is normally prevented from acting by reason of the taper
head H being held by reason of the discs I contracting the orifice. But the wedge

page_text: end, H, exerts a pressure tending to spread the discs apart, which is resisted by
the solder connection between the discs and the bottom of casing and the ridge f
through the medium of the solder between it and the periphery of the discs.
When, however, by reason of a fire the solder becomes heated so as to be melted,
the discs become free from the bottom of the case, and free to move side ways,
and the wedge, H, forces then apart and the spring acts to force the piston D t
the position shown in Figure 3, compressing and forcing the air through the
pipe A to the signal. The gravity valve, K, in the pipe B, prevents any air
coming into the cylinder C if any other such device acts at some other point, and
thus all the air passes through pipe A to signal and none is spent in passing to
other piston devices on the line of pipe A.
The great value of the piston tripping mechanisin is its absolute certainty of
action. The value of flexible ring or washer for the piston is that the device is
not normally in use and is called into use but seldom, and if the piston head,
(which of course require to be a close fit in cylinder in order to avoid leakage)
should be made of metal, corrosion or other cause might affect its operation, but
with the flexible washer, a piston may be used which does not make a tight fit, and
with the fusible lubricating exterior, when heated as it is when going into action,
fills the space and makes it air-tight, and the fusible lubricant washer makes
certain the intent that there shall be no leakage in the cylinder.
While I have described a spring as the power or force acting on the piston, I do
not intend to limit myself to the use of the spring as the only means of power, as
any other means adapted to move the piston and which is restrained from acting
by the wedge and discs, I consider within my invention. Nor do I intend to limit
myself to asbestos as the material for the washer, as any other flexible material
capable of being used may be substituted, such, for instance, as paper or leather or
a fibrous material.
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 :
1. An operative device for pueumatic fire alarm, consisting of an air chamber,
with enclosed air at normal pressure, a conduct pipe, connection between said air
chamber and conduct pipe, a plunger or piston adapted to disturb or excite the
enclosed air in said chamber, means to move said piston in said chamber, a piston
rod provided with a wedge-shaped end, au end plate with an orifice therein, discs
provided with cut-away portions detachably secured by fusible material, and
adapted when in position to restrain the movement of the piston rod by engagement
with the wedge-shaped end thereof.
2. An operative device for pneumatic fire alarm, consisting of an air chamber,
.with enclosed air at normal pressure, a conduct pipe, connection between said air
chamber and conduct pipe, a plunger or piston adapted to disturb or excite the
enclosed air in said chamber, means to nove said piston in said chamber, a piston-
rod provided with a wedge-shaped end, an end plate with an orifice therein, discs
provided with cut-away portions detachably secured by fusible material, and
adapted when in position to restrain the movement of the piston rod by engage-
ment with the wedge-shaped end thereof, a projection or ridge upon said plate, and
fusible material interposed between the dise and ridge.
3. An operative device for pneumatic fire alarm, consisting of an air chamber,
with enclosed air at normal pressure, a conduct pipe, and connection between said
.chamber and conduct pipe, a plunger or piston adapted to disturb or exite the
enclosed air in said chamber, means to move said piston in said chamber, a piston
-rod provided with a wedge-shaped end, an end plate with an orifice therein, a
device detachably secured by fusible material and adapted when in position
to restrain the movement of the piston-rod by engagement with the wedge-shaped
⚫end thereof.
4. An operative device for pneumatic fire alarm, consisting of an air chamber,

page_text: with enclosed air at normal pressure, a conduct pipe, and connection between said
chamber and pipe, a plunger or piston adapted to disturb or excite the enclosed
air in said chamber, means to move said piston in said chamber, a piston-rod
provided with a wedge-shaped end, an end plate with an orifice therein, a device
in operative relation thereto and detachably secured from lateral movement and
adapted when in position to restrain the movement of the piston rod by engagement
with the wedge-shaped end thereof.
5. An operative device for pneumatic fire alarm, consisting of an air chamber,.
with enclosed air at normal pressure, a conduct pipe, and connection between said
chamber and pipe, a plunger or piston adapted to disturb or excite the enclosed
air in said chamber, means to move said piston in said chamber, a piston rod, an
end plate with an orifice therein, a device detachably secured by fusible material,.
and adapted when in position to restrain the movement of the piston rod.
6. An operative device for pneumatic fire alarm, consisting of an air chamber,.
with enclosed air at normal pressure, a conduct pipe, and connection between said
chamber and pipe, a plunger or piston adapted to disturb or excite the enclosed air
in said chamber, means to move said piston in said chamber, a piston rod, an end
plate with an orifice therein, a device in operative relation thereto and detachably
secured from lateral movement and adapted when in position to restrain the
movement of the piston rod.
7. An operative device for pneumatic fire alarm, consisting of an air chamber,
with enclosed air at normal pressure, a conduct pipe. and connection between said
chamber and pipe, a plunger or piston adapted to disturb or excite the enclosed
air in said chamber, the chamber at the piston head being hermetically sealed with
fusible material, meaus to move said piston in said chamber, and a device adapted
normally to prevent the movement of said piston.
8. An operative device for pneumatic fire alarm, consisting of an air chamber,
with enclosed air at normal pressure, a conduct pipe, and connection between said
chamber and pipe, a plunger or piston adapted to disturb or excite the enclosed
air in said chainber, the chamber at the piston head being hermetically sealed with.
fusible material, by a sealing disc of fusible material in front of said piston head,
means to move said piston in said chamber, and a device adapted normally to
prevent the movement of said piston.
MAD 1806
ALBERT GOLDSTEIN.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.