US793821A

US793821A - Fire-extinguisher.

Info

Publication number: US793821A
Application number: US22798704A
Authority: US
Inventors: James A Cass Jr
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1904-10-11
Filing date: 1904-10-11
Publication date: 1905-07-04
Anticipated expiration: 1922-07-04

Description

wmf/93,821. PATENTED JULY 4, 1905. J. A @Am am FIRE EXTNGUSHER.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.11,19o4.

fue. Teaser.

llliajtie .iTaTas .Patented July 4t, 1965.

PATTTNT Trice.

SPJECFCATON forming part of Letters Patent No. "393,921, dated July 4, 1905. Application filed October l1, 1904. Serial No. 227,987.

lle :it known that l, J'A'Mns A. (biss, Jr., el Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and useiiul Improvements in lFire-Extinguishers, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a Vfull, clear, and exact description.

lhis .invention relates to certain improvements in automatic lire-extinguishers, and re fers more particularly to the sprinkler-heads oill what is commonly known as automatic sprinkler systems, in which the Stoppers for the dischargeopenings are held in place by fusible detents. 'lhese sprinklers are only adapted to be brought into action in case ol lire or excessive heat suliicientto fuse the den tent, andv therefore the system may lie dormant lier many years without even being tested or its parts inspected, so that the parts which were intended to release the stopper 'frequently become corroded or otherwise set to such an extent that in case of lire, even though the fuse may melt, the movable parts :lail to perform their respective Afunctions, which results in a considerable loss by lire.

The broad object, therefore, of this invention is to prevent corrosion of the parts and to particularly avoid any liability ol. the stopper becoming set or lixcd to its seat when its holding' elements are liberated by the fusing oi' the detent.

Another more specific object is to sim pli'ty the construction and operation oi' the sprinkler-head and to enable the inspectors to readily and easily test the working parts without destroying anything but the fuse.

Other objects and uses will be brought out in the following description.

ln the drawings, liigure l is an elevation of my improved fire-extinguisher as applied to a pipe-`l` of the water-distributing system. lFig. 2 is a similar view, partly in section, showing the operation of releasing the stop per. Figs. 3 and l are sectional views taken, respectively, on lines 3 3 and 44, Fig. l. Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the detached stopper. Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line G 6, lliig. l.

in carrying out the objects stated a threaded tubular head l. is screwed into a pipe-T f2 or other partei the water-distributing system and has a central \vater-passage 2', which is closed at its outer end by a suitable laminated cap or stopper 3. rlhis stopper is composed ot' a series oilE thin `l'lat layers or disks of' different materials combined and arranged to resist corrosion or adhesion te the stopper-seat on the outer end oll the head l. The inner layer, which rests upon the seat, is preferably made ol2 thin sheet-lead 4, which is at once uon-corrodible and is readily compressed onto the seat to torni a suitable packing and watertight joint. Against the outer face ol this lead disk is placed a thin aluminium cap 5, which has an inturned annular [lange inclosing the marginal edges ol the disk 4- to reinl'orce the latter and to prevent its slneading or yieldingunder pressure o'll the water, both of these disksfl and 5 beingoi greater diameter than that of the passage 2, so as te have a broad bearing on the outer end ol the head 1,. A third disk G, oli' thin sheet-brass, is placed against the outer face of the aluminium cap 5, and against this disk (3 is placed a Vfourth disk or thin layer 7, ol cork or equivalent yielding material which is not adapted to collect moisture. Upon the disk 7 placed an outer cap 8 olE comparatively heavy still' brass, which has an inwardlyprojecting annular lilange 9 el? sul'licient depth to inclose the

disks

8 and 7 and the greater portion oli the disk or cap 6, this latter disk G having a lateral annular llange l0, against which the flange 9 may bear.

Sp1-inging laterally from the opposite sides of the outer end oll the head l are two arms 1l and 12, which are disposed at opposite sides of the stopper and converge outwardly, so as to meet some distance beyond the stopper to a'tliord ample clearance for the movable parts and at the same time protect said parts from injury or accidental displacement. One oi the arms, as 1l, is formed with a recess 13 in its inner side and near the stopper and rc ceives one end ol" a movable lock-bar la, which extends diametrically across and bears upon the outer face oi the cap 8 and has its opposite end entering a recess 15in an upright lever 16 to hold the lock-bar in opera- IOC) tive position. rllhe main body of the bar clears the outer face of the stopper, but is formed with a central boss or projection 17, which bears against the center of the stopper to hold' the latter in operative position, and at the same time when the fuse is melted the center bearing 17 allows the stopper to free itself first at the edges instead of by bodily axial movement. An adjusting-screw 18 is tapped into the arm 11, so as to project into the recess 13 and engage the adjacent end of the lock-bar, and thereby adjust the pressure of the latter upon the stopper after the parts are assembled. The lever 16 is fulcrumed at 2O to the arm 12 at the inner side of the adjacent end of the lock-bar 14 and recess 15, but extends outwardly along the arm 12 to a point near the junction of the arms 11 and 12, where it is clamped to the arm 12 by

thin metal plates

21 and 22 and a soft-solder or other fusible rivet 23. rIhe arm 12 is formed with an elongated recess 2a in its side adjacent to but at the outer side of the lever 16, and the plate 21 is fitted against corresponding sides of the arm 12 and lever and has a projecting rib 25, which enters the recess 24 to lock the plate against lateral movement for the purj pose of relieving` the strain upon the fusible detent or rivet 23. The outer side edge of this plate 21 is bent upon itself to form a groove 26, into which the adjacent end of the plate 22 is fitted, this latter plate being passed around the opposite side of the arm 12, and the inner ends of both plates are formed with alined apertures, into which the fusible rivet 23 is inserted to further lock the plates together. It now appears that the

plates

21 and 22 are clamped together around the arm 12 and lever 16 to loch the lever from .movement, and thereby hold the lock-bar 14C and stopper in operative position against waterpressure in the head 1.

The outer sides of the

recesses

13 and 15 and adjacent edges of the lock-bar 1st are beveled, so that when the fusible detent or rivet 23 is melted the outward pressure of the water upon the stopper will be transmitted to the bar 1-1, and the engaging beveled faces of the bar 1a and lever 15 will operate to rock the lever outwardly7 on its pivot, and thereby draw the

plates

21 and 22 apart and away from the arm 12 until the lever 16, bar 1-1, and stopper are liberated, as shown in Fig. 2, to permit the free discharge of the water through the head 1 to extinguish the fire.

A rotary water-spreading wheel 30 is mounted in the junction of the arms 11 and 12 and is provided with a series of blades 31, which are set at an angle to receive the impact of the escaping' water, whereby the wheel is rotated and the water is also spread or thrown in all directions over a large area.

Although I have shown the stopper and its holding parts 1-1, 16, 21, and 22 as displaced to certain positions, it is evident that all of these parts, except the lever 16, may be forced to any other position than that shown and that in most cases they will be entirely separated from the head 1 and arms 11 and 12, so as to leave a clear passage for the water from the head1 to the rotary spreader 30.

In reassem bling the parts the stopper is first placed in position over the outer end of the passage, and the lock-bar is then placed against the outer face of the stopper with one end in the recess 13, after which the lever 16 is rocked inwardly until the adjacent end of the bar 14 enters the recess 15. The

plates

21 and 22 are then interlocled and clamped upon the bar 12 and lever 16 and the soft-solder rivet 23 inserted therein, and, finally, the screw is adjusted to press the bar 14C firmly against the stopper to hold the latter firmly against the seat.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an automatic sprinkler of the class described, the combination with a tubular head having a central water-passage and opposite arms projecting therefrom, each of the arms havinga recess, an adjusting-screw entering one recess, a stopper for the passage, a lockbar bearing on the stopper and having' one end inserted in one of the recesses and engaged by said screw, a lever engaging the other end of the bar, clamping-plates engaging and locking the lever to one of the arms, one of the plates entering the adjacent recess, and a fusible detent connecting said plates.

2. An automatic fire-extinguisher of the class described comprising a tubular head having a central waterpassage, opposite upwardly-projecting arms rising from the head and united at the top, a stopper for the passage, a lever pivoted at one side of the stopper and extending upwardly along one of the arms, an adjustable member on the other arm, and a lock-bar bearing on the stopper and having one end engaged with the adjustable member and its other end engaged with the lever above its pivot, and means including a fusible part for locking the upper end of the lever to one of the arms.

3. In an automatic fire-extinguisher of the class described, in combination, a tubular head havinga water-passage, a stopper for said passage, opposite arms rising from the head and united at the top, a revoluble spreader at the junction of said arms, one of the arms having a recess near its lower end, a lever pivoted at its lower end and extending upwardly along the other arm, a lock-bar bearing on the stopper and having one end entering said recess and its other end engaged with said lever, an adjusting-screw on one of the arms engaging one end of the lock-bar, and means including a fusible element for securing the upper end of the lever to one of the arms.

i. In an automatic fire-extinguisher of the IOO IIO

IIS

class described, in combination, a tu bnlar head having a Water-passage, a stopper for said passage, opposite arms rising from the head and united at the top, a lever pivoted at one side of the passage and extending upwardly alongl one of the arms, a lock-bar engaging' the stopper and having' one end elflgaged with the 1evcr and its other end adjustably connected to the opposite arm, opposed clamping-plates binding the upper end oi' the lever to the ad- 10 jacent arm, and a fusible bond uniting the clamping-platesn In Witness whereof have hereunto set my hand this 7 th day o1 October, 1904.

JAMES A. CASS, JR. Wtnesses:

Taos. KELL BRADFORD, AUG. W. BaAinmD.