Apparatus for Use in the Extinction of Fires.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 25th July, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 25th Apr., 1893-Accepted, 22nd July, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus for Use in the Extinction of Fires.
I, ROWLAND SMITII, of 91 St. Mary Street, Cardiff, Insurance Broker, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:―
This invention relates to the automatic generation of carbonic acid by mixing an
acid with a carbonated alkali solution.
I use an ordinary installation of automatic sprinklers and pipes with all
necessary valves, alarms &c. as employed in the usual installation.
Instead of a large tank erected upon a tower some fifteen feet above the highest
sprinkler, I use a smaller closed tank of sufficient strength to withstand a high
pressure, which tank I place in a convenient position in the building. In this tank
filled with water I place a sufficient quantity of carbonated alkali such that when a
correct proportion of acid is mixed with it, an effervescence takes place which
raises the pressure in the tank.
I do not consider it desirable that this mixing of the two chemicals shall take
place until the need arises for them to be called into action.
I therefore while allowing the alkali to be free and perfectly mixed with the
water in the tank, hold the acid in suspense in the water by putting it into a glass.
bottle perfectly sealed to prevent contact or escape. When a fire breaks out the
bottle is broken as hereinafter described and the water becomes instantly charged
with carbonic acid gas, and is discharged through the open sprinklers with great.
force and effect upon the fire.
I also place a small tank connected by a pipe to the sprinkler system say 20 feet
above the highest sprinkler so that when a fire breaks out and the sprinklers act,
water is at once discharged.
In this small tank there is a float which on the water being withdrawn operates.
a lever.
The lever releases a weight which falls on the bottle containing the acid and.
breaks it.
In the pipe connecting the small tank with the sprinkler system I place a valve
which closes immediately the water above it is discharged or the pressure below it.
caused by the action of the acid and the alkali is developed.
Dated this 25th day of July 1892.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.
• COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus for Use in the Extinction of Fires.
I, ROWLAND SMITH, of 91 St. Mary Street, Cardiff, Insurance Broker, 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 the automatic generation of carbonic acid by mixing an
acid with a carbonated alkali solution.
I use an ordinary installation of automatic sprinklers and pipes with all necessary
valves, alarms &c. as employed in the usual installation.
Instead of a large tank erected upon a tower some fifteen feet above the highest.
sprinkler, I use a smaller closed tank of sufficient strength to withstand a high,
pressure, which tank I place in a convenient position in the building. In this tank.
[Price 8d.

page_text: filled with water I place a sufficient quantity of carbonated alkali such that when a
correct proportion of acid is mixed with it, an effervescence takes place which raises
the pressure in the tank.
I do not consider it desirable that this mixing of the two chemicals shall take
place until the need arises for them to be called into action.
I therefore while allowing the alkali to be free and perfectly mixed with
the water in the tank, hold the acid in suspense in the water by putting it into a
glass bottle perfectly sealed to prevent contact or escape.
When a fire breaks out
the bottle is broken as hereinafter described and the water becomes instantly
charged with carbonic acid gas, and is discharged through the open sprinklers with
great force and effect upon the fire.
I also place a small tank connected by a pipe to the sprinkler system say 20 feet.
above the highest sprinkler so that when a fire breaks out and the sprinklers act,
water is at once discharged.,
In this small tank there is a float which on the water being withdrawn operates
a lever.
The lever releases a weight which falls on the bottle containing the acid and
breaks it.
In the pipe connecting the small tank with the sprinkler system I place a valve
which closes immediately the water above it is discharged or the pressure below it
caused by the action of the acid and the alkali is developed.
In order that my said invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect I will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figures 1 and 2 are vertical sections of a building to which my invention is
applied; these figures show the general arrangement of the apparatus.
Figure 3 is a plan, Figure 4 is a transverse section, Figure 5 is a longitudinal
section and Figure 6 is an end elevation of the alkali tank or gas accumulator.
Figure 5 also shows the connection of the gas accumulator with the installation of
automatic sprinklers and with the small elevated cistern or tank. Figure 7 also
shows the elevated cistern or tank.
In these figures A. is a cylindrical tank or accumulator with hemispherical ends,
sufficiently strong to stand safely a working pressure of 200 lbs. per square inch.
This can be placed on the bottom floor of the building or in any other convenient
place. At one end at the bottom is connected a sluice valve l'on a water main K
to be automatically opened as hereafter to be explained. To the other end at the
bottom is connected the main supply pipe W leading to the sprinkler installation,
and also connected to the small supply tank X placed in a tower 20 feet above the
top sprinklers. This tank is fitted with a float R, overflow pipe Y, self acting ball
cock and water supply pipe Z.
Water is able to pass from the cistern X to the system of sprinklers T but a
non return valve S prevents any flow in the contrary direction. The float R in
the cistern X is connected by a wire cord with a weighted lever P. The other end
of the lever P is formed as a hook and from it the weight O is hung. This
weight when it is dropped strikes upon a stop N on a rod which enters the
accumulator A through a stuffing box F. The stuffing box F is upon the cover E
of a frame D which is fitted watertight and securely bolted upon the accumulator A.
C is a cage attached to the frame D, it supports the glass bottle B. The bottle B
is filled full of acid and is securely stoppered. The acid which I prefer to employ
is sulphuric. An equivalent quantity or more of carbonate of soda is dissolved in
the water which the accumulator A contains.
In case of fire taking place a sprinkler is soon caused by the heat to open
automatically in the usual way and water flows from the tank X to the main feed
pipe W and to the sprinklers, thereby lowering the water in the small tank X thus
causing the float R to act upon the lever P which throws off the weight O previously 5

page_text: held in suspense over the stop N on the rod which passes through the stuffing box
in the accumulator A. The lower end of the rod resting upon the glass bottle B
the concussion from the blow smashes the glass bottle, and the result of the contact
of the released acid with the alkali solution is the generation of carbonic acid gas
which gives the pressure desired to eject the contents of the accumulator A with
great force through the sprinklers.
The pressure comes upon the back pressure valve S placed between the sprinkler
feed pipe and the small tank X at top and by it any escape into the tank is.
prevented.
The pressure in the accumulator also acts upon a small valve L fitted to the
inside end of a small cylinder G fixed upon the accumulator at one end. The
cylinder is fitted with a piston the rod of which is attached to a bell crank H
which is coupled to the spindle of the sluice valve I and causes it to open immediately
At the outside of the sluice valve is a
the pressure is created in accumulator.
back pressure valve J connected to the main town water supply. When the
pressure in the accumulator opens the sluice valve it acts on the back pressure
valve and closes it, stopping the supply from the town, and so preventing the
alkaline liquid from entering the main. As soon as the pressure in the accumulator
is below the pressure of the town main, the back pressure valve opens again, and
allows the water from the town main to work freely through the sprinkler pipes if
necessary. To prevent the pressure of the water in the small tank X and main
pipes W opening the small valve L a coil spring M is attached inside of sufficient
strength to withstand the pressure.
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. The combination substantially as described, consisting of a system of automatic
sprinklers, a close vessel or accumulator, and apparatus by which the sprinklers.
when they come into operation cause gas generating materials to be mixed, and
pressure to be generated in the vessel or accumulator, whereby its liquid contents.
are forcibly ejected through the sprinklers.
2. The combination substantially, as described with a system of automatic
sprinklers of an elevated tank or cistern X and a float R therein which in its
descent liberates a weight which falling breaks a bottle B thereby allowing the
admixture of gas generating materials within a close vessel or accumulator, with
the result that its liquid contents are forcibly ejected through the sprinklers.
3. Apparatus substantially as described and illustrated by the annexed drawings.
Dad thin 10th day of Auril 1893.
ROWLAND SMITH.