IMPROVED SYSTEM AND ARRANGEMENT OF TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATORS FOR USE AS FIRE ALARMS OR FOR ANALOGOUS PURPOSES
Year: 1882

page_text: « AN
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Allan Westley Rose at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th June 1882.
ALLAN WESTLEY ROSE of Farringdon Road in the County of Middlesex
IMPROVED SYSTEM AND ARRANGEMENT OF TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATORS FOR USE
AS FIRE ALARMS OR FOR ANALOGOUS PURPOSES
"
My Invention has for its object to provide means more especially adapted for a
system of fire alarms for towns or cities but which are also adapted for other
analogous purposes such as for communicators at docks or in large open yards or
works.
I will describe my Invention as applied to a system of fire alarms for a city from
which its analogous applications will be readily understood.
At each station from which an Alarm can be given are erected a number of posts-
or equivalent supports each carrying a transmitter and receiver and a battery for
giving the current to the primary coil of the transmitter and for inducing the
current for the main line and receiver. The transmitter and receiver are preferably
carried in a locked box carried at the top of the post and the battery is carried in
the interior of the post itself. The receiver is hung upon a contact piece so that
its weight when it is in place causes this contact piece to complete the circuit from
the main line through the instrument and to the main line again, This is the case
with all the posts or stations of one district or connected with one main line. The
box is provided with a door the lock of which is unfastened by means of a key
which is provided with a presser or push piece which when the key is placed in
the lock operates a contact maker so that contact is made to establish a current
from the battery of the station at which the key is inserted along the main line to
the fire Engine Station or place at which the alarm or notice is to be given the
said current being caused to pass through the coil of an electro magnet which by
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page_text: attraction completes the circuit of a relay provided with an alarm bell or other
indicator at the chief station and also at the same time to operate if needed an
annunciator to indicate the district from which the alarm is received. The
annunciator may be of ordinary construction but it is preferably arranged so that
the fall of its flap is caused to complete the relay circuit for the Alarm bell by
bringing springs or the like into contact.
•
On returning the flap to its place the bell ceases to ring and the person at the
chief station and the person at the post or station at which the Alarm was given
are in Telephonic communication for when the door of the apparatus carried by
the said post was opened the key was drawn away from the contact piece before
mentioned so that the said contact piece returns to its normal position. The
receiving instrument also at the said post being removed from the contact piece
upon which it was hanging causes the said piece to move and complete the circuit
of the battery through the primary coil of the transmitter and also to make contact
for the induced current through the receiver. After the requisite notice has been
given the receiver is again hung upon the contact piece which causes the battery
circuit to be interrupted and the main line circuit to be established through the
instrument
"
It will thus be seen that at each post or receiver when the apparatus is in its
normal position there is no local action owing to the interruption of its individual
circuits but that the main line is virtually continued past the apparatus through
the contact piece upon which the receiver bangs and thence by a wire to the
contact piece which is moved by the key in opening the door the said contact
piece being connected to the continuation of the main line. The stations at
which the Alarms are given are preferably cast iron posts with spaces in the
shafts for the batteries their tops constituting a receptacle for the Transmitter
and Receiver the said receptacle being provided with a locked door by opening
which only can access be gained to the Telephonic Communicators.
It will be readily seen that any convenient number of posts or alarm stations
can be connected with one main line constituting what may be termed a district
and that all these districts may be led to one Chief Office or station provided with
a relay for ringing a bell on the completion of the contacts as before explained by
the insertion of a key into either of the doors at the Alarm posts or Stations.
When the door is opened the Alarm bell no longer sounds owing to the contact
made by the key being interrupted and on the Receiver being taken from the
contact piece upon which it hangs the said contact piece gives the necessary
contacts for establishing the Telephonic current between the aların post and the
chief.station. On restoring the receiver to its position upon the contact piece and
closing the door of the apparatus the parts are all returned to their normal position
and the apparatus forms a continuation for the current along the main line. The
door is prevented from being left open through any carelessness on the part of the
person at the signalling station owing to the action of the key when the door is
being locked releasing the Annunciator drop and ringing the bell at the fire
station which shews the person in charge there that the door of the Alarm has
been properly secured.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Allan Westley Rose in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th December 1882.
ALLAN WESTLEY ROSE of Farringdon Road in the County of Middlesex
"AN
IMPROVED SYSTEM AND ARRANGEMENT OF TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATORS FOR USE AS
FIRE ALARMS OR FOR ANALOGOUS PURPOSES
"
The Invention has for its object to provide means more especially adapted for a
system of telephonic fire alarms for towns and cities but which are also adapted
for other analogous purposes such as for communicators at docks or in large open
yards or works
The Invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawing as
applied to a system of fire alarms from which description its analogous applications
to other similar purposes will be readily understood
At each Station from which an alarm can be given there is erected a post or
equivalent support each such post or support carrying a transmitter and receiver
and a battery for giving the current to the primary coil of the transmitter and
for inducing the current for the main line and receiver-There may be any number
of posts or supports in any suitable position they are preferably divided into
different series for different districts of a City or other place each series being
connected with one main line and constituting what may be termed a district and
all these main lines are led to one Chief Fire Engine Station or other place provided
with a relay for ringing a bell for giving the alarm from either of the alarm
Stations
In the accompanying drawing are illustrated diagrammatically four alarm.
stations numbered 1. 2. 3 and 4 respectively each connected with one main line A
led to the central Station at 5 to which central Station other main lines from other
districts are also led-The ends of such lines are shewn at A2 A3 and A-In
the said drawing I have also shewn the form or construction of post or pillar
which it is preferred to employ at each Station it being understood that the
diagrams at 1. 2. 3 and 4 represent the apparatus enclosed in each said post or
pillar The post or support represented in the Drawing consists of a cast iron
pedestal c at the top of which is formed or carried a box d (also preferably of cast
iron) containing the transmitter and Receiver-The said box is provided with a
door de capable of being locked to secure the apparatus against being improperly
tampered with The cells of the battery may be carried in the pedestal c as shewn
at c³ the said pedestal being also provided with a door c² capable of being locked-
The transmitting disc is marked e and the receiver f
The apparatus which is contained in the post or support at each Station will
now be described with reference to the diagrams it being premised that at Stations 1
and 4 the apparatus is shewn in its normal or inactive position that at Station
Number 2 the parts are shewn in the position which they assume when the alarm
is sounded or given at the central Station No 5 and that at Station No 3 the parts
are shewn in the position which they assume when the telephone is in use for
communicating with the central station No 5. The apparatus at each alarm
station consists of a branch g from and another branch g² back to the main line A.
A lever h turning upon a centre at h² has a hook at its outer end for holding the
receiver the weight of which overcomes the spring h³ and causes the lever to
make contact with the end of the branch g From the said lever h a wire i leads
to the contact maker and breaker spring or flap g³ at the end of the branch g
Thus when the parts are in their normal position the parts just described form

page_text: virtually a continuation of the main line past the station as is clearly shewn by
the arrows at Station 1. The Battery J gives the circuit k for the primary coil
in connection with the transmitter e the said circuit k being opened and closed by
the spring arrangement at 2 The secondary coil m gives the induced current for
the receiver at the central station through the wires n to the Main line. The
key for opening the door d² at the alarm stations is formed with a presser or push
piece as shewn at p Station No 2 so that when this key is inserted into the lock
the said push piece presses back the spring or flap g³ to break contract with the
wire and makes contact with the battery wire g whereby the full current of the
battery passes along the said wire g through the spring or flap g³ branch g² and
main line A (as indicated by the arrows at Station No 2) to the central station (5)
where it passes through the coil of an electro magnet r which attracts an armature
thereby releasing the annunciator indicating from which district the alarm is
given and completing the circuit t of the relay battery 2 for sounding the bell u
which gives the alarm At the receiving station there is also situated a telephonic
receiver and transmitter indicated in the diagram the several parts of which
correspond with those at the alarm stations being marked with the same letters of
reference When the bell is sounded the Attendant at the central station
removes the receiver from its hook when the lever h completes the circuit of the
battery J2 and the Attendant and the person giving the alarm are thereby placed
in telephonic communication-Of course when the door at the alarm station is
opened the push piece of the key will no longer press the spring or flat g³ into
contact with the wire q and therefore the said spring or flap will make contact
with the wire i and the circuit will be completed from the cell or cells of the
Battery (used for the primary and induced currents for the communication) as
indicated by the arrows at Station No 3.
It will be understood that each district main line is provided with an annunciator
at the central station and that the local circuit for ringing the alarm bell is arranged
so that its circuit is completed by the attraction of either of the armatures in
connection with either of the electro magnets of any main line. The annunciators
may be of ordinary construction but it is preferably arranged as shewn at X in
the drawings so that the fall of the flap x (by the release of the catch by the
armature of the said catch being attracted by the electro magnets x*) is caused
to complete the local circuit for the alarm bell u by the tail of the said flap
coming against insulated springs or contact pieces a³ to cause the bell to keep
ringing until the flap is again engaged with its retaining catch when the circuit is
broken and the bell ceases to ring.
After the requisite alarm and information has been given to the central station
the receiver at the alarm Station is again hung upon the lever h which causes the
circuit of the battery J-to be interrupted and the main line to be again continued
through the station. It will be seen that at each post or alarm Station when the
apparatus is in its normal position as shewn at Stations 1 and 4 there is no local
action owing to the interruption of its individual circuits but that the main line is
virtually continued through or past the said Stations as before explained.
Any convenient number of posts or alarm Stations can be connected with one
main line constituting a district and any convenient number of these main lines may
be led to one main alarm fire engine Station or other place to which information
is to be conveyed.
The door is prevented from being left open at any post or alarm Station through
any carelessness on the part of the person who gave the alarm owing to the push
piece of the key when the door is shut to completing the circuit as before explained
to release the annunciator drop and ring the bell at the central station which
shews the person in charge there that the door at the alarm Station has been
properly secured otherwise he would know that it had not been properly secured
and would have the omission remedied.
It is to be understood that the Invention is not limited to the precise arrange.
ment shewn of the telephonic apparatus at the alarm and central stations as the

page_text: said arrangement may be varied provided that the functions can be performed and
it will be evident that the system as above described may be used for other
analogous purposes such for example as in buildings for night watchmen, sentinels
and others to report their presence at a given time to a central station. The
system can also be applied along Railways where communication can be readily
made to the nearest station.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the hereinbefore in part
recited Letters Patent is:-
First The system and arrangement of Telephonic communicators for use as
fire alarms or for analogous purposes substantially as hereinbefore described with
reference to the accompanying Drawing.
Second In Telephonic communicators for a system of Fire alarms or the like
the arrangement and construction of post or support for containing and securing
the alarm giving and communicating Telephonic apparatus substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing.
Third In Telephonic communicators for a system of fire alarms or the like the
provision of a contact piece in the apparatus at the alarm Stations and a push
piece on the key by which the door of the said apparatus is opened so that when
the key is inserted in the lock of the said door the bell is caused to be rung at the
alarm or signal receiving Station substantially as hereinbefore described with
reference to the accompanying Drawings.
Fourth In Telephonic communicators for a system of fire alarms or the like
the provision of springs or contact pieces on the annunciators for completing the
circuit for causing the bell to be continuously rung until the flap of the annunciator
is replaced substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated at X in the
accompanying Drawings.
in witness whereof I the said Allan Westley Rose have to this my Specifi-
cation set my hand and seal this Fifth day of December One thousand
eight hundred and eighty two.
ALLAN. WESTLEY. ROSE (L.S.)