IMPROVEMENTS IN ELEVATING STANDS OR STAGES FOR THE USE OF HOSEMEN IN EXTINGUISHING FIRES, ALSO FOR DECORATING WINDOWS, PUBLIC BUILDINGS, AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1858

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Mark Mason at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 25th October
1858.
I, MARK MASON, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Machinist,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
ELEVATING STANDS OR STAGES FOR THE USE OF HOSEMEN IN EXTINGUISHING FIRES,
ALSO FOR DECORATING WINDOWS, PUBLIC BUILDINGS, AND OTHER PURPOSES," to be
as follows:-
My improvements consist in the use of means to elevate the hoseman in
case of fires to public buildings, so that he can use the hose with greater
effect, and direct the water to any particular part of the premises without
the necessity of endangering himself by ascending any part of the building
which is on fire, or any of the adjoining premises. This elevating apparatus
being mounted upon wheels can be easily removed to any part of the building
which is on fire, and the hose pipe can be conveniently directed to any quarter,
so that more command will be obtained over the fire, and it will be more
speedily got under and extinguished.
For this purpose I mount a stage about 15 ft. high upon a framework carried
by four wheels, this frame being of wood or other material, and the stage
being supported at the corners by four pillars. These pillars may be made
of hollow iron tubes of a uniform cylindrical section, and resting on the frame
at the bottom of the machine. Through the centre of this stage I pass an.

page_text: upright tube with a rack attached to its side along its whole length, this rack
being driven by a winch which is placed on the stage, and which a man can
conveniently work; this vertical rack is arranged in length, say, about five
feet long, and a circular hole is left in the bottom frame for a man to stand
in, so as to allow these lengths to be inserted below, and the rack can thus
be elevated to any extent. On the top of the rack a stand or cage is fixed,
which is railed round to about four feet high, and in which the hoseman is
placed; suitable catches or detents are fitted to the rack so as to retain it
perfectly in position at the time when the winch is worked, and the stand or
top cage is elevated. The upright tube with rack attached to it may be
formed of brass or iron, or other material.
The bottom frame can be weighted same as a mangle, so as to give the
required stability to the structure. Attached to each of the four corners of
the machine is a grooved pulley with a rope coiled round each, these ropes
passing up to each of the four corners of the cage where they are attached
by hooks. These grooved pulleys can be connected together so as to be
worked with one handle, the four ropes being unwound as the top cage is
elevated, and being kept taut answer as guide ropes to it, serving the same
purpose to the cage as the ropes of a ship do to the masts. The first stage is
railed round, and a ladder is provided so that it can be conveniently mounted.
The rack & cage, with the hoseman, can be raised to any desired height by
adding more lengths of the rack at the bottom, so that an elevation equal to
the top of St. Paul's Cathedral can be easily & safely reached if it is found
necessary.