Improvements in the Method and Means of Scaling and Climbing the Walls of Buildings and similar Surfaces.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Dec., 1888
Specification Accepted, 16th Feb., 1889
Improvements in the Method and Means of Scaling and Climbing
the Walls of Buildings and similar Surfaces.
We, WALTER DOUMAUX EDMONDS, Counsellor at Law, and JOHN MCLEOD
MURPHY, Assistant Foreman in Fire Department of City of New York and both
residents of said City, and of the County and State of New York, do hereby declaro
the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference
being had to the accompanying drawings in which :-
Figure 1 is a rear view of our apparatus.
Figure 2 is a detail view of top of platform.
Figure 3 is a detail view of a set of reels for halyards.
Figure 4 is an inside view of a detail of our apparatus showing the platform in
section and connection of hooks, halyards and scaling shafts.
Figure 5 is a view of the reverse side of portions of Figure 4.
Figure 6 is a cross section of scaling shaft.
Figure 7 is an isometric view of the apparatus in use the scaling shafts being
broken at ZZ in order to enable the lower extremities to be brought within the scope
of the drawing.
Similar letters in the various drawings indicate similar parts.
The object of this invention is to provide a method of raising men or a basis of
support for men from the ground as far as may be desired up the wall of a building
without the use of ladders or other mechanism requiring a ground support and to do
this without any previous preparation or arrangement of the surface of the building,
and to provide an apparatus for so.doing which may be easily carried to the place
of use and there easily operated for the purpose of putting in practice our said
method.
We attain the objects desired by means of operating in accordance with our method
the apparatus hereinafter described.
The art and apparatus while capable of usefulness in many directions, has special
reference to the uses of firemen, and is intended and adapted to enable firemen to
dispense with the ponderous and comparatively unmanageable systems of ladders or
fire escapes now in use and to reach any desired floor or the roof even of any burning
building with great ease and celerity.
Our method, broadly considered, consists in maintaining a footing or place of

page_text: support for the firemen or other climber by means of suspension without other support
from the ground than is afforded by the wall of the building climbed; and of causing
said foothold or support to ascend from. floor to floor by the application of muscular
or other power from sources which do not ascend as the climbing progresses.
The apparatus devised by the said John McLeod Murphy, and which we prefer for
the purpose of applying the method described consists first in the foot-hold or
platform B which should be made of size sufficient to enable two or more men to
stand thereon and of any suitable shape, the shape, however, being comparatively
immaterial. We prefer, however, the platform constructed substantially as shown in
the drawings, having a double floor rigidly united by stays, trusses or other
supports on.
These double floors are correspondingly pierced by slots or openings p p Figure 2
through which are to be inserted and to slide the scaling shafts A A¹.
The platform B should be constructed of the lightest possible materials consistent
with the required strength and rigidity, such for instance as steel or iron, a non-
inflammable material being also preferable.
The scaling shafts A A should be constructed of similar material and are preferably
made of steel or iron whose cross-section is of T shape, as shown in Figure 6.
The shafts should be so fitted to the perforations pp in the platform as to enable
them to be moved up and down through the same with ease, and it may be useful
to provide the edges of the platform around the sides of the perforations p p
with anti-friction rollers or other well known devices intended to diminish friction
while at the same time enabling the shafts to be snugly embraced by the platform.
These shafts A A¹ are further united with the platform B by two sets of halyards or
hoisting ropes DD' CC Figure 102 Figures 4 and 7.
The upper pair of said halyards CC Figure 1 are fastened at one extremity to the
platform Band are thence carried over pulleys near the top of the shafts kk and
thence downward to the ground through other suitable apertures ev in the platform B
as shown in Figures 1 and 2 or through the shaft holes pp within the recess formed
by the T shape of the cross section of the shafts as shown in Figures 4 and 7 0 0².
The next pair of halyards D D¹ are fixed at one of their extremities to the lower
part of the shafts A A¹ and are thence carried upwards through pulleys fixed
to the bottom of the platform B.
It is apparent that a downward pull upon the top halyard CC will raise the
platform until further upward motion is stopped by the pulleys and that there-
after a downward pull upon either of the second pair of halyards D D' will raise
its attached shaft through the platform until stopped by the pulley provided the
platform together with the other shaft can be provided with means of support
other than the ground.
We provide such means in the following manner.
The head of each shaft is provided with an extension G so shaped as to form
suitable axial bearings for the wheels IPF F' hereinafter described and also
bearings c c c against which the upper side of the hooks E E' may engage.
E E are powerful hooks made of strong material, as steel for instance, and
preferably shaped as shown in the drawings and provided at one extremity with an
axe shaped cutting blade a a, at the other with a suitable projection e.
The lower side of the shaft of these hooks is so shaped as to enable it to engage
with and be actuated by the cog wheels II and the hook itself is placed in the
apparatus so as to lie between the riders ccc of the shaft head G¹ and the wheel I'¹
which is rigidly secured to the shaft axis T turning in suitable bearings afforded by
the shaft head Gas best shown in Figure 4.
To the same shaft is also rigidly secured a wheel or pulley F', provided with any of
the well known mechanical devices for engaging with the chain
gg so as to be turned
to the same extent that the chain is pulled."
9
The chain yg is, as shown in Figure 5, an endless one, running on a proper system
of pulleys d d and is actuated by another pair of halyards H H which are permanently
attached at one extremity thereof to said chain and thence carried within suitable

page_text: recesses in the sides of the shafts through the platforín B to the ground as shown in
Figure 5.
For use at fires it is desirable that our apparatus should be provided with a hoso
and nozzle K of the ordinary form and with a rope ladder I both secured to the
platform as shown in the drawings.
The halyards we prefer to make of steel, wire rope or other suitable material
possessing very great strength and non-inflammability.
A convenient length of such halyards should be permanently secured to the
apparatus.
We prefer, however, that tho length of halyard carried with the shafts shall not
exceed a sufficient length to enable the platform to be raised to the top of the shafts,
as thereby there is less danger of confusion, and all the length of halyards which may
be additionally required can be readily and conveniently carried separately from the
rest of the apparatus in an ordinary reel case Figure 3 and added by an appropriato
means whenever additional length of halyards is required.
We prefer also to provide the shafts with a number of cross-floors containing
eyelets u u as shown in Figure 6 through which these halyards, which are carried as
aforesaid within the recesses of the shafts, may be threaded and prevented from
escaping from the recesses.
Having thus described our apparatus, its method of operation is as follows:
Assume for instance that a lofty building is on fire that the fire has invaded the
middle parts of the building, and cut off all means of access to the upper floors and
roof, which are so elevated as to be beyond the reach of ordinary ladders or so
situated that same cannot be raised against them owing to presence of intervening
telegraph wires or other obstructions. In such a case our apparatus weighing not to
exceed 200 pounds, and we believe capable of being constructed of sufficient strength
at a lighter weight, has been brought to the scene of the fire upon any convenient or
proper truck.
It is immediately set up on the ground at the foot of the walls of the burning
building, the platform B being at the bottom of the shafts, the shafts raised vertically
through said platform and the hooks E E¹ having their axe shaped faces against the
wall of the building and projected to their whole extent in the position illustrated
by E in Figure 7.
The halyards are all connected and in position as shown in Figure 1, in which
condition the apparatus should always be kept ready for immediate use.
The reel containing the additional lengths of halyards is now approached to the
apparatus and connections made between the additional halyard lengths and the
halyards already in position.
If desired a hose and hose nozzle are also connected with the hose pipe connection K
and in almost every instance it will be useful to connect also to the platform a rope
or other flexible ladder L.
Skilled men are stationed so as to operate the. halyards and the apparatus is now
ready to commence its ascent.
If desired one or two firemen may stand upon the platforın and ascend with it the
entire distance, but the weight is thereby correspondingly increased, and it is of
course always possible for the firemen to run up to the platform upon the flexible
ladder L as soon as the platform has been hoisted into the desired position.
The apparatus being in the position last described, the halyards C¹(or if the
form of construction shown in Figures 7 and is preferred the halyards (0) are
hauled upon and the platform with its said attachments necessarily slides up the
shafts A A until the pulleysk kare reached.
Further hoisting on the first pair of halyards CC now ceases, and they are belayed
or held in position, thus suspending the platform B at about the height of the
pulleys kk above the ground.
The next movement is to raise either one of the scaling shafts A A¹ above the
platform B.
This is effected as follows: Suppose for instance it is desired first to raise above

page_text: the platform the climbing shaft A¹ Figure 1. In this case the hook E' of that shaft
must first be drawn backwards into the position occupied by it as shown in
Figure 7.
The retrogression of the hook E¹ is readily effected by hauling upon its halyard H¹
Figure 5 which being connected with the chain g'g and the latter so combined with
the pulleys F as to cause the latter to rotate to the same extent that is pulled,
thereby causes the cog wheel I¹ to rotate also and this in turn engages with and
forces the hook E¹ backwards until the position of E shown in Figure 7 has been
reached. The hook E¹ has now been brought into a suitable position to enable the
shaft A to ascend.
The shaft A is readily raised by hauling upon the halyards D' and simultaneously
and correspondingly releasing the halyards (or in the form of construction shown
in Figures 7 and 4 the halyards C2 03) and also the halyards H H. The shaft A¹ is
thus readily caused to rise through the platform until stopped by the pulley L.
In practice, however, it is not usually requisite to raise the shaft through the
platform to its entire length.
The shaft should be raised so far only as to bring the hook E¹ just above a window
sil or other suitable projection or basis of support therefor in the wall of the
building..
.
As soon as the hook E¹ has been brought to the position last mentioned, hoisting
on the halyards D should cease and the halyard should be belayed or held stationary
and the halyard H sharply pulled, which will reverse the movement last communicated
to the hook E¹ and project it forward toward the surface of the building with force
sufficient to cut or break through a window or other like obstacle and will bring the
hook E over the window sill or other basis of support, whereupon the shaft is allowed
to settle slightly until the hook finds a bearing whereupon the halyards being properly
held or secured the entire apparatus will now be held suspended upon the hook E
and will have exchanged the basis of support last occupied by it for one considerably
higher up on the front of the building.
The remaining shaft with its hook is now in its turn similarly raised and may be
caused to rest upon the same window sill, now serving as support for the hook E' or
passed further on to the window sill or suitable projection on a
higher floor..
The platform is correspondingly raised by properly hauling it up the shafts by its
halyards CC or C2 C2 in proportion as the climbing shafts are alternately hauled
upwards and find higher and higher basis of support.
No absolute rule can be stated for guidance as to the amount of hauling upwards
on the halyards at any given time as each case will present, by reason of the variations
in the surfaces of buildings, different conditions which should be met by good
judgment on the part of those entrusted with the manipulations of our apparatus.
In this connection the same discretion should be employed that a good climber
would make use of in selecting the most feasible and best path and movement for
scaling a wall or other obstacle.
We provide a mechanism affording a body.or base support combined with climbing
shafts or arms capable of considerable extension and of clutching that of which it is
required to climb.
As these arms or shafts with their hooks are adapted to serve alternately as hooks
from which the entire apparatus may be safely suspended and alternately as arms
reaching upwards to secure a new bearing or point of support, and are adapted to be
actuated by as great an amount of force as may be desired, it is manifest that climbing
may be thereby effected to any extent limited only by the length of the halyards and
the extent to which the wall affords window sills or other proper basis of support
within reach of the limits of motion inherent in our apparatus.
It is, of course, manifest that as soon as the required heighth has been reached any
number of firemen may ascend the ladder L and that a stream of water may be
directed through the hose which has also been simultaneously carried upwards.
+
It is also apparent that our apparatus may prove of great service in saving human
life in the rescue of those whose escape has been cut off by the flames.

page_text: cach halyard or set of halyards. More men, of course, might be detailed for the
purpose of hoisting should greater power be desired or the apparatus might be
combined with the steam power of one of the fire engines so as to be hoisted
thereby.
The belaying of the halyards, should it become necessary may be effected around
any convenient objects in the street or any proper apparatus therefor may be
employed.
The weight of the men who hoist the apparatus will usually bo amply sufficient to
sustain it.
The size of the apparatus may, of course, vary with the requirements of the uses to
which it shall be put.
It has been found that for the uses of a fire department the following sizes of the
parts are as convenient as any and afford excellent results, the length of the
shafts A A either 12, 14, 16, or 18 feet; platform surface 3 feet by 21-2 feet ;
length of hooks six feet six inches.
These are the principal dimensions.
The dimensions of the subordinate parts should be relatively proportioned sub-
tantially as shown in the drawings.
The drawings Figure 7 shows a portion of my apparatus in the act of climbing.
The shafts are represented as broken at the point. Z Z in order to bring the lower
portions thereof within the field of the drawing. The whole apparatus is suspended
upon the hook E which is shown as resting upon the window sash and sill.
The other shaft A' is in the act of rising preparatory to grasping another window
'or the roof.
Below is seen a window whose sill and sash have afforded a basis of support for
the apparatus in a previous part of its climb.
Means other than the hooks specifically shown by us might be employed for tho
purpose of grasping or adhering to points of support during the upward climb of the
apparatus.
Again the power actuating the shafts as well as the hooks or other grasping
apparatus might be applied by connections other than the halyards or cables which
we have described, for instance, electricity might be employed to actuate our
apparatus and many other changes might be made in the details of form and con-
struction, all without departing from this invention, which consists in its broadest
aspect in the relation of a movable central body or platform to two movable arms
provided with independently acting clutching or holding extremities each of said arms
as well as said platform being capable of being separately moved upwards or
downwards without disturbing their aforesaid relation to each other.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
-
1. In a climbing apparatus, a middle portion, base, or platform, provided with arms,
or shafts, adapted to grasp, clutch, or cling to, the object to be climbed, each of said
shafts being adapted to ascend and descend independently of ascent or descent on the
part of the other shaft or of the platform and either simultaneously with or inde-
pendently of the platform, and said platform adapted to ascend and descend relatively
to said shafts independently of ascent or descent on their part or on the part of either
of them substantially as and for the purposes described.
2. In a climbing apparatus, a middle portion, base, or platform, provided with arms
or shafts, adapted to grasp clutch or cling to, the object to be climbed, either of said
shafts being adapted to ascend and descend independently of ascent or descent on the
part of the other shaft and the platform, and said platform adapted to ascend and
descend with one of the shafts independently of ascent or descent on the part of the
other shaft substantially as and for the purposes described.

page_text: 3. The combination of the platform B with sliding shafts A', said shafts being
provided with apparatus for grasping, clutching, or clinging to, the object to bo
climbed and said shafts being so related and connected with said platform that either
may be raised or lowered relatively to the others, or said platform and either shaft
simultaneously raised or lowered relatively to the other shaft without destroying said
combination, substantially as described.
4. The combination with the platform B of the sliding shafts A A', each provided
with hooks E E which hooks are adapted to move backwards and forwards inde-
pendently of any motion on the part of said shafts, and either of which shafts is
adapted to be raised and lowered relatively to said platform and to the other without
moving said platform or the other shaft, and which platform is adapted to be raised
and lowered relatively to said shafts without moving either or more than one of them,
substantially as and for the purposes described.
5. In combination with the platform B the shafts A A¹ connected with said platform
by halyards CCD D¹ and by the pulleys kk ll. said shafts being each respectively
provided with a hook EE which hook is adapted to be carried backwards or forwards
by appropriate mechanism substantially as and for the purpose specified.
6. In combination with sliding shafts A A' combined and operating with platform B,
as described, the breaking and grappling hooks E E' in combination with endless
chain g pulleys F, F', shafts T T, toothed wheels I I' and halyards H H substantially
as and for the purpose described.
7. In a climbing apparatus the combination of platform B, shafts A A¹,
halyards CC, pulleys kk, halyards D D¹, and pulleys 11, said shafts being provided
with apparatus for grasping, clutching or clinging to the object to he climbed.
8. In a climbing apparatus the combination of platform B, shafts A A¹,
halyards CC, pulleys kk, halyards D D¹, pulleys ll hooks E E', shaft heads G G₁,
pulleys F F, shafts T T', toothed wheels I 11 endless chains g, y, provided with
pulleys & d, halyards H H, all operating substantially as and for the purpose
described.
Dated this 27th day of December 1888.