IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS AND MEANS FOR GIVING ALARM IN CASES OF FIRE."
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Crean, of East Road, City Road, and Chailes
Joseph Barr, of Chapel Street, Shoreditch, both in the County of Mid-
dlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS AND MEANS FOR
GIVING ALARM IN CASES OF FIRE."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Crean and Charles
Joseph Barr at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 2nd August 1865.
We, JOHN CREAN, of East Road, City Road, and CHARLES JOSEPH BARR,
of Chapel Street, Shoreditch, both in the County of Middlesex, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
AND MEANS FOR GIVING ALARM IN CASES OF FIRE," to be as follows, that is
to say:-
Our Invention consists of a peculiar application and combination of
chemical actions and mechanical arrangements for the purpose of bringing
into contact any two elementary bodies or chemical compounds having a

page_text: sufficiently powerful chemical affinity for each other to cause combustion, and
thereby give an alaımı either by a succession of explosions or by releasing a
sping or weight acting upon the striker of a bell, or by releasing an expansive
gas o gases or compressed air contained in a suitable vessel, to which is
attached a whistle. Upon one end of a suitable framework or tablet we affi
a glass tube similar to a thermometer tube, but open at one end containing
one of the elements or chemical compounds (sulphuric acid by preference) to
be brought into contact; over the said glass tube is placed a hood or covering
of any suitable material, open at one or both ends for the double purpose of
preventing injury to the glass tube, and concentrating or gathering the heated
vapours of the place on fire upon and around the said tube. We also fix on
the frame or tablet a metal tube containing a series of explosive charges to be
fined in the following manner:-On one end of the tube is placed the par-
ticular compound to be ignited by the sulphuric acid, for the said compound
wc prefer a mixture of chlorate of potash and loaf sugar in equal proportions.
To the compound to be ignited by contact with the sulphuric acid or other
chemical agent used in the glass tube is placed a quick match in contact with
all the explosive charges in the metal tube through touch holes in the side
the eōt, for the purpose of fiing the said charges successively. The end of
the metal tube containing the said compound is placed in contact with the
open end of the glass tube, the liquid in the said glass tube is set to a scale
by means of a standing thermometer, so that at any required temperature the
said liquid being expanded by heat is forced out at the end, thus coming into
contact with and igniting said compound, which then ignites the quick match,
and the latter explodes the charges successively, and so the alaim is given.
When the alarm is to be given with or by a bell the metal tube contains only
the particular compound to be ignited by the chemical agent in the glass
tube, videlicet, chlorate of potash and loaf sugar; in contact with this com-
pound and through the tube is a loop of quick match holding a suitable spring
or weight intersected to give motion to the striker of a bell, and the action is
as follows:-The quick match being ignited as in the manner before described
releases a wound up spring, which spring communicates a succession of move-
ments to the striker of the bell, thus giving the alarm. If the alarm is to be
given with or by a whistle a metallic case is used enclosed (except where the
aperture is required for the insertion of the whistle) containing a compound
or compounds capable of producing a large volume of gases when brought
into contact or ignited; a quick match is ignited in the manner before
described, and conveyed through the opening of the whistle to the compound

page_text: or compounds in the said case. The gases produced by the combustion or
contact of the said compounds are thus liberated, and forcing their way
through the whistle the alarm is given.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Crean and Charles Joseph Barr in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 2nd February 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
CREAN, of East Road, City Road, and CHARLES JOSEPII BARR, of Chapel
Street, Shoreditch, both in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Ierself, Ler heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said John Clean and Charles Joseph Bari, He special licence that we,
the said John Crean and Charles Joseph Barr, our executors, admins-
trators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Jobu Crean and Chailes
Joseph Bair, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS AND MEANS FOR GIVING ALARM IN CASES OF FIRE," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said John Clean and Charles Joseph Barr,
our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or then,
or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be-
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said John Crean and Charles Joseph
Barr, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
and by the following statement, that is to say
-
Our Invention consists of a peculiar application and combination of

page_text: We
chemical agents or actions and mechanical arrangements for the purpose of
bringing into contact any two elementary bodies or chemical compounds (one
being a liquid) having a sufficiently powerful affinity for each other to cause
combustion on being brought together, and thereby giving an alarm either by
a succession of explosions or by releasing a spring or weight acting upon
the stuker of a bell, or by releasing an expansive gas or gases, or compressed
air contained in a suitable vessel to which a whistle is attached. Upon one
end of a suitable framework or tablet we apply a glass tube similar to a
thermometer tube, but open at one end, over which opening is placed a thin
membrane after the introduction into the said tube of one of the elements or
chemical compounds (sulphuric acid by preference) to be brought into contact
with the inflammable material. Over the said glass tube is placed a hood or
covering of any suitable material, open at one or both ends for the double
purpose of preventing injury to the glass tube and concentrating or gathering
the heated vapours of the place on fire upon and around the said tube.
also fix upon the frame or tablet two metal tubes of different sizes and
soldered together; the large tube contains a series of explosive charges to be
fued in the following manner:-In one end of the small tubo is placed the
particular compound to be ignited by the sulphuric acid; the compound we
prefer consists of a mixture of about parts of chlorate of potash, 2 parts of
loaf sugar, and 1 of gum sandarach; this compound to be ignited by contact
with the sulphuric acid or other suitable liquid chemical agent placed in the
glass tube is contained in one end of the aforesaid small tube, and in contact
with the end of the glass tube, which is also placed in the same tube; the
fuse in the small tube communicates through a touch hole in the same, with
a fuse match or fuse outside the said tube, which fuse match or fuse con-
municates with the before-mentioned charges in the large tube through touch
holes in the same for the purpose of igniting the said charges successively,
which is done by the said fuse match or fuse being ignited by the fuse or
compound placed in contact with the open end of the glass tube. The liquid
in the glass tube is set to a scale by means of a standard thermometer, so that
at any required temperature the said liquid being expanded by the heat is
forced out at the end, thus coming into contact with and guiting the said
compound or fuse in the small tube, which then ignites in its turn the afore-
said fuse match or fuse outside the tubes, and thus explodes the charges
successively, and so the alarm is given When the alarm is to be given with
o by a bell the metal tube contains only the particular compound to be
gmited by the chemical agent in the glass tube, namely, chlorate of potash,

page_text: loaf sugar, and gum sandarach as before described. In contact with this
compound and through the tube is a loop of quick match or cord holding a
suitable spring or weight intended to give motion to the striker of the bell,
and the action is as follows:-The quick match or cord being ignited in the
manner before described, releases a wound up spring or weight, which spring
or weight communicates a succession of movements to the striker of the bell,
and thus gives an alarm. If the alarm is to be given with or by a whistle a
closed metallic case is used (except where the aperture is required for tho
insertion of the whistle) containing a compound or compounds (namely, 4
parts of chlorato of potash, 2 of loaf sugar, and 1 of gum sandarach by
preference) capable of producing a large volume of gases when brought into
contact and ignited. A quick match is ignited in the manner before described
for the bell alarm, and conveyed through the opening of the whistle to the
compound or compounds in the said case. The gases produced by the com-
bustion or contact of the said compound are thus liberated, and forcing their
way through the whistle the alarm is given.
We will now describe more particularly the nature of our Invention, and
L

page_text: tecting glass tube; c, metal tube containing glass tube d and fuse at e, to be
ignited by contact with the liquid contained in the glass tube; f, quick match
or cord for holding the weight k or wheel g; this wheel is furnished with the
hammers h, h, the rods of which are flexible; on the wheel g is wound a
cord i, i, to which is attached the weight k; 1, bell.
The action of the alarm is as follows:-The liquid on the glass tube d being
expanded by the heat of the fire comes in contact with and ignites the fuse or
composition placed at e, which fuse fires the quick match or cord f holding the
wheel g or cord i of the weight k, which latter being thus released falls,
turning the wheel 9 and hammers h, h, which continue to strike the bell at
each revolution until the cord is unwound from the wheel.
In the section of the whistle alarm shown at Figure 5, a, a, is the metallio
case; b, whistle; c, compound for generating gases; d, d, quick match;
e, glass tube; f, fuse for igniting quick match d. By this arrangement the
alarm is given in the following manner :-The liquid in the glass tube e being
expanded by the heat comes in contact with and ignites the fuse J, which fires
the quick match d, this latter ignites the compound c, and the gases generated
by the combustion force their way through the whistle and give the alarm.
Or this arrangement may be so modified as when the fuse or compound is
ignited by the liquid in the glass tube, it will sever a cord holding a valve
confining compressed air in the metallic case; the cord being sovered tho
valvo becomes released, and the compressed air escaping through the whistlo
gives the alarm.
Having now described the nature of our Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, we wish it to be understood that we do not confine
ourselves to any precise form of the apparatus, or its parts, or any particular
mode of fastening or setting them up, nor to any precise chemical compound,
so long as the object of our Invention be attained; but what we claim
and desire to be protected by the herein-before partly recited Letters
Patent is,―
First, the general arrangement and construction of the apparatus and
combination of agents or compounds for giving an alarm in case of fire, as
herein-before described and represented in the accompanying Diawing.
Secondly, the use of any two compounds, one of which is a liquid that will
cause combustion upon coming in contact with one another, to obtain the
herein-before stated effects, as herein-before described.
Thirdly, the employment of the expansive action of heat to causo a liquid
chemical agent or compound to come in contact with another chemical agent

page_text: or compound having affinity therewith to cause combustion, and thereby give
an alarm or set in action the alarm apparatus, as herein-before described and
represented in the accompanying Drawing.
Fourthly, the peculiar arrangement and mode of action of the whistles,
explosive tube, and bell, whereby the alarms are given, as herein-before
described and represented in the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Clean and Charles Joseph Barr,
havo hereunto set our hands and seals, this First day of February, in
the year of our Lord Oue thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
W. A. GILBEE,
4, South Street,
Finsbury.
JOHN CREAN.
C. J. BARR.
(L.B.)
(L.S.)