THE EXTINGUISHMENT OF FIRES IN STEAMERS, VESSELS, HOUSES, AND BUILDINGS OF ALL DESCRIPTIONS
Year: 1854

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Ralph Bulkley at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 6th May 1854.
I, RALPH BULKLEY, of the City of New York, U.S.A., do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "THE EXTINGUISHMENT OF FIRES IN
STEAMERS, VESSELS, HOUSES, AND BUILDINGS OF ALL DESCRIPTIONS" to be as
follows:-
A combination of vegetable and mineral substances, which being deflagrated
produce a great amount of vapid fume, in which fires both flames and coals
are quickly extinguished; it having great affinity for oxygen gas, the agent of
combustion, is made in a shape easily used with suitable appliances, so as to be
always ready and effective. The vapid fume generated, in which no fire can
exist a minute, if it is rightly furnished, is by its affinity attracted to the fire,
and soon being made to fill the building where the fire is, combuston is
arrested; and though applied in a distant part from the fire it soon reaches and
stop it, and is thus a most effective and useful extinguisher of fires in holds of
vessels and parts of buildings very inaccessible. The combination of mineral
and vegetable substances consists of such vegetables as emit in burning with-
out flames much smoke, and of such minerals or chemicals as by combustion
with vegetables will burn without flame or very littles, and assist the vegetables
to burn in the same manner; and which chemicals, in thus burning, will produce

page_text: much of that fume or vapour which is absorbent or vapid, or neutrealising of
the oxygen and active agent of fire, the principle of combustion.
Cotton, flax, and hemp are such vegetables eminently, especially the fibrous
parts used in manufactures, and these are used in this composition for extin-
guishing fires. Others like them, or any vegetable products, are more or less
fitted for the purpose; but cotton, flax, or hemp fibre in the form of a felt or
woven fabric, united or seperate, as coarse cloth, is mostly used, as they will
hold large quantities of the minerals in contact with the vegetable, so as
to deflagrate togather in the manner desired for the production of the anti-
fire fume.
The minerals or chemicals known as nitrate of potash, nitrate of soda, and
chloride of sodium, and any compounds of nitrogn and chlorine, are such
minerals as will, with the vegetables, burn in the manner desired, especially
when combined, producing large quantities of the fume required, and they are
used in the composition of this Invention.
The composition or combination of these chemicals and vegetables, or
others like them, producing a fume or vapour in which combustion cannot
proceed for the use proposed, can be effected in various ways by dry or moist
mixtures, in which all the minerals are mixed togather in about equal quan-
tities, with one or more of these vegetables in various or like proportion,
forming a compound mass; or each mineral can be united with a quantity of
. the vegetable seperately, and these combined togather in rolls or blocks. The
form of combination mostly used is by solution of the minerals seperately, and
'immersing the vegetable in these seperate solutions a sufficient time for satura-
tion, and being taken out and dried, then when dry combining them by layers
in a roll. The solution of each is made with fair water, from 60° to 90° Ft,
the nitrate of potash by itself; also the nitrate of soda and the chloride of
sodaum, each a solution by itself, strong as the water will conveniently take up.
In each solution warm a suitable quantity of cotton or linen coarse cloth is
immersed, and when well soaked taken out and dried, to the threads and fibres
of which the mineral adheres, perhaps penetrates. When well dried, this
cloth thus saturated is cut into suitable widths, from three inches wide, or less
or more, by a foot, or less or more, in length, to combine in rolls, the chloride
of sodaum being one-fourth less to a roll then the quantity of either of the
other two. To put them into rolls, the cloth of nitrate of potash is first made
into a roll, around, which the cloth saturated with the nitrate of soda is next
placed, the edges even; and around this mass the cloth of sodaum is placed,
and then fastened, so as not to unroll by handling. It is now ready for use.
To be kept ready for use, it is packed in cases or tubes and preserved dry,

page_text: to facilitate which a dry powder, as that of terre de canna, can be used in
packing, in which state it will keep good for use many years.
In applying it at a fire, the end of the roll is ignited, the roll then instantly
put within the building or vessel on fire, as near as is convenient to the place
of the fire; though it need not be in the fire, and may be far from it, if the
building is close, and such quantity used as the case demands. Its application
is simple, easy, and safe; no explosition, no intricacy exists; any one that can
light a match and lift a small weight can apply it. The building or place
where the fire is need not be entered; should not be thrown open, but closed
and kept close as possible, to prevent air from entering and the fume escaping.
In a short time the effect will be obvious, and after a few minutes the building
can be entered with safety.
A cubic inch of the roll is sufficient to fill a space of six or eight cubic feet
with the extinguishing fume, and when the building is kept close, the windows
and doors shut, in union with the smoke, a still smaller quantity will suffice.
But there is little to be thought of as to the quantity; for a vessel of the
largest size, the quantity is but little in bulk that is required, and will cost but
little for room or expense. For applying it, apparratus as is convenient can be
used; apertures cut where none exist, to admit the roll; suitable tubes or cases
can be used for burning it in, with valves or stoppers, to direct the fume and
prevent air going in or flames going out. Houses and vessels can have,them
fitted to them; also, the rolls can be kept in convenient or exposed localities.
of buildings, so as to be ignited if fire takes place in the night or in
the absence of occupants, thus proving a protector in these unguarded
states.