USRE6239E - Improvement in electro-magnetic fire-alarm telegraphs for cities - Google Patents

Description

tern in its five principal parts, namely:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM F. OHANNING, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, AND MOSES G. FARMER, OF SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS.

|MPROVEMENT IN ELECTROMAGNETIC FIRE AEARM TELEGRAPHS FOR CITIES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 17,355, dated May 19, l857 extended seven years reissue N0. 6,239,1lated January 19, 1875; application filed December 18, 1874.

DIVISION A.

'To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM F. GHAN- NING,'of Providence, Providence county, State of Rhode Island, and MOSES G. FARMER, of

Salem, county of- Essex, Stateof-Massachu setts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Telegraphs and Telegraphic Machinery,' which we call the American Fire-Alarm Telegraph and we do hereby declare that the same is fully described and represented in the following specifications and the accompanying drawings, letters, figures, and references thereto.

The invention embodied in said telegraph, which we intend to claim in this division of this reissue as new, relates only tothe signal system and the alarm system, proper, so called, hereinafter described. ut as these two systems are in some measure dependent upon the other inventions,-which we claim in separate divisions of this reissue, we willdescribe substantially the entire organization of the said telegraph, as by so doing the construction and functions 'of the devices claimed in this division will be more readily and fully understood.

The accompanying drawings represent on a small scale a general view of the American fire-alarm -telegraph, or telegraphic alarm Cslys he signal-station, shown by section A; the central statiomshown by section B; the alarmstation, shown by section (J; 'the signal-circuit, the portionof which between the stations is shown by thelines i 1770 k and the alarmcircuit, the portion of which between the stations is shown by the lines 1) D. E E. These drawings also show the connection and mutual dependence of said-parts.

The object of the'America-n fire-alarm telegraph is to give an instantaneous and definite audible alarm, either general or local, in a city or town, in case 0t fire, and to designate the locality of the fire.

The object-of the signal-station is to indicate, by recorded or audible signals, the existence and locality of a fire in its neighborhood to the central station, and to other signal-stations. The number of signal-stations in the fire-telegraph system should, therefore, be multiplied in proportion to the size of the city or town, in order to place one within a suitable distance of every house.

The object of the central station is to receive inteiligenceof the existence and locality of a fire from a signal-station in the neighborhood of a fire, and to give a corresponding audible public alarm, through the alarm and signal stations by means of machinery operated or controlled by telegraphic action or influence emanating from the central station.

The object of the alarm-station, which is usually a belfry or bell-tower, is to-gi-ve public alarm by means of blows upon a bell struck by machinery, the action of which is controlled from-the central station by telegraph.

instead of a belhother suitable mechanism for producing sound may be substituted, the same being called into action or controlled from the central station by telegraph.

The function of the signal-circuit is to connect telegraphically one or more signal-stations with a central station, and with each other, or simply to connect signal-stations with each other, and to combine any or all of such stations into a signal system for signalizing alarms of fire. Y

The function of the alarmcircuit s'to connect telegraphically one or more alarm-stations with a central station, and with each other, so as to combine such stations into an alarm system for giving public alarm-sin case of fire.

We will now describe in detail the several parts of the machinery and apparatus belonging to the system or telegraph, inorder to enable those skilled in electromagnetism to construct and use our invention.

Section A, Figure 1, represents the'appa' ratus of a signal-station. h represents a bell or othersonorous piece of metal, whichis struck by a'hammer on the end of the armature f of the electro-magnet e. g is a spring, which forces the armatnre-leverf back against the dividual teeth of the groups.

bell h, when the electro-magnet e is discharged.v e c is a break-circuit k'ey, closing the circuit when pressing against-the anvil d. This key is operatedby the action of the circuit-wheel b, which is mounted on a shaft, 8, and turned or caused to rotate by means of the-crank a, either with or without the'intervention ofintel-mediate gearing. Upon the circuit-wheel are represented two groups of teeth, which groups are separated from each other by spaces greater than the spaces which separate the in- One of these groups may, by the number ofits teeth, represent the number of the fire-district in which the signal-station is situated. Theother group may, by conventional agreement, represent the number of the signal-station itself in that district. Instead of the arrangement for breakin g and closing the circuit which has been above described, any equivalent or known form and arrangementof circuit-breaker and spring may be used, constructed, and arranged to produce the same effect.

The sign al-station consists of the signalizing apparatus described, which may be located in or, near an engine-house. The-signal-circuit consists of electrical conductors extending betweenand passing through one or more signalstations, and usually through a central station'embra'eingnll, and uniting all, suc'hsignal-stations and the receiving instruments at such central stations into a systemof sign'aliZ- ing alarms of fire. It may consist, however, of conductors connecting and including, signalstations alone, without inclndinga central station, so that an alarm would be signalized from ouetolall the othersbymeansof thecircuit- Wheel in the station giving the alarm, and by means of the magnet and bells in all the oth ers.

The conductors of the signal-circuit consist usually of telegraphic wires suitably insulated. It is advisable to use duplicate wires, Fig. l, i t k k, following diflerent routes between all the stations, so as to lessen greatly the probability of interruption from accident or design.

In somecases threefold or manifold wires might be used.

To make-interference with the circuits more difficult, the use of the ground as part 'of any circuit'inaywith advantage be entirely dispensed with. In the drawings the conductors of the signal-circuit it"lt k are represented as connecting only one signal-station and the alarm-station. It is in tended that two or more signal-station's shall be included in the same circuit, and the conductors of such circuit may connect not only the nearest signal-stationwith the central station, but neighboring signal-stations with each other.

' There may be several signal-circuits radiating like the petals of a flower from the central station, or otherwise, and on each of-these sigrial-circuits there may be one or manysi'gnalstations 5 but the whole of such circuits and signal-stations, however divided or varied in ly divided into several fire-districts, in each of which maybe one or more signal-stations duly numbered or otherwise designated.

The receiving apparatus at the central station consists, in general, of a galvanic battery, I, or other generator of electric currents, an electro-magnet, 0, with its armature hammer and spring p q, and a small hell, i", or its equivalent. If desirable,a .dot and-linefiegister or reeordin g instrumentniay be added in anyofthe well-known ways. There is also'a key, m m, which is conveniently used both to correspond with the signal-stations and also to indicate by the number of taps on the'keym m, and" by the corresponding action of the armatures and bells in the signal-stations, the number, of the signal station which originated the alarm. The transmitting apparatus of the central' station consists in general of a galvanic battery, 0, section B or its equivalent, an automatic or other-apparatus, A fAB, for connecting at suitable times I and intervals the-.alarm-battery O-with'the wiresE E D I) of the alarm circuit or circuits.. A simple form of this apparatus maybe a crank, A, a circuit-wheel, A, and spring '13, the circuit-wheel having a number of teeth, A, corresponding with the number of the district to be indicatedon the bells, and these teeth, by the rotation of the wheel, coming into contact withspring B, and thereby connecting one pole of the bat tey G with the alarm-circuit --D I), the other pole of the battery 0 being already connected with the return part (so to-speak) E E of the alarm -circuit.

Wherea city is of great extent, or where for any reason it may be desirable, two or more central stations may beus'ed instead of a single central station. Central stations may also sometimes beconrcniently combined with an alarm-station. p

The alarm-circnitcousists of electrical conductors extending between and including one or more alarmrstations and the transmitting instruments of the central station. These conductors are usually duplicate and well, insulated telegraphic wires between the stations, as in thesignal-circuit already described, their object andeflect being to establishtelegraphic communications between the stations, and to conncctthe functions ofthe transmitting in-.

struments of the central station with those of the alarm machinery at the alarm station. There may be several alarm-circuits, each including several alarm'circuit's, in the vsame way as there may be severalsignal-circuits.

In the drawings, the conductors of .the alarmcircuit, Fig. 1,-D D E E, are represented as connecting one alarm-station with the central station. If more than one alarm-station is included in the same alarm-circuit it will be understood that the conductors of the alarm-circuitwill connect not only the nearest alarmbe united at the central station, so as to con.

stitute really but a single electrical circuit; or the some electrical impulse may be sent over them, each in rapid succession, whereby a great saving of electrical power may beattained, and the practical result of nearly synchronous action at the alarm-stations be still preserved. In either case they constitute one alarm system. The alarm-circuits may be divided or varied in arrangement for purposes of convenience and economy of construction, and each circuit may include any desirable number" of alarmrstations, butthey still .constitute, iflcohnectcd with the central station, one alarm system, and a part or the whole of this system may be called into action at once, according as it is desired to give a partial or general alarm of fire in a city forthe better accomplishment of the purpose of municipal organization set forth.

For a full and exact description of the kind of apparatus suitable to be used at the alarmstations, reference is had to Letters Patent No. 8,920, which were granted to MosEs G. FARM- ER, aforesaid, by the United States government on the 4th day of May, 1852.

But, for the sake ofexhibitingthe machin cry in its connection, a simple form of the electromagnetic alarm-bell apparatus mentioned above is represented in the drawings, but no detailed description thereof is deemed necessary here.

Toshow the opera-tion and connection of the several parts of our system, suppose a fire is discovered in the vicinity of the signal-station representedin-section A, an authorized personsay, a watch man--open s" the signal-box, and turns the crank a'ten or twenty times moderately fast. The teeth b b on thecircuit-wheel, in the course of its revolution, depress the key 0 c, and in this manner break and restore the circuit at definite intervals and adefinite number of times, the key returning by its own elasticity, and

thus closing the" circuit when not depressed by the teeth b b". The breaking and restor-v ing the circuit by the operation of V the signalwheel I) and key 0 0 causes the electromagnet and armature .at the central station, by repeated strokes on the bell 'r, to indicate to the v operator there the number of the district and station whence the alarm originates, and also gives the like indication at each signal-station on the line.

The operator at the central station, upon thus-"learning the existence and locality of the .tire, puts in motion the transmitting apparatus A A B, and thereby causes the bells at the alarm-station to indicate, by the number of their strokes, the localitywhence the alarm originates.

The operator may also tap on the key m m the number of the signal-station originating the alarm, and thereby repeat .the indications,

thus given on the linewhere the alarmoriginates over all the other lines, or telegrap other intelligence. The firemen may thus be able at onceto take their engines, bythe nearest route, to the fire.

, It has been stated that for the sake of more perfect security it is better to construct both the signal and alarm circuits with double wires, running by diiferent routes,,as represented at 4; 72 k k and E E D D. The arrangement of these duplicate conductors may be varied for open or closed circuits, in

"connection with the apparatus at the stations, .iumodes-whieh would readily suggest them selves to any persou conversant with electromagnetic telegraph apparatus.

The conductors oi the American fire-alarm telegraph may be carried; duly insulated, on

' posts through the streets, or under ground;

but may be, preferably, carried over the tops of houses, where they are less liable to in-' ury.

We do not, in this division, claim the union signal system and the alarm system with a central station; nor do we claim, by themselves, the circuit-wheel and accompanying mechanism constituted and arranged to antomati'cally restore the circuit to its normal condition after being broken or closed, for the purpose of signaliiing'; nor by themselves an elect-ro-circuit and one'or more sounding mechanisms and a circuit-wheel controlling the circuit to occasion the produ'cing,-by the said mechanism, a determinate 'series of and- 'ible signals; nor the two or more groups of circuit-breaking orcircuit-closingpoints, as described, the same being reserved for other divisionsof this reissue.

What we do claim is- 1. The signal system herein described, consisting of a series of signal-stations scattered at inter vals through a whole city or town, or any part thereof, and, telegraphically'connected with a common center or point, or with each'other, by one or more signal-circuits, by which means a constant communication may be established and maintained between all parts of a city or town, however exgtended, and with the center or centers at which the signal circuit or circuits-converge or meet,-so that the moment a fire occurs its existence and locality may at once be known at the center of the system, and efforts for sub- -duing it be properly directed.

2. The alarm system herein described, consisting of a series of alarm-stations suitably distributed throughout a. whole city or town, or any part thereof, and telegraphically connected with a central station by one or more alarm circuits, by which means a public alarm of the existence and locality of the fire may be given at different points.

' WM. F. GHANNING.

MOSES G. FARMER. Witnesses:

J. P. FITCH,

J As. M. GARDINER'.

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