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FIRE SERVICE AND GENERAL FIRE SAFETY TOPICS => Fire Safety => Topic started by: messy on February 13, 2009, 07:04:23 PM
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I have come across some publicity material for an 'antique' AFD system and wondered if anyone could date it
The Ad is for TR Services (Telephone Rentals Ltd) of Knightsbridge, London, complete with a KENsington phone No. (1471)
The ad shows a AFD system comprising of HD, bells & a ' Control and supervisory panel'. It also comes with an optional autodialler containing a vinyl disc (ie a record) with stylus on which your 999 call is recorded.
The wording of the description of the heat detector reads more like a fashion show commentary than a technical leaflet. The HD heads are described as "..attractively styled overall, with a gold anodised cap and ivory melamine base"
The blurb also states that fire losses are running a £76 million if that helps.
I guess early 1960s. Am I close???
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The heat detectors sound familiar - I seem to recall bashing some of these about in 1969 or 1970 soon after joining Fire Research when we did tests for the FOC. I have a feeling they were actually AFA ones - could TR have been part of their organisation?
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Sounds very 50's or 60's although such alarm systems did exist from the 30's (descriptions of such are in my 30's copy of the Ministry of Labour Fire Safety in Factories)
If you could scan it that would help.
I'll look in my old stuff and see if I can find any ads - Telephone Rentals is a name that rings a bell.
If anyone comes across any old literature like that mentioned above & doesn't want it for their own collection I'm always after stuff - although I'm mainly interested in extinguishers I do collect stuff about alarms & EL as well.
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Messey, TR were what their name implies but they were quite big in fire alarms right up until the late 1970s or early 1980s. They used to rent fire alarm systems over a long period, like a finance lease almost. In the 1970s as I recall they used Nittan detectors. The detector you describe is almost certainly the old Chubb rate of rise/fixed temperature heat detector, which operated on the principle of two bimetallic strips. (Ask any of the older fire safety officers in your particular FRS. Since they dont do any CPD they will probably think thats still how all heat detectors operate.) The detector was invented in the 1960s and was hailed to be state of the art technology. It was used right through the 1970s and even into the 1980s. There are still many around and they continue to operate effectively. They have the unfortunate feature of a resonant frequency (although not at a frequency used to test detectors for normal land applications) at which the bimetallic strips vibrate with excessive amplitude causing false alarms, making them unsuitable for high vibration areas on ships, but otherwise they were an excellent detector that successfully detected many fires which the greatest fire brigade in the whole of...... London no doubt extinguished with equal efficiency and 50 appliances per fire.
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Dug into my archives:
You are probably describing the DH around from the late 60's/early 1970's below:
(http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh130/contactacb/Mk2rateofrise1982chubb.jpg)
Used widely by Pyrene and then Chubb, revised twice (Mk1 & Mk2 models), used rate of rise.
Another 1960's head, make unknown:
(http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh130/contactacb/DSCF2592.jpg)
Early Gent's head from the early 60's:
(http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh130/contactacb/earlydh.jpg)
Very early style head used up to the 60's, but around from much, much earlier:
(http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh130/contactacb/DSCF1703.jpg)
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New comers on the block - the ion smokie was invented in the 40's!
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i still find the copper bottom ones retro fitted to modern panels from old 240v systems and because they are parallel connections they sit on a non addressable zone very happy until they are tested. The bi-metallic strips causes a dead short and a fault condition on the panel unless fitted with a 470 ohm or similar resistor in series.
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Dug into my archives:
You are probably describing the DH around from the late 60's/early 1970's below:
(http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh130/contactacb/Mk2rateofrise1982chubb.jpg)
Used widely by Pyrene and then Chubb, revised twice (Mk1 & Mk2 models), used rate of rise.
Another 1960's head, make unknown:
(http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh130/contactacb/DSCF2592.jpg)
Early Gent's head from the early 60's:
(http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh130/contactacb/earlydh.jpg)
Very early style head used up to the 60's, but around from much, much earlier:
(http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh130/contactacb/DSCF1703.jpg)
your last pic looks like a lovely asbestos ceiling.
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It's from a premises with ongoing issues - the asbestos is at least an FR barrier, unlike most of the premises which has nothing (but being addressed with a combination of early detection & passive upgrades).
it's true ion detection goes back further than most people think, but didn't seem to take of until the late 60s - most sites i've been to with defunct (or even live) ancient systems that had any AFD used heat.
I have photos of a very early smoke system & panel still in situ in central Newcastle which I may post to see if anyone can put an age to it.
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999 was effective from 1937 onwards so thats a benchmark , for the record side of things.
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999 was effective from 1937 onwards so thats a benchmark , for the record side of things.
I dont think it was universally available Paul, I think in our rural area we didnt get it till the exchange was updated in 1965.
Talking of the Fire Safety Antique Roadshow, has anybody got a picture of Toddy?
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AnthonyB. I reckon the one featured is the DH as in your photo. Thanks for that
And Kurnal - You better grow a beard and move to a safe house mate after that last comment!!
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Messey, the first one in anthony's pic is the one i explained. The one he refers to as make unknown is actually an afa minerva lifesaver, which too used a bimetallic strip but in the form of a coil.
Kurnal its good to know that there are still people like you around who remember fireflash, the four pennies in a pouch around the horses collar to send back the stop messages, etc, all told to me by my gradfather-perhaps you were acquainted with him?
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OK anyone know whose this old kit is?
(http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh130/contactacb/DSCF2596.jpg)
(http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh130/contactacb/DSCF2595.jpg)