Improvements in or relating to Means or Apparatus for Indicating the Presence of an Undue Temperature or Fire in Ships, Buildings, and other Places.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Feb., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Nov., 1896-Accepted, 30th Jan., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Means or Apparatus for Indicating
the Presence of an Undue Temperature or Fire in Ships,
Buildings, and other Places.
I, WILLIAM HUMPHREY TRIMBLE, late of New Zealand, but now of 6 Haven
Green, Ealing, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanician, do hereby declare the
nature of my invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object to provide means for indicating (a) the existence
of a predetermined temperature, which may be regarded as dangerous, in any
desired part of a ship, building or other place, (b) the locality of such temperature,
and (c) an increase of the temperature to a predetermined higher one, so that by
observing the rate of increase, it may be known whether the rise of temperature
is of a rapidly increasing nature, such as would be caused by flame, or of a slowly
increasing nature, such as would be caused by spontaneous combustion.
For this purpose I provide in conjunction with two normally open circuits, each
including an alarm device and one of them also an indicating device, a number of
apparatus located at the desired parts of a ship, building or other structure or
place and each comprising two thermo-sensitive devices adapted to operate at
different temperatures, two circuit closing devices-one for each circuit, and a
contact making and breaking device that is under the control of the thermo-
sensitive device intended to operate at the lower of the two predetermined
temperatures, and is adapted to make and break the circuit in which the indicating
device is included, a predetermined number of times corresponding to a number
assigned to the place where the particular apparatus is arranged. The arrange-
ment is such that on the temperature of the place in which any one of the said
apparatus is arranged, rising to the first predetermined temperature, the thermo-
sensitive device that is to operate at that temperature, and which I will hereinafter
call A, will cause one of the contact makers to close the corresponding circuit
and thus cause an alarm to be sounded by the alarm device in such circuit, and
will also cause or permit the contact making and breaking device to make and
break the said circuit a predetermined number of times, and cause the pointer or
equivalent of the indicating device to point to a number corresponding to that
assigned to the place in which the said apparatus is arranged, thereby showing at
a glance, where the dangerous increase of temperature exists. Upon the temperature
rising to the second predetermined temperature, the second thermo-sensitive device,
which I will hereinafter call B, will cause its contact closing device to close the
second circuit and sound a second alarm, the interval between the two alarms
affording some indication as to the nature of the combustion taking place, and also
as to what steps it will be necessary to take to arrest such combustion.
Apparatus to operate on the principle of my invention can be constructed in
various forms.
In one arrangement, each of the thermo-sensitive devices consist of a shallow
circular vessel made of two circular metallic discs, having their edges suitably
joined together, so as to form an air-tight joint at this part. The discs are made
concave, or formed with concentric corrugations, so that the vessel can expand and
contract. To the centre of one of these there is attached a screw or other pin by

page_text: which the vessel can he fixed in position, and correspondingly fixed to the other
dise is a hollow stud tapped to receive the screwed end of a rod between which
and the stud a washer of suitable material, for example lead, is placed for
temporarily keeping the vessel air-tight. One of the vessels viz. that to constitute
the thermo-sensitive device A, is charged with a small quantity of a liquid that
will boil at or about the temperature at which it is intended the vessel shall
expand, and the other, to constitute the device B, with another liquid that will boil
at the second and higher temperature. As the presence of too much liquid would
be liable to cause the vessels to burst, and the presence of too little would not
enable them to expand sufficiently, the proper quantity is found by putting into
each vessel a greater quantity of liquid than is necessary, and placing the vessel in
a properly heat regulated receptacle. Then by loosening the screw, the excess of
vapour is allowed to escape, the proper quantity being retained by observing the
weight the vessel will support when expanded under the influence of heat, which
should be as great as the boiling point of the contained liquid. The vessel is
then hermetically sealed, it may be by soldering.
The device A is fixed by the pin on one of its sides to a bracket or holder, the
rod on its other side being arranged to work in a tubo against the action of a
spring. With the rod, or a pin extending therefrom, engages one end of a lever
the other end of which is adapted when brought to bear against a contact, to close
the circuit through the contact making and breaking device, the alarm device,
and the indicating device.
The contact making and breaking device comprises an electro-magnet the
armature of which is carried by one arm of a lever the other end of which
operates, it may be by a pin and slotted lever, a spindle carrying an anchor
escapement and a lever arm. The escapement controls the movement of a scape
wheel fixed on a spindle on which is also fixed a stop in the form it may be of a
lever arm, and a pinion with which gears a toothed segment carried by a pivoted
arm to which the aforesaid tube is jointed at a point between the two ends of
the arm. The arrangement is such that when the device A expands, the rod at
one side thereof is moved, thereby bringing the circuit closing lever against the
fixed contact, and compressing the spring between itself and the tube so that it
tends to turn the toothed segment. The electro-magnet being excited, attracts its
arimature the movement of which however breaks the circuit of the electro-magnet,
the result being that the armature is caused to vibrate after the manner of the
armature of a trembling electric bell, and the stop is gradually rotated by the
action of the spring pressed toothed segment and under the control of the escape-
ment, until it comes against the lever arm on the escapement spindle and prevents
further movement of the armature. When the device A contracts, the rod moves
back the tube and through the toothed segment, pinion and spindle, returns the
stop into its original position ready for further use. By fixing the stop to a
sleeve fitting the spindle tightly but so that it can turn thereon and providing
the sleeve on its exposed end with a pointer, the position of the stop can
if desired be varied in order to vary the number of makes and breaks of
the circuit caused by the circuit making and breaking device at each operation
of the apparatus.
The device B may be mounted in a similar manner to the device A, the rod
fixed to one side of it operating a contact lever adapted to be brought against
an insulated contact that is preferably held by a spring controlled carrier capable
of permitting the lever to slip past it in either direction.
Each of the alarm devices may be of any known or suitable construction. The
indicating device may be of any suitable kind adapted to move a pointer around
a dial face by the action of successive currents of electricity. An apparatus of
this kind may conveniently comprise an electro-magnet provided with an armature
carried on one end of a lever on the other end of which there is suitably mounted
a small ratchet-wheel in connection with which there are provided two pawls and
two stops. The oscillating motion of the lever, due to the making and breaking

page_text: of the current, causes the ratchet wheel to move through a space of one tooth for
each make and break of the current. The ratchet-wheel, through two pinions,
moves a pointer on a spaced and numbered dial, through as many spaces as it has
itself been moved teeth, the number on the dial opposite which the pointer is
brought to rest, representing the number of times the circuit has been made and
broken by a circuit making and breaking device of the kind hereinbefore described,
and consequently the place the increase of temperature in which has caused such
device to operate.
The two circuits may be composed of three metallic conductors across which
the contact closing devices are arranged in parallel, as in the three wire system
of electric distribution, the middle conductor serving as a return.
Dated 1:
Improvements in or relating to Means or Apparatus for Indicating
the Presence of an Undue Temperature or Fire in Ships,
Buildings, and other Places.
1, WILLIAM HUMPHREY TRIMBLE, late of New Zealand, and of 6 Haven
Green, Ealing, in the County of Middlesex, but now of 34 Butler Street, Chorlton-
on-Medlock in the County of Lancaster, Mechanician, 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 :-
This invention has for its object to provide means for indicating (a) the existence
of a predetermined temperature, which may be regarded as dangerous, in any
desired part of a ship, building, or other place; (b) the locality of such temperature;
and (c) an increase of the temperature to a predetermined higher one, so that, by
observing the rate of increase, it may be known whether the rise of temperature is
of a rapidly increasing nature, such as would be caused by flame, or of a slowly
increasing nature, such as would be caused by spontaneous combustion.
For this purpose I provide, in conjunction with two normally open circuits, each
including an alarm device and one of them also an indicating device, a number of
apparatus located at the desired parts of a ship, building, or other structure or
place and each comprising two thermo sensitive devices adapted to operate at the
different predetermined temperatures, two circuit-closing devices (one for each
circuit), and a contact making and breaking device that is under the control of
the thermo-sensitive device intended to operate at the lower of the two predeter-
mined temperatures, and is adapted to make and break the circuit in which the
indicating device is included a predetermined number of times corresponding to a
number assigned to the locality in which the particular apparatus is arranged. The
arrangement is such that when the temperature of the locality in which any one of
the said apparatus is arranged, rises to the first predetermined temperature, the
thermo-sensitive device that is to operate at that temperature, and which I will
hereinafter call A, will cause one of the contact makers to close the corresponding
circuit and thus cause an alarm to be sounded by the alarm device in such circuit,
and will also cause or permit the contact making and breaking device to make and
break the said circuit a predetermined number of times, and cause the pointer or
equivalent of the indicating device to point to a number corresponding to that.

page_text: assigned to the locality in which the said apparatus is arranged, thereby showing
at a glance, where the dangerous increase of temperature exists. When the
temperature rises to the second predetermined temperature, the second thermo-
sensitive device, which I will hereinafter call B, will cause its contact closing
device to close the second circuit and sound a second alarm, the interval between
the two alarms affording some indication as to the nature of the combustion taking
place, and also as to what steps it will be necessary to take to arrest such
combustion.
Apparatus to operate on the principle of my invention can be constructed in
various forms.
In the accompanying drawings Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive show one construction of
apparatus of the kind herein before referred to designed to be located in a ship or
other place for detecting an increase of temperature, Fig. 1 being a side elevation
of the apparatus the door of the casing thereof and one of its bearing-plates being
removed;
Fig. 2 a similar view of the apparatus, the door only being removed;
Fig. 3 a cross section;
Fig. 4 a plan; and
Fig. 5 an end elevation.
Figs. 6 and 7 are vertical sections showing two constructions of thermo-sensitive
devices.
Fig. 8 shows in elevation, an indicating device and an alarm device suitable for
use in carrying out my invention.
Fig. 9 is a diagram showing the two normally open circuits and the various
devices for use therewith.
Each of the thermo-sensitive devices A B (Figs. 1 to 5) consists in the example
shown, of a shallow circular vessel made of two circular metallic discs 1 and 2
having their edges 3 suitably joined together, so as to form an air-tight joint at
this part. The discs may be made concave as shown in section in Fig. 6, or formed
with concentric corrugations as shown in like manner in Fig. 7, so that the vessel
can expand and contract. To the centre of one of these there is attached a screw 4
or other pin by which the vessel can be fixed in position, and correspondingly fixed
to the other disc is a hollow stud 5 tapped to receive the screwed end of a rod 6
between which and the stud 5 a washer 7 of suitable material-for example, lead-
is placed for temporarily keeping the vessel air-tight. One of the vessels-viz. that
to constitute the thermo-sensitive device A-is charged with a small quantity of a
liquid that will boil at or about the temperature at which it is intended the vessel
shall expand, say for example chloroform, and the other, to constitute the device B,
with another liquid say for example alcohol, that will boil at the second and higher
temperature. As the presence of too much liquid would be liable to cause the
vessels to burst, and the presence of too little would not enable them to expand
sufficiently, in order to ensure the proper quantity there is put into each vessel a
greater quantity of liquid than is necessary, and the vessel is then placed in a
properly heat-regulated receptacle and raised to a temperature a little above that
of the boiling-point of the contained liquid. Then, by loosening the screwed rod 6
the excess of vapour is allowed to gradually escape until the vessel will just
support a given weight. The vessel is then hermetically sealed-it may be, by
soldering.
The device A is fixed by the pin 4 to a bracket or holder 8, the rod 6 on its
other side being arranged to work in a tube 9 against the action of a spring 10.
The rod 6 carries a pin 6 that extends through slots 9* in the tube and serves to
lift the tube at the required times. With the rod 6, or a pin 6ª extending there-
from, engages one end 11° of a lever the other end 11° of which is adapted when
brought to bear against a fixed contact 12, to close the circuit through the contact
making and breaking device, the alarm device, and the indicating device.
The contact making and breaking device comprises an electro-magnet 13 the
armature 14 of which is carried by one arm of a lever 15 the other end of which

page_text: operates it may be, as shown, by a pin 16 and a slotted lever 17-a spindle 18 carrying
an anchor escapement 19. The escapement 19 controls the movement of a scape
wheel 20 fixed on a spindle 21 on which is also fixed a stop 22 in the form, it may
be of a lever arm, as shown, and a pinion 23 with which gears a toothed segment 24
carried by a pivoted arm 25 to which the tube 9 is jointed at a point 26 between the
two ends of the arm. 21 is a pin which is fixed to the spindle 21 and normally
abuts against another pin or stop 21 fixed to the adjacent bearing plate, the object
of this device being to limit the extent of backward movement of the scape wheel
and to provide a definite starting point for such wheel. As will be seen, the
arrangement is such that when the device A expands, the rod 6 is moved, thereby
bringing the circuit closing lever 11 11 against the fixed contact 12, and
compressing the spring 10 between itself and the inner or lower end of the tubo 9
so that the spring tends to turn the toothed segment 24. The electro-magnet 13,
being excited, attracts its armature 14 the movement of which however breaks the
circuit of the electro-magnet in the way hereinafter described, the result being that
the armature is caused to vibrate after the manner of the armature of a trembling
electric bell, and the stop 22, is gradually rotated by the action of the spring
pressed toothed segment 24 and under the control of the escapement 19, until it
comes against a lever arm (not shown) on the escapement spindle 18, or, as
preferred, until its bent outer end comes into contact with a projection 27 on the
armature lever 15, and prevents further movement of the armature which it holds
in its inoperative position, that is to say with the circuit of the electro-magnet
broken. When the device A contracts, the rod 6 moves back the tube 9 by means
of the pin 6, and, through the toothed segment 24, pinion 23, and spindle 21,
returns the stop 22 into its original position with the piu 21 resting against the
stop 21, ready for further use. If the stop 22 be fixed, as shown, to a sleeve 28
fitting the spindle 21 so that it can turn thereon but prevented from lateral move-
ment thereon, and be also provided with a projection 29 adapted to fit between
adjacent teeth of the wheel 20, it will be easy to vary the position of the stop in
order to vary the number of makes and breaks of the circuit caused by the circuit
making and breaking device at each operation of the apparatus. In order to
ensure full and definite movements on the part of the armature lever 15, it is
preferred to extend the spindle 15, as shown, through its bearing plate 30 and to
fix on its projecting end an arm 31 whose oscillation is limited by the raised
edges 32 of an arm 33 pivoted at 34 and capable of a slight oscillatory movement
between two adjustable screw-stops 35 and 36, of which one viz. 36, is insulated
from the plate 30 by being screwed into a piece 37 of insulating material, such as
bone. A spring 38 attached to the back of the arm 33 presses lightly on the
plate 30 for the purpose of keeping the arm 33 against one or other of the stops 35
and 36 until forcibly moved therefrom by the movement of the arm 31. The
arm 31 is normally kept in the position shown in Fig. 2 by a spring 39, which also
aids in returning the arm to this position when the circuit is broken by the attraction
of the armature 14. With this arrangement the winding of the magnet 13, which
has one end connected to the insulated end 11 of the circuit-closing lever 11 11
has its other end connected to the insulated stop 36, so that contact being made by
the lever 11, 11, with the fixed contact 12, when the parts are in the position
indicated in Fig. 2, the circuit will be closed through the arm 33, the arm 31, and
the plate 30, which is connected by a wire 40 to the binding screw 41.
The device B may be mounted in a similar manner to the device A, its rod 6
operating a contact lever 42 adapted to be brought against an insulated contact 43
in the form of a plate that is preferably held by but insulated from a spring
controlled carrier 43" pivoted to a support 43 and is normally held in the position
shown by a spring 43. The arrangement is such that when the device B expands,
the carrier will yield in a downward direction to permit the lever 42, after coming
into connection with the contact 43 and closing the second circuit through the
corresponding alarm device, to slip past it, and of also yielding in an upward
direction to enable the contact lever to slip past it in the opposite direction and,

page_text: return to its normal position, without coming into connection with the contact 43,
when the device B, again collapses.
The apparatus may conveniently be provided as shown, with a wooden casing 44
furnished with a door 44" hinged at 44° and adapted to be fastened by means of a
hasp and staple 45. 47 are lugs for securing the apparatus to a wall or the like.
Each of the alarm devices in the normally open circuits may be of any known
r suitable construction. The indicating device may also be of any suitable kind
adapted to move a pointer around a dial face by the action of successive currents
of electricity. An apparatus of this kind may conveniently comprise, as represented
in back elevation in Fig. 8, an electro magnet 48 provided with an armature 49
carried on one end of a lever 50 which is pivoted at 50* and on the other end of
which thero is suitably mounted a small ratchet-wheel 51 in connexion with which
there are provided two spring pawls 52 and 53 and two stops 54 and 55. The
oscillatory motion of the lever 50 due to the making and breaking of the current
by the action of the armature 15 (Figs. 1 2 and 3), causes the ratchet wheel 51
to be moved by the pawls 52 and 53 through a space of one tooth for each make
and break of the circuit. The ratchet wheel 51, through two pinions one of
which (not shown) is parallel to and moves with the ratchet wheel 51 and the
other 56 is fixed upon a pointer spindle 57", moves a pointer 57 on a graduated
and figured dial 57 to the extent of as many graduations as the tooth-spaces
through which it has itself been moved; the number on the dial opposite which
the pointer is brought to rest, represents therefore, the number of times the
circuit has been made and broken by a circuit making and breaking device of the
kind hereinbefore described, and consequently also indicates the locality the increase
of temperature in which has caused such device to operate.
A suitable alarm device for use in conjunction with this indicating apparatus is
also shown in Fig. 8. It comprises a continuous electric bell the magnet 58 of
which is provided with a separate operating battery 59; the armature 60 of the
magnet 58 is normally kept out of action by a catch or abutment 61 formed by one
end of a lever 62, which is normally retained in its operative position by a
catch 63 having two steps 63 and 63°, and which carries the armature 64 of
another electro-magnet 65 whose winding is in the same circuit as the dial-
apparatus. The arrangement is such that when a current passes through the
magnet 65, the latter attracts its armature 64 and releases the armature 60 of
the magnet 58 so as to allow the bell 66 to be rung, the armature lever 62 of the
magnet 65 becoming caught in its inoperative position on the step 63 by the
catch 63, which is pivoted at 63 and is weighed down by its heavier end 63ª so
that the bell will continue to be rung until stopped by lifting the lever 634 by band
so as to allow the armature lever 62 to fall into engagement with the armature 60
and holds the same in its inoperative position. A similar alarm device to that
shown in Fig. 8 may be used for the normally open circuit controlled by the
thermo-sensitive devices B. The indicating and alarm devices herein described
and shown in Fig. 8 are similar in construction and operation to that of the corre-
sponding devices described and shown in the Specification of another application
for Letters Patent No. 24750 of 1895 filed by me and in themselves form no part
of my present invention.
The two circuits in which the various apparatus are placed may be composed of
three metallic conductors across which the contact-closing devices are arranged in
parallel, as in the three-wire system of electric distribution, the middle conductor
serving as a return.
Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an arrangement of this kind in which a a' a' are the
three metallic conductors connected to two batteries b and c so as to form two
circuits, the middle conductor a¹ serving as a common return for both circuits.
Each apparatus (shown in dotted lines at 42) is attached by its terminals 67
and 67 to the two conductors a, a respectively and by its terminal 41 to the
common conductor a', the circuit a ba¹ being controlled as hereinbefore described
by the thermo-sensitive devices A, and the circuit a' e a' being controlled by the

page_text: thermo-sensitive devices B. 68 is the indicating device and 69 the alara
device included in the circuit at a and 70 is the alarm device in the other
circuit a cal.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. Means or apparatus for indicating the presence of an undue temperature or
fire in a ship, building and other place, comprising two normally open circuits, each
including an alarm device and one of them also an indicating device, and a number
of apparatus located at the desired parts of the ship, building, or other place and
each comprising two thermo-sensitive devices adapted to operate at different.
temperatures, two circuit-closing devices (one for each circuit) under the control
of the thermo-sensitive devices, and a contact making and breaking device under-
the control of the thermo-sensitive device designed to operate at the lower
temperature and adapted to make and break the circuit of the indicating device
a predetermined number of times, the arrangement being such as to indicate
(a) the existence of a predetermined temperature in any desired part of the ship,.
building, or other place, (b) the locality of such temperature, and (c) the subsequent
attainment of a higher predetermined temperature.
2. For indicating the presence of undue temperature or fire, circuit controlling
apparatus of the kind referred to constructed, arranged, and operating as described
with reference to and illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive of the accompanying
drawings.
3. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting my improved means
or apparatus for indicating the presence of an undue temperature or fire in ships,
buildings, or other places, substantially as herein before described with reference to.
and shown in Figs. 1 to 9 inclusive of the drawings annexed.
Dated this 2nd day of November 1896.
For the Applicant,
W. LLOYD WISE,
46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent..