IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE ESCAPES
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Nov., 1886.
Specification Accepted, 18th Jan., 1887.
I, JOHN DITTRICK, of the Town of Perth, in the County of Lanark, in the Province
of Ontario, in the Dominion of Canada, Machinist, do hereby declaro the nature of my
invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE ESCAPES," and in what manner the same is to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
My Invention has for its object to facilitate the escape of individuals from a burning
building by means of a machine which is provided with two drums, a rotary fan, and
two cog wheels, all on one shaft, said cog wheels severally meshing with cog wheels
on an independent shaft, and a cable reversely wound on each drum so that by the
weight of an individual descending by the unwinding of one cable the other cable will
be wound on the other drum, ready for the descent of another person, to allow descent
being made by the cables alternately. Also, in providing the machine with an
independent spool on which the cable unwound from the drum is wound when the
machine is not in use, whereby the unwinding of the other cable from the drum will
transfer the cable from the spool to the other drum, prior to its being used for descent.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved machine. Fig. 2 is a top view of the
machine, the fan case partly broken away to show the fan.
A, is the frame of the machine, which is firmly secured to the floor of an apartment
in front of a window B. C, D, are shafts carried by frame A, and on shaft C'is keyed
a spur wheel E and pinion F, which respectively gear with pinion G and spur wheel H,
on shaft D.
I, J, are drums fast on shaft D, on which drums are wound reversely, cables M, N,
so that one cable will wind on one drum, while the other cable is unwinding from the
other drum.
L, is a fan wheel case, open at the end opposite to pinion G, and is secured to
shaft D, to rotate therewith.
K, is a fan wheel connected to pinion G, by a sleeve loose on shaft D, whereby the
fan wheel, pinion and sleeve will rotate on said shaft, to permit said fan to be run at a
higher rate of speed than the fan case, by means of pinion G gearing with spur
Die 17

page_text: wheel E on shaft C, driven by a pinion F, meshing with the spur wheel H, keyed on
shaft D.
The fan wheel K rotates within the fan case, and prevents the cables running off the
drums at a speed too great for the safety of individuals descending. The fan case is
for the protection of the fan wheel, to avoid accidental contact.
The cables pass from the drums over pulleys O, P, hung to the window frame, and
said pulleys have deep flanges to prevent the cable jerking out of the groove.
Q, are spring brakes to press against the cable on the drum to prevent in winding
loose thereon.
To keep the person descending from striking against the outside of the wall of the
building, and to prevent the cable chafing against the sill of the window a pulley R, is
journalled in a frame secured to the window sill, and said frame may have a joint to
allow the frame to be folded inwardly.
S, is a spool journalled in a frame secured to frame A, and in front of drum I, said
spool divided by a peripheral partition T, which has a notch. U, is a friction brake
to prevent the spool rotating when the machine is not in operation. One division of
the spool is provided with a suitable hook to receive the strap at the end of the cable,
and the strap winds around the said division of the spool and the cable passes through
the notch of the partition and winds upon the other division of the spool, ready for
winding on the drum I, when the cable is wound from drum J. The free end of the
cables is provided with a suitable strap to harness the person descending, and a metal
handle or chain W, to be seized by him, the weight of which handle or chain will act
as tension for the cables, in reversing machine.
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 :-
:-
1. The combination with the frame A, shaft C, spar wheel E and pinion F, of the
shaft D, pinion G, spur wheel H, drums-Í, J, fan wheel K, fan case L, and cables M, N,
reversely wound on said drums, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2. The rotary spool S, subdivided by notched partition T, in combination with
shaft C, carrying pinion G, spur wheel H, drums I, J, fan wheel K, and fan case L,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
3. The pulleys O, P with deep flanges, and metal handle or chain W, substantially
as and for the purpose set forth.
TAIN DITTRIOTZ