IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE ESCAPES
Year: 1885

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I, DAVID PATTISON of N° 8 Rugg Street Limehouse in the County of Middlesex
Sailmaker do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
FIRE ESCAPES" to be as follows:-
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L
2:
The object of my invention is to provide a house or row of houses with a fire
escape which can be readily brought in front of any of the windows. For this
purpose I secure a horizontal rail to the lower ends of the beams or rafters of the
roof or other suitable supports so that it may extend along the whole front or back
of the house or row of houses. .
Upon the rail is mounted a small traveller or slide which can be made to travel
along the rail from one end of it to the other. The traveller or slide carries a
small pulley over which passes a chain or rope which hangs down from it to the
ground level or nearly so. The chain when out of use might be carried along just
below the windows of the upper storey so as to be within reach, from any one or
other of them. Or the endless chain might be allowed always to hang down to the
ground and a separate chain be carried along below the windows of the upper
storey by means of which the traveller can be drawn into a position vertically
above any of the windows.
:

page_text: I DAVID PATTISON of N° 8 Rugg Street Limehouse in the County of Middlesex
Sailmaker 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 :-
The object of my invention is to provide a house or row of houses with a fire
escape which can be readily brought in front of any of the windows. For this
purpose
I secure a horizontal rail to the lower ends of the beams or rafters of the
roof or other suitable supports so that it may extend along the whole front or back
of the house or row of houses.
Upon the rail is mounted a small traveller or slide which can be made to travel
along the rail from one end of it to the other. The traveller or slide carries a
small pulley over which passes a chain or rope which hangs down from it to the
ground level or nearly so. The chain when out of use might be carried along just
below the windows of the upper storey so as to be within reach from any one or
other of them. Or the endless chain might be allowed always to hang down to the
ground and a separate chain be carried along below the windows of the upper
storey by means of which the traveller can be drawn into a position vertically
above any of the windows.
Figure 1 shows a front view and
a fire escape in the above manner.
escape on a somewhat larger scale.
Figure 2 an end view of a house fitted with
Figures 3. 4. 5 and 6 shew parts of the fire
A is a trough rail securely fixed along the front of the house just below the roof.
A part of the rail is shown at Figure 4. B is the traveller or slide which can be
moved along the rail-an end view of this traveller is shewn at Figure 5. C is
a pulley (shewn separately at Figure 6) to hook on to the traveller. D is an
endless chain hanging down from this pulley and reaching to the ground.
Figure 3 shew the parts used for securing the rail to the front wall of the
building.
E are brackets secured to the wall at intervals. F is a plate to go between the
building and the bracket-another similar plate can be placed on the inside of
the wall,
The traveller or slide can by means of the endless chain be drawn along the
rail A and brought into a position vertically above any of the windows. The
endless chain can then be used to hoist a shoot or wire ladder to any of these
windows or otherwise used for assisting ingress or egress. It would also be of use
when painting or facing or cleaning the front of a building.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
1. The combination of a horizontal rail A fixed along the back or front of a
house just below the roof, traveller B, pulley C and endless chain D substantially
as described.
2. The construction of a fire escape substantially as herein before described and
illustrated in the drawing annexed.