IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE ESCAPES
Year: 1885

page_text: I JOSEPH HENRY BOWLEY of Marengo in the County of McHenry and State of
Illinois in the United States of America, gentleman, do hereby declare the nature
of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE ESCAPES, 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 fire escapes and has for its object to provide improved
means for controlling the descent of the car, to provide improved means for raising
the car to clear any obstruction it might meet while descending, and to keep the
car from striking the building while descending.
A further object of the invention is to provide a fire escape which shall be cheap,
and simple in construction, effective in its operation, and one that will be strong
and durable.
With these ends in view the invention consists in the combination with a
suitable box or casing carrying a shaft, a ladder wound upon said shaft, and a car
attached to said ladder, of a brake adapted to limit the speed of descent by acting
directly on the shaft, and operated by a rope within the car or cage.
The invention further consists in the combination with a suitable casing having
a drum or shaft mounted to turn therein, of pulleys on said shaft, and ropes
connecting the pulleys and car, in such manner that the car may be raised to clear
any obstruction it may meet while descending. The invention further consists in
the improved construction and combination of parts hereinafter fully described and
pointed out in the claims.
In the drawings:-Fig. 1, is a view in perspective showing my improved escape
in position for a descent.
Fig. 2, is a plan view of the car, and Fig. 3, is a detail view of my improved
brake, showing the manner in which it clamps the shaft.
In the accompanying drawings like letters of reference indicate like parts in the
several figures.
A, represents the box or casing, which has legs, a, as shown,
These legs or uprights are provided with openings in their ends, in which are
seated sliding legs, b, which are held in place at any desired adjustment by a set
screw, c, working in a hole or opening in the side of the leg, a.
B, represents the cover of the case which is hinged to the upper side thereof,
and is jointed as is shown at d.
It will be observed that by this arrangement the cover may be readily raised to
withdraw the apparatus from the casing when desired, and at the same time when
down it keeps the parts in place and prevents them from being tampered with,
D

page_text: Within the casing, A, is mounted a drum or shaft, C, upon which is wound a ladder
D, or if desired the ladder may be dispensed with and ropes employed.
The lower end of this ladder is attached to a cage or car, E, the construction of
which will be explained more fully hereafter.
Extending outwardly from the sides of the box or casing, A, near the lower end
thereof are provided arms, d¹, connected at their lower ends by means of a
roller, e.
car.
At each side of the roller, e, and hinged to the shaft of the same, are two
sets of double pulleys, so that they can swing or vibrate with the motion of the
Over these pulleys pass the ropes, p, p, in going from the car to the case.
The object of this is to prevent any friction of the ropes against the roller, and
at the same time to allow the roller to roll freely with the ladder.
Jointed rods connect the ends of said arms with the casing from which it will be
seen that said arms are held in a horizontal position.
Notches, g, are formed in the sides of the casing near the upper end thereof
which serve as a seat for the roller when the arms are turned up, thus holding
said arms in a vertical position, such movement is allowed the arms, inasmuch as
the rods connecting them with the casing are jointed, thus allowing them to be
folded. F, represents the brake which consists of a stationary arm, g¹, having a
shoe, h, at its inner end, said shoe, h, having a concave face.
The other arm, G, is pivoted to the arm g¹, and its end is provided with a
semi-circular portion, i, adapted to fit around the end of the shaft outside of the
casing, and in connection with the shoe, h, of the arm, g¹, stop the car or limit the
speed of descent.
A flat spring, j, is fitted between the two arms or levers so that they will be held
from contact with the shaft when it is not desired to slacken the speed or stop the car.
Each side of the casing is fitted with one of these brakes, and a rope or chain is
secured to the ends of the free or pivoted arms.
"
There is a pulley depending from the top of the car, and through this pulley
passes a rope, k, the end or coil of which is located in the car, said ropes pass
through the pulley and is secured to the rope which connects the ends of the
pivoted levers, so that when said rope is pulled downwardly it operates upon both
of the pivoted levers at the same time and causes them to bear tightly against the
shaft or drum and slacken the speed of the descending car or stop the same as may
be desired.
Within the casing, A, upon the sides thereof are mounted pulleys, l, m, n, which
are connected with the car or cage by means of ropes.
The car or cage, E, is constructed of boards or other material hinged together as
shown in order that they may be folded to fit within the casing, A, when the
apparatus is not in use.
Extending upwardly from the top of the car or cage, and pivoted to the same is
a bail, o, which is braced or held in position by means of guy ropes, p, having
hooks at their ends to engage eyes located in the upper corners of the car. Secured
to each end of the bail is a double block, q. The ladder is secured to said bail, and
the cage is connected with the pulleys, l, m, n, in the following manner:-Ropes, ?,
are attached to the eyes formed at the upper ends of the double blocks, the ends
of these ropes are then carried upwardly and passed through the pulleys 7, the
ropes then pass downwardly and engage the other sheave of the blocks, from
thence they engage the pulley, n, and their other ends pass downwardly into the
car or cage, E.
In the bottom of the casing in the front thereof is journaled a shaft, s, having
at each end a pulley t.
:
The ropes just mentioned pass over pulleys arranged in front of the shafts, upon
the sides of the casing, and are secured to the pulleys, t.
A handle or crank is fitted upon said shaft so that it may be turned and thus raise
the car to clear any obstructions it may meet while making a descent or in going
from the ground to the top of the building.
'

page_text: I have shown a brake, u, of the same construction as those already described,
arranged to act upon the shaft, 8, from which it will be seen that should the ladder
break, or the brake that acts upon the ladder shaft become out of order the
apparatus may be controlled by the brake, u, acting on the shaft, 8. In the rear
of the cage near the bottom thereof is a slot, v, and in order to prevent the car
from striking the building while descending, I have provided two arms, w, pivoted
at their inner ends to the floor of the cage.
The ends of these arms extend through the slot in the cage, and have each a
roller journaled at its end, said rollers being arranged obliquely as shown, and fitted
with a rubber rim or tire to prevent the rollers from marring or injuring the front
of the building.
These arms are operated by a toggle lever, x, and they can be shoved out by
the lever, y, against the building, thus pushing the car away to avoid any
obstruction.
It will be seen from the above description that by the arrangement of the parts
described, there is no possible chance of the car becoming unmanageable, for should
one of the brakes become disarranged or become out of order the other could be
employed.
Further, a fire escape constructed in accordance with my invention is cheap and
simple, its operation is effective, and it is strong and durable.
It can also be used in painting, cleaning windows, repairing blinds, and all other
work in reach of the car.
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. In a fire escape, the combination, with a suitable box or casing having a drum
or shaft mounted to turn therein, a ladder wound upon said shaft, and a car
attached to said ladder, of a brake adapted to limit the speed of descent by acting
directly on the drum and operated by a rope within the car or cage substantially
as set forth.
2. In a fire escape, the combination, with a suitably mounted shaft, of a ladder
or ropes secured to said shaft, a car attached to said ladder or ropes, a series of
pulleys arranged upon the inner sides of the casing, double blocks attached to the
car, and ropes connecting the double blocks and pulleys, as set forth.
3. In a fire escape the combination, with a suitable box or casing, of arms
pivoted to the same, a roller connecting the outer ends of the arms with the casing,
as set forth.
4. The combination with a suitable casing, having a shaft, of a brake consisting
of a stationary and a pivoted arm, adapted to act upon the shaft of the casing, and
operated directly from the car as set forth.
5. In a fire escape, the combination with a car, having a slot in the rear end
thereof, of pivoted arms carrying rollers, and a toggle lever for operating said arms,
as set forth.
6. In a firee-scape, the combination with a suitable casing having pulleys
arranged upon its inner sides, of a car, double blocks attached to said car, ropes
connecting the pulleys and blocks, a shaft journaled in the sides of the car, and
having a pulley or drum at each end, pulleys journaled just in front of said shaft,
and a brake, as set forth.
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