Improvements in Apparatus for Automatically Extinguishing Fires and Lights in Case of Accident to Railway Trains or other Vehicles.
Year: 1887

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Automatically Extinguishing Fires
and Lights in Case of Accident to Railway Trains or other
Vehicles.
I WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE of the firm of Haseltine Lake & Co. Patent Agents
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex 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 relates to improvements in apparatus for automatically putting out
the fire on locomotives and extinguishing lamps and stove-fires of railway carriages in
case of accident.
In the accompaning drawing
Figure 1 is a transverse section of an ordinary cab of a locomotive showing the
fire box and end of the boiler, with my fire extinguishing apparatus in position
for use.
Figure 2 is a transverse vertical section of the tank which is to contain the fire
extinguishing material, with vertical longitudinal sections of the valve chamber, valves,
and an elevation of the pendulum and section of the ball for operating the valves,
attached.
Figure 3, an elevation of the rear end of the tank, showing the air, and water
gauges, and pipe attachment for supplying the tank with fire extinguishing material,
and a hose attachment.
Figure 4 a vertical transverse section on line x Figure 2, through the air exhaust
Ň K.
pipe
Figure 5 a top or plan view of the valves removed from the valve chamber.
Figure 6 a detached front elevation of the pendulum rod, and ball.
Figure 7 a vertical central longitudinal section of one end of a sleeping carriage
showing my improved apparatus in position for use.
A represents a tank, which may be made in any convenient form to suit the place
where it is to be located, the tank being made of material of such a nature that it will
not corrode under the action of salt water.

page_text: For extinguishing the fire on a locomotive, this tank is preferably placed on the
side of the front of the cab S, Figure 1, and above the boiler X, but it may be
located in any 'her convenient place. The tank A is to be about two thirds filled
with water, ma e as salt as possible, by means of an ordinary pump and pipe secured
to the counsction o, or otherwise, as found most convenient, see Figure 3; then the
pace above the water is filled with air to a pressure of from twenty to thirty pounds
per square inch.
The air is forced into the tank A by means of a suitable air pump as I Figure 1
having a pipe J, leading therefrom to the tank; the latter is provided with a check-
valve p, to retain the air.
The air, however, may be taken from the air-brake pipe.
In Figure 2 there is shown, connected with the tank, two valve chambers, B and B¹,
and in the bottom of the tank are ports n, n, which are to be closed by the valves Mc,
when the contents of the tank are to be retained. These valves are cylindrical in
form and are provided with heads that they may have longitudinal reciprocating
and partial rotary reciprocating movements imparted to them by means of a cranked
rod DP; the part P of which is keyed to the heads of the valves and constructed to
slide, and turn the valves M c in the chambers B B¹.
The means for operating the rod D. P consists of a ball and pendulum L C and a
two part rod L L.
The rod L is hung to an arm 7 by means of a ball joint, and through it is formed a
slot g arranged to operate freely on the end D of the crank; whilst the lower end of
the rod works freely in the ball C. The ball is supported by the crank D and a
separate rod L', whereby, when the crank is turned the ball will hold it in position so
that the water will escape from the valve M c at R. A coiled spring 10, is placed at
each end of the valve case B, B1, to prevent the pendulum from turning the valves by
any ordinary movement of the car.
In order to lock the valve rod P, after the valve has permitted water to escape, a
spring 11 is placed at each end of the case so as to catch on a collar 12 affixed to
the rod.
Those portions of the valves which close the ports n, n, are shown at c, c, and the
ports d, à, d, d, in the valves have areas large enough for liquid to escape when the
pendulum moves in any direction. Radial arms, 4, 4, 4, 4 connect the parts c c, with
the body of the valves and they are sharpened on their upper portions in order to
allow free passage of the fluid.
This construction is such, that as soon as the car is thrown from the track, either
sidewise or endwise, the pendulum will bring two of the ports d under the port n and
allow the liquid in the tank to pass, through an opening R in the under side of the
valve and thus escape by the pipe F to the interior of a stove or to the fire box of a
locomotive thus instantaneously extinguishing the fire.
The valve M¹c takes air, by means of a pipe K from the tank A and, by means of
a pipe N, conducts it to a lamp V in such a manner as to blow out the flame.
In Figure 7. the pendulum is shown in the position it assumes when the air is
retained in the tank A.
The rod P operates both portions of the apparatus and when the pipe F is discharg-
ing fluid into a stove, the pipe N conducts a puff of air to a lamp. The tank for a
locomotive should hold about forty gallons of salt water in addition to the air therein,
and the pipe leading therefrom may enter through a corner of the furnace door H, as
shown at G, Figure 1.
No air attachment is generally needed on a locomotive, except for the head light.
Where two stoves are employed in a carriage, two tanks will be required, but only
one air attachment is required, because one pipe N can be made to reach all the
lamps.
Tanks for putting out fire in a stove may be large enough to furnish extra
extinguishing fluid for a hose connection for use for fires in yards when the train is
standing.
I do not confine myself to salt water as an extinguishing fluid but I may charge the

page_text: water with ammoniacal and sulphurous gases or employ any well known extinguishing
liquid whose gases are not explosive.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
First. An automatic apparatus for extinguishing fires on railroad trams, and other
moving conveyances consisting of the tank A, in combination with the partially
rotating reciprocating and longitudinally reciprocating cylindrical valve M, provided
with a seat n, and surrounding ports d on its upper portion, and with an opening R in
its lower portion, and a valve case, cranked rod P, D, pendulum LLC for operating
the rod, and a pipe F leading from the valve chamber B to a stove or furnace.
Second. The combination of the valves Mc M'c valve chambers B, B', and cranked
rod PD; with the tank A; pipe K leading from the valve M into the top portion of
tank A; pipe F, leading from the chamber B to a stove or furnace; pipe N, leading
from chamber B₁ to a lamp, and the weighted pendulum C. L L'; as and for the
purpose specified.
Third. The rod L, supporting the ball C, and the guide rod L', hung to the arm 7
and made to slide in the ball C; in combination with the crank rod DP as specified.
Fourth. The combination of the ball C, pendulum rods L L', arm 7, crank rod DP,
valves Mc M' and case B B¹, with the springs 10, collars 12, catches 11, and a
tank A for holding and discharging fire extinguishing fluid as specified.
Dated this 20th day of November 1887
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London,
Agents for the Applicant.