US59579A - Improved fire-alarm - Google Patents

Description

FONTAINE & SIMONS.

Fire Alarm.

Patented Nov. 13,4866;

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EUGENE FONTATNE AND OSCAR A. SIMONS, OF FORT WAYNE, INDIANA.

IMPROVED FIRE-ALARM.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 59,579, dated November 13, 1866.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, EUGENE FONTAINE and Oscar. A. SrMoNs, of Fort Wayne, in the county of Allen and State of Indiana, have invented a newand Improved Fire-Alarm and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 represents a plan or front View of this invention. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

This invention relates to certain improvements in that class of fire-alarms the operation of which depends upon the expansion of a wire. This wire is stretched over a series of roller-studs secured in a board or bed-plate, to which the entire mechanism is attached, and it is strained to such a degree that it re tains a plunger which is'exposed to the action of a spiral spring in a certain position. If the temperature rises, causing the wire to stretch, the plunger follows the action of the spring, and, by pushing against a pair of toggle-arms, throws them out of their balance, and allows a spring to act on a rod, whereby an alarm is sounded.

A represents the bed-plate of our mechanism, which is made of wood or any other suitable material. 011 the bed-plate is secured the metal cage B, which incloses the togglearms 0 and the spring D. One end of the toggle-arms is hinged to the side of the cage, and their other end is exposed to the action of the spring, which may be made of any suitable inaterial, and in any desirable shape or form, and which has a tendency to bring the toggle-arms in the position shown in red out lines in Fig. 1. From the loose end of said toggle-arms extends a rod, E, which connects by a wire, or in any other suitable manner, with a bell or other device capable of producing an alarm.

When the toggle'arms are straightened out and brought in the position in which they are shown in black outlines in Fig. 1, their point of connection being slightly above their line of equilibrium, they bear against a rod, a,

which extends into the interior of the cylinder F, and through the same, and which is provided with a disk, b, working in the cylinder, as clearly shown in the dawings. On said disk bears a spiral spring, 0, the tension of which can be regulated by a cap, (I, screwing on the end of the cylinder. The inner end of the rod a is provided with an extension-piece, 0, so that its length can be regulated according to the position of the toggle-arms, and its outer end connects to a wire, j, which passes round a series of studs, g, to a tension device, h. The studs g are secured in the bed-plate A, and each is provided with one or more grooved rollers, over which the wire passes, so that a comparatively long wire can be put up in a small space.

The tension device It consists of a simple button, which turns in a suitable socket, and which is provided with a ratchet-wheel and stop-pawl, so that said button is retained in the desired position after the wire has been strained to the proper degree. By straining the wire f the spring 0 in the cylinder F is compressed, and if the wire extends or stretch es from some cause, the rod to is forced in toward the toggle-arms by the action of the spring 0, and as soon as the joint of said toggle-arms is forced past the line of equilibrium, the spring D takes effect, and throws the toggle-arms back to the position in which the same are shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings in red outlines. By these means the rod E is exposed to a strain, which is transmitted to the alarm, and causes the same to sound.

A set-screw, t, serves to adjustthe toggle arms after the same have been set as close to their line of equilibrium as may be desirable, so that the same are thrown by a greater or less extension of the wire f; and if the bedplate A is hung up in a room or building, our apparatus can be used to indicate any increase of the temperature, or it can be so adjusted that the alarm is sounded as soon as the temperature rises beyond a certain point. When placed in the hold of a vessel, it will prevent spontaneous combustion of the cargo, for whenever the temperature rises beyond a certain point, the alarm will be sounded; or our apparatus may be put up in different rooms of a hotel, and connected with the annunciator, so that in case a tire occurs in either of the rooms the person having charge of the office will see at once which room it is, and the fire can be checked and put out before it does much damage.

What We claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The toggle-arms O and spring D, in combination with the spring a, rod a, and wire f, constructed and operating substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The studs g and tension device h, in combination with the Wire f, bed-plate A, supportin g the alarm mechanism, substantially as and for the purpose described.

EUGENE EoN'rAiNE. OSCAR A. SIMONS.

Witnesses D. B. STRAPE, Trros. MEEGAN.

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