Improvements in Automatic Fire-extinguishers
Year: 1889

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Fire-extinguishers.
A communication from abroad by VICTOR ACHILLES HARDER, of the City, County,
and State of New York, United States of America, Gentleman.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6 Bank Street Manchester, both in
the County of Lancaster, and 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, 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 in general to means for automatically, on the outbreak
of fire, releasing a volume of water under pressure and causing its ejection upon the
flames, and particularly to the construction of those automatic extinguishers called
"sprinklers" in which a water-restraining valve is held to its seat in a valve-casing
connected to a water-distributor, by a movable arm or arms connected to the casing
and normally bearing on a part or attachment of the valve, said arm or arms being
secured by an easily fusible fastening, so that, on melting of the fastening by the
heat of a fire, the said arm or arms will be released and allow the water to open
the valve and be ejected upon the fire.
The objects of the invention are to secure the certain and entire separation of the
valve-restraining arm or arms from the casing and the consequent total release of
the valve on melting of the fusible fastening and to prevent the fusible fastening
from being released otherwise than by fusion.
To these ends, the invention consists of an extinguisher of the kind above referred
to having, first, its valve-restraining arm or arms connected to the valve-casing by an
inward projecting shoulder merely hooked on to an outward projecting ledge of the
casing, and, secondly, the valve restraining arms, which are tied together by an easily
fusible band-tie, formed with outward projecting shoulders outside of, to retain said
band-tie in place, except on fusion, as hereinafter pointed out in the claims.
In order that the invention may be carried into effect it will, previous to being
claimed, be described in detail as also the mode of its construction and use.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this
specification, in which :-
Figure 1 is a plan view of a sprinkler of an automatic fire extinguisher embodying
this invention.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the said sprinkler on the line X X
Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a sectional end view of the same on the line Y Y, Figure 2.
Figures 4 and 5 are detail views of parts hereinafter referred to.
Like letters of reference designate corresponding parts in the various Figures.
The sprinkler illustrated is provided with a threaded sleeve B, for connection
with the water supply pipe; a water distributor C, and between the two with a
water-port D, which is normally closed by a water-confining valve E having a
stem F.
The valve-stem F projects outward through and is adapted to slide lengthwise, as
in a sleeve, in a screw-nut G, which is adjustable in the casing A forming the body
of the sprinkler. The outer part of the nut G is contracted, forming a neck H, and,
beyond the neck H, is enlarged to form oppositely projecting ledges I, opposite slots J
being formed therein to receive the valve-restraining arms K, which are formed
medially with inward projecting shoulders M bearing on the outer end of the valve-
stem F, and at their inner ends with inward projecting shoulders L, which are
hooked merely upon the ledges I.

page_text: The arms K at the shoulders M are retained laterally and loosely in slots O formed
in the outer end of the nut G, and the outer ends R of said arms extend side by
side and are tied together by a surrounding band-tie P of easily fusible metal, which
is prevented from slipping off, save on fusion, by outward and oppositely projecting
shoulders Qformed on the extensions R outside the band-tie P.
With this construction when the tie P is melted by heat from a fire, the water
pressure upon the valve E will tend to throw the arms K. apart and release the valve,
and owing to the novel hook-connection employed, the arms will be entirely detached
and cast off from the nut G, which is virtually part of the casing, and the valve E
thus left entirely free to open.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, 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
1. In an automatic fire-extinguisher, the combination of a valve-casing having a
sleeve and an outward projecting ledge, a valve having a stem to work through the
sleeve, valve-restraining arms, having an inward projecting shoulder hooked on the
said outward projecting ledge and another similar shoulder caught on the valve-stem,
and an easily fusible tie uniting said arms, substantially as described.
2. An automatic fire extinguisher of the kind shown and described having the
valve-restraining arms surrounded by an easily fusible band-tie and formed outside
said band-tie with an outward projecting shoulder to retain the same, as set forth.
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1.. 1୧୯(
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.