GB191123403A - Improvements in or relating to Fire Resisting Doors and Automatic Fire Extinguishing Apparatus. - Google Patents

Abstract

23,403. Higson, P., and Hughes, T. Oct. 24. Fires, minimizing in connexion with doors; sprinklers, automatic.- Relates to apparatus, operated by a reduction of pressure when automatic sprinklers come into action, for releasing automatically-closing fire-resisting doors, protecting them by a water screen, sounding an alarm, and delivering a key of the building into a receptacle to which access can be obtained from the outside of the building. A fire-resisting door a is suspended, by means of pulleys c. upon an inclined rail b, and is held in the open position, shown in dotted lines, by a pivoted stop c<1>, which normally engages one end of a lever c<2>. The lever c<2> is controlled by a flexible diaphragm in a casing A, which is connected by a pipe d to the sprinkler installation, so that when the fluid pressure falls, the lever c<2> is actuated by spring action to free the door. The door a, which may be made of wood &c. with a central filling of asbestos, is provided with perforated pipes f<1> at the top and bottom, the perforations f<2> being closed by fusible metal. In a modification, the door is made hollow of metal plates, and is adapted to be filled with water, fusible plugs being provided in the sides of the door. The door may be provided with a trough at each side at the top, into which the perforated pipes are adapted to discharge, the water leaking out at the bottom of the trough and flowing down the sides of the door. On the closing of the door a, the pipes f<1> are automatically coupled with a pipe f<3>, and a valve C is opened by means of a stop h actuating a rod h<1>, a lever h<3>, and a valve h<2>, which drains off water from the upper side of a diaphragm in the valve casing C. thus allowing the valve to open under the action of springs g<1>. The water has access through a pipe i to a water-wheel, on the shaft of which is a clapper adapted to sound a bell i<3>. One of the stops c<1> on the door a is adapted to actuate a lever j and a shutter j<1> to release a ball j<2>, which falls down a pipe j<3> and tilts a pivoted table j<4>, thus discharging the front door key into a receptacle k having a glazed door k<1>; or the key may be contained in the ball j<2>. At the same time an electric contact may be closed to sound an alarm indicating the position of the receptacle k. One of the stops c<1> may be released by means of a diaphragm device E, which is similar to the device A, and is connected to a pipe n, the pressure in which can be reduced by means of a valve similar to the valve C and similarly controlled by a valve such as h<2>, which can be opened either manually, or by the action of locking the front door of the building. Reference has been directed by the Comptroller to Specification 25,765/96.