As a fire protection designer, this is a treat for me: an Evergard fire alarm that I picked up from an antique store. It is mechanical and completely self-contained---something novel at the time. How it works: When the ambient temperature reaches 135 degrees Fahrenheit, what appears to be a fusible link drops and releases Freon from a small tank which in turn operates a brass horn. The glass bulb on the front indicates the blue Freon level (I initially thought this to be a glass bulb fuse like modern fire sprinkler heads and the color the temperature rating). From what the label tells me, the fire alarm was manufactured in Philadelphia by Evergard under U.S. and foreign patents. It is UL listed and was marketed for its simplicity of being self-contained---no wires or pipes.
The gold grated housing is regal and nostalgic. It is reminiscent of the design days when you couldn't just make something---it had to have class or style. I image these fire alarms came from the lobby of a downtown building.
There were two at the store. I bought one for home and the other for office. Had there been a third I should have discharged it on video and posted it; the
curiosity should have been well worth the $15.
