Year: 1872

page_text: My improved fire-escape consists of a mam
a
platform carriage and fitted with one, two, or more fly ladders which
are raised and lowered by means of a small steam engine carried by the
platform. Attached to, say, one side of the fly ladders (two of which
will in general suffice) are racks which extend along nearly their whole
length, and into these racks gear pinions for the purpose of raising and
lowering the fly ladders. These pinions are mounted on a short shaft
which turns in bearings on a plate fixed to the side and near the top of
the main ladder, and they are driven by bevil gearing or its equivalent
actuated by a crank shaft mounted on the travelling platform and con-
nected with the steam engine. This crank shaft serves also to drive
pair of reels which are furnished with lengths of lowering ropes, which
ropes are led over guide pulleys mounted on the upper ends of the top fly
ladder, and are intended to be used for lowering persons from the upper
windows of houses. The ladders are made to slide over one another as
usual, and the two fly ladders are connected together by sheaths or
sleeve couplings which embrace their side bars. To enable the sheath
on the rack side of the ladders to pass the pinions openings are made
therein to receive the teeth of the pinions. The ladders are or may be
fitted with wire gauze netting at the back, and as the fly ladders ar
raised this netting will be extended telescopically. By this means
continuous shute may be provided to protect persons in their descent t
the ground.
The fly ladders when raised will be supported by means of tumble
spring catches or their equivalent, which will be equal to the sustainin
of the weight of the fly ladders, and also of a fireman upon them, bu
will yield to the reverse action of the steam engine.
Stops will be provided to arrest the ascent of the fly ladders, and
order that the top fly ladder may first move independently of the low
fly ladder the racks are made of different lengths so that the second rad
will not engage with its pinion until the top ladder has been elevated.
In place of the small engine on the platform a capstan or its equivale
may be provided for raising and lowering the fly ladders.

page_text: scapes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alfred Mosely in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 7th December 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
5 MOSELY, of Newcastle-on-Tyne, in the County of the same Town,
Dentist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
0 fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Alfred Mosely, Her special licence
that I, the said Alfred Mosely, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Alfred Mosely, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
5 others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF FIRE-ESCAPES," upon the condition (amongst others)
0 that I, the said Alfred Mosely, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
5 calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alfred Mosely, do hereby declare
the nature of, my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say) :-
The object of this Invention is to produce a fire-escape which can be
worked with great facility and will afford greater protection to persons
5 escaping from the upper floors of houses on fire than the fire-escape
ladders at present in use.

page_text: M
My improved fire-escape consists
platform carriage and fitted with one, two, or more fly ladders which
are raised and lowered by means of suitable gearing actuated by hand
or other power.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 is a front elevation of my 5
improved fire-escape constructed with two fly ladders, the upper one of
which is shewn partly raised; and Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the
same.
A is the main ladder made fast to a transverse axle A³, to which a
pair of carrying wheels A2 are fitted. To the foot of this ladder is made 10
fast a platform B, on which the driving gear for operating the fly ladders
is mounted; C is the top or upper fly ladder, and D the lower fly ladder.
The ladder D is connected with the ladder A by means of metal
sleeves E, E, made fast to the sides of the ladder A. These sleeves lap
over the sides of the ladder D, and form guides in which that ladder
slides. In the same way the ladders C and D are connected together,
sleeves F, F, being made fast to the ladder D, and serving as guides in
which the ladder C can freely slide. The fly ladders are severally pro-
vided with side racks, as shewn at c, d, Fig. 2, by means of which the
ladders are raised or lowered as desired.
Made fast to the opposite side of the main ladder A are plates a, on
which are mounted axles a¹. Keyed to each of these axles is a pair of
spur pinions c¹, d³, which pinions are intended to gear respectively into
the racks c, d, and for this purpose openings are made in the plates a to
allow the pinions to project into the plane of traverse of the racks.
b
Rotary motion is communicated to the axles a¹ through bevil pinions
from shafts 6', which turn in bearings on the sides of the main ladder A.
These shafts take their motion from a horizontal shaft G, which is carried
by standards G¹ bolted to the platform B. Fitted to the opposite ends
of the shaft G are crank handles g for turning it. Rotary motion is
transmitted from this shaft by bevil pinions g¹ to transverse shafts g
which shafts transmit motion through bevil pinions g³ to the shafts b
and thence to the spur pinions c¹, d¹. By turning therefore the shaft C
the fly ladders are raised and lowered as desired.
In order that the top fly ladder C may first move independently o
the lower fly ladder, the racks of the two ladders are made of differen
lengths, the racks d being so much shorter than the racks c that whe
1

page_text: the two ladders are at their lowest position the racks c only will engage
with their pinions.
To enable the racks d to be brought into gear with these pinions d',
I provide for the lifting (to the required amount) of the ladder D by the
rise of the ladder C. Thus I fit the ladders C and D with locking
plates, as shewn at Fig. 3, which represents a partial side elevation and
on an enlarged scale the fly ladders connected together.
h, h', are the locking plates which readily disengage on the lowering of
the ladder C, but which as that ladder rises interlock and thereby ensure
the lifting of the ladder D until its racks are caught by the teeth of
the pinions d¹. The rise of the ladder D under the action of the
pinion d¹ will carry the racks c out of gear with their pinions. It is
therefore necessary before this takes place to provide supports on the
ladder D for the top ladder. These supports must be removeable so as
to offer no obstruction to the independent rising of the top ladder and
also to its independent depression. The contrivance which I adopt for
this purpose will be clearly understood by reference to Figures 3 and 4,
the latter of which is a partial front elevation of the fly ladders and
their fittings. i, i, are tumblers pivotted at ¹ into slots cut in the sides
of the ladder D and projecting therefrom so as to form stops on whic
the ladder C may rest.
These tumblers are connected at their rear to coiled springs 2 secured
to fixed pins on the ladder D, which springs serve to bring the tumblers
into their acting position but yield so as to allow the tumblers to rock
when the ladder C is required to pass them. To enable these tumblers
to act as stops and support both the weight of the ladder C and any
load which may be upon it, spring bolts k, k, are provided, which lock
into notches cut in the under side of the tumblers. These bolts slide
in guides on the face of the ladder D, and a tendency is given them
to rise into and remain in the notches of the tumblers by means of
springs k¹. In order to withdraw the bolts so as to enable the tumblers
to yield when the ladder C is required to be depressed, I connect the
bolts by cords with the arms of a transverse rock shaft 7, having its
bearings on the ladder D at an accessible level or near the foot thereof
By rocking this shaft by means of a handle , the bolts k will be
simultaneously withdrawn from the tumblers and the ladder C will ther
be free to move past the tumblers.
For each ladder A, C, and D a section of wire gauze netting H, H', H
is provided at the back of the fire-escape, as shewn at Fig. 2. Thi

page_text: 5
Mosely's Im
netting is arranged after the manner of tele
being fast to the main ladder A, and the section H' connected to the
ladder C by chains or ropes. As therefore the fly ladders are raised
by the mechanism above described, this netting will be extended
telescopically.
By this means a continuous shute will be provided capable of pro-
tecting persons escaping from high elevations in their descent to the
ground. Mounted loosely on the shaft G is a pair of reels I, I, which
are furnished with lengths of lowering ropes m. These ropes are led
over guide pulleys m¹ mounted on the upper end of the top fly ladder, 1
and they are intended to be used for lowering persons from the upper
windows or the roofs of houses.
The maintenance of the ladders in their raised position is secured by
means of pawls n, which taking into ratchet wheels made fast to the
shaft G will prevent the running back of the gearing. For the purpose
of sustaining the fire-escape in an inclined position a prop K is provided,
as shewn at Fig. 2.
I would remark that where more than two fly wheels are used it will
be necessary to provide for each additional ladder a similar contrivance
to that above described for supporting such ladder in its raised position
when its racks are free from its elevating pinions.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "Improvements
in the Construction of Fire-escapes," and explained the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the
above in part recited Letters Patent I claim,-
First. The means above described for raising and lowering fly ladders
and for sustaining them in their elevated position.
Secondly. The application to the fire-escape of the expanding o
telescopic shute constructed and operated as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Mosely, have hereunto se
my hand and seal, the Fifth day of December, in the year
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
ALF. MOSELY. (L.S.)