Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 13th May, 1887
Complete Left, 8th Feb., 1888
Complete Accepted, 20th Apr., 1888
We JOHN HICKS of Hastings in county of Sussex, Mariner and HENRY HURD of
10 St. Thomas Road Old Kent Road London in the county of Middlesex Clerk do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our Invention has reference to a Portable Fire Escape which may be readily
suspended from a house window in such a manner as to admit of persons lowering
themselves or being lowered by others in safety from the upper part of the house to
the ground also to admit of Firemen being raised with facility from the ground to
the upper part of the building when on fire and our Invention for the said purpose
consists of a cage, or cradle made with two frames of iron or brass to which frames
are affixed strong rope netting covered with fireproof felt or asbestos rope netting and
asbestos cloth or any other suitable material to be worked with asbestos or fireproof
ropes from a block fixed at the window through which block is passed a rope one end
of which is fixed to the said block, and the rope after being passed through a
multiple moveable block to which the cage or cradle is suspended and again through
the said fixed block is held by the person lowering the cage or cradle, by this means
when the cage or cradle is lowered by a person on the ground the rope is made to
form an inclined. support for the cage or cradle in its descent such support being
inclined more or less as required to remove it from the flames, issuing from the
windows in the lower part of the building by taking the ends of the rope the required
distance from the walls of the building on fire.
We construct the blocks for this purpose with sheaves of iron or brass or any other
suitable metal with an outer metal cased strongly bushed to admit of steel pinions on
which the sheaves work the three large sheaves constructed with smaller sheaves fitted
round the centre, thus ensuring free working of the blocks and giving greater power
for raising and lowering the weight in the cage or cradle and also greater facility in
regulating the speed upwards and downwards with the rope.
We affix a guide line or rope to the bottom of the cage or cradle by means of which
it may be drawn out of the way of any verandahs, balconies or other obstructions to
its descent.
The mouth of the cage or cradle may be kept open as required by means of the
brass or iron frames or by other suitable means.

page_text: The apparatus for fixing in the house consists of brackets fixed inside of the window
frames, with an iron cross bar eyeletted in the middle fixed in a ring or staple to one
of the windows as a fixture and also a loose iron bar made to fit into the brackets
attached to the other windows so that the apparatus may be used in any convenient
part of the house.
We also for large residences or factories use a strained wire rope with a sliding
pulley to run along it, to be fixed along the top of the building so that the
apparatus may be used where the free'st access from the burning building may be
made.
The cage or cradle with blocks and ropes may be enclosed in a box and be kept
in any convenient situation in a bedroom or otherwise and may be readily carried by
one person when required for use.
We. JOHN HICKS of 14 John Street Hastings in the County of Sussex Mariner and
HENRY HURD of 10 St. Thomas Road Old Kent Road, London, S.E. Clerk in: the
county of Middlesex do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what. 2
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement:-
Our invention has reference to a "Portable Fire Escape" which may be readily
suspended from a house window in such a manner as to admit of persons lowering
themselves or being lowered by others in safety from the upper part of the house 2
to the ground also to admit of Firemen being raised with facility from the ground
to the upper part of the building, when on fire, and our invention for the said
purposes consist of a cage or cradle made with two frames of iron or brass to
which frames are affixed strong rope netting covered with fireproof felt or Asbestos
rope netting and Asbestos cloth or any other suitable material to be worked. by a
Asbestos or fire proof ropes from a block fixed at the window through which block
is passed a rope one end of which is fixed to the said block and the rope after
being passed through a multiple moveable block to which the cage or cradle. is
suspended and' again through the said fixed block is held by the person lowering the
cage or cradle, by this means when the cage or cradle is lowered by a person on the

page_text: ground the rope is made to form an inclined support for the cage or cradle in its
descent such support being inclined more or less as required to remove it from the
flames issuing from the windows in the lower part of the building by taking the ends
of the rope the required distance from the walls of the building on fire.
We construct the blocks for this purpose with sheaves of iron or brass or any
other suitable metal with an outer inetal case strongly bushed to admit of steel
pinions on which the sheaves work, the three large sheaves constructed with smaller
sheaves fitted round the centre thus ensuring free-er working of the blocks and
giving greater power for raising and lowering the weight in the cage or cradle and
also greater facility in regulating the speed upwards and downwards with the rope.
We affix a guide line or rope to the bottom of the cage or cradle by means of which
it may be drawn out of the way of any verandahs balconies or other obstructions to
its descent.
The mouth of the cage or cradle may be kept open as required by means of the brass:
or iron frames or by other suitable means.
The apparatus for fixing in the house to consist of a bracket fixed on the inside of
window frames with an iron cross bar eyeletted in the middle fixed on a ring or staple
to one of the windows as a fixture and also a loose iron bar made to fit into brackets
attached to the other windows so that the apparatus may be used in any convenient
part of the house.
We also for large residences or Factories use a strained wire rope with a sliding'
pulley to run along it, to be fixed along the top of the building so that the
apparatus may be easily used where the free-est access from the burning building.
may be made.
The cage or cradle with blocks and ropes may be enclosed in a box and be kept
in any convenient situation in a bedroom or otherwise and may be readily carried. by
one person when required for use.
Having thus stated the nature of the said invention we proceed to describe more*
particularly in what manner the same is to be performed by the aid of the accompany-
ing drawings in which is represented the apparatus above referred to.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. "1" represents the apparatus ready to be fixed on to the window Fig. "2"
shows a part of the cage or cradle folded together when out of use Fig. "3" represents
the lowering tackle on an enlarged scale in these several figures the same letters of
reference indicate corresponding parts.
"A" is the upper block intended to be fixed to a beam or eyelet or eyeletted cross
bar secured to the window frame.
"B" is the rope one end of which is secured to the block "A" and passing over a
sheave in the moveable gin block "C" (shown in figure with a side plate removed) is
passed over a sheave in block "A" and down through or between two sheaves in the
block "C" to the person lowering the cage or cradle.
"D" is a shackle connected to block "C" from which shackle the cage or cradle
"E" is suspended by slings "F."
&
E"
"DD" is a slot or aperture shewing another method by which cradle or cage
may be suspended from block "C" so that the cage or cradle, is kept in an upright
position in ascent or descent.
"EE"
The mouth or top of the cage or cradle is formed with two oblong hoops
jointed in the middle to admit of their folding together when out of use and the cage
or cradle is or may be made of rope netting lined with fireproof felt or asbestos rope
and asbestos cloth or other suitable material.
"G" is a guide line fastened to the bottom of the cage or cradle by means of which
it may be drawn out of the way of a verandah or other obstacle in descending.
"H" is a section shewing construction of sheaves in pulleys for greater strength
more regularity of action, and also more power in lifting heavy weights than sheaves
ordinarily mounted on single pinions.

page_text: The working of the apparatus is as follows On an alarm of fire being given the
block "A" is hooked to the eye at the window the end of the rope is thrown out of
the window, the cage or cradle "F" is pushed outside the window and entered by the
person about to descend who must lay hold of the rope "B" below the block "C"
when he will be enabled to lower himself gradually to the ground a hook "H" on the
top of the block "C" serving as a break for the purpose, when he has reached the
ground he liberates the rope "B" from the hook break "H" and by pulling the rope
cause the cage or cradle to ascend with facility.
The descent of other inmates of the house is effected by a person on the ground
holding the rope "B" at any required distance from the house in order to avoid
contact with the flames, the rope "B" when so held forming an inclined guide for
the cage or cradle in its descent. The cage or cradle may also be drawn out as
required by the guide line "G." In this manner the several descents of the cage
or cradle may be made with the utmost rapidity as often as required and firemen may
be raised from below with equal facility.
The apparatus may also be worked by firemen from below by suspending it
from an adjoining house (where practicable to windward of burning premises)
and drawing the cage or cradle to the windows from whence the escape is required
to be made.
The cage or cradle may if preferred be made of chain links or wire rope or
other suitable material.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed we hereby declare that what we claim as of our Invention is
The construction of a " portable fire escape" consisting of a cage or cradle with
lowering tackle which can be gradually lowered to the ground by a person entering it
from a house and afterwards raised and lowered as required with rapidity, the rope
when held from below forming an inclined guide or support for the cage or cradle
in its descent by which it can be drawn out of the way of the flames in a burning
house as herein before described.