IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR EXTINGUISHING FIRE
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Nedrick Jarvie and William Miller, of Glasgow, in the
County of Lanark, North Britain, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR EXTINGUISHING FIRE."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Nedrick Jarvie and William
Miller at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd August 1880.
NEDRICK JARVIE and WILLIAM MILLER, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR EXTINGUISHING FIRE."
This Invention relates to fire-extinguishing apparatus of the kind described in
the Specification of Letters Patent obtained by the present applicants, and dated
12 September 1879 (No. 3648), the objects of the present improvements being to
render the apparatus less liable to derangement when being conveyed from place to
place, and to render the apparatus capable of being set in action for extinguishing
a fire without being turned down when it is considered inconvenient on account of
its size or for other reasons to have it arranged for turning down.
In apparatus of the kind to which the present improvements are to be applied a
solution of an alkaline carbonate and a liquid acid are provided, together with
appliances for mixing them when the apparatus is to be used, so that a stream of
carbonic acid gas and liquid may be projected on the fire. The carbonate solution
is contained in a strong metal cylinder, within which there is also a bottle of glass,
or earthenware, or lead, or other not easily corroded material for the acid. This
acid bottle was fitted with a loose stopper, which on the bottle being turned down
left the mouth of the bottle and allowed the acid to mix with the carbonate
solution. This arrangement is very satisfactory when the apparatus is placed in a
warehouse or other building, or otherwise kept stationary when not in actual use,
and it has the advantage of being put into action with extreme facility. It is
however considered that where the apparatus is subjected to motion, as, for
example, on board ship, there is a possibility of the acid being shaken so as to leak
past the loose stopper and react upon the carbonate solution when it is not required
to do so.
By the present Invention the mouth of the acid bottle is closed by means of
paraffin wax, or other wax-like substance or compound not easily acted on by the

page_text: acid. The neck of the bottle is screwed or grooved internally, and after the acid
is put in, but by preference not so as to quite fill the bottle, a small plug of clay is
inserted into the neck and then the wax is run in in a melted state. In this way
the bottle is hermetically closed, and the acid cannot be made to get out by shaking.
This mode of stopping the bottle however requires a special appliance for setting.
the acid free when it is required, and for this purpose a rod is arranged to work
through a stuffing box in the cover or other convenient part of the apparatus, and
the bottle is so placed inside that the rod, on being suitably moved, punches a hole
in the wax stopper and allows the acid to escape. In one modification the bottle
is inverted and the rod pushes it down upon a stationary punch; and in a second
modification the inverted bottle is in a fixed position, and the rod is made with a
return bend or hooked lower end, so that on the rod being drawn outwards its
bent-back point enters the mouth of the bottle. The punching part is made with
its head or punching point larger than its neck or shank, so that when the head
has entered the bottle there will be space for the acid to pass out round the neck
or shank. When the acid bottle is not inverted the entire apparatus may be turned
down when being put into action, the stopper being punched through either before
or after turning it down.
Instead of the stopper being entirely of wax or similar substance, it may consist
of a rigid or hard part of earthenware or other convenient material encircled or
covered with a small portion of wax sufficient to seal it, and the hard part may be
of a size admitting of it being driven into the bottle by the punching rod; or it
may be arranged so as to be displaced laterally when required.
In another modification the mouth of the acid bottle is closed by a disc of thin
glass or other fragile material sealed round the edges with a ring of wax or the
like, and the punching rod penetrates this disc when it is required to release the
acid.
By a further improvement the apparatus is simplified, a second communication
with the interior of the cylinder for the discharge pipe being dispensed with. This
improvement consists in substituting for the rod provided for punching or opening
the mouth of the acid bottle a pipe which has the punching head or equivalent part
fixed or formed on it, and which serves at the same time for the discharge of the
mixed gas and liquid, a flexible pipe with nozzle being fixed on its outer end. This
compound punch and discharge pipe may be arranged to operate either by being
pushed in or by being drawn out, or by being turned round, and when either the
pipe or the solid rod is arranged to be drawn out a tight stuffing box be
dispensed with, there being instead a collar with a washer of rubber or the like on
the pipe or rod, which when the same is drawn out tightly closes the opening, the
internal pressure generated also assisting in making it tight.
may
In any of the modifications the rod or pipe may be arranged to move or act on
the acid bottle with a screwing or other turning action.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Nedrick Jarvie and William Miller in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 2nd February 1881.
NEDRICK JARVIE and WILLIAM MILLER, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR EXTINGUISHING FIRE."
Our said Invention relates to fire-extinguishing apparatus of the kind described
in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to us, and dated 12 September 1879
(No. 3648), the objects of our present improvements being to render the apparatus
less liable to derangement when being conveyed from place to place, and to render
the apparatus capable of being set in action for extinguishing a fire, without being
turned down when it is considered inconvenient on account of its size or for other
reasons to have it arranged for turning down.
In apparatus of the kind to which our present improvements are to be applied,
a solution of an alkaline carbonate and a liquid acid are provided, together with
appliances for mixing them when the apparatus is to be used, so that a stream of
carbonic acid gas and liquid may be projected on the fire. The carbonate solution
is contained in a strong metal cylinder within which there is also a bottle of glass,
or earthenware, or lead, or other not easily corroded material, for the acid. This
acid bottle was in our former modifications fitted with a loose stopper, which on
the bottle being turned down left the mouth of the bottle and allowed the acid to
mix with the carbonate solution. This arrangement is very satisfactory when the
apparatus is placed in a warehouse or other building, or is otherwise kept stationary,
when not in actual use, and it has the advantage of being put into action with
extreme facility. It is however considered that where the apparatus is subjected to
motion, as for example on board ship, there is a possibly of the acid being shaken
so as to leak past the loose stopper and react upon the carbonate solution when it
is not required to do so.
By our present Invention the mouth of the acid bottle is closed by means of
paraffin wax, or other suitable substance or compound not easily acted on by the
acid; and in this way the bottle is hermetically closed, and the acid cannot be
made to get out by shaking. This mode of stopping the bottle however requires a
special appliance for setting the acid free when it is required, and for this purpose
a rod is arranged to work through the cover or other convenient part of the
apparatus, and the bottle is so placed inside that the rod on being suitably moved
punches a hole in the wax or other stopper and allows the acid to escape.
Our said Invention comprises various modifications of the details; and in order
that it may be properly understood we hereunto append a Sheet of explanatory
Drawings, to be hereinafter referred to, and representing examples of our improved
apparatus. In these Drawings the same reference numerals are used to mark the
same or like parts wherever they are repeated.
Figure 1 on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings is a vertical section showing one
modification of our improved acid bottle and stopping device. The neck 7 of the
bottle is screwed or grooved internally, and after the acid is put in, but by
preference not so as to quite fill the bottle, a small plug 8 of clay or rubber is first
inserted in the neck, and then the wax 9 is run in in a melted state.
Instead of the stopper of the acid bottle being entirely of wax or similar
substance, it may consist of a rigid or hard part of earthenware or other convenient
material encircled or covered with a small portion of wax sufficient to seal it ;
and the hard part may be of a size admitting of it being driven into the bottle by
the punching rod; or it may be arranged so as to be displaced laterally when
required.
In another modification, which is shown in section in Figure 2, the acid bottle

page_text: is closed by a disc 10 of thin glass or other fragile material sealed round the edges
with a ring 11 of wax or the like, and the punching rod penetrates this disc 10
when it is required to release the acid.
Figure 3 is a vertical section of a modification of our improved fire-extinguishing
apparatus, showing the acid bottle 12 in position, and the parts for punching or
perforating the stopping material when about to set free the acid. The acid
bottle 12 is placed in a wire frame or cage 13 fixed to the top of the cylindrical
vessel 14, in which the carbonate solution and the acid bottle are put. An opening
for introducing the materials is formed in the top of the vessel 14 directly over the
cage 13, and is closed by a screwed-in cover 15, the joint being made tight by a
washer of rubber which has been by preference heated in paraffin wax to render it
less liable than ordinary rubber to act on the metal. The cover 15 is made with a
stuffing box through which there is passed a rod 16 made with a conical head at its
lower end, the base of which head is somewhat larger than the rod to allow of the
escape of acid through the hole punched or former. A flat head 17 is fixed on the
outer end of the punching rod 16, and when the rod is pushed or hammered
downwards its bottom end enters through the paraffin or other stopping material 9.
into the acid bottle 12. The modification of the apparatus shown in Figure 3 is
of the kind which has to be turned down into an inclined position when its action
is required, so that the outlet pipe 18 for the gas and liquid may be at the lowest
point; and the punching rod 16 may be forced in either before or after turning the
machine down. In order to prevent any accidental forcing in of the rod 16, a
cap 19 is provided for being placed over it and the cover stuffing box, and this cap
is by preference made as shown with hammer faces 20 for striking the rod with,
and with a screw-key eye for screwing or unscrewing the cover 15.
In some modifications the acid bottle (12) may be inverted, the rod (16) being
arranged to push it down upon a stationary punch fixed to the bottom of the
cage (13); and in other modifications the acid bottle (12) is inverted but fixed, and
the rod (16) is made so as on being drawn outwards to force a punching head
up into the bottle.
By a further improvement the apparatus is simplified, a second communication
with the interior of the cylinder 14 for the discharge pipe 18 being dispensed with.
This improvement consists in substituting for the solid punching rod 16 a tubular
rod 21, as shown in Figure 4, which has the punching head 16 or equivalent part
fixed or formed on its inner end, whilst the discharge pipe 18 is connected to a
part of it, which is outside of the vessel. The tubular rod 21 is made with a
lateral port 22, and the cover 15 is made with an annular channelled part 23
having one or more ports into the central bore through which the tubular rod 21
works, whilst a short pipe 24 is fixed inside of the top of the vessel 14, all which
parts are arranged so that when the tubular rod 21 is forced in, a communication
will be formed between the external discharge pipe 18 and the internal pipe 24.
When the apparatus is being used it is turned down, so that the open end of
the pipe 24 is at the lowest point, so that the gas may force out all the
liquid.
Figure 5 is a vertical section of a modification partly like that last hereinbefore
described, but with the tubular rod 21 arranged to be drawn outwards for putting
the apparatus into action. A stuffing box in the cover 15 is dispensed with, but
when the tubular rod 21 is drawn out a rubber or other suitable washer 25 is
forced against the inside of the cover, so as to tightly close the part where the
rod passes. In this modification the inverted arrangement of the acid bottle 12,
and hereinbefore referred to, is adopted, the cage 13 being made somewhat oblong
in horizontal section, so that after the bottle 12 has been entered straight down
through the opening, it can be moved to one side to allow of the introduction of
the tubular rod 21. The punching part 26 is on a lever 27 centered at one side of
the cylinder 14, and the lever is formed with a slot, into which a continuation 28
of the tubular 21 may be entered. The part 28 has two cross pins at the
bottom, and when it has been entered through the slot of the lever 27, and

page_text: afterwards been turned a quarter round these pins, cause any up or down movement
of the rod 21 to be imparted to the lever 27, and through the latter to the punching
part 26. The tubular rod 21 is guided in either of its two positions relative to the
lever 27 by a pin 29 entered through the cover 15, and controlled by a spring
thumb lever 30, as shown in horizontal section in Figure 6. Two grooves are
formed in the side of the tubular rod 21, and the pin 29 being in either groove
prevents the rod from turning, but can be drawn outwards by the thumb lever 30
when it is wished to turn the rod so as to engage it with the lever 27 or disengage
it therefrom. In this modification the internal discharge pipe 24 is led down to
the bottom end of the cylinder 14, as the cylinder does not require to be turned
down when being used.
The apparatus may be further modified by arranging the solid rod (16) or the
tubular rod (21) to act on the stopping material of the acid bottle by a screwing or
other turning action.
Having thus particularly described our said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, we have to state that we do not restrict ourselves to the
precise details herein described or delineated, but that what we believe to be
novel and original, and claim as the Invention secured to us by and in terms of
the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
1. The combination in fire-extinguishing apparatus operating with an alkaline
carbonate and an acid, of an acid bottle closed with paraffin wax or other suitable
substance, and of a rod arranged for punching or perforating such closing substance,
substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein before described.
2. The use for closing the acid bottle of a dise of thin glass or other fragile
material secured by paraffin wax or other suitable cement, substantially as and for
the purposes herein before described.
3. The use for closing the acid bottle of a hard stopper, small enough to be
pushed into the bottle, and held in position by paraffin wax or other suitable
cement, substantially as and for the purposes herein before described.
4. The making of the punching rod tubular, and so as to serve as the discharge
outlet, as hereinbefore described.
5. The combination of parts of fire-extinguishing apparatus hereinbefore
described with reference to Figure 5 of the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Nedrick Jarvie, on behalf of myself and of
the said William Miller, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this First
day of February, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
eighty one.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
NEDRICK JARVIE. (L.S.)