A MACHINE FOR CONVEYING PERSONS FROM THE UPPER PARTS OF HOUSES ON FIRE, AND FOR LOWERING GOODS FROM WAREHOUSES, AND OTHER PURPOSES,
Year: 1810

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ONEAS
MORRISON, of Greenock, in the County of Renfrew, in that part of the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called Scotland, send greeting.
WHEREAS I, the said Oneas Morrison, did by my petition humbly
represent to Ilis present most Excellent Majesty King George the Third,
that I had, after much study and expence, invented "A MACHINE FOR
CONVEYING PERSONS FROM THE UPPER PARTS OF HOUSES ON FIRE, AND FOR
LOWERING GOODS FROM WAREHOUSES, AND OTHER PURPOSES," which would be of
great public utility, and that I was the first and true Inventor thereof, and
that the same had never been used by any other person or persons, to the best
of my knowledge and belief; and therefore most humbly prayed His said
Majesty to grant unto me, my exors, adiñors, or assigns, His Royal Letters
Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, for the sole use, benefit, and
advantage of my said Invention, within that part of the United Kingdom
called England, His Dominion of Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-
Tweed, for the termn of fourteen years, according to the Statute in that case
made and provided: His said Majesty being willing to give encouragement to
all arts and Inventions that might be for the public good, was graciously
pleased to condescend to my request, and therefore, by His Royal Letters
Patent, bearing date at Westminster, the Twenty-seventh day of February,
in the fiftieth year of Ilis reign, of His especial grace, certain knowledge,
and mere motion, did give and grant unto me, the said Oneas Morrison,
my exors, adñiors, and assigns, His especial licence, full power, sole privi-
lege, and authority, that I, the said Oneas Morrison, my exors, adññiors,
or assigns, and every of us, by myself or themselves, or by mine and our

page_text: deputy or deputies, servants or agents, or such others as I the said Oneas
Morrison, my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, my said Invention within that part of His Majesty's
said United Kingdom called England, His Dominion of Wales, and Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, in such manner as to me, the said Oneas Morrison, my
exors, adñiors, or assigns, or any of us, should in our discretion seem meet;
and that I, the said Oneas Morrison, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, should
and lawfully might have and enjoy the whole profit, benefit, commodity, and
advantage from time to time coming, growing, accruing, and arising by
reason of the said Invention, for and during the term of years therein
mentioned; to have, hold, exercise, and enjoy the said licence, powers,
privileges, and advantage therein granted or mentioned to be granted to me,
the said Oneas Morrison, my exors, admors, and assigns, for and during and
to the full end and terni of fourteen years from the date of the said Presents
next and .immediately ensuing, and fully to be completed and ended, according
to the Statute in that case made and provided; in which said Lotters Patent
is contained a proviso, that if I, the said Oncas Morrison, should not par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, and cause the same to be inrolled in His said Majesty's Court
of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent, that then the said Letters, and all liberties and
advantages whatsoever thereby granted, should utterly cease, determine, and
become void, anything therein mentioned to the contrary thereof in anywise
notwithstanding, as in and by the said Letters Patent, relation thereto being
had, may more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Onèas Morrison, in compliance with
the said proviso, do hereby describe and ascertain the nature of my said
Invention, and declare that the same consists of a wheel or pully of one or two
compartments, the diameter of the cheeks of which exceed the diameter of the
barrell in each compartment in the proportion of six or seven to one or more
or less;. the wheel or pulley is placed in a perpendicular frame, to the upper
part of which, and on a level with the top of the wheel or pulley, a brake, or
restraining lever, loaded with a weight at its extremity, is attached, so as to
press near its fulcrum in a horizontal direction upon the periphery of the
wheel or pulley. A flat rope or belt of a sufficient length is coiled up upon
the barrel in each compartment; when the wheel or pully is made with two

page_text: compartments, the belts are wound up in opposite directions, and the belt in
the one compartment is thereby wound up as the belt in the other runs off';
when the wheel or pully is made with one compartment, a crank is attached
to the axle to wynd up the belt. The brake or restraining lever is made with
one, two, or three arms to press upon, but not to project beyond, the periphery
of the cheek or cheeks, or check and middle division of the wheel or pulley,
leaving the whole breadth of each compartment free for the operation of the
belt. When the wheel or pulley and brake or restraining lever are made of
iron, a piece of wood is fitted into that part of the lever which presses
upon the periphery of the pulley. When the Invention is manufactured for
conveying persons from the upper parts of houses on fire, the following are
suitable dimensions:-The diameter of the checks and middle division of the
wheel or pulley, fourteen inches; the diameter of the barrell in each compart-
ment, two inches; the breadth of each compartment, two inches and one
fourth part of an inch; the breadth of the belt (the same being made of
hemp), two inches; the thickness of the belt, one-twelfth part of an inch;
a loop is made upon the end of the belt, through which a part of the belt (the
same being made of hemp) is drawn to form a sash, which being placed over
the shoulders and below the arms, draws close upon the body. The weight
with which the brake or restraining lever is loaded at the extremity is per-
manently attached to or formed into one piece with it, and the lever is
regulated so as the weight of the lightest person, for whose use the machine
is intended, may force round the pulley till a descent is completed. Where
there is a great difference between the weight of persons, for whom the same
machine is intended, the diameter of the barrel of one of the compartments is
encreased or diminished, so as to accommodate the belts to the different
weights. An alarum is added to the machine by dividing into teeth one end
of the axle of the wheel or pulley projecting beyond the frame, and by
attaching to the frame a spring of wood or iron fitted into these teeth after
the manner of a watchman's rattle. The machine is placed into a box having
an aperture in the top to permit the bolt to pass freely, and another in the
front, opposite to the extremity of the lever, to allow the lever to be raised by
the hand when occasion requires. A window-seat, or chair, or other piece of
furniture is attached to the machine by straps of sufficient length to permit it
to be put out of the window, and to drop upon a level with the foot of the
window, so as to form a balcony to project a person in descent from the wall
of the house. The machine is either bolted to the floor in the window from
which it is intended to be used, or it is placed upon wheels, that it may
be
emoved from one window to another; in this last case it is made of sufficient

page_text: weight to resist the weight of a person using it. When the Invention is
manufactured for the purpose of lowering goods from warehouses, the weight
with which the lever is loaded is moveable, and the brake or restraining lever
divided into notches, after the manner of a stillyard.
In witness whereof, I, the said Oneas Morrison, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twenty-second day of August, in the fiftieth year
of the reign of His said most Excellent Majesty George the Third, by
the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland King, and in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and ten.
Sealed and delivered by the said Oneas
Morrison, being first duly stamped, in
presence of
THOMAS MEEK, Writer, in Glasgow.
CHA STEWART, Writer, in Glasgow.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, Oneas Morrison, of the
Town of Greenock, in the County of Renfrew, in that part of the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called Scotland, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Third was
graciously pleased to grant to me, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, His
Royal Letters Patent, dated at Westminster, upon the Twenty-seventh day of
February last past, for the sole use, benefit, and advantage of a machine
invented by mo for conveying persons from the upper parts of houses on fire,
and for lowering goods from warehouses, and other purposes: And whereas
upon the day and date of these Presents, I did sign, seal, and execute in due
form of law, in presence of Thomas Meek, Writer, in Glasgow, and Charles
Stuart, Writer, in Glasgow, an instrument in writing particularly describing
and ascertaining the nature of my said Invention, and how the same is to be
performed, in terms of a proviso contained in the said Letters Patent, which
said instrument is hereunto annexed: And whereas it is necessary that the said
instrument should, in terms of the said proviso, be inrolled in His said
Majesty's High Court of Chancery:
NOW KNOW YE, that I have nominated and appointed, and do hereby
nominate and appoint, authorize and impower, Alexander MacDougall and
Charles Hunter, of Lincoln's Inn, James Campbell, of Duke Street, Thomas
Brodie, of Manchester Buildings, and Charles Cloak, of Picket Street, all of
Westminster, or any one or more of them, for me, the said Oneas Morrison,

page_text: and in my behalf, to acknowlege the said instrument in writing before a
Master in His Majesty's said High Court of Chancery, and to cause or
procure the same to be inrolled in the said High Court, and generally to do
and perform every act and deed necessary to be done and performed in terms
of the proviso contained in the said Letters Patent, or which may be necessary
to be done or performed to render the said Letters Patent valid and effectual,
ratifying hereby, and promising to ratify and confirm such acknowledgment
and registering, and all and whatsoever acts done in the premises by the said
Alexander M.Dougell, Charles Hunter, James Campbell, Thomas Brodie, and
Richard Cloak, or any one or more of them.
In witness whereof, I, the said Oneas Morrison, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twenty-second day of August, in the fiftieth year of
the reign of His said most Excellent Majesty George the Third, by the
Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
King, and in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and