IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE ESCAPES
Year: 1879

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Alexander Melville Clark at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th July 1879. A communi-
cation from abroad by Joseph Richard Winters, of Chambersburgh, in the
County of Franklin, State of Pennsylvania, and Philander Rexford, of Orange,
in the County of Essex, State of New Jersey, both in the United States of
America.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE ESCAPES." [A communication from
abroad by Joseph Richard Winters, of Chambersburgh, in the County of Franklin,
State of Pennsylvania, and Philander Rexford, of Orange, in the County of Essex,
State of New Jersey, both in the United States of America.]
. The object of this Invention is to furnish an improved fire escape ladder which
shall be so constructed that it may be easily and quickly raised to a greater or less
height, and inclined more or less as may be required, which will carry the hose up
with it and allow timid and infirm persons, furniture, &c., to be readily lowered,
and which shall be convenient and safe in use.
This improved fire escape ladder is supported upon a frame or carriage which is
mounted upon wheels so that it may be conveniently taken from place to place and
brought into the desired position for use. Upon this frame is mounted a zig-zag
truss ladder, the lower end of one of the bottom sections of which is pivoted to a
cross bar. The ends of the cross bar or bearing blocks attached to the said ends
slide in longitudinal grooves in the inner sides of the side bars of the carriage
frame. In the cross bar are formed two screw holes, or to it are attached two nuts
to receive and fit upon the threads of two screws which are swivelled to cross bars
of the frame. To the forward ends of the screws are attached two bevel gear
wheels, the teeth of which mesh into the teeth of two bevel gear wheels keyed on a
cross shaft which revolves in bearings in the side bars of the frame, and upon its
ends are mounted crank wheels which are made heavy so as to serve as fly wheels.
By turning these crank wheels the ladder may be raised and lowered as may be
desired. The lower end of the other bottom section of the ladder is pivoted to a
cross bar, the ends of which have bearing blocks attached to them which slide up
and down in slots in vertical bars attached to the inner sides of the rear parts of
the side bars of the carriage frame, the said slotted bars having shoulders formed
upon the outer sides of their upper ends to rest upon the said side bars. Nuts are
inserted in holes in the cross bar above mentioned, to which the bottom section of
ladder is pivoted, which are kept from turning by tongues and grooves, and have

page_text: shoulders or flanges formed upon their lower ends for the said cross bar to rest upon.
The upper-ends.of.the.nuts.project_above-the-cross-bar-and-have-screwthreads cut
upon them to receive jam nuts to guard against the possibility of the said cross bar
rising-off the said nuts, and thus hold the end of the ladder securely at all times.
The screwthreads of the nuts fit upon the threads of screws which pass through
-them-and are swivelled to a cross bar attached to the lower ends of the slotted bars
above mentioned. To the lower ends of these screws are keyed bevel gear wheels,
the teeth of which mesh into the teeth of other bevel gear wheels upon a shaft
revolving in bearings on the cross bar or carriage frame, and to one or both of its
ends is attached a crank wheel which is made heavy to adapt it to serve as a fly-
wheel. With this construction by turning the crank wheel more or less inclination
may be given to the latter as circumstances may require, while at the same time the
ladder will be firmly supported and will retain its position even should the wall
against which it is raised happen to fall. A cross pipe is secured in holes or
bearings in the carriage frame, the ends of which project at the sides of the said
frames and are provided with couplings for connection with a hydrant or fire engine.
To this cross pipe are also attached the ends of two lines of hose, which pass up
along the opposite sides of the ladder, passing from side to side and crossing each
other at the rounds that pivot the middle parts of the ladder sections to each other.
The upper ends of the lines of hose to which nozzles are attached are secured to
the upper part of the ladder. With this construction the two lines of hose become
a fixture of the ladder, and are raised and lowered by and with the said ladder, so
that the said hose does not have to be carried up the ladder by the firemen. With
this construction also the hose when in use has a tendency to support the ladder
and give it stiffness and firmness. At one end of the carriage frame is mounted a
drum, divided into two parts by a central flange, to which parts are attached the
ends of two ropes or chains, which pass over pulleys pivoted to the lower corners of
a frame having hooks attached to or formed upon them to hook over a round of the
ladder at any desired height. The other ends of the ropes or chains are provided
with hooks to hook into eyes attached to a cage which is raised by the act of
turning the drum to wind the ropes or chains upon it, and lowered by turning the
said drum in the other direction to unwind the said ropes or chains. To one end
of the drum shaft is keyed a small gear wheel, the teeth of which mesh into the
teeth of a larger gear wheel keyed to a shaft turning in bearings upon the carriage
frame. To the end of this shaft, or to the gear wheel, is attached a crank, by means
of which the shaft is turned to operate the drum. The shaft is made to carry the
drum with it in its revolution by means of a clutch which slides upon the said shaft
and engages with the end of the said drum. The clutch has a ring groove formed
in it to receive the forked end of an arm formed upon or attached to a clutch bar,
which slides in slotted standards attached to the carriage fraine. The sliding clutch
bar is provided with a second-arm to serve as a handle for operating it. The
carriage frame also carries two standards, the upper ends of which are connected by
a bar upon which the cage is hung when not needed. The ladder when lowered
rests upon cross bars which have holes formed through their ends for standards
attached to the frame to pass through, said bars resting upon spiral springs upon
the lower parts of said standards.