Improvements in and relating to Fire Escapes.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Nov., 1893-Accepted, 2nd Dec., 1893
Improvements in and relating to Fire Escapes.
I WILLIAM GRAY of 9 Avenue Terrace Sandycombe Road, Richmond, Gentleman,
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 relates to improvements in fire escapes and has for its object to
provide a device which can be easily attached to the rail of a bed or any other
convenient projecting rail, for the purpose of enabling persons to escape from
burning houses and the like.
In carrying my invention into practice, I provide a frame of cast iron or other
suitable material, furnished with two downwardly projecting arms, supporting an
axle furnished with a roller around which is wound a sufficient quantity of chain,
rope, or the like, the said axle being provided with a handle in order to rotate the
roller. The top cross bar of the frame is furnished with two, three, or more loops
formed of thin plates bent over the top bar and rivetted on either side of it for the
purpose of attaching the device to the bed rail.
In order that my invention may be more fully understood, I will now proceed to
describe same with reference to the accompanying drawings in which
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of my improved device, Fig. 2 is a side view of same
and Fig. 3 is a side view of a slightly modified form.
My improved device consists of a frame furnished with two arms d d supporting
an axle a the said axle being furnished with a roller r around which a sufficient
quantity of chain or rope is wound, and with a handle by means of which the
roller is rotated.
1"
The top bar e of the frame is furnished with the means for
securing it to the rail of a bed or other suitable rail which consists of the plates b
bent over the bar e and secured to same by means of rivets r².
The device is fixed as follows, the end of one of the rails of a bedstoad is
removed from its socket and the said end passed through the loops s, formed by the
plates, the rail being again placed in position, when the device is firmly secured
to the bedstead and would be concealed by the vallance. In case of fire a basket
can be attached to the end of the chain c by means of the hooks y and the persons
lowered to the ground by slowly rotating the handle h the last person having to
descend by his hands.
In the modification shown in Fig. 3 the loops are made detachable and secured
to the top bar by means of a bolt passing through same and secured at the other
side by a thumb screw t. By this arrangement the device can be attached to any
bar such as the rail of a balcony or the like.
My improved device would be extremely useful in hotels, boarding houses, and
the like and owing to its portable form could be carried about by persons while
travelling and quickly fixed for use in case of need.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
The new or improved device to enable versons to escape from burning houses,

page_text: arranged, constructed and operating, substantially as herein described and shown
and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 2nd day of November 1893.
F. G. CASSELL,
Of Cassell & Co.,
22, Glasshouse Street, Regent Street, London, W..,
Agent for the Applicant.
F. G. CASSELL,
Of Cassell & Co.,
22, Glasshouse Street, Regent Street, London, W.,
Agent for the Applicant.