An Improved Balcony Fire-escape.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Mar., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Dec., 1892-4ccepted. 11th Feb., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Balcony Fire-escape.
JULIA BOSVILLE CHETWYND Wife of Captain The Honble. Henry Weyland
Chetwynd R.N. (Chief Inspector of Life Boats) address the Honble. Mrs. Henry
Chetwynd 18 Walton Place Hans Place London S.W. do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
To all appearance an ordinary iron balcony. It is divided into three pieces
each complete in itself with railing continued round each part. The centre is
fixed as usual; the outside pieces are moveable, being kept in place by two
links or bolts. The lowering arrangement is extremely simple & on the principle
of a French window blind. By pulling the rope running down the back or side
of the balcony it hoists slightly liberates the links which fall underneath by their
own weight, & the movable portion of the balcony desends slowly to the ground.
The ropes are asbestos or steel ropes, protected (as are ratchet wheel pulley &c.) by
a casing similar to that protecting water pipes.
There is a sliding guy rope attached so as to guide the desending portion of
the balcony clear of projections cornices or other balconies underneath it.
The whole arrangements are outside the house, so that a fire burning inside
cannot affect them. I claim for this invention simplicity & economy.
It does
not alter the appearance of the house, it does not project over the pavement or
take up more space than does an ordinary balcony.
April 22nd 1892.
JULIA BOSVILLE CHETWYND.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Balcony Fire-escape.
1, JULIA BOSVILLE CHETWYND, Wife of Captain The Hon. Henry Weyland
Chetwynd, R.N. (Chief Inspector of Life Boats) of 18 Walton Place, Hans
Place, S.W. in the County of London, 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 :-
My invention has reference to an improved balcony fire escape.
The balcony is
adapted to rest normally like an ordinary balcony on brackets or supports pro-
jecting from the building to which my invention is applied but is connected by
ropes to raising and lowering gear operated after the manner of the lowering
arrangement of a French window blind in suchwise that a person desiring to use
the appliance as a means of escape in case of fire can whilst standing on the
balcony raise the same by pulling a rope, and then can gradually lower the balcony
by keeping the rope taut without pulling it to such an extent as to prevent descent
of the balcony. As the balcony is in this manner allowed to gradually descend
it will be guided outward by the ropes by which it is suspended working in guides
in the brackets or supports so as to clear them and the wall of the building as
hereinafter more fully explained.
And in order that my invention may be fully understood reference is had to
the accompanying drawings in which,
Fig. 1 shews in elevation a house provided with my improved balcony fire
escape; and
Fuatuator

page_text: 1 is a balcony of which one end portion 2 (hereinafter called the movable balcony)
is shewn movable and provided with means for raising and lowering it; but it will
be understood that both ends might be made movable. The movable balcony 2
which is provided with a railing extending entirely around it rests upon brackets 3
whose upper surfaces are downwardly inclined, the under side of the movable
.balcony being so formed that the said balcony is supported in a horizontal position.
The movable balcony 2 is kept in place by means of a catch 4, or a balanced
hook or link which is pivoted to the fixed balcony and is so balanced that, upon
the movable balcony being slightly raised, the catch is caused to assume such a
position that the said balcony is free to slide off the inclined brackets 3.
The raising and lowering gear comprises ropes 5 of non-inflammable material
such as steel or asbestos to which the movable balcony 2 is attached; these
ropes are wound upon wheels or drums 6 fixed to a shaft 7 journalled in brackets 8
secured to the wall of the house as shewn. The shaft 7 has also keyed upon it a
wheel or drum 9, around which an actuating rope 10 is wound in the opposite
direction to that in which the ropes 5 are wound upon the wheels or drums 6: the
shaft 7 has also fixed upon it a ratchet wheel 11, with the teeth of which a detent 12
normally engages, the arrangement being such as to prevent the shaft 7 rotating
in a direction which will allow the movable balcony 2 to descend. This detent is
formed with a curved extension 12ª in which is formed an eye; through this eye
the rope 10 passes. Fixed to the wall a short distance below the wheel or drum 9
is an arm 13 provided at its outer end with a sheave 13* against which the rope 10
bears. The weighted detent is so arranged that, when the rope 10 hangs slack
and the detent 10 is in engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel, the curved
extension 12" bends that portion of the rope between the wheel or drum
and the
sheave 13*. The detent and extension are provided with a weight 12. This
weight must be sufficient to counteract the tendency of the rope, due to its weight
alone, to disengage the detent from the ratchet wheel.
The action is as follows:-
Upon the rope 10 being pulled, whether by a person standing upon the movable
balcony 2 or by some person on the ground, that portion of the said rope that is
between the wheel or drum 9 and the sheave 13* will be straightened, the detent 12
being thereby disengaged from the teeth of the ratchet wheel. Upon a further pull
being exerted on the rope 10, the movable balcony 2 will be raised and the catch 4 or
balanced hook or link turned over as hereinbefore mentioned, the movable balcony 2
being then free to descend. If the rope 10 be now slightly slackened the movable
balcony 2 will descend slowly the ropes 5 being gradually unwound from the wheels
or drums 6 which are thereby rotated together with the shaft 7 and the wheel or
drum 9 mounted thereon; the rope 10 is consequently gradually wound upon the
wheel or drum 9. Upon the rope 10 being released, the detent 12 will re-engage
the teeth of the ratchet wheel and the further descent of the balcony 2 will be,
stopped. In the example illustrated the wheels or drums 6 are directly above the
brackets 3 grooves are formed in the ends of the said brackets in which the
ropes 5 run when the movable balcony 2 has descended below the same. When
the actuating rope 10 is not in use it will usually be coiled up and hung upon the
movable balcony.
of
Figs. 3 and 4 are respecttively a front elevation and a section of a modified form
gear for raising and lowering the movable balcony.
In this case the shaft 7 has fixed to it two wheels or drums 6.around which the
ropes 5 are wound, and a worm wheel 14 arranged between the said wheels or
drums 6; with the worm wheel 14 there gears a worm 15 fixed upon a spindle 15
mounted in bearings in a cross bar 8* attached to or forming part of the brackets 8.
"Upon the spindle of the worm 15 is keyed a chain wheel 16 over which hangs an
endless chain 17 of sufficient length to almost reach the ground. In this modifi-
"cation, the movable balcony can be slowly raised or lowered by pulling down one
side portion of the chain 17; upon the cessation of the pull on the chain, the
movable balcony will then remain stationary.

page_text: In cases where there are structural projections below the normal position of the
movable balcony 2 a guy rope 18 (Figs. 1 and 2) is provided by means of which the
novable balcony 2 can be guided safely over the said projections.
The actuating rope 10 or the chain 17, as the case may be, may, if desired, be
enclosed in a casing fixed to the wall of the building and suitable guide pulley
being provided where necessary, the lower portion of said casing being so
constructed as to permit of the rope or chain being manipulated by a person
standing on the ground.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
A balcony fire escape comprising a movable balcony, means for raising and
lowering the same, and fixed brackets or supports, the balcony being adapted to
rest normally on the brackets or, supports (which project from the building or
structure to which the escape is applied) but capable of being raised and lowered by
a person standing on such balcony as set forth, the arrangement being such that as
the balcony descends it will be guided outward to clear projections cornices or
other balconies as hereinabove described with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 23rd day of December 1892.
JULIA B. CHETWYND.
W. Lloyd Wise,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.