IMPROVEMENTS IN AUTOMATIC FIRE EXTINGUISHING SPRINKLERS
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Dec., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 8th Sept., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 12th Oct., 1888
1. LUMAS
TER OF JU DRckburn Road Bolton in the County of Lancaster Fire
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
AUTOMATIC FIRE EXTINGUISHING SPRINKLERS, to be as follows :-
--
My invention relates to improvements in automatic fire extinguishing sprinklers
and consists in certain novel and improved constructions combinations and arrange-
ments of the parts whereby I obtain a perfecily watertight joint with the least possible
strain upon the sensitive solder and a high degree of sensitiveness to the action of
heat as well as a good and even distribution of water when the sprinkler opens.
My improved sprinkler is of the valve type and is preferably cylindrical in form
open at the lower end and with a short tube or union on the upper side for connection
to the water supply pipe. The lower or inner end of this tube forms a seating for the
valve which consists by preference of a hard white metal head disc or washer carried
by a suitably shaped stem which passes through a central hole in a flange which
divides the body of the sprinkler the stem being supported by a peculiar arrange-
ment of compound levers combined in a novel manner with a screw as follows:-
The screw works in a fixed bridge piece forming part of the body of the
sprinkler and the end of the screw forms a rigid heel or fulcrum for one end of
the first lever which supports the valve stem the other end of this lever resting
on the heel of a second lever which is supported by the body of the sprinkler and
is soldered on to a small pin or stud at one end of a third lever the other end of
which is also supported by the sprinkler. By this arrangement the screw holds the
levers and not the levers the screw as in previous arrangements of compound levers
for this purpose consequently by my improvements the strain on the solder joint
is reduced to a minimum and is only sufficient to allow the valve to open when
heat is applied to the solder joint and the solder melts then the levers fly open
and the valve drops on to the flange in the body of the sprinkler. The water
rushing from the supply pipe into the upper chamber in the sprinkler is deflected
upwards and out of the sprinkler through perforations in the top of the body of

page_text: the sprinkler. These perforations are normally covered by a loose ring or washer
which is carried by the force of the water issuing through the perforations against
a collar on the tube or union and so acts as a deflector to spread the water over
the fire.
The valve can be tightened to any extent desired by simply turning the screw
the effect of which would not be felt appreciably on the solder joint.
H. B. BARLOW.
Agenti.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Fire Extinguishing Sprinklers.
I THOMAS WITTER of 190 Blackburn Road Bolton in the County of Lancaster Fire
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :—
My invention relates to improvements in automatic fire extinguishing sprinklers
and consists in certain novel and improved constructions combinations and arrange-
ments of the parts whereby I obtain a perfectly watertight joint with the least
possible strain upon the sensitive solder and a high degree of sensitiveness to the
action of heat as well as a good and even distribution of water when the sprinkler
opens.
My improved sprinkler is of the valve type and is preferably cylindrical in form
open at the lower end and with a short tube or union on the upper side for connection
to the water supply pipe. The lower or inner end of this tube forms a seating for the
valve which consists by preference of a hard white metal head disc or washer carried
by a suitably shaped stem which passes through a central hole in a flange which
divides the body of the sprinkler the stem being supported by a peculiar arrangement
of compound levers combined in a novel manner with a screw as follows.
The screw works in a fixed bridge piece forming part of the body of the sprinkler
and the end of the screw forms a rigid heel or fulcrum for one end of the first lever
which supports the valve stem the other end of this lever resting on the heel of a
second lever which is supported by the body of the sprinkler and is soldered on to a
small pin or stud at one end of the third lever or arm the other end of which is also
supported by the sprinkler.

page_text: effect I will describe the accompanying two Sheets of Drawings reference being had
to the figures and letters marked thereon.
Fig. 1 is an elevation of an automatic fire extinguishing sprinkler constructed
according to my Invention.
Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the sprinkler in operation.
Fig. 3 is a vertical section of Fig. 1.
Figs. 4 and 6 are plan views looking upward and Fig. 5 is a plan view looking
downward.
Figs. 7 and S are a vertical section and a sectional plan respectively of a slightly
modified construction of the sprinkler.
Referring first to Figs. 1 to 6.
In these views. a designates the cylindrical metal casing or valve chamber which
is divided into two parts by the disc or plate a¹ and the upper portion or cover
and threaded stem for connection to the water pipe, the two parts and being
screwed together. The inner lower extremity of the stem or tube is made with
an edge which forms a seating for the valve or instead of making the valve seating
on the tube any suitably shaped piece of any suitable material may be attached to
the end of the tube to form a seating. The valve consists preferably of the hard
white metal disc or washer c carried by the stem c¹ the other end of which rests
in a loose cap or washer d carried by a levere which has its fulcrum or bearing
at one end on a screw which passes through a bridge piece a² cast or formed
with the casing a. The other end of the lever e is supported on a heel or
shoulder on a lever g which is pivoted to the casing a at one end and at the
other is secured by a sensitive solder joint to the end of a lever or arm which
may either be pivoted to the casing a or rigidly attached to it: a small pin or
stud may or may not be secured on the end of one of the levers as a bearing
for the other lever or the levers and may be made rather longer than here
shown and the overlapping portions pared down so as to make a perfectly smooth
joint when soldered together. To prevent the levers and h being forced asunder
by a blow a loose staple or clamp 2, see Fig. 3, may be employed instead of the
fixed pin or any other suitable means for making up the solder joint may be
adopted.
The valve can be tightened to any extent desired by simply turning the screw f
the effect of which would not be felt appreciably on the solder joint. The screw
also affords a ready means for enabling the sprinkler to be examined at any time
to ascertain whether the pipes have become corroded or for any other object and this
examination can be made without necessarily cutting off the water or taking out the
sprinkler.
By the above described arrangement of parts the screw which is supported in the
rigid bridge piece a holds the levers and not the levers the screw as in previous
arrangements of compound levers for this purpose consequently by my improvements
the strain on the solder joint is reduced to a minimum and is only sufficient to insure
the valve opening when heat is applied to the solder joint and the solder melts,
then the levers and when the latter is loosely pivoted fly open, the lever e and
washer d fall down and the valve e drops on to the disc a' thereby allowing water
from the supply pipe to rush through the stem into the upper chamber in the body
of the sprinkler. The water rushing into the upper chamber is deflected upwards
and out of the sprinkler through perforations & in the cover b. These perforations b¹
are normally covered by a loose ring or washer k preferably serrated on its outer edge,
see Fig. 6, which is carried by the force of the water issuing through the perforations b
against a collar formed on the tube or stem 6 and so acts as a deflector to spread
the water over the fire.
In the modification illustrated by Figs. 7 and 8 instead of passing the adjusting
screw through the fixed bridge piece a as hereinbefore shown and described the said
screw passes through the lever e but as the fixed bridge piece a² is the fulcrum and
support for the lever e it will be obvious that the strain put upon the shoulder g' on

page_text: the lever g will be just the same as in the previous arrangement Figs. 1 to 6 and
consequently that one principal object of my Invention namely to reduce the strain
on the solder joint to a minimum will be attained by this arrangement also, the only
difference being that a greater weight or pressure will be borne by the screw in this
arrangement. In Figs. 1 to 6 the weight put upon the screw equals that carried by
the fixed bridge piece a² which is less than the weight carried by the lever e at its
point of contact with the cap or washer d whereas in Figs. 7 and 8 since the point of
the screw comes in contact with the intermediate picce which is an equivalent for
the cap dit follows that the pressure sustained by the screw equals the pressure
supported at that point by the lever e in the previous arrangement. The remainder
of the sprinkler is of substantially the same character as that already described with
reference to Figs. 1 to 6 and the operation of the sprinkler is also similar.
I would have it clearly understood that I do not claim the mode of distribution by
means of the perforations and the loose covering ring or deflector broadly but
only in combination as hereinafter defined.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is―
1. In an automatic sprinkler the combination with a valve seating and valve, of a
screw working in a rigid bridge piece and acting as the adjustable fulcrum or
bearing for one end of one of a series of compound levers which support said
valve.
2. The combination with the valve of a sprinkler, of a screw working in a rigid
bridge piece and supporting one end of a lever the other end of which is supported by
a pivoted lever which is connected by a seal of sensitive solder to a second pivoted
lever or fixed piece substantially as herein described with reference to the Drawings
annexed.
-
3. The combination with the valve seating, the valve c, the stem c', and the oose
washer d, of the arrangement of compound levers e, g, h, and the screw f supported in
the fixed bridge piece a substantially as herein shown and described for the purposes
specified.
4.—The combination with the valve of a sprinkler, of an adjusting screw working
in a lever said lever being fulcrumed at one end upon a fixed bridge piece and
supported at the other end by a pivoted lover which is connected by a seal of sensitive
solder to a second pivoted lever or fixed piece substantially as herein described and as
illustrated by Figs. 7 and 8.
5. The combination with a system of compound levers for supporting the valve
of a sprinkler, of the perforations the collar 2 and the loose serrated or plain
covering ring or deflector k substantially as herein described with reference to the
accompanying Drawings.
6. The several constructions combinations and arrangements of parts embodying
my improvements in automatic fire extinguishing sprinklers substantially as herein
shown and described.
H. B. BARLOW,
17, St. Ann's Square, Manchester,
Agent for Applicant.