A New and Useful Apparatus for Extinguishing Fire.
Year: 1890

page_text: COMIDDIE DI
A New and Useful Apparatus for Extinguishing Fire.
A communication from GEORGE DICKSON, of Upper Canada College, in the City of
Toronto, in the County of York, in the Province of Ontario, Canada, and
DAVID ALANSON JONES, of the Village of Beeton, in the County of Simcoe, in
the Province of Ontario, Canada.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
M.I.M.E., 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 :-
The object of the invention is first to provide an extremely compact and powerful
agent for extinguishing fire, the said agent being contained in a receptacle, or
receptacles, which may be either stationary or portable, and which will always hold
the extinguishing agent in a condition ready for immediate use; and secondly to
design an improved system of fire protection whereby any portion of a structure
which may catch fire can be quickly flooded with water or any fire-extinguishing
gas.
It consists essentially, first of liquified anhydrous carbon dioxide, or nitrogen, or
the two liquified gases mixed the receptacle or receptacles containing the liquified
anhydrous carbon dioxide or nitrogen, or both of them, being connected to a receptacle.
or receptacles containing water, the pipe or passage-way by which the liquified gas
is conveyed from its receptacle to the water receptacle being arranged so that the
said liquified gas shall be discharged near the bottom of the water receptacle and
the said pipe or passage-way provided with a pressure regulator which may be set to
control the passage of the liquified gas into the water receptacle at any desired
pressure; the said water receptacle being provided with suitable pipes or hose by
which the impregnated water may be readily discharged when required to be used;
and secondly of one or more perforated pipes suitably arranged on or in proximity to
the parts to be protected, and connected with the chambers containing chemicals, and
with the water service supplied with water under pressure; a cut-off valve or valves
being provided to prevent the fluid entering the distributing pipe until required and
the whole arranged substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter more particularly
explained.
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a simple form of a receptacle for containing our fire
extinguishing agents.
Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of receptacles showing the
regulating valve and connections between the receptacles.
Fig. 3 is a perspective outside view partially in section of a portion of a building
furnished with this improved system of fire protection.
Fig. 4 is a perspective interior view of a room furnished with this improved
system of fire protection.
In figs. 1 and 2, A represents a receptacle sufficiently strong to stand a pressure of
not less than a thousand pounds to the square inch.
B is a water receptacle which should be almost if not quite as strong as the
receptacle A.
In the drawing I have shown two receptacles B and only one receptacle A but my
correspondents do not wish to confine themselves to any particular number nor
do they wish to confine themselves to the horizontal position in which the receptacles
are shown.
C is a pipe leading from the receptacle A to a point at or near the bottom of the
receptacle B.
D is a cut-off cock placed in the pipe C in which pipe a regulating valve E is
placed. As this regulating valve is the same as the kind used in soda-water machines,

page_text: it is not necessary particularly to describe it. It will be sufficient to say that it is
held open by a spring calculated to stand a given pressure and that when this pressure
is exceeded the valve closes.
F represents a pipe through which the water from the receptacle B is forced by
the expansion of the liquified gas; the said pipe taking the water from the bottom of
the receptacle. This pipe is provided with a suitable stop-cock H.
When the device is arranged as shown in fig. 1 a pipe H is had for each
receptacle and the two connected together so that they discharge into a pipe common
to both.
The receptacle A contains liquified anhydrous carbon dioxide or nitrogen.
The receptacles B are also filled with water the connections between the said
receptacles being cut off by suitable stop-cocks during the period they are being filled.
When it is wished to use the apparatus for the purpose of extinguishing fire the stop
cock D in the pipe C leading to one of the receptacles B is opened, when the water
is at once charged with the liquified anhydrous carbon dioxide and then by opening
the cock H in the pipe F leading from the said receptacle B the water contained in
the said receptacle charged by the gas is discharged from the receptacle A and may
be directed upon the fire which will be immediately extinguished by the action of the
impregnated gas or gases specified. The pressure caused by the liquified gas returning
to its original condition is sufficient to force the water out of the receptacle B. The
two receptacles are employed in. order to make the action of the fire-extinguisher
.continuous until the fire is extinguished; and while one water receptacle is being
discharged upon the fire the other one may be filled with water and charged with the
liquified anhydrous carbon dioxide gas ready for use.
The cocks D'are provided so that connection with the receptacle A may be cut off
from or opened up with either of the receptacles B as may be desired.
The impregnated water drawn from the receptacles B reaches the fire in a colder
condition than when in the receptacle and renders latent a large amount of heat
through its sudden expansion when discharged upon the fire, the fire also being
smothered or extinguished by the action of the liberated gas.
It will of course be understood that the receptacle B may be connected to the water
main so as to derive a constant supply of water under pressure, which water may be
impregnated with the fire extinguishing gas conveyed from the receptacle, A by the
pipe I which is provided with the necessary cock and regulating valve as indicated.
In figs. 3 and 4 A¹ represents the supply pipe which is provided with a cut-off
valve B and is connected to the receptacle containing the fire extinguishing agents or
to a water service supplied with water under a pressure sufficient to force it through
all the perforated pipes (which may at the time be connected to the supply
pipe A¹.
In the application of this portion of the invention, the number, form and size of
the pipes as well as the manner of arranging the perforated pipes, depend upon the
style of building, the particular part of the building to be protected, and the nature
of the contents of the building. For instance for outside protection a perforated
pipe C is shown in fig. 3 placed on the ridge of the roof. The supply pipe A¹ in this
case extends to the gable and has branch perforated pipes C¹ extending from it and
located immediately below the gable so that when the water under pressure is admitted
into the perforated pipes both the roof and end of the building are instantly
flooded with water or other fire-extinguishing agent. Perforated pipes connected to
the supply pipe may also be arranged below the eaves and at any other points on the
building that the judgment of the party erecting the system may suggest.
Should the building contain valuable machinery a system of perforated pipes is
arranged above and around the machines to be protected, the said perforated pipes
being connected to the supply pipe so that water under pressure may be instantly
turned on to flood the machines and thus prevent the heat of the burning building
affecting them.
In fig. 3 are shown perforated pipes which suggest a plan for protecting a machine.
In this figure the machine is represented by the dotted-line figure, D¹.

page_text: In fig. 4 a plan is shown for protecting a room by this improved system of fire
protection. In this figure it will be noticed that perforated pipes C¹ are arranged
around the corners E₁ of the room and have branch perforated pipes C¹ leading to
the door and window. A perforated pipe is also shown arranged in the centre-piece
of the room.
The perforated pipes (shown in the corners of the room are connected
to the supply pipe by a flexible joint so that when not in use they may be laid close
to the wall of the room but when the water pressure is turned on, the pipes are
instantly thrown out horizontally so as to discharge a shower of water towards the
interior of the room. It will of course be understood that my correspondents do not
limit themselves to the exact arrangement of the pipes shown, nor do they confine
themselves to the forms illustrated as many different forms of perforated pipes might
be employed. For instance a system of revolving perforated pipes might be arranged
to operate like an ordinary lawn sprinkler and roses or sprays might be connected
with the supply pipe and arranged at such points in the room as may be thought
liable to fire.
Supply, pipes may be arranged for each room in the building, and each supply
pipe may be provided with an independent cut-off valve or as shown in fig. 3 a
single cut-off valve might be arranged for the whole building. This question is
one purely of detail and does not constitute any portion of the invention."
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is ;-
1. The combination with a pipe or vessel through which water flows under pressure
of a receptacle containing liquified anhydrous carbon dioxide or nitrogen and so
connected to the water pipe or vessel that the flowing water may be impregnated with
the fire-extinguishing gas specified.
2. A strong receptacle containing liquified anhydrous carbon dioxide or nitrogen in
combination with a strong receptacle containing water, and suitably connected with
the anhydrous carbon dioxide receptacle the said water receptacle being provided with
means by which the gas-impregnated water may be discharged as required.
3. A strong receptacle A containing liquified anhydrous carbon dioxide or nitrogen
a water receptacle B connected to the receptacle A by a pipe C which extends from
the receptacle A to a point at or near the bottom of the receptacle B in combination
with a suitable discharging pipe provided with a stop cock substantially as and for the
purpose specified.
4. As an improved system of fire protection one or more perforated pipes suitably
arranged on or in the structure to be protected and connected to a water and gas
service supplied under pressure and provided with a cut-off valve to prevent the water
and gas pressure entering the perforated pipe or pipes until required, substantially as
specified.
Dated this 12th day of February 1890.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.