Improvements in Fire Escapes.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Oct., 1899 —Accepted, 23rd June, 1900
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Fire Escapes.
We, WILLIAM OLIPHANT ABBOTT, of Kittanning, in the County of Armstrong
and State of Pennsylvania, Civil Engineer, JONAS FRANCIS YOUNG, of New
Martinsville, in the County of Witzel, in the State of West Virginia, Civil
Engineer, and HENRY STANLEY EVANS, of 717, Park Building, Pittsburg, in the
County of Allegheny, in the State of Pennsylvania, Manager, all in the United
States of America, 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 ;-
-
This invention relates to that class of fire escapes which consist essentially
of a drum, a cord or rope wound upon the drum and a retarding device whereby
the rotation of the drum is retarded as the cord is unwound from the drum by
the weight of the person using the fire escape
One of the objects of this invention is to produce a simple and efficient fire
escape of this character which has comparatively few parts and in which two
drums are employed so that when one cord or rope is unwound from its drum by
the weight of a person, the other cord or rope is wound upon its drum ready to
be used by another person.
Another object of the invention is to provide means which permit both cords
to be wound upon their drums when not in use so that the apparatus is more
slightly and still prevents one cord from being unwound until the other cord has
been unwound, thereby avoiding confusion.
The invention has the further object to provide an enclosing case for the fire
escape mechanism which is simple, durable and inexpensive in construction and
which can be readily opened to permit of inspecting or adjusting the parts.
In the accompanying drawing:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of our improved fire escape.
Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section thereof, showing both ropes wound
upon their drums. Figure 3 is a cross section taken in line 3-3, Figure 2.
Figure 4 is an elevation, partly in section, of the drums and connecting parts,
showing the first rope unwound and the second rope released. Figure 5 is a hori-
zontal section of the enclosing case. Figure 6 is a perspective view of the harness
which may be used for fastening the escaping party to the escape rope.
Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.
A represents the back plate or base of the enclosing case which is provided with
suitable screw holes for securing the same to any suitable part of the window
frame or wall adjacent to the window. This back plate is provided on its opposite
vertical edges with two vertical side plates or walls a a which extend forwardly
and each of which is provided at its front end with an outwardly projecting
vertical tongue or flange a¹. B represents the cover of the enclosing case which
forms the front and top of the case and which consists of a front plate & extending
from the front edge of one of the side plates a to the front edge of the other side
plate and a top plate which extends across the space between the top edges of
b

page_text: the side plates. This cover is provided along the edges of its front plate with
inwardly facing vertical grooves which engage with the flanges of the side
plates. The cover is applied to the side plates by slipping its grooved edges
downwardly from the upper ends of the flanges until the top of the cover bears
against the top edges of the side plates. When the two parts of the casing are
thus assembled the cover prevents the side plates from spreading and a casing is
produced which is closed on all sides except at the bottom where it is left open
to afford access to the escape devices. The back plate, side plates and the flanges
are preferably stamped or bent up out of a single sheet of metal and the cover
with its grooved edges is also stamped out of a single piece of sheet metal, thereby
producing a neat casing which is very simple and strong, and which can be pro-
duced at a small cost.
C represents a horizontal shaft which is journalled with its ends in bearings
formed in the side plates of the casing and which is provided with two side
discs cc and an intermediate disc forming two drums on the shaft. D D¹
represents two escape lines, ropes or cords each of which is wound around one of
the drums and is secured with its inner end to the drum and provided at its outer
end with an attaching or suspending ring d. The rope of one drum is wound
thereon in a direction opposite to that in which the other rope is wound upon its
respective drum which causes one rope to wind up on its drum and the other rope
to unwind from its drum upon turning the drums together in one or the other
direction.
The two lines D D¹ are preferably formed out of a single or continuous piece
of wire or wire rope which is doubled midway of its. length so as to form the two
branches constituting the two lines. This manner of forming the two lines is
equivalent to uniting or connecting the inner ends of the two lines and does not
effect their operation as two individual lines. The bight formed in the doubled
middle part of the two connected lines or ropes passes through an opening in
the intermediate disc, as shown in Figure 4, and from this opening the two
rope branches trend in opposite directions around their respective drums.
The wire ropes are secured in this opening by means of the bend produced in
the same at the opening and also by reason of one rope being wound upon its
drum while the other is being unwound. This manner of attaching the ropes to
the drums is very secure and also permits of conveniently adjusting the length
of the ropes to the height of the room in which the fire escape is being installed.
When the fire escape is not in use both the ropes are wound around the drums
so as to avoid any unsightliness in the room in which the fire escape is installed
which otherwise would be the case if one rope were left dangling in an unwound
condition from the fire escape.
In order to prevent both ropes from being partly unwound from their drums
and thus create confusion when the fire escape is needed, a locking device is pro-
vided which permits only one of the wound up ropes to be unwound while the other
is held against unwinding by the locking device until the first rope has been un-
wound after which the second rope is released and can also be unwound from its
drum. As shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4, this locking device consists of a hook
or catch E which is adapted to engage with the ring d at the free end of the
rope B and bears against the bottom of a recess e in the edge of the intermediate
disc so that the ring is fastened to this disc and its rope cannot become unwound.
This catch is normally moved away from the bottom of the recess by a flat
spring F which is arranged lengthwise of that portion of the drum shaft around
which the rope D is wound and which is secured at one end to this shaft adjacent
to the disc while its opposite free end is connected with the catch by a radial
arm which lies close to the intermediate disc on that side against which the
rope D is wound. The rope D is first wound upon its drum by turning the drum
shaft in one direction by means of a crank applied to the flat sided end
the drum shaft. After the rope D' is wound up, its ring d is engaged with the
catch E and the latter is pressed with its end against the bottom of the recess e,
of

page_text: so as to confine the ring d of the rope D' and at the same time the drum shaft
is turned in the opposite direction so as to wind the other rope D around the drum
shaft. As the rope D is wound up, it winds around the spring as well as
around the drum shaft and the spring is thereby drawn inwardly against the
drum shaft, whereby the catch is held in engagement with the ring of the rope D¹,
as represented in Figures 2 and 3, and the latter cannot be unwound so long as
the rope 1) is wound around the shaft and the spring. The fire escape is left
in this position ready for use with only the ring of the rope D hanging slightly
below the casing, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The party desiring to escape
grasps the rope D and is lowered to the ground by the unwinding of the rope
from its drum and when the last coil of this rope has been unwound from the
shaft the spring F owing to its resilience moves outwardly and disengages the
catch from the ring of the rope D', as represented in Figure 4. The rope D' is
now free to be unwound from its drum for the purpose of permitting another
party to effect an escape from the building. The unwinding of the rope D¹ by
reason of a party descending on the same, causes the other rope D to be rewound
upon its drum ready to be used again.
The ropes may be used alternately in this manner indefinitely because the wind-
ing up of the rope D only causes the catch to bear against the bottom of the
recess but does not lock the other rope D' until the ring of the latter is purposely
slipped on the catch before the first layer of coils of the rope D have been wound
up. It will thus be seen that the rope D is reliably locked until the rope D
has been rewound and is then automatically released without requiring any
attention on the part of the party using the same, thereby avoiding confusion and
tangling of the ropes which otherwise would impair the usefulness of the fire
escape.
If desired, the person using the escape may be provided with a harness which
is attached to the escape rope, this harness, as shown in Figure 6, consisting
preferably of a longitudinal strap G provided at its lower end with a loop g into
which the leg of the person is inserted and at its upper end with a snap hook g¹,
which engages with the ring of either escape rope and a belt which is
secured transversely to the upper part of the longitudinal strap and is provided
with a buckle for fastening the belt around the body.
The rotation of the drum shaft in either direction may be retarded by any
suitable means so as to check the descent, the preferred means for this purpose
being an escapement mechanism which is shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4, and
which is constructed as follows:-
N represents a horizontal escapement shaft which is arranged above the drum
shaft and journalled with its ends in bearings formed in the side plates of the
casing. Upon turning the drum shaft in either direction this movement is
transmitted by the gear wheels to the escapement wheel H and the rotation of
the latter vibrates the escapement pallet k, mounted on the shaft L, and causes
the rotation of the drums to be retarded.
For the purpose of simplifying the construction of the fire escape and insuring
reliability, the drum shaft and its discs and gear wheel are cast in one piece,
the escapement shaft and its gear pinion and escapement wheel are cast in one
piece, and the pallet shaft and its pallet are cast in one piece. If desired, how-
ever, the parts mounted on each shaft may be made separate therefrom and
secured thereto by keys, set screws or otherwise.
The several shafts are placed in their supporting bearings by removing the
cover of the casing and then springing the side plates outwardly sufficiently to
permit of inserting the ends of the shafts in their bearings. The cover is then
slipped on the side plates of the casing, whereby the side plates are held in place
and the shafts are prevented from leaving their bearings. If desired, the cover
may be locked or otherwise secured to the side or back plates, so as to prevent
tamnering with the fire escape.
The disc cc of the drum shaft extend close to the escapement shaft, whereby

page_text: this shaft serves as a guard to prevent the ropes when being wound upon the
drums from climbing on the edge of the discs and becoming displaced."
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. An enclosing case for a fire escape consisting of a back plate, two side plates
projecting forwardly from the back plate, and a cover having a front plate which
slides upon the front ends of the side plates and a top plate which bears against
the top of the side plates.
2. The combination with two drums and two ropes adapted to be wound upon
said drums, of a locking device which holds the rope of one drum against un-
winding and which is controlled by the rope of the other drum.
3. The combination with two drums and two ropes adapted to be wound upon
said drums, of a catch which is held in engagement with the end of one of said
ropes by the coils of the other rope, and a spring whereby said catch is disengaged
from the rope which it holds when said coils are unwound.
4. The combination with a drum shaft provided with two side discs and an
intermediate disc forming two drums upon said shaft, and the ropes adapted to
he wound upon said drums, of a catch adapted to bear with its end against the
bottom of a recess in the intermediate disc and engage with a ring on the end
of one of said ropes, so as to hold the same against unwinding from its drum,
a spring which is secured lengthwise to the drum shaft and which is pressed in-
wardly by the coils of the other rope when the latter is wound upon its drum,
and an arm connecting the free end of the spring with said catch.
Dated this 26th day of October 1899.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.