US1688635A - Fire alarm - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 23, 1928.

J. E. IRBY FIRE ALARM Original Filed July 20 U R 0 I 6 9 i 7 E n q M m m r W v H y 7 H w H C A 6 a IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII'"! fi n w J l W m M r////////// m Y h I R u fi 9 W VI/III/l/II'lI/l/l/Il" Patented Oct. 23, 1928.

UNITED STATES JOHN E. IRBY, or SPOKANE, WASHINGTON.

FIRE ALARM.

Application filed July 20, 1925, Serial No. 44,714. Renewed April 28, 1928.

The present invention relates to improvements in fire alarms and signaling systems for use in hotels, apartments and similar dwelling places having telephonic oflice connections and alarm devices in the several rooms or apartments of the building. A resiliently supported cord or cable is used in the alarm system which has fusible portions or inflammable portions located at various points and is adapted to be severed by contact from flame or by excessive heat.

Thus a tire originating in any room of a hotel equipped with the system and coming in contact with the cord or cable will sever the cable and the action of the resilient support or supports for the cable will result in actuating an electric signal as a bell or gong in the rooms, and simultaneously release the lever of a telephone and operate the phone. Means are provided in connection with a fire bell or gong in the hotel otfice whereby the sound of the bell is amplified and directed to the open telephone for transmitting the fire signal. In this manner the central telephone station or the telephone operator is automatically acquainted with the dangerous condition existing and the operator thus notified may turn in the regular city alarm for fire, without unnecessary loss of valuable time.

The cable or cord used is specially constructed with spaced fuses or inflammable portions alternating with non-inflammable portions in order that the burning of the cord may with safety be confined to a short stretch or length and thus eliminate the dam er of s reading the fire by the burning cor or cab e, when the latter is severed or separated.

The invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of parts as will hereinafter be more fully set forth and claimed. In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one complete example of the physical embodiment of my invention wherein the parts are combined and arranged in accordance with the best mode I have thus far devised for the practical application of the principles of my invention Figure 1 is a diagrammatic" floor plan of a hotel or apartment house including an otlice room equipped with the fire alarm system of my'invention.

Figure 2 is a detail view in elevation illustrating the oifice arrangement of telephone, cable, fire bell and sound amplifier.

Figure 3 is a plan view showing one of the rooip fire signals and cable connection therewit Figure 4 is an edge view of the fire hell or signal of Fig. 3.

Figure 5 is a detail perspective view showing a portion of the cord or cable.

In order that the general arrangement of related parts may be readily understood I have shown a floor plan in Figure 1 with rooms designated as R, the corridor or hall as C and the office as O.

In carrying out my invention each of the rooms is equipped with an electrically operated signal hell or fire bell of standard type having a usual gong 1, magnets 2, tappet 3 and battery connections 4, the device pre Fer-ably being supported on a wall of the room. In connection with each electric hell I utilize a pivoted switch lever 5 that is normally in position with the switch open and the magnets de-energized. In case of fire all the levers 5 are swung on their pivots to close the switch and the bells 1 are sounded to give the fire signal.

The switch levers 5 are swung on their pivots 5' for contact with either stationary pivot point 5 or 6 to close the bell circuits when the cord or cable 6 is severed. This cable at its two ends is provided with a spring as 7"and 8 that are suitably anchored, the spring 7 being located in the otfice 0 and the spring 8 being located in the remotest room to which the cord or cable is extended. The cable passes through suitable openings and is properly guided through the walls or partitions of the building and guide or antifriction pulleys 9 are utilized at proper places for supporting and guiding the cable which is held taut by the two end springs 7 an 8.

For each lever 5 of the electric bells a rin 10 is interposed in the cable through whic ring the lever normally projects, and it will be seen in Figure 3 that a pull on the cable or cord will swing the lever 5 to close the electric bell switch and energize the alarm.

In Figure 2 it will be apparent that if the cord is severed the spring 7 will pull on the cord 6 and this pull will be instrumental in operating a telephone in the office 0. For this purpose a branch cord 11 is attached to the cord 6 and of proper length to lift the phone receiver 12 and the phone lever 13 of the phone 14:. The phone is thus adapted to be opened and the sound of a bell 15 is transmitted therethrough to the central station or to a phone 0 erator. The bell 15 shown in dotted lines igure 2 is located adjacent to the phone 14 and is operated in manner similar to the bells 1 in the rooms. This ofiice bell 15 is provided with a horn or sound amplifier 16 properly supported in position to direct the amplified sound from the bell to the open telephone instrument. It -will thus be obvious that when the cord is severed the signal bells will be rung in the rooms and office and the sound of'the bell in the office will be transmitted through the phone to a central station or operator.

' The cord 6 as seen in Figure 5 is made up of a central core, as 17 and is provided with fuses or inflammable portions 18 wrapped around the core. The 17 is of course inflammable in order that it may be severed to render the springs operative for performing their functions, but the fuses 18 which are spaced at suitable intervals along the cable are more inflammable and burn quickly for the purpose of igniting the core to sever the cable. v However the core 17 is so fashioned or is provided with means that will prevent the rapid spread of the fiame ered ends of the cable.

By tension of the two springs the cable is held normally taut and when the cable is along the sevsevered the two springs because of their re- I In a fire alarm system, a plurality of electric bells and circuit closin levers for said bells, an inflammable cor having elastic suspendin means, and spaced rings carried by said cord and operatively engaging said levers, an audible signal and means actuated by the cord for operating said audible'signal, a telephone, and means actuated by said cord for closing the microphone circuit of said telephone to transmit sound from the audible signal.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

JOHN E. IRBY.

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