Year: 1888

page_text: I, OSCAR F. WASHBURN of Goshen Massachusetts, United States of America,
Mechanical Engineer, 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 statement:—
My invention consists of a drum and rope for lowering a sack, basket or cage for a
fire escape, or for letting down building or other material with a fan wheel retarder
geared to it for regulating the descent, and also with a clock spring or weight contrived
to serve also as a retarder and also for returning the empty sack, basket or cage
quickly for further use as when several persons are to be rescued and when the
apparatus is to be used for letting down material from buildings in process of demoli-
tion and the like purposes, all as hereinafter described, reference being made to the
accompanying drawings in which
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved machine as when a weight is used to
return the basket or cage, with the supporting frame in section.
Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of a front wall of a building with my improved
machine in position for use, and on a reduced scale.
Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the machine as when a spring is used to return the
basket or cage, and when the fan retarder is geared with the ordinary plain gear
train, with the frame in section.
Fig. 4 is a top or plan view of the machine as represented in Fig. 3.
Fig. 5 is a section of the basket lowering drums showing the contrivance for hoisting
the basket without operating the fan retarder.
I provide a frame or base support of any approved kind, for the working apparatus,
say two plates as a, connected side by side and a suitable distance apart by rods b,
substantially like the frame of a clock movement, and having hook c, on the upper
edge by which to suspend it from a rod or bar d from the floor above a window e,
when the machine is to be used as a fire escape, but said hook or hooks are to be
adapted for suspending the machine in any approved way and on such a frame or
.

page_text: base support, I arrange the drum f, and wire rope g, to lower and raise a basket h,
sack or other approved receptacle with a fan wheel regulator i, geared to it by the
spiral or worm pinion, worm wheel k and a suitable train k¹ or said wheel and pinion
may be spur geared as in Fig. 3 for a retarder to govern the descent of the load, and
also with the weight 1 cord, or it may be the clock spring 12, geared to a small
hub w of the drum by the cord n, and a larger drum o, attached to the spring so that
the weight or spring winds up by the descending load and also serves as a retarder
thereto, and when the load is discharged from the basket the weight or spring returns
the basket by its recoil, the outer end of the spring is connected to a rod b, of the
frame, and the inner end is attached to the shaft p of the drum o.
The cord n, connecting the weight or spring drum of large diameter with the
basket working drum by the hub w of smaller diameter enables a suitably long range
of the basket rope g with a shorter and more practicable range of the spring, the
action of which is more uniform than if its travel was greater. It is to be understood
that the spiral inclination of the teeth of the pinion and worm wheel are to be such
that the wheel will drive the worm for operating the retarding fan, but not such as to
work with the freedom of spur gears, so that besides the resistance of the fan blades
there will be a considerable resistance by friction of the worm gears, which added to
the resistance of the fan lessens to a considerable extent the required speed of the fan
and correspondingly simplifies the train of gears for speeding it, so that the fan wormnj
may be geared directly with the wheel q on the axle of drumf, but it is in this example
represented as geared thereto by the intermediate train the same as is used with
the spur pinion on the fan shaft Fig. 3. As it may sometimes be preferred to have
the basket return more rapidly than the retarding fan will allow, I mount the wheel q
of the retarder train loosely on the drum shaft m, so that the drum can turn back-
ward without turning the wheel and employ the ratchet t, attached to the shaft
through drum w, and the pawl u, attached to the wheel in such arrangement as will
cause the working of the fan train when the basket descends and enable the return
of the basket without the working of the fan.
When the machine is used for a fire escape I will provide a speaking tube x of
suitable flexible material extending from the basket to the ground for enabling better
communication of instructions from the firemen below to the person above attempting
to use the machine, said tube being of suitable length and so attached to the basket
that one end may be dropped from the basket to the ground preparatory to making
use of the basket for escape and said tube or a cord in its stead may be used by
persons on the ground to control the ascent of the basket or cage.
For enabling the sounding of alarms in other apartments by the use of the machine
as a fire escape, I arrange the bell cord lever y, in suitable relation with tappets z on
the wheel q, whereby bells or other signals may be actuated the moment one escapes
so that others may follow, said lever having a suitable reacting spring v and also a
cord or wire a¹ extending to the bell or other signal.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1st: The combination with the lowering and hoisting drum and its cord and basket
or sack, and retarding fan of the hoisting weight or clock spring and its drum and
cord connected to the hub of the lowering and hoisting drum, substantially as
described.
2nd: The combination with the lowering and hoisting drum and its cord and basket,
and the hoisting weight or spring connected with said drum, of the retarding fan
geared with the hoisting drum by the spiral or worm pinion and worm wheel, having
the spiral inclination of the teeth adapted for the driving of the worm pinion by the
worm wheel, substantially as described.
3rd: The combination with the lowering and hoisting drum and its cord and basket,
and the hoisting weight or spring connected with the drum, of the retarding fan,
geared with the lowering and hoisting drum through the intervening ratchet and pawl

page_text: allowing the recoil of the spring and the return of the basket without working the
retarding fan, substantially as described.
4th The combination with the basket of a fire escape of a flexible cord or speaking
tube attached at one end to the basket, and adapted for dropping the other end
from the basket to the ground preparatory to using the basket for escape, substantially
as described.
:
5th The combination with the lowering drum in a fire escape, of the bell cord
working lever, actuating tappets and a retracting spring, substantially as described.
Dated this 20th day of August 1888.
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
Associate Agent.