Contrivance for the Sudden Opening of All the Doors of a Theatre or other Building on an Outbreak of Fire.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Feb., 1890-Accepted, 8th Nov., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Contrivance for the Sudden Opening of All the Doors of a Theatre
or other Building on an Outbreak of Fire.
I HEINRICH HELD, Manufacturer of Löchgau in the Kingdom of Wurtemberg and
German Empire 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 :-
On the occasions of great conflagrations particularly fires in theatres it has been
proved that many of the unfortunate people were neither burnt nor suffocated by the
smoke but were killed by the hot air only. Now inasmuch as such disasters would
with open doors be avoided in consequence of the external air rushing in and inasmuch
as it is of the greatest importance on an outbreak of fire in theatres etcetera or on the
occasion of any other accidents in theatres etcetera to have all the exits open at once for
speedily clearing the space the following contrivance has been invented which renders it
possible to open at once all the exits.
This contrivance is shown in Figures 1 to 11 in the accompanying drawings together
with details and the following is a description thereof.
Through the entire house or building (i.e. through the auditorium as well as the
stage the case illustrated being that of a theatre) strong wire ropes a are drawn which
when pulled loosen a central weight A or several thereof. From this weight a line b
passes over to the secondary weight B which are attached to the particular doors and
which when loosened cause these doors to open.
The principal weight A can be loosened by such an arrangement as is shown in
Figure 3. When held up by the wire ropes a it lies against a fixed plate C (shown in
dotted lines in Figure 3) which has a pin g fastened to it as a fulcrum for the angle
lever d. Besides this a bolt e is fastened to plate C.
To the inner side of the weight A there is attached a latch pivoted at f1 and having
a slit which lies over the said bolt e. Accordingly weight A hangs on to the fixed
bolt e by its latch f. Now if rope a which is fastened to one of the arms of angle
lever d be pulled the other arm of the said lever loosens the latch fat e so that the
weight A may fall free and draw with it the wire rope b attached thereto. The secondary
weights B are then loosened by the contrivance shown in Figures 4 to 6.
On the wire rope line b a slide E is provided for each weight B (shown in dotted
lines in Figure 4) this slide moves in grooves in the fixed plate D and has a nose h.
A turnable latch í is attached to the weight itself having a slit which lies over the
bolt k fastened to plate D. Now if the wire rope b which runs over suitable rollers is
pulled through the lowering of the principal weight A in the direction of the arrow
in Figure 4 the nose h presses against the latch and turns it so that it lets the fixed
bolt & loose and allows the secondary weight B to fall free.
g
The pull of the falling weights is then used for the purpose of opening the doors.
For this purpose a wire rope m is fastened at one end to each weight B and at the
other end to a suitable carrier 9 in order to turn the door on its hinges. Now for
working the door the arrangement shown in Figures 7 to 10 is made. The turning
point of the door T is o (Figure 7). A pivot is attached to the door at p either at
the upper or lower edge and this pivot moves in a slot n in the woodwork above or
under the door. In the slot n lies the carrier q to which is attached the wire
rope m.
Now if the wire rope is pulled in the direction of the arrow Figure 7 the carrier
moves in the curved or arched slot n then catches the pivot and by means of same
turns the door T around the hinge o. When the door is afterwards closed again with
the hand it draws the carrier back into its former position by means of the pivot l.
At the same time the wire m is thereby drawn back opposite to the direction of
the arrow.
The doors can only be closed when the weights are raised and suspended again.

page_text: The principal weight A is first raised and suspended whilst the other moveable part
such as slide E and latch i can be brought back into their original position by hand
or by springs etcetera arranged for that purpose.
As a rule the door can be moved to and fro freely by hand without being disturbed
by the above described contrivance for opening it. If however the door opens on
either side then the carrier 9 (Figures 8 and 9) is formed of two parts which are
connected by hinges. In the slot n a cut s is then made into which that part of the
carrier which has the perpendicular sider sinks when the whole contrivance is
suspended or arranged ready to act. The pivot of the door can then pass to and
...fro freely over the carrier. If however the carrier be pulled in the direction of the
arrow (Figure 9) the side r raises itself and works against the pivot of the door in
order to open the latter.
Figure 8 shows the raised carrier and just pressing against the pivot on the door.
Figure 9 shows the sunken carrier and
Figure 10 shows a cross section of slot n.
Adjoining door leaves or door leaves lying over each other can be worked in pairs
or to a greater number by the same weight B.
Each wire rope is for the sake of safety to be made of one piece, branches are
fastened by suitable couplings such as clutch couplings.
In order to secure a continual safe working of the opening contrivance the ropes
must not be jerked but must be pulled gradually so that the last as well as the first
latch may be properly loosened.
Principal weights as well as secondary weights are best placed on the ground floor
or where this is not practicable then immediately under the roof or in some other
suitable spot.
If the doors are provided with a lock and latch the contrivance can be easily
altered so that by these fastenings are also raised by the one pull at the
wire rope.
This is done in the most simple way by laying a branch t on to the lock from
the wire rope m (see Figure 11).
The key u receives a lever arm u² which bears at its end the weight v.
rests on a nose of the latch w to which the wire rope t is attached.
This weight
The position whilst the door is shut is such that the key bit lies on the bolt of the
lock so that the door is at once opened by one turn of the key.
Now if the latch to is pulled back by means of the wire rope t the weight v
falls, the key is turned and opens the lock.
The lever arm u¹ and the door handle x are connected by a chain y therefore as soon
as the lock opens the handle is also drawn down by the weight v and the door leaf can
turn on its hinges by means of the above described arrangement.
The rope pulling is arranged in such wise that the handle w is loosened and the
opening of the lock effected before the carrier q catches the door. But inasmuch as
the pulling gear moves over a greater space than is necessary for turning the key a
ring z is placed loosely on the latch w which ring slides off the latch after it has
effectively loosened the weight v.
The principal and secondary weights can also easily be made to work automatically
by the weights being hung up on cords which are stretched across the most dangerous
places so that upon their burning the weights act upon the wire rope or by the
weights being hung up or controlled by soft solder which abnormal heat will melt and
so release the weights thus acting after the manner of the now well known automatic
"sprinklers."
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 contrivance for the simultaneous opening of the doors of a theatre and other
public buildings consisting of a principal weight A which is loosened by pulling a rope a
at any position desired in order, upon the weight A falling to make the secondary

page_text: weights B equally free for falling by means of a line 6 so that the latter causes the
doors to open by another line m substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
2. With a contrivance such as claimed in claim 1 for opening doors 1 claim a
carrier placed over or under the door in a semi-circular slot n around the hinge
of the door which carrier is pulled by the drawing gear m and catches on a pivot 7
fastened to the upper or lower edge of the door and moves the pivot in the
slot n in order to turn the door on its hinges substantially as and for the purposes
set forth.
3. In the application of the contrivance such as claimed in claim 1 I claim the
opening of locks by a branch t starting from the line m and attaching to the
latch and upon this branch being pulled the latch w sets the lever u free and
the weight turns the key u and (if necessary) draws the door handle a down by
means of chain y substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Dated this 5th
1800
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Patentee.