A Fire-escape.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Apr., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 29th Dec., 1890-Accepted, 31st Jan., 1891
A Fire-escape.
I, Colonel HENRY BETHUNE PATTON, Stoke House, Taunton, Justice of the
Peace for the County of Somerset, Colonel 2nd Vol. Battn. Somerset Light
Infantry, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object a fire-escape.
This fire escape is to be fitted in an upper room at a window suitably situate for
escape by descent to the ground. It is convenient but not essential that this
window should be a French window opening to the floor level.
The fire-escape consists of the following parts:-
First A strong belt to be strapt around the waist of the person intending to
descend. Upon this belt an iron D or eye is firmly fixed.
Second A long rope with a spring shackle at one end.
By this rope
the person
is lowered; the shackle engages with the D or eye upon the waist belt.
Third-An iron rope guide, preferably provided with a roller of small diameter.
This rope guide is permanently fixed to the lintel of the window. When the
apparatus is in use the lowering rope passes over this guide and descends from it
to the D or eye of the waist belt to which it is shackled.
Fourth Another similar rope guide, permanently fixed to the floor of the room.
When the apparatus is in use, the lowering rope passes beneath this guide and
ascends from it to the upper guide already mentioned.
Fifth Another rope, which may be termed the leading rope; it is like the
lowering rope; when in use it is shackled to the upper rope guide and passed
through the D or eye upon the waist belt. The lower end of this rope is made
fast on the ground below at a distance from the base of the building.
The apparatus is used in the following manner :-On the alarm of fire the end
of the leading rope is thrown from the window to the ground and is made fast by
a passer by to a post or other fixture suitably placed. The other end of this rope
having first been passed through the D or eye on the waist belt is. shackled to
the upper rope guide as previously explained. The rope should not be tightly
strained.
The belt is strapt around the waist of the person intending to descend. The
lowering rope is passed under and over the rope guides and is shackled on to
the Dor eye upon the waist belt.
The person to be lowered is then launched from the window and the lowering is
superintended by a person in the room who holds the lowering rope behind the
lower rope guide and allows it to run out at a safe speed.
When one person has been lowered the belt is hauled up again for another and
so on.
The last person having strapt the belt around his waist will have no difficulty
in descending the guide rope.
Dated this 15th day of April 1890.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Fire-escape.
I, Colonel HENRY BETHUNE PATTON, Stoke House, Taunton, Justice of the
Peace for the County of Somerset, Colonel 2nd Vol. Battn. Somerset Light Infantry,
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 has for its object a fire escape.
This fire escape is to be fitted in an upper room at a window suitably situate for
escape by descent to the ground. It is convenient but not essential that this
window should be a French window opening to the floor level.
The fire escape consists of the following parts:-
First A strong belt to be strapt around the waist of the person intending to
descend. Upon this belt an iron D or eye is firmly fixed.
Second A long rope with a spring shackle at one end. By this rope the person
is lowered; the shackle engages with the D or eye upon the waist belt.
Third An iron rope guide, preferably provided with a roller of small diameter.
This rope guide is permanently fixed to the lintel of the window. When the
apparatus is in use the lowering rope passes over this guide and descends from it
to the Dor eye of the waist belt to which it is shackled.
Fourth-Another similar rope guide, permanently fixed to the floor of the room.
When the apparatus is in use, the lowering rope passes beneath this guide and
ascends from it to the upper guide already mentioned.
Fifth Another rope which may be termed the leading rope; it is like the
lowering rope; when in use it is shackled to the upper rope guide and passed
through the D or eye upon the waist belt. The lower end of this rope is made
fast on the ground below at a distance from the base of the building.
The apparatus is used in the following manner :-On the alarm of fire the end of
the leading rope is thrown from the window to the ground and is made fast by a
passer by to a post or other fixture suitably placed. The other end of this rope
having first been passed through the D or eye on the waist belt is shackled to the
upper rope guide as previously explained. The rope should not be tightly
strained.
The belt is strapt around the waist of the person intending to descend. The
lowering rope is passed under and over the rope guides and is shackled on to
the D or eye upon the waist belt.
The person to be lowered is then launched from the window and the lowering is
superintended by a person in the room who holds the lowering rope behind the
lower rope guide and allows it to run out at a safe speed.
When one person has been lowered the belt is hauled up again for another and
so on.
The last person having strapt the belt around his waist will have no difficulty
in descending the guide rope.
In order that my said invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect I will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shews the general arrangement of the apparatus when in use.
remaining figures show some of the parts separately.
The
The waist belt is shewn separately at Figure 2; a is the D or eye upon it.
Figure 3 shews another form of belt and is the eye upon it. The lowering
rope is marked e in Figure 1; a good rope of the thickness of a man's thumb is
suitable. As it would not be safe to trust to a knot, the rope c is provided at its
end with a shackle or hook having a spring tongue; this is capable of being hooked

page_text: instantaneously on to the eye of the waist belt. The rope guide to be permanently
fixed to the lintel of the window is marked d in Figure 1 and is shown separately
by the Figures 4 and 5. The rope guide to be permanently fixed to the floor is
shown at e in Figure 1 and by the Figures 6 and 7. The leading rope is marked f
in Figure 1 it may resemble in all respects the lowering rope. The shackle or
spring hook which it has at its upper end must be adapted to engage readily with
the upper rope guide d. The lower end of this rope when in use is made fast or is
held by people below.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
A fire escape consisting of a waist belt; lowering rope; two rope guides; and a
leading rope combined and arranged substantially as herein described and shewn.
T
1000
H. BETHUNE PATTON, COL.,
J.P. for Somerset.
H. BETHUNE PATTON, COL.,
J.P. for Somerset.