Automatic Release Alarm and Engine Starter for Fire Extinguishing Apparatus.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Dec., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 21st Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 5th Oct., 1888
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Automatic Release Alarm and Engine Starter for Fire Extinguishing
Apparatus.
ROBERT SUGDEN, Engineer 71 New Park Road, Salford, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates in the first place to releasing an alarm in the event of any
automatic, or other fire extinguishing, apparatus coming into operation, and for
starting fire pump, or turning on water into instalation.
In my invention, the pressure standing in the fire extinguishing instalation,
between a back pressure valve, fixed at the source of water supply, and the sprinklers
or other distributors, acts upon a flexible diaphragm fixed in a convenient position
and in a case forming a connection with said instalation and therefore subject to the
same conditions of pressure of water as the said instalation, and connected to flexible
diaphragm is a lever controlled by a spring or weight or a combination of spring
and weight adjustable to suit any pressure required, and on the opposite end of said
lever may be fixed an automatic slide and grip arrangement, so as to slide down a pin
holding alarm out of gear, and to grip, and lift said pin.
On the reversal of motion of lever, said motion results from alternate compression
and expansion of flexible diaphragm, the lever may also be arranged to open steam
valve connected to fire pump or to open water valve supplying aforenamed instalation
he arrangement is also applicable as a pressure recorder and for other purposes.
1 of Dasaulio 1987
ROBERT SUGDEN.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Automatic Release Alarm and Engine Starter for Fire Extinguishing
Apparatus.
I ROBERT SUGDEN of 71 New Park Road, Salford, in the County of Lancaster,
(now of Thistle Terrace, Meikelriggs, Paisley, in the County of Renfrew) Engineer,
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:
My invention relates to arrangements for releasing or starting an alarm into
operation in the case of fire when used in connection with automatic fire extinguishers
or sprinklers" the alarm being released or started when the automatic fire extin-
guishers or sprinklers begin to operate, and my invention consists in applying a
flexible diaphragm arranged so that the pressure of the fluid in the pipes supplying
water to the automatic fire extinguishers or sprinklers, will act upon one side of the
diaphragm with the full pressure of the water which exists in the installation, when
there is no flow of water through the automatic "sprinklers" or distributors, this
full pressure on the said flexible diaphragm being counterbalanced by a spring or
springs and lover or levers, which spring will cause movement in the lever or levers
and part operating upon the flexible diaphragm when the full pressure of water in the
installation diminishes in consequence of the discharge from one or more of the
automatic "sprinklers" this movement in the diaphragm thus produced acting to
release or liberate a catch or holder and thus allows the alarm to operate, this alarm
being a steam or other whistle, gong, bell or other alarm arrangements automatically
operated by clock work or other power, these alarms being of any well known
arrangement, but form no part of my invention.
The pressure of fluid to operate the flexible diaphragm is taken from the supply
pipes at some point between a valve, through which the supply of water is allowed to
pass to the installation and the automatic sprinklers, but which valve prevents its
return.
My invention as above described also consists, in arrangements combined with the
flexible diaphragm for both releasing an alarm, and starting an automatic steam or
other motive fire pump or pumps to work, or may be used for starting the fire pump
or pumps to work only, my invention is or may also be used for releasing an alarm
and turning on the water supply to the fire extinguishing installation or for turning
on the water only.
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation, and fig. 2 is a plan view of part of the mechanism
shown in fig. 1 for releasing an alarm. a is supposed to be part of the main pipe for
supplying water to an installation of automatic sprinklers or fire extinguishers.
Upon a junction a' with the main supply pipe a, a casing bis secured by flanges

page_text: or otherwise to the upper end of which casing the margins of a flexible diaphragm c
of india rubber or other suitable material, or a flexible metal diaphragm is secured
between a flange on the casing and a ring & secured by bolts passing through the
flanges.
To the middle of the diaphragm e a dish c¹ having a screwed projection is secured
fluid tight by a screw nut c² and washer.
The projecting rim of the dish c¹ will rest against the upper inner edge of the
ring when in its inmost position.
The lower end of a prop d rests in a hole in the dish c¹ the upper end of the prop d
being forked to come against a weight beam fulcrum pin e² in a levere having its
fulcrum e also on a weight beam fulcrum pin e¹ in a forked bracket f secured by
screws to the ring .
One end of the lever e has one end of the casing of a Salters or other spring
balance jointed to it, by means of a weight beam joint pin c³ the intention of these
weight beam V edges is to allow the lever e to move with as little friction as
possible.
The lower end of the Salters spring balance g has a screw g¹ passing through a hole
in a bracket or projection from the casing 6, and upon the screw there is a hand
screw the boss of which comes against a washer g³ having projecting points
resting in notches in the under side of the bracket to allow the Salters or other
spring balance to freely swivel to the slight movement caused by the arc of the end
of the lever e.
By means of the screw g² any given tension may be put upon the spring, and if
the size of the diaphragm c and length of lever e and its leverage is adjusted to say
pounds to the square inch, the pressure put upon the diaphragm e when the spring is
screwed up to any given extent can be shown by an index on the casing g of the
Salters or other spring balance.
The supply water is supposed to pass through the main a in the direction pointed
by the arrow on fig. 1, and the valve which prevents the return of the water from the
installation (not shown) is in some part of the main a which the water will pass
before it arrives at the diaphragm c.
The levere has an arm e which has a friction pawl jointed to it which pawl
comes on the face of a segment carried upon an arm h¹ having its fulcrum round
the boss of the hole for the fulcrum pin e' of the lever e as shown in fig. 2.
The arme has a side projection ed to come in front without touching the segment h
and then on one side of it to keep it from moving sideways.
The lower end of the segment has a pin 2 which passes through a hole in a
forked arm from the bracket f and in this fork the end link of a chain or other
connection is placed so as to be held by the pin h² on the segment h.
When the segment is lifted the link is released, and this allows the alarm to
operate as this chain or connection holds up a weight or spring which when released
opens the cock of the steam whistle alarm, or this chain releases a catch and allows
clock work to operate an alarm bell or gong or other alarm.
When the full pressure of water supply is upon the installation (there being then
no outlet or discharge from it) the spring of the Salters balance is by the screw g³
screwed up to counterbalance the pressure then acting upon the diaphragm c when in
its outer position, the diaphragm in fig. 1 being shown in its inner position.
Should one or more of the automatic sprinklers begin to discharge water the
pressure in the installation pipes immediately sinks below the full pressure when
there is no discharge, and this causes the spring to force the diaphragme towards its
inward position (shown in fig. 1) and the friction pawl e carries the segment with
it and withdraws the pin 2 at its lower end from the link and releases the
aların.
The friction pawl e will pass over the edge of the segment when the lever moves
in consequence of an increase of pressure upon the diaphragm, and thus the arrange-
ment allows for increases of pressure above the normal pressure in the installations but
acts to give the alarm if the pressure sinks below the maximum.

page_text: is an ordinary guage to show the pressure in the main which may be used if
required.
Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional elevations, one at a right angle to the other, and fig. 5
is a detached plan view of one end of a lever for actuating a pin for releasing the
alarm.
These figs. 3, 4 and 5 illustrate my invention when applied for starting automatic
steam or other motive pump, supplying water to automatic fire extinguishing
installations in case the latter come into operation. The illustrations also show how
my invention is or may be used both for starting the automatic pump or pumps and
releasing an alarm.
The lower part of the casing contains an ordinary equilibrium valve 7 through
which steam is to be supplied for working an automatic pump or pumps, the steam
passing in the direction pointed by the arrow in fig. 3.
The equilibrium valves are shown shut in figs. 3 and 4.
The valves have a spindle connected with them that passes through a stuffing
box in a cover plate ².
The outer end of the spindle has a dish c¹ screwed upon it by a screw, and washer,
a flexible diaphragm coming between the dish and washer the margin of the
diaphragm being secured between a ring cover plate and a casing b-these being
carried by and connected with upright pillars ³ from the cover plate as shown.
The casing is connected at the junction with the main supply pipe of the
automatic fire extinguishing installation at a point after the water supply has passed
the back pressure valve.
Upon the spindle there is a cross head 2 secured to the pivot ends of which one
end of two links are jointed the other ends of the links being jointed to pivots e²
on a forked or slotted levere having its fulcrum e¹ on a stud f in the casing k
(see fig. 4).
On the lever e a weight ex is placed and adjusted to counterbalance the pressure
upon the diaphragme when the fire installation water supply pipes are charged at
their full pressure, and which allows, at such time the diaphragm to be in the position
shown in figs. 3 and 4 when the equilibrium valves are supposed to be closed or
practically closed and the fire pump or pumps are not working, then should the
pressure in the installation sink by reason of the discharge from one or more automatic
sprinklers the weighted lever e pushes the diaphragm e inwards and opens the
equilibrium valves 1.
There is a hole in the casing k for a pipe to convey away any condensed steam
back to the steam boiler if the casing is situated above the level of the water space
in the boiler supplying steam or to a steam trap of any ordinary construction.
Fire pumps are arranged in connection with boilers which are intended to have a
supply of steam sufficient to work the pump or pumps at all times, and I prefer to
arrange the fire pump or pumps so that there will be a slight adjustable leakage of
water from the delivery side of the pump or pumps conveyed by a pipe or passage
back to the suction or supply so that the pumps will be always working very slowly,
and when a discharge commences from the automatic sprinklers the steam is turned
on fully to work the pump or pumps at the speed required.
When the apparatus is to be used, both to turn steam on to steam fire pumps and to
release or start an alarm the lever e is extended by the arme and has a friction pawl e
jointed to it to come against one face of a pin h curved to a radius from the fulcrum
of the lever e, which curved pin passes through a slot in the end of the arm e¹
(see fig. 5) and when the weighted end of the lever e descends the friction pawl e
bites the curved pin and presses it against the side of the hole in the end of the
lever e and lifts the pin h and releases the link i connected with the alarm, as explained
in reference to figs. 1 and 2.
h
When used for both releasing an alarm and starting a steam fire pump or pumps
the lever is weighted by a spring instead of a weight.
The apparatus shown by figs. 3 and 4 will also illustrate how my invention is
applied for turning the full supply of water to a fire extinguishing installation.

page_text: In such case the water supply passes in the direction shown by the arrow in fig. 3
through the equilibrium or other suitable valve to the automatic fire extinguishing
installation.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. The application of a flexible diaphragm in combination with automatic sprinklers
or fire extinguishers for releasing or starting an alarm in the case of fire substantially
as hereinbefore described.
2. The application of a flexible diaphragm in combination with automatic sprinklers
or fire extinguishers, for starting an automatic pump or pumps into operation in the
case of fire, and also for both starting an automatic pump or pumps and releasing or
giving an alarm in the case of fire substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. The combination of mechanism substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore
described and illustrated by figs. 1 and 2, and figs. 3, 4, and 5 of the drawings.
4. The combination of a gripping arrangement with diaphragm apparatus which
will allow movement caused by increase of pressure upon the diaphragm but will grip
the part to be acted upon and release the alarm in the case of a decrease of pressure
acting upon the diaphragm substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by
figs. 1 and 2, and figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings, or by equivalent arrangements.
Datad this 20th one of Awn
1000
PETER J. LIVSEY,
Agent.