Improvements in and connected with Street Lamp-posts, Electric Light Standards, and the like.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd May, 1899
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Dec., 1899-Accepted, 27th Jan., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Street Lamp-posts, Electric
Light Standards, and the like.
I, WILLIAM JONES, of 96, Northcote Road, New Wandsworth, in the County
of Surrey, Furniture Remover, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows;-
On dark nights, and especially in foggy weather, it is difficult to discover the
positions of street hydrants; and in cases where the supply of water is required
for the purpose of extinguishing accidental fires, delays in locating these hydranis,
have proved disastrous. Much more does this apply to street fire alarms, which
are in communication with fire stations; it being commonly the case that a police-
man has first to be found who knows the position of the nearest alarm post, and
even when the fire-engine arrives it is often difficult for the firemen to locate the
burning buildings until the fire has burnt through the roof and illumined the
neighbourhood, when it is too late to render useful assistance.
Now in this invention I combine with a street lamp-post, electric light standard,
or the like, a hydrant for supplying water, and a fire-alarm of any suitable
description which is electrically connected with a fire-engine station. The hydrant
is disposed in the interior of the lamp-post or the like, and consists of a pipe
which passes upward, and one or more cross tubes arranged at any convenient
height which pass out through the sides of the lamp-post, the outer ends forming
nozzles to which hose or other tube may be either permanently or occasionally
attached. The lower end of the water pipe is connected directly with the main,
and the supply is controlled by a valve disposed in or near the lamp-post.
The fire-alarm may be of any convenient and suitable description, having pro-
ferably its dial or glass arranged near the upper end of the base of the lamp-
post. From thence wires pass down into the ground, in general through a groove
or tube forming an integral part of the interior of the lamp-post; and these
wires are connected with the alarm at the nearest fire station, and indicate to the
firemen in attendance the position of the alarm post.
It is obvious that by the use of this combined lamp-post hydrant, and fire-
alarm, a new and improved system of obtaining assistance for the purpose of
extinguishing fire is available. In the first place every householder would know
the position of the nearest fire alarm and hydrant, for if only every second or
third lamp-post were fitted with these appliances, those so fitted could be dis-
tinguished by a coat of brilliant red or luminous paint. Then the person who
had operated the fire alarm would wait en the spot until the fire-engine arrived,
and would guide the firemen directly to the scene of the fire. In this way a great
saving of time would be effected, as not only would the firemen go direct to the
scene of the call, but they would also go direct to a suitable source of water
supply. Moreover when dark or foggy, the person waiting at the post would be
able to direct them thence, at once to the scene of the fire.
In case of emergencies water might be drawn from these hydrants for domestic

page_text: use; and by attaching long lengths of hose, the streets might be watered without
employing a water cart.
Dated this 23rd day of May 1899.
WILLIAM J. MUNDEN,
75, Chancery Lane, Agent for the Applicant.
Improvements in and connected with Street Lamp-posts, Electric
Light Standards, and the like.
I, WILLIAM JONES, of 96, Northcote Road, New Wandsworth, in the County
of Surrey, Furniture Remover, 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:-
On dark nights and especially in foggy weather it is difficult to discover the
positions of street hydrants; and in cases where the supply of water is required
for the purpose of extinguishing accidental fires, delays in locating these hydrants,
have proved disastrous. Much more does this apply to street fire-alarms, which
are in communication with fire stations; it being commonly the case that a police-
man has first to be found who knows the position of the nearest alarm post, and
even when the fire-engine arrives it is often difficult for the firemen to locate the
burning buildings until the fire has burnt through the roof, and illumined the
neighbourhood when it is too late to render useful assistance.
Now in this invention I combine with a street lamp-post, electric light standard,
or the like, a hydrant for supplying water, and a fire alarm of any suitable
description which is electrically connected with a fire-engine station. The hydrant
is disposed in the interior of the lamp-post or the like, and consists of a pipe
which passes upward and one or more cross tubes arranged at any convenient
height which pass out through the sides of the lamp-post, the outer ends forming
nozzles to which hose or other tube may be either permanently or occasionally
attached. The lower end of the water pipe is connected directly with the main,
and the supply is controlled by a valve disposed in or near the lamp-post.
The fire-alarm may be of any suitable and convenient description, having pre-
ferably its dial or glass arranged near the upper end of the base of the lamp-
post. From thence wires pass down into the ground, in general through a groove
or tube forming an integral part of the interior of the lamp-post; and these
wires are connected with the alarm at the nearest fire station, and indicate to the
firemen in attendance the position of the alarm post.
I
In the accompanying drawings:-
Fig. 1 is an elevation of a lamp-post, hydrant, fire-alarm and water-valve.
Fig. 2 is a vertical section, on an enlarged scale, of the lower part of the same.
A indicates the lamp-post, a being the lamp, the upper part of the post,
that part of the hollow base which is above the ground, and that which is
below the surface of the ground; a is the pipe which supplies gas to the lamp
burner. B indicates the hydrant which may be of any suitable description and
is here shewn as consisting of a vertical pipe b, a supply pipe b¹, and two cross or
branch pipes 6, which stand out at right angles to the vertical pipe, and pass
out through the sides of the part a². The outer ends of these branch pipes form
nozzles 63 to which hose or other tube may be quickly and conveniently attached
when a supply of water is required for any purpose. When not in use these
nozzles may be covered by screw caps b.

page_text: The supply of water to the hydrant is controlled by a valve, the casing C of
which has one end flange e connected to the Hange of the pipe 6, and the other
end to the pipe which brings water from the main. The valve which governs the
supply of water is located inside this casing, and is moved by a stem D) which is
packed by a gland of any convenient description. The upper end of the stem
projects into a hole o in the plate E which covers the well in which the valve
is situate. It will thus be seen that the valve and stem can be turned by a key
fitting over the upper end of the valve stem, without lifting the plate E; but
when it is necessary to repack or otherwise repair the valve, by removing the plate
the whole becomes easily accessible.
The vertical pipe is shewn of large proportion such as is suitable for supplying
water for extinguishing fire. When a smaller and regular supply is required a
bye-pass G is connected to the supply pipe and to the main supply pipe on the
other side of the valve C; the bye-pass G is controlled by a valve g. This lends
itself to a system under which the bye-pass valve g may be accessible to water
cart drivers, and the like, while the main valve C is accessible only to firemen.
Under this system also the quantity of water passing through the bye-pass may
be measured, a meter y being disposed in the well for that
C
purpose.
The fire-alarm is shewn as consisting of the usual dial H (having a glass) which
is formed integrally with the lamp-post and disposed at such a height that it is at
once prominent, and easily accessible to the person giving the alarm. Any suit-
able system of communication may be adopted but in general when the glass is
broken a handle or push arranged inside the dial becomes accessible; the manipu-
lation of which closes the circuit in the wires h, thus causing an alarm at the
nearest fire station and indicating to the firemen there the particular lamp-post
at which the alarm has been given. The wires are shewn as passing downward
through a channel formed in the inside of the lamp-post base.
In some cases the interior of the dial may contain a telephone by means of
which the firemen may be fully informed of the extent, position etc. of the fire.
The hydrant and fire-alarm may be disposed at any suitable heights and in any
suitable positions upon the lamp-post; and it is obvious that they may equally
well be applied to electric light standards and to posts for supporting oil and
other lamps.
Instead of water carts being employed, lengths of hose might be attached to the
hydrants and the streets watered directly by means of these. Also in case of frost,
water might be temporarily drawn from them for domestic purposes, through taps.
It is obvious that by the use of this combined lamp-post hydrant and fire-
alarm, a new and improved system of obtaining assistance for the purpose of
extinguishing fire is available. In the first place every householder would know
the position of the nearest fire alarm and hydrant, for if only every second or
third lamp-post were fitted with these appliances, those so fitted could be dis-
tinguished by a coat of brilliant red or luminous paint. Then the person who
had operated the fire alarm would wait on the spot until the fire-engine arrived
and would guide the firemen directly to the scene of the fire. In this way a great
saving of time would be effected, as not only would the firemen go direct to the
scene of the call, but they would also go direct to a suitable source of water
supply. Moreover when dark or foggy, the person waiting at the post would be
able at once to direct them thence to the scene of the fire.
In some cases the hydrant instead of passing up the centre of the lamp-post, is
disposed at one side thereof; or it may be formed integrally with the base of the
lamp-post either inside or outside the same.
The dial H of the fire-alarm may be formed so as to be easily and conveniently
detached from or attached to the lamp-post.
Gas jets or other heating appliances may be disposed in the well for the purpose
of preventing the freezing of the water in the hydrant and valves during cold
weather.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1
1. The combination of a lamp-post, a hydrant disposed inside the same and
having one or more nozzles projecting through the post, and a fire-alarm attached
to the post by means of which the persons in charge of a distant fire-station can
be informed of an outbreak of fire, substantially as described.
2. The combination of a lamp-post a hydrant connected to the base thereof, and
a fire alarm attached to the post, substantially as described.
3. The combination of the lamp-post A, the hydrant B, the valve C, the
nozzle 3, and the fire-alarm H, substantially as described.
4. The combination of the lamp-post A, the hydrant B, the valve C, the byo-
pass G, the valve g, and the fire alarm H, substantially as described.
5. The combination of an electric light standard, a hydrant connected to the
base thereof, and a fire-alarmi attached to the standard, substantially as described.
Dated this 2nd day of December 1899.
WILLIAM J. MUNDEN,
75, Chancery Lane, Agent for Applicant.