Improvements in Fire Escapes.
Year: 1896

page_text: Improvements in Fire Escapes.
We, JAMES COMPTON MERRYWEATHER and CHRISTOPHER JOHN WALLACE
JAKEMAN, of the Firm of Merryweather & Sons Limited, of Greenwich Road,
Greenwich, in the County of Kent, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
Our Invention relates to improvements in Fire Escapes which are run attached
to another vehicle and in connection thereto.
One method of carrying out our Invention is as follows: The vehicle to which
the Escape is attached is provided with brackets at the rear, arranged to form a
tram or path upon which arms upon the Escape formed of a suitable curvature
may roll. The curve is preferably a cycloid with increasing radius from the
first point of contact to the position it ultimately attains when attached. Two
wire ropes or chains of suitable length are attached, by one end of each, to the
rear of the vehicle with suitable eyes or links at their other ends.
In mounting the Escape upon the vehicle the Escape is run upright close to
the rear of the vehicle and the eyes or end links of the two ropes or chains are
placed upon pins or hooks near the small end of the curved arins. The Escape
is then filted forward, when the rotation of the curved arms upon the ropes, or
chains raise the Escape on the brackets, before described, on the vehicle thus
lifting the Escape wheels from the ground and causing the ladders to assume
a nearly horizontal position on the top of the vehicle. The upper part of the
laddors is supported on brackets on the forward part of the vehicle and is secured
by a suitable catch ready for travelling.
To bring the Escape into use the operations are reversed.
Another method of carrying out our Invention is to construct two hooked levers
hinged in rear of the vehicle and arrange them so that they will engage with
the axle of the Escape and prevent it running back. A long roller running in
brackets is attached to the vehicle in such a position that when the Escape is
tilted on to it, it may act as a fulcrum upon which the Escape approximately
balances, a slight pressure on either end of the ladders being sufficient to raise
the wheels off the ground, and vice versa. The front part of the ladders is supported
on brackets on the forward part of the vehicle.
This arrangement can also be used for carrying a horizontal running sliding
carriage Escape. In this case the Escape is run in its horizontal position to the
rear of the vehicle and the hooked levers are attached to the axle: the foot purt
of the ladders or their carriage rests on the roller fulcrum on the vehicle and
the ladders are caused to slide upon their carriage until there is sufficient weight
in front of the fulcrum to raise the wheels off the ground.
Another method of carrying out our Invention is to attach a frame work to
the vehicle, forming an inclined plane upon which slides a carrier with suitable
brackets for attachment to the axle of the Escape. Upon the attachment of the
Escape to the carrier, the carrier is caused to ascend the inclined plane by means

page_text: of a wire rope in connection with a rotating drum fixed on the vehicle and thus
raising the wheels from the ground. The head of the ladders is allowed to rest
as before on suitable brackets in front of the vehicle.
Dated this 18th day of November 1896.
J. C. MERRYWEATHER,
C. J. W. JAKEMAN.
Improvements in Fire Escapes.
We, JAMES COMPTON MERRYWEATHER and CISTOPHER JOHN WALLACE
JAKEMAN, of the Firm of Merryweather & Sons Limited, of Greenwich Road,
Greenwich, in the County of Kent, Engineers, 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:-
Our Invention relates to improvements in Fire Escapes which are run attached
to another vehicle and in connection thereto.
Oue method of carrying out our Invention is as follows;-The vehicle to which
the Escape is attached is provided with brackets at the rear, arranged to form a
tram or path upon which arms upon the Escape formed of a suitable curvature,
may roll. The curve is preferably a cycloid with increasing radius from the
first point of contact to the position it ultimately attains when attached. Two
wire ropes or chains of suitable length are attached, by one end of each, to the
rear of the vehicle with suitable eyes or links at their other ends.
In mounting the Escape upon the vehicle, the Escape is run upright close to
the rear of the vehicle and the eyes, or end links, of the two ropes or chains are
placed upon pins, or hooks, near the small end of the curved arms. The Escape
is then tilted forward, when the rotation of the curved arms upon the ropes, or
chains, raise the Escape on the brackets, before described, ou the vehicle, thus
lifting the Escape wheels from the ground and causing the ladders to assume
a nearly horizontal position on the top of the vehicle. The upper part of the
ladders is supported on brackets on the forward part of the vehicle aud is secured
by a suitable catch ready for travelling.
To bring the Escape into use the operations are reversed.
Another method of carrying out our Invention is to construct two hooked levers
hinged in the rear of the vehicle and arrange them so that they will engage with
the axle of the Escape and prevent it running back. A long roller running in
brackets is attached to the vehicle in such a position that when the Escape is
tilted on to it, it may act as a fulcrum upon which the Escape approximately
balances, a slight pressure on either end of the ladders being sufficient to raise
the wheels off the ground and vice versa. The front part of the ladders is supported
on brackets on the forward part of the vehicle.
This arrangement can also be used for carrying a horizontal running sliding
carriage Escape. In this case the Escape is run in its horizontal position to the
rear of the vehicle and the hooked levers are attached to the axle the foot part
of the ladders or their carriage rests on the roller fulcrum on the vehicle and
the ladders are caused to slide upon their carriage until there is sufficient weight
in front of the fulcrum to raise the wheels off the ground.
Another method of carrying out our Invention is to attach a frame work to
the vehicle, forming an inclined plane upon which slides a carrier with suitable
brackets for attachment to the axle of the Escape. Upon the attachment of the
Escape to the carrier, the carrier is caused to ascend the inclined plane by means

page_text: of a wire rope in connection with a rotating drum fixed on the vehicle and thus
raising the wheels from the ground. The head of the ladder is allowed to rest
as before on suitable brackets in front of the vehicle.
Figure 1, shews a side elevation of the Fire Escape combined with a four
wheeled vehicle, in which the Escape is mounted on the vehicle by means of
curved arms fixed to the Escape running on a tram, or path, in rear of the vehicle.
The full lines shew the Escape attached to the vehicle for transport and the dotted
lines the position of the Escape preparatory to its being connected to the vehicle.
Figure 2, shews the rear portion of the vehicle and Escape only, in which forked
levers are used for the attachment of the Escape to the vehicle. The full lines
shew the Escape attached to the vehicle for transport and the dotted lines the
position of the Escape preparatory to its being connected to the vehicle.
Figure 3, is a side view, shewing the method of attachment, where the axle
of the Escape engages with a carrier running on an inclined plane in rear of
the vohicle. The full lines shew the Escape attached to the vehicle for transport
and the dotted lines the position of the Escape preparatory to its being connected
to the vehicle.
E
In Figure 1, a is the body of the vehicle mounted on wheels bb, c is the
bracket for supporting the upper part of the ladder. d is the main ladder of the
Fire Escape, mounted on wheels by means of the frame f. f, and is the
tram, or path attached to the vehicle a upon which the eyeloidal curves h attached
to the Fire Escape frame froll. are the chains, or wire ropes, attached to
the vehicle by eyes . The chains are provided at the other end with hooks m
which are engaged with the pins n attached to the E-cape.
In Figure 2-0 is one of the forked levers engaging with the axle p. q is
the roller, or fulcrum, on which the Escape approximately balances.
In Figure 3 is the frame work forming an inclined plane, s is the carrier
to which the axle of the Escape is attached. is the wire rope in connection
with the drum for actuating the carriers on the inclined plane r.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. The method of attachment of a Fire Escape to a four wheeled vehicle, con-
sisting of a cycloidal curve attached to the Escape rolling upon a tram or path
attached to the vehicle, ubstantially as illustrated and described in connection
with Figure 1.
2. The use of fixed wire ropes, or chains, in combination with curved arms,
substantially as described in connection with Figure 1.
3. The use of hinged levers in the rear of a four wheeled vehicle engaging
with the axle of a Fire Escape for the attachment of the Escape to the vehicle
as described and illustrated in connection with Figure 2.
4. The combination of a carrier, inclined plane and winch attached to a vehicle
conveying au Escape as described and illustrated in connection with Figure 3.
Dated thi 18th day of August 1807
J. C. MERRYWEATHER,
C. J. W. JAKEMAN.