An improvement in Fire Proo1 Curtains or screens for Theatres and other Public Buildings.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Sept., 1887
Complete Left, 25th June, 1888
Complete Accepted, 27th July, 1888
An improvement in Fire Proo1 Curtains or screens for Theatres
and other Public Buildings.
We, JOSEPH ALFRED Fisher, of No. 61 Queen Victoria Street, in the City of
London Manager of the United Asbestos Company Limited, and LAWRENCE BOOTH
of No. 28 Faulkner Street, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Architect, Fellow
of the Royal Institute of British Architects do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to fire proof curtains or screens for theatres and other public
buildings, which we construct and arrange as follows:
We make a rectangular frame of angle iron or iron of some other suitable section
and we cover this either on one side or on both sides with asbestos fabric. We suspend
the screen with its edges within iron guides, by chains or wire cords passing over
pullies and carrying weights which are not sufficient to counterpoise the curtain or
screen itself. By means of cords, worked by hand or otherwise, we raise the screen
which, on the release or fracture of these cords, will descend. The cords which raise
the screen may be of combustible material so that in the event of fire they may give
way allowing the screen to drop.
Dated this 26th day of Sentember 1887.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in Fire Proof Curtains or Screens for Theatres
and other Public Buildings.
We, JOSEPH ALFRED FISHER, of No. 161 Queen Victoria Street, in the City of
London, Manager of the United Asbestos Company Limited, and LAWRENCE BOOTH,
of No. 28 Faulkner Street, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Architect, Fellow
of the Royal Institute of British Architects, do hereby declare the naturo 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 :—
This invention relates to fire proof curtains or screens for theatres and other public
.buildings, which we construct and arrange as follows.
We make a rectangular frame of angle iron or iron of some other suitable section
and wo cover this either on one side or on both sides with asbestos fabric. We suspend
this screen with its edges within iron guides, by chains or wire cords passing over
pullies and carrying weights which are not sufficient to counterpoise the curtain or
screen itself. By means of cords worked by hand or otherwise we raise the screen,
which on the release or fracture of these cords will descend. The cords which raise
the screen may be of combustible material so that in the event of fire they may give
way, allowing the screen to drop.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings is a front view and Fig. 2 is a part sectional
plan of a fire proof curtain or screen according to our invention arranged with roller
guides for the curtain and the counter weights. Fig. 3 is a part front view and
Fig. 4 is a part sectional plan of a similar curtain without roller guides. We make
a rectangular framing of angle iron, or of bars A. of T, H or other suitable section
these being jointed together to form a skeleton frame divided into a number of square
or rectangular spaces. Diagonals B are also provided to brace the structure.
On either or both sides of the skeleton frame we fix sheets C of asbestos fabric by
means of iron hoops D placed over the fabric and bolted to the main ribs of the frame.
We provide counterweights E connected to the curtain by wire cords or chains F
passing over pullies, and we provide suitable pulls & by which the curtain can be
raised. The curtain, being heavier than the counterweights, descends by gravity
when the pull G is released, and it is of advantage to make this pull of combustible
material so that in case of fire it may be so far consumed or weakened that the
curtain will automatically descend. In many cases the asbestos fabric need be applied
only at one side of the curtain, canvas. or wire gauze painted with fire proof paint
being applied at the other.
When there is not sufficient height above the curtain to accommodate it when it is
pulled up, we make it in two or more parts arranged to slide over one another like
certain well known forms of shutters.

page_text: The uppermost part may be a fixture hidden by drapery. The bottom of the
curtain is preferably faced with a cushion of asbestos or other yielding material to
lessen the shock on descending, and cushions may be arranged for the same purpose
under the counterweights.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
A fire proof curtain or screen for a theatre or other public building consisting of
a skeleton iron frame covered on either side or on both sides with asbestos fabric
secured by hoops placed over the fabric and bolted to the ribs of the frame, in com-
bination with counterweights and pulls, substantially as herein described.
1
1
1000
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.