An Improved Domestic Fire Escape.
Year: 1895

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Domestic Fire Escape.
I, GUSTAV BISCHOFF, of 68, Saint Paul's Road, Bow Common, London, E.
Timber Traveller, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to an improved domestic fire escape designed to enable
persons to easily and safely leave a burning house from the window, to the lintel of
which it is suspended in readiness for use.
The apparatus comprises a seat furnished with guide pulleys through which
a wire or other rope is rove so as to form a double purchase tackle, the rope being
attached at one end to a hook fixed in the top of the window opening towards one
side, then rove through a guide aperture near one end of the seat, and round a
sheave at the under side, thence round another sheave, and through a guide
aperture at the opposite end of the seat thence over a pulley block hung from the
top of the window opening at the opposite side to the fixed point of attachment,
the pendent free end of the rope being thence led down through a brake formed of
a pair of gripping jaws operated by a handle which descends with the seat whereby
the rate of descent is brought under the control of the person using the escape.
With the seat is combined a belt to be clasped around the person, under the arms,
which is provided with eyes through which the lowering rope is rove so as to
support the person in an upright sitting position upon the seat and so leave the
hands free to control the descent and assist in fending the person off the wall,
sills, and other projections. The brake by which the descent is controlled, as
above mentioned, is at a convenient height above the seat to enable the hand in
which it is held to be raised sufficiently high to steady the person on the seat
without trusting wholly to the body belt, and it is preferably connected to the seat
by a strap or other loose connection so as to relieve the arms of strain. The brake
is formed by a pair of jaws adapted, when brought together, to grip and slightly
deflect the rope so as to obtain the necessary friction, the rope being permanently
rove through the one member, the two members being hinged together and
adapted by their form to be readily grasped by the hand in order to apply the
necessary brake pressure to control the descent, as above mentioned.
On reaching the ground, the escape can be readily drawn back to the same or to
an intermediate window, by pulling on the free end of the rope, to enable other
persons to be rescued from different floors of the burning building.
Dated this 22nd day of April 1895.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.

page_text: An Improved Domestic Fire Escape.
I, GUSTAV BISCHOFF, of Saint Paul's Road, Bow Common, London, E.
Timber Traveller, 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 relates to an improved domestic fire-escape designed to enable
persons to easily and safely leave a buruing house from the window, to the lintel of
which it is for such purpose suspended in readiness for use, the apparatus as
a whole being applicable for lowering other weights, and in 'part for controlling
the paying out of ropes under a strain.
The apparatus, which is represented in perspective view in Figure 1 and in part
section in Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings forming part of this Specification,
comprises a seat or platform A furnished with guide pulleys B B B through
which a hemp or wire rope C is rove so as to form a double purchase tackle, in the
bight of which the seat or platform is supported, the rope being attached at one
end by a hook to an eye D or other support fixed in the top of the window opening
towards one side, then rove through a guide tube E near one end of the seat A,
round the sheave B mounted in a bracket on the underside of the seat, thence
round the other sheave B¹ similarly mounted, through another guide tube E¹ at
the opposite end of the seat, thence over the sheave B of a pulley block hung
from another eye or other support D' at the top of the window opening at the
opposite side to the eye D, the pendent fall or free end C 1 of the rope being thence
led down to a brake F shewn in longitudinal section in Figure 2 and formed of a
pair of gripping jaws ff jointed together at 2 and together constituting a handle
which descends with the seat, whereby the rate of descent is brought under the
control of the person using the escape. With the seat is combined an encircling
band or frame G which may be a wire rope or a rigid bar supported on standards G¹
rising from the seat, and provided with a hinged bar G at front to give ready
access to the seat. This band or frame is intended to be passed around the body
under the arms, and to it the guide tubes E E' through which the lowering rope
is rove are attached at their upper ends so as to support the person in an upright
sitting position on the seat and maintain the seat or platform horizontal, leaving
the hands of the person descending free to control the descent and assist the feet in
fending the person off the wall, sills, and other projections. The brake by which
the descent is controlled, is at a convenient height above the seat to enable the
hand by which it is held to be raised sufficiently high to steady the person on the
seat without trusting wholly to the body frame, and it is preferably connected to
the seat by a rope F¹ or other loose connection so as to relieve the arms of strain.
The brake jaws ff are provided with intermeshing projections whereby to
grip. and slightly deflect the rope when the jaws are brought together, so as to
obtain the necessary friction, the jaw being provided at the upper and lower ends
with guide holes through which the rope remains permanently rove, whilst
the jaw is free to spring out as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 2 when it is
desired to allow the rope to run free, the jaws being adapted by their form to be
readily grasped by the hand in order to apply the necessary brake pressure to
control the descent, as above mentioned.
On reaching the ground, the escape can be readily drawn back to the same or
to an intermediate window, by any person pulling on the fall of the rope, to
enable other persons to be rescued from different floors of the burning building.
It is obvious that the brake need not be connected to or operated from the seat,
but may be applied from any convenient point of the fall, and that the so-called
fire escape may be used for lowering other materials than living weights and under

page_text: other circumstances than in the case of fire, for instance, it may be used for
builders' purposes the brake being attached to the scaffolding or other fixed support
for controlling the lowering of materials.
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 :-
The herein described means of lowering living or dead weights, consisting of a
seat or platform supported in the bights of a tackle so that its horizontality is
maintained and controlled in its descent by a brake constructed, applied, and
operated as described.
Dated this 22nd day of January 1896.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.