AUTOMATIC FIRE ALARM,

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 750, 24 February 1910, Page 8

AUTOMATIC FIRE ALARM,

"■ A;f-' , A DEMONSTRATION.

Simplicity,' sensitiveness and. reliability, .are claimed as..the:chief features: of the' Eeio'Hl : kdteifla,tio : !fife'alam/.wMcL has, ' just .''been installed'in "Messrs.!. Sharland and ,Co.'s. premises, and'-a de'mbhstratidri. rather, : .the 'presoktatiyea' of- ' various ' insurance.com-., ipanies ; arid ' local' business men- seemed' irather to - prove "the' effectiveness of . the inew invention: • The; alarm works, on.a 'novel' application' of a well-known; -principle,' :that.-; of thermo-eleotrioity, /in wliioh'ja current,;of. electricity. is generated by- direct; application of heat to certain: metals.' Anyone .who . has seen !a thermopile' ;in .the physics class .of a .university:, .college ••• .will .understand.,, .The,, principle.,-is. more ,than. a quarter .of "a" century, old, but is , now making its way-'in commerce. Yesterday's,'denionstration.;'was a.very good'''one.; : A' ..fixe ,'jrjis: set', going, amongst, s»mo".iitet# > ',tituafed abput If feet',away; from"the-nearest. thermopile, in the. base-.i merit; of 'MesCTs'.;,Sh^lai , d,,and,,Cp.'s : ,:'p're-;. misei:/Notwithstanding ' the.-faot'. : ,th'at : soveral windows-. and the main cart. en■:.tranoe, wersVallowed. !to remain openduring' the. trial;; theVtemperature .rqse~,one, and a - half .-rdegrees,"' and " iii' 35'. seconds' from :the' : , starting:.of the 'fire the '"alarm tell was' elangirig> - A second, trial- with the windows ;closed' saw;the alarm given in 31 : of-a,fraction over one degree, in-'the temperature was recorded.! , -Si ,'Mr.'L.'Ti Reicliel, late chief' electrician to the: Public .'^Vorks who I is" : the: inventor of !the alarm, described the inve'ntion.'to, the gathering,' arid pointed .'oufc'that,'in "spite;of its' simplicity as, rampared with- other the' alarm' would cost nothing, for. maintenance, and. could not give' a falso call. In the 'Keichel;'system : , ! there is'no Expansion' oflmetals p'r' flui4s,,.6r :fuiing 'of,' wires' as" in'nearly every other, electrid;, i system'^' No'battery' is ' required -to oper- • ate the indicators.- The hot. air. strikes upon, the \ thermopiles 1 ; and' generates- ;ai current : of electricity!• strongs enough "to. close a relay, circuit, .which, brings; the, alarm.bells into action,'and calls up';the brigade. The (thermopiles themselves are about' four'iriches.'i'n diameter, and con-.: sisf of. ; ,a number' of' thermo-couples,' of li dissimilar-metals", which are! mounted; on a' porcelaiiL-base-'- vEortiori 'of the' metals' is'sunk in Jhe porcelain, ;and the .balance is ! exposed.- : ; When an .outbreakof ;fire' ; i causes' a', in temperature; between the exposed' and the hidden metals,; the;:di£fDreuM,'cau!'is : a Current, of electricity .to.'.flow': : Thi,s : actuates; the; alarm., Like every-promising new invention the, .alarm 'is causing a: good deal of interest, "and' it- is : generally) pronounoed ■ "a; good' thing." It 1 , can* be' fitted anywhere. The: system ..was given ; a , five i months', 'trial in the; Government :Buildirigs, ; and won the strong approval of llr. Holmes, . and Captain ; Hugo,. Superintendent" of Fire Brigades. \ The fitting up of i Messrs.; bharland a.nd ; Co.'s premises is, however;, the; fiist complete installation in' New &aland;" In; all; there are 53. thermopiles in\ the; building,- - ahd as * near.', as possible 400 square "feet', has -been left' for 'each • one, 'as, required' by" the underwriters' I 'regulations! "The York Buildings', -iri; Jtanneis Street;- are also' to' 1 be fitted" with.' the ' Eeichel- sys-' tem; :under: thev direction of Messrs; H; : A'.' Smith aud' C 0.,, electricians, "Lower Ciibiv Street, lofcal ;agorits'"for; the, -Eeichel' Com-:' pany. ' - ' : y The UeicKel "Automatic Fire Alarm ! Co.",' Ltd.;' insert a UaOO.challengo iri this issue' to any: other- autoinat-ic fire alarm!,company to a public'.'competition-to be, .conducted ' under.'; the. 1 direction arid-' super-' vision of ah independent comiriittee, 1 the.' competition to; determine (1) sensitiveness,": (2) facility, of testing wiring, (3), immunity 'from false alarms,"(4) cost of..installation and maintenance,?and any other qualifica-". tions the .committee may, Require; -.'- The conditions of the .challenge are advertised! , ": ~ ; , '