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59-625: It was adopted in August 1910 and was derived from Hiram Maxim 's Maxim gun , chambered for the standard Russian 7.62×54mmR rifle cartridge. The M1910 was mounted on a wheeled mount with a gun shield . In 1918–1920, 21,000 new Maxim 1910 machine guns were manufactured in Revolutionary Russia for the Red Army. In 1930, a modernized version 1910/30 was adopted by the Red Army. M1910/30 can be equipped with optical sight . In 1941,

118-531: A mousetrap , and steam pumps . Maxim laid claim to inventing the lightbulb . Maxim experimented with powered flight ; his large aircraft designs were never successful. Circa 1904 he designed a highly successful amusement ride called the "Captive Flying Machine" to fund his research while generating public interest in flight . Maxim moved from the United States to the United Kingdom at

177-465: A wind tunnel and later building a whirling arm test rig. Construction started in 1889 of a 40-foot-long (12 m) craft with a 110-foot (34 m) wingspan that weighed 3.5 tons, powered by two lightweight naptha -fired 360-horsepower (270 kW) steam engines driving two 17-foot-diameter (5.2 m) laminated pine propellers. Conceived of as a test rig, the machine ran on an 1,800-foot (550 m) length of rail track which Maxim laid down for

236-476: A biography of his father titled A Genius in the Family , containing about 60 anecdotes of Hiram Percy's experiences with his father throughout his early life (until about age 12). Most of these short stories are entertaining; they give a reader an insider's (and a child's) view of the man's personal and family life. So Goes My Love , a film loosely based on these memoirs and starring Don Ameche and Myrna Loy ,

295-436: A book he called Li Hung Chang's Scrapbook . This book was addressed to Li Hung Chang (also spelled Li Hongzhang and Li Hung-chang) and endeavored to address a belief that "The Chinese were generally puzzled as to how it was possible for people who are able to build locomotives and steamships to have a religion based on a belief in devils, ghosts, impossible miracles, and all the other absurdities and impossibilities peculiar to

354-453: A building fire before total destruction. Parmelee's invention did not get as much attention as he had planned, as most people could not afford to install a sprinkler system. Once he realized this, he turned his efforts to educating insurance companies about his system. He explained that the sprinkler system would reduce the loss ratio, and thus save money for the insurance companies. He knew that he could never succeed in obtaining contracts from

413-468: A child named Romaine by her. The case was eventually dropped, being settled for under $ 1,000 (the original amount asked for was $ 25,000), and Maxim put behind him the near public humiliation the case caused. In October 1898, Helen Leighton again brought charges against Maxim for bigamy and abandonment in Poughkeepsie, New York. Later in life, he left 4,000 pounds sterling to a Romaine Dennison, perhaps

472-533: A draughtsman. (His early jobs in these areas led him to be often disappointed with workers when he ran his own companies later on in life.) Hiram called himself a Protestant. Maxim, a longtime sufferer of bronchitis , patented and manufactured a pocket menthol inhaler and a larger "Pipe of Peace", a steam inhaler using pine vapour, that he claimed could relieve asthma , tinnitus , hay fever and catarrh . After being criticised for applying his talents to quackery , he protested that "it will be seen that it

531-468: A feasible flying machine would need better power-to-weight engines, such as a petrol combustion engine. To both fund his research into flight and to bring attention to the notion of flight, Maxim designed and built an amusement ride for the Earl's Court exhibition of 1904. The ride was based on a test-rig he had devised for his research, and consisted of a large spinning frame from which cars hung captive. As

590-407: A fusible element that activates at a predetermined temperature. The fusible element either melts or has a frangible liquid-containing glass bulb that breaks, causing the water pressure in the fire sprinkler piping to push a plug out of the sprinkler orifice, resulting in water spraying from the orifice. The water stream strikes a deflector that forms the water into a spray pattern designed in support of

649-420: 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. It was not until a short time later that, as a result of a large furniture factory that repeatedly burned down, Hiram Stevens Maxim was consulted on how to prevent a recurrence and invented the first automatic fire sprinkler. It would douse

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708-861: A patent for his version of the sprinkler system. He also took his invention to Europe, where it was a much bigger success than the Parmelee version. Eventually, the Parmelee system was withdrawn, opening the path for Grinnell and his invention. Fire sprinkler application and installation guidelines, and overall fire sprinkler system design guidelines are provided by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 13, (NFPA) 13D, and (NFPA) 13R and enforced by local jurisdictions. Certain states, including California , Pennsylvania and Illinois , require sprinklers in at least some new residential construction. Fire sprinklers can be automatic or open orifice. Automatic fire sprinklers use

767-598: A pile of money, invent something that will enable these Europeans to cut each others' throats with greater facility.'" As a child, Maxim had been knocked over by a rifle's recoil, and this inspired him to use that recoil force to automatically operate a gun. Between 1883 and 1885 Maxim patented gas, recoil and blowback methods of operation. After moving to England, he settled in a large house formerly owned by Lord Thurlow in West Norwood where he developed his design for an automatic weapon, using an action that would close

826-633: A tractor radiator cap fitted on top of the water jacket to allow handfuls of snow to be packed in to melt while firing. After World War II, the Maxim was phased out of service, but was still sent in some quantities to the Korean War and Vietnam War . In 2014 during the war in Donbas , some Maxims in stock were captured by the Pro-Russian separatists while others were taken from storage to be used by

885-477: A velocity of 2.5 m/s), a 68 °C sprinkler bulb will break within 7 to 33 seconds, depending on the RTI. The RTI can also be specified in imperial units, where 1 ft s is equivalent to 0.55 m s . The sensitivity of a sprinkler can be negatively affected if the thermal element has been painted. From Table 6.2.5.1 NFPA 13 2007 Edition indicates the maximum ceiling temperature, nominal operating temperature of

944-422: Is a special deluge type. Open orifice sprinklers are only used in water spray systems or deluge sprinklers systems. They are identical to the automatic sprinkler on which they are based, with the heat-sensitive operating element removed. Automatic fire sprinklers utilizing frangible bulbs follow a standardized color-coding convention indicating their operating temperature . Activation temperatures correspond to

1003-482: Is a very creditable thing to invent a killing machine, and nothing less than a disgrace to invent an apparatus to prevent human suffering". He also invented a curling iron, an apparatus for demagnetising watches, magno-electric machines, devices to prevent the rolling of ships, eyelet and riveting machines, aircraft artillery, an aerial torpedo gun, coffee substitutes, and various oil, steam, and gas engines. A large furniture factory had repeatedly burned down, and Maxim

1062-425: Is dependent on the temperature. Below the design temperature, it does not break, and above the design temperature, it breaks, taking less time to break as temperature increases above the design threshold. The response time is expressed as a response time index (RTI), which typically has values between 35 and 250 m s , where a low value indicates a fast response. Under standard testing procedures (135 °C air at

1121-400: Is held closed by either a heat-sensitive glass bulb (see below) or a two-part metal link held together with a fusible alloy such as Wood's metal and other alloys with similar compositions. The glass bulb or link applies pressure to a pipe cap which acts as a plug which prevents water from flowing until the ambient temperature around the sprinkler reaches the design activation temperature of

1180-691: The Barrow Shipbuilding Company purchase by Vickers Corporation in 1897, formed 'Vickers, Son & Maxim'. Their improved development of the Maxim gun design, the Vickers machine gun , after Maxim's resignation from the board in 1911 on his 71st birthday, was the standard British machine gun for many years. With arms sales led by Basil Zaharoff , variants of the Maxim gun were bought and used extensively by both sides during World War I . In his later years Maxim became profoundly deaf, as his hearing had been damaged by years of exposure to

1239-872: The British Association for the Advancement of Science ; Member of the British Empire League ; and Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts . In 1881, Maxim arrived in Britain to reorganise the London offices of the United States Electric Lighting Company. His visits back to the United States became increasingly infrequent and, on 16 September 1899, Maxim became a naturalised British citizen . In

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1298-619: The Golden Zephyr , a modern-day recreation of the Traver version of the ride. The ride itself is much smaller than the Blackpool version, with cars swinging out at a much smaller angle. Nevertheless, engineers from Disney visited Blackpool to inspect the Maxim ride (the only example of either version still standing) to help design their ride. In 1911, Maxim headed the newly formed Grahame-White , Blériot , and Maxim Company, founded with

1357-650: The Ukrainian Armed Forces . A number were used by the Ukrainian military during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine due to their reputation for accuracy and reliability. Hiram Maxim Sir Hiram Stevens Maxim (5 February 1840 – 24 November 1916) was an American-born British inventor best known as the creator of the first automatic machine gun , the Maxim gun . Maxim held patents on numerous mechanical devices such as hair-curling irons ,

1416-502: The NFPA #13 standard, section 3.6.1 defines quick response sprinklers as having a response time index (RTI) of 50 (meter-seconds) or less. RTI is a measure of how thermally responsive the heat-responsive element of the sprinkler is, measured as the time needed to raise the temperature of the sprinkler bulb to 63% of the temperature of the hot air stream times the square root of the velocity of the air stream. The term quick response refers to

1475-929: The US, while Hiram worked mainly in Europe. Hudson had success in the States, which caused jealousy from Hiram (he lamented having a "double" of himself running around in the States). The jealousy and disagreements caused a rift between the brothers that would last the rest of their lives. Hiram Maxim married his first wife, the English-born Jane Budden, on 11 May 1867 in Boston , Massachusetts . Their children were: Hiram Percy Maxim ; Florence Maxim, who married George Albert Cutter, and Adelaide Maxim, who married Eldon Joubert, Ignacy Jan Paderewski 's piano tuner. In 1875,

1534-402: The adapted ride as "Simply a glorified merry-go-round". Nevertheless, his company built several more rides of various sizes at The Crystal Palace and various seaside resorts including Southport , New Brighton , and Blackpool , all of which opened in 1904. Originally, Maxim had intended to build only two, but a lengthy breakdown on the original Earl's Court ride forced him to build more to make

1593-536: The age of 41, and remained an American citizen until he became a naturalised British citizen in 1899, and received a knighthood in 1901. Maxim was born in Sangerville , Maine on 5 February 1840, into a family of French Huguenot origin. He became an apprentice coachbuilder at the age of 14 and ten years later, took up a job at the machine works of his uncle, Levi Stephens, at Fitchburg, Massachusetts . He subsequently worked as an instrument-maker and as

1652-482: The areas that were on fire and report the fire to the fire station. Maxim was unable to sell the idea elsewhere, though when the patent expired, the idea was used. In 1872, Thomas J. Martin was awarded a patent for improvement to the fire extinguisher which involved the use of pipes to carry water upwards and valves in the ceiling acting as sprinklers to extinguish fires in buildings. In 1874, Henry S. Parmalee of New Haven, Connecticut , created and installed

1711-567: The breech and compress a spring, by storing the recoil energy released by a shot to prepare the gun for its next shot. He thoughtfully ran announcements in the local press warning that he would be experimenting with the gun in his garden and that neighbours should keep their windows open to avoid the danger of broken glass. Maxim founded an arms company with financial backing from Edward Vickers to produce his machine gun in Crayford , Kent, which later merged with Nordenfelt . Subsequently, part of

1770-741: The business owners to install his system unless he could ensure for them a reasonable return in the form of reduced premiums. In this connection, he was able to enlist the interest of two men, who both had connections in the insurance industry. The first of was Major Hesketh, a cotton spinner in a large business in Bolton who was also chairman of the Bolton Cotton Trades Mutual Insurance Company. The directors of this company and its secretary, Peter Kevan, took an interest in Parmelee's early experiments. Hesketh got Parmelee his first order for sprinkler installations in

1829-590: The child Leighton claimed he had fathered. Fire sprinkler A fire sprinkler or sprinkler head is the component of a fire sprinkler system that discharges water when the effects of a fire have been detected, such as when a predetermined temperature has been exceeded. Fire sprinklers are extensively used worldwide, with over 40 million sprinkler heads fitted each year. In buildings protected by properly designed and maintained fire sprinklers, over 99% of fires were controlled by fire sprinklers alone. In 1812, British inventor Sir William Congreve patented

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1888-563: The cotton spinning mills of John Stones & Company, at Astley Bridge, Bolton. This was followed soon afterwards by an order from the Alexandra Mills, owned by John Butler of the same town. Although Parmelee got two sales through its efforts, the Bolton Cotton Trades Mutual Insurance Company was not a very big company outside of its local area. Parmelee needed a wider influence. He found this influence in James North Lane,

1947-558: The family moved to Fanwood, New Jersey , with Hiram joining the family on weekends. His son Hiram Percy Maxim followed in his father's and uncle's footsteps and became a mechanical engineer and weapons designer as well, but he is perhaps best known for his early amateur radio experiments and for founding the American Radio Relay League . His invention of the "Maxim Silencer" for noise suppression came too late to save his father's hearing. Hiram Percy later wrote

2006-469: The fire plume in sufficient quantities to suppress the burning fuel package." The sprinkler that was developed for this concept was created for use in high rack storage. ESFR sprinkler heads were developed in the 1980s to take advantage of the latest fast-response fire sprinkler technology to provide fire suppression of specific high-challenge fire hazards . Prior to the introduction of these sprinklers, protection systems were designed to control fires until

2065-454: The first automatic fire sprinkler system , using solder that melted in a fire to unplug holes in the otherwise sealed water pipes. He was the president of Mathusek Piano Works, and 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., calling his invention the "automatic fire extinguisher". He then traveled to Europe to demonstrate his method to stop

2124-569: The following year, Queen Victoria bestowed a knighthood on him. However Victoria died on 22 January 1901, shortly before Maxim's investiture, and so the honour was conferred by Maxim's "friend and new king, Edward VII " at Marlborough House on 9 February 1901. Maxim died at his home in Streatham , London on 24 November 1916 at the age of 76. He is buried in south London's West Norwood Cemetery with his wife and his grandson, Lieutenant Colonel Maxim Joubert. His brother, Hudson Maxim ,

2183-406: The goals of the sprinkler type (i.e., control or suppression). Modern sprinkler heads are designed to direct spray downwards. Spray nozzles are available to provide spray in various directions and patterns. The majority of automatic fire sprinklers operate individually in a fire. Contrary to motion picture representation, the entire sprinkler system does not activate at the same time, unless the system

2242-662: The gun was modernized once again. In May 1942, an order was given to begin the development of a new machine gun to replace the Maxim 1910/30. On May 15, 1943, the SG-43 Goryunov was adopted and since summer 1943 Maxim guns were replaced in Soviet service by the SG-43, which retained the wheeled and shielded carriage. However, production of the Maxim did not end until 1945. In addition to the main infantry version, there were aircraft-mounted and naval variants. Some were fitted with

2301-403: The individual sprinkler. Because each sprinkler activates independently when the predetermined heat level is reached, the number of sprinklers that operate is limited to only those near the fire, thereby maximizing the available water pressure over the point of fire origin. The bulb breaks as a result of the thermal expansion of the liquid inside the bulb. The time it takes before a bulb breaks

2360-769: The influence of the Bible on the civilization of Europe and America. He concluded his scrapbook with an appeal to the Missionaries and his thoughts on the reason for the failure of what he described as "Missionary Propaganda" in China. Maxim was a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour ; a Civil, Mechanical and Electrical Engineer; Member of the London Chamber of Commerce ; Fellow of the Royal Institution ; Member of

2419-498: The invention under his own name, and that Edison proved the employee's claim to be false, knowing that patent law would mean the invention would become public property, allowing Edison to manufacture the lightbulb without crediting Maxim as the true inventor. Maxim was reported to have said: "In 1882 I was in Vienna, where I met an American whom I had known in the States. He said: 'Hang your chemistry and electricity! If you want to make

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2478-478: The late 1870s. In 1878 he cofounded United States Electric Lighting Company together with Edward Weston to commercialize his designs. However, he was involved in several lengthy patent disputes with Thomas Edison over his claims to the lightbulb . One of these actions regarded the incandescent bulb , for which Maxim claimed that Edison was credited by means of his better understanding of patenting law. Maxim claimed that an employee of his had falsely patented

2537-470: The listing of the entire sprinkler (including spacing, density and location) not just the fast responding releasing element. Many standard response sprinklers, such as extended coverage ordinary hazard (ECOH) sprinklers, have fast responding (low thermal mass elements) in order to pass their fire tests. Quick response sprinklers are available with standard spray deflectors, but they are also available with extended coverage deflectors. Each closed-head sprinkler

2596-423: The low-fusing soldered joint of the strain of water pressure. By this means, the valve seat was forced against the valve by the water pressure, producing a self-closing action. The greater the water pressure, the tighter the valve. The flexible diaphragm had a further and more important function. It caused the valve and its seat to move outwards simultaneously until the solder joint was completely severed. Grinnell got

2655-402: The machine lifted and was prevented from rising by the outriggers. During its test run, all the outriggers were engaged, showing that it had developed enough lift to take off, but in so doing, it pulled up the track; the tethered "flight" was aborted in time to prevent disaster. Maxim subsequently abandoned work on it but put his experience to work on fairground rides. He subsequently noted that

2714-421: The machine spun, the cars would be swung outward through the air, simulating flight. The ride was similar to the later Circle Swing ride, made popular in the US by renowned roller-coaster designer Harry Traver . Maxim originally intended to use primitive aerofoils and wings to allow riders to control their flight, but this was outlawed as unsafe. As a result, Maxim quickly lost interest in the project, declaring

2773-595: The manager of the Mutual Fire Insurance Corporation of Manchester . This company was founded in 1870 by the Textile Manufacturers' Associations of Lancashire and Yorkshire as a protest against high insurance rates. They had a policy of encouraging risk management and more particularly the use of the most up-to-date and scientific apparatus for extinguishing fires. Even though he put tremendous effort and time into educating

2832-410: The masses on his sprinkler system, by 1883 only about 10 factories were protected by the Parmelee sprinkler. Back in the U.S., Frederick Grinnell , who was manufacturing the Parmelee sprinkler, designed the more effective Grinnell sprinkler. He increased sensitivity by removing the fusible joint from all contact with the water, and, by seating a valve in the center of a flexible diaphragm , he relieved

2891-431: The noise of his guns. Maxim's father had earlier conceived of a helicopter powered by two counter-rotating rotors, but was unable to find a powerful enough engine to build it. Hiram first sketched out plans for a helicopter in 1872, but when he built his first "flying machine" he chose to use wings. Before starting design work, he carried out a series of experiments on aerofoil sections and propeller design, at first using

2950-464: The purpose at his home, Baldwyn's Park Mansion, Baldwyn's Park in Bexley . The initial intention was to prevent the machine from lifting off by using heavy cast-iron wheels, but after initial trials, Maxim concluded that this would not suffice, and so the machine was fitted with four wheeled outriggers which were restrained by wooden rails 13 feet (4.0 m) outside the central track. In trials in 1894,

3009-601: The religion taught by the missionaries ." Maxim held European missionaries in China in low esteem, for reasons described in the scrapbook. He stated "...it was my aim, in compiling for His Excellency a scrap-book with explanatory notes, to put the Chinaman right in this respect. I wished to show that we were not all fools." His scrapbook comprised some 400 pages with 42 illustrations, presenting his views on The Nature of Christianity; Christianity in China; and his conclusions on subjects including Miracles, Spirituality, Faith; and

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3068-464: The same park's similarly historic river caves , it is the oldest operating amusement ride in Europe. The Flying Machines has the distinction of being virtually unchanged from Maxim's original design. The Blackpool ride's name is now usually abbreviated to the "Flying Machine" or "Flying Machines", although the full name, "Sir Hiram Maxim's Captive Flying Machines", is given at the ride entrance. In 2001, Disney California Adventure Park opened, featuring

3127-428: The sprinkler, color of the bulb or link and the temperature classification. There are several types of sprinklers: ESFR (early suppression fast response) refers to both a concept and a type of sprinkler. "The concept is that fast response of sprinklers can produce an advantage in a fire if the response is accompanied by an effective discharge density — that is, a sprinkler spray capable of fighting its way down through

3186-409: The two aviators and two hundred thousand pounds of capital. He had hoped to produce military aircraft capable of scouting or dropping a 500-pound (230 kg) bomb, but his failing health and financial difficulties with his other enterprises restricted his ability to develop this enterprise before his death. In addition to his engineering endeavors, Maxim, a lifelong atheist "compiled and edited"

3245-442: The type of hazard against which the sprinkler system protects. Residential occupancies are provided with a special type of fast response sprinkler with the unique goal of life safety (a residential sprinkler has a higher discharge pattern than that of a standard spray sprinkler and they also have been specifically developed for discharging water higher on the walls in order to keep ceiling gas temperatures lower). The 2002 edition of

3304-466: The venture profitable. He had plans for further variations of the ride but his disillusionment with the amusement business meant that they were never realised. Although he expressed regrets about the whole project, the rides were held in high regard within the amusement industry and the Blackpool ride still operates to this day as part of what is now the Pleasure Beach amusement park. Along with

3363-405: Was also a military inventor, specializing in explosives . They worked quite closely together until later in life, when there was a disagreement on a patent for smokeless powder . The patent, Hiram claimed, had been issued under the name 'H. Maxim,' and that because of this, his brother was able to stake a claim as the powder being his own. Hudson was a skilled and knowledgeable man, and sold arms in

3422-528: 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. Maxim developed and installed the first electric lights in a New York City building (the Equitable Life Building (New York City) at 120 Broadway ) in

3481-563: Was released in 1946. Hiram Maxim married his secretary and mistress, Sarah, daughter of Charles Haynes of Boston, in 1881. It is not clear if he was legally divorced from his first wife at this time. The marriage was registered again in Westminster , London in 1890. A woman called Helen Leighton brought a case against Maxim, claiming that he had married her in 1878 and that "he was knowingly committing bigamy" against his current wife, Jane Budden. She claimed further that Maxim had fathered

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