US154076A - Improvement in fire-extinguishers - Google Patents

Description

UNITED ?STATES HENRY s; PARMELEE, or NEw HAVEN, CONNECTICUT;y

PATENT OFFICE.

IMPROVEMENT IN FIRE-EXTINGUISHERS.

t Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. .154,076, dated August 11, 1874; application iiled June 24, 1874.

To 'all whom it may concern:

of New Haven, in the county of New Haven andState of Connecticut, have invented a` in'g and the letters of reference marked thereon,

to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawing constitutes partof this specification, and represents a sectional view of the apparatus.

1 This invention relates to a device for attachment to distributing-pipes in buildings for extinguishing fires, the construction being such-that the heat which may be generated inthewapartment will automatically open the valve 'and allow the discharge of water.

The invention consists, first, in a shield or cover by which the fusible material is protected'from a flow of water, that the heat may the more readily act thereon; second, in a device in connection with the distributing-pipes whereby the full ilow of water will be automatically let on so soon as one or more valves are openffand in connection with the lastnamed device an alarm to be automatically sounded.

A is the main pipe, by which the water or other extinguishing fluid is conducted to the different points. In this pipe is a valve, B, by which the flow of water is cut off, the valve-stem heldout in a closed position through a lever, D, as more fully hereinafter described. E is the sprinkler, which consists of a hollow chamber, numerously perforated, so that water passing into the said chamber under pressure will be forced therefrom in numerous jets. F is a valve standing below the chamber, and so as to prevent the ow of water tothe chamber. G, the valve-stem, extends up, and over this a cap, H, is arranged, bearing upon the said spindle. Around the valve-chamber is a spiral spring, I, the spring attached to the cap H by eyes L. These eyes are of a material which will fuse at a comparatively low temperature, say at 150O or 200O of heat. Through the cap is an adjusting-screw, N, which bears upon the spindle, so that by turning the screw N the pressure of the spring may be brought to bear upon and hold down Y the valve. The strength of this spring should e Be 1t known that I, HENRY S. PARMELEE,

be a little greater than the maximum pressure of the water, or whatever the fluid may be. The sprinklers E are arranged in different parts of the apartment whenever it may be desirable to discharge the water and the water supplied thereto under pressure. If at any time av' iire occurs in the apartment, so soon as the heat has become so great as to fuse the eyes L on any one of the distributers, the pressure above, the valve will be removed, and the water will then force the valve up, pass into the sprinklers E, and be thrown therefrom in jets. In order that the jets from one sprinkler may not fall upon the eyes L, and thus prevent the subsequent fusing of these plugs by the continuation of the fire, the cap extends down so as to inclose the eyes L, and prevents the water from one sprinkler entering the eyes of another.

There is liable to be more or less drip from the sprinklers by leakage from the valves. To prevent this from running down or dropping a cup, d, is arranged beneath the sprinkler E, into which the drip will pass, and then may be wiped out or, if a small quantity, it will evaporate.

y In orderto prevent the cold water-with which the valve Gis always in contact-from communicating its low degree to the cap H, and thereby prevent as early a fusion of the eyes L as there would otherwise be, I place between the valve-stem and the cap a nonconducting material, a.

' To avoid keeping the full head from the supply-pipe A upon the distributers, the valve B is employed to cut off the principal comlmunication between the pipe A and the dis tributers; and in order that the valve B may be opened to allow a full supply of water whenever a fire occurs, I attach the valve-lever D to the rod P of a piston, R, by means of a wire, b. When the piston drops, as denoted in broken lines, a spring, S, will draw the lever D forward and open the valve. The piston It is held up to secure the valve, and its action made automatic in the following manner: From the supply-pipe below the valve B a tube, T, of less area than one of the sprinklers, leads to beneath the piston R, and also to the pipe above the valve, to which the sevenral sprinklers are' attached. A spring, II,

4bears upon the piston R 'with a lpressure less sprinkler-valve is raised,.then the pressure between that `valve and the sprinkler will be reduced, because the supply through the tube T will be less than thecapacity of the sprinkler; hence the pressure beneath the piston will be correspondingly reduced, and the pressure aboyevthe. piston Will force it down, .releasing the connectionl between the piston and the lever I), so that the valve will be instantly' opened to furnish the full supply. Y

yIn order tosound an alarm when the sprink-I l'ler is open, a steam-whistle is connected to the 'piston P in like mannerpas to the'valve in Jche supply-pipe described,and as also seen in the drawlng; hence, whenever the sprinkler is open, the alarm will be sounded.

I have represented the alarm as being that of a steam-whistle but any other alarm which may be tripped or made by disconnection, as described, may be employed. This alarm will lbe sounded if a leak should occur at any-point, 'if that leak be larger than the tube T.

If desirable, fusible metal may be placed between the Valve-stem and the screw N 5 in` that case the-eyes L may be a hard or'nonfusible metal, it only being essential that a fusible material be placed at some point to sustain the pressure upon the valve until fused.

I claim as my invention- Y 1. In combination with the sprinkler E, valve F, spring I, and fusible supports, the cap II, extending down around the said supvports, substantially as and for -the purpose specified.

2. In combination` with the sprinkler E,

- pose specified.

3. In combination withvthe .supply-pipeA and distributing-pipes, the valve B between the supply and distributing pipes, the tube T communicating from the supply-pipe below the Valve to the distributing-pipe above land to the piston It, the said piston provided with a spring, U, and connected to the said valve B, all substantially as and for the purpose described. Y

v HENRY S. PARMELEE.

Witnesses:

A. J. TIBBITS, J. H. SHUMWAY.

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