IMPROVE- MENTS IN FIRE EXTINGUISHERS
Year: 1886

page_text: We, HENRY AVERY MANSFIELD, Mechanic, and HENRY MARTYN HARRINGTON,
Superintendent of Public Instruction, both of Bridgeport, Connecticut, United
States of America, do hereby declare the nature of our invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS 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 more especially to the class of fire extinguishers which are
adapted to be carried about by hand, and has for its object to simplify and improve
the details of construction without increasing the cost of manufacture, so that the
device will be durable, capable of remaining charged for a long period of time
without its efficiency becoming impaired, instantaneous and certain in operation,
and adapted to be recharged an unlimited number of times.
With these ends in view we have produced the simple and novel construction of
which the following description in connection with the accompanying drawing is
a specification, numbers being used to indicate the several parts of the device. It
has heretofore been a serious objection to this class of devices that owing to
inherent defects of construction they have become wholly unreliable after remaining
charged for a few months. In numerous instances serious loss has been occasioned
by their refusing to operate at all.
In the drawing
Fig. 1, is a central longitudinal section of the generating cylinder with the
chemical reservoir and discharge pipe in elevation;
Fig. 2, an enlarged sectional view of both generating cylinder and chemical
reservoir;
Fig. 3, a section corresponding with Fig. 2, on the line x, x;
Fig. 4, a transverse section on the line y, y, looking down;
Fig. 5, a similar section on the line 2, 2, looking down;
Fig. 6, a plan view of the cap, the operating lever being shown as in the
opened position;
Fig. 7, a similar view in the closed position; and
Fig. 8, a plan view of the chemical reservoir detached.
Similar numbom denote the come nexta in all the Five

page_text: It is of course well understood that this class of fire extinguishers is charged by
filling the generating cylinder with some suitable chemical solution, and filling the
reservoir with another chemical solution, and that the device is operated by
allowing the chemical to escape from the reservoir into the generating chamber,
the rationale being that a great volume of carbonic acid gas is generated, which
finds its escape through the discharge tube carrying quantities of fluid with it.
1, indicates the generating cylinder, which is preferably made of wrought iron
or brass and screw threaded at opposite ends to receive a cap 2, and bottom 3.
4, is a, discharge tube which extends from near the bottom of the generating
cylinder into the cap and communicates with an opening 5, therein. 6, is a.
discharge nozzle which is tapped into the.cap, and communicates with opening 5.
7, is a chemical reservoir which is preferably made of vitreous material as glass or
porcelain and is provided at its top with cross slots 8, for a purpose presently to be
explained, and at its bottom with an opening 9, near the side as shown, through
which the chemical in the reservoir escapes into the generating cylinder when the
reservoir is in the opened position. The reservoir is held in place within the
generating cylinder by a rest 10, having upwardly turned lips 11, which engage
the sides of the reservoir at the bottom as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The rest
is provided with a valve 12, which is adapted to close the opening in the bottom
of the reservoir. This valve consists preferably of a solid piece of rubber which is
securely attached to the rest. 13, is an opening which is preferably cut in the rest
to permit the contents of the reservoir to pass down into the body of the generating
cylinder the instant the reservoir is turned, as will be more fully explained.
14, denotes rods which are tapped into the cap, and extend downward through the
rest the lower ends thereof being screw threaded as shown. Nuts 15, at the
lower ends of these rods, force the rest upward thus causing the valve to close
opening 9, so perfectly as to insure that there will be no leakage of the chemical
within with the reservoir. 16, is an operating shaft which passes through the cap
and is provided at its lower end with lugs or cross pieces 17, which engage slots 8,
in top of the chemical reservoir. A packing 27, of rubber, leather, or other
suitable material is preferably placed in cross slots 8, between lugs or cross
pieces 17, and the material of the chemical reservoir, as an additional safeguard
to prevent breakage of the reservoir. 18, is an operating lever at the outer end of
the shaft. 19, is a recess in the under side of the cap, 20, packing in said recess,
and 21, a boss upon the shaft which holds the packing in the recess, thus preventing
leakage at the top, should the cylinder be placed in other than a vertical position.
22, is a stop cock which closes the discharge nozzle when the device is not in use.
23, is a handle engaging ears upon cap 2, for convenience in transportation. In
order to avoid the possibility of any precipitated chemicals getting into the
discharge tube, we have provided a strainer 24, which may be made of wire or
perforated sheet metal, and is placed over the lower end of the discharge tube.
This strainer keeps the discharge tube clear at all times, no matter in what
position the device may be placed, so that no clogging can take place to affect
its action. To charge the device the cap is removed, and the chemical reservoir
with it. The reservoir is filled, with a suitable chemical solution, and then turned
so that valve 12, engages opening 9, nuts 15, being tightened up to close the
valve firmly into place. The generating chamber is then filled or nearly so, with
the other chemical and the cap 2, screwed back into place. The device is then
ready for use when occasion requires, care being of course taken to keep stop
cock 22, closed. To operate the device, stop cock 22, is turned to open the dis-
charge nozzle, and the operating lever turned toward the left. As the lugs upon
this lever are in engagement with slots 8, in the top of the chemical reservoir the
latter must turn when the handle is moved. It is only necessary to move the
reservoir sufficiently to carry opening 9, away from the valve. This permits
the contents of the reservoir to pass into the generating cylinder instantly, thus
generating carbonic acid: gas which finds its escape, with the fluid, through the

page_text: discharge nozzle. It will be seen that the parts are so constructed that none of
them can be affected by the chemicals ordinarily used, and that instantaneous
action cannot fail to take place the moment lever 18, is moved. In order to
prevent the possibility of this lever becoming displaced in transportation, or from
any other cause, we have provided a spring 25, in the under side thereof, which
engages a teat 26, on the cap, thus holding it firmly against movement; until the
spring is released from the teat.
It will be apparent that the various details of construction may be varied within
reasonable limits without departing from the spirit of our invention.
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 :-
1st. In a fire extinguisher, a generating cylinder having a discharge tube, and
an operating shaft having lugs or cross pieces at its lower end, in combination with
a chemical reservoir having slots 8, engaged by said lugs, an opening at its opposite
end; and a rest provided with a valve adapted to engage said opening.
2nd. In a fire extinguisber a chemical reservoir having a slot 8, at one end and
an opening at its other end, in combination with a rest whereby said reservoir is
supported, and which is provided with a valve to engage said opening, and an
operating shaft having a cross piece adapted to engage slot 8, whereby the reservoir
may be turned to remove the opening from the valve.
3rd. In a fire extinguisher a rotating chemical reservoir having an opening 9, at
one end, in combination with a vertically movable rest whereby said reservoir is
supported and which is provided with a valve adapted to close said opening,
threaded rods 14, which pass through said rest, and nuts upon said rod whereby
the valve is forced tightly against the reservoir, after the latter has been turned
into position.
4th. In a fire extinguisher, rest. 10, having lips 11, and valve 12, in combination
with a chemical reservoir having an opening adapted to be closed by said valve, a
slot 8, and an operating shaft having a lug or cross piece adapted to engage
said slot.
5th. In a fire extinguisher, the cap having a recess 19, packing, and an operating
shaft having a boss whereby the packing is held in place and a lug or cross
piece 17, in combination with a rotating chemical reservoir having an opening 9,
and a slot across its top which is engaged by the lug or cross piece, whereby said
reservoir may be turned to operate the device.
6th. The operating shaft, having lever 18, and cross piece 17, in combination
with a rotating chemical reservoir having an opening 9, and a slot 8, which is
engaged by said cross piece, a rest for supporting the reservoir, and a spring 25,
which locks the lever in the closed position.
7th. The operating shaft having cross piece 17, and the chemical reservoir
having slot 8, and opening 9, in combination with a movable rest having a valve
adapted to engage said opening, threaded rods adapted to pass through said rest,
and nuts engaging the rod whereby the valve is pressed against the opening.
8th. In a fire extinguisher, a chemical reservoir made of vitreous material and
provided with means, for engagement as a slot across its top, and with an opening
in its bottom near the side, for the purpose set forth, in combination with a valve
adapted to close said opening, and an operating device for example a lever having
a cross piece to engage the slot whereby the reservoir may be rotated to discharge
its contents.
9th. The generating cylinder, rest 10, having valve 12, and a discharge tube
having a strainer 24, to prevent precipitated cliemicals from entering the tube, in
combination with chemical reservoir 7, having slot 8, and operating shaft 16, having
cross piece 17, whereby the reservoir is turned away from the valve.
10th. The operating shaft, and lug or cross piece 17, in combination with a
rotating chemical reservoir having an opening 9, and a slot 8, which is engaged by

page_text: said lug, a packing 27, in said slot between the lug and the material of the
reservoir, and a rest by which the reservoir is supported.
11th. The generating cylinder, rest 10, having valve 12, and a discharge tube
having a stop cock 22, in combination with.chemical reservoir 7, having slot 8, and
operating shaft 16, having cross piece 17, whereby the reservoir is turned away 5
from the valve.