A NEW- INVENTED MACHINE TO PREVENT FIRE AND HOUSEBREAKING, AND WHICH MAY BE APPLIED TO DIFFERENT PURPOSES, WHICH WILL BE FOUND OF NEVER-FAILING UTILITY FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE LIVES AND PROPERTY OF HIS MAJESTY'S SUBJECTS
Year: 1786

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
STRICKLAND, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Mechanic, send
greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third did, by
His Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing
date at Westminster, the Third day of July, in the twenty-sixth year of
His reign, give and grant unto me, the said Edward Strickland, my execu-
tors, administrators, and assigns, His especial licence, full power, sole
priviledge, and authority, that I, the said Edward Strickland, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, during the term of fourteen years therein. ex-
pressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
that part of the Kingdom of Great Britain called England, the Dominion
of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my new Invention of "A NEW-
INVENTED MACHINE TO PREVENT FIRE AND HOUSEBREAKING, AND WHICH MAY BE
APPLIED TO DIFFERENT PURPOSES, WHICH WILL BE FOUND OF NEVER-FAILING
UTILITY FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE LIVES AND PROPERTY OF HIS MAJESTY'S
SUBJECTS;" in which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso obliging
me, the said Edward Strickland, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, to particularly describe and ascertain the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, and cause the same to
be inrolled in His said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within one calendar

page_text: month next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent,
as in and by the said Letters Patent, reference being thereunto had, may
more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Edward Strickland, do hereby declare that the nature of my said new Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly
described and ascertained as follows, that is to say:-
My said Invention of a New-invented Machine to Prevent Fire and House-
breaking, and which may be applied to different Purposes, which will be found
of Never-failing Utility for the Protection of the Lives and Property of His
Majesty's Subjects, consists of the machinery, and is to be constructed, made,
put together, and applied in the manner herein-after particularly mentioned
and described, and in the Drawings or Figures subjoined hereto, and the
explanation here following, by which I refer to the said Drawings or Figures,
and the explanation subjoined to the said Drawings or Figures, that is
to say:
It is by plaining a board of any length, width, or thickness for the bottom
and sides to form a chase A, and by sinking a grove for a slide to work
easily, which may be placed on the top of the board with a frame to keep
it steady if required; and near the front end of the bottom board a hole is
sunk for the stock of the pistol B to go in, and through the stock of the
pistol is a hole for a wire Z to go through, which hooks round the trigger C
of the pistol, and the wire is bent with a hook to go into a hole of the slider D,
and when the pistol is set and loaded, the roller E, with a tongue e, catches
against the end of the slider, which pulls both slider and wire Z, and imme-
diately discharges the pistol, and by placing a match-cord or touch-paper in
the pan of the pistol with some powder, when discharged will instantly light
and burn till applied to, or by placing a candle close to match-cord or touch-
paper, will light itself. The sides are solid boards or solid metals, or of
turned pillars of wood, or of various metals. The sides support a roller E, that
works by a weight which hangs under the machine marked M. To the
roller is fixed one wheel F, or more, which wheel (or wheels) is filed with
large teeth, so that when the roller works a spring (or springs) K, that is
screwed to the bottom of the machine, falls on the wheel (or wheels), and
gives an amazing alarm, which alarm may be worked seperate in case of
fire if required. The end of the roller comes through the sides, and in
each end of the roller there is a crank G, or cranks, handle or handles,
and when the roller works, this crank or cranks, handle or handles, pulls one

page_text: or more bells that are fixed on each side of the machine, which bells are
supported by a barr that crosses the end of the machine, which barr projects
about three inches over each side, or in proportion to the size of the bells S.
To each end of the barr or barrs is fixed a spring, and to each spring is fixed
a bell, and by a line, wire, or chain being fixed to the crank or cranks,
handle or handles, on each side of machine to the bell, the crank or handle
being turned round by the roller, will work any number of bells which may
be required; or by one or more bells being fixed at the top or outside of the
house or outbuildings, and a line conveyed to cranks or handles, will ring any
bell or number of bells, in proportion to weights and roller. A grove is turned
in the roller for the line to lap round that works it, and close to the
grove are a few teeth filed, and over the roller is fixed the main trigger I, or
drop, which falls into the teeth of the roller, and keeps it steady till the
trigger I or drop is lifted up, and when lifted up every part above described
works in full force. The size of the machine to work one pistol, one wheel
and spring, one roller and trigger, two bells, and two cranks, and light one
match-cord, or candle, is fourteen inches long, ten inches wide, and seven
inches deep, or may be made to any size required, and is supported by a
brackett of iron or wood, or various metals. The said machines may be
made japaned or plain, with solid sides and ends, or with turned pillars
of wood, or any kind of metals; and the general place of fixing them is on
the landing of a staircase, so that the communication to every door and
window is attended with little trouble, as only a small line and a weight,
which may be made of various metals of about one pound weight, is wanted
to each door and window; and when any of those weights are removed from
their bearing they drop off with a jirk and pull up the trigger. I, which
relieves the roller E, and by the main weight M being fixed to the line
which is round the roller E, and releived by the main trigger I, the whole
machine instantly works in full force, so long as the line of the main weight
M is round the roller E.
The method of securing doors or windows is, by a. weight P standing on a
plate of iron, wood, or various metals, which weight being fastened to the
line J, and standing on the side or top of door cases, and a latch or trigger
behind the weight, so that when the door is moved, the weight is thrown
off its bearing, and it pulls up the trigger of the machine, and the roller
instantly works every part of the machine.
To secure windows when the shutters are already fixed, is by a plate
fixed to the windows, and when the shutter or shutters is or are shutt, a suffi-

page_text: cient bearing for the weight must be left, and the shutters must be allowed
some little space to move in, just sufficient for the weight to be thrown down
and otherwise secured by an inward fastening, so that after the alarm is
given no entry is made. Doors may be secured in the same manner, even
if they should be forced from their locks and bolts; when the alarm is given
the line from the trigger may be conveyed to any part of the house if
required.
To secure every part of a front of shops or houses from floor to ceiling,
and from wall to wall, is by having temporary or other shutters the size of
the place you secure, that are placed quite slack and free from anything, and
nearly upright, so that if any part is attempted, the whole instantly moves and
throws the weight from its bearing, as before described. Also in windows
where there are no shutters ready fixed, the above méthod is made use of.
And in order to apply the said machine as a preventative against fire, a line
is conveyed round any part of a house or building, connected with the main
trigger of the machine, and a weight V is to hang under the machine to the
end of the line, and when the line V is in any part burnt, the weight drops and
relieves the main trigger from the roller, and the machine acts in full force;
and by the assistance of a bar under the machine, with a knife at each end
to cut the string U leading from the cranks or handles to the bells, it makes a
different alarm in case of fire or housebreaking.
These machines are made of any kind of wood, brass, iron, steel, copper, tin,
paper; or leather, and ornamented with all kinds of compositions, inlaid with
pearls, metals, silver, or gold, japaned or painted with any kind of figures or
ornaments, and of all kinds of colours.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Strickland, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand seven hundred and eighty-six.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBRED, that on the Twenty-ninth day of July,
in the twenty-sixth year of the reign of His Majesty King George the
Third, the said Edward Strickland came before our said Lord the King in
His Chancery, and acknowledged the Instrument aforesaid, and all and
every thing therein contained and specified, in form above written. And
also the Instrument aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the
several Statutes made in the sixth year of the reign of the late King and
Queen William and Mary of England, and in the seventeenth and twenty-
third years of the reign of His Majesty King George the Third.