IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE ESCAPE APPARATUS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE ESCAPE APPARATUS." A communication from
abroad by Robert Bustin, of St. John, New Brunswick, Canada, Gentleman.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th September 1881.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE ESCAPE APPARATUS."
[A communication from abroad by Robert Bustin, of St. John, New Brunswick,
Canada, Gentleman.]
This Invention relates to improvements in devices or apparatus chiefly designed
to enable persons to escape from burning buildings.
The main object of this Invention is to produce an apparatus of such size that
it can be conveniently carried about the person or packed into a small space for
transportation, and by means of which any number of persons may be successfully
and safely lowered from a burning building or from an elevated position at a
moment's notice, and by which the operator may descend from the building and
save his apparatus after his descent without the aid of any other person.
One object of the present improvements is to facilitate the attachment and
detachment of the main supporting part of the apparatus to and from a portion of
a burning building, the round of a ladder, or other fixed point.
In carrying the said Invention into practice I provide a tackle-block, constructed
preferably of metal, with a loop extension at its upper end to serve as a means
for connecting a grappling hook and its attaching band, which is preferably made
of stout leather and secured by means of rivets. From the lower end of a block
projects a shank provided with a cleat on one side, the block, shank, and cleat
being preferably cast in one and the same piece of metal. At the lower end of
the shank is formed a loop or eye, to which is connected by a leather band a
swivelled head of a snap hook.

page_text: There is a belt of leather or other suitable material to surround the body of the
person escaping, to one end of which belt are secured half rings, the body of the
belt being passed through the eye of a snap-hook, and its other end secured to a
slide arranged upon the belt after the ordinary manner or mode of constructing
extension belts.
A rope is passed over the pulley in the block, and having secured to one end a
snap book, to which is connected a grappling hook.
My improved apparatus is efficient both as a means of saving the occupants of
burning buildings, and also for saving firemen when they are by the fire cut off
from their ladders. When used for saving the inmates of a building the fireman
can secure the grappling hook to one of the rounds of his ladder.
Instead of the grappling hook being connected to the block by means of the
strap, it may be provided with a snap eye and thus connected.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
4th March 1882.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ESCAPE APPARATUS."
A communication from abroad by Robert Bustin, of St. John, New Brunswick,
Canada, Gentleman.
This Invention relates to improvements in devices or apparatus designed to
enable persons to escape from burning buildings.
The main object of this Invention is to produce an apparatus of such size that
it can be conveniently carried about the person or packed into a small space for
transportation, and by means of which a person or persons may be successfully
and safely lowered from a burning building or from an elevated position in a very
short space of time, and by which the operator may descend from the building and
save his apparatus after his descent without the aid of any other person.
One object of the present improvements is to facilitate the attachment and
detachment of the main supporting part of the apparatus to and from a portion of
& burning building, the round of a ladder, or other fixed point.
In the accompanying Drawing,
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a fire-escape apparatus embodying my
improvements.
Figure 2 illustrates a modification of the attaching hook.
In carrying the said Invention into practice I provide a tackle-block A
constructed preferably of metal, with a loop-extension B at its upper end to serve
as a means for connecting the grappling hook C and its attaching band D, which
is preferably made of stout leather and secured by means of rivets E. From the
lower end of the block projects a shank H provided with a cleat I on one side, the
block, shank, and cleat being preferably cast or formed in one and the same
piece of metal. At the lower end of the shank is formed a loop or eye K to which
is connected by a leather band M the swivelled head N of a snap-hook P. R is a
belt of leather or other suitable material to surround the body of the person
escaping, to one end of which belt are secured half rings S and T, the body of the
belt being passed through the eye of a snap-hook V, and its other end secured to a
slide arranged upon the belt after the ordinary manner or mode of constructing
extension belts; W is a rope passed over the pulley in the block A, and having
secured to one end a snap-hook Z, to which is connected a grappling hook X.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows:-Say, for instance, that a fire has
broken out in a building and progressed so far as to cut off escape by the upper
rooms, by the stairs, or other usual means, a person or persons in one of the said
rooms being provided with my fire escape apparatus, the grappling hook C is first
engaged with the edge of a window sill or any other suitable purchase; then if
more than one person is to descend, the snap Z or the grappling hook X is engaged
with the half-ring T of the belt which has been placed about the body of the person
to be lowered first. The person who remains and is to operate the rope now gives
the said rope a turn around the cleat I to enable him to easily control it, and the
person to descend is then placed outside the building and lowered in safety. The
belt may be drawn up and other persons saved in a similar manner.
When only one person is to descend or save himself, the grappling hook X
attached to the rope is engaged with the window-sill or other convenient support;
the snap-hook P is engaged with the half-ring of the belt, which is placed about his
person, and a proper turn of the rope taken around the cleat; he then seizes the

page_text: rope below the cleat, swings himself out of the window or other opening, and pays
out the rope, as required, to lower himself. When he alights the apparatus is
with him, except that the grappling hook attached to the rope is engaged above.
It can be easily detached however by shaking the rope with the hand briskly after
it is slackened, and thus the entire apparatus is saved.
My improved apparatus is efficient both as a means of saving the occupants of
burning buildings, and also for saving firemen when they are by the fire cut off
from their ladders. When used for saving the inmates of a building the fireman
can secure the grappling hook C to one of the rounds of his ladder.
Instead of the grappling hook C being connected to the block A by means of
the strap D, it may be provided with a snap eye c, as shewn in Figure 2, and thus
connected.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim,-
First. In a fire-escape apparatus the block having the cleat I attached to it and
the lower hook P in combination with the flexibly connected grappling hook C,
substantially as described and for the purposes specified.
Second. In combination with the block A and lower hoop P, the flexibly
'connected grappling hook C and the rope W provided with the grappling hook X,
substantially as described and for the purposes specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Third day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.