IMPROVEMENTS IN EXTINGUISHING FIRE ON BOARD SHIPS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to David Cargill, of Dundee, in the County of
Forfar, North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
EXTINGUISHING FIRE ON BOARD SHIPS.”
Sealed the 21st August 1875, and dated the 22nd June 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said David Cargill at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
22nd June 1875.
I, DAVID CARGILL, of Dundee, in the County of Forfar, North
Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of “In-
PROVEMENTS IN EXTINGUISHING FIRE ON BOARD SHIPS," to be as follows, that is
to say :-
This Invention, which. relates to new or improved systems of
extinguishing fire on board ships, consists under the first system of one
or more pipes leading from the steam boiler to the deck or decks. The
pipe or pipes is (or are) fitted with one or more valves or stop-cocks, so
situated that they can be operated from the deck or other convenient
part of the ship. The pipe or pipes lead down to near the bottom of the

page_text: ship and to all or as many compartments or divisions as may be desired.
The pipes are open at their lower ends.
In the event of fire occurring one or more of the valves or stop-cocks
herein-before referred to is or are opened, which permits the steam to
rush through the pipe or pipes and blow into any or every part of the 5
ship; this whilst having the effect of putting out the fire does not
seriously damage the ship or its contents.
Under the second system, forming part of the improvements con-
stituting this Invention, a vessel, preferably formed of metal, is placed
in the bottom or at other convenient place near to or under the bottom 10
lining of the hold. The vessel is charged with broken chalk and pro-
vided with a perforated lid or top which has the effect of excluding
rubbish and dirt, and at the same time keeps the vessel partly open. A
small pipe leads from the deck or other suitable part of the ship to this
vessel, and in the event of fire occurring an attendant pours down this 1
pipe a mixture of sulphuric acid and water, which acting upon the
chalk in the vessel has the effect of liberating carbonic acid gas, which
escaping through the perforated lid extinguishes the fire. The same
apparatus may also be applied for liberating other fire extinguishing
gases.
2
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said David Cargill in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 21st December 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DAVID
CARGILL, of Dundee, in the County of Forfar, North Britain, send 2
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of June, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
38th year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, 8
give and grant unto me, the said David Cargill, Her special license
that I, the said David Cargill, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said David Cargill, my executors,

page_text: administrators, or 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
EXTINGUISHING FIRE ON BOARD SHIPS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said David Cargill, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, 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 I, the said David Cargill, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say:-
My said Invention, which relates to new or improved systems of
) extinguishing fire on board ships, consists under one arrangement in
placing a vessel, preferably formed of metal, in the bottom or at other
convenient place near to or under the bottom lining of the hold, or at
any other suitable part underneath the deck of the ship; one position
in which the vessel may be placed is illustrated at c, Figure 1 of the
3 Drawings. Each vessel (and of which any desired number may be
adopted) is charged with broken chalk, marble, bicarbonate of soda, or other
carbonates, and it is provided with a perforated lid, which whilst having
the effect of excluding rubbish and dirt, at the same time keeps the
vessel partly open. A small pipe d (which can be closed at its upper
end when not in use by a screw plug flush with deck) leads from the
deck or other suitable part of the ship to each vessel o, and in the event
of fire occurring an attendant pours down one or more of such pipes a
mixture of sulphuric or muriatic acid and water, acid salt, or dry acid
dissolved in water, which mixture acting upon the chalk or other
carbonate in the vessel or vessels o has the effect of liberating carbonic
acid gas therefrom, which escaping through the perforated lid or lids of
the vessel or vessels extinguishes the fire.

page_text: In the event of a recurrence of fire, or of mishap, or inconvenience
in charging the vessel ca second time with the materials herein-before
set forth, chalk and water, bicarbonate of soda and water, or other
carbonate admixed with water may be poured down the pipe d and
followed by muriatic or sulphuric acid or dissolved dry acids, which
would generate carbonic acid gas. This process of alternately pouring a
carbonate and an acid down the pipe or pipes d is or may be continued
until the fire is extinguished.
The apparatus herein-before described may also be applied for
liberating other fire extinguishing gases, and it is preferred that sets of 1
such apparatus should be placed at a distance of at least fifty feet or
thereby from each other throughout the length of the ship.
Under another arrangement when fire occurs on board ship, bicar-
bonate of soda and water or chalk and water are placed in a suitable
vessel, preferably made of metal, though a large bucket or cask out in 1
two would suit. This vessel is hung down the hatchway, or is sus-
pended under the deck at any other part of the ship at which fire may
occur. Into the said vessel sulphuric acid, muriatic acid, or dissolved
dry acid is poured through a temporary pipe or otherwise, either of
which acids will liberate carbonic acid gas from the soda or chalk and 2
extinguish the fire. This arrangement can be applied at any part of
the ship where a cask or bucket can be lowered.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and several systems or modes in or under which the
same is or may be used or carried out in practice, I would observe in 2
conclusion that I do not now claim as forming part of the Invention
the system or mode of extinguishing fire on board ships by means of
steam conducted when fire occurs into the hold or other part of the
ship, as set forth in my Provisional Specification; what however I do
consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention 3
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,—
First. Extinguishing fire on board ships by means of carbonic acid or
other fire extinguishing gas generated (when fire occurs) in the holds or
other parts of ships, in which the gas will be in the best position for
effectually acting on the fire, substantially as herein-before described.
Second. The arrangements or combinations of apparatus herein-before
described, and in part shown on the Drawings, whereby when fire occurs
8

page_text: carbonic acid or other fire extinguishing gas is generated, substantially
as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said David Cargill, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of December, One thou-
sand eight hundred and seventy-five.