IMPROVEMENTS IN APPA- DAMITS FOR EXTINGUISHING FIRE
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Solomon Sanderson, of Aspley, Huddersfield
in the County of York, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPA-
DAMITS FOR EXTINGUISHING FIRE”
Sealed the 19th January 1872, and dated the 20th July 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Solomon Sanderson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 20th July 1871.
I, SOLOMON SANDERSON, of Aspley, Huddersfield, in the County of
York, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for “IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR EXTINGUISHING FIRE," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to apparatus whereby the expansion of mercury
or other substance or of an elastic vessel (capable of expansion by heat)
(such as an india-rubber, caoutchouc, or skin bladder,) containing fluid
when exposed to the heat of combustion is made to open a cock or
valve so as to allow steam, water, or other suitable fluid to escape for
the purpose of extinguishing the fire. This I effect either by making
the expanded substance or vessel act directly on the cock or valve, or by
arranging it in connection with an electric circuit, so that by the

page_text: expansion of the mercury or other known conductor of electricity the
circuit is made or broken, and thus an electro-magnet and battery (or
permanent magnets) are made to act upon the cock or valve.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Solomon Sanderson in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 20th January 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SOLOMON
SANDERSON, of Apsley, Huddersfield, in the County of York, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Solomon Sanderson, Her special licence
that I, the said Solomon Sanderson, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Solomon Sanderson, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR EXTINGUISHING FIRE,” upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Solomon Sanderson, my executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.

page_text: containing fluid when exposed to the heat of combustion is made to
open a cock or valve so as to allow steam or other suitable fluid to
escape for the purpose of extinguishing the fire. This I effect either by
making the expanded substance or vessel act directly on the cock or
valve, or by arranging it in connection with an electric circuit so that
by the expansion of the mercury or other substance the circuit is made
or broken, and thus an electro-magnet and battery (or permanent
magnets) are made to act upon the cock or valve.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
The Drawings illustrate the arrangements which I prefer to use in
apparatus constructed according to my Invention, though these arrange-
ments must necessarily be varied according to the circumstances under
which my apparatus is used, and the form of expansive agent or thermo-
meters, batteries, magnets, and materials used.
a is a thermometer, 6 is a battery, c, c, c¹, the wires connecting the
ends of the thermometer a with the battery 6 and electro-magnet d; e is
an armature prolonged and centred at e', and having at its prolonged
end a notch or catch to hold the end of a weighted cranked lever g
centred at g¹; h is a steam or water cock or valve which may be
attached to any convenient water, steam, or other fluid supply; i is a
wheel mounted on the spindle of the cock or valve h and weighted by a
weight w to cause it to turn in the direction of the arrow, and so to open
the cock or valve h; k is a stop or pin on the wheel i, which is held by
a notch or catch in a lever 1, thus keeping the cock or valve closed; m
is a stop for the lever 7.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-The apparatus is shown
in the Drawings ready to act. On the thermometers becoming affected
by undue heat (caused by conflagration in the building or hold of a
vessel in which the apparatus is fixed,) the mercury rises in the thermo-
meter and comes into contact with the end c¹ of the circuit wire, the
other end of the circuit wire being in contact already, an electric
current immediately acts on the magnet d, which draws down the
armature e and releases the cranked lever g, which falling strikes the
end of the lever and so releases the wheel k, and allows the weight to
descend and open the cock or vale i in the direction of the arrow and
so admit steam or other suitable fluid to the building to extinguish the
conflagration.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and in what manner it is to be performed, I would have it
understood that I claim the Invention substantially as described herein,
and illustrated by the accompanying Drawings, it being understood that
I do not limit myself to the precise forms shewn in the Drawing and
described herein, as they may require to be varied to suit different cir-
cumstances and conditions, nor do I claim the mere details per se and
apart from the purposes of my Invention.
In witness wheroef, I, the said Solomon Sanderson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
SOLOMON SANDERSON. (L.S.)