Fire Extinguisher Innovative History
By Dmitri Marrero and Nathan Inumerable
The First
Created and patented by Ambrose Godfrey (1723), the very first fire extinguisher was an odd design indeed. Contained inside the cask (unknown material) was fire-extinguishing liquid. Using gunpowder and a system of fuses, when ignited, the liquid would be sent outward in a sort of explosion. Supposedly not very helpful. We were unable to find a image. Even now, chemical engineering
was the most prevalent discipline, despite the
time. As chemical knowledge progressed, so did
fire extinguishers.
Addressing Needs
Fire extinguishers were created to combat fires. There wasn’t a whole lot one person could do when in a room engulfed by fire. Using an extinguisher, an individual could repel or even terminate a fire.
Before:
Now:
The Beginning Of Modern Extinguishers
The first recorded “modern” fire extinguisher was made by George William Manby in 1818 It improved upon the previous ten fold! The copper receptacle contained three gallons of potassium carbonate (a substance that retains moisture when exposed to the atmosphere, deliquescent.) This design could be
more reliable at propelling liquid, with a more
controlled explosion inside. Presumably, the first was
not very safe.
After That, Chronologically
Francois Carlier:
Soda-acid extinguisher. Different gas, different chemical.
(1866)
Almon M. Granger
Used pressurized water to fight fires.
(1881)
Aleksandr Loran
Foam extinguisher. Shot out in jet. Improved upon firing mechanism and experimented with chemicals.(1904)
The Pyrene Manufacturing Company of Delaware. Extinguishes flame by preventing chemical reaction.(1910)
Walter Kidde Company. Extinguisher helped put out some electrical fires. (1924)
Made by DuGas. Used dry chemicals to put out fires. Used wheel to break package of chemical and pressed lever on handle to expel it. (1928)
Chemical Halon 1211 comes to the United States. (1970)
What We Use Today
Today, there is a system of letters for using fire extinguishers. Different extinguishers are used for different types of fires.
Letter Classification
Users
In a perfect world, every homeowner would own a fire extinguisher, however that is not always the case. People who do own them use them to put out a fires that start in or near their home.
Impact
The world is definitely much safer now that the public can reliably protect themselves from some fires. Being able to stop
a fire by yourself long ago
was probably next to impossible.
Because fires can start anywhere,
the lives of people were saved
everywhere.
Changes
If I could make one change to the fire extinguisher, I would probably just make it more visually appealing. I don’t know much about chemicals and such, so it’s not like I could just find a suitable substitute to be inside my extinguisher besides one of the contents that already exists.