Improvements in Fire Escapes and like Life-saving Apparatus.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Sept., 1889-Accepted, 9th Nov., 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Fire Escapes and like Life-saving Apparatus.
I, MARKUS WALDNER, of the Town of Gyöngyös in the Austro-Hungarian Empire,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said 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 relates to an improved life saving apparatus which is permanently
attached in the interior of buildings, the said apparatus also having for its object to
admit of the occupants of a building, in cases of eminent danger, such for instance, as
the breaking out of a fire, to secure their safety until such time as assistance from
firemen or otherwise is forthcoming.
It is well known that at the breaking out of a fire in the interior of extensive
buildings, especially public buildings or establishments such as theatres, barracks,
hospitals, hotels &c., a great number of lives are lost annually on account of the life-
saving organisations being unable to arrive and affix their appliance in time to prevent
loss of life.
Figures 1 to 5 of the accompanying drawings illustrate the construction and method
of applying the improved life saving apparatus forming the subject of the present
invention.
The said apparatus consists essentially of an elongated sack-like receptacle of which
any desired number can be permanently attached to the interior of a building or as
many receptacles may be provided as there are windows in the building.
This
To the face of the building and below the windows thereof is affixed a small
box or receptable a, of which that part facing the street is provided with a lid or
cover b, consisting of three sections connected by suitable hinges, and provided at
its upper end with an iron rail, having a projecting lug c, with which latter two
hooks d, d' pivotally attached in bearings e to the shaft fare adapted to engage.
shaft may be slightly revolved either by means of the key lever g or the arm h,
so that the hooks d, d¹ will be forced to disengage the lug c, whereupon the cover
or lid b will fall by its own weight and lay flush with the wall of the building. The
inner cover or lid s, which also consists of 3 sections, will also be made to fall in
consequence of spring being depressed by the movement of the key lever g.
The sack-like receptacle i is permanently located within the box or casing a and is
rigidly attached at its upper end to the top and bottom of said box or casing, whereas
the remaining part of said receptacle is rolled up in such manner that when the lid or
cover is opened as above described it will fall or descend into the street whereupon
it is fixed by means of the hooks m and rings n to the blocks embedded in the
pavement.
The box or casing a occupies the entire breadth of the wall of the building, and is
closed towards the interior of the apartment in which it is located, by means of the
lid or cover s which, as aforementioned, also consists of 3 hinged sections.
Should a person desire to save himself in case of danger, it is only necessary
for such person to impress the key lever g in order to open the inner and outer
covers or lids and cause the sack-like receptacle i to roll to the ground, whereupon
the said person may get into and slide down the receptacle into the street.
The receptacle i may also be released from the box or casing a by means of a rope
or its equivalent p attached to the arm h, and extending to the ground, so that it may
he readily operated from the pavement in front of the building.

page_text: 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 :-
An improved life saving apparatus consisting substantially of a box or casing a,
suitable fixed in the face of a building and a sack-like receptacle i located therein and
attached thereto in such manner that when the inner and outer covers or lids b and s
are opened by means of a key lever g or by operating an arm h, the said receptacle i
will be released and fall to the ground its lower end being then rigidly fixed to blocks /
by means of hooks m and rings n, so that the person or persons desirous of saving
themselves may get into and slide down such said receptacle, substantially as and
for the purpose set forth and shown.
Dated this 7th day of Santember 1889
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.