Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 14th July, 1888
Specification Accepted, 17th Aug., 1888
1, WILLIAM BRUCE, of Wellsville, in the County of Allegany and State of New
York, United States of America, Gentleman, 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 :-
The object of my invention is to provide a simple and efficient fire escape whereby
lives may be saved from the upper stories of burning buildings, and the apparatus I
employ for accomplishing the said object may be so readily adjusted, manipulated and
made use of at a moment's notice by anyone, that it cannot fail to prove of incalculable
value as a safe guard for human life in the case of fires.
My invention consists of an inclined guy rope way which is attached at one end to
an adjustable bar at an upper window, and at its other end the said guy rope is held
securely to the ground at a short distance from the building, as will be hereinafter
described A basket of suitable material and shape for containing several persons is
made to travel up and down this guy rope by means of a block placed thereon, and a
metal eye is arranged in connection with said block by which means the block carrying
the basket is secured to one end of a second rope used for hoisting and lowering the
basket The hoisting and lowering is operated by the rope employed for that purpose
being passed over a block attached to the window bar before referred to, and then
being carried to the ground where it passes under another block and over a roller into
the hand of the operator; in order to hoist the basket the operator merely walks
away with the rope until the basket reaches the window, when, being filled with
people, it can be lowered again by the operator walking back towards the anchor with
the rope.
In order that my invention may be better understood and explained in detail, I have
hereto annexed a sheet of drawings on which letters of reference are marked on all
the Figures alike.
Fig. 1 represents a front elevation of a house showing my fire escape apparatus set
un and arranged for use

page_text: Fig. 2 is an inside or back view of a window having attached, just under the sash
when raised, a staple or hook at each side, supporting an iron cross bar.
Fig. 3 is a detail view of a block from which is suspended the basket, said block
also having an eye for connecting with the operating rope.
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a short wooden beam employed as an anchor to hold
the ropes in place and from which they are worked.
In the figures, A is an iron cross bar resting on two hooks or staples a-a, said
hooks or staples being placed one on each side of the window at the inside, just below
the lower sash when raised-Cross bar, A, is provided with an eye, b, and hook, c.
A guy rope, B, having iron eyelets at each end, connects the window with the street
by being hooked on to hook, of the cross bar at one end, the other end being
anchored in the street, as will now be described-C is a short wooden beam or
anchor which may be secured to the ground at a short distance from the building
by means of spikes, d, or in any other convenient manner-Attached to the upper
side of anchor, B, are hook, e, and eye f; also bearings, g-g, carrying roller, h
Hook, e, is the anchorage or holding for the lower end of guy rope, B, which, when
secured thereto, should be perfectly taut, and at a sufficient angle for the basket to
clear the building in its descent-D is the operating rope running over a block, i,
suspended from eye, b, on the cross bar; said rope is attached at one end to eyelet, j,
forming an appendage to block, E-This block, E, is shown in Fig. 3 and as will
be seen it carries the basket, F, by running freely on the guy rope B. The unattached
end of rope, D, is brought to the ground where it passes under block, k, held by the
eye, f, on anchor, and thence over roller, h, from where it can be operated by the
person in charge."
When not in use, all that will be seen of my apparatus will be the two hooks or
staples, a, a, attached to the window-The iron cross bar may be placed in a convenient
place in the room for immediate use when required, and the ropes coiled so that they
may be readily attached thereto, and the free ends flung into the street-Or, as I
prefer, the block carrying the working rope and one end of the guy rope may be
permanently attached to the cross bar, and the whole thus lifted into position at
once The ropes of course, being so coiled and arranged that their free ends may
be let down into the street readily.
The ropes, employed in this device may be of any suitable material, and an ordinary
inch rope sustaining a weight of 3,800 lbs. will be found to answer the purpose
very efficiently.
It will be seen that the operation of this my invention is extremely simple, and it
can be almost instantly brought into use. The short beam employed as an anchor
may be kept on the ground Hoor of the building from whence it can be taken on
occasion. Or, where possible to do so, a good plan will be to make the anchor a
permanent fixture in the proper position on the ground, where it may be enclosed or
covered to protect it from injury by the weather.
Ropeways from a number of stories and windows may be worked through one
anchor with a sufficient supply of blocks.
It is only necessary for the operator to haul in the working rope over the roller in
order to hoist the basket to the window, and when lowering the basket containing its
living freight he pays out the rope steadily and brings them down gently and with
ease Or, if need be, the basket can be run down at a great rate and with perfect safety
to its occupants.
Having now described my invention and the manner in which it is performed, I
declare that what 1 claim is :-
1st. In a fire escape the combination of the cross bar and the hooks or staples
adapted to sustain said cross bar at the window; the hook and eye attached to cross
bar and the guy rope with iron eyelets connecting the window with the ground by
being attached at one end to the hook on cross bar, and at the other end anchored to
the ground, substantially as described and set forth.
2nd. In a fire escape the combination of the cross bar having hook and eye, the

page_text: block suspended from said eye on cross bar and carrying a working rope, one end of
said working rope being attached to eyelet forming an appendage to a block, which
block travels over the guy rope and supports a basket suspended from its lower end,
substantially as described and set forth.
3rd. In a fire escape the combination of the cross bar having hook and eye, the guy
rope and block carrying working rope attached thereto, and a wooden beam or anchor
having hook for securing the guy rope, eye for holding the block under which the
working rope passes, and roller over which the working rope is carried before passing
into the hands of the operator all substantially as described and set forth.
Dated this 14th day of July 1888.
HORN & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.