IMPROVED ARRANGE- MENTS FOR PORTABLE FIRE-ESCAPES
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joshua Joseph Southgate, of Kensington, in the
County of Middlesex, Builder, for the Invention of "IMPROVED ARRANGE-
MENTS FOR PORTABLE FIRE-ESCAPES."
Sealed the 26th June 1868, and dated the 1st January 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joshua Joseph Southgate
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
1st January 1863.
I, JOSHUA JOSEPH SOUTHGATE, of Kensington, in the County of Middlesex,
Builder, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED
ARRANGEMENTS FOR PORTABLE FIRE-ESCAPES," to be as follows:-
I make loose trousers, a vest, or a complete suit of trousers and vest (or equi-
valents for these garments), and to the same I secure (in a detachable manner,
as by hook and eye), the lower ends of elastic or spring cords (which I now
prefer to make of a great number of fine cords or strands of vulcanised india-
rubber or similar elastic material wound round with non-inflammable silk
cord, strips of flannel, or similar substance), the other ends of which elastic or
spring cords I secure to a ring or hook or staple firmly secured to the wall or
place in close proximity to a window or other point of egress, so that (the
said garment or garments being kept ready for use near the window or point
of egress) the same may, in case of fire, immediately be applied to the person
of any one seeking to escape, who, upon casting off from the window or point
of egress, will descend in a gradual manner by reason of the action of the

page_text: elastic spring or spring cords, and such person may to some extent regulate
his position (by using his hands and legs) in descending, so as to keep out of
the reach of any flames issuing from the house or building, and this may be
ensured by a rope or cord being attached to and brought from the garment,
and held by any person or persons on the pavement or ground below. Instead
of elastic spring cord, as aforesaid, I could use a coiled steel or spiral spring
or non-elastic cord wound round a spring barrel, which should be fixed near
the window or point of egress, and instead of the garment or garments I could
use a belt, or sack, or bag.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joshua Joseph Southgate in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 1st July 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSHUA
JOSEPH SOUTHGATE, of Kensington, in the County of Middlesex, Builder, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of January, in the year of our Lord One
Lhousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Joshua Joseph Southgate, Her special licence that I, the said Joshua
Joseph Southgate, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Joshua Joseph Southgate, 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 "IMPROVED ARRANGEMENTS FOR PORTABLE FIRE-ESCAPES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Joshua Joseph Southgate, 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 Joshua Joseph Southgate, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is

page_text: to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, that is to say :-
Before describing the nature of my said improved arrangements I may
however state that the objects I have in view are to provide a fire-escape
which may be readily moved from place to place from being capable of
being packed in a box or bag of no considerable size, and which shall
not be cumbersome when deposited in a handy position in an apartment, be
readily available at any time so as to be truly useful in the hour of need, be
sure in action when required to be used, and be of such formation as to
reassure the timed when seeking to escape from fire.
The nature of the said improved arrangements whereby I seek to acconi-
plish the above objects consists in this :-I provide loose trousers or a vest or a
complete suit of trousers and vest, or a bag or sack made of strong canvas or
other strong and pliable .material; or I substitute for these what may be
considered by most persons a more desirable thing, viz., a strong belt of
leather or canvas, provided with tongue and buckle or other adjusting fastener
and I securely attach thereto the lower end or ends of elastic or spring cords
(which I prefer to make as herein-after particularly described), and the other
end or ends of such elastic or spring cords I secure to a ring, hook, or staple,
so constructed that it may be readily secured to the wall or place, or to an
article contained in the apartment in close proximity to the window or other
point of egress, so that the garment or garments or the belt berein-before
mentioned may, in case of fire, be applied without delay to the person of any
one seeking to escape, who may, upon casting off from the window or other
place, descend in a gradual manner, by reason that the whole weight of the
body being suspended by the said elastic cords, the amount of the elastic
power of said combined cords being regulated by the average weight of
what are known as "heavy" persons, people of less weight being brought
down by the same means with the assistance of the hauling rope hereafter
described. The person using this escape is enabled to regulate to some extent
his position by using his hands and legs so as to keep out of the reach of
flames issuing from the building, the same being, however, more amply pro-
vided against by means of said hauling rope or cord worked by any person or
persons on the pavement or ground below. In lieu of an elastic or spring
cord I could substitute the equivalent of a spiral or coiled spring, or a non-
elastic cord passing over a pulley, such as is shewn by the Drawing, one
end of which cord is attached to the garment, sack, or belt, and the other held
by the person escaping or by others assisting such persons.
Having now particularly described the nature of the said Invention, I

page_text: will now describe in detail in what manner the same is to be performed,
referring to the Drawings, consisting of Fig. 1, external view of the whole of
my portable apparatus; Fig. 2, view of part of the apparatus, shewing the
connection of the bundle of elastic cords with the ring or eye to be attached to
the hook or catch to be fastened through the wall or other place; Fig. 3, the
hook or catch and parts belonging thereto, shewn as when fixed through a
.wall; Fig. 4, a cross head to be used when my portable apparatus is. not fitted
to the house or building, and is therefore supplied to the inmates of the house
or building from without.
I take a number, say, about 1,500 of fine strands or threads of vulcanised
india-rubber, or such like elastic material, say, of about one-tenth of an inch
each in circumference, for instance, this being the size and quantity. I find
suitable for action in the case of the heaviest persons that may be expected to
have to use the escape and for buildings of the greatest ordinary, height. The
two ends of each of the cords or strands aforesaid I bring together and fasten,
thus making them what may be termed endless. cords or strands, which I then
pull together, forming an elastic rope with an eye A, A, at each end with
vulcanized india-rubber B, leaving the eye sufficiently large to take a rope C,
and I protect the india-rubber eye aforesaid with another piece of rope D, D,
secured by bindings of cord at E, E, by which means I get two eyes which
give strength and elasticity to the whole. The cords or strands thus placed
together I enclose in a double flannel tube, strengthened by a strand of stout
webbing secured to the rings at either end, the cords or strands being, as I
prefer, bound at intervals with other strands or cords, the strands or cords
aforesaid being of length sufficient to allow of being drawn out to the distance
required, that is, to reach from the topmost window to the pavement below and
to return again by their own elasticity when the weight is taken off. At one
end or eye of these springs. I attach an iron ring F, and at the other end, a
smaller ring G, to which I secure a similar ring F*, fastened to a belt, as, shewn
by the Drawing, (or a ring or book attached to a garment or a. sack or bag or
basket aforesaid), and I also attach to the ring G a hook, ring, or swivel 9 at the
top end of the guide or hauling rope g. A hole being bored through the
wall at the side of the window at a height from the window cill equal or nearly
equal to the length of the elastic when not stretched, and in, order that any
one may, cast, off from the window in an easy manner, I insert into this hole
an iron, bar I, with a hook J at one end, and with a small stop ring near the
point of the hook. The iron bar, I being allowed to work through the wall
like a bell-pull, the other end of this iron bar forming an ornament in the
apartment, as a brass rosette, for instance, K, with "fire-escape" engraven on

page_text: the round brass plate K*, to be screwed or secured to the wall with the iron bar
free to work through it; thus, when not in action, nothing can be seen outside
the house except a small plate M (secured to the hook J), which may be painted
the color of the wall if desired. N, (Fig. 4) shews the cross head or bar
whereby I intend to apply my fire-escape to a window from the street in any
case where a house is unprovided with it, which I should do in the following
manner:--I would get several lengths of rods (that is, as many as may be
necessary to reach to the height required), each rod to fit one end into the
other the same as the rods of chimney sweeping machines, and to the top of
the rods I would secure a rope or line which I would thus convey to the
person desiring to escape, whereby the said cross head can be raised with my
fire-escape attached, which cross head being much wider than the window
offers the means of securing the same so that it may be readily and properly
used. The other details not before referred to will be found noted on the
accompanying Drawings. I may however state that the apparatus should
be rendered non-inflammable by steeping in an alum solution or other non-
inflammable mixture.
III. Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed or put in
practice, I hereby declare that I claim the improved arrangements, the
principal or characteristic whereof is the use of an elastic rope, cords, or
springs with means of securely connecting the body of any person therewith,
so adjusted that with some exertion or assistance, or by the aid of both, the
said rope, cords, or spring may be elongated and enable the person to
descend and escape from fire.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joshua Joseph Southgate, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this First day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
0 Witness,
GEORGE MARSHALL,
JOSHUA JOSEPH SOUTHGATE. (L.S.)
71, Fleet Street, E.C.