IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE ESCAPES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Diss of West Bergholt in the County of Essex
Builder and Contractor for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE
ESCAPES
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Diss at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th March 1883.
ALFRED DISS of West Bergholt in the County of Essex, Builder and
Contractor 'IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE ESCAPES "
This invention relates more particularly to fire escapes adapted for use in
dwelling houses for affording to the inmates a ready means of escape from the
upper or other floors whilst admitting of easy access to the interior of the burning
building by firemen or other persons in cases of fire.
•
My improved Fire escape is mounted inside the walls of the house in any
position convenient to one or other of the upper or other floor windows or openings
so as to be always ready for immediate use. To the inner side of the wall of the
house and next to or on one side of one or more of the windows I firmly secure in
any convenient manner a stout wrought iron or other metal bracket which may be
more or less ornamented to the end of which there is so hinged an arm that it can
be instantly and easily swung round to the outside of the building and by the side
of the window when the window is thrown open. To the outer or free end of this
arm there is fixed a small metal box or case containing a chain ladder consisting of
two parallel lengths of chain sufficient to reach the ground from any desired height
the upper ends of such chains being firmly secured in any suitable manner to the
said box or case. These two chains are connected together at suitable intervals by
light iron steps or treads keeping the chains at the proper distance apart so as to
form a convenient chain ladder. The said steps are of sufficient width to afford a
firm foot hold when the ladder is let down for use and also so constructed as to
afford a firm hand hold. One half or portion of the bottom of the said box or case
is hinged so as to open downwards such hinged portion being secured by a sliding
bolt, staple, or other suitable catch or holder capable of being instantly withdrawn

page_text: or released from the interior of the apartment the release of such bolt instantly
allowing the hinged portion of the bottom of the box or case to fall and let down
the chain ladder which is packed inside the said box or case and is sufficiently
strong to bear the weight of say six or eight adults.
The Escape is now ready for use :-
A fixed bracket as above described may be secured in any one or more of the
rooms of a house whilst a single box only with its chain ladder need be employed
the said box and ladder being carried from room to room and mounted on any of
the brackets where it may be required. When not in actual use the box or case
which may be more or less ornamented will lie close against 'the inside of the wall
and will occupy but very little space.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Alfred Diss in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th September
1883.
ALFRED DISS of West Bergholt in the County of Essex, Builder and
Contractor "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE ESCAPES."
"
My said invention relates more particularly to fire escapes adapted for use in
dwelling houses for affording to the inmates a ready means of escape from the
upper floors whilst admitting of easy access to the interior of the burning building
by firemen or other persons in cases of fire-I mount my improved fire escape
apparatus inside the walls of the house in any position convenient to one or other
of the upper or other floor windows or openings in such a manner that whilst being
always ready for immediate use it will be easy of access to the inmates. According
to one mode of carrying out my invention I firmly secure in any convenient
manner to the inner side of the wall of the house and next to one or more of the
windows a stout wrought iron or other metal bracket which may if desired be
more or less ornamented to which bracket there is hinged an arm in such a manner
that it can be instantly swung round to the outside of the building when the
window is thrown open. To the outer or free end of this hinged arm there is
fixed a metal box or case containing a chain ladder consisting of two parallel
lengths of chain sufficient. to reach the ground from any desired height the upper
ends of such chains being firmly secured in any suitable manner to the upper
part of the interior of the box or case. These two chains are connected together
at suitable intervals by light iron steps or treads keeping the chains at the proper
distance apart so as to form a convenient chain ladder. The said steps are of
sufficient width to afford a firm foot hold when the ladder is let down for use
and are also so shaped as to afford a firm hand hold. One half or portion of
the bottom of the said box or case is hinged so as to open downwards such hinged
portion being secured in its closed position by a sliding bolt staple or other suitable
catch capable of being instantly withdrawn from the interior of the apartment
thereby allowing the hinged portion of the bottom of the box or case to fall and
release the chain ladder which is packed inside the box and is of sufficient strength
to bear the weight of say six or eight adults. The escape is now ready for use.
of the aforesaid fixed brackets may be secured in any one or more of the rooms of a
house whilst a single box or case only with a chain ladder packed inside may be
employed the said box and ladder being carried from room to room and mounted
on any of the hinged arms where it may be required. When not in actual use the
box or case which may also be more or less ornamented will according to this
arrangement fit close against the inside of the wall in the apartment and will
occupy but very little space-In practice I prefer to dispense with the said hinged
arm and to build the box or case which contains the chain ladder permanently.
inside the wall of the building allowing its lower end and flap door to project
sufficiently outside to allow the chain ladder to drop freely to the ground when
released, access being afforded to the interior of the said box or case by a special door
on the back thereof inside the apartment. In order to facilitate the repacking of the
chain ladder inside the box after the fire escape has been used I employ in
combination therewith a simple arrangement of hauling apparatus hereinafter more
fully described for hauling up the lower end of the ladder back through the
window into the apartment in readiness for being again packed inside the box for
future use.
One
And in order that my said invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to the

page_text: several figures on the explanatory sheet of drawings hereunto annexed the same
letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the corresponding figures.
Figure 1 of my drawings is a front elevation of a portion of a dwelling house
fitted with my improved fire escape here shown as lowered for use. Figure 2 is a
vertical section of the outer wall with the box or case permanently built therein
for containing the chain ladder. Figure 3 is a side elevation of the said box or
case detached and closed. Figure 4 is a front elevation of the same detached and
figure 5 is a back or inside elevation thereof showing the inside door by which
access is afforded to the interior of the box.
A is the wall of the building. B the box or case of cast or wrought iron having
the chain ladder C packed closely therein and secured thereto at the upper ends
by bolts and nuts or otherwise at D. The lower part of this box projects beyond
the front of the wall and is closed by a hinged flap E secured in its closed position
(figure 3) by a sliding spring bolt or other catch a (see figure 2) acted upon by a
cord or chain b which passes through a slot or opening in the bottom of the door F
or at the back of the case B into the apartment. The lower part of the box is
inclined to facilitate the escape of the ladder so soon as the flap E is released (as
shown in figures 1 and 2) by the withdrawal of the catch-c is a spiral spring for
keeping the catch in its locked or outward position. d is a spring alarm bell (two
o more of which may be used if required) for sounding an alarm directly the
ladder has been released the ringing of the said bell or bells being started by the
movement of the catch in the act of withdrawing the same as will be readily
understood. G G are the steps of the ladder extending between the parallel
chains C and linked thereto
When the escape is required for use it is instantly released from its box by
pulling the cord or chain b in connection with the catch such cord or chain or any
required number of them connected with the same catch or bolt being led into any
one or more of the apartments in a house and operate upon by a pull arrange-
ment similar to the ordinary bell pulls at present in use.
Figs. 6 and 7 represent respectively a partial sectional, and front elevation of the
hauling apparatus which I propose to employ in combination with my improved fire
escape for facilitating the hauling up of the chain ladder preparatory to its replace-
ment in its box after use. It consists of an arm or bracket H of any desired length
hinged by a bolt or pin to a socket piece I firmly secured to the inside of a window
sill or any convenient part of the sash frame or wall so as to be readily turned
outwards when required for use as shown in figure 6 or turned inwards against
the sill when out of use as shown in figure 7. The outer end of this arm is by
preference cast hollow as shown to contain three or more grooved pulleys e e so
arranged as to admit of a hauling chain or rope f passing zig-zag fashion over and
under the said pulleys which whilst allowing the rope to pass serve to check or
steady the descent of any weight that may require to be lowered: g (figure 6)
is a metal plate or catch fixed on the outside of the sill or wall to support and
firmly keep in position the said arm when turned outwards ready for use. When
the chain ladder is to be hauled up for stowage in its box the lower end of the
rope fis lowered and attached to the bottom step and the free end of the ladder
is then raised to the window by hauling on the opposite end of the rope from the
inside of the apartment containing the box or case B. The pendent loop of the
ladder is then drawn in through the open window by hand and the upper ends of
the chains C C are detached from their bolts or hooks inside the box aud allowed
to drop down and hang free in order to be hauled into the apartment with the
previous portion of the ladder the whole of which (after the flap E has been closed
and secured by its catch) is then carefully packed step by step inside the box
through the open door F at the back beginning with the lowest step and so on
until the entire ladder has been packed therein-The upper ends of the chains
having been secured to the bolts or hooks D and the door F closed and locked the
escape is again ready for use as herein before described. I do not confine or restrict
myself to this particular arrangement of hauling apparatus for assisting in stowing'

page_text: away the ladder às various other arrangements may obviously be employed for
that purpose in conjunction with my improved fire escape, but I have found the
arrangement described to answer well in practice. The same apparatus can also
be used for lowering a person from the upper part of a building and for enabling
the last person using it to lower himself.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
invention and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original
and therefore claim as the invention secured to ine by the herein before in part
recited Letters Patent is :-
First. In a fire escape apparatus the combination of a swinging arm binged to a
bracket fixed inside the building-a box or case (within which a chain ladder is
secured and packed) mounted on the outer end of said arm and provided at the
bottom with a falling hinged door or flap and spring catch for releasing the ladder
when required for use substantially as and for the purpose specified.
Second. A fire escape apparatus consisting of a box or case within which a chain
ladder is secured and packed, built partly inside the wall of a building and
provided at its lower and outward projecting portion with a hinged door or flap
opening downwards and a spring catch for releasing the ladder when required
for use substantially as specified and illustrated by figures 1 to 5 of my drawings.
Third. The use in combination with the box or case of the aforesaid fire escape
apparatus, of an alarm. bell caused to ring by the withdrawal of the releasing spring
catch substantially as and for the purpose herein before described and illustrated
by figure 2 of my drawings.
Fourth. The use in conjunction with the aforesaid fire escape apparatus of a
hauling appliance arranged substantially as and for the purpose herein before
described and illustrated by Figures 6 and 7 of my drawings.
In witness whereof I the said Alfred Diss have hereunto set my hand and seal
this twelfth day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred
and eighty three.
ALFRED DISS
(L.S.)