Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd May, 1888
Complete Specification Left, 29th Jan., 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, 2nd May, 1889
JOHN MILLER SCOTT 18 York Street Heywood Lancashire Fire Brigade Super-
tendent do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
First. Can either be Drawn by Hand or by animals. 2nd. Can be used as a Fire
Escape, hose reel, Amblance Cart, and for Foot Bridge across Canals. The escape is
mounted on two wheels, with shafts working on swivel in perpendicular motion and
when in requisition are so arranged as not to interfere with the working or raising of
the ladders. The shafts are worked on a swivel through the drawbar, & are locked
by means of a clip underneath the mid-carriage. The animals are secured to the
shafts by perpendicular spring bolts. The hose reel is situated on the midway. axle
& is locked when not in use. The axle is a revolving one with two motions, the
wheels being lubricated between the springs & naves. There is a double action brake
on the escape, one for the driver, & the other a hand brake, in case the escape is run
by hands. The ladders (two or three in number) are telescophic & are raised by means
of hemp or wire ropings wh can be worked by hand or winch. The stay ropes
for fly ladders are worked similarily. The main ladder works on a couple of rollers,
situated on the front & back of carriage, the first named being the bighest to clear the
animal's head. In case the roping is broken or burned the ladders can be held by
a double forkbook, which is fixed on the fourth stave of the main ladder. The
winding gear is arranged midway between the ladders & carriage. There are two
buffer wheels at the bottom of the carriage to prevent the jolting of the escape when
brought into a perpendicular position. The buffers are carried on a horizontal shaft,
upon which the hand levers are constructed, the levers forming a guide, to the fly
ladders when the escape is in a horizontal position. There are also two preventor
levers, one on each side of the carriage, which are used in raising & lowering the
escape from a horizontal to a perpendicular position. The ladders can also be run
across a canal &c., & thereby form a temporary foot bridge.

page_text: The fire escape is no cart whatever, & this will be obvious when it is stated that it
is simply a skeleton carriage, & specialty constructed for a fire escape, nothing can be
carried in it, but everything requisite carried on it. The escape claims to be a
aublance litter, or cart when the ladders are removed & the stretcher placed in their
stead.
JOHN MILLER SOOTT Fire-Brigade-Superintendant 18 York Street Heywood near
Manchester do hereby declare 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 :-
1st. This Fire Escape can either be drawn by hand or by animal. 2nd. Can be
used as
a Fire Escape, Hose Reel, Ambulance Cart & for Foot-bridge across
canals. The escape is mounted on two wheels, with shafts working on Swivel in
perpendicular motion, & when in requisition are so arranged as not to interfere
with the working or raising of the ladders. The shafts are worked on a swivel
through the draw-bar & are locked by means of a sliding clip, which is worked
by a lever from front or side of carriage & is situated underneath mid-carriage.
The animal is secured to the shafts by perpendicular spring-bolts. The Hose Reel
is situated on the mid-way of axle & is locked when not in use. The axle is a
revolving one with two motions the wheels being lubricated between the springs &
naves of wheels. There is a double action brake on the carriage, one a driver's foot
brake and the other a hand brake which may be worked by the foot of the driver or
by a wire rope from behind and marked J on the drawings in case the escape is run
by hand
The ladders (two or three in number) are teliscopic and are raised by
means of hemp or wire roping which can be worked by hand or winch V. The
main ladder marked O. works on a couple of rollers marked K. situate on front and
back of carriage the first named being the highest so as to clear the animal's head.
When used as a fire escape the bottom of the main ladder is always fixed on the
ground and thereby removing all pressere from the carriage which will need no
scotching and if necessary can easily be removed and used as and ambulance cart,
or litter the ladders can also be worked independently, of the carriage and can be
folded up, and carried through a doorway, or anywhere where space will not admit
the carriage. In case the winding ropes are broken or burned the ladders are held

page_text: by a double fork hook A which works on the forth step, from the top of the main
ladder in an oblong slot, constructed on the hooks. The hooks are released by means
of a tripping line and are brought into action by their own weight when line is
released. The winding gear is arranged midway between the ladders and carriage
and can easily be detached and the ladders drawn up by hand if thought necessary.
There are two buffer wheels at the bottom of the carriage marked L to prevent
the jolting of the escape when brought into a perpindicular position the buffer
wheels are carried on a horizontal shaft, upon which the hand levers E are con-
structed the levers forming a guide to the ladders, when the escape is in a horizontal
position. There are also two preventer levers, which are used in raising or lowering
the escape from a horizontal to a perpendicular position. The ladders can also be
run across a canal &c. and thereby serve as a temporary-bridge. The ladders, while
in this position are supported on stay ropes P which run from end to end of the
ladders. A canvas shoot can be applied to the escape if necessary, and may be fixed
from the ladder top, marked M to the ground six or eight men can be carried on the
machine. The shafts are worked on a swivel through the draw bar R and locked
by means of a sliding clip F. which is worked by lever S. from front, or side of
carriage and is situated underneath mid-carriage. The animal is secured to the
shafts by two perpendicular spring bolts G. one on each shaft the harness is so
arranged that the traces and breeching are brought in connection with the saddle
ridge and belly-band or girt and all connected to two powerful links which fix on the
spring bolts, by simply releasing the two spring bolts the animal is free and takes
with it all the harness.
The axle tree is a revolving one and runs in two bearings which are fastened to
the springs and situated on the bearings are two lubricators marked N. to keep the
bearings and naves oiled. The hose reel H when the hose is required from the reel,
the spring lock I is released and the reel will then revolve on the axle-tree, when the
hose is required to be wound on the reel, the reel is locked to the axle-tree and the
axle-tree is unlocked from the side of the bearings (where the axle-tree is locked
when the carriage travelling) two handles fitting on a square end one on each end
of the axle-tree and so by turning the handles the hose reel revolves, and winds the
hose on.
There are two spring bolts B fixed one on each side of main ladder O.
and situated about 2'-0" from the bottom of the main ladder O. and when the ladders
are brought into an upright position they pass on the inside of the projecting part
of the roller frame C and then expand and rest on the same and holds the ladders
in an upright position thus preventing the ladders from falling back into their former
position on the carriage to lower the ladders into their former position on the carriage
the two spring bolts B are drawn in by means of two handles fastened to the ends of
the spring bolts B. (The handles are on the inside of the ladders, and are in no way
detremental to the passage of the ladders.)
When the ladders are required to describe a different angle to the one in which it
is held by the spring bolts B it only requires one man to perform it he stands at the
foot of the ladders, releases the spring bolts B. holds a rod or line connected to the
brake J. on the wheels then the weight of the ladders push the carriage away, and he
regulates the angle of the ladders by applying the brake J to the wheels of the
carriage, the same man can have complete control of the ropes of the fly ladder M
and can either raise or lower it and if it is necessary to lower the ladders to their
former or running position on the carriage he can lower the fly ladder M to the
bottom of the main ladder O. and then lower them both into their horizontal position
for running. There are two stop catches D. about from the bottom of Main
ladder O. which are to prevent the ladders from falling below their balance in position
on the carriage.
The hand levers E fixed on the bottom end of Carriage and on the same shaft as
the buffer wheels L which when not in use they are folded up, and the cross bar of
the levers E rests on the ladders M & O and when brought into use they are slided
to the bottom of the segmental guide bar T. the drop catch u. on the levers E catches
the projecting piece on the guide bars T.

page_text: They are used to move the machine about when the ladders are in an upright
position. The buffer wheels L resting on the ground the machine then can be easily
moved about.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1st) A Combination of Fire Escape ladder Ambulance litter and Hose Reel.
2nd) The ladders can be worked or used either on or off the carriage and when
they are in use the foot of the ladder is always fixed permently on the ground and
they are free from all encumbrances.
3) The fork hook A.
4) The spring bolts B and the roller Frame C the position on the carriage.
5) The two stop catches D on main ladder O.
6) The hand levers E together with the catch U and the segmental bar T.
The two clips F situated under midway of Carriage together with releasing
lever S.
8) The two spring bolts G on shafts.
9) The two lubricators, N. on Axle-tree.
10) The spring lock I 'on hose reel H.