Subduing Fire in Buildings and Ships or Vessels.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Aug, 1888
Specification Accepted, 7th Sept., 1888
Subduing Fire in Buildings and Ships or Vessels.
I, THOMAS RALPH DOUSE, of 28 Clover Street, Chatham, Kent, Clothing Manu-
facturer 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 :-
This invention relates to improvements in or upon an invention previously Patented
by me and dated 26th October 1887 No. 14601.
In the Specification lodged with respect to the previous invention I describe
certain arrangement or construction of apparatus by which an acid container may
be released by the toppling over into an alkali tank to form a fire subduing gaseous
fluid on removal of a bar, actionable from the street or roadway after the breaking of
a glass (or of some other device) in the case of a fire being discovered in a building
in which such apparatus may be fitted for the purpose.
Now according to my present invention, which I show on the annexed drawings
Figures 1 to 9, I arrange the acid container in a different manner I also alter the
construction of the tank and the fittings and in one particular instance I make the
acid container of a fragile material such as glass which can be broken by a blow from
a releasable spring bolt.
I also provide for an automatic release of the bar, wire, or other appliance from the
inside of the room in which the subduer is arranged, or I provide a release by electric
attraction from any part of a building or by consumption or stretch of a body which
yields to heat above a fixed degree.
The annexed drawings show my improvements in detail, Figures 1, 2 and 3
represent a half round or D shaped tank A and contains the acid vessel D hinged at
one side, the other side resting upon the bar H which when drawn outwards or
pushed inwards, is freed from the acid vessel. This then fulls over by its own
weight to discharge the acid into the Alkali, said admixture creating a gas at a high
pressure which passes through the syphon tubes S, S, and becomes spread by the
spreaders or sprinklers R. R.

page_text: In Figures 4 and 5, the tank is of circular shape and the bar H has prongs a a so
arranged that they not only cause the taps F, F, of the tank A to be opened but
by prongs d also other taps T, T, with which the acid vessel is provided, the levers
of said taps being connected so that they all open simultaneously for generating
gas, which by its pressure, passes through the syphon pipes S, S, to the spreaders
or sprinklers R, R.
According to Figure 6 the tank A is carried on trunnions which are really syphon
and lead pipes S to the spreaders or sprinklers R the centre joint being provided with
screw cap glands.
According to this construction, the tank A is locked in a position by the draw
bar H in order to keep the acid vessel 1) at the top but the moment the tank A is
released by a pull of the draw bar H, the tank from its superior top weight will fall
over sufficiently and the acid will be discharged and the gas generated.
The spreaders or sprinklers may be of half round form as at Figure 3 or circular
as at Figure 7, so that the gas and liquid issue in fine spray and become very much
spread.
At Figures 8 and 9 I show longitudinal and transverse section of a tank A which
may be a fixture in a room or warehouse. In this case the acid vessel D is of glass
(bottle shape) held at each end by supports y, g, one of which forms a closing cap
and provided with a spring to fix the bottle in position, said closing cap aperture
serving to charge the tank A with Alkali when required. About mid length of the
tank A, I arrange a vertical tube h containing a plunger i which rests upon the acid
bottle D. Above this plunger and held up by the end of the draw bar H is a spring
plug, which when the draw bar is pulled, descends rapidly and gives a sudden blow
upon the plunger I, sufficient to break the bottle D, so that the acid can mix with
the Alkali and generate the fire subduing gas which passes through the syphon
tubes S, S, and out at the spreaders or sprinklers R, R.
I have in my previous Specification described the loop of the rod I as falling with
the spring M and weight N when released but by the modification shown at Figure 10,
I dispense with the weight and fit the spring M to the loop of the wire I, the loop
being pulled by the tension put upon the spring M by the screw nut U holds the loop
firmly upon the rod K, but the instant the glass V is broken, the spring L by pushing
the rod outwards causes the loop to be released, the spring M then exerting its
pull upon the wire I to move the draw bar H and so cause the discharge of the acid
into the tank A.
To enable a fresh glass to be put into the frame V₁, I prefer that the frame be
carried by rods W which can be drawn through a wall when the screw nuts X, X,
are free, the rod K being held back by a snug lever Y taking behind a pin Z on the
bar K but which snug lever Y can be removed when the frame V' is replaced by
turning the thumb button which I fit on the outside of the bracket k.
I have referred to the breaking of a sheet of glass as a means for releasing
mechanism, by or from which, the acid vossel can be released or the Alkali tank
topple over or the breaking of a bottle for the admixture of liquids for generating a
gas for fire subduing purposes but the draw bar H or its wire I may be in connection
with a strip of, say, Gutta Percha or other material, which will yield or stretch at a
temperature greater than that usually found in buildings so that the draw bar may be
freed for the apparatus to set itself to work.
By this means, the action is automatic, I may however employ mechanical means
other than that above described, such as Electric or Magnetic power, which can be
set in operation by the movement of a push button or by any switch applianco.
The apparatus can be attached to a beam or other part of the ceiling of a room.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner 'the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1. The particular construction or arrangement of apparatus as hereinbefore
described and as shown in the annexed drawings whereby on the release of a spring

page_text: bolt or its equivalent an acid vessel is freed for its contents to mingle with an Alkali
contained in a tank (which also contains the acid vessel) for producing a gaseous
liquid capable of extinguishing or subduing fire as set forth.
2. In connection with a gas generating tank for subduing fire, the arrangement
of apparatus shown in Figure 10, which on the breaking of a glass permits the holding
wire or rod I to be released and through such release, the contents of a vessel and a
tank shall commingle and a gas generated as set forth.
3. I specially claim the apparatus shown at Figures 8 and 9 and the method or
means by which a glass bottle can be broken by concussion as and for the purpose
set forth.
Dated this 31st day of July 1888.
H. GARDNER,
166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said Thomas Ralph Douse.