Improvements in Means for Protecting Buildings from Fire.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Oct., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 6th July, 1894-Accepted, 11th Aug., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Protecting Buildings from Fire.
We, THOMAS WITTER and JOHN WILLIAM WITTER, of the Firm of Witter
and Son, of Crown Works, Bolton, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, do.
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to means for protecting buildings from the effects of fire in-
adjoining buildings, the object of our invention being to dispense with iron shutters
and doors, and to protect the windows and doors and interior of buildings against
the effects of flames and heat from adjoining buildings when on fire, by means of
an improved system of water supply.
We are aware that rows of perforated pipes have been placed along the sides of
buildings that it has been desired to protect against fire from the outside, but this
plan is not a satisfactory one.
According to our invention we employ a pipe or pipes placed above the windows,
door or other openings on the building to be protected, and to these pipes we
connect one two or more spreaders immediately above each window or other
opening, the spreaders being so placed that when water is admitted to the pipes it
will pass to the spreader and be by then spread in a thin sheet or film over the-
entire surface of the window door or other opening.
By this means the utmost protection against fire can be obtained with the smallest
consumption of water. It is proposed to admit and shut off the water supply by a
valve or valves placed in any convenient position.
Dated this 5th day of October 1893.
H. B. BARLOW & GILLETT,
Agents for Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Protecting Buildings from Fire.
We, THOMAS WITTER and JOHN WILLIAM WITTER, of the Firm of Witter.
and Son, of Crown Works, Bolton, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, 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 :-
Our invention relates to means for protecting buildings from the effects of fire
in adjoining buildings, the object of our invention being to dispense with iron
shutters and doors, and to protect the windows and doors and interior of buildings.
against the effects of flames and heat from adjoining buildings when on fire by
means of an improved system of water supply.
According to our invention we employ a pipe or pipes placed above the windows,
door or other openings on the building to be protected, and to these pipes we
connect one two or more spreaders immediately above each window or other
opening, the spreaders being so placed that when water is admitted to the pipes it
will pass to the spreaders and be by them spread in a thin sheet or film over the
entire surface of the window door or other opening.
And in order that our invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect we will describe the accompanying two sheets of drawings reference being
had to the figures and letters marked thereon.

page_text: Figure 1 is a front elevation of part of a warehouse or other building to which
our invention is applied.
Figs. 2 3 and 4 are detail views of one of the spreaders which we employ.
In Figure 1, a designates the outside wall of the building, 6 the main water
supply pipe, ce branches running horizontally therefrom along and near the top of
the wall a.
The pipe is controlled by a valve or stop cock d, and in the branch
pipe cc above each vertical row of windows e, is fixed a spreader f, which is
constructed as shown clearly in the detail views, Figs. 2, 3 and 4.
When it is required to protect the building from the effects of flame and heat
arising from an outbreak of fire in an adjoining building the valve d is opened
and water allowed to flow through the pipe b and branches cc and be distributed
by the spreaders fover the exterior wall a of the building.
By this means the utmost protection against fire can be obtained with the smallest
consumption of water. In the case of a very lofty building a second row or rows
of horizontal branch pipes with spreaders can be employed at any intermediate
height.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that we are
aware that prior to our present invention rows of perforated pipes have been
placed along the sides of buildings that it has been desired to protect against
fire from the outside, but this plan is not a satisfactory one, and we lay no claim
to it but what we claim is :-
1. The combination with a system of water supply pipes, of a series of spreaders
for distributing the water over the outside of a building to protect the same from
the effects of an adjoining fire, substantially as herein set forth.
2. The spreaders f arranged and operating substantially as and for the purposes
specified.
Dated this 5th day of July 1804
H. B. BARLOW & GILLETT,
17, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for Applicants.