Year: 1897

page_text: binding post on the adjustable plate and with the insulated post attached to the
casing, then passes to the battery, the return wire being wound around one
thermostat, and then to a binding post attached to the casing. The other
thermostat is connected by a wire with the alarm bell.
When the body has moved out of the field of the magnet and the circuit is
closed, one of the thermostats is gradually heated, caused to expand and finally
make contact with the other thermostat and close the circuit for the alarm bell.
The one thermostat is preferably employed only in case the normally dormant
fluid is frequently disturbed by a hammering or surging action of the fluid,
whereby the body is only moved for a short time from the field of the magnet
and then returns immediately into the field of the magnet. In such a case, the
closing of the circuit does not sound the alarm bell as the other thermostat is not
sufficiently heated during the time the body moves from and back to its seat, and
the thermostats do not close the circuit for the alarm bell. But in case the flow
in the supply pipe is for the length of time to which .the thermostats are set, then
the closing of the circuit finally causes a contact of the two thermostats and the
circuit for the alarm bell is closed.
The device may be used for various other purposes than the one mentioned;
for instance, as a low water alarm for boilers, in which case the construction of
the device will be altered from the one shown and described, without however,
deviating from the spirit of our invention.
The arrangement may be also such, that the body is held normally out of the
field of the magnet and the circuit is closed, and when a disturbance of the water
causes a sinking of the body into the field of the magnet then the position of the
latter is disturbed, and the circuit is broken to sound an alarm. The thermostats
are simply a responsive device, responding only to an excessively prolonged flow
of current, and it is evident other electrical or mechanical means could be
substituted.
The magnet may be used to release a clock work for actuating an alarm, or
other mechanical means may be controlled by the magnet for the same purpose.
The arrangement described may be reversed that is, the body in the fluid may
be the magnet to influence the magnetic body on the outside of the casing when-
ever the magnet moves in the fluid and the outside body is in or out of the field
of the magnet.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus for Indicating the Movement or Cessation of Movement of
a Fluid.
We, ORVILLE CARPENTER (Clerk), of 17, Newell Avenue, Pawtucket, in the
County of Providence, State of Rhode Island, United States of America, and JAMES
M. CARPENTER (Manufacturer), also of 17, Newell Avenue, Pawtucket, aforesaid,
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 follow-
ing statement:-
-
The invention relates to fire sprinklers and other apparatus containing a fluid
normally dormant but adapted to flow when a valve or other device is opened and

page_text: Date of Application, 16th July, 1897
Complete Specification Left. 1st Apr. 1898-Accented 16th July 1808
Date of Application, 16th July, 1897
Complete Specification Left. 1st Apr. 1898-Accepted 16th July 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus for Indicating the Movement or Cessation of Movement of
a Fluid.
We, ORVILLE CARPENTER (Clerk), of 17, Newell Avenue, Pawtucket, County of
Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America, and JAMES M. CARPENTER
(Manufacturer), of 17, Newell Avenue, Pawtucket, County of Providence, Rhode
Island, United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of our invention
to be as follows:-
The invention relates to fire sprinklers and other apparatus containing a fluid
normally dormant but adapted to flow when a valve or other device is opened, and
to apparatus containing a fluid normally in motion and liable to have its flow
interrupted.
The object of the invention is to provide for indicating the movement or cessa-
tion of movement of a fluid contained in a pipe, boiler or other apparatus, and
automatically giving an alarm whenever the fluid is flowing or its movement
ceases.
The invention consists in the employment of a magnetic body heavier than the
fluid by which it is moved when the fluid is in motion and a magnet so arranged
that the body may come within and leave the field of the magnet to cause a
disturbance thereof. The body is preferably made of iron in the shape of a hollow
ball, normally resting on lugs on the inside of a non-magnetic casing, attached
to a casting in the pipe or a branch thereof, and provided with lugs near its upper
end, for limiting the movement of the body.
The casing has an external chamber, closed by a removable cap, and in this
chamber the magnet is suspended by flexible strips, secured at their upper ends
to the top of a bracket rising from the bottom of the chamber. The poles.of the,
magnet are in close proximity to the external surface of the casing, at such a
point as to bring the body into the field of the magnet during the time the body
is at rest on the lugs, it being understood that the casing is made of brass or other
suitable non-magnetic material, while the body is made of iron or the like, and
consequently influences the magnet upon moving out of or into the field of the
said magnet, and which field extends through the wall of the non-magnetic casing
to the inside thereof.
The strips are preferably secured to transverse bars of the magnet, one bar
carrying a contact point, normally out of engagement with another contact point
on a plate insulated from the base of the bracket, the plate being adjustable to
permit of adjusting the distance between the contacts points, during the time the
magnet is in an innermost position, held there by the body as long as the latter is
within the field of the magnet.
Now when the fluid contained in the pipe flows and carries the body with it,
the latter moves out of the field of the magnet and the magnet swings outward and
closes an electric circuit containing a battery, a double thermostat, and an alarm
bell controlled by the thermostat. The wire of the circuit is connected with a

page_text: to apparatus containing a fluid normally in motion and liable to have its flow
interrupted.
The object of the invention is to provide means for indicating the movement or
cessation of movement of a fluid contained in a pipe, boiler or other apparatus, and
automatically giving an alarm whenever the fluid is flowing or its movement
ceases.
The invention consists of certain parts and combinations, as will be fully
described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this
specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts
in all the figures.
Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of the improvement as arranged on the
supply pipe of a water sprinkling system;
Figure 2 is a sectional plan view of the same, on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a face view of the casing containing the magnet and other parts
of the electric circuit;
Figure 4 is a sectional plan view of part of the same, on the line 4-4 of
Figure 3; and
Figure 5 is a sectional side elevation of a modified form of the improvement,
with the supply pipe in section.
The improved device may be connected directly with supply pipe A, as illus-
trated in Figures 1 and 2, or with a branch pipe A', connected at both ends with
a supply pipe A2, as illustrated in Figure 5. In either case the device is provided
with a magnetic body B, preferably made of iron in the shape of a hollow ball,
normally resting on lugs C projecting from the inside of a non-magnetic casing C,
attached to a casting D, arranged in the pipe A, and containing near its upper
end lugs D', for limiting the travelling movement of the body B when the fluid
contained in the pipe flows in the direction of the arrow a¹ and carries the body
with it against the said lugs, as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 1.
The casing C is formed with an external chamber or recess C³, closed by a
removable cap E, and in this chamber is suspended a magnet F by flexible strips G,
secured at their upper ends to the top of a bracket H, attached to the bottom of
the chamber as shown. The poles of the magnet F are in close proximity to
the external surface of the casing C, as indicated in Figures 1 and 2, at such a point
as to bring the body B into the field of the said magnet during the time the
body is at rest on the lugs C¹, it being understood that the casing C is made of
brass or other suitable non-magnetic material, while the body B is made of iron
or the like, and consequently influences the magnet upon moving out of or into
the field of said magnet, and which field extends through the wall of the non-
magnetic casing C to the inside thereof.
The strips Gare preferably secured to transverse bars F1, F2 of the magnet F,
the bar carrying a contact point F3, normally out of engagement with a contact
point I, formed on a plate I, secured at its lower end to a plate J, secured to but
insulated from the base H¹ of the bracket H, as shown in Figure 1. The plate J
is adjustable on the base H¹ to permit of bringing the contact point I the desired
distance from the contact point F3, during the time the magnet F is in an inner-
most position, held there by the body B as long as the latter rests on the lugs C¹
and is within the field of the magnet.
Now when the fluid contained in the pipe A flows in the direction of the arrow a¹
and carries the body B with it, the latter moves out of the field of the magnet F,
and the magnet swings outward and the contact point F3 moves in contact with
the point I, to close an electric circuit K containing a battery K¹, a double
thermostat L, and an alarm bell or other sounding device N, controlled by the
thermostat L. The wire K2 of the circuit K is connected with a binding post J¹
on the plate J and with the insulated post K³ attached to the casing C, as shown
in Figure 3, then passes to the battery K³, the return wire K being wound around
one thermostat L' on the casing L³, and then passing to a binding post K³ attached

page_text: to the casing C. The other thermostat L³ is insulated on the casing L2 and is
connected by a wire K with the alarm bell N, connected by a wire K' with the
wire K4.
When the contact is made at the points F3 and I' at the time the body B has
moved out of the field of the magnet F, the circuit is closed and the thermostat L'
is gradually heated, whereby it is caused to expand and finally make contact with
the other thermostat L³ and close the circuit for the alarm bell N, so that the
latter is sounded. The thermostat L is preferably employed only in case the
normally dormant fluid is frequently disturbed by a hammering or surging action
of the fluid, whereby the body B is only moved for a short time from the field of
the magnet F, and then returns immediately to the lugs C, back into the field of
the magnet. In such a case, the closing of the circuit K does not sound the alarm
bell N, as the thermostat L' is not sufficiently heated during the time the body B
moves from and back to its seat, and the thermostats L' and L³ do not close the
circuit for the alarm bell N. But in case the flow in the supply pipe A is for
the length of time to which the thermostats L1 and L³ are set, then the closing of
the circuit K finally causes a contact of the thermostats L¹ and L3, and the
circuit for the alarm bell N is closed and the alarm is sounded.
The casing is preferably provided with an external rib C³, fitted into a corre-
sponding recess (4 in the casting D to securely hold the casing in place and to
permit of properly fitting the casing into the casting.
The lugs D are so arranged that when the body B is rested thereon the flow of
the water in the pipe is not appreciably obstructed.
It will be understood that the device may be used for various other purposes
than the one mentioned, for instance as a low water alarm for boilers in which
case the construction of the device will be altered from the one shewn and described
without, however, deviating from the spirit of my invention.
In using the invention as a low water alarm it is only necessary to reverse the
position so that the lugs C₁, instead of supporting the magnetic sphere, as in
Figure 1, will prevent it being raised by its own buoyancy beyond the level of
the magnetic electric contact device which corresponds to the level of the low
water minimum so that should the water level fall below that point the sphere
being no longer water-borne will drop out of the field of the magnet which is
comprised in the magnetic contact devices and the contact will be made and the
alarm sounded.
The arrangement may also be such that the body B is held normally out of the
field of the magnet F and the circuit is closed and when a disturbance of the water
causes a sinking of the body. B into the field of the magnet F then the position of
the latter is disturbed and the circuit is broken to sound an alarm. The ther-
mostats are simply a responsive device, responding only to an excessively prolonged
flow of current, and I do not confine myself to this particular form of a device
for accomplishing such a purpose, as it is evident other electrical or mechanical
means could be substituted for them.
It is evident that the magnet may be used to release a clockwork for actuating
an alarm or other mechanical means may be controlled by the magnet for the
same. purpose.
It is also evident that the arrangement described may be reversed, that is, the
body in the fluid may be the magnet to influence the magnetic body on the outside
of the casing, whenever the magnet moves in the fluid and the outside body is
in or out of the field of the magnet.
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. A device of the class described, comprising a body in a fluid,. the body being
heavier than the fluid and arranged to be moved by the pressure of the fluid
when the fluid is in motion, and a magnet exterior of the said fluid and body

page_text: and so arranged that the body may come within and leave the field of said
magnet, to cause a disturbance thereof, substantially as shown and described.
2. A device of the class described, comprising a body resting in a fluid and
heavier than the fluid and arranged to be moved by the pressure of the fluid
when in motion, and an electro-magnetic alarm or indicating device exteriorly
of the said fluid and body and controlled by the latter, substantially as described.
3. In a device of the class described, comprising an electro-magnetic alarm,
or indicating device, a body normally at rest in a dormant fluid and in the field
of a magnet of the said alarm, the body being heavier than the fluid, and the said
body being moved by the direct pressure of the fluid out of the field of the said
magnet, to cause a disturbance of the latter so that the alarm or indicating device,
is actuated, and a responsive device in the circuit of the said alarm, or indicating
device and controlling the sounding or indicating device thereof, substantially
as shown and described.
4. An indicator having a casing, a portion of which is adapted to have a
fluid moved through it, a magnetic body normally carried within the said portion
of the casing and closing the same and capable of being forced out of said portion
of the casing, and a magnetic alarm or indicating device actuated by the mag-
netic body, substantially as described.
5. An indicator having a magnetic body adapted to be moved by a fluid, the
magnetic body being heavier than the fluid, and a magnetic alarm or indicating
device actuated by the magnetic body, substantially as described.
6. An indicator having a casing with two chambers one of which is adapted to
have a fluid moved through it, a magnetic body seated within said chamber and
loosely engaging the sides thereof so that the fluid on passing through the
chamber will force the magnetic body from its seat, and a magnetic alarm or
indicating device actuated by the magnetic body, substantially as described.
Dated this 31st day of March 1898
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
Chartered Patent Agents, 53, Chancery Lane, London.