IMPROVED MECHANICAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR FACILITATING ESCAPE FROM FIRE, FOR LIFTING AND LOWERING WEIGHTS, AND FOR OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Gerard, of Totton, in the County of
Hampshire, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVED MECHANICAL
ARRANGEMENTS FOR FACILITATING ESCAPE FROM FIRE, FOR LIFTING AND
LOWERING WEIGHTS, AND FOR OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES."
Sealed the 27th November 1868, and dated the 6th June 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Gerard at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
6th June 1868.
I, JOHN GERARD, of Tolton, in the County of Hampshire, Gentleman,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED
MECHANICAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR FACILITATING ESCAPE FROM FIRE, FOR LIFTING
AND LOWERING WEIGHTS, AND FOR OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES" to be as
follows;-
My Invention consists in the adaptation of the well-known system of
laz-tong levers with other mechanical arrangements for the purposes
set forth in the above title, and for such other purposes as the mechanical
contrivances hereafter described shall prove applicable; and, firstly, in
regard to the means I have invented for saving persons and property

page_text: from fire, which consist of a pair of wheels, the axles of which pass
through the lower ends or fulcrum of a series of levers which are tied
together by rods passing through their ends, which spindles are secured
by nuts or screws, or both. On the ends of the top system of levers
rests a double carriage, to elevate which to the height required 1
place under the lowest levers and attach to the fore axle pullies and
on the after axle a species of windlass, the action of which on cords or
chains causes the levers to rise from their horizontal position, at the
same time causing the front and back pair of wheels to draw nearer
to each other, and on the carriage arriving at the height required they
are locked in position by means of a chain and hook on one side aud
a sliding bar and pin on the other. When the carriages arrive at the
position required (say opposite a window of a house on fire), a cord
or chain which passes over a V wheel placed under the fore part of
the outer carriage is pulled by those below, or by mechanical means,
and the inner carriage slides forward till its front end or lip presses
on the window sill, which as the wheels are locked below serves as
a rest. The weight of these double carriages is not great, as the width
for passage from the projecting to the outer or stationary carriage
will not be great. The front ends of a square frame are attached to
the ends of the front top lever and the other ends thereof to a revolving
bar, the use whereof is to form counterbalance when the inner carriage
slides forward.
Secondly, I vary my arrangements when they are to be used for
lifting purposes; then the system of levers rests and is attached
by one of its lower ends to a framing on the top edge thereof and near
one end while while the other ends rest upon wheels working on planes.
A. small wheel (with handle) is fitted to the side (at back part)
of frame, also a larger wheel of same description, but with its outer
periphery notched to receive a paul, is placed further forward, through
the centre of which passes an axle carrying a pinion. About the
centre in the interior of the framing is a windlass or roller carrying
a toothed wheel at one end. A cord or chain is secured to a longitudinal
centre piece under the windlass, and passing and doubling over the
windlass passes over a pulley attached to the axle of the wheels.
The whole being at rest, to operate turn the handle of the small
V wheel on which the cord (or chain) winds; this causes the large
V wheel to rotate and consequently the pinion, the teeth of which

page_text: gearing into the windlass wheel which it causes to rotate, the cord
acting upon the pulley drags the wheels backward on their planes
and causes the levers to rise, the platform which is placed on the top
ends of the system rising therewith to the height required. To lower,
lift the paul and allow the cord to be gradually unwound from the
small wheel; the weight of the platform and levers will ensure the
descent.
arrangements may be entirely composed of metal.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Gerard in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 4th December 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
GERARD, of Totion, in the County of Hampshire, Gentleman, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, hearing date the Sixth day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John Gerard, Her special licence that I,
the said John Gerard, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said John Gerard, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVED MECHANICAL ARRANGEMENTS
FOR FACILITATING ESCAPE FROM FIRE, FOR LIFTING AND LOWERING WEIGHTз
AND FOR OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSE," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said John Gerard, my executors, or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six

page_text: calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE. that I, the said John Gerard, 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, reference being had to the Sheets of Drawing
hereunto annexed and forming part of this my Specification, and to the
figures and letters of reference placed thereon:-
My Invention consists in the adaptation of the well-known system
of lazy-tong levers with other mechanical arrangements for facilitating
escape from fire, for lifting and lowering weights, and for other analogous
purposes.
I will first describe my improved arrangements as applied to a fire-
escape, reference being had to Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4 of Sheet I. of the
annexed Drawings, Fig. 1 representing a side elevation of my improved
fire-escape when in action; Fig. 2, a front end elevation of same also as
when in use; Fig. 3, a plan of same with the upper portion removed to
shew the machinery for raising the platform; and Fig. 4, a side elevation
as the machine would appear when closed and ready to be moved from
place to place. Similar letters of reference are placed upon and denote
similar parts where such parts appear or may be seen at each of these
Figures respectively.
A indicates the main frame or carriage supporting the entire arrange-
ment and carried by the wheels B, B, and leading wheel C, this latter
being connected to a revolving turntable C which may be tipped up
(see Fig. 1) when the fire-escape is in action so as to relieve the wheel C
and bring the weight of the machine on to the feet or standards D,
thereby giving great rigidity to the whole, and which is brought back
again to its horizontal position (see Fig. 4) and there secured by the
double catch bar C when the wheel C is required for moving the fire-escape
to another position; E, E, are screw jacks passing up and through the
blocks E', E', attached to two sliding bars E, E2, which can be moved
in and out of recessed box E³ at pleasure; F, F, are two eye bolts con-
necting the platform H with the frame A by the chains G, G, which may
pass over and wind on pulleys carried by the platform, or the eye bolts
may be on the platform and the winding pulleys on the frame A; I are
a series of lazy-tong levers for lifting and lowering the platform H; they

page_text: may be of any desired number and be made of double T iron, of wood,
or of hollow or solid metal of any section which may be found suitable.
The levers I are broken off at the line A, B, there not being sufficient
space on the Sheet of Drawing to shew the entire series of levers when
raised to lift the platform, and this also applies to the chains G, G, and
those G', G', which are secured and wound at their lower ends on the
drums or pulleys J, J, actuated by the ratchet wheels and pawls K, K,
(see Fig. 2). I. is a spur wheel gearing with the pinion M set in motion
by the crank handle N and turning the shaft or windlass O, around the
centre of which passes the rope or chain a; I', shaft to which the front
levers I are attached, and which is supported by the flanged wheels or
rollers Q on the rails R; p are pulleys carried by the shaft P and over
which passes the endless cord or chain a, placing the shafts P and O in
communication; S is a paw! on the shaft P, which pawl falling into the
rack T combines with the pawl 6 of the toothed gearing of shaft O and
the block d in fixing the platform at any desired height; U, drum head
to be turned by handspikes as an auxiliary to the crank handle N when
the platform H carries a heavy load; V, starting point of the carriage
pole by which the fire-escape is to be drawn along the road; X, fixed
point of the series of levers; e, e, friction rollers at top ends of levers
at f, f, one fixed, the other traversing; g, cord or chain passing
over roller h, and by which the sliding platform H' is drawn inward;
i, chain or rope for hauling platform H' outward.
The action of this fire-escape is as follows:-When arrived at the
required point (being drawn thither by horses or by any other available
power) the catch bar C is unlocked, the turntable C' tipped up, and the
weight of the forepart of the carriage brought upon the standards D.
While this is being done the crank handle N is turned, the shaft or
windlass O revolves, and the chain a winding upon it draws the shaft P
along the rails R, R, closer to the point X (where the opposite levers are
held fixed by their lower ends), the levers elongate vertically, and the
platform H rises to the desired height. Should it be impossible to bring
the side of the escape close to the building on fire it will be backed
towards it, and when the platform H is raised and secured at the proper
height of window or parapet, for example, the sliding part H' is projected
on to it by pulling the cord i, and the intervening space is thus bridged
When it is desired to lower the platform the block d is removed,
the pawl S lifted from the rack T, and the pawl 6 thrown out of gear
over.

page_text: with the ratchet wheel c, the lazy-tongs I are then free to fold upon each
other under the weight of the platform and its load, the ends I' pushing
the shaft P along the rails R, and the chain a unwinding from the
windlass O, no longer fixed by the pawl b.
The red lines at Fig. 1 shew a modification of the lifting arrangement,
the ends of the levers I being no longer carried on the shaft P but on
the same shaft as the fore wheels with which the carriage is in this case
supplied (shewn in red), the fixed point of the levers being also shifted
from X on to the shaft carrying the hind wheels B of the carriage. In
this case the windlass is carried by the after axle, and the cord or chain a
passes thence over pulleys on the fore axle, so that when the chain winds
up the fore and hind wheels of the carriage are drawn towards each
other and secured in this position by pins passed into one or other of the
perforations of the horizontal bars supported on the fore and hind
wheels, as shewn in red. The chain or cord which projects the sliding
platform or bridge on to the building may pass over a V wheel placed
under the fore part of the sliding carriage and pass to and be worked
from the lower part of the machine.
Sheet II. represents an application of my improved mechanical
arrangements to form an apparatus for raising or lowering casks into
the beer cellars of public houses, and doing away with the objectionable
mode of drawing them up by hand or horse power to the very great
inconvenience of persons passing along the pavement, also for lifting
and lowering in warehouses generally. Fig. 1 being a side elevation of
an apparatus specially constructed for such purpose, and Fig. 2 a plan of
same with the upper portion disconnected. Similar letters of reference
being placed upon and denoting similar parts in each of the Figures.
A, frame resting on two cross bars B, B, and four feet or standards
C, C, C, C; D, series of lazy-tong levers E, E', connected at the lower
ends EE, to frame A and shafts F and H respectively, the shaft H
being carried by the wheels or rollers I travelling upon the rails J, J;
G, break acting on pinion Q to check descent of platform; K is a fork-
ended crank fitted with a friction pulley K', by means of which the
levers are drawn towards the centre of the machine by the aid of the
rope or chain L passing around pulley K' under frame A and connected
thereto by means of a cross bar M, the other end of the rope or chain L
being wound upon drum N; O, is a crank handle fixed on end of shaft P
and driving pinion Q, which gearing with spur wheel R on shaft S actuates

page_text: spur wheels T and T thereby revolving coiling drum N; U, platform sup-
ported on and raised by the levers E, E'; this platform may be placed
at any angle as it pivots at X (see dotted lines, Fig. 1, Sheet II). The
handle O being turned in one direction the cord or chain winding on the
drum N draws the shaft H carrying the ends of the levers E³ towards
the centre of the machine, the levers rise and lift the platform with its
load; on releasing the crank O and throwing the pawl out of gear
with the driving pinon the chain L unwinds under the weight of
the platform and its load or of the platform alone, and the levers
descend to a horizontal position. The windlass of this lift may if desired
be, worked by band and pulley from a driving shaft in any part of the
building if employed in a factory where steam or other power is available
for such purpose.
I make a very light lift to be moved from place to
place and used in lieu of a fixed scaffolding where small repairs are
needed, or to clean walls and ceilings. In this lift the carriage is a
simple oblong frame carried on four small wheels, the lowermost levers
of one side fixed at one end of the framing, and those of the opposite
side carried by a shaft resting on double flanged wheels running in slots
formed on each of the longitudinal sides of the frame. The cord or
chain by which the running shaft is drawn nearer to the fixed point or
fulcrum of the levers is attached to one of the ends of framing, passes
thence to and over a pulley on the running shaft, and is attached to a
windlass supported on the longitudinal sides of the frame, and on turning
this windlass by, crank handle, by handspike, or otherwise the chain
winds upon it, the moveable shaft carries the moveable ends of the
levers nearer to the fixed ends, and the platform rises as in the machines
previously described, being kept raised by pawl and rack and block,
similar to those indicated at S, T, and d of Fig. 1, Sheet I., of the annexed
Drawing, and is provided with steadying chains or cords like those G, G,
G', G', same Figure.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I would have it distinctly under-
stood that I do not claim the exclusive use of lazy-tong levers for raising
and lowering weights, neither do I limit myself to the use of any par
ticular material in the construction of my improved machines, and the
lazy-tong levers may be of ordinary angle iron or other metal, or of wood,
and together with their spindles be solid or hollow, as I may find most
expedient; neither do I confine myself to the use of any precise number

page_text: of superposed levers, nor to the number I may place upon the same
spindles, or whether those on the same spindles be further connected by
tie bars or not. I also reserve to myself the right of using any suitable
gearing for working the chain or rope and windlass, and any description
of brake to arrest the descent of the platform, also any mechanical
device by which the speed may be regulated in lowering it. It will
also be evident that I may vary the various fastenings I have shewn and
make other modifications of my lifting and lowering apparatus without
substantial departure from the principle of construction, which I declare
to be and I claim,-
The use of a rope or chain and windlass, drum, or pulleys for elongating
a series of lazy-tong levers and elevating a platform, substantially as
and for the purposes herein set forth.
I also claim tlie exclusive use of the entire combination and arrangement
of mechanical parts forming my improved fire escape and lifting
machines, substantially as herein described and illustrated on the
accompanying Sheets of Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Gerard, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Second day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
JOHN GERARD. (L.S.)