Improvements in the Construction of Theatres, Public Buildings, and other Places of Entertainment for the Prevention of Fatal Results from Fire.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Sept., 1887
Complete Left, 11th June, 1888
Complete Accepted, 13th July, 1888
Improvements in the Construction of Theatres, Public Buildings,
and other Places of Entertainment for the Prevention of Fatal
Results from Fire.
I JAMES BAZELEY PETTER of Yeovil in the County of Somerset Ironmonger do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in the arrangement and application of one or more shafts or
chimneys, immediately over or leading from the top of the stage or platform, which
may be mechanically or automatically opened (by the action of excessive heat on soft
solder or other medium as in some of the now well known "automatic sprinklers" or
by other suitable means) in case of fire so as to carry off the products of combustion
from within the building and thus to make the egresses for the audience or others into
ingresses for fresh air to be drawn towards the shaft or shafts before mentioned and
thereby avoid the death by asphyxiation of the audience in all parts of the buildings.
This shaft or shafts may be used for ventilating generally if desired.
Dated this 9th day of September 1887.
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
34, Southampton Buildings, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: I JAMES BAZELEY PETTER of Yeovil in the County of Somerset Ironmonger 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 consists in the arrangement and application of one or more shafts or
chimneys immediately over or leading from the top of the stage or platform of
Theatres, Public Buildings, and other places of entertainment which may be mechani-
cally opened or automatically opened (by the action of excessive heat on soft solder or
other medium as in some of the now well known "automatic sprinklers" or by other
suitable means) in case of fire so as to carry off the products of combustion from
within the building and thus to make the egresses for the audience or other people
into ingresses for fresh air to be drawn towards the shaft or shafts before mentioned
and thereby avoid the death by suffocation or asphyxiation of the audience or other
persons, in all parts of the building.
This shaft or shafts may also be used for ventilating purposes generally if desired.
And in order that my invention may be easily understood and readily carried into
practice I will proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
Figures 1 and 2 show side views in sectional elevation of the stage part of a Theatre
with my improved smoke or "up-cast" shaft A applied thereto.
Figure 3 shows a front exterior view from the auditorium of the building with the
smoke or "
up-cast" shaft A applied thereto.
Figures 4 and 5 are views of a complete Theatre having my improvements applied
thereto the stage part being shown in section in Figure 4.
It will thus readily be seen that by the addition of a smoke shaft such as A (or of
any other suitable form and height) in case of fire such shaft would induce a strong
up-draught and carry off the fumes and products of combustion thus for a time at
any rate keeping the auditorium and the whole of the exits comparatively free and so
give the people in the building a better chance of escape.
The wall Figure 1 and B B¹ Figure 2 act as a blower and at the same time
partly cuts off fire and smoke from the auditorium the stage being really a huge open
fire place.

page_text: Having now particulary described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
In Theatres Public Buildings and other places of entertainment the arrangement
and application of one or more smoke or "up cast" shafts such as A arranged to act
substantially in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated
in the drawings hereunto annexed.