Improved Apparatus for Lowering Persons or Loads with Safety from any Suitable Height.
Year: 1899

page_text: Complete Specification Left, 21st Feb., 1900-Accepted, 24th Mar., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Lowering Persons or Loads with Safety from
any Suitable Height.
I, VINCENZ STEFAN, of Petersdorf-Gross, Ullersdorf, on the Moravian Border
Railway, in the Empire of Austria, Rolling Mill Proprietor, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
-
This invention has for its object a device enabling living or dead loads to be
lowered slowly without danger from any desired height, as is necessary for
instance in life saving in the case of fire, or in conveying goods from a ware-
house.
The improved apparatus, which is made of metal, is shown in the accompanying
drawings,
Figure 1 being an elevation of the whole apparatus;
Figure 2, a view of the upper; and
Figure 3 of the under end of the
rope.
In a cylindrical piece a provided at top with a hook and at the bottom with
a hook c is arranged a row of equidistantly placed pins d, the middle one e of
which is longer than the others and is provided with a screw thread on which
a nut is placed which may be screwed up pretty tightly by means of wings g.
Another also cylindrical part f is provided having holes through which the
pins may be passed. The screwed up nut prevents this loose part f from falling
down, the said nut being so far screwed up that a sufficient play for a cord or
rope remains between the parts and f.
This rope is passed alternately over and under the pins (see Figure 1) so that
the friction between the rope and the pins prevent a rapid descent. If the
descent is to be a rapid one, the rope is not passed round all the pins, whilst if
the friction is to be increased or if it be desired to render the rope stationary,
the screw nut is suitably strongly tightened up. The rope h which must be of
suitable length is provided at the upper end with a hook i (Figure 2) and also
at the lower end with a hook (Figure 3) but rings or other suitable devices
may be employed for attaching it to the window bars, hooks or the like and it
may be noted that instead of hooks and as shown in Figure 1, rings may
also be employed.
The procedure when using the apparatus is as follows:-
The upper end of the cord is attached to a suitable place after the said cord
has been passed over and under the pins in conformity with the foregoing
description. The person who desires to descend then attaches himself in some
suitable manner to the lower hook e of the apparatus, for instance by means of
a ring or snap hook or the like attached to a belt and leaves his body to the
action of gravity. When this person reaches the ground and a second one
desires to use the apparatus, the latter draws the rope up together with the
apparatus attached to its lower end, attaches the drawn up end of the rope to a
7)

page_text: suitable place and allows the previously fastened now released end of the rope
to drop.
The apparatus is then in a reversed position so that the hook b of the apparatus
is the lower one and serves as the attachment hook to the belt or the like. The
nut
may also be tightened during the descent by the person using the apparatus.
Dated this 5th day of June 1899.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of G, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.
Improved Apparatus for Lowering Persons or Loads with Safety from
any Suitable Height.
I, VINCENZ STEFAN, of Petersdorf-Gross, Ullersdorf, on the Moravian Border
Railway, in the Empire of Austria, Rolling Mill Proprietor, 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:-
This invention has for its object a device enabling living or dead loads to be
lowered slowly without danger from any desired height, as is necessary for
instance in life saving in the case of fire, or in conveying goods from a ware-
house.
The improved apparatus, which is made of metal, is shown in the drawings
accompanying the Provisional Specification,
Figure 1 being an elevation of the whole apparatus;
Figure 2, a view of the upper; and
Figure 3, of the under end of the rope.
In a cylindrical piece a provided at top with a hook and at the bottom with
a hook is arranged a row of equidistantly placed pins d, the middle one e of
which is longer than the others and is provided with a screw thread on which
a nut is placed which may be screwed up pretty tightly by means of wings g.
Another also cylindrical part f is provided having holes through which the
pins may be passed. The screwed up nut prevents this loose part f from falling
down, the said nut being so far screwed up that a sufficient play for a cord or
rope remains between the parts a and f.
This rope is passed alternately over and under the pins (see Figure 1) so that
the friction between the rope and the pins prevents a rapid descent. If the
descent is to be a rapid one, the rope is not passed round all the pins, whilst if
the friction is to be increased or if it be desired to render the rope stationary,
the screw nut is suitably strongly tightened up. The rope h which must be of
suitable length is provided at the upper end with a hook i (Figure 2) and also
at the lower end with a hook k (Figure 3) but rings or other suitable devices
may be employed for attaching it to the window bars, hooks or the like and it
may be noted that instead of hooks b and c, as shown in Figure 1, rings may
also be employed.
The procedure when using the apparatus is as follows:-
The upper end of the cord is attached to a suitable place after the said cord
has been passed over and under the pins in conformity with the foregoing
description. The person who desires to descend then attaches himself in some
suitable manner to the lower hook e of the apparatus, for instance by means of
a ring or snap hook or the like attached to a belt and leaves his body to the
action of gravity. When this person reaches the ground and a second one

page_text: desires to use the apparatus, the latter draws the rope up together with the
apparatus attached to its lower end, attaches the drawn up end of the rope to a
suitable place and allows the previously fastened now released end of the rope
to drop.
The apparatus is then in a reversed position so that the hook of the apparatus
is the lower one and serves as the attachment hook to the belt or the like. The
nut may also be tightened during the descent by the person using the apparatus.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
An apparatus for lowering persons or loads with safety from any suitable
height, consisting of a cylindrical piece provided with pins, and fitting in another
cylindrical piece, a pin longer than the others and having a screw thread being
provided so that by means of a nut screwed up on this screw thread, an optionally
regulated pressure of the rope which is passed alternately over and under the
pins and attached at the upper end at any suitable place, is rendered possible,
whereby partially in consequence of this pressure and partially by reason of the
pressure which takes place between the pins and the rope, a suitably slow descent
of a load attached to the apparatus and its stoppage whilst slipping at any suitable
height may take place substantially as herein before set forth.
Dated this 20th day of February 1900
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of i, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.