Minimax Limited was a British manufacturer of

fire extinguisher A fire extinguisher is a handheld active fire protection device usually filled with a dry or wet chemical used to extinguish or control small fires, often in emergencies. It is not intended for use on an out-of-control fire, such as one which ha ...

s founded in England in 1903. Their unique conical fire extinguisher was known as 'The Minimax'. The company was purchased by

The Pyrene Company Limited file:Carbon tetrachloride 1930s fire extinguisher.jpg, Carbon tetrachloride pump fire extinguisher The Pyrene Company Limited from their beginning in 1914, until 1971 when they became Chubb Security, Chubb Fire Security Limited, were among the worl ...

in 1955.

History

Minimax Limited opened their first office in England in 1903 in Leadenhall Street,

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, with one salesman. In 1905, they won the 'highest award' for extinguishers in a

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exhibition. In 1907 Minimax were suppliers to

King Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910. The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria and ...

for protection of his motor car, and were exporting to countries such as

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, and

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. In England, extinguishers had been supplied to

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, and

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and

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universities. A new factory was built at

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, in 1911, at the junction of Staines Road and Fagg's Road, 'Minimax Corner', which became a famous landmark.. Soon 1,000 extinguishers a month were being produced. The

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placed an order for extinguishers for his yacht ''Polar Star'', and the

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was supplied with Minimax extinguishers. Two hundred extinguishers a day were produced during the

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, along with many thousands of aerial bombs. Between the wars, many new developments were introduced, including CO₂ extinguishers. Colliery protection with remote-controlled extinguishers became a speciality. Distillation plants for producing fresh water from salt water were made from 1939 to 1945, with one order for 600 from the Dutch Navy. Minimax was purchased by

in 1955. Pyrene was taken over by

Chubb Security Chubb Fire & Security is a British multinational company that provides property protection and life safety equipment and services, including fire protection and security systems. It has been a subsidiary of APi Group Corporation since January 20 ...

in 1967. The factory was closed and demolished in the 1980s, the site has now been refurbished by Nevill Long & Encon Ltd and is their West London Interiors Distribution Centre. The factory's Art Deco gateway was saved and now stands as

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overlooking 'Minimax Corner'. A nearby cul-de-sac is also called Minimax Close.

References

External links

* http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Minimax * http://www.chubb.co.uk {{Authority control Firefighting equipment Defunct manufacturing companies of the United Kingdom Manufacturing companies based in London Companies based in the London Borough of Hounslow History of the London Borough of Hounslow 1955 mergers and acquisitions

History

See also

References

External links