IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR EXTINGUISHING FIRE
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the "International
Patent Office," Southampton Buildings, London, Consulting
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
EXTINGUISHING FIRE."-A communication from abroad by C. Gilbert
L
1
Illinois Tinited States of America.
Sealed the 20th December 1870, and dated the 4th August 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with bis Petition,
on the 4th August 1870.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office,"
Southampton Buildings, London, Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare--
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
EXTINGUISHING FIRE," a communication, to be as follows:-
IN APPARATUS FOR
This Invention is designed to increase the efficiency of the fire
extinguishing apparatus now commonly known as the "extincteur,"
whose action is derived from the force of gas generated within a close
vessel by the combination of an acid with an alkaline substance in
solution, the liquid being ejected when desired by the pressure of the
gas and thrown upon the burning object through a suitable discharge
aperture and nozzle,

page_text: The said Invention consists in the peculiar means whereby I am
enabled to keep the two gas generating ingredients in the vessel or
reservoir of the apparatus isolated from each other until the said apparatus
is to be used, and then combine or mix them instantaneously, the main
object being to render the apparatus more perfectly reliable with regard
to its readiness for immediate use when required. For this purpose I
provide the vessel or reservoir with a light frame consisting of vertical
bars and a bottom piece, upon which I place a bottle or jar containing
the acid while the bicarbonate of soda or other alkaline substance is
contained in solution in water in the body of the said vessel. Through a
stuffing box in the top of the said vessel I pass a rod provided on its
projecting end with a handle or hand wheel, this part of the said rod
inside the vessel being formed with a screw thread and passed through a
fixed nut attached to the frame. This rod is connected to a stopper or
plug which closes the mouth of the bottle or jar. The latter is supported
in the frame with its mouth upward, and so long as its mouth is closed
by the plug or stopper the bottle remains in that position, and the two
ingredients may be kept separate from each other for any desired time.
When however the apparatus is to be used the screw rod is turned by
means of the handle or wheel on the projecting end of the said rod in
the proper direction to force the plug down into the mouth of the
bottle. The plug is taper or conical or otherwise so formed that when
thus forced downward it splits the bottle and liberates its.contents, which
then fall down and mingle with the solution in the reservoir. A strong
pressure of gas is thus immediately created, and by opening the cock
which controls the discharge aperture, the liquid strongly charged with
the aforesaid ingredients is ejected with great force upon the burning
object or body. The bottom piece of the frame on which the bottle or
jar rests is a flat piece of metal which is pivotted to turn freely in eyes
or loops in the lower ends of the vertical portions or bars of the frame.
So long as the plug or stopper remains in the mouth of the bottle the
latter is kept evenly balanced upon the said pivoted flat piece. If
however by mistake the handle or hand wheel on the screw rod is turned
in the direction to withdraw the stopper from the bottle instead of
forcing it down therein the mixture of the ingredients will still be
effected, as the bottle being no longer supported at its upper end will
allow the plate on which it stands to turn over on its pivots, and the
bottle will fall down and discharge its contents into the solution or liquid
in the vessel. I provide the top of the vessel with an oval cover which

page_text: is held by screws passing through hook shaped lugs placed opposite to
each other at or near the longest diameter of the oval or ellipsc. A.
slight loosening of these screws allows the cover to be turned and removed
is held by screws passing through hook shaped lugs placed opposite to
each other at or near the longest diameter of the oval or ellipse. A.
slight loosening of these screws allows the cover to be turned and removed
and it may also be replaced without removing the said screws.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Scal Patent
'
Office on the 28th January 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office," Southampton
Buildings, London, Consulting Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special
licence that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert Lake,
my executors, administrators, and 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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR EXTINGUISHING FIRE," a communication to
me from abroad by C. Gilbert Wheeler, of Chicago, Illinois, United
States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Robert Lake, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, 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 William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained

page_text: in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawing forming a part of this Specification.
This Invention is designed to increase the efficiency of the fire
extinguishing apparatus now commonly known as the " extincteur,"
whose action is due to the expansive force of gas generated within a
close vessel by the combination of an acid with an alkaline substance in
solution, a jet of the liquid being thrown at the will of the operator upon
the burning object through a suitable discharge aperture and nozzle.,
The said Invention consists chiefly in the peculiar means whereby I
am enabled to keep the two gas generating ingredients in the vessel or
reservoir of the apparatus isolated from each other until the said
apparatus is to be used, and then combine or mix them instantaneously,
and thereby render the apparatus more perfectly reliable with regard to
its readiness for immediate use when required. For this purpose I
provide the vessel or reservoir with a light frame consisting of vertical
bars, and a bottom piece upon which I place a bottle or jar containing
the acid, while the bicarbonate of soda or other alkaline substance is
contained in solution in water in the body of the said vessel. Through a
stuffing box in the top of the said vessel I pass a rod provided on its
projecting end with a handle or hand wheel, the part of the said rod
inside the vessel being formed with a screw thread and passed through a
fixed nut attached to the frame. This rod is connected to a stopper or
plug which closes the mouth of the bottle or jar. The latter is supported
in the frame with its mouth upward and so long as its mouth is closed
by the plug or stopper the bottle remains in that position and the two
ingredients may be kept separate from each other for any desired time.
When however the apparatus is to be used the screw rod is turned by
means of the handle or wheel on the projecting end of the said rod in the
proper direction to force the plug down into the mouth of the bottle.
The plug is taper or conical or otherwise so formed that when thus
forced downward it splits the bottle and liberates its contents which then
fall down and mingle with the solution in the reservoir. A strong
pressure of gas is thus immediately created, and by opening the cock.
which controls the discharge aperture, the liquid strongly charged with
the aforesaid ingredients is ejected with great force upon the burning
object or body. The bottom piece of the frame on which the bottle or
jar rests is a flat piece of metal which is pivotted to turn freely in eyes
or loops in the lower ends of the vertical portions or bars of the frame.

page_text: and the apparatus then placed in any convenient part of a house or other
structure ready for immediate use on the first emergency; then by
turning the crank or handlej, the vessel b is split or turned over and the
two ingredients brought into contact with each other, producing by their
combination a strong pressure inside the vessel a; then by opening the
discharge nozzle a stream or jet strongly charged with the aforesaid
chemical substances will be thrown upon the burning object and will
quickly extinguish the fire.
:
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, I wish it understood that I claim,―
First. A fire extinguishing apparatus which has an outer vessel with a
tight cover, in which is secured a rigid frame with a pivotted bottom
plate for supporting an inner vessel which stands on the said plate but
is not fixed thereon, and which is held and closed by a conical stopper
attached to a screw rod passing through the cover, the whole constructed,
combined, and arranged together, substantially as set forth for the
purposes specified.
Second. In a fire extinguishing apparatus an inner vessel (for
containing one of the gas generating ingredients) which is fractured by
the forcible insertion of a conical or taper plug or stopper, or is caused
to fall from its support by the withdrawal of the said stopper, so that its
'contents are mingled with those of the outer vessel, the said stopper
being operated from outside the apparatus, all substantially as set
forth.
Third. Constructing the cover of the said apparatus of an oval form
and with the hook shaped lugs, for the purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of January
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
one.
Witness,
E. C. JACKSON.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE. (L.S.)