IMPROVEMENTS IN "FIRE EXTINGUISHERS
Year: 1885

page_text: We JAMES ALFORD HOUSE and CHARLES HARRY DIMOND residing at 88 William
Street Bridgeport, in the County of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, in the
United States of America, gentlemen, do hereby declare the nature of our
invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN "FIRE EXTINGUISHERS" and in what manner
the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
Our invention relates to certain novel and useful improvements in fire
extinguishers and has for its object to provide a simple device of this description,
cheap in construction and which may be hung in various parts of a building and
operate by reason of any rise in temperature above a certain point and with these
ends in view our invention consists in the details of construction and combination
of elements hereinafter fully and in detail explained and then specifically designated
by the claims.
In order that those skilled in the art to which our invention appertains may
more fully understand its construction and operation we will proceed to describe
the same in detail referring by letter to the accompanying drawings forming a part
of this specification in which
Fig. 1. is an elevation of our device in operative position, and
Fig. 2. a view of the same at the instant of operation.
Similar letters denote like parts in both figures of the drawing.
A, is a wire of spring metal twisted at B, into a coil spring of two or more turns.
At C, the portions of wire upon either side of the coil approach one another,
then separate cross at D, and then curve downward and inward to their ends upon
which are secured the hammers, E. F, is a wire having a U shaped bow at its end
which terminates in a loop G. and H, is a second wire similar in length to F, and
having its end bent at right angles.
I, is a ring or band of metal fusible at a low temperature and which is adapted
to encircle the free ends of wires F, H, when they are in position. .J, is a vessel
of glass or other fragile material filled with a fire-extinguishing fluid and suspended
from the coils of the spring B, so as to hang directly between the hammers.
The operation of our device is as follows:-In preparing it for use the wires A
are pressed together near the spring so that they will meet at the point C, while at
the same time the hammers will be widely separated.

page_text: The bow of wire, F, is then placed around the wires at the point, C, the bent end
of wire H, inserted in the loop, G. and the band, I. of fusible metal slipped over the
free ends of wires F, H, where, by the leverage from said ends it readily holds
the spring, B in tension and the hammers, E, apart.
Upon any rise of temperature above the fusing point of the band, I, said band
will melt and its hold upon the wires being released the spring throws them aside
and the hammers coming together crush the suspended receptacle between them.
In our invention we do not wish to be confined to the exact construction shown
as we can readily replace the hammers by grenades attached to the extremities of
the wires which upon the fusing of the band will crush one another.
Also we do not wish to be confined to the exact form of spring shown and
described or to the particular manner of retaining the same against its resiliency
by means of the two wires since the spring wire may be bent and formed into a
great variety of shapes and the result aimed at in our invention equally as well
accomplished and instead of the two wires, any other ordinary fastening as for
instance a divided band or collar secured by fusible rivets or a simple fusible band
may be substituted.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is
1. In a fire extinguisher of the character described, the combination with a
suspended fragile receptacle containing the fire extinguishing fluid of a spring wire
bent as described and provided with hammers upon its ends, wires adapted to
retain said spring wire against its resiliency and a fusible band placed around the
extremities of said wires and thereby securing the latter in their position around
the spring wire substantially as set forth.
2. In a fire extinguisher of the character described, the combination with a
suspended fragile receptacle containing the fire extinguishing fluid, of hammers.
secured to the two extremities of a single spring wire and a fusible link or band
attached to said wire and adapted to resists its resiliency and keep said hammers
in a distended position substantially as shown and described.
3. In a fire extinguishing apparatus, the combination with a suspended fragile
receptacle containing the fire extinguishing fluid of hammers secured to the
extremities of a spring wire bent as shown and means secured to said wire by a
fusible connection and adapted to hold said hammers distended whereby upon the
fusing of the connection the wire may be released and the hammers dashed against
said receptacle substantially as set forth.
4. The combination with the suspended receptacle, of wire A, bent as described
and provided with hammers, E, the securing wires, F, H, and the fusible band, I,
all arranged as described and for the purpose specified.