Improvements in the Construction of Appliances for Saving Life from Wrecks, Burning Buildings, and other Dangers, together with the Apparatus for Firing the Life Line.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Jan., 1887.
Specification Accepted, 25th Mar., 1887.
Improvements in the Construction of Appliances for Saving Life
from Wrecks, Burning Buildings, and other Dangers, together
with the Apparatus for Firing the Life Line.
JOHN D'ARCY IRVINE, Commander, Royal Navy, of Sutton, in the county of
Dublin, Ireland, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF APPLIANCES FOR SAVING LIFE FROM WRECKS, BURNING
BUILDINGS, AND OTHER DANGERS TOGETHER WITH THE APPARATUS FOR FIRING THE LIFE
LINE and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement —
The object of this invention is to effect a communication with persons in danger of
life, whether from wreck, burning buildings, ice accidents, or indeed when and
wherever a line can be thrown to such person or persons, in the quickest, the most
ready and effective manner: a single person only being necessary in many instances
for working the apparatus.
The projectile forming the first part of my invention is intended to carry a life line
to wrecks, burning buildings, drowning persons, and for general employment where
life is in jeopardy, and for any purpose where it may be useful in throwing a line to a
distance, such for instance as taking a ship in tow-boats adrift-ships making
harbour, wind and tide against them and so forth.
The advantage of the employment of air guns for the purposes enumerated is that
they are portable, and can be used where the present rocket apparatus could not be
got near enough to fire a line to be effective: the subject of the present invention can
be sent out in a boat near enough to effect its purpose, and may be used for several
wrecks at a time, one person being usually sufficient to work the apparatus, except
under contingent circumstances.
When used for fires the lines would be made of asbestos, and a whip with cradle of
the same material may be used, or a ladder and portable folling platform to be carried

page_text: by the Fireman, which can be placed on the ground at an angle of 45 degrees from
the window sill a tail block and bar is attached to the whip.
When the line is fired in at a window (for example) the tail at the upper end of the
block is made fast in any convenient manner, and the cradle is then hauled up the
bar is then removed and put through a ring at the tail end; any one can then get
into the cradle and be lowered by the Fireman.
In icc accidents a line can be fired across a river or otherwise or over an ice hole
so that the immersed person or persons can lay hold of it, and be drawn to land, and
if life buoys or belts are handy, one or more can be sent in the direction required by
attaching it or them to the line: in this manner the line can be hauled to either bank.
The projectile consists of a metal or other rod, at the bottom of which is a metal disk
fitting tightly over the air valve of the gun so as to receive the direct force of the
air from the air chamber when liberated therefrom.
Mounted on this rod is a movable collar and ring attached thereto; this collar
when the rod, is inserted in the barrel fits in the muzzle of the gun.
The line is attached to the ring on the collar, the other end being coiled on a
spindle fixed outside, and beneath the gun barrel this forms the second part of my
invention.
:
A rocket may be substituted for the rod projectile: in this case the rocket would be
ignited by a friction tube.
When the gun is discharged the compressed air from the air chamber acting
directly on the disk covering the air valve, expells the rod, and the disk coming in
contact with the movable collar in the muzzle of the gun, carries with it in its flight
the line which is uncoiled from the reel on the spindle.
In lieu of the gun a cylindrical tube supported on a tripod may be used, and the
force requisite to expell the rod and line may be produced by hydraulic means, or
compressed air as before mentioned.
When the apparatus is used for fires, all the lines, cords, or whips would be made
of asbestos, twisted into cords, lines or whips by any known method.
Having fired the projectile into the window of a house in flames for example, the
abestos line to which it is attached would then be hauled up from within the house
and the escape with it, a metal bar is attached by cords to the escape at the upper
part, and connected to the ends of this bar are fastened the lines, or whips, up and
lown which the cradle runs by means of rings at each corner through which these
lines pass. The lower ends of these lines are firmly fixed to the folding platform and
strained taut grapnels, hooks or some equivalents being attached to the upper part
of the escape for fixing inside the window. And as additional security chains may
be added.
The abestos ladder would be made in the ordinary manner of constructing rope
ladders, and having grapnels at the top to fix it inside the building, the lower ends
of the ladder would be firmly secured to the ground by any ready and convenient
method or to the platform.
A running noose could be connected to the line to place round a persons body
in descending.
This ladder is for use when the Fire escape could not be conveniently got into
position on account of structural obstacles.
I declare that what I claim is :—
Ist. A projectile for carrying the life line, consisting of a metal rod, at the bottom
of which is a metal disk fitting tightly over the air valve of the gun, so as to receive
the direct force of the air chamber, to expell the rod, on which a movable collar with
ring attached slides, the said collar when the rod is in the barrel fitting in the muzzle.

page_text: The line being attached to the ring at one of its ends, the other being coiled round
reel beneath the gun.
2nd. An air gun having a spindle and reel for carrying the line beneath the barrel,
or other convenient position, such line when used for fires being made of asbestos.
3rd. The construction in asbestos of a whip and cradle, or ladder as herein
mentioned.
4th. A cylindrical metal tube mounted on a tripod for throwing the line, the
force requisite for which is supplied by hydraulic means or compressed air its
hereinbefore mentioned.