IMPROVED LOWERING APPARATUS INTENDED TO BE USED AS A FIRE ESCAPE, AND FOR OBTAINING ACCESS TO THE EXTERIOR OR OTHER WALL SURFACES OF BUILDINGS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francis Andoe, of Swansea, in the County of
Glamorgan, for the Invention of "IMPROVED LOWERING APPARATUS
INTENDED TO BE USED AS A FIRE ESCAPE, AND FOR OBTAINING ACCESS TO THE
EXTERIOR OR OTHER WALL SURFACES OF BUILDINGS."
Sealed the 31st August 1869, and dated the 3rd March 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Francis Andoe at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd March 1869.
I, FRANCIS ANDOE, of Swansca, in the County of Glamorgan, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED LOWERING
APPARATUS INTENDED TO BE USED AS A FIRE ESCAPE, AND FOR OBTAINING ACCESS
TO THE EXTERIOR OR OTHER WALL SURFACES OF BUILDINGS," to be as
follows:-
The Invention comprises constructing apparatus consisting of a box
or receptacle for one or more persons to stand or place themselves
within it, and having cords, ropes, or tackle for suspending it passed
through gripping pullies or rollers, one pair at either end (or side) of
and near to top thereof, and thence by other pullies or rollers guided

page_text: and brought to pass out of the box or receptacle together or nearly
together at or near to the bottom thereof, and furnished with a check
break for pressing on the tackle or rollers, or some of them, to prevent
too rapid a descent, and in some cases the box or receptacle having also
attached thereto, or being fitted or combined with other tackle, including
pulley block, for raising the apparatus when desired.
And the Invention may be performed as follows:-The box may or
may not be an article of furniture, such as a toilet table, or cabinet,
or ottoman, or other hollow receptacle with removable top, and with
bottom to stand on within it. The pairs of gripping rollers may be
made to act either independently or together with the check break,
which may be screwed or pressed upon the tackle or the pullies by the
occupants of the box. The tackle may be ropes, cords, or chains, but
preferably ordinary hempen cords or wire ropes. And protective guide
roller or wheels or inclined striking surfaces may be fitted to the box
or receptacle for keeping the body thereof off or from rubbing or striking
against the walls against which it may be used. When placed ready
for use as a fire escape the suspending ropes may depend from soffit of
a window recess or from ceiling, the length thence to sides being con-
cealed from observation by the window curtains, and the remainder may
lie or be packed within the table or box. The width of the table or
box should for convenience be somewhat less than that of the window
opening through which it is to be passed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Francis Andoe in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 2nd September 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANCIS
ANDOE, of Swansea, in the County of Glamorgan, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Francis Andoe, Her special licence that
I, the said Francis Andoe, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others, as I, the said Francis Andoe, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to

page_text: time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of
Man, an Invention for "IMPROVED LOWERING APPARATUS INTENDED TO BE
USED AS A FIRE ESCAPE, AND FOR OBTAINING ACCESS TO THE EXTERIOR OR
OTHER WALL SURFACES OF BUILDINGS,' upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Francis Andoe, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Francis Andoe, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, that is to say :-
The Invention comprises constructing apparatus consisting of a box
or receptacle for one or more persons to stand or place themselves
within it, and having cords, ropes, or tackle for suspending it passed
through gripping pullies or rollers, one pair at either end (or side) of and
near to top thereof, and thence by other pullies or rollers guided and
brought to pass out of the box or receptacle together or nearly together
at or near to the bottom thereof, and furnished with a check break for
pressing on the tackle or rollers, or some of them, to prevent too rapid
a descent; and in some cases the box or receptacle having also attached
thereto or being fitted or combined with other tackle, including pulley
block, for raising the apparatus when desired.
+
And the Invention may be performed as follows:-The box may or
may not be an article of furniture, such as a toilet table, or cabinet, or
ottoman, or other hollow receptacle with removable top, and with bottom
to stand on within it. The pairs of gripping rollers may be made to
act either independently or together with the check break, which may
be screwed or pressed upon the tackle or the pullies by the occupants
of the box. The tackle may be ropes, cords, or chains, but preferably
ordinary hempen cords or wire ropes. And protective guide rollers or
wheels or inclined striking surfaces may be fitted to the box or receptacle
for keeping the body thereof off or from rubbing or striking against the

page_text: walls against which it may be used. When placed ready for use as a
fire escape the suspending ropes may depend from soffit of a window
recess or from ceiling, the length thence to sides being concealed from
observation by the window curtains, and the remainder may lie or be
packed within the table or box. The width of the table or box should
for convenience be somewhat less than that of the window opening
through which it is to be passed.
The accompanying Drawing will serve to illustrate a convenient mode
of performing the Invention, in which Figure 1 shows a front elevation
of the apparatus arranged as a cabinet or toilet table, having the
machinery and ropes concealed and stowed within it; Figure 2, a back
view of the same with the adjustable sliding guides or rollers A and
the fixed guides B, B; Figure 3 an end view, and Figure 4 a sectional
side view, in which the rollers and gripping rollers D are shown, as
also the break apparatus; Figure 5 is a sectional elevation also showing
the gripping, break apparatus, and rollers; Figure 6, a sectional plan
view of the same.
It will be observed that the inside of the cabinet is divided by a
partition c into two compartments, the breaks, rollers, and ropes being in
the smaller, the larger compartment being left free for the reception of
one or more individuals or things when intended for use.
Figure 7 shows on a large scale the arrangement of the gripping
rollers shown at D*, Figure 4, and Figure 8 shows on an enlarged scale
the break apparatus at F, Figure 5.
It is to be observed generally that I do not confine myself to the exact
matter of detail, as shown in the Drawing, as the apparatus may be
made of any size or shape convenient to the purpose, and also the
tackle differently arranged without departing from the nature of my
Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said Francis Andoe, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
FRANCIS ANDOE. (L.S.)