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#152001 08/24/03 12:40 AM
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 3,682
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[Linked Image]

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[Linked Image]
Quote
This Fire Alarm system was in a large Boston Church, 12 or 14 floors, 6 or 8 of them offices and residences, a coworker installed the replacement.

I guess this building to be from late 40s early 50s maybe someone here can date the equipment better than I can.

In the basement there is a maintenance room that still has some of the overstock from the original build out.

Brand new in the box porcelain(?) Arrow Hart single, double, 3-way and 4 way switches, the kind you can see the workings through the front.

The manual pull stations are like little master boxes, I had never seen that before, from what I could guess each pull station would ring the bells to that box number, there were still legends on the walls that told where each box number was.

It also looks like you could plug in communications into the Pull stations.

I should have gotten a picture of the bells, 10" to 12" chrome bell with a large external chrome clapper.

This buildings wiring system is in great shape, large brass control panels around the building are still in use controlling ventilation systems and lighting.

-iwire

#152002 08/25/03 06:49 PM
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 7,520
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It's kind of sad to see equipment like this that's given decades of realiable service pulled out.

Did you manage to salvage some of this old stuff?

#152003 08/25/03 07:18 PM
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 717
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'pears to be an old coded system, each probably has three wheels to give something like a 3-1-5 ring depending on what floor, tier, and section you were in, good reliable stuff. Comm is possible, but check outside the elevators for keys and phone sets.

Need to hire an old geeze who knows how to install 'em? [Linked Image]

#152004 08/25/03 07:40 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 4,391
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George I would like to hear anything you know about this equipment.

I may have been mistaken on the comm.

There is a 1/4" jack on the front (picture 5) labeled "General Gongs" do you know what that did?

The manual pull station I have (the only part I have Paul [Linked Image] ) is station 2-2.

The craftsmanship of these units is unbelievable, I will try to remove the plastic cover and send a better shot of the mechanism.

For those that are not familiar with the old type master box, they are the "Shed shaped fire alarm boxes on the side of buildings.

[Linked Image from stjohnsburyfire.com]

Inside was basically a telegraph system that the key was pushed by a rotating wheel with bumps corresponding to the box number.

These old style boxes are very reliable, and could get a signal back to the fire station even with parts of the telegraph loop open.


Bob Badger
Construction & Maintenance Electrician
Massachusetts
#152005 08/25/03 09:23 PM
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,081
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iwire:

I remember those old pull boxes from when I was in first grade. The fire department would send somebody to speak to us in school so we would know how to report a fire and about the seriousness of false alarms.

What I was never able to figure out, at the age of 6 years, was how I would be able to reach the thing if I needed to.

#152006 08/25/03 11:38 PM
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 717
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The 1/4" jack is likely the old test port, for when you did not want to disturb tenants, but needed to test for Fire Marshall.

Edwards made the exact same system, as did Simplex, unfortunately, I threw skads of tech manuals away a few years ago in a throwing fit. I may still have some of it though.

I'm nearly certain I have some stuff on your master station, they were called "McCullough Loops" and were nearly bomb proof. I'll look it up tomorrow night, or maybe during the day sometime.

Wife's birthday tonight, Daughter and boyfriend took us to dinner........ I mostly noticed the duct detector light and switches on the ceiling were covered over, the Exit lights were not operational, and a piece of lamp cord running to a hidden fixture..... don't remember what I had for dinner. [Linked Image]

#152007 08/28/03 06:58 AM
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 4,294
Member
I'd personally feel much more comfortable with an alarm system of this type rather than a new high-tech electronic model.
George, I'm afraid your diagnosis must be that of "terminal electricianitis" [Linked Image]...S

#152008 08/28/03 12:22 PM
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,691
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That "pull hook" box was pretty common at one point - I used to see them a lot during my high school days and visits to government office buildings. Is this style still made?

I also remember the much older house-shaped "break glass" boxes similar to the one further down. I think there were also smaller types made. Naturally I thought the small square "pull hook" boxes were state of the art (1980s-early 1990s?). [Linked Image]

The one at work is a "pull hook" but the box is smaller (probably fits into a single gang) and there's no cover, just a little lever you pull down that is attached to a slightly recessed faceplate. Like this one, except the pull handle looks like an upended spoon instead of a tee:

[Linked Image from atsclock.com]


I've got some mixed opinions regarding whether the hook should be protected by a door or not.

I feel like such an old geezer now....

I also still see these every so often -- they look kind of old fashioned (cosmetically speaking) with the glass rod.
[Linked Image from atsclock.com]

[This message has been edited by SvenNYC (edited 08-28-2003).]

#152009 10/14/03 07:55 PM
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 29
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Most of the pictures submitted appear to be of modern pulls, so I guess you are going to make me dig into my storage and get some of the old stuff that I have tucked away. I pulled out a 110 volt fire pull from a school when I was attached to the proving ground .. no one could find a replacement break glass. I will get some photos to joe. ERFERTT

#152010 10/16/03 09:44 PM
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 794
Likes: 3
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SvenNYC, it depends on the enviroment the pull box is located. College dorms are notorous for false alarms. But when they installed metal and glass boxes over the pull boxes, false alarms were much decreased. Possibly the extra step of having to break the glass window with the attached hammer was enough to put off a prankster. The extra time might let him get caught. State law said a year in jail for pulling a false alarm.

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