Improved Method of and Apparatus for Producing an Alarm.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Feb., 1896-Accepted, 13th June, 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Method of and Apparatus for Producing an Alarm.
I, ROBERT WILLIAM JACOB KRAUS, of 334 East 77th Street, New York
City, State of New York, United States of America, Photographer, 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 has relation to the class of fire alarms and has for its object to
instantaneously give an alarm of fire frequently before the fire reaches the state of
incandescence.
A further object of the invention is that by means of certain mechanism operated
by a living thing, or rather by the physical unconsciousness of a living thing, such
as birds or animals, in such instances as a bird being in a cage and smouldering fire
giving off smoke or noxious gases arising from such smouldering fire before ignition
or incandescence, the bird or animal becoming unconscious by the effect of the
smoke, gases or heat falls from its perch in the cage, and by its weight causes
contact of electrically charged points or electrodes, thus forming an electric
current which may be connected to an alarm of any well known construction and
which current may operate the house bell alarm and also be conveyed to fire engine
houses or other place desired.
The invention consists in connecting a suitable cage for birds or animals with
suitable electric mechanism provided with an ordinary electrode charged with
electric energy so that the falling of the unconscious bird from its perch on a
suitable plate will unite the electrode making a current to ring bells or any suitable
alarm in an engine house or other place desired.
When an animal is preferred to the bird, the cage will be made accordingly for
its operation so that when the gases, smoke, heat gets to such a state as will alarm
it the animal will plunge through a trap and by its weight form the contact of
suitably charged wires thus making the connection for conveying the alarm.
The drawings hereto annexed simply show one or two devices of carrying the
invention into effect, but it will be understood that I claim broadly the production
of a fire alarm by means of the physical unconsciousness, the suffocating or the
smothering of a living thing in connection with any well known plan of electrical
make and break connections.
a
Figure 1 represents a bird cage of ordinary construction having depending
portion attached to its bottom. In this depending portion I prefer to locate my
electrode attachments, and the means of making the electrical connection.
Figure 2 shows an enlarged view in detail of the electric connection, and the
means of forming the contact.
A, is the cage, preferably provided with an inclined bottom b. This bottom may
be of an inverted conical shape round or square in cross section to which is formed
a neck or tube space. At the bottom of the cage is located a trap door hinged
at one side which may be kept in place by a spring c or other device, and below
this door within the tube and resting on the pendant bottom B, I locate a post D
around which I put a sleeve or thimble. The post D is provided with a step d
and a like step d¹ on the sleeve or tube. These steps regulate the action of the
sleeve in a vertical direction. On the top of said sleeve I locate a conical or flat
top e and on top of the post a spiral spring f. The tension of this spring is made

page_text: proportionate to the weight of the bird or birds that may fall upon it. At a
suitable distance above the bottom of the sleeve on the outside I locate my
electrodes g, h, and immediately below these the connecting conveying wires i, j, so
that when the unconscious bird falls on the top e it forces down the sleeve forcing
in turn the electrical contact points together thus fixing a connection between g, h,
and i, j, and thence to the alarm wherever it may be placed. The same principle
of operation may be applied to the animal cage, except that it slightly differs in
construction.
For a clearer understanding of the case the operation is as follows:-
Smoke having issued in the building and the atmosphere becoming permeated
with it, (or it may be gas) the bird or animal becomes fainty or suffocated and
overcome with physical weakness falls from its perch on the trap door which yields
to its weight. The bird then drops to or on top of the sleeve forcing it down until
contact is made with electrodes and electrical connection formed when the alarm is
sounded. Thus it will be seen the bird or animal is made to give the alarm just
as soon as smoke issues into the room and frequently will this be done before the
fire reaches the point of incandescence or what is known as a blaze or flame.
Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing another form of cage suitable for animals.
In this figure I show below the cage A a separate apartment A¹ provided with a
hinged top that is self closing and arranged so that when an animal in the cage A
is frenzied or frightened, it will rush onto this hinged top which will yield to its
weight, whereupon the animal will be dumped upon the bottom plate of the
apartment A' and bear it down, by which downward motion the electrodes g h are
brought together thus closing a circuit and sounding an aların.
Figure 4 illustrates another modification of my invention b, b, showing the
inclined bottom of the cage (broken off) and ca spring holding up a trap door.
Beneath this trap door is located two inclined hinged flaps so arranged that when
the weight falling through the trap door falls upon either of these flaps or plates
it will force them together and thereby close a circuit through the wires j and i
and the alarm device and so cause an alarm to be sounded.
It is well known that seconds and minutes are of great importance to firemen
and if a fire can be extinguished in its incipiency it is of great consideration.
Of course I am fully aware that thermostats and many useful contrivances have
been used and in use for instantaneous alarms, but I am not aware that the giving
of an alarm was ever before produced by the physical inability of a living thing
acted upon by the effect of noxious gases or smoke.
It may be further stated that this means may be adapted for the saving of the
life of a pet bird and also of human beings by thus giving an early alarm of fire
or the escaping of poisonous gases before life is extinct. When large halls and
buildings are built generally several of these cages may be placed and electrically
connected as above described.
In coal or other deep mines it frequently happens that noxious gases arise or
are generated and permeate the atmosphere unperceived, to the great detriment
and health of the workmen. With my invention the fainting or physical disability
of the bird falling from its perch giving the alarm will be a sure indication of the
foul or poisonous atmosphere when steps may be taken at once for its purification.
It is certain that the atmosphere that will kill a bird or an animal would be
unhealthy for a human being. This same alarm indicates the dangerous condition
of explosive gases in mines or other places by which proper steps may be taken to
overcome them.
It also happens that birds faint from causes other than gaseous atmosphere or
smoke, but to overcome this I may employ two or more birds or animals and set
the tension of the spring accordingly so that when the two or more birds fall
certainty of alarm is assured.
This invention may be attached to an ordinary cage, substituting for the usual
bottom a bottom provided with my electrical attachment alarm.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
1. The method of producing an alarm by the falling of a living unconscious
body upon electrodes by which an electrical connection is made and a current or
circuit is established.
2. The method of producing an alarm by the physical unconsciousness of a
living falling body upon an electrical circuit maker or electrode by which the
conductors are electrically connected to an alarm, substantially as described.
3. A system of conveying electric alarms consisting of the electric conductors,
the electrode and the falling of an unconscious body whereby the current is
established by the closing of the electrodes by said falling body substantially as
described.
4. The system herein described of sounding electrical alarms consisting of
providing a cage having an inclined bottom, the trap door, the electrode or electric
connection with a battery or electric currents and adapted to be operated by a
falling body.
5. A fire alarm consisting of a cage provided with a trap door, the cylinder or
sleeve, the central part, the electrical connections and a battery or line wire as
described adapted to be operated by a falling body.
Dated this 13th day of February 1896.
F. WISE HOWORTH,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.