Improvements in Means or Apparatus for Extinguishing Fire in Ships and other Vessels.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Feb., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 10th May, 1897-Accepted, 12th June, 1897
PROVISIONAL
Improvements in Means or Apparatus for Extinguishing Fire in
Ships and other Vessels.
}
I, ARTHUR CLIFTON CAINES, of 44 Cromwell Terrace, Swansea, in the
County of Glamorgan, Ship Master, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
The object of this invention relating to extinguishing fire in ships, or other
vessels, to enable water to be applied with ease and dispatch, to any part of the
interior of a ship or vessel, and where in many or most cases it would be
impossible to do so without preliminary preparation, such as shifting cargo or the
like, aud the means I employ as hereafter described enable the application of
the water to be localized to the seat of the fire or where required, and this without
it being necessary to shift the cargo as aforesaid.
According to my invention I arrange below the deck of the vessel a series of
inter-communicating pipes, from which branch pipes extend downwards on the
interior of the sides of the vessel. These pipes are perforated, and being supplied
with water by pumps, deliver the same in the form of jets or spray into the vessel.
Cocks or taps are fitted whereby the delivery of water is or may be localized to
one or more sets of pipes and consequently to any particular part, or parts of the
vessel required.
Thus for example, I may provide beneath the main deck two or more parallel
pipes extending lengthwise of the vessel and connected at intervals by transverse
pipes, taps or cock being provided at the parts where the series of pipes intersect
and communicate with each other, the aforesaid taps or cocks being controlled
from the deck.
The transverse pipes extend downwards at the interior sides of the vessel, to
about the bilge.
All the aforesaid pipes are formed with a series of perforations directed towards
the interior of the hold, and are also perforated laterally on both sides.
At the ends of the parallel lengthway pipes are transverse pipes which are
provided or communicate with pumps, the latter deriving their water supply from
the sea or river and delivering their discharge into the pipes aforesaid. The
pumps may be arranged in any desired position on the main deck, for example
there may be two aft (one on each side), two amidships, and two forward. The
pipes may also be single or double.
By my invention water may be injected at the point of fire, even when the latter
would otherwise be entirely inaccessible, and moreover without any delay, and
thereby damage or destruction which would, and commonly does, inevitably occur
at present, can by my invention be prevented.
T 1
1007
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Means or Apparatus for Extinguishing Fire in
Ships and other Vessels.
I, ARTHUR CLIFTON CAINES, of 44 Cromwell Terrace, Swansea, in the
County of Glamorgan, Ship Master, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion 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 this invention relating to extinguishing fire in ships, or other
vessels is to enable water to be applied with ease and dispatch, to any part of the
interior of a ship or vessel, and where in many or most cases, it would be impossible
to do so without preliminary preparation, such as shifting cargo or the like, and
the means I employ as hereafter described enable the application of the water to
be localized to the seat of the fire or where required, and this without it being
necessary to take off the hatches or to descend into the hold to shift, the cargo as
aforesaid.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly in section.
Fig. 2 is a plan of the main deck, and
Fig. 3 is a half transverse section of so much of a ship fitted with my means or
apparatus for extinguishing fire therein, as will be necessary to fully explain my
invention. This view is drawn to a larger scale than the previous figures.
Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views hereafter referred to.
Similar letters of reference refer to like parts in all the figures.
According to my invention I arrange below the deck of the vessel, a series of
inter-communicating pipes A. A' from which branch pipes B extend downwards on
the interior of the sides of the vessel. All the pipes are perforated, such as are
shewn in the detail views Figs. 4 and 5, which are views of a portion of a pipe
drawn to a larger scale than the other figures, and these pipes are supplied with
water by pumps C and deliver the same in the form of jets or spray into the
vessel. Cocks or taps D are fitted, whereby the delivery of water is or may be
localized to one or more sets of the pipes and consequently to any particular part,
or parts of the vessel required.
Thus for example, I may provide beneath the main deck two or more parallel
pipes A A¹ extending lengthwise of the vessel and connected at intervals by
transverse pipes E, and intermediate pipes F, the taps or cocks D being provided,
as shewn at the parts at or about where the series of pipes A A' and B intersect
aud communicate with each other, the aforesaid taps or cocks D being controlled
from the deck.
The pipes B extend downwards at the interior sides of the vessel, to about the
bilge, as best seen at Fig. 3.
All the aforesaid pipes are formed with a series of perforations directed towards
the interior of the hold, and are also perforated laterally on both sides.
At the ends of the parallel lengthway pipes are transverse pipes which are
provided or communicate with pumps C, the latter deriving their water supply
from the sea, dock or river, as shewn at the hose pipe C¹ Fig. 3, and delivering
their discharge into the pipes aforesaid.
The pumps are be arranged in any desired position on the main deck, for
example there may be two aft, (one on each side), two midship, and two forward,
as indicated in the sectional side elevation and plan view Figs. 1 and 2. The
pumps may also be single or double.
Supposing that the fire was located between the lines G G Fig. 2 the five
taps Dx should be closed, the pumps C*, or one of them, would be operated, and

page_text: water would be thereby forced through the pipes belonging to this section,
viz.: A A B B* Ex and FX and consequently the water distributed at the
point of combustion.
By my invention water may be injected at the point of fire, even when the latter
would be otherwise entirely inaccessible, and moreover without any delay, and
thereby damage or destruction which would and commonly does inevitably occur
at present, can by my invention be prevented.
All the fittings and working appliances of my invention being controlled on
deck, it renders the taking off of hatches to get at the fire absolutely unnecessary.
My invention can also be utilized for the washing and cleaning out of a vessel's
hold. The pumps should be fitted so that they can be worked by steam or manual
labour.
I am aware that prior to my invention many propositions have been made to
provide means for extinguishing fires in ships by means of pipes arranged
throughout the ship for the conveyance of steam, water or vaporising substances
therethrough and means have been suggested for indicating in the engine room, or
other convenient position, the seat of the fire by such means as weighted levers, or
fusible plugs or such like devices. Hollow decks have also been suggested for
containing the pipes fitted with fusible plugs, and it is not broadly new to
distribute water from pipes in the form of spray.
I therefore wish it to be distinctly understood that I do not propose to attempt
to claim broadly any such devices or appliances separately or alone, but I claim as
my Improvements in means or apparatus for extinguishing fire on ships and other
vessels "
1. The inner-communicating longitudinal pipes A A¹ with branch pipes B the
latter extending down to the bilge of the ship, and of horizontal cross pipes
connecting the longitudinal pipes A on one side with those A' on the other side of
the ship, in combination with centrally arranged pipes F connecting the cross
pipes E, and whereby the whole ship from stem to stern is divided up into a series
of sections, each side junction of the pipes composing the sections being fitted with
a siop cock, for making or cutting off communication with its adjacent pipe or
pipes, all the said pipes being perforated in order to be able to direct the water
flow either throughout the whole ship, or to limit it to a single section, or half
section thereof, together with the arrangement of the pumps for raising the water
through the several hose pipes, all substantially as and for the purposes described
and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.
2. The means, apparatus and devices for extinguishing fire in ships and other
vessels, and whereby the position of the fire may be localized, (after such position
is ascertained), and extinguished, all arranged and acting, substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated, with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated the 1th dev of Мат 1007
Dated the 10th dox
1207
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for the Applicant.