IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SAVING LIFE AND PROPERTY FROM FIRE AND OTHER DANGER IN BUILDINGS AND MINES
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Boyle Rock, of the Parish of Pilton, near
Barnstaple, in the County of Devon, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR SAVING LIFE AND PROPERTY FROM FIRE AND OTHER DANGER
IN BUILDINGS AND MINES."
Sealed the 5th May 1863, and dated the 13th January 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Boyle Rock at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 13th
January 1863.
I, JOHN BOYLE Rock, of the Parish of Pilton, near Barnstaple, in the
County of Devon, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SAVING LIFE AND PROPERTY FROM FIRE AND OTHER
DANGER IN BUILDINGS AND MINES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for saving life-and
property from fire and other danger in buildings and mines. In constructing
portable fire-escapes I employ a tube, constructed by preference of sheet iron,
and mounted on a suitable wheeled carriage. At the upper and lower ends'
of the tube are rollers mounted on axes; and over these rollers endless chains
pass, or a single chain may be employed, but this is not advisable. On the
axis of the bottom roller cranked handles are fixed, by means of which the
rollers can be made to rotate and the chains to travel. These endless chains
do not oecupy the centre of the tube, but are placed on one side thereof, and
at intervals apart there are brackets or steps hinged to the chains in such
manner that they fold down parallel to the chains when they are passing
between the chains and the side of the tube adjacent to them, but stand out
from the chains at right angles when passing on the other side of the chains

page_text: At the top of the tube is a small gallery or platform surrounded by a guard of
wirework or other material. When the apparatus is employed for saving
life or property from a burning building the tube is set up against the wall of
the building with its upper end near to a window; a man in charge of the
apparatus then enters the lower end of the tube, and the cranked handles
being turned by other persons, he is, whilst standing on one of the hinged
brackets or steps, wound up to the top of the tube; he lands in the gallery or
platform at the top of the tuble and is then ready to receive from the window
either persons or property, as the case may be; these he places on the brackets
or steps of the endless chains, which are then, by the persons at the crank
handles below, caused to travel so as to lower the persons or property safely
to the ground, the tube the meanwhile serving to prevent the possibility of
their falling. The tube need not necessarily be made so large as to include
the whole of the endless chains, but may be so arranged that on the side where
the brackets or steps fold up against the chains these shall be exterior of the
tube, whilst on the other side, where the brackets or steps stand out ready for
use, the chains shall be within the tube, and it is convenient that they should
be close to one side thereof. Neither need the brackets or steps be made to
fold, but it is convenient so to make them. In some cases I fix apparatus
such as above described permanently in connection within a house or building,
and I then arrange the tube with doors on each story, by which persons may
enter and place themselves on the brackets or steps, when they will descend
by their own weight; and to prevent the descent from being inconveniently
rapid I gear the axis of the top roller with a fan, and then the resistance of
the air to the blades of the fan will sufficiently moderate the velocity of
descent, or a break regulated by a governor may be employed. I also cause
the same or other gear to move a hammer and cause it frequently to strike a
bell or other sounding instrument to give an alarm. In fixed apparatus it is
sometimes convenient to construct the tube in masonry. I also arrange
similar apparatus in the shafts of mines, so that it may be employed to raise
the miners when the ordinary lifting apparatus fails. I then make the tube
containing the endless chains so strong as to ensure its remaining open and
uninjured even should the shaft be stopped from the fall of materials from the
top or sides. The apparatus may be so constructed as to be able to be
employed at the same time both for raising and lowering miners.or people
if this should be required..

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Boyle Rock in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
13th July 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN.
BOYLE ROCK, of the Parish of Pilton, near Barnstaple, in the County of Devon,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Boyle Rock, Her special licence that I, the said John Boyle Rock,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Boyle Rock, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR SAVING LIFE AND PROPERTY FROM FIRE AND OTHER DANGER IN
BUILDINGS AND MINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
John Boyle Rock, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Boyle Rock, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for saving life
and property from fire and other danger in buildings and mines. In con-
structing portable fire-escapes I employ a tube constructed, by preference, of
sheet iron and mounted on a suitable wheeled carriage. At the upper and
lower ends of the tube are rollers mounted on axes, and over these rollers
endless chains pass, or a single chain may be employed, but this is not advis-
able. On the axis of the bottom roller cranked handles are fixed, by means
of which the rollers can be made to rotate and the chains to travel.
These

page_text: endless chains do not occupy the centre of the tube, but are placed on one side
thereof, and at intervals apart there are brackets or steps hinged to the chains
in such manner that they fold down parallel to the chains when they are
passing between the chains and the side of the tube adjacent to them, but
stand out from the chains at right angles when passing on the other side of
the chains. At the top of the tube is a small gallery or platform surrounded
by a guard of wirework or other material. When the apparatus is employed
for saving life or property from a burning building the tube is set up against
the wall of the building with its upper end near to a window; a man in charge
of the apparatus then enters the lower end of the tube, and the cranked
handles being turned by other persons, he is, whilst standing on one of the
hinged brackets or steps, wound up to the top of the tube; he lands on the.
gallery or platform at the top of the tube and is then ready to receive from
the window either persons or property, as the case may be; these he places on
the brackets or steps of the endless chains, which are then, by the persons at
the crank handles below, caused to travel so as to lower the persons or pro-
perty safely to the ground, the tube the meanwhile serving to prevent the
possibility of their falling. The tube need not necessarily be made so large as
to include the whole of the endless chains, but may be so arranged that on.
the side where the brackets or steps fold up against the chains these shall be
exterior of the tube, whilst on the other side, where the brackets or steps
stand out ready for use, the chains shall be within the tube, and it is con-
venient that they should be close to one side thereof. Neither need the.
brackets or steps be made to fold, but it is convenient so to make them. In
some cases I fix apparatus such as above described permanently in connection
within a house or building, and I then arrange the tube with doors on each
story, by which persons may enter and place themselves on the brackets or
steps, when they will descend by their own weight; and to prevent their descent
from being inconveniently rapid I gear the axis of the top roller with a fan,
and then the resistance of the air to the blades of the fan will sufficiently
moderate the velocity of descent, or a break regulated by a governor may be
employed. I also cause the same or other gear to move a hammer and cause
it frequently to strike a bell or other sounding instrument to give an alarm.
In fixed apparatus it is sometimes convenient to construct the tube in masonry.
I also arrange similar apparatus in the shafts of mines, so that it may be
employed to raise the miners when the ordinary lifting apparatus fails. I
then make the tube containing the endless chains so strong as to insure its
remaining open and uninjured even should the shaft be stopped from the fall

page_text: of materials from the top or sides. The apparatus may be so constructed as
to be able to be employed at the same time both for raising and lowering
miners or people if this should be required.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
The Drawings annexed shew various views of the apparatus constructed
and arranged according to my Invention. The nature of each of the views
being written on the Drawings it will not be necessary to repeat the same
here. In the several views the same letters are employed to indicate the
same parts.
a, a, is the tubular passage through which persons are to pass in order to
escape from fire.
When apparatus constructed and arranged according to my
Invention is intended to be moved from place to place it is to be mounted in
a suitable carriage on wheels. In other cases it is to be fixed, as before
mentioned. b, b, is an endless chain, which receives motion by cranked
handles c, c, acting with the rollers or frames d, d. The endless chain carries
brackets or steps e, e, which are so hinged to the chain as to fold in one
direction and assume a parallel position with the chains; but in the other
direction the brackets or steps are resisted from folding, and are caused to
assume a position at right angles to the chain, as is shewn in the Drawings.
The tubular passage a, a, is provided with doors f, f, at intervals. In one of
the Figures a fan g is shewn, which is intended to be used when the endless
chains are not worked by the hands, but are caused to descend by the weight
on one or more of the brackets or steps.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I make no claim to any
of the mechanical parts separately, nor do I confine myself to the details ;
but what I claim is, the combined arrangements herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Boyle Rock, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
JOHN POVLE DOCK