Improvements in Fire-escapes.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Mar., 1891-Accepted, 4th Apr., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by THE WILSON MANUFACTURING COMPANY,
Incorporated, of Minnesota, United States of America.]
Improvements in Fire-escapes.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to improvements in automatic fire escapes, and refers
more particularly to portable fire escapes which can be readily carried from place
to place and attached to the window casing or other part of the building when
required to be used; and the said invention is intended to provide a fire escape that
will be automatic in its action, requiring no adjustment or manipulation by the
person using it, and wherein the speed of descent will be regular under all
circumstances.
In the accompanying drawings:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the complete device.
Figure 2 is a vertical transverse section through the case and star centre, showing
the guide pulley and block in full lines.
Figure 3 is a face view of the front portion of the case in which the star centre
and brake blocks are mounted.
Figure 4 is an elevation of the plate in which the central bearing is formed for
the star centre, showing the guide pulley and block.
Figure 5 is a section of the guide block.
Figure 6 is a vertical section of Figure 5.
My improved fire escape consists of a frame or casing A A' of suitable metal,
containing near its centre a pulley or roller D, journalled in the sides of the casing
so as to revolve freely in either direction and over which the rope passes by which
the person descends. Connected to the shaft of the pulley on one side of the
latter and enclosed in the casing A is a retarder by which the speed of the
revolution of the pulley and hence of the descent of the rope, is governed or
controlled.
The case in which the operating parts are mounted is made in two parts A, A',
the part A, in which the star centre B, and brake blocks C, hereinafter referred to
are mounted being made in circular or disc form, while the rear portion in which
the pulley wheels D, and guide block E also hereinafter referred to are mounted,
is made in oblong, rectangular form.
Each of these parts provided with outwardly projecting perforated lugs a a¹,
and with an enlarged lug a2 provided with a central opening b and two smaller
openings 6¹ below and upon each side of the central openings b, the lugs a a¹ and
the openings serving as the means by which the parts of the case are secured
together, which is done by means of bolts and the centre openings & serving
as the means for fastening the device or suspending the same from a building.
A plate F, corresponding in outline to the part A¹ of the case fits in a suitable
recess therein, and forms a division wall between the parts A, and A' and the
upper portion of which plate, corresponds in outline to the shape of the lug a³
and is provided with perforations matching those in the parts of the case, to
permit the passage of the securing bolts.
The part A extends below the rim of the part A, and said part A, is provided
with a projecting plate A2 to form a cover therefor and said projecting plate
as also the rear wall of the part A¹ is provided with perforations d, arranged
n line for the passage of bolts d¹ by which the parts of the case are secured

page_text: together at this point and which bolts also serve to hold the guide blocks herein-
after referred to, in place.
Centrally of the part A, of the case is formed a bearing e, and the dividing
plate and part A¹ are provided with similar bearings el e all in line with each
other, which form the support for the rotatable shaft G.
:
Within the circular part A of the case is the retarder or governor. This
consists of the following a circular rim R forming part of the case, and con-
centric with the shaft G, the interior of which is lined with leather or other
suitable material adapted to sustain friction, and form a perfect gripping face; the
star wheel B mounted upon and rigidly secured to the shaft G, and the sector
shaped friction block C, occupying the space between the arms of the wheel B
and the interior of the rim R.
The star wheel B is preferably provided with three arms, each of which extends
radially to within a distance of the leather lined rim R, which distance will be
determined by the retarding power required. Within the angle formed by the
adjacent sides of each two of the arms of the star wheel B, are the sector shaped
friction blocks C, the inner faces of which are formed to engage the side faces of
the two adjacent arms, and the radius of which taken from the centre of the
shaft G is less than the internal radius of the friction surface R, so that when the.
block lies in the angle of the arms, and in contact with the latter, there will be a
clear space between the periphery of the block and the friction surface. The
blocks Clic loosely in the angle of the arms so that when the retarder is in
operation it is free to have radial movement out against the frictional surface R.
Mounted on the shaft G, within the portion A of the case, are pulley wheels D
formed in one piece or rigidly secured to each other, and to the shaft, and which
pulleys have their working faces roughened to prevent the rope or cable from
slipping.
In the lower portion of the part A' is mounted a guide block E, having a central
groove E in circular form, and vertical openings E2 extending through the same
upon each side of said groove, and which openings register with perforations E³,
formed in the lower wall of the part A' of the case and through which the rope or
cable passes to the pulley wheels, as hereinafter referred to.
By the construction herein described, it will be seen that the star centre is
entirely disconnected from the case while being enclosed thereby, and that the shaft
thereof and of the pulleys is provided with both end and centre bearings and also
that the eye through which the device is suspended from the building is arranged
substantially central with respect to the operating parts so that the device shall
maintain a horizontal position regardless of the point or position of suspension.
The rope or cable L, is first passed through one of the perforations E³, in the
case thence around one of the pulley wheels, then across and around the groove E',
thence back and around the other pulley wheel E, and thence down and across and
through the other vertical opening in the block and out through the case.
When in operation, as soon as the shaft commences to revolve the extremity of
the arm will act as a cam upon the surface of the block with which it is in contact,
and shove (with the assistance of centrifugal force) that block into such position
that the rearward point of the block is wedged between the extremity of the arm
and the friction surface, so that as the arm carries the friction block around in front
of it, the rearward point of the friction block is pressed firmly against the friction
surface and this pressure and the consequent friction increases automatically as
the force tending to revolve the arm increases. Thus the force of retardation
increases automatically as the demands upon it increase in opposition to any force
which may be tending to drive the shaft to an abnormally great velocity.
Each of the friction blocks will co-operate with each of the arms in substantially
the same manner.
This retarder will operate equally well in the reverse direction; the operation of
the parts being substantially the same only reversed.
As will be seen, the speed will be regular under all circumstances regardless of

page_text: the descending weight, and that as fast as one person has descended, the other end
of the rope or cable can be attached to another person, and the line of travel of
said rope reversed as fast as they descend.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is :-
First. In combination the shaft having the star wheel and pulley rigidly con-
nected thereto, and the bearing for the shaft formed in the case to support the shaft
at each end and also having a central support, and the friction blocks.carried by
the star wheel, substantially as set forth.
Second. In a fire escape the divided case, having the bearing therein for the
rotatable shaft, with the central division plate provided with a bearing in line with
those in the case, substantially as set forth.
Third. In a fire escape, the case having the star wheel and brake blocks mounted
in one part thereof, and the guide pulley and guide block in the opposite part, with
an eye formed in the case and located substantially as set forth.
Fourth. In a fire escape, the divided case and the central division plate, each
having a portion of the suspension bearing formed therewith and having the eye
extending through them, substantially as set forth.
Fifth. In a fire escape the divided case, having the operating parts mounted
therein, and having the connecting bolts for securing the same together, and the
working parts in position in the case, substantially as set forth.
Sixth. In a fire escape, the case having the brake rim formed integral therewith,
in combination with the star wheel, and brake blocks mounted to revolve therein,
substantially as set forth.
Dated this 2.1 1 CM L 1001
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.