US863059A

US863059A - Vent for the escape of combustion-gases in burning buildings.

Info

Publication number: US863059A
Application number: US34392806A
Authority: US
Inventors: John Elmer
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1906-11-17
Filing date: 1906-11-17
Publication date: 1907-08-13
Anticipated expiration: 1924-08-13

Description

PATENTED AUG. 13 1907.

J. ELMER. VENT FOR THE ESCAPE OF COMBUSTION GASES IN BURNING BUILDINGS.

lAPPLIGATION FILED NOV-1"]. 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET- l.

' I [mfzntor I I PATENTED AUG. 13, 1907.

J. ELMER. VENT FOR THE ESCAPE 0F COMBUSTION GASES IN BURNING BUILDINGS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 17 1906.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

121: NDRRIS PETERS ca, vmsumcrmv, 0.1:.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN ELMER, OF KINGSTON, ONTARIO, CANADA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 13, 1907.

Application filed llovemher l'L 1906. Serial 110.843 928.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN ELMER, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at No. 306 Brock street, in the city of Kingston, county of Frontenac, Province of Ontario, in the Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements for Vents for the Escape of Combustion-Gases in Burning Buildings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in vents for the escape of combustion gases in burning buildings, as described in the present specification and set forth in the accompanying drawings that form part of the same.

The invention consists essentially in a roof having an opening theretlnough, a valve closing said opening and means for operating said valve.

The object of the invention is to insure the escape of combustion gases generated in a burning building and consequently obviate the danger of the spread of the conflagration and the loss of life within the building through the rapid travel of the said gases throughout the building where a proper vent is not provided and besides, lessening the difliculties of the firemen in fighting the fire by providing a flue at the proper point and thus localizing the fire, the detailed description being explained more particularly in the present specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a sectional perspective view of a house top showing the vent therethrough for the combustion gases and a valve inserted in said vent hole. Fig. 2 is a perspective detail of the valve shown in Fig. 1 apart from the roof. Fig. 3 is a sectional perspective view of a house-top showing another form of valve. Fig. 4 is a sectional perspective view of the valve shown in Fig. 3 showing the valve open. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of still another form of valve and vent hole.

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure.

In the present specification there are three forms of valves shown and described but it must be understood that any arrangement of swing or sliding valve may be used, operated either by a fusible plug or by cables, levers, steam, electric, or other suitable means. The main features of the invention being the means for assisting the firemen in preventing the spread of the confiagration.

Referring to the drawings and to Figs. land 2, a is the roof of the building having the centrally arranged vent hole I) in the ridge thereof, 0 is a cylindrical vent pipe extending through the vent hole b and rigidly secured to the roof therearound and having the openings ll therethrough beneath said roof and the openings 6 therethrough above said roof.

f is a hood secured on the top of the vent pipe c protecting the openings 6 from the weather conditions. Said vent pipe 0 has an annular flange g at the lower end thereof.

h is a sleeve closed at the lower end and having the inturned flange i at the upper end and sliding up and down over the lower portion of the vent pipe 0 and in its upper position completely covering in the openings d in the said vent pipe.

j is a pulley turning in suitable bearings in the bracket 7c secured to the under side of the roof of the building close to the vent pipe 0.

l is a bracket secured to the under side of the roof of the building and extending downwardly therefrom and having a hollow cylindrical boss at at the lower end thereof. v i

n is a latch bolt slidably arranged in the boss at and is spring held in its forward position by a suitable spring ensconced within the said cylindrical boss and having an eye lug 0 at the outer end thereof. The inner end p of the latch 71 is beveled to the under side and the said latch adapted to co-act with a lug or bracket q secured to the sleeve h preferably mid-way of its length.

1' is a pulley journaled in suitable bearings in the bracket 3 secured to the under side of the roof of the building and preferably in line with the eye lug 0 of the latch n.

t is a wire cable secured to the eye lug 0 and extending over the pulley 1' and continued downwardly along the roof and walls of the building through suitable pulleys or guides, as the case may be, to a convenient point and may be readily reached on the occasion of a fire, from any height in the building. Thus it will be seen that the latch n may be operated, say from the ground floor of a building, and as the normal position of the latch is beneath the bracket (1 for supporting the sleeve h in its upward position covering the vent holes d, any pull on the cable 12 will release the latch from engagement with the bracket q and allow the sleeve h to drop and uncover the openings 01 and allow free passage for the air or gas in the building through the vent pipe 0.

The lifting of the sleeve h into its upward position to cover the openings d is accomplished by pulling on a cable u extending through suitable guides and pulleys say to the ground floor of the building, or any suitable point. The said cable extending over the pulley j and being securely attached to the sleeve h at 1). When the sleeve h is lifted to its upward position the latch n will spring over the beveled surface of the bracket q into its place beneath said bracket and the cable it is then loosened so as to allow the said sleeve h to be dropped by pulling on the cable t. This style of vent valve is considered the most suitable as it is situated at the peak of the roof of the building and therefore at the most suitable point for a flue to-be, particularly in buildings having gable roofs. Of course'this is not so essential in many classes of buildings and therefore it is advisable to have different forms of valves for the vent holes.

In Fig. 3, I have shown an opening to through the stretch of roof :6. This opening is covered by a flap valve y finding its seat on the ring 2 encircling the opening to. The valve y is hinged at 2 in the brackets 3 immediately adjacent to the ring z. The valve y has dependingfrom its under surface in proximity to the outer edge thereof, the hook shaped lug 4.

5 is a bracket secured to the underside of the roof and 6 is a spring latch supported in the bracket 5 and having an eye lug '7 at its outer end and a beveled shaped catch at its inner end engaging the hook shaped lug 4.

8 is a cable secured to the eye lug 7 and extending through suitable guides to any point in the building where it is desirable to operate the device from, preferably the ground floor.

'9 is an arm having a curved inner end and rigidly secured in a lug 10 on the inner face ofthe valve y and extending outwardly therefrom and terminating in the weight 11 adjacent to the inner surface of the roof of the building, said weight having the eye 12 rigid therewith. 4

13 is a cable secured to the eye 12 and extending over the pulley 14 journaled in the bracket 15 secured to the under surface of the roof of the building and continuing through suitable guides to the ground fioor or other desirable part of the building.

It will be thus seen that on the release of the latch 6 from engagement with the lug 4 by pulling on the cable 8, the weight 11 on the arm 9 will drop the said arm downwardly and as the said arm is rigid with the valve y the effect of the dropping of the said arm is to throw the valve outwardly, that is, swing the said valve on its hinges. This will have the effect of opening the vent hole and providing a flue for the escape of the combustion and other poisonous gases. The cable 13 is of course left loose'so that the arm 9 will be free to'swing downwardly. In order to close the valve y the cable 13 is pulled from any desired'place which brings the weight back into its upward position. The beveled portion of the hook lug 4 will push the spring latch backas it drops downwardly and the said latch will spring over the hooked portion of the said lug and hold the valve securely in position. The cable l3may then be loosened and the device left in readiness for use.

The form of valve shown in Figs. 3 and 4 is only one of many forms of flap valves which may be used, as in Fig. 5,. a hooded pipe 16 is shown projecting from the vent hole and a flap valve 17, hinged in proximity to said pipe on the under portion of the roof. The valve 17 is simply pulled to itsseat by the cable 18 and held in place by the spring latch 19 which engages a lug 20 on the edge of said valve and the said latch operated to release the said valve by pulling on the cable 21. Of course this simple form of valve would only do under certain conditions, as well finished buildings of a permanent nature would require a more positive operation in the opening and closing of the emergency flue.

In fire fighting the greatest difliculty is experienced in getting at a fire where it works its way between the strapping and the plaster and the cause of this invariably is the spread of the combustion gases which are generated in all fires throughout wall and other spaces. The distribution of these gases within the building, no matter whether in the floors or the walls or any other spaces, is the means of extending a conflagration and seriously interfering with the efforts of the firemen. In order to findthe properand natural vent for these gases a flue is opened at'a point where they naturally would collect, that is, in the top of the building. In any event the draft created by the flue or flues, as described in the present specification, ch'aws the explosive and combustion gases from any part of the building thus, as before explained, localizing the fire and rendering the work of the fire fighters comparatively easy and preventingthem from being overcome with poisonous-gases which is such a common occurrence.

It need hardly be mentioned that the dense smoke so dangerous to the fire fighters and making it so difficult to locate the fire is almost entirely eliminated by opening up the vent hole or holes in the roof of the building.

What I claim as my invention is:-

1. In a vent for the escape of combustion gases in burning buildings, a gravity operating member normally in an upper position and closing the opening leading to and through the roof, a spring latch retaining said member in its upper position, a cable attached to said latch for releasing the aforesaid member and opening the vent, and a cable attached to said member for hauling the same to its upper and locked position, substantially as described.

2. In a'vent for the escape of combustion gases in burning buildings, the combination with a cylindrical casing projecting through the roof of the building, of a weighted valve closing the opening through said casing and roof, a spring held latch bolt having a beveled lip facing downwardly, a latch member rigid with said valve and co-acting with said beveled lip, means for hauling said valve up \vardly and bringing said latch member into engagement with said beveled lip, and instantaneous means for releasing said latch bolt and dropping said valve unretarded, substantially as described.

Signed at the city of Kingston, in the county of Frontenac, Province of Ontario, in the Dominion of Canada, this 23rd day of October, 1906.

JOHN ELMER.

Witnesses:

MABELLE GAUDREAU, INA L. MILLER.