Improvements in Chemical Fire Extinguishers.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Mar., 1898-Accepted, 7th May, 1898
Improvements in Chemical Fire Extinguishers.
I, EDWARD SCHAEFER, Gentleman, residing at No. 2355, S. Broadway, in the City
of St. Louis, State of Missouri, U.S.A., 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:—
My invention relates to improvements in chemical fire extinguishers; and it
consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter
shown, described and claimed.
Figure 1 is a top plan view. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, and
taken approximately on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, parts being broken away to
economize space. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the rack which holds the acid
bottle. Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view through the cap of the fire extinguisher
and a side elevation of the rack and acid bottle, and showing a modification of the
construction shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the fire extinguisher, and
showing means of holding the acid bottle closed when the fire extinguisher is off
the hook and resting upon its base upon the floor, parts being broken away to
economize space. Fig. 6 is a front view of the cap of the extinguisher, and Fig. 7
is a side view of the parts shown in Fig. 6, and the construction shown in Figs. 6
and 7 are modifications of the construction shown in Fig. 5.
Referring by numerals to the drawings, 10 is the main tank of the fire extinguisher,
11 the chemicals which are to be mixed with the sulphuric acid, 12 the acid bottle
containing the sulphuric acid, which bottle is suspended in the tank in accordance
with the principles of my invention. The upper end of the main tank 10, is closed
by the cap 13, which cap is removably screw-seated in position. An interiorly
screw-threaded nipple 14 projects from one side of the upper part of the tank 10,
and a pipe 15 has one of its ends screw-seated in said nipple and communicates with
the interior of the tank.
In the center of the cap 13 is a circular opening in which the bolt 16 is slidingly
mounted. A packing ring 17 is placed upon the bolt 16 below the cap 13, and the
saucer-shaped cap 18 is attached to the lower end of the bolt 16 and below the
packing-ring 17 and in an inverted position. The soft packing 19 is fixed in
position in the cap 18.
Extending upwardly from the upper surface of the cap 13 and near the inner
edge of said cap is an ear 20. A lever 21 has a slot 22 approximately in its center,
in which the ear 20 is inserted, and the bolt 23 passes horizontally through the
lever 21 and through the ear 20, as required to form a pivotal support for said lever.
The inner end of the lever 21 is horizontally and vertically bifurcated. The upper
end of the sliding bolt 16 is inserted in the vertical slot, and the bolt 24 is
inserted in the horizontal slot, and through the upper end of the sliding bolt 16 as
required to form a sliding connection between the end of the lever 21 and the
sliding bolt 16.
A loop 25 is attached to, or formed integral with, the opposite end of the lever 21

page_text: from the bolt 16, said loop being designed to be used as a handle for operating
the machine and as a means of suspending the machine from the hook 26, which
hook is inserted in the wall,
A circular recess is formed in the lower side of the lever 21 between the bolt 23
and the bolt 24, and a corresponding recess is formed in the upper face of the cap 13
in alinement with the first mentioned recess, and an expansive coil-spring 27 is
placed with its ends in said recesses, the tension of said spring operating to elevate
the sliding bolt 16.
The acid bottle 12 is mounted in the rack, consisting of the lower ring 28, the
arms 29 and 30 projecting upwardly from said ring 28, the ring 31 connecting the
upper ends of the arms 29 and 30 and mounted in position parallel with the ring 28,
the arms 32 and 33 projecting upwardly from the ring 31 in alinement with the
arms 29 and 30, respectively, and the door 34 operating to close the lower end of the
ring 28. The ear 35 projects horizontally from the lower edge of the ring 28, and
the bolt or rivet 36 is inserted through said ear 35 and through the ear 37 formed
upon the inner edge of the door 34, thus forming a pivotal connection between the
door 34 and the ring 28.
A lug 38 projects downwardly from the edge of the ring 28 at the side opposite the
ear 35, and said lug is horizontally slotted from one of its sides. A lug 39 projects
outwardly from the edge of the door 34 opposite the ear 37, and when the door is
closed the lug 39 engages in the slot in the lug 38. The lugs 40 project
downwardly from the lower face of the door 34 to a point upon a level with the
lower edge of the lug 38, and the lugs 38 and 40 form feet upon which the rack may
rest when it is removed from the tank.
In the form of the device shown in Fig. 2, the upper ends of the arms 32 and 33
are rigidly attached to the cap 13.
In the modification shown in Fig. 4, an annular flange 41 projects downwardly
from the cap 13 in position concentric with the bolt 16, said flange being interiorly
screw-threaded, and a ring 42 is formed integral with the upper ends of the
arms 32 and 33 and is exteriorly screw-threaded, and screw-seated in said flange 41,
thus forming a removably and adjustable connection between the acid bottle rack
and the cap 13. The bottle 12 is inserted in the rack by opening the door 34 and
passing said bottle upwardly through the ring 28 and then closing the door. The
packing 19 engages the mouth of the bottle and closes the bottle when the handle 25
is elevated, and the handle 25 may be elevated in various ways.
In Fig. 2 the device is shown as hanging upon the wall, with the handle 25
engaging the hook 26, which is inserted in the wall.
In Fig. 4 the ear 43 projects from the lower part of the tank in a horizontal
position and is vertically perforated. The rod 44 is attached to the handle 25, with
its lower end operating through the ear 43 and the rod 44 is of such a length that
when the sliding bolt 16 is elevated by the expansion of the coil-spring 27, the
lower end of the rod 44 will project downwardly below the lower end of the
tank 10, as indicated in dotted lines. When the tank is set down upon the floor,
the lower end of the rod 44 will engage the floor and said rod will slide upwardly
through the ear 43, thus elevating the handle 25 and depressing the packing 19
into engagement with the mouth of the bottle.
In the modification shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the ears 45 and 46 project upwardly
from the cap 13 in alinement with the sliding bolt 16 and in a line transversely of
the lever 21, and the bail 47 has its ends operating in the ears 45 and 46, and
the eccentric 48 is pivotally mounted upon the central portion of the bail 47 and
in position to engage the upper face of the lever 21, or the upper end of the sliding
bolt 16. The handle 49 is attached to the eccentric 48 for operating the same, and
the parts are so adjusted that when the handle 49 is depressed, the sliding bolt 16 is
depressed and the packing 19 is held in contact with the mouth of the bottle.
When the handle 49 is elevated, the bail 47 will fall down upon the cap 13 and
the lever 21 is free to operate by the expansion of the spring 27. The handles 50
project from opposite sides of the cap 13 for operating the same.

page_text: The chemicals, or liquid, within the main tank are expelled through the pipe 15
by means of the gas generated by the inversion of the tank 10 and the consequent
commingling of the contents of the bottle 12 with the contents of the tank 10.
When the construction shown in Figs. 6 and 7 is used in connection with the
construction shown in the other figures, the eccentric 48 serves as a means of locking
the device and holding it inoperative for shipping purposes, or for any purpose where
it is desired to handle the fire extinguisher without having the acids mix.
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. In a fire extinguisher, a suitable tank, a cap removably closing said tank, a rack
depending downwardly from said cap into said tank, an acid bottle removably
positioned in said rack and supported thereby, a sliding bolt operating through said
cap, a stopper carried by the lower end of said bolt and operating to close the mouth
of said bottle, and a lever pivotally connected to said cap and slidingly connected
with the upper end of said bolt, substantially as specified.
2. In a fire extinguisher, a suitable tank, a cap removably closing said tank, a rack
depending downwardly from said cap into said tank, an acid bottle removably
positioned in said rack and supported thereby, a sliding bolt operating through said
cap, a stopper carried by the lower end of said bolt and operating to close the mouth
of said bottle, a lever pivotally connected to said cap and slidingly connected with the
upper end of said bolt, and a spring operating to pull said stopper away from the
mouth of said bottle, substantially as specified.
3. In a fire extinguisher, a suitable tank, a cap removably closing said tank, a rack
depending downwardly from said cap into said tank, an acid bottle removably
positioned in said rack and supported thereby, a sliding bolt operating through said
cap, a stopper carried by the lower end of said bolt and operating to close the mouth
of said bottle, a lever pivotally connected to said cap and slidingly connected with
the upper end of said bolt, a spring operating to pull said stopper away from the
mouth of said bottle, and a handle upon the free end of said lever for depressing said
stopper, substantially as specified.
4. In a fire extinguisher, a suitable tank, a cap removably screw-seated in position to
close said tank, a rack depending downwardly from said cap into said tank, an acid
bottle removably positioned in said rack and supported thereby, a sliding bolt
operating vertically through said cap, a stopper carried by the lower end of said bolt
and operating to open and close the said bottle, a lever pivotally connected to said
cap and slidingly connected with the upper end of said bolt, a spring operating to
pull said stopper away from the mouth of said bottle, ears projecting upwardly from
said cap, a bail mounted with its ends operating in said ears, an eccentric mounted
upon the center of said bail and in position to engage the upper end of said sliding
bolt as required to lock the device and hold said sliding bolt in its depressed position,
substantially as specified.
5. In a fire extinguisher, a suitable tank, a cap removably screw-seated in position
to close said tank, a rack depending downwardly from said cap into said tank, an acid
bottle removably positioned in said rack and supported thereby, a sliding bolt
operating vertically through said cap, a stopper carried by the lower end of said bolt
and operating to open and close said bottle, a lever pivotally connected to said cap and
slidingly connected with the upper end of said sliding bolt, a spring operating to pull
said stopper away from the mouth of said bottle, a rod slidingly mounted in a vertical
position outside of said tank with its lower end normally extending below said tank
and connections between the upper end of said sliding rod and said lever, whereby said
lever is operated by the sliding of said rod, substantially as specified.
6. In a fire extinguisher, a suitable tank, an acid bottle securely mounted within
said tank, a sliding bolt operating through the wall of said tank, a stopper carried by
the lower end of said sliding bolt and operating to open and close said acid bottle, a
lever pivotally mounted outside of said tank and slidingly connected to the outer end

page_text: of said sliding bolt, a rod slidingly mounted in position outside of said tank with its
end normally extending below said tank, and connections between the upper end of
said sliding rod and said lever, substantially as specified.
Dated the 15th day of December 1897,
ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for Applicant.