USRE11471E - Fire-alarm apparatus - Google Patents

Description

BESTAV s. W. LUDLOW. AILABLE COP FIRE ALARM APPABATUS. No.. 11,471. Reissued Feb. 1895.

// /NI/ENTOI? eEsT AVAILABLE ooe UNITED STATES PATENT ,OFFICE 'SAMUEL W. LUDLoW,-oF MADIsoNvILLE, AssIG'NoR, BY; MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, rrov THE LUDLow CINNATI, o1-Ito,

NATIONAL IFIRE A'An-tuin COMPANY, or CIN-- rms-ALARM APPARATUS.

BPECIFICATIOlormng part of- Reissued Letters Patent No. 11,471,"dat'ed February 12, 1895.

f' Original Nu. 502,784, dated August 8, 1893. Application for reissue tiled January 19, 189,5. S'erlxl No. 535,571.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL WARWICK LUDLOW, a. citizen of the United States, residing at Madisonville, county of Hamilton, end State-of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Fire-Alarm Apparatus, of rwhich the following is a clear and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of `this specification.

' I My improvement relates to that class of 'fire-alarm apparatus in which the heat of the burningobject causes the mechanism to automatically close a circuitconveying to the lirealarm or Jtelephone'station notice of fire upon the premises upbn which my apparatus may be placed.- y

f- While my :invention is adapted for use in f connection with any suitable system of pipes in a building, it is especially intended to be Vapplied to the ordinary illuminating gas-pipe system in a building, thereby saving the ex-.

pense `ot' additional lines of pipe and producing the new and useful result of using the contents ol said pipesv for illuminating and fire-alarm purposes at one and the same time, the alarm actuating device at one'point being set in operation through the medium of the contents of such pipesby means of a pressure-inducing device or devices at other points '4 in the building, where a re takes place.

Figure lis a front view of a box containing my device with the lid 4removed and the various parts of. my mechanism in place for operation. Fig. 2 is a section on the line ca -a: of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a. section of the device for producing concussion. Fig. 4 is a view, corresponding to Fig. 3, showing a' modification.-

' Similarletters of reference lindicate identical parts.

Referring to the drawinfvs, A is a suitable` box within which is placeld my invention.l

B is a drum attached to the inside of the box at the top.

C is a pipe, gas or air pipe screwed into the various parts rot upper part of said drum, and Dis a thermostat' attached to the pipe C. The bottom or diaphragm Eof the drum B is formed of some air and water-tight material oft a'ilexi'ble na- Pivoted upon a bracket a, attached to the back of the box is a. lever b one end of. which is bent upwardand formed into a disk or button a' normally resting against the diaphragm E.

F is a ball weight hinged to the bottom of the box having secured to it' the metallic plate c. On the top 0E the ball ids a stud or, pin d engaging with the end e of the lever b and preventing the fall of the weight until releasedby the downward pressure of the diaphragm E upon the-disk a. The weight E is slightly outof the perpendicular and is prevented from falling backward by astop d' attached to the box.

.G and H are ground and main wires re spectively forming part ot a-re' alarm systern, end g and vhare binding posts to which the contacts g', h'.

The thermostat D is a receptacle containing a substance readily expandedA by heat such forv instanceas carbon-bisulphide or other volat'ile fluid, and has-secured 'to it at one end' a smaller pipe or cylinder d partly filled or vent the escape of the duid in the cylinder D until melted by the heat of the tire and is secured to the pipe C. These thermostats are placed at intervals-upon the pipes through- -out the bulding,in'which my apparatus isA` placed, in such position as to be readily'acted upon by the heat 0E the lire.

I may also employ for-the operation of my apparatus, instead of the 'thermostat above described, a tube or cylinder I containing a plunger or firingbolt J actuated by a coiled spring K, as Ishown in Fi'g. 4. The tiringbolt J is held back in position by a lug 1l upon the lplugged-with an ordinary fusing metal to prehinged edge of a lever j said lever being held up against the pressure of the spring by wax, fusing metal or the like holding atj its free end againstthe cylinder The cylin- I der I'when in position for use 1s secured to a roo projection upon the pipeC holding in a suitable vent a cartridge L as shown. y

The operation of my device isas follows: When a fire occurs in a building fitted with my apparatus, the heat reaching the thermostat melts the fusing metal'in the small pipe d and expands or vaporizes the duid in the cylinder D. This expanded or vapori-Zed fluid on its release by melting of the fusing metal rushes into and adds its volume to the contents of the pipe C compressing the contents or develops pressure therein and causing the bot' tom or diaphragm E of the drum l5 to press downward upon the disk a', depressing the disk end of the lever b and raises the end e of said lever out of engagement with the stud or pin d of the weight F releasing said weight which fallswith the metallic plate c upon the contact points g and h closingthe circuit and causing an alarm to be sounded at the re station at the other end ci? the wire H. WVher'e the device shown in 'i is employ ed a similar result is obtained by the heat of the re melting the waxorfusicg metal j holding the lever-Jl which drops, as shown in dotted lines releasing the spring K from engagement with the lug 'i said spring forcing the tire bolt J violently against the cartridge in the projectonnpon lthe pipe C, causing it to explode, the concussion producing the result 'upon the mechanism in the box A as above described.

.I have shown two forms of thermostat and Aothers might be designedwliicli employ means setin operation by abnormal heat, to induce pressure i'n the gas pipe. It is obvious that anyform of pressure inducing thermostat may be employed for eftecting'the desired result, therefo1e,I donot wish to limit myself to the particular form or arrangement of the apparatus shown. v

Having thus described myuvention, what I claim, anddesire to secureby Letters Pat` ent, is-

1. In a fire-alarm, the combination of the gas pipes containing illuminating gas in the building to be protected, means for giving an alarm exposed to pressure of 'said gas, pressure-inducing 'devices connected at various points with the pipes containing said gas, and

essi' AVAILABLE cofD1 by the pressureiudfuciug device, substantially as set forth. if

2. In a tire alarm, the combination of air or 4 meansor holding said pressure-inducing de vices normally inert till heated, whereby thegas becomes the medium for actuating the' valarm by transmission of impulses, imparted gas pipes, analarm actuating device operat- I. ing by pressure, connected to said pipe, and

a thermostat for creating said pressure consisting of an expansiblemedium normally iuactive till application of heat thereto and in communication with the pipe; and when expansion takes place adding its volume to the contents of said pipe to cause the pressure necessary to actuate the alarmas explained. 3. In a lire alarm, the combination of an alarm, adapted to be actuated by pressure, "a pipe for communicating pressure to said valarm-and a thermostat for producing pressure in the pipe, and. consisting of a receptacle containing a volatile liquid, in communication with the pipe, and a fusible medium normally closing such communication, as explained.

4. In a lirealarm, the combination of gas or air pipes, thermostats attached to said gas or air pi pes, which when actuated by heat causes -a compression or concussion in the contents of said pipes, tbe drum B having a diaphragm E exposed to the pressure in said pipes, the

iever b having a button a resting against said0 diaphragm, the weight f normally retained by said lever, contact points g', h forming terminals-in an alarm circuit and upon which 85 the weight is adapted to fall and close the circuit, substantially as explained. i-

5. A fire-alarm consisting of gas or airfpipes,

thermostats attached to said gasor air pipes in combination with the drum B having a flexible diaphragm E, the lever b actuated by said diaphragm the weight or ball F, having a stud or pin d and metallic plate c, and the contact for connection with an electric circuit and 'upon which the weight falls to close said circuit, all substantially as described.

' SAMUEL NV. LUDLOW. f

Witnesses:

H. M. STERLING,

H. S. KNIGHT.

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