US1044668A - Fire-extinguisher. - Google Patents

Description

A. C. LA MAY. PIRE EXTINGUISHER. APPLICATION FILED IEB. 5, 1912.

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ARTHUR C. LA MAY, F ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

FIRE-EXTINGUISHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 1 9, 1912.

Application led February 5, 1912. Serial No. 675,421.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR C. LA MAY,

y of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fire-Extinguishers, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawings.

The present invention relates to fire extinguishers and more particularly to the type in which gas is generated by chemicals for the purpose of ejecting the extinguishing fluid.

An object of the invention is to provide a construction in which the gas generating chemicals are separate from the extinguishing Huid and are combined only when it is desired to expel such fluid from its container, this result being more particularly advantageous when the carbon tetrachlorid is employed as the extinguishing Huid a'lthough there may be employed other tire extinguishing chemicals which are not capable of forming an incombustible gas suiicientto expel the fire extinguishing fluid from its container.

To these and other ends the invention consists in certain parts and combinations of parts all of which will be hereinafter described, the novel features being pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, the figure is a vertical section through a fire extinguisher constructed in accordance with this invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 indicates a container having a tiexi ble discharge tube 2 extending from a point near the bottom thereof to a head 3 to which said tube is connected, said head being removably secured to the top of the container and having a passage 4 leading to the casing 5 of a turn plug 6, the casing is in this instance being rigid with the head and, when the plug is shifted to one position, as shown in the figure, it closes the passage 4, but, when shifted substantially 180 degrees, the port 7 of the turn plug registers with the passage 4 and establishes communication with a nipple 8 to which the distributing hose 9 is connected. Within the container 1 is arranged the fire extinguishing liquid 10 which is preferably carbon tetrachlorid.

For the purpose of generating a gas for expelling the fire extinguishing liquid from the container when needed and, at the saine time, not to maintain a constant gas pressure within the container, there are employed chemicals separate from or other than the extinguishing fluid.Y for producing a gas preferably an incombustible gas like carbon dioxid or carbonio acid gas.

Preferably one of the chemicals is of such a nature that it will not combine with the fire extinguishing fluid and is of less specific gravity so that it will float or be suspended upon such fluid. In this instance, the tioating chemical 11 is a solution of bicarbonate of soda which will not mix mechanically or chemically with carbon tetrachlorid, butfloats upon the surface of the latter, due to its being of less specific gravity. The other chemical which combines with the tioating chemical 11 is arranged in a separate container and is indicated at 12. In this instance, this chemical is sulfuric acid which, when discharged into the container 1 to inix with the bicarbonate of soda, produces carbon dioxid or carbonio acid gas which expels the carbon tetrachlorid and, at the same time, saturates the latter, thus adding to its efliciency as a fire extinguisher, owing to the fact that carbonio acid gas is incoinbustible.

The form of the container for the separated chemical is immaterial. It is only necessary' that the latter be held out of contact with the floating chemical and be adapted to be mixed therewith at the proper time. In this instance, the container is in the form of a chamber in the turn plug 6, said chamber having a glass, lead, or other acid proof interior wall 13 and having outlets 14: adapt ed to be alined with passages 15 in the head 3. The passages 15 and the turn plug casing 5 may also be lined with acid proof material.

lVith the form of the invention herein shown, the parts when ready for use occupy the posit-ions shown in the drawing. Upon turning the plug 6 by means of the hand piece 16, a port 17 is caused to aline with passage 4 and ports 16 to register the passage 15. The acid 12 is thereby discharged onto the flo-ating liquid 11, causing the generation of carbonio acid gas above the liquid 10 which is thereby forced through the tube 2 to and from the hose 9, the carbonio acid gas also saturating the carbon tetrachlorid and being thereby discharged from the fire extinguisher.

From the foregoing it will be seenthat there has been provided a fire extinguisher Which is capable of employing a fire extinguisher of the type in which the pressure is obtained from the mixture of chemicals, While, at the same time, a fire extinguishing liquid having the greatest efficiency may be employed in connection therewith, the fire extinguishing liquid not 'being used for the purpose of generating the gas. Furthermore such liquid is saturated at the time of use with an incombustible gas thereby increasing its efficacy.,

This invent-ion makes it possible to use carbonio acid gas for expelling carbon tetrachlorid, one of the best liquid fire extinguishers, from a container Without maintaining the Hre extinguishing liquid under the pressure of the carbonio acid gas except when the demand for such pressure is necessary.

The construction of the Valve herein shown is not claimed herein as it forms the subject matter of an application for patent Hled by me on even date herewith, Serial #675,420 v What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a fire extinguisher, the combination with a container, of a fire extinguishing Huid therein, and gas generating chemicals unmixed With said extinguishing Huid and adapted to be combined Within the container.

2. A Hre extinguisher comprising a con'- tainer, an extinguishing Huid therein, a chemical of less specific gravity than the extinguishing Huid held suspended on. said Huid, and a chemical for mixing with' the Heating Huid to produce a gas for ejecting the extinguishing Huid.

3. A fire extinguisher comprising a convtainer, an extinguishing Huid therein, and two chemicals Which when combined produce a gas, one of said chemicals Heating on the extinguishing Huid and the other being arranged to be combined With the floating chemical.

4. In a fire extinguisher, the combination With two containers, and means yfor discharging the contents of one into the other, of a Hre extinguishing Huid arranged in the latter, a floating chemical on said fire extinguishing fluid, and a chemical in the discharging container which when mixed with the floating chemical produces a gas for expelling the lire extinguishing Huid.

5; A fire extinguisher comprising carbon tetrachlorid, and two chemicals held separated from each other and adapted when combined to produce carbonio acid gas for saturating and expelling the carbon tetrachlorid.

6. A Hre extinguisher comprising carbon tetrachlorid, 4a solution of bicarbonate of soda Heating on said carbon tetrachlorid and sulfuric acid held separate from both ofthe tirst named chemicals but adapted to be mixed With the solution of bicarbonate of soda.

7. A fire extinguisher comprising a container, an extinguishing Huid therein, a solution of bicarbonate of. soda Hoat-ing on said Huid and sulfuric acid held separated from both of said chemicals but adapted to be mixed with the bicarbonate of soda.

ARTHUR C. LA MAY.

Witnesses:

HAROLD H. SIMMs, ADA M. WHITMORE.

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