US871105A - Automatic sprinkler. - Google Patents

Description

PATEHTED Nov. 19, 1907 v 0. E. BUELL.

AUTOMATIC SPRINKLER. APPLICATION FILED MAY 18, 1897.

UNITED I STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. BUELL, OF NORTH PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL FIRE EXTINGrUISHER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

AUTOMATIC SPRINKLER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. Patented Nov. 19, 1907.

Application filed May 18. 1897- Serial No. 637.116.

- To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. BUELL, of

North Plainfield, Somerset county, State of My invention consists, primarily, in the combination with a sprinkler of a valve provided with one or more projecting portions inoperative relation to a heat actuated motor that is adapted to move the said valve when acted upon by the heat of a fire.

My invention further consists in the combination with a charge of explosive material in a fire extinguishing device, of a mechanism for igniting said explosive material; the said igniting member being adapted to be joined to the said charge as an independent member, all substantially as hereinafter clescribed.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1.-

- shows an automatic sprinkler having a valve I V. closing an outlet in a diaphragm, and held to its seat by a fusible fastening and a metal'cap m. over the valve V. and beneath the fastening f. ascrew S. for adjusting the pressure upon the assembled .parts, and a cartridge holder C. containing a charge of explosive material C. therein that is adapted to be fired bya temperature'greater than that required to melt and release the fusible fastening f. and when fired to force the valve V. from its seat, if, for any cause, it should have been adhered thereto, and not discharged when the fastening f. melts and releases the said valve V. Fig. 2. shows a cartridge holder C". as described, and Fig. 3. shows a modified form of such a cartridge holder C". Fig. 4. shows a sprinkler having its valve'V. seated upon the nozzle N. Fig. 5 shows in 'perspective the two separated members of the strut. Fig. 5 shows a vertical. sectional View of the strut. Fig. 6 shows the valve V provided with the projecting member. Fig. 6 shows a modification of valve V. Fig. 7. shows a cartridge C. for use in said projection. Fig. 8. shows a primer mechanism for use in connection with the charge of explosive'C. Fig. 9. shows'a modified form of sprinkler having a primer mechanism in operative relation to the explosive charge. Fig. 10. shows a primer mechanism in sectional view for use with an explosive charge, and Fig ll shows a modification of the same.

Fig. 1. is a view in cross-section of a sprinphragm, a metal follower on said valve a fusible fastening resting in said follower, and a screw 5- passing through the yoke, for adjusting pressure against said fastening. A

located in the sprinkler in a manner to exert a lifting pressure against the valve V. when the charge in holder 0. is fired by the action of heat.

Fig. 2. shows the cartridge holder C. as an independent member that is adapted to 'be inserted in the assembled structure of the sprinkler. I

Fig. 3. shows a cartridge holder C of explosive, and adapted to be inserted in a V.-, and when acted upon by'heat to exert a lifting pressure against said valve V.

Fig. 4.- shows a spri kler having a nozzle N. closed by valve V. which is held toflits seat by the fastening f. The valve V is provided with a hole 7' and the sprinkler body is contains a charge 0.

Fig. 5 and 5* shows the fusible fastening f. consisting of the member '1. supported upon the member 2. on which last named the pivoted member 1. is provided with a folded portion fthat is adapted to fit around the projection on member 2. and the two members thus disposed are soldered together with an easily fusible solder along their contacting surfaces. -A drop of solder is also shown at 01;. where the supported member is pivoted on the supporting member.

Fig. 6. shows a valve V. having a projecting portion with a hole therethrough at 71, and a gasket V. to facilitate the formation of a proper joint between the valve and its seat. In the modified form ofthe valve. V shown in Fig. 6", the projecting portion carries a cup-like tridge C. The cartridge C. of Fig. 7'. is fitted into a'cavity in the body'of the sprinkler, or in the invertedcup-likepart of the projection sprinkler in operative relation to the valve kler with its valve V. seated upon a diacartridge holder C". containing a charge C. is

modified form, for containing a charge C. of

provided with a projecting portion C which member there is a deflected portion f. and

part U for receiving a car- [on the valve Y.. and together with it is a I P. which is screwed into the enlarged-part of spring C that fits with the cartridge C. in

said cavity, or cup, and will give a pressure to the released movable parts of the sprinkler if the adhesion is'nottoo great, but if the valve is'not moved by the spring it will be when the explosive charge is fired by an increase of temperature.

There is 'ahole j. in'the projection of valve V.. and the primer mechanism shown g-bole, and to stand upright by the side of the fastening p consists 0 a tube e. filled with chlorate of The contents of the bulb d.

potash and sugar entering intothe bulb (1.,

\ and its end covered with a protecting layer foflgaraffin g. and over this a quantity of nf-airrthe, tp' e sets oii the charge in the.

ric acid. The lower 'end of tube e. is. adapted to enter into 'a cartridge C.-, or upon the copper shell which contains a'primer of fulminate of mercury,- and when fire heats the devieethus arranged, the ignited charge .-"cavity, oinverted cup, for generating pressure to lift the valve V.

prising a copper'shell having a-fulminate of v -,mercury timer; and a'charge of gimpowder therein, t e charge of chloratenf/potaslf'and sugar-can be omitted, antl r the sulfuric acid.

be allowed toflow u'pon theicopper over the ful1ninate,'when theparafiin is melted at 9., and by the heat. which willbe generatedby the already heatedacid-acting upon the co per, the fulminate will be ignited, and the charge of explosive will be fired, exerting. the

desired pressure.

glass, orlined with a non-corrodible-material.

In Fig-Q. there is shown a modified form of the sprinkler shown in Figs. 1. and 4. and.

described.

sprinkler is rovided with an enlarged body portion in W i'ch is inserted a cartridgeC. at- C. thatis adapted to be fired by heat, and

to lift againstthe projecting part of the valve V. for vnseating the valve-if it should I be adhered when-the fusible fastening f; is

melted. .The cartridge, or charge C. is ,a co per shell with a fulminate primer in" the enlarged portion thereof, adapted to ignite at a'te'mperature slightlyabove the boiling point of Water. A hole in the projection-on the valve is filled with an easily ignited compound that is in contact with .the copper shell and takes fire by being exposed'to a temperature that is slightly above. normal,

' and when on fire causes the copper shell to Whenv the bulb thus arranged is used with a cartridge coni- I When the action of acid. upon the copper is desired the acid to be used is preferably nitric acid. The bulb is of:

. The valve V is seated uponthe ,HOZZlB N. and has a projecting part, and the the body ofthe sprinkler in a manner tobe in communication'with theexplosive charge therein marked 6., and. this mechanism is adapted tov be set to go ofl' at'a desired temperature for firing the lifting charge. When a parafiin seal isused, as in the bulb Fig. 8.

the point of ignition is about 140 FalL-the "employment of the massof ignitible com pound at j. can be 160 ,Fah. and the firing point of the primer mechanism P. can be at any desired point from 155.F ah. to 360 Fahl, or even'higher, if desired.

The primer mechanism P. is shown inde tail in Figs.;10 and 11. In Fig. 10. the pri-' mer is a friction tube that consists of'the fuse e. consisting'of a tube containing a powder which will be fired by friction; in the powder contained in'the tube is a wire, or lunger, carrying a cover for the tube,'and eneath the coveron the wire, as shown, and

surrounding the tube,'is a compressed spring that is held compressed by the cover K'. which is forced into the position shown, and

. held in sucliposition by being soldered to the containing case, at x by an easily f'used.sol.

der that can be made to melt at. various degrees of temperature, and when melted will release the compressed sp'ring' S, and sud-- 'denly raise the cover K. and attached friction plunger through themass of friction powder in tube e. firing the powder, and igniting and firingthe charge of explosives that is in communication with it. Theprim'er mechanism thus constructed and arranged is adapted to be secured to the sprinkler. after it has been placed in position, or-has been received at the place whereit is to be placed in use, with advantages overt-he shigment of; sprinklers that have an easily ed primer, and a charge of explosive in the assembled sprinkler.

There are advantages in being able to provide a primer mechanism which can .be held by solder; that can be set' to go at a desired degree of temperature byvarying the nielt-.

ing point of the retainer solder that is used. The form of primer-meohamsm shown 1n Fig. 11. cons sts of a percussionmember e.

ion

with a spring hammer it held in the position shown by the compressed spring S. retained by being soldered at the-point act-by therod of the hammer passing through the cover at g. and being'soldered therein.

A screwthreaded portion-is shown on the exterior of the primer-mechanism P. shown in Figs. 10. and 11. by'which means the device can be secured in a sprinkler, as de-' scribed. .T here 1s shown in Fig.9. asecond pro ect1on on the valveover a second en lar ed portion of the body of the sprinkler an a cartridge Ot that contains an expanding substance which will exert a pressure heneath and against the valve V. when the sprinkler is subjected to the heat of a fire.

and, unlike a spring that is compressed, the

condition of the expanding body is not changed bythe lapse of time.

The pruner-meehanism can lnvolve the releaseof a liquid, or acid that will flow to act upon suitable material for causing an ignition, or the mechanism can depend'for motion upon a fusible fastening that is normally held by a solder which, in its normal operation, releases a friction, or percussion exploder, and the mechanisms thus arranged can be secured upona sprinkler, or other device, in communication with an explosive charge, as described. The firing mechanism thus organized is adapted to be secured upon the exterior of the sprinkler where it is readily reached. by the heat of an incipient fire, and is detachably secured to the sprinkler.

The explosive charge can be further secured against failure to ignite at low temperatures, by mixing fragments of glass, and unequally expanding material, in the fulminatc portion of the cartridge that is used, and by multiplying the means for the early firing 'of the explosive charge to secure against failure te'produce the discharge.

By the employment of the frictional primer-meclianism the parts employed can be of lighter weight than when a percussion primer is used, and good results beobtained. The spring shown can be a. compound spiral that at normal temperatures will not be under tension, but will be given a tension when heat acts thereon and causes the unequal expansion of the compound spiral to create tension therein.

What I claim, is

1. An automatic sprinkler having a valve closing its outlet, a fusible fastening for said valve, and a removable cartridge in an opening in said sprinkler body at one side of the valve and adapted to exert a tipping pressure on the valve when acted upon by heat, substantially as ('lescribed.

2. An. automatic sprinkler having a valve closing its outlet, a fusible fastening for said I valve, a projection on the valve at one side.

thereof in operative relation to a thermally ignited charge, and a removable primer in operative relation to said thermally ignited charge, substantially as described.

3. An automatic sprinkler having its outlet held normally closed by a fusible fastening, a projection on the valve at one side thereof and in operative relation to a thermally ignited charge, and at the other side thereof a projection from the said valve to a thermally expanded charge, the said thermally ignited and expanded charges being adapted to exert pressure for lifting said valve when acted upon by heat,substantially as described.

4. A removable cartridge for an automatic sprinkler comprising a firing mechanism actuated by a spring which is held under tension by an easily fusible material, substantially as described.

5. A removable cartridge for an automatie'sprinkler comprising a tube filled with powder, a friction plunger held in place in the bottom of said powder filled tube by' a spring, said spring being held under tension by solder and the whole inelosed in a casing adapted to be securral to a sprinkler, substantially as described CHARLES E. BilElJl.

Witnesses:

A. C. BUELL, WM. C. -BUELL.

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