Improvements in Fire-Escapes
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 6th June, 1888
Specification Accepted, 17th Aug, 1888
I WILLIAM BRUCE, of Wellsville, in the County of Allegany and State of New
York, United States of America, 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 certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes .
and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of
the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to
make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which
form a part of this specification, and in which-
Fig is a perspective view of my new and improved automatic fire-escape, showing
the same adjusted in operative position from the window of a four story house.
Fig. 2 is a detail view showing the iron bar which is secured across the inside of the
window-frame. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the "street frame." Figure 4 is a
perspective view of the lower pulley-frame with its end brakes, and Fig. 5 shows
a slightly different form of the said end brakes.
The same numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures
My invention consists in a new and improved fire-escape, which will be hereinafter
fully described and claimed
them
Referring to the several parts by their designating numerals, 1 indicates an endless
rope which forms one of the leading features of my new and improved fire-escape.
This rope passes through four blocks or pulleys, two of which are placed at the window
from which the descent is to be made. 2, 2, indicate the two upper pulley-blocks,
which are preferably connected by the side braces, 5, 3, for convenience in handling
These pulley-blocks are provided at their upper ends with the hooks 4, which
fasten or engage with eyes, which may be secured to the outside of the window
frame, about half way up the same, but I prefer, in order to avoid all possibility of
the eyes pulling out, to employ a strong iron bar, 5, which in use is placed across
the inside of the window, resting on two solid hooks, 6 6, which are fastened to the
inner side of the window facing or frame half-way up the same, just below the
bottom of the lower sash, when the said sash is raised, this bar 5 being provided with
two strong eyes, 77. The two upper pulley-blocks are hooked to these eyes, and the

page_text: endless rope passes through these pulleys and down to the ground through the lower
pulleys, 8, 8. These lower grooved pulleys are journaled, for convenience in
handling, in the ends of a frame composed of the side braces, 9, 9, and the rearwardly
extending end blocks, 10, 10 The free real end of these end blocks are provided
with the hooks 11, 11, which are hooked in eyes 12, 12, in the upper ends of two
parallel uprights, 13, 13 The uprights are connected and braced near their upper
ends by a cross-bar, 14, and are hinged at their lower ends to the forward end of a
flat stationary wooden frame, 15, so as to form a hinged, movable frame. This
stationary frame 15, which rests flat upon the ground, is formed of a front cross
bar or beam four or five feet long, from which extend back three beams, 16, 16, 17,
one at each end and one in the center, and the rear end of these three parallel beams
are connected and braced by a rear cross-beam, 18, the whole forming a strong frame,
which rests solidly upon the ground.
The strong uprights 13, 13, of the hinged frame are beams four or five feet long
and hinged at their lower ends by strong hinges 19, 19, to the front end of the
stationary frame On the middle beam, 17, of this stationary frame, 1s secured
vertically a semicu cular rack, 20, the teeth of which incline rearwardly, and to the
middle of this beam, beneath the centre of the curved rack, is pivoted in a bearing, 21,
the lower end of a ratchet-lever, 22, the middle portion of which is formed with
a longitudinal slot, 23, through which the curved rack passes, while the upper end
of the lever is formed with a handle, 24, the handle proper of this lever being four
or five feet long, giving great leverage power. In the slotted portion of the lever is
pivoted a dog, 25, which engages with the teeth of the curved rack and holds the
fever and through it the hinged fiame, firmly to the point to which it is drawn back
or adjusted. A pivot-bolt, 26, passes through the upper end of the slotted part of the
lever, and on the ends of this bolt are secured the eyed inner ends of two metal
rods, 27, 27, which branch out to the sides and are hinged at their eyed outer ends in
eyes 28, 28 on the back of the upper ends of the uprights 13, 13, as shown
Upon the endless rope A are secured two baskets, 29, 29, or any other suitable
means for receiving the person using the escape; these baskets being secured to the
endless rope equidistant from each other and on opposite sides of the rope, so that
when one basket has reached the ground in operation the other will have just reached
the window.
The endless rope, with the four pulleys and one of the baskets, is kept in the
room of the hotel or building on the floor on which the escape is to be used
The
device is kept close to the window, a coil or two of the rope, with the upper
pulleys, 2, 2, on top being laid in one compartment of the locker constructed for the
purpose, and the remainder of the rope, with the lower pulleys, 8, 8, and the
frame in which they are mounted on top, is kept in another compartment of the
locker; or the rope may be coiled in the foregoing manner in the basket 29, with the
iron rod 5 on top, and placed in the locker. In case of fire, the iron rod is placed in
position, the window-pulleys 2, 2, are hooked to the eyes 7, 7, of the iron rod, and then
the lower pulleys are lowered to the ground, these lower pulleys being preferably
protected by being incased in a bag containing some soft material, to prevent injury
to the metal brakes or drags hereinafter described, in case the said pulleys should be
thrown to the ground instead of being lowered from the window in the excitement of
When the frame containing the lower pulleys is lowered to the street, it is
caught, and the hooks 11, 11, at the rear ends of the end blocks of the said frame, are
hooked into the eyes at the upper ends of the uprights 13, 13, of the hinged frame.
The stationary frame 15, is meanwhile firmly secured to the ground by means of
about five spikes, 30, driven down over the said stationary frame, as shown in
Fig. 1 of the drawings, which will hold the frame firmly and strongly. Then, by
drawing back the handle of the ratchet-lever, the handle of which, being four or
five feet long, gives great power to the lever, the endless rope A is tightened to any
desired extent The first basket being up at the window on one side of the endless
rope, the second basket is secured firmly to the other side of the rope at the
ground
a fire

page_text: Upon each of the end blocks, 10, 10, 1s secured a brake or drag, 31, consisting each
of the two small centrally-pivoted levers 32, 33, the inner end of the outer hand-lever
being bifurcated and slotted longitudinally, while in this slotted bifurcated end is
pivoted the inner perforated end of the other or inner lever, while in the outer or
operative end of each inner lever, 33, is journaled a small grooved wheel, 34, which
runs on the rope in the same plane with the pulley at its end of the lower pulley
frame. By means of these end brakes the speed of the rope and of the passengers in
the baskets can be regulated exactly. A spring, 36, is secured at the back of the
handle of each brake The operative ends of the brakes may be formed as shown in
Fig. 5 of the drawings, dispensing with the small grooved wheels 34, and forming the
said ends of the concaved or spoon shape; but I prefer to employ the small grooved
rollers or wheels, as they run more evenly on the endless rope, without any jerk or jar
whatever.
When the endless rope has been tightened by the racket-lever, and the second
basket, which is kept with the ratchet-frames in a room on the ground floor of
the building has been attached to its side of the endless rope, the escape is all ready
for use. One, two, or more persons step into the basket which is then at the
window, and their weight will cause the basket to descend, at the same time raising
the second basket, so that when the loaded basket reaches the ground the empty
basket on the other side of the endless rope will have reached the window, the two
end drags or brakes 31, 31, regulating the speed of the descent and preventing
the full basket from descending too rapidly. The second basket is now filled and
descends, while the empty first basket rises to the window
From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying
drawings, the construction, operation, and advantages of my invention will be readily
understood.
It will be seen that the escape is simple and strong in construction, and can
be easily handled by any person The construction admits of great strength in the
material, sufficient to lower two or more persons at once in one basket, which can be
made large enough for the purpose.
The escape is perfectly safe in its operation and easy to get into in the case of
frightened and excited persons. It is very speedy in its operation and will empty
a building rapidly, one basket reaching the window the instant the other reaches the
ground.
The escape is automatic, the weight of the loaded basket raising the other to the
window One or two firemen can be raised to the window from the ground for
the purpose of controlling excited persons and aiding in the systematic and speedy
escape of the occupants from the burning building It is superior to the railed plat-
form and ladders, as it does not, like them, offer facilities for burglars.
It is cheaper than the single devices-one for each person-as two or three of my
new and improved automatic escapes will be sufficient for one floor of a large building,
owing to the rapidity with which it can be worked. I can also regulate the speed of
the baskets to any extent by means of the ratchet-lever, for by drawing back this
ratchet-level by the hand, and thus tightening the rope, the pressure on the grooved
wheels is such that the speed is lessened in proportion to the strain on the ropes, and
I can stop the descending rope and basket in mid-air by means of this lever, if
desired.
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 In a fire-escape, the combination of the window pulleys having the end hooks,
the eyes secured at the window, the lower pulley frame having the grooved end
pulleys and the end brakes oi dings, and adapted to be secured to a suitable support,
and the endless rope having two baskets secured to it on opposite sides, substantially
as set forth.

page_text: 2 In a fire-escape, the combination of the window pulleys having the end hooks,
the eyes secured at the window, the lower pulley-frame having the grooved end
pulleys, the hooks at the rear ends of its end blocks, and end biakos or drags, the
stationary frame having the curved rack, the movable frame lunged at its lower end
upon the stationary frame and having the front eyes near its upper ends, the lever, the
connecting rods, and the endless rope, having two baskets secured to it on opposite
sides, substantially as set forth.
3 In a fire-escape, the combination of the window pulleys having the end hooks,
the iron bar, having the eyes, the lower pulley frame having the grooved end
pulleys, the hooks at the rear end of its end blocks, and the end brakes or drags
having the small grooved wheels journaled in their inner ends, the stationary frame
having the curved rack, the movable frame hinged upon the stationary frame,
and having the front eyes near its upper end, the lever, the connecting-rods hinged
at their ends, and the endless rope having the two baskets secured to it on opposite
sides, substantially as set forth
4 In a fire-escape, the combination of the window-pulleys, the endless rope
having the two baskets secured upon it on opposite sides, the lower pulley-frame
having the grooved end pulleys and the hooks at the rear ends of its end blocks,
the stationary frame having the curved rack, the hinged frame having the front eyes,
and a ratchet-lever and connecting rods, substantially as set forth
1000
1000
Dated this 8th day UGO0
HORN & SON.
Agents on behalf of the Applicant