IMPROVEMENTS IN DOMESTIC FIRE-ESCAPES to be as follows:
Year: 1884

page_text: I ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK of the Firm of A. M. and Wm. Clark of
53 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
DOMESTIC FIRE-ESCAPES to be as follows:
"
This Invention relates to flexible ladder fire escapes mainly for use on or from
the window sills of buildings in connection with a windlass for lowering or
raising the ladder, which when lowered, occupies an inclined position away from
the building in a downward direction.
This improved fire-escape is simple durable and cheap; it is moreover
incombustible and combines lightness with strength without the aid of guy ropes
and side braces.
The escape is a flexible steel wire-rope ladder composed in part of two, three or
more longitudinal strands the outer ones of which are arranged to diverge towards
the base from one another. These several longitudinal strands are connected by
numerous cross-strands, forming steps and to give increased rigidity by occasional
tubes also forming steps. The ladder when extended from the window sill is
readily secured to the ground by long steel pins arranged at the lower ends of the
longitudinal strands and driven into the ground or between the stones of the
curbing of the pavement.
The opposite or inner end of the ladder is fastened to the barrel of a portable
windlass resting upon the window sill said barrel being mounted in a frame that
may consist of site standards or cheeks united by one or more stay rods and
stiffened by front braces. This frame has any number of attached lower pins or
legs which when the windlass is placed on the window sill enter corresponding
holes in the sill and thus serve to hold the windlass in place.
The barrel of the windlass is operated by a handle on one or both ends of it,
and on releasing the pins from the ground, the ladder may be readily wound up
and the whole apparatus be stowed away in a small compass and kept in a box,
ready for immediate use in case of danger.
The ladder is held in an inclined position when extended so as not only to
facilitate the ascent of firemen and others, but also to protect persons ascending
or descending from being burnt by flames issuing from the windows.
1
oth
1004
:

page_text: COMPLETE. SPECIFICATION.
"
I, ALEXANDER MEEVILLE CLARK, of the Firm of A. M. and Wm. Clark, of
53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent
IMPROVEMENTS
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
IN DOMESTIC FIRE-ESCAPES and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
"
This Invention relates to a domestic fire-escape consisting of a flexible ladder
attached to and wound upon a windlass adapted to be fixed on the window cills
of buildings whence the ladder is unrolled and lowered to the ground where it is
fixed in an inclined position away from the building.
This improved fire escape is simple durable, cheap, incombustible and portable.
It combines lightness with strength and may be readily fixed in any window.
adapted to receive it as hereafter described.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying Drawings, forming part of this
Specification in which Figure 1 represents a front elevation of the fire-escape as
lowered and secured for use. Figure 2 is a side view of the same the building to
which it is applied being represented in section, and Figure 3 is a side view on a
larger scale of the windlass showing the mode of fixing it to the window sill
which is represented in cross section. Similar letters of reference indicate
corresponding parts in all Figures.
The escape consists in part of a flexible steel wire-rope ladder (of sufficient
length to reach from the sill of any window, at which it is to be used, to the
ground) composed of two, three or more longitudinal strands a connected by cross
stands 6 sufficiently numerous to forin rounds or steps and with occasional tubular
distance pieces c to give increased rigidity and which also form steps. The outer
longitudinal strands a diverge towards the lower end to give the ladder when
extended from the window sill to the ground all necessary stability without the
use of guy ropes or side braces.
The one end of the ladder is fastened to the barrel d of a light and portable
windlass of a suitable size to rest upon the sill of a window, said barrel being
mounted in a frame that may consist of side standards e united by one or more
stay rods and stiffened by front braces g. This frame has two or more
downwardly projecting pins or legs h which enter corresponding holes k in the
sill and hold the windlass securely in place. These holes may have plugs or
stoppers to exclude dirt.
The windlass barrel is operated by a crank handle at one or both ends. To
the lower ends of the longitudinal strands a are attached long steel pins m which
are intended to be driven into the ground or between the stones of the curb and
road paving as shown in Figures 1 and 2 in order to hold the ladder taut in an
inclined position away from the front of the building to facilitate its use and keep
it away from flames issuing from the lower storeys.
The ladder when wound up on the barrel d may be stowed away in a small
compass and kept in a box n ready for immediate use. The windlass may be
quickly fixed in. position on the window sill and the ladder rapidly unrolled
lowered and secured as above described.
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:
1st. The combination of the wire-rope ladder with the portable windlass
constructed to engage with the sill of a window, as and for the purpose

page_text: 2nd In a wire-rope ladder fire-escape, the ladder constructed of diverging
longitudinal strands, cross stands forming rounds or steps, and interspersed tubular
distance pieces, also forming steps and serving to stiffen the ladder, essentially as
described.
3rd In a combined windlass and flexible ladder fire-escape, the combination of
a portable windlass having pins or legs for entry within holes in the sill of a
window, and the wire rope ladder having diverging longitudinal strands
substantially as shown and described.