US1190160A - Fire-extinguishing compound. - Google Patents

Description

UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK r. HARRIS, or onnnronn, NEW ERS Y. v

FIRE-EXTINGUISHING COMPOUND. A r

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

- Be it lmown that I, FRANK P. HARRIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cranford, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Extin- .guishing Compounds, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to' an im roved compound for extinguishing fires o a refractory nature, such as fires caused by burning petroleum oil, benzin, gasolene, and similar materials, and its novelty consists in the ingredients of the compound.

The principle of application of the compound consists essentially in establishing at the seat of combustion a lingering blanket ofa dry, heavy combustionarresting vapor, which is generated by throwing upon the fire a liquid capable of being volatilized by the heat of the fire, or of forming a film or blanket that shall further evolve vapors orby its own action as a retardent, smother the flames, and producing the desired heavy,

gaseous blanket after reaching or during the course of its passage toward the fire.

The compounds are further applicable to the extinguishing of fires caused by electricity and fires around electrical machinery Where the use of water would cause serious damage to the machinery and possible injury to the user.

The compound, used in forming the gase ous blanket referred to, is preferably a mixture of acetylene haloid derivatives, such as acetylene tetrabromid, diluted by the addition of other compounds, such as carbon tetrachlorid, the function of which cornpounds is that of a non-inflammable vehicle to convey the acetylene compound to the point of service;

I preferably form the compound by taking a suitable quantity of such a vehicle, for

instance, carbon tetrachlorid, adding thereto a haloid acetylene derivative, such as acetylene tetrabromid so that the acetylene derivative is about by weight of the total mass. To the compound so fdrmed there is preferably added a com ound, such as trich lorethylene, to reduce t e freezing point of- ,the resultant liquid." The fluid so formed. should be kept in asuitable container, and

be maintained therein under pressure either by the use of liquid carbonic acid or compressed air or other vapors or fluids, which Specification of Letters Patent.

' the objects upon'w will give the necessary ejecting force from the container when the compound is applied.

Patented July 4, 1916. Application filed June 2, 1914. Serial No. 842,374.

Or application of the fluid maybe had by mechanical means through the agencyof a properly made device that shall expel the fluid. When used it is forced in a stream toward the fire and its vapors, being both volatile and heavy, there is produced a blanket of dry incombustible vapor overlying the burning material, and shutting ofi the supply of air, thus effectually extinguishing the blaze by a process of smothering. This blanket, moreover, is of such a nature that it does not mingle with the vapors produced from the combustion of the burning matehave such a high specific gravity that they are not materially dissipated by the force of the draft created by such combustion as might be the case with lighter vapors.

' rial and the non-combustible vapors formed 1,

When the fluid is delivered above the burning liquids, such as gasolene or oil, the gaseous blanket immediately settles over the surface and does not materially scatter the liquid, but remains over the surface a considerable time as a heavy blanket which is incombustible and a non-supporter of combustion and an extinguisher of flame and thereby smothers the blaze,

' I do not wish to be understood as confining myself to the use of the particular in gredients mentioned for the acetylene compound or to the particular mixtures added to such compound, although-from practical experience, I have found that the use of certain mixtures, such as acetylene tetrabromid with a proper vehicle, such'as carbon tetrachlorid which is itself non-inflammable With or withoutthe addition of another compound, such as trichlorethylene to aid in the reduction of the freezing point of the resulting liquid is more effective than that of the point; The preme, no injurious affect ing no residue left and so far as known to to any fabric or material.

The fluid above described is peculiarly adaptable for the extinguishing of fires from burning petroleum distillates, such as gasolene, kerosene and lubricating oils, from the fact that the preferred form of the fluid is miscible with such liquids, whereby a stream of the extinguishing compound or fluid, delivered upon the surface of such liquid in a state of ignition would not by the force of impact penetrate through the liquid to a point beneath its surface and thus lose its efliciency. On the contrary, it is obvious that being so miscible withliquids of this class, it cannot pass through a layer of such liquid and therefore its extinguishing effect will be promoted.

What I claim is:

1. A fluid adapted'for use in extinguishing fires, comprising a haloid derivative of acetylene in a non-combustible liquid vehicle, in combination with a suitable. compound adapted to reduce the freezingpoint of the mixture.

2. A fluid adapted for use in extinguishing fires comprising a haloid derivative of acetylene in a non-combustible liquid vehicle, a compound, having a bromin radical in its structure, and a suitable ingredient adapted to reduce the freezing point of the mixture. 4

3. A fluid adapted for use in extinguishing fires comprising acetylene tetrabromid and carbon tetrachlorid.

4. A fluid adapted for use in extinguishing fires comprising acetylene tetrabromid, carbon tetrachlorid and trichlorethylene.

5. A fluid adapted for use in extinguishing fires com rising acetylene tetrabromid, carbon tetrac lorid and a noncombustible liquid adapted to reduce the freezing point of the mass.

6. A fluid adapted for use in extinguishing fires comprising acetylene tetrabromid, carbon tetrachlori bromoform.

7. A fluid adapted for use in extinguishing fires comprising a haloid derivative of acetylene a non-combustible liqui' vehicle therefor miscible with petroleum stillates, a compound having a bromin radical in its structure, and anoncombustible liquid adapted to reduce the freezing point of the mass. v

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

- FRANK P. HARRIS,

Witnesses:

ALDA' L. Mnmm, MARY H. LEWIS.

trichlorethylene and