An Improved Fire Escape and Fireman's Platform applicable also to other purposes.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Mar., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 20th Jan., 1898-Accepted, 26th Feb., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Fire Escape and Fireman's Platform applicable also to
other purposes.
I, JOHN KENNEDY, of Kirkstall Road, Leeds, in the County of York, Farrier, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to provide means for the ready escape or rescue
of persons from buildings on fire, and to afford a moveable stage or platform which
can be placed at a convenient point outside the building and at a sufficient (variable)
height, and from which the firemen can direct more efficiently the water jets for
the extinction of the fire. As a moveable platform adjustable in height my inven-
tion is applicable for building operations, bill poster's and other work.
My invention comprises a telescopic arrangement of staging, of which the largest
or lowest tier or stage is carried on a two or four wheeled vehicle; or itself forms
the vehicle; being provided with two or four wheels for the purpose.
In both cases I provide corner supports to the vehicle or lowest staging, adjust-
able in height by screws or other means, so that when the apparatus has been
brought to the desired position it can be supported more steadily and firmly on the
same than on the wheels.
Each stage or tier is formed of four vertical angle, channel or trough iron
uprights; which are connected across the sides by diagonal bracing, and at the
lower part horizontally across by similar diagonal bracing.
The width and breadth of the stages or tiers diminishes successively from the
bottom to the top stage or tier, conveniently by about twice the breadth or thick-
ness of the uprights, or more strictly by slightly more than the combined thickness
of the uprights and of the bracing, so that the stages can be moved telescopically
the one within the other with sufficient freedom but without undue play. To render
the support of an inner stage when raised up within the next outer i.e. lower stage
sufficiently firm, a packing piece, or pieces are fitted to the upper part of each
corner upright of each stage, such packing pieces being of the same or slightly
greater thickness than the diagonal bracing, presuming that the rivetting is
countersunk and flush headed.
The stages are raised by means of two wire ropes on opposite sides or corners of
the apparatus, and which are attached at one end to the bottom of the topmost
stage and each then passed round a pulley (i.e. separate pullies) attached to the
top of the next (i.e. when raised lower) stage, then round a pulley at the bottom of
this second stage and from this pulley round a pulley attached to the top of the
third stage, and so on, and finally round the barrel of a windlass attached to the
carriage, or lowest staging, or framework connected thereto, and at a suitable
height. This arrangement ensures that the topmost stage is raised first, and the
others in succession.
The telescopic raising of the stages may be made in the reversed order by
changing the manner of passing the ropes round the pulleys and fixing the
windlass to the topmost stage.

page_text: Or the stages may be raised simultaneously by connecting the bottom of an
inner (say the fourth) stage with the top of the next but one outer (i.e. the second)
stage and passing the rope round a pulley on the top of the next (i.e. the third)
stage. The rope from the bottom stage but one passes round a pulley on the top of
the bottom stage and thence round the windlass. The object aimed at in this latter
arrangement is to obtain a uniform strain on the windlass, which is suitably geared.
Catches may be provided to sunport an upper stage from the one next below, or
the stages when raised may be supported by the wire ropes, a catch being put over
on to a ratchet wheel on the windlass.
The apparatus is provided with ladder steps on two sides.
To steady the upper portion when raised a guy rope is attached to each corner
of the top or next lower stage, which can be carried to the nearest or most con-
venient lamp post, railing, door handle, or other convenient place for securing it.
The topmost stage is provided with a telescopic sheet iron flooring, each flooring
being attached at the sides to channel or angle iron frames, conveniently of varying
depth and placed the one within the other, in order that such flooring can be tele-
scopically pushed out to form a gangway to the nearest window sill of the building
on fire, and to permit of ready and safe access to the window from the top platform
of the staging.
Footholds are attached to the upper part of each stage or tier, so that the firemen
can from them safely and conveniently direct the water jets to act most efficiently
in extinguishing the fire, thus avoiding the risks which attach when the firemen
have to stand on ladders reared against the burning building or have to enter the
building. Further the captain of the fire brigade would from such staging most
readily view the fire and direct the operations of his men.
When it is considered advisable to diminish the length, or breadth, or both, of
the stages successively to the inner one I propose to effect this by placing the corner
angle irons with one of the shorter faces facing inwards and the other outwards or
both outwards and attach the bracing against one shorter and one longer face or
against both longer faces of each corner angle iron, so as to avoid the use of packing
pieces which is necessary when both shorter faces of each corner angle iron face
inwards.
When the stages are on being lowered down of comparitively great height I propose
to render them steadier for transportation by tilting over the shut up stages into an
inclined position about a bottom edge pin which can be moved in slots in the body
of the carriage or frame towards the front of the carriage and thus avoid excessive
overhang at the back of the vehicle. Two ropes attached to the top of the bottom
stage and a windlass are provided to effect the lowering.
Dated this 18th day of March 1897.
J. CLARK JEFFERSON,
30, Park Row, Leeds, Agent for Applicant.
An Improved Fire Escape and Fireman's Platform applicable also to
other purposes.
I, JOHN KENNEDY, of Kirkstall Road, Leeds, in the County of York, Farrier, 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 means for the ready escape and rescue of
persons from buildings on fire, which can be placed at some convenient point out-

page_text: side the building, and from which at a sufficient variable height the firemen can
more efficiently direct the water jets for the extinction of the fire. As a moveable
platform adjustable in height my invention is applicable for building operations,
overhead electric wire erection, bill posters and other work.
My invention comprises a telescopic arrangement and construction of staging,
of which the largest and lowest stage is carried on, or itself forms part of a four
wheeled vehicle.
And in order that my invention and the manner in which the same is to be per-
formed may be more readily and clearly understood, I have annexed hereto the
accompanying drawings, illustrating a fire escape and fireman's platform, con-
structed in accordance with my invention.
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section on line A B of Fig. 2, and Fig. 2 is a one half
front and one half back elevation of the lower portion of the telescopic staging, with
the moveable stages slightly raised. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the vehicle
and part of the bottom stage. Figs. 4 to 7 are horizontal sections at one of the
corners, shewing my improved constructions and arrangements of the uprights.
Figs. 8 and 9 are respectively cross and longitudinal sections of my improved
telescopic gangway.
a indicates the corner uprights of the lowest stage, which is attached to or forms
with the side angle or channel bars and the front and back inclined struts o and
tie d the body of the carriage. a, a, etc. are the corner uprights of the moveable
stages, and similarly ee, e, etc. are the bottom horizontal angle or channel
frames to which the bottom ends of the uprights are respectively attached.
fff, etc., are the top horizontal rectangular frames attached to the upper ends
of the respective uprights. g is a mid horizontal frame surrounding and
strengthening the bottom stage. h, k, h, etc. indicate respectively the diagonal
bracing of the different stages.
In order to obtain the greatest stability for the staging and room for the rope
pulleys i, i, etc., the ropes j, j etc. and the adjustable attachments k₁, k₁, etc., at the
shorter sides, I arrange the uprights and bracing as shewn in Fig. 4, so that the
minimum diminution in width is transversely, and not longitudinally; the angle
irons of the uprights being so placed, that the side facing flanges are to the outside
and directed outwards, the end facing flanges being to the inside and directed
inwards; the diagonal bracing B being attached to the outer faces of the flanges.
Guide or packing pieces P are provided at the upper end or over the whole length
of the outer flanges, to steady and guide the moveable stages at the sides when
raised, or drawn out.
In Fig. 5 each upright is formed of two angle irons placed Z wise, the flange m
of the outer angle iron is placed and directed towards the outside, and the inner
flange n of the inner angle iron is directed inwards; the diagonal bracing at right
angles to these flanges being enclosed between the adjoining flanges o and p. In
Fig. 6 the uprights are formed of [ or channel iron, with the webs 11 placed out-
wardly and the flanges 9 directed inwardly, both at 45 to the sides of the stage;
the bracing B being attached to the flanges. In Fig. 7 the uprights are formed of
trough iron, in which the flanges are at angles of 45 (or 135) degrees, with the
webs s, and are respectively parallel to the sides of the staging.
The stages are raised by attaching a separate rope j₁, jo, etc., on each side to the
bottom horizontal frame of each moveable stage, by means of an adjustable eye
bolt k₁, k, etc. and then passing the rope over a pulley i, i, etc. fixed to the top
horizontal frame of the next lower stage, and attaching the other end of the rope
to the top of the next yet lower stage. This end of the ropes from the lowest move-
able stage are passed round the windlass barrel u; the rope from the back side
being passed round guide pulleys v. The windlass is rotated by means of a worm
wheel w, on the shaft of the barrel, gearing with a worm on the cross shafty; which
can be rotated by handle from either or both sides of the carriage. With this
arrangement the stages are raised simultaneously, and the strain of hauling is
uniform.

page_text: יזי.
Should it be considered desirable that the men on the topmost stage should be
able to effect the raising and lowering from the platform, the windlass is then
mounted on the platform of the topmost stage, and the two ropes from it pass down
to, and round, and up from pulleys fixed to the bottom horizontal frame of the
topmost stage, to an adjustable eyebolt fixed to the top horizontal frame, of the next
lower stage. A rope on each side is attached to the bottom. horizontal frame of
each-moveable stage, and passed round a bulley attached to the bottom of the next
lower stage; and the other end of the rope attached to an adjustable, eyebolt fixed
to the top horizontal frame of the next yet lower stage:...
Ladder steps zz, as shewn attached to the lowest stage in Fig. 2, are formed on
two sides of all the stages, being rivetted to vertical angle or flat bars z₁ secured to the
bracing.
1
.it.
The topmost stage is provided at its upper end with a telescopic sheet iron gang-
way or bridge, as illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9. This gangway consists of separate
floors or platforms 1, 2 and 3, one above the other, attached at the sides by means
of angle irons 4, 5 and 6 to vertical side plates 7, 8 and 9, arranged the one within
the other. The side plates 7, 8 and 9 are provided at their lower edges with angle
irons 10, 11 and 6, resting respectively on the angle irons 12, 10 and 11, the angle
iron 12 being rigidly attached to the vertical uprights a and bracing h. Up-
rights 13, attached on both sides at the forward end of the respective platforms.
are provided with telescopic rods at their upper ends to form a hand rail.. Each
platform is moved forward by means of a rope attached to its back end, and passed
round a pulley at the front end of the platform immediately above. Stop pieces 14,
rivetted on the vertical flanges and towards the front end of the angle irons 12,
10 and 11 and similar pieces rivetted to the horizontal flanges close to the back
ends of the angle iröns 10, 11 and 6 prevent the respective platforms being drawn
out too far. In place of the side plates 7, 8 and 9 and the angle irons attached to
them, channel irons of different depths may be employed. By means of this
telescopic gangway ready and safe access to and from the nearest window sill of
the building on fire is provided..
I propose also to construct the stages with the angle irons of the uprights so
placed that both flanges face inwards and fit packing pieces of the necessary length
either to the bottom at the outside of the flanges of an higher stage or to the top
at the inside of the flanges of a lower stage for guiding and steadying the stages
when raised.
!
Lastly I mount the back end of the side bars bon springs fitted to the common
axle of a pair of wheels, and at the front end on a frame 15 fitted on a swivelling
under carriage 16 as shewn in Fig. 3.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in. what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
:
1 In telescopic staging the construction of stages characterized by having four
corner angle iron uprights each so placed that in plan one of the flanges is directed
inwards towards the mid longitudinal line and the other outwards from the mid
cross line of the rectangle of which the uprights are situated in the corners sub-
stantially as set forth and shewn in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4. .
4
2 In telescopic staging the construction of stages characterized by having, four
corner uprights each formed of double angle irons placed Z wise with one of the
flanges of the outer angle iron placed towards the outside and with the diagonal
bracing on the, one side enclosed between the two adjoining flanges substantially as
set forth and illustrated in Fig. 5.
+
3 In telescopic staging the construction of stages characterized by having four
corner uprights each formed of channel or trough iron arranged substantially as
herein set forth and illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7 respectively.
4 In telescopic staging for fire escapes the combination of the bottom
stage a ch fg, side angle or channel bars 6 and inclined struts c, the side bars b

page_text: being connected to the back end to springs mounted on the common axle of a pair
of wheels and at the front end mounted on the top frame 15 a swivelling under-
carriage 16 substantially as set forth and illustrated in Fig. 3.
5. In telescopic staging for fire escapes and other purposes, the combination with
the subject matter of Claim 4 of windlass barrel u, and worm wheel w on an axis
placed to the front of the bottom stage and longitudinally with respect to the
carriage operated through a worm . mounted on a shaft y carried transversely to
said carriage substantially as set forth and illustrated in Fig. 3.
6. In telescopic staging for fire escapes the arrangement and combination of single
windlass at the front side of the lowest stage and connected to the ropes attached to
the shorter sides of the lowest moveable stage and operated from a shaft placed
transversely to the carriage with the ropes j, j &c. connected by adjustable eye-
bolts k, k, &c. to the bottom horizontal frames &₁ eg etc. of the moveable stages and
the pulleys ii, etc. fixed on the shorter sides of the top horizontal frames f, fy fa
etc. of the stages all substantially as set forth and shewn.
7. In telescopic staging the arrangement of windlass on the platform of the top-
most stage combined with the arrangement and attachment of ropes and pulleys
for raising the stages simultaneously from the topmost platform substantially as
set forth.
8. In connection with telescopic staging the employment of a telescopic arrange-
ment of bridge or gangway fitted to the upper end of the topmost platform sub-
stantially as set forth.
9. In connection with telescopic staging the construction of the stages with corner
uprights with both flanges directed inwards and packing pieces substantially as set
forth.
101
T
P
1000