Improvements in and connected with Fire-escapes.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Feb., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 6th Nov., 1890-Accepted, 27th Dec., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Fire-escapes.
EDWARD CASEBROOK Terra-cotta Fixer 21 East Street Grimsbury Banbury
JOHN PERRY, Builder & Beehive Manufacturer 66 East Street Grimsbury Banbury do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of our invention is to facilitate the mode of escape from burning
buildings, such as dwelling-houses mansions, schools, theatres, concert-halls, workmen's
dwellings, public buildings, factories, asylums, hospitals, unions, &c. and the apparatus
we employ, for accomplishing this object, is the use of a sliding balcony, which may
be made and used in the following manner, and to be hereafter called The Balcony
Fire-escape.
First. A balcony is made of hollow or solid bars of iron, or cast in one piece in
iron or brass, or may be made of wood, and painted with fireproof paint but preferably
of hollow tubes, which tubes, or framework may be fastened together by brazeing or
otherwise, the framework is then interlaced or covered with wire netting or wire
gauze, or may be filled in with wrought or cast iron or brass, to any ornamental
design.
Second. The balcony is then threaded on to wires of iron or steel, or steel or iron o
wire ropes, these wires or ropes are then fixed parallel to and upright with the
windows or doors of the building, past which the balcony is to work, by means of
bracketts bolted to the wall at top and bottom of such buildings, and at any suitable
distance from the wall so as to direct the balcony past any projections of such
buildings, these wires or ropes are tightened at the bottom bracketts by means of
screws and nuts, by which wires or ropes the balcony is guided in its ascent, and being
connected to them by means of eyelets in which eyelets may be placed small wheels
or rolls, which eyelets are fixed at top and bottom of the balcony spiral springs are
placed round the wires at the bottom so as to avoid any concussion of the balcony
in stopping, it will be evident that these wires or ropes may he dispensed with and
solid or hollow bars fixed to the walls and projecting a proper distance therefrom may
be substituted as guides to direct the balcony in its ascent or descent but we prefer
iron or steel wires or wire ropes. In case our balcony fire escape is in use over a
bay or other projecting window, a ladder with hemp sides and hollow tube rounds or
a steel or iron jointed ladder may be used, and fixed on a roller on the front of the
balcony which can be let down upon reaching such bay or other projecting window.
Third. The balcony is provided with a screen which is automatic in action and is so
fixed on that side of the balcony which is nearest the building so as to protect the
person or persons using it from any flame which may be issuing out of any window
or other opening, by which the balcony may have to pass, the action of this screen
is as follows, bracketts of iron or brass are fixed to the wall under the cill of each
window, which bracketts are moveable in eyelets or socketts and project a proper
distance from the wall so as to catch under and upon a small bar of iron, brass, or
steel which bar is fixed on to the screen, springs are affixed to these bracketts so as to
keep them at right angles to the wall when in use, and a small bar of iron or steel is
fixed to the balcony so as to close them when not wanted, the screen is pulled up by
means of the bracketts whenever a sufficient weight is put on the balcony so as to
force it down, and is pushed down whenever the weight is taken off, and the balcony
rises, the screen is made of wire gauze or other material the meshes of which gauze or
other material are of such a size as to keep back a flame which may be coming out
of any windows or openings, the screen is fixed to a roller under the floor of the
balcony at the one end, and is fixed to a small bar of iron, steel, or brass, at the other,
the ends of this bar are fixed to wires, or steel ropes, which run round four small

page_text: -
wheels or rolls, and is guided up by two wires fixed one on either side of the balcony,
the small wheels or rolls referred to are fixed two on the roller on which the screen is
fixed, and two on to the sides of the balcony at a convenient height so that upon the
bar being caught by the bracketts, it is raised or lowered accordingly.
Fourth. Breaks are attached to the balcony which are used by the hands of the
person using the balcony, or they may be attached to the floor or bottom of the
balcony and worked merely by the weight of the person standing on it, these breaks
are used for regulating the speed of the balcony in its descent at the discretion of the
person using the balcony, and are forced off by means of a small spring at the end of
the break.
Fifth. The balcony is automatic in action, being forced down whenever a sufficient
weight is placed upon it, and rising whenever the weight is taken off. Attached to
the upper side of bottom of balcony is an iron or steel wire, or wire rope, hemp rope,
or chain, by means of a spring hook or otherwise, which wire or rope is taken inside
the building, over a small roller or wheel fixed at a convenient height on the wall
and attached to a roller inside the building, which roller is propelled by means of the
weight being placed upon the balcony. Working from this roller are two cogwheels:
two cog pinions, a balance wheel, and a weight. We do not bind ourselves to the
number of wheels stated, but we find in working out our invention, the number given
is sufficient, which weight is attached to a roller by means of a wire, wire rope, or a
chain, this weight being relative to the weight of the balcony so that whenever the
weight or person is taken off the balcony, the weight inside pulls up the balcony,
spiral or other springs are placed in the weight case at the top and bottom, to avoid a
concussion of the balcony in stopping. The wheels and weight are encased in a sheet
iron box so that they shall not be injured by fire.
Sixth. The box containing the wheels may be fixed in any position on the walls on
bracketts, or small girders, but must be held securely, and must be fixed over the top
of the highest ceiling, the weight and weight case to run down to the floor of the
highest room or otherwise, this case and weight chain may be longer or shorter
according to the height of the building.
Seventh. The balcony may be made to hold two or more persons as required and
can be used for buildings of any height, and the capacity will be understood, when we
say that our balcony will slide up and down a five storey-building fifty feet in height
four times in one minute thus enabling twenty persons to descend in five minutes, or
in case of two persons descen.ling at once, it will be seen that forty persons would
descend in five minutes, and being self acting or automatic a lady or child can use it
without the danger which is attendant on the use of ladder and other fire-escapes
hitherto in use. A novelty in our balcony fire escape is, that it cannot be used by
burglars or other evil disposed persons to effect an entrance, as unless the weight or
person taken off it will not ascend.
Eighth. Electric or other alarum bells can be attached to our apparatus and taken
into each room of the building.
It will be evident from the foregoing that our balcony fire-escape may be used for
window cleaning and other such like purposes.
1
1000
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Fire-escapes.
EDWARD CASEBROOK 21 East Street Grimsbury Banbury Terra-cotta Fixer and
JOHN PERRY 66 East Street Grimsbury Banbury Builder and Beehive Manufacturer
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
tatement —
The object of our invention is to facilitate the mode of escape from burning buildings,

page_text: such as dwelling-houses, schools, theatres, factories, hospitais, public buildings &c., and
the apparatus we employ for accomplishing this object, is the use of a sliding balcony,
which may be made and used in the following manner, and to be hereafter called, The
Balcony Fire-escape.
In order that our invention may be the better understood and explained, attention
is drawn to the annexed drawings and reference figures and letters.
Fig. 1 represents the balcony as ready for use.
Fig. 2 is a section of Fig. 1, shewing the internal arrangements.
Figs. 3, to 11, are details of the apparatus.
The balcony may be made of iron, brass, or wood, but preferably of hollow tubes,
in any ornamental design. The balcony is then ihreaded on to wires of iron or steel,
or iron or steel wire ropes see Fig. 1, a, a. These wires or ropes are then fixed
parallel to and upright with the windows and doors of the building past which the
balcony is to work by means of brackets b, b, and c, c, bolted to the wall at top and
bottom of such building and at any suitable distance from the wall so as to direct the
balcony past any projections, these wires or ropes a, a, are tightened at the bottom
brackets c, c, by means of screws and nuts, see Fig. 7. The balcony is connected to
wires a, a, by means of eyelets d, d, Fig. 4, in which eyelets may be placed small
wheels or rolls. Solid or hollow bars or rods of iron may be used as guides for the
balcony and the wires or ropes dispensed with, but we prefer iron wire, or iron or
steel wire ropes. In case our balcony fire-escape is in use over a bay or other
projecting window, a ladder with hemp sides and hollow tube rounds, or a steel or
iron jointed ladder may be used, and fixed on a roller on the front of the balcony,
which may be let down upon reaching such bay or other projecting window.
The balcony is provided with a screen e, Figs. 3 and 4, which is automatic in action
and is so fixed on 'that side of the balcony which is nearest the building so as to
protect the person using it from any flame which may be issuing out of any window
or other opening by which the balcony may have to pass, the action of this screen e,
is as follows, brackets f, of iron or brass, are fixed to the wall under the sill of each
window, the brackets f, are moveable in sockets and stand at right angles with the
wall when open, as shewn in Fig. 4, and project a proper distance from the wall so as
to catch under and upon a small bar of iron g, Fig. 4, which bar is fixed onto the
screen, the screen e, is pulled up by the brackets f, whenever a sufficient weight is
put on the balcony so as to force it down, and is pushed down by the brackets when
the weight is taken off, and the balcony rises, the screen e, is made of wire gauze or
other suitable material, the meshes of which are of such a size as to keep back any flame
which may be issuing out of any windows or openings, the screen e, is fixed to a
roller i, Figs. 3 and 4, under the floor of the balcony at the one end, and to the bar
at the other, the bar g, near each end, is fixed onto wires or chains jj, which run
round four small wheels k, k, Figs. 3 and 4, the ends of bar g, slide in grooves
formed by wires or bars of iron 11, fixed on each side of balcony, a curve is formed
near the top, in each groove so that when the bar g, slides into the curves it leaves the.
brackets f, leaving bar g, and screen e, in a raised position when the balcony
descends, the bar 9. is forced down and screen e rolled up on roller i, by the topmost
or longest projecting parts of brackets, when the balcony rises, the wheels k, k, are
fixed one on each end of roller i, and one on each side of balcony at a convenient
height, small bars. of iron h, h, Fig. 3, are fixed to the balcony so as to close
any of the brackets f, when the balcony descends should they stand open.
Brakes m, are attached to the balcony which are used by the hands of the person
using the balcony to regulate the speed of descent, the brakes m, consist of two
cranked levers attached to the outer sides of the balcony, the curved arms projecting
to front of balcony, at the other ends are fixed small rollers, when the arms are forced
down, the rollers are pressed against the wires a, a, which will diminish the speed or
stop the balcony it required in its descent, two small rods are connected to the arms
and pass through slots in the top rail of balcony and are fitted into tubular bars n,
which bars are fixed to the balcony by hinged joints at bottom, spiral springs being
fitted into the tubes or bars under each rod, by which the arms are forced upward and
:

page_text: 76
the brakes forced off. When not in use, the bottom or floor of balcony may be made
to hang upon the arms of the brakes, which would ensure a uniform speed of descent
for various weights if desired. The balcony is automatic in action, being forced down
by a sufficient weight being placed upon it and rising when the weight is taken off.
Attached to the upper side of floor of balcony, is an iron or steel wire rope, hemp rope,
or chain, o, Fig. 4, by means of a spring hook or otherwise, which rope or chain o,
is taken inside the building over a small wheel or roller p, Fig. 5. and is connected to
a roller q, Figs. 8 and 9 inside the building which roller is propelled by means of the
weight or person on the balcony, working from roller q, are two cog wheels r, r,
and two cog pinions s, s, a balance wheel t, and a weight u, Fig. 10, which weight u,
is connected to a roller v, by a wire rope or chain w, the weight being relative to the
weight of the balcony, so that whenever the person steps off the balcony,
the weight, pulls up the balcony, a spiral spring a, Fig. 10, is placed
on the weight u, to avoid any concussion of the balcony in stopping, the wheels
and weight Fig. 8, and Fig. 10, are incased in an iron case so that they cannot he
injured by fire, the case y, Fig. 8, may be fixed in any position on the walls, on
brackets or small iron girders and held securely, the case y, z, and wire rope or
chain w, may be longer or shorter as required. The balcony may be made to hold
two or more persons, and can be used for buildings of any height, and the capacity
will be understood when we say, that our balcony will slide up and down a five storey
building fifty feet in height, four times in one minute, thus enabling twenty persons
to descend in five minutes, or in case of two persons descending at once, it will be
seen that forty persons would descend in five minutes, and being self acting or
automatic, a lady or child can use it without the danger which is attendant on the use
of ladder or other fire-escapes hitherto in use. A novelty in our balcony fire-escape
is, that it cannot be used by burglars or other evil-disposed persons to effect an entrance,
as unless the weight is taken off the balcony it will not ascend. Electric or other
alarum bells can be attached to our apparatus and taken into each room of the build-
ing. It will be evident from the foregoing that our balcony fire-escape may be used
for window cleaning and other such like purposes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is :
1. A sliding balcony fire-escape with brakes, and bars for closing brackets attached
as herein described and set forth.
2. Wires, ropes, or rods of iron or steel, by which the balcony slides, substantially
as set forth.
3. Projecting brackets for fixing said guide-wires, ropes, or rods of iron, as described
and set forth.
4. A screen of wire ganze, or other suitable material, with roller and bar, fixed
upon the balcony, with chains, brackets, guide-bars, and wheels, all substantially as
described and set forth.
5. A wire rope, hemp rope, or chain, for connecting the balcony with the wheels
and weight, inside the building as herein described and set forth.
6. A combination of wheels and rollers connecting the balcony with the weight
inside the building, as described and set forth.
7. A relative balance weight, spiral spring, and chain, or wire rope, for raising and
lowering the balcony, all as herein described and set forth.
Dated this 3rd day of November 1890.
EDWARD CASE BROOK.
JOHN PERRY.