Improvements in Street Fire Alarms and the like.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Mar., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 24th Dec., 1897-Accepted, 12th Feb., 1898
Improvements in Street Fire Alarms and the like.
We, WILLIAM ALBERT SHAW and EDWARD ARTHUR SHAW, both of 10, Warren
Street, Stockport, in the County of Chester, Electrical Engineers, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of our invention is to provide an apparatus whereby an alarm of fire
or other message or signal may be transmitted by the public or by police or fire
officers or other persons to a police or fire station or such other place as the alarm
apparatus may be connected with and by means of which the attention of an
officer or other person in the vicinity of the apparatus may be attracted from the
station.
To this end we form a box or pillar wholly or partly of iron or wood, such box
or pillar containing suitable means for signalling purposes with or without the
addition of a telephone and batteries. In the door of the box or pillar we insert
a pane of glass or other transparent material and behind this a handle preferably
engraved pull." This handle is arranged in connection with a latch or bolt
which is liberated when the said handle is pulled and allows the door being opened.
The same action of pulling the handle also makes an electrical contact causing
certain currents or signals to be transmitted to the station.
In lieu of the said handle a key may be adapted to open the said door.
We also insert in the door of the box or pillar a pane of glass or other trans-
parent material and behind the same an indicating tablet or disc which is not
exposed to view normally. This tablet or disc is so connected that it can be
dropped by electrical currents or signals transmitted from the station thus indicat-
ing to police officers or others in the vicinity of the box or pillar that they are
required to communicate to the station.
Dated this 23rd day of March 1897.

page_text: 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:-
The object of our invention is to provide an apparatus whereby an alarm of fire
or other message or signal may be transmitted by the public or by police or fire
officers or other persons to a police or fire station or such other place as the alarm
apparatus may be connected with and by means of which the attention of an officer
or other person in the vicinity of the apparatus may be attracted from the station.
And in order that our invention may be more fully understood we have caused
to be appended hereunto one sheet of drawings marked with letters of reference
indicating like parts' in the various figures, Figs. 1 & 2 being front views of our
improved apparatus shown closed and open respectively. Fig. 3 a vertical section,
Fig. 2 a detached sectional plan of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 a plan of a modification.
In carrying out our invention and referring to the figures generally, we form a
box a (or pillar) wholly or partly of iron or wood, such box (or pillar) containing
suitable means for signalling purposes with or without the addition of a telephone
and batteries. In the door a¹ of the box (or pillar) we insert a pane of glass bor
other transparent material and behind this, a handle e preferably engraved "pull."
This handle is adapted to slide in the door a¹ and has an incline c' at its inner end
arranged in connection with a latch or bolt d pivotted to the door a¹ which latter is
liberated, .e. lifted by the said incline, when the handle c is pulled and allows the
door a¹ being opened. The inner end of the handle c is placed under the influence
of a springe which brings the handle back to its normal position. In con-
nection with the inner end of the said handle which carries a contact piece e², two
blades are fixed to the door a¹ which when the handle e is pulled come into touch
with the said contact piece and thus make an electrical contact which causes certain
currents or signals to be transmitted to the station.
The said handle is for public use in cases of emergencies and when withdrawn,
after having first broken the pane of glass b, gives access to the inside of the
apparatus and at the same time transmits a signal to the desired place."
A key hole a³ is formed in the door near the free end of the latch or bolt d
adapted to receive a key whereby the said latch or bolt d can be raised without
using the said handle and which key is for private use.
-
el is an elastic cord one end of which is fixed to the door and the other to the
interior of the box a and which serves to carry the wires running from the interior
of the box a to the contact blades f and prevent same being trapped when closing
the' door.
A modification of our invention consists in employing the contact blades f
inside the body of the box a (or pillar) for instance at the side, as shown in dotted
lines Fig. 2, in lieu of at the door a¹ and arranging the contact piece e² instead of at
the end of the handle c, between the same on a rod h under the influence of a
spring e, see also Fig. 4, which rod is connected to the inner end of the said handle
by means of a cord or its equivalent.
We also form in the door a¹ of the box (or pillar) an aperture a³ and insert a
pane of glass or other transparent material and behind the same an indicating
tablet or disc . This tablet or disc i¹ is carried by a lever k arranged in conjunc-
tion with an oscillating armature and magnet 7 & m respectively. The said
armature is under the influence of a spring n which tends to keep it clear of the
magnet m and is formed with a projection behind which the tablet or dise
lever k engages so as to retain the tablet or disc normally out of sight. The said
magnet is electrically connected with the police or fire station or other place as may
be required and serves to attract the armature when inducted from the station
and thus release the tablet or disc lever and allow the tablet or disc ¹ to drop in
front of the aperture as in the door'a' thus indicating to police officers or others
in the vicinity of the box (or pillar) that they are required to communicate to the
station.
The said tablet or disc is brought back to its normal position by the police officer

page_text: who uses the apparatus, or suitable means may be provided to return the same
electrically or through the medium of the door when closing it.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim, is:-
1st. In street fire alarms and the like, in combination with the door bolt or
latch d, the handle c which when withdrawn releases the said bolt or latch and
simultaneously makes an electrical contact, which causes certain currents to be
transmitted to the station or other desired place, all substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
2nd. The aperture a³ in the door a¹ in combination with a signal tablet or disc 2¹
employed in the apparatus adapted to be electrically lowered to coincide with the
aperture a³ and be raised out of sight, all substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
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F. BOSSHARDT & Co.,
4, Corporation Street, Manchester, Agents to Applicants.