IMPROVEMENTS IN HAND GRENADES FOR EXTINGUISHING FIRE
Year: 1885

page_text: I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the nature
of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HAND GRENADES FOR EXTINGUISHING
FIRE " 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 that class of fire extinguishers, known as hand-grenades,
which consist essentially of a vessel of glass or other frangible material containing
a medium for putting out a fire when the vessels are broken and the medium
liberated for that purpose.
In the use of such vessels it is necessary that they should be of a size convenient
for easy manipulation with one hand, and of such a construction that they will
break when thrown or projected on a fire, and yet at the same time it is necessary
they should be of sufficient strength to be transported without danger of loss from
accidental breakage.
My invention therefore consists in the novel construction hereinafter described.
The improved vessel is preferably formed with a series of flat surfaces divided
by a series of indentations, notches or grooves to weaken the grenade on the line
of such indentations, notches or grooves, so that it will be sure to break.
It is obvious that a grenade provided with these flat surfaces has necessarily
much less resistance to external blows than a spherical or convexed vessel, and the
frangibility of the vessel is correspondingly increased.
The indentations, notches or grooves weaken the grenade in lines at varying
distances apart and thus also serve to increase its frangibility.
In the accompanying drawing
Figures 1 and 2 illustrate a grenade having flat surfaces, and intervening
indentations, notches or grooves.
The upper portion of the grenade may if desired, be provided with a contraction
or circular indentation C, and a similarly contracted or indented portion D, just
below the neck E. These indented portions C, D, may be employed, if desired,
for the attachment of a wire loop or other handle by means of which the vessel
may be conveniently hung or suspended from the wall.

page_text: The neck E, after the extinguishing material has been introduced into the vessel
is to be tightly stoppered.
In use when the grenade is thrown or projected on a fire it breaks and liberates
the contents which spread over the fire and extinguish it.
The improved grenade has all the requisites of a practical hand-fire grenade, viz,
it can be readily managed with one hand and thrown easily and with accuracy; it
can be relied upon to break when it strikes the object against which it is thrown,
and yet it is strong enough for safe transportation.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
First. In a hand-grenade for fire-extinguishing purposes, a vessel composed of
glass or other frangible material, and having a series of flat surfaces, as described.
Second. In a hand-grenade for fire-extinguishing purposes, a vessel composed of
glass or other frangible material, and having a series of notches, grooves or inden-
tations to weaken the vessel in the line of such notches, grooves or indentations, as
described:
Third. In a hand-grenade for fire-extinguishing purposes, a vessel composed of
glass or other frangible material, and having a series of flat surfaces, and inter-
vening weakening lines formed. by notches, grooves or indentations, as described.
Fourth. In a hand-grenade for fire-extinguishing purposes, a vessel composed of
glass or other frangible material, and having the contracted portions or circular
indentations C, D, as described.