Sprinkler Head Types

Sprinkler Head Types

In 1812, British inventor Sir William Congreve patented a manual sprinkler system using perforated pipes along the ceiling. When someone noticed a fire, a valve outside the building could be opened to send water through the pipes.^[2]

A large furniture factory had repeatedly burned down, and Hiram Stevens Maxim was consulted on how to prevent a recurrence. As a result, Maxim invented the first automatic fire sprinkler. It would douse the areas that were on fire, and it would report the fire to the fire station. Maxim was unable to sell the idea elsewhere, but when the patent expired the idea was used.^[3][4]

Henry S. Parmalee of New Haven, CT created and installed the first automatic fire sprinkler system in 1874, using solder that melted in a fire to plug holes in the otherwise open water pipes. At the time he was the president of Mathusek Piano Works. Parmelee invented his sprinkler system in response to exorbitantly high insurance rates. Parmelee patented his idea and had great success with it in the U.S. Parmelee called his invention the "automatic fire extinguisher".^[5] He then traveled to Europe to demonstrate his method to stop a building fire before total destruction.

Sprinkler Head Types

Sprinkler Head Types

Sprinkler Head Types

Sprinkler Head Types

Sprinkler Head Types

Sprinkler Head Types

Sprinkler Head Types

Sprinkler Head Types

Sprinkler Head Types