AN IMPROVED FIRE ESCAPE
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to David Meyer Isaacs, of Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Minister of the Old Hebrew Congregation,
for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED FIRE ESCAPE."
Sealed the 24th July 1874, and dated the 30th January 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said David Meyer Isaacs
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 30th January 1874.
I, DAVID MEYER ISAACS, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Minister of the Old Hebrew Congregation, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED FIRE ESCAPE," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the construction of an internal fire escape
which can be placed in any room as an article of furniture, and can
at any time be used as a fire escape with the least possible delay.

page_text: The exterior or casing of the fire escape is in the form of a cabinet
with two doors, and with one or more drawers beneath, and can be
made in the form of a dressing table or other similar piece of furniture,
and as ornamental as required. The top or lid opens on a hinge at
each side, and on opening this lid the back falls outwards. Inside
the upper part is a roller having a ratchet wheel and catch at one
end, and provided with a winch handle, by means of which it can be
turned when required. To this roller is securely fixed one end of a
flexible ladder of wire, rope, or other suitable flexible and incom-
bustible material, and when not in use this ladder is coiled or wound
upon the roller by turning the winch handle, and the lid and front
doors being closed it has the appearance of an ordinary cabinet or chest
of drawers, as the case may be.
The whole is mounted upon rollers or castors, and is provided with
handles so that it can readily be removed from one part of the room
to the other.
In the event of the fire escape being required it is moved in front
of the window and the lids are then opened, which will allow the
back to fall outwards on to the window sill so as to form a kind of
shoot. On opening the front doors a small pair of folding steps fall
down, by means of which any person can mount into the cabinet.
The catch is then raised out of the teeth of the ratchet wheel, and
the end of the flexible ladder being thrown out of the window will
fall to the ground, uncoiling itself from the roller, and passing outwards
over the "shoot" before named.
The lids in opening outwards extend to a greater width than the
window, and thus give the machine a firm hold inside the walls at
each side of the window; but if preferred as an additional security
the opening of the lids may also be made to throw out a strong iron
bolt on each side which the closing of the lids withdraws.
As a further security a rope may also be attached to each side of the
machine to serve as a hand guide in descending the ladder.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters, Patent,
filed by the said David Meyer Isaacs in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 29th July 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DAVID
MEYER ISAACS, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Minister of
the Old Hebrew Congregation, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said David Meyer Isaacs, Her
special license that I, the said David Meyer Isaacs, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said David Meyer
Isaacs, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to 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
"AN IMPROVED FIRE ESCAPE," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said David Meyer Isaacs, my executors or administrators, 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 David Meyer Isaacs, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement and accompanying Drawings (that is to
say):
This Invention relates to the construction of an internal fire escape
which can be placed in any room as an article of furniture, and can
at any time be used as a fire escape with the least possible delay.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention, I will now
proceed to describe more in detail the manner in which the same is to

page_text: be or may be performed or carried into practical effect; and in order
that the same may be clearly understood I have annexed hereunto a
Sheet of Drawings illustrative thereof, and have marked the same with
figures and letters of reference corresponding with those in the following
explanation thereof :-
In the annexed Drawing Fig. 1 represents a front view enclosed of
my improved fire escape; Fig. 2 is a front view of the same open and
ready for use; and Fig. 3, a section of same.
The exterior or casing a, a, of the fire escape is in the form of a
cabinet with two doors b, b, and with one or more drawers beneath,
and can be made in the form of a dressing table or other similar piece
of furniture, and as ornamental as required. The top or lid c, c,
opens on a hinge at each side, and on opening this lid the back d, d,
falls outward. Inside the upper part is a roller e, e, having a ratchet
wheel, and catch 9, 9, at one end, and provided with a winch
handle h, h, by means of which it can be turned when required. To
this roller is securely fixed one end of a flexible ladder i, i, of chain,
wire rope, or other suitable flexible and incombustible material, and
when not in use this ladder is coiled or wound upon the roller e, e, by
turning the winch handle ff, and the lid and front doors being closed
it has the appearance of an ordinary cabinet or chest of drawers, as the

page_text: The lids c, c, in opening outwards extend to a greater width than
the window, and thus give the machine a firm hold inside the walls
at each side of the window, as shown at Fig. 2; but if preferred
as an additional security the opening of the lids may also be made to
throw out a strong iron bolt on each side which the closing of the lid
withdraws.
As a further security a rope is also attached to each side of the
machine to serve as a hand guide in descending the ladder.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention,
together with the manner in which the same is to be or may be per-
formed or carried into practical effect, I wish it to be understood that
I claim as my Invention the improved construction of portable fire
cscape, hercin-before described and illustrated by the Drawing annexed,
or any mere imitation or modification thereof, constructed and operating
in substantially the same or a similar manner.
In witness whereof, I, the said David Meyer Isaacs, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of July,
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.
> Witnessed by
JOHN HUGHES,
DAVID MEYER ISAACS. (L.S.)
Clerk to Geo. Davies, C.E.,
Patent Office,
St. Ann's Sq.
Manchester.