Year: 1897

page_text: I, PHILIP KELLY, of 20, Harley Street, Barrow-in-Furness, Lancashire, Cabinet-
maker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
-
.The object of the present invention is to provide a strong and light fire escape
extension ladder of simple and economical construction for any height of building.
The said ladder when not in use is closed up into a small compass and contained
within a cupboard or case fixed within an apartment or other convenient place
beneath the window board and can be passed through the window and lowered into
position with great facility extending automatically during the operation, it is
always ready for use.
According to my invention the extension ladder, which is for strength and
lightness preferably made entirely of steel or best iron, consists of a series of three
sided rectangular frames adapted to fit one within the other and lying in the
same plane. The centre of each three sided frame has a suitable projecting step
or tread secured thereto, these also act as hand grips, and the sides of each frame
pass freely through guides secured to the ends of the sides of the adjacent outer
frame. Thus the entire series of step carrying frames are extended so as to form
a ladder, each frame travelling down the sides of the adjacent inner frame guided
by aforesaid guides until the latter reach the end thereof; or, the frames may be
telescoped one within the other and packed in a small compass.
The ladder is suspended by two light wire ropes attached to a rod or bar which
connects the upper ends of the innermost frame, the said wire ropes being secured
at their other extremities to a hook, hooking to an eye fixed in the wall of the
apartment beneath the window board or other convenient place where a wood
case or cupboard is placed for the reception of the ladder having a door and mov-
able top for the entrance and exit of the same. In the case of bedrooms the cup-
board may also be used as a dressing table or for other useful purposes. Where
the fire escape ladder is adopted in new buildings, a recess may be specially left
for its reception beneath the window board there need then be very little or no
projection within the room for the cover of ladder, but in any event the
greatest projection from wall within the room when a wall recess is not provided,
need be no more than seven inches.
The ladder above described being lifted out from its case and lowered through
the window will extend automatically by its own weight and immediately be
ready for use. Struts are secured on several of the frames for maintaining the
ladder at a convenient distance from the wall of the building while suspended.
Dated this 5th day of. July 1897

page_text: I, PHILIP KELLY, of 20, Harley Street, Barrow-in-Furness, Lancashire, Cabinet-
maker, 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:-
The object of the present invention is to provide a strong and light fire escape
extension ladder of simple and economical construction for any height of building.
The said ladder when not in use is closed up into a small compass and contained
within a cupboard or case fixed or provided beneath the window board (or other
convenient place) and can be passed through the open window and lowered into
position with great facility extending automatically during the operation; it is
always ready for use.
I will now fully describe my invention and the manner of performing the same
having reference to the acconipanying drawings in which similar letters refer to
like parts in all the figures, and wherein:
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the ladder in its closed or non-extended condition.
Fig. 2 is an edge view shewing on a somewhat smaller scale the ladder stowed
away in its case or cupboard.
Fig. 3 shews the ladder passed through the open window and extended ready for
The case or cupboard is not shewn in this figure.
use.
The extension ladder, which for strength and lightness is preferably made
entirely of steel or best iron, consists of a series of three sided frames a a fitting
one within the other and lying in the same plane. Each frame has a suitable
tread or step 6 secured thereto (said treads also serving as hand grips) and the
sides of each frame pass freely through guides c secured to the ends of the sides
of the adjacent outer frame. The entire series of frames a may thus be extended
so as to form a ladder (as shewn by the dotted lines) each frame a travelling down
the sides of the adjacent inner frame guided by the aforesaid guides, or the
frames a may be telescoped one within the other and packed in a small compass
as represented in Fig. 2.
Connecting the upper ends of the sides of the innermost frame a is a bar d to
which are secured a pair of light wire ropes e for suspending the ladder, said wire
ropes being secured at their other extremities to a hook f which engages with
au eye g fixed in the wall h of the apartment beneath the window board i (or
other convenient place) where a case or cupboard k (Fig. 2) is placed for the
storage of the ladder, said case being provided with a convenient movable top
and door for the insertion and removal of the ladder. In the case of bedrooms
the said case or cupboard may be adapted for use as a dressing table, or it may be
adapted for other useful purposes. When my fire escape ladder is adopted in new
buildings, a recess may be specially built for its reception beneath the window
board, in which case there will be little or no projection within the room for the
cover of the ladder, but in any event the maximum projection of the ladder case
from the wall need not exceed seven inches even should a wall recess not be
provided.
When required for use, the ladder is withdrawn from the cupboard or case k
and passed through the open window as shewn in Fig. 3 being suspended by the
wire ropes e, it immediately extends automatically by its own weight and is at
once ready for use. Some of the frames a are provided at the rear with struts
or arms n for the purpose of maintaining the ladder when suspended at a conve-
nient distance from the wall of the building. o (Fig. 1) are hooks which may be

page_text: secured to the lowermost frame a and to which the suspending rod d of another
length of extension ladder of similar construction to that described may be attached
if necessary.
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:-
1. The improved construction and arrangement of fire escape extension ladder
comprising a series of three sided frames a adapted to fit one within the other
and provided with steps or treads b and connected by guides c; whereby the ladder
may be telescoped and packed within a small case or cupboard such as k and
when suspended as by the ropes e will automatically extend by its own weight,
substantially as described.
2. The general construction, arrangement and combination of parts constituting
an improved fire escape, substantially as described and illustrated.
Dated this 4th day of Apгu 1090.
E. P. ALEXANDER & SON,
Chartered Patent Agents,
19, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.