US378990A - James west - Google Patents

Description

J. WEST.

FIRE ALARM.

Patented Mar. 6 1888.

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JAMES WEST, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, NATHANIEL G. PIERCE, AND GEORGE D. MARKHAM, ALL OF SAME PLACE.

FIRE=ALARNL SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 378,990, dated March 6, 1888.

Application filed November 80, 1887. Serial No. 256,520. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES Wnsr, of the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented a new and Improved Fire-Alarm, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improvement in fire-alarms, and has for its object to provide an alarm adapted for use in large buildingssuch as factories, schools, hotels, and public buildingswhereby an alarm may be sounded from any room in said building, which will be immediately and automatically communicated to all the other rooms.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of the several parts, as will behereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, in which the figure illustrates a vertical section through a building and the attachment of the device thereto.

attached to any suitable support in each room of abuildin g, the gongs in those rooms, located one above the other, being preferably placed substantially in vertical alignment; and the said gongs are also preferably constructed with the striking-arm a so pivoted as that the ball carried thereby will strike the gong from the outside, as illustrated.

Ido not, however, confine myself to the construction of the gong, as any approved pattern may be employed.

From each of the lowest rooms in the build ing a rod, B, is extended vertically upward through the floorsinto the highest rooms parallel with the line of gongs and as near thereto as practical, the said rods being held to turn in bearings b, secured in the wall or other vertical support. The various rods Bare connected one with the other, as will be hereinafter set forth, and are all counterbalanced by one or more weights, 0, which weights arelocated in one of the lower rooms and provided with a chain or rope, O, passing over a pulley, G the said rope or chain being secured in any suitable manner to the most convenient rod B near the lower end.

In each room two or more collars, b, are fitted upon the rods B, preferably two, one of which is located above the gongs, being engaged upon the under surface by one end of a trip-rod, d, the other end of which trip-rod is attached to the striking-arm of the gongs. Upon the upper edge of the second collar in each room a hand-lever, d, is made to rest, said lever being hinged or pivoted to a convenient bracket or other support. Thus if one hand-lever is pressed down an alarm will be sounded in each room through which the especial rod reciprocated thereby passes.

The various rods are purposed to be connected, so that when one rod is reciprocated the motion will be immediately communicated to the others; This is preferably effected in the lower story, although the connections may be made at any point, the means usually employed being a horizontal rod, E, having its ends connected with the short member of bellcranks e, which cranks are respectively pivoted near the vertical rods to be united, the long arm of said bell-cranks being made to en gage the under face of a third collar, 0', upon the various rods 13.

v The weights counterbalancing the rodsB are preferably made hollow, whereby when other connections are made to the rods originally supported the weights may be filled to balance the extra weight.

An alarm of this character may be utilized as a drill-signal, whereby the occupants of the building may be given the alarm at any moment, and thus trained to act properly in the event of a fire, and be enabled to quickly locate the means of escape and preserve to an extent their presence of mind.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is--- 1. The combination, with a series of alarmbells arranged upon the various floors of a building, and their tripping-arms, of a reciprocating rod extending through the said floors,

provided with collars engaging the said tripping-arms, and hand-levers upon each floor engaging other collars upon said rod, substantially as herein set forth. 5 2. The combination, with a series of alarmbells arranged upon the various floors of a building, and their attached tripping-arms, of a reciprocating counterbalanced rod extending through the said floors, provided with collars engaging the said tripping-arms, and handlevers upon each floor engaging other collars upon said rod, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

3. The combination, with a series of alarm- 15 bells arranged upon various floors of a building, and their attached tripping arms, reciprocating counterbalanced rods extending through the said floors, provided with collars engaging said tripping-arms, and hand-levers upon each floor engaging other collars upon 20 the rods, of bell-cranks pivoted adjacentto the vertical reciprocating rods, engaging offsets upon said rods, and a horizontal connectingbar uniting said bell-cranks, all adapted to operate substantially as herein set forth.

J AMES WEST.

Witnesses:

JOHN J. KELLEY, CHARLES A. KAHRE.

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