An Improved Fire Escape or Apparatus for Lowering Persons from Upper Windows.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd May, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 13th July, 1892-Accepted, 20th Aug., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Fire Escape or Apparatus for Lowering Persons from
Upper Windows.
I, DESIRE Lachaussée, Machine Maker, of 51 Rue Grétry, Liége, Belgium,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
This invention relates to apparatus for lowering persons from upper storeys of
buildings by means of a rope or chain, and more particularly to the combination
of a drum or rope pulley with a special brake mechanism which enables a person to
lower himself with safety, that is to say, without exceeding a certain speed.
The said brake device chiefly comprises two or more brake shoes provided at
their free ends with friction blocks of leather or other suitable material and
which are set in motion by the weight of the person lowering himself, in a direction
opposite to that of the drum or pulley carrying the rope, the said shoes being
pivoted or otherwise held in such a manner, that the friction blocks slide upon the
inner surface of the pulley and are pressed against the same by the centrifugal force
produced by the motion of the brake blocks.
The brake mechanism is situated in the interior of the grooved pulley or drum
carrying the rope or chain and the latter is enclosed in a casing which can be
screwed to a wall or suspended from a hook or rail.
The brake shoes are mounted on a pair of levers fixed on an axle passing through
the centre of pulleys, and set in motion by means of tooth wheels, for which purpose
the inner circumference of the pulley or drum is provided near one of its edges
with a circle of teeth which gear into a spur wheel setting in motion a toothed
pinion fixed on the axle of the brake levers mentioned above. The said axle
extends through the inner cover plate forming the inner face of the pulley casing
and carries a specially constructed crank for winding the rope upon the drum, after
it has run down.
The crank chiefly consists of a disc fixed on the axle, and a lever pivoted to the
disc near its circumference, and carrying at its free end a knob or handle. The
face of the disc on which the lever is situated has a sectoral recess, which allows
the lever to be turned inward until the knob is in the axis of the disc in which
position it is retained by a spring fixed to the pivot of the lever.
The lever is so arranged in the said recess, that it can turn the disc in one
direction only, and when left to itself, after use it will turn on its own pivot under
the influence of the spring. Thus in the normal condition of the crank no
moveable part will project over the circumference of the disc, which might form an
obstruction to its motion, when coming into contact with curtains or other loose
objects. The circumference of the disc is enclosed and protected by a flange
formed on the cover of the casing mentioned above.
TALLICA 1000
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
Agents for the Applicant.
Agents for the Applicant.
0
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Fire Escape or Apparatus for Lowering Persons from
Upper Windows.
I, DÉSIRÉ LACHAUSSÉE, Machine Maker, of 51 Rue Grétry, Liége, Belgium,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
5 be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
This invention relates to apparatus for lowering persons from the upper windows or

page_text: floors of buildings by means of a rope or chain, and more particularly to an apparatus
in which the weight of the person descending by means of a rope sets in motion
with sufficient speed and in a direction opposite to that of the motion of the rope
pulley or drum, one or more brake shoes which under the influence of centrifugal force
press their free ends (fitted with friction blocks or brake blocks) against the inner
circumference of the said rope pulley, the said brake shoes thus constituting a brake
adapted to regulate the speed of the descent, so that persons may lower themselves
from buildings on fire without any danger.
In the accompanying drawings, which form part of this Specification,
Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a fire escape embodying my invention.
Fig. 2 is partly a face view and partly an inside view of the same.
Fig. 3 is a face view of a special crank disc shown in Fig. 1.
The apparatus comprises a metallic casing A enclosing and supporting a
grooved or flanged rope pulley B on which is wound a wire rope C or a chain;
fixed with one end to the pulley, while the other passes through an aperture M of
the casing and carries a belt or other suitable appliance adapted to be secured to
the waist of a person.
The pulley B is hollow and contains an automatic brake mechanism for regulating
the speed of the descent, so that a person may lower himself from a window without
danger of a sudden fall. The said brake mechanism chiefly consists of a pair of
brake blocks I, I, of leather, which are fixed to the extremities of levers or
shoes H H and adapted to slide on the inner circumference of the pulley B, for.
which purpose a part of its width is turned on the lathe. The said levers or brake
shoes H, H' are pivoted to the ends of a carrier or balance lever G G' mounted on
an axle E E passing through the centre of the pulley B.
The mechanism for transmitting the rotary motion of the pulley B to the
carrier G G is calculated in such a manner, that the said carrier revolves at a.
higher speed than the pulley B.
The casing A is closed in front by a lid L bored out in the centre for the axle E,
upon which may be mounted a folding crank JP serving to wind the rope upon
the pulley, this crank being of a special construction (hereafter described), to
ensure the safe and reliable working of the apparatus. The casing A is provided
with four lugs O for fixing it to the wall, and with a ring or holder Q serving to
transport the apparatus and to suspend it from a suitable point of support, when
required.
On the axle E carrying the lever G G₁ is also fixed or formed a small spur
wheel F which geurs into another spur wheel D placed between the wheel F and
the toothed rim K formed on the inner circumference of the pulley B, so that by
turning the latter, the wheel F, and consequently also the balance lever G G¹, will
be caused to revolve on its axis.
When the apparatus has been fixed to a wall or other suitable support, and a
person wishes to descend, he ties the free end of the rope (or the belt or other
suitable appliance attached to it) around his waist and steps out of the window,
allowing his weight to hang on the rope. The weight which now acts on the rope
will turn the pulley B, and the toothed rim K of the latter will act on the toothed
wheel F by means of the intermediate wheel D, so as to turn the axle E and with
it the balance lever G G¹ and brake shoes H H¹ in a direction opposite to that of
the pulley B. The centrifugal force arising in the shoes H H₁ and brake
blocks I, presses the latter against the smooth inner circumference of the pulley B
and thereby retards the motion of the said pulley.
As the centrifugal force, and consequently the friction between the blocks I, I'
and the pulley, increases with the speed of the latter, the speed of the pulley will
be kept within certain limits, and the person may therefore lower himself from an
upper window without any danger.
When the rope C has been unwound sufficiently, and the load has been removed,
the rope is wound up again by turning the crank.
On the front end of the axle E is mounted a crank disc J, which has in its face

page_text: The
a recess similar to the sector of a circle, as shown by Fig. 3. Near the circum-
ference of the said recess J¹ the disc is provided with a pin P¹, which serves as a
fulcrum for a lever P carrying at the opposite end a crank handle p.
head of the said pin rests on the back of the disc and serves as a core for a
coiled spring R fixed to the pin P¹ and coiled around the same, as shown
in Fig. 3.
The depth of the recess J is equal to the depth or thickness of the lever P, and
its radial and circumferential width are approximately equal to the length of the
lever P, so that the latter may be reversed, in which position the axis of the handle p
coincides with the axis of the disc J.
When the lever P is turned out into its working position, shown by Fig. 3, it
will come into contact with the straight side of the recess J, and the further
turning of the handle p, in the direction opposite to the arrow will therefore cause the
disc J to turn with it. As soon as the lever P is released, the spring R will turn
it in the direction of the arrow, until the handle p is in the prolongation of the
axis of the disc J. For turning the disc J from its state of rest, it is necessary,
therefore, to first reverse the lever P in opposition to the tension of the spring R,.
which is fixed to the pin P¹.
This arrangement of the crank lever P has for its object, that the handle can
turn the disc. in one direction only, and that during the revolution of the disc J
under the influence of the descending weight attached to the rope C no part of
the handle and crank lever will project beyond the circumference of the disc, and
the crank will not, therefore, be liable to catch curtains or other loose objects,
while turning on its axis. For a similar purpose, the disc J is surrounded and
guarded by a circular flange L' formed on the cover L.
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 :-
1. Apparatus for lowering persons or goods by means of a rope and pulley, in
which the speed of the descent is regulated by the action of a toothed rim (set in
motion by the said rope) on two arms provided with brake levers carrying brake
blocks which are pressed against the inner circumference of the rope pulley by
centrifugal force.
2. Apparatus for lowering persons or goods by means of a rope and pulley, in
which the weight of the object attached to the rope causes to revolve, with
sufficient speed and in a direction opposite to the rotation of the rope pulley, two
levers to which are pivoted shoes or levers carrying at their free ends brake
blocks, this effect being produced by means of a toothed rim situated in the
interior of the pulley, and suitable tooth wheels, in such a manner, that the brake
shoes press their brake blocks against the interior of the pulley, under the influence
of centrifugal force, so as to oppose its rotary motion and thereby to act as a brake
for regulating the speed of the descent.
3. A fire-escape having in the interior of its rope pulley (B) a toothed rim (K)
into which gears a pinion (D) acting on a smaller pinion (F) which is fixed
on a shaft (E) carrying two arms (G, G¹) to which are pivoted brake levers or
shoes (H, H¹) provided at their free ends with brake blocks (I I¹) adapted to be
pressed by centrifugal force against the inner circumference of the pulley (B) in
order to regulate the speed of the person or other object supported by the cable C,
substantially as described and illustrated.
4. In a fire-escape as specified above, tooth-gearing K D F or equivalent.
mechanism arranged and combined in such a manner, as to set in motion the
levers G G at a speed higher than that of the drum or rope pulley B.
5. In a fire-escape as specified above, tooth-gearing K D F or equivalent
mechanism arranged and combined in such a manner, as to impart to the levers G G¹
a motion opposite to the rotation of the pulley B at such a speed, that the

page_text: shoes H H are applied with their free ends to the inner wall of the pulley B by
centrifugal force.
6. In a fire-escape as specified above, a collapsible crank for winding up the
cable, comprising a round plate (J) protected by the lid (L) of the apparatus
and to which is pivoted a lever (P) provided with a handle (p) which is held
in the centre of the plate (J) by a spring (R) fixed to the pivot of the said
lever (P), in such a manner, that the crank can be turned in one direction only,
and that it will not form a projection or hook liable to impede the motion of the
apparatus.
Tul 1000
D. LACHAUSSÉE,
By Fairfax & Wetter,
433, Strand, London, Agents.