Improved Fire Escape.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Oct., 1889-Accepted, 9th Nov., 1889.
Improved Fire Escape.
1 CARL NITTINGER of Langensalza in the Kingdom of Prussia, and German
Empire Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of my 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 this invention is to enable persons to escape from burning houses and
other buildings.
According to this invention outside the most accessible window I provide a pulley
attached to or suspended from a suitable bracket or other support over which pulley
passes a rope to which is attached a suitable cage or sack preferably of woven wire
capable of accommodating one or more persons the cage is attached to a suitable bail
or strap through holes in which is passed the fall of the rope to check the descent of
the cage.
I also provide a spring barrel on which may be wound the fall of the rope
so that the cage automatically raises itself to the point of support and holds itself
there ready for use.
In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 shows a front elevation of an apparatus
constructed according to this invention with the rope bent into place.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same.
Figure 3 shows the apparatus attached to a building ready for use.
Figure 4 is an enlarged view of the brake for preventing the too rapid descent of
the cage.
The same letters denote the same parts in all the Figs.
A pulley and sling t (Fig. 3) serve to fix the apparatus above the window by
running the rope over a pulley suspended from a bracket as customary with hoists
and builders repairing "cradles" or stages.
As already stated the apparatus consists of a sack or woven basket a attached to a
strap b having an eyelet i Fig. 1. Through the strap passes horizontally an axle to
upon a drum keyed to which the rope is wound when the apparatus is aloft. The
rope one end of which passes through an aperture in the strap bruns over the
pulley through the eyelet i and aperture o to the crank roller m ring p and
finally over a to the drum on the axle wo being wound up thereon.
Through the ring g of the axle the rope passes to enable it to be checked when it
unrolls too rapidly. This brake action is produced by turning the crank k causing
the rope to be wound on the axle 2 so that the basket stops suddenly.
If from any reason the basket does not descend rapidly enough it may be hauled
down by the ropes affixed to it at the bottom.
To cause the basket to re-ascend for the purpose of saving persons yet remaining in
the upper storeys a strong spring is provided in a barrel g on the strap b. The
barrel has a toothed wheel engaging with a pinion e on the axle w. The spring is
wound up during the descent of the cage and when the load is removed therefrom
the spring rotates the axle w in the contrary direction and winds the rope on the
harrel and raises the cage to its highest position.
The speed of the descent can also be checked by grasping the rope t and the strap b
at the same time when getting into the cage and pressing the former firmly against.
the latter.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and the manner in which the same is to be performed 1 declare that what
I claim is
I. In a Fire escape the spring barrel geared to a winding barrel for automatically
raising the cage or sack by means of a rope attached thereto substantially as
doceribad

page_text: II. The improved Fire escape substantially as described and shewn and operating
in the manner specified.
Datad this Fourth day of October 1889
BROWNE. & Co.,
9 & 10, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for Applicant.