CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FIRE ESCAPES, PARTS OF WHICH SAID IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1824

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANCIS
RICHMAN, of Great Pulteney Street, Golden Square, in the County of
Middlesex, Carpenter and Builder, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Seventh day of October, in the fifth year of His reign, did,
for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Francis Richman, His especial licence, that I, the said Francis Richman,
my exors, adiñors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Francis
Richman, my exors, admors, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention
of" CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FIRE ESCAPES, PARTS OF WHICH
SAID IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES;" in which said Letters
Patent there is contained a proviso obliging me, the said Francis Richman,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe
and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent (as in and by the
same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear).
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Francis Richman, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described

page_text: ascertained in and by the Drawings hereunto annexed, and the following and
description thereof (that is to say) :-
:-
The object of my said improved fire escape is to afford the inhabitants the
means of a safe, ready, and complete escape from a house or other building on
fire, or in case of apprehension of fire, in a more effectual manner than has
hitherto been accomplished, and without requiring any assistance from other
persons. These means consist in the use of a step ladder of an improved
construction, which is made to descend from the ceiling of an upper.room or
landing in the house, &c., and at the same time to open a door or window in
the roof of such house, and thus to afford the said ready means of escape.
I shall now proceed to describe the various Figures contained in the said
Drawing, which will afford an example of what I conceive to be an advanta-
geous mode of carrying my said Invention into effect, and in which said Drawing
the same letters of reference indicate the similar parts in all the Figures.
In Fig. 1 the step ladder a, b, is represented as being drawn up to the
ceiling and closing the opening c in it. d is the door or window in the roof
shewn as closed and secured. In Fig. 2 the step ladder a, b, is let down, and
the door d raised up or opened, as in use. Fig. 3 is an elevation of Fig. 2.
The step ladder consists of the two parts a and b, the latter sliding in grooves
e, e, made in the former, as shewn in Fig. 4 (which represents portions of the
step ladder drawn upon a larger scale). The ladder a, b, is hung upon
hinges at ff, and the door or window d upon other hinges at 9, 9. The
ladder is retained in its horizontal position, as shewn in Fig. 1, by the
sliding bolt h (seen on a larger scale in Fig. 5) and the door d in its vertical
one, as also shewn in Fig. 1 by the other sliding bolt i. These bolts
are guided in the staples j, j, affixed to the plate k, k, as shewn in Fig. 5, &
are moved or bolted and unbolted by the action of the bent levers or cranks 1, 2,
which turn upon studs or pins m, m, as fulcrums affixed in other staples n, n,
which are secured to the plates k, k. The cranks 1, 2, have rounded parts o, o,
which act in mortises p, p, made in the bolts to receive them. The cranks are
connected together by means of two small chains q, q, which pass over two
pulleys r, r, one of which is fixed to the ladder and the other to the ceiling,
and the pieces of chain are united by an inflexible iron rod s. The bolt h,
Fig. 1, and crank are affixed to the ladder, and the bolt i and crank to
the ceiling. To the crank of the bolt ha piece of chain or cord t is affixed,
the other end of which hangs upon a pin or hook u fixed in the adjoining wall
or partition, so as to be within the convenient reach even of a young child, if
necessary. On pulling this cord t with a force little exceeding that required to
ring an ordinary bell, the bolts h and i will be withdrawn from their staples,
loops, or fastenings, and the ladder a will descend by its own weight (at the

page_text: same time that the part 6 of the ladder will slide down to the floor in the
grooves e, e, and by means of another cord or chain v, v, will at the same
instant also raise up the door or window d to a horizontal position or nearly
so, thus instantly affording a free and convenient open passage and stairs for
the inmates to escape by. The cord or chain v, v, is guided over the pulleys
w, w, w, as shewn in Figs. 1 and 2; notwithstanding the ease with which the
window or door d can be opened from within side, yet it is effectually secured
against the attempts of any one to open it from without.
The other purposes to which parts of my said Invention are likewise appli-
cable relate to a very convenient flight of steps, which the step ladder described
affords in particular cases, such as in small apartments, offices, &c., where
bed or other rooms are required above them, and where there is not room for
fixed stairs, as in the space of half a minute, or even less, these moveable stairs
can be let down or drawn up at any time. It is evident that the whole appa-
ratus will be found exceedingly convenient in a great variety of other cases
also; such as affording an immediate and convenient access to the roofs of
houses or other buildings when necessary to clear the gutters or water pipes
in case of an overflow of water arising from a sudden thaw of snow, a thunder
storm, or any obstruction to the escape of water from the roofs, and by which
great damage to the ceilings, walls, paperhangings, furniture, &c., is very
frequently occasioned, and chiefly owing to the delay necessarily arising from
the bringing of ladders, &c., as usual.
In witness whereof, I, the said Francis Richman, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventh day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and trante fire