Improvements in Apparatus for Gaining Access to the Exterior and Windows of and Escape from Buildings.
Year: 1899

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Gaining Access to the Exterior and
Windows of and Escape from Buildings.
We, ROBERT WATSON (Machinist) and CILARLES EDWARD STEVENSON (Merchant),
both of Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to apparatus for gaining access to, and escape from,
buildings but which is adapted more especially as a fire-escape it being a fire-
escape of that class in which a trolley rail is fixed and supported near the top of
a building in horizontal position and is arranged to co-operate with a trolley
hung thereupon and carrying a basket, a line of hose, or other receptacle which
may be raised and lowered and shifted sideways on the trolley rails to come in
front of any window
Our invention consists chiefly in a detachable section for said trolley rail which
may be raised and lowered and adjusted to alignment with one or more fixed
trolley rails arranged at different levels, said adjustable section being provided
with a special brake mechanism and means for raising and lowering it and regu-
lating its ascent or descent either from below, or by a person carried thereon, the
said detachable section of trolley rail and its attached and co-operating parts
being a part of the paraphernalia of the fire department and being carried on a
wagon to the scene of action, in case of fire We will first describe the general
plan of our apparatus and explain its detailed construction and operation after-
wards
The trolley rails which are about half an inch thick and three inches wide, are
firmly secured to the buildings to be protected in élevated position near the cor-
ner or top and are set with their width in a vertical plane and securely and per-
manently secured to the building by means of off-setting brackets. In addition
to the fixed rails we employ a detachable rail which is raised by means of an
elevator bar from the ground to alignment with the fixed trolley rails which,
in the case of adjoining buildings of different heights, would be at different levels
and in some cases would extend around the sides of the building, the said detach-
able rail permitting of a basket suspended from a trolley being raised from the
ground and transferred to one of the fixed rails to be brought into position oppo-
site any of the windows of the building.
The means by which the detachable section and basket with its trolley are
aised to the level of the fixed trolley tracks we will refer to hereafter as the
climbing devices, the said devices with the detachable section and the basket and
trolley being designed to be within the control of the fire department, kept at a
station, and brought to the scene of the fire, and there made to co-operate with
the fixed trolley rails. The climbing devices with the detachable rail section
and the basket, with trolley are to be transported upon a specially arranged

page_text: wagon which also carries windlasses for raising and lowering the climbing
devices and the basket. For raising and lowering the basket, two windlass drums
and a brake are used in connection with ropes or wire cables which are wound
upon the windlasses below and pass over a sheave in the trolley above. For
operating the elevating mechanism a rope or wire cable is employed whose lower
ends are wound upon separate windlass drums that are transported upon the
wagon by having their base slide into undercut guideways on the wagon but
which, when in use, are preferably removed from the wagon and are placed nearer
the building The elevator har is fixed to the building by brackets in a vertical
position and extend from a point near the ground to a position above the roof,
being for this purpose preferably carried straight up through an opening in the
cornice This elevator bar 19 perforated with a row of sprocket holes or cogs
forming tooth-seats to be engaged by a sprocket wheel on the climbing devices
which sprocket wheel when turned causes the entire apparatus with the trolley
rail section and the basket and trolley to climb up or down said elevator rod A
curved cover, constructed somewhat in the shape of an inverted gutter, extends
over and along all the trolley rails for the purpose of housing and protecting
the same.
We will now describe the climbing devices by which the detachable section of
the trolley track is raised and lowered on the elevator bar. The sprocket wheel
whose teeth engage with the holes in the elevator bar is keyed to a shaft which is
journalled in a frame and has on its opposite ends a gear wheel with an internal
er meshing with a pinion on another shaft parallel to the first and just below
it and which shaft has rigidly fixed to its other end a combined operating and
brake wheel. When this brake wheel is rotated the sprocket is turned and it is
made to rise on the elevator bar with its attached parts To turn this operating
wheel we provide mechanism by which it may be effected from the street below,
or from a person on the climbing device, and at the same time provide an auto-
matic regulating brake For operation from below, the wheel has a grooved
periphery and around it is wrapped the cable one end of which passes around
one drum and the other end around the other drum of the elevating windlass.
By winding up one of these windlasses and allowing the other to unwind, the cable
is moved in one direction and the apparatus is raised and by moving the drums
in the opposite direction the apparatus is lowered. To guide the cable as it passes
along up the building, beside the elevator bar we provide a detachable cable guide
consisting of a tubular plate having a T-shaped channel through it of the size to
admit the elevator bar through it and having on one edge a crank screw and in
front a locking bolt which passes into a hole in the plate and through one of
the holes in the elevator bar by which means it is tightly but detachably fastened
to the lower end of said bar. At one side of the plate there are two sheaves to
receive the two runs of the cable and these sheaves have a housing that is hinged
to the axis of the sheaves and at its other end is forked and adapted to receive
an articulated screw stem and a butterfly nut by which it is clamped down in posi-
tion and vet may be released and thrown back at will to permit the cable to he
inserted or removed. The object of this cable guide is to prevent the cable from
being entangled in electric light, telephone, or telegraph, wires and to bring the
cable down straight and allow it to then extend out horizontally to the windlass
on the wagon and to allow also the cable to be placed laterally within its guides.
As the cable passes from the guide below to the wheel above it operates an auto-
matic brake consisting of a strap which encompasses the grooved wheel and has
its opposite ends secured to a lever. one end of said strap being jointed and the
other end being connected through a screw stem provided with adjusting nuts
by which the tension of the strap may be tightened when necessary The lever
18 fulcrumed at a point between the two connections of the strap and when this
lever is moved in one duection it loosens the grip of the strap on the wheel and
when moved in the opposite direction it constricts or tightens sand strap on
the wheel. The outer end of the lever is connected by a link to an elbow lever

page_text: fulcrumed in slotted projections from the main frame and having at its lower end
a bifurcated foot or stirrup with two seats for the trunnion-like projections of a
block which presses upwardly against a spiral sping on a swinging stem pivoted
at its upper end to the main frame and having a screw-threaded portion engaged
by a nut which forms the upper bearing for said spring. By adjusting the nut the
tension of the sping may be varied and by shuting the trunnions of the block
from one to the other of the seats the leverage of the pressure of said spring on
the lever may be vaned. The tendency of the spring is to throw one end of the
lever down and the other end connecting with the stiap lever up, which latter
movement tightens the strap around the brake wheel To release the strap con-
temporaneously with the rotation of the said wheel by the cable, both runs of
said cable are passed in the form of loops around pulleys in a T-shaped head of
the elbow lever and thence around fixed pulleys in a stationary head attached to
the lower end of the main fiame Now when there is no tension on the cable
it will be seen that the spiral sping secures the constant and automatic applica-
tion of the brake strap. When, however, the combined brake and operating wheel
is to be turned to raise or lower the apparatus, as effected through the drums of the
windlass, as soon as tension is applied to the cable the first effect is to pull down
the pulleys in the T-head of the lever and by deflecting the latter against its
spring so turns the small strap lever as to relax the strap and simultaneously
turn the wheel which operates the driving gear and raises or lowers the apparatus.
As soon, however, as the tension on the cable is relaxed either by design, or by
the accidental breaking or burning of the same, the brake is instantly and auto-
matically applied again through the spring. The outer band of this strap is of
metal and the inner lining of wood or rubber or any other material which is suit-
able to take the wear and may be removed and replaced when needed
From the foregoing description it will be seen that the entire apparatus may
be raised and lowered from below by the fireman. To raise and lower the appara-
tus by means of a person ascending thereon, we provide a seat with treadle
mechanism for rotating the wheel. The seat is mounted beside the wheel upon
a hanger bar detachably secured by slot and set screw to the trolley rail section.
Steady handles are provided for the hands and a double crank axle affords opera-
ting pedals for the feet This crank axle is hung in bearings in the two branches
at the lower end of the hanger and has on its end next to the wheel a rigid pinion
that meshes with an internal gear affixed to the side of the main operating and
brake wheel so that when the crank axle is rotated by the feel of a person occupy-
ing the seat the wheel is rotated and the apparatus is made to climb up the
elevator bars as before described To control the movement the operator in the
seat is provided with a strap brake close at hand, consisting of a hand lever a
strap and a grooved wheel fixed to the crank axle This hand lever is made to
apply or remove the strap brake and is itself locked to its adjustment by an
ordinary detent and curved ratchet bar To guide the main frame on the elevator
bar as it rises and falls thereon, and to reduce fiction, 1ollers are arranged on the
face and side edges of the frame and are made to bear against the bar as they
travel up and down thereon.
When the apparatus has been raised by the firemen from below so that the
detachable trolley rail section is on a level with one of the fixed rails, it will be
seen that it will be very difficult to ascertain through the smoke, noise, and con-
fusion, and the distance of the rails from the ground, just when the movable rail
section is in exact alignment with the stationary rails and it is obvious that if
said section were not in exact alignment and it were attempted to run off the
trolley and the suspended basket from the section on which it was hoisted, while
rails were not in alignment, the trolley would get hung or might run off alto-
gether and cause the basket to be precipitated to the ground. To prevent this,
we have devised a set of signals which automatically indicate such exact align-
ment One of these signals is a bell and the other is a cartridge-exploding
device which latter when the noise is very great, or the building very high,

page_text: would come into requisition when the bell might not be heard from below. On
the top of the movable section of the trolley ail there is mounted a metal frame
bearing a gong bell and a revolving cartridge cylinder Beside the bell is a
hammer which is pressed towards the bell by a spiral sping and rests normally
against a stop pin. There is provided an operating rod bearing one or more lugs
which when moved in one direction causes its lugs to bear against a pin and
deflect the hammer and upon passing the same allows the hammer to Hy back
from its spring and strike the bell. The operating rod is strained in the opposite
direction to its striking movement by a spiral spring. For effecting the striking
.movement of the 1od there is duplicated at each end of the same a similar device
one or the other of which comes into play depending upon whether the apparatus
is to co-operate with a trolley rail on the left of it, or one on the right of it, the
position of which varies with different buildings. This device consists of an
elbow lever one arm of which is jointed to the signal operating rod and the other
.arm of which is operated upon by a tappet lever. The fulcrum of the elbow lever
is a stud mounted in a slotted head adjustably by means of set screws. The tappet
lever is fulcrumed upon a stud projecting laterally from the frame, and has at one
end a stud or pin, adapted to beai against one arm of the elbow level when deflected
and after passing the same allow the elbow lever and operating rod to fly back
from the action of the sping. To cause this tappet lever to be thus deflected it pro-
jects outwardly from the climbing apparatus and is made to come in contact with
a rigid arm fixed to the side of the building just above the trolley rail so that the
tappet lever comes in contact with the same and causes the signal to be sounded
Just at the instant that the movable rail section reaches a position exactly in
alignment with the stationary rail section on the building, the rigid aim being
so placed in the building as to permit this to take place at the night time
the advance movement of the operating rod has carried the lugs past the pm of
the bell hammer the lugs on the backward movement must get past the pin
again and for this purpose the pin is carried in an articulated piece of the hammer
and is also connected to the end of a curved sping that allows the piece with the
pin to yield in backward duection as the lugs return.
After
At each end of the movable trolley rail section there is a stop to prevent the
suspended trolley carried up on the rail from accidentally running off. This
stop is simply a forked slide mounted to reciprocate vertically on the fiame. At
the time of alignment of the detachable trolley rail section with those on the
building the tappet levers bear against pins on these stops and lift them out of
the way so that the trolley can be run off one section on to another.
We will now describe the cartridge-exploding signal which is operated at the
same time with and through the bell operating device. The right hand one of
the elbow levers is made with two sets of arms, or four altogether, two of them
corresponding to the elbow lever on the other side and two additional ones which
are made to operate the cartridge-exploding device. One of these is connected
through an adjustable link bar with a swinging arm hung about the axis of the
cylinder and having a pawl that engages notches in the periphery of the cylinder
and gives it a step-by-step revolution corresponding to the action of a revolver,
to bung a fresh chamber into range of the exploding hammer. The other arm
15 jointed to an adjustable rod which at its lower end is jointed to an arm pivoted
at one end to a stud on the frame work and canying a hammer that is strained
upwardly towards the cylinder by a spiral spring on the axial stud. A trigger is
also pivoted to the latter arm and one end of it is arranged to engage a notch on
the hammer and draw back the hammer with the aim whenever the arm is
deflected downwardly. When however the am descends far enough to bong the
trigger in contact with a stationary projection on the framework below the trigger
is deflected by contact therewith, its tooth or dog is thrown out of the hammer
notch and the hammer responding to the influence of its spring, advances to, and
strikes against, a firing pin in a guide at the bottom part of the cylinder which
firing pin being in line with the cartridge explodes the same.

page_text: In order to ensure the ascent of the climbing apparatus it is necessary at times
during the winter season to clear the elevator bar of adhering ice. For this
purpose there is detachably fastened to the apparatus at the top an ice cutter.
This consists of a metal frame having a channel through the same laige enough
to receive the elevator bar and having a slot or opening at the middle of its back
part opening into the channel to allow passage over the supporting brackets of
the elevator bar. On each side of the channel in the frame there is arranged on
suitable axes, double disc-shaped cutters The two discs of each pan hug closely
to opposite sides of the elevator bar and cut the ice off of the front and back
sides of the same while a curved chisel or plough bit fixed between the two discs
of each cutter plane the ice off the edges of said bai. This ice cutter has at its
lower four corners perforated lugs and two bolts or pins which when passed
through the perforated lugs and also through corresponding lugs on the top of the
main frame of the apparatus connect the ice cutter to the latter so that as said
apparatus rises the ice cutter clears the elevator bar of all adhering ice and leaves
the bar clean for the apparatus to climb thereon.
With reference to the principal feature of our invention we would state that
the combined brake and operating wheel with cable is the most important. This
is not only capable of use independently of the signal devices above it, but it
may be used for climbing tall chimneys, steeples, etc., and all analogous uses, its
peculiar construction and arrangement causing it to be effectively operated in
In con-
either dection by the rope with a perfect and automatic brake action
nection with our apparatus as thus described any number of trolleys may be used,
one for the basket and one or more others for raising lines of hose, etc.. to the
top of the trolley We may also use a trolley to support a flexible ladder which
is wound upon a drum and is to be carried on the fireman's wagon with the other
apparatus. The cable winding drums are rotated by a shaft and cranks. They
may be forced together so that their corrugated fiction faces come together and
rotate as one or they may be loosened to rotate independently. To loosen them,
the nuts are screwed back on the threaded portion of the shaft and a swivelling
collar with rollers is drawn back over a spline and the tollers playing in a box
1igid with the drum pulls the latter away from the drum.
11
of 1900
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
hartered Patent Agents, 53, Chancery Lane, London
Improvements in Apparatus for Gaining Access to the Exterior and
Windows of and Escape from Buildings.
We, ROBERT WATSON (Machinist) and CHARLES EDWARD STEVENSON (Merchant),
both of Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada, 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
Our invention relates to fire escapes of that class in which a trolley rail is
fixed and supported near the top of a building in horizontal position and is
arranged to co-operate with a trolley hung thereupon and carving a basket a
ne of hose or other receptacle which may be raised and lowered and shifted
sidewise on the trolley rails to come in front of any window.
Our invention consists chiefly in a detachable section for said trolley rail, which
may be raised and lowered and adjusted to alignment with one or more fixed

page_text: trolley rails arranged at different levels, said adjustable section being provided
with a special biake mechanism and means for raising and lowering it and
regulating its ascent or descent either from below, or by a person carried thereon,
the said detachable section of trolley rail and its attached and co-operating parts
being a part of the paraphernalia of the fire department, and being carried on
a wagon to the scene of action in case of fire.
Our invention consists in many other details of construction and combination
of parts which will be first fully described with reference to the drawings and
then pointed out in the claims
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus applied to a building and in
position for working.
Figure 2 is an enlarged front view of the portable climbing or elevating
apparatus.
Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same on line 3-3 of Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a side view partly in section looking in the direction of the arrow
in Figure 2.
Figure 5 is a sectional view on line 5-5 of Figure 2 looking in the same
direction as Figure 4.
Figure 6 is a sectional detail of the ice cutter on the upper part of the climbing
apparatus.
Figure 7 is a cross section on line 7-7 of Figure 6.
Fi
Figure 8 is a cross section through the periphery of the brake wheel.
Figure 9 is a cross section on line 9-9 of Figure 2 showing the cable guide.
Figure 10 is a detail in perspective of a part of the brake mechanism.
Figure 11 is an end view of the roller bearings of the double drum windlass.
Figure 12 is a longitudinal section of said double drum windlass
Figure 13 is a perspective view of the signalling devices at the top of the
climbing apparatus.
Referring to Figure 1 which shows a perspective view of our fire escape applied
to adjoining buildings of different height, with the portable apparatus of the fire
department connected for use, we will first describe the general plan of our appara-
tus and explain its detailed construction and operation afterwards
In the drawings, T, TI, T3 represent metal bar sections of trolley tails about
inch thick, and three inches wide These are firmly secured to the buildings to be
protected in elevated position near the corner or top These ails are set with
then width in a vertical plane, and are securely and permanently secured to the
building by means of off-setting brackets t. The rail T is adjusted to a two
story building, the rail T2 to a three story building, and T shows how it may be
extended around a corner.
Cis an elevator bar by which a detachable section of trolley rail T is raised
from the ground to alignment with the trolley rail T, or T', or T2, and by which
a basket B suspended from a trolley 6 may be elevated from the ground on said
section and then slid off from the detachable rail section T on to the fixed
trolley rails TT T2 and brought to position before anyone of the windows.
The means by which the detachable section T3 and basket B with its trolley b
are raised to the level of the fixed trolley tracks we have designated in Figures 1
and 2 by the letter A and will refer to hereafter as the climbing devices. On
account of the small scale in Figure 1 st will not be practical to describe the
detail construction in this figure, but its special construction and operation will
be described in connection with enlarged detail views hereafter. It will suffice to
say with reference to Figure 1. that the apparatus A. with rail section T3 and the
basket B, and trolley b, are designed to be within the control of the fire depart-
ment, kept at a station, and brought to the scene of the fire, and there made to
co-operate with the trolley rails TTT which are permanently fixed on all
buildings which are to be protected by our system. The apparatus A with rail sec-
tion T3, and the basket with trolley are to be transported upon a specially
arranged wagon W which also carries windlasses for raising and lowering the

page_text: apparatus A and the basket B. For raising and lowering the basket B two wind-
lass drums WW2 with brake W3 are used in connection with ropes or wire
cables which are wound upon the windlasses WW below and pass over a
sheave in the trolley b above. For operating the elevating mechanism A a rope
or wire cable a is employed whose lower ends are wound upon separate windlass
drums XX that are transported upon the wagon by having their base slide into
undercut guideways a' al on the wagon but which, when in use, are preferably
removed from the wagon and are placed nearer the building.
The elevator bar C is a permanent fixture against the building, being fixed
thereto by brackets t¹ in a vertical position and extending from a point near the
ground to a position above the roof, being for this purpose preferably carried
straight up through an opening in the cornice. This elevator bar is perforated
with a row of sprocket holes or cogs forming tooth-seats to be engaged by a
sprocket wheel on the apparatus A which sprocket wheel when turned causes the
entire apparatus A with the trolley al section and the basket and trolley to
climb up or down said elevator rod
Tis a curved cover constructed somewhat in the shape of an inverted gutter
which extends over and along all the trolley rails T T T for the purpose of housing
and protecting the same against accumulation of ice and snow which would, if
allowed to accumulate along the upper edge of these tails, prevent the basket
trolley from moving along the same
We will now proceed to describe the climbing apparatus A by which the detach-
able section T3 of the trolley track is raised and lowered on the elevator bar C
refering more especially to Figures 2, 3, 4, 5, 10. This elevator bar, it will
be remembered, is perforated with a longitudinal row of holes and these holes
receive the teeth of a sprocket wheel A (Figures 2 and 3) on a shaft A Journalled
in a main frame D This shaft A2 has on its opposite end a gear wheel A³ with
an internal gear meshing with a pinion A on another shaft A parallel to A2 and
Just below it, and which shaft has rigidly fixed to its other end a combined
operating and brake wheel A, Figures 2 and 4. When this wheel A is rotated
the sprocket A' is turned and it is made to rise on the elevator bar C with its
attached parts as shown in dotted lines Figure 1. To tuin this operating wheel A
we provide mechanism by which it may be effected from the street below, or from
a person on the apparatus A, and at the same time provide an automatic regula-
ting brake.
For operation from below the wheel A6 has a grooved periphery (Figures & and
5) and around it is wrapped the cable a, one end of which goes to the drum X
and the other end to the drum X' of the clevating windlass as in Figure By
winding up one of these windlasses and allowing the other to unwind the cable a
is moved in one direction, and the apparatus A is raised, and by moving the drums
in the opposite direction the apparatus A is lowered.
To guide the cable as it passes along up the building beside the elevator bar C
we provide a detachable cable guide C, Figures 2 and 9. This consists of a tubu-
lar plate having a T-shaped channel through it of the size to admit the elevator
bar C through it and having on one edge a crank screw C, and in front a locking
bolt C³ which passes into a hole in the plate and through one of the holes in the
elevator bar, by which means it is tightly but detachably fastened to the lower
end of said bar. At one side of the plate there are two sheaves CC to receive
the two runs of the cable, and these sheaves have a housing C that is hinged to
the axis of the sheaves and at its other end is forked and adapted to receive an
articulated screw stem C7 and a butterfly nut CS by which it is clamped down in
position and yet may be released and thrown back at will as in dotted lines
Figure 9 to permit the cable to be inserted or removed. The object of this cable
guide is to prevent the cable from being entangled in electric light, telephone,
or telegraph wires, and to bring the cable down straight and allow it to then
extend out horizontally to the windlass on the wagon and to allow also the cable
to be placed laterally within its guides.

page_text: As the cable a passes from the guide below to the wheel AC above, it operates
an automatic brake which constitutes an important feature of our invention, and
which we describe as follows, referring to Figures 2, 4, 5, and 10.
A is a strap encompassing the grooved wheel A
The outer band of this strap
is of metal and the inner lining is of wood or rubber (see Figure 8) or any other
material which is suitable to take the wear, and may be removed and replaced
when needed,
The
The opposite ends of the brake strap A are secured (see Figures 5 and 10) to a
lever a², one end of said strap being jointed at a³, and the other end being con-
nected through a screw stem at which has adjusting nuts by which the tension
of the strap may be tightened when necessary The lever is fulcrumed at a
point between the two connections of the strap, and when this lever is moved in
one direction, it loosens the grip of the strap on the wheel Aº, and when moved
in the opposite direction, it constricts or tightens said strap on the wheel
outer end of the lever a² is connected by a link a to an elbow lever A8 (Figures 2
and 10) fulcrumed in slotted projections from the main frame D and having at its
lower end a bifurcated foot or stirrup with two seats for the trunnion
like projections a' of a block as which presses upwardly against a spiral spring a
on a swinging stem ao pivoted at its upper end to the main frame 1) and having
a screw threaded portion engaged by a nut a" which forms the upper bearing for
said spring. By adjusting the nut the tension of the spring may be varied, and
by shifting the trunnions a' of block as from one to the other of the seats as the
leverage of the pressure of said spring on the lever A8 may be varied. The ten-
dency of the spring is to throw the right hand end (Figure 2) of lever A8 down
and the end (Figure 5) connecting with strap lever up, which latter movement
tightens the strap around the brake wheel. To release the strap contempor-
aneously with the rotation of said wheel by the cable a, both runs of said cable
are passed in the form of loops around pulleys A in a T-shaped head A¹º
(Figure 10) of the elbow lever A8, and thence pass around fixed pulleys All All
(Figure 4) in a stationary head attached to the lower end of the main frame D.
Now when there is no tension on the cable it will be seen that the spiral spring
secures the constant and automatic application of the brake strap When, how-
ever, the combined brake and operating wheel is to be turned to raise or lower
the apparatus A, as effected through the drums XX' of the windlass, as soon as
tension is applied to the cable a, the first effect is to pull down the pulleys A", A"
(Figures 4 and 10) in the T-head of lever A8, and by deflecting the latter against
its spring so turn the small strap lever a³ (see arrows in Figure 10) as to relax
the strap and simultaneously turn the wheel, which operates the driving gear, and
raises or lowers the apparatus A. As soon however, as the tension on the cable
is relaxed either by design, or by the accidental breaking or burning of the same,
the brake is instantly and automatically applied again through the spring
From the foregoing description it will be seen that the entire apparatus A may
be raised and lowered from below by the firemen To raise and lower the appara-
tus A by means of a person ascending thereon, we provide (see Figures 2, 4, 5) a
seat E with treadle mechanism for rotating wheel A. The seat is mounted
beside wheel A6 upon a hanger bar E¹ (Figures 2 and 4) detachably secured by
slot and set screw to the trolley rail section T Steady handles E2, E2 are pro-
vided for the hands, and a double-crank axle E affords operating pedals for the
feet
This crank axle is hung in bearings in the two branches at the lower end
of the hanger and has on its end next to wheel A6 a rigid pinion E (Figure 5)
that meshes with an internal gear E affixed to the side of the main operating
and brake wheel A. so that when the crank axle is rotated by the feet of a
person occupying the seat E the wheel A is rotated and the apparatus A is made
to climb up the elevator bars C as before described. To control the movement the
operator in seat E is provided with a strap brake close at hand, consisting of a
hand lever E, a strap F7, and a grooved wheel Es fixed to the crank axle. This

page_text: hand lever is made to apply or remove the strap brake and is itself locked to its
adjustment by an ordinary detent and curved ratchet bar.
To guide the main frame 1) on the elevator bar C as it rises and falls thereon,
and to reduce friction, rollers 1)¹I₁ (Figures 3 and 6) are arranged on the face and
side edges of the frame D, and are made to bear against the bar as they travel
up and down thereon
When the apparatus A has been raised by the firemen from below so that the
trolley rail section T3 is on a level with one of the fixed rails T, T1, T2 (see
Figure 1) it will be seen that it will be very difficult to ascertain through the
smoke, noise and confusion, and the distance of the rails T, T1, T2 from the ground,
just when the movable ail section T is on exact alignment with the stationary
ails, and it is obvious that if said section T were not in exact alignment, and it
were attempted to run off the trolley b and the suspended basket from the sec-
tion T on which it was hoisted, while the rails were not in alignment, the trolley
would get hung or might run off altogether and cause the basket to be precipi-
tated to the ground. To prevent this we have devised a set of signals which auto-
matically indicate such exact alignment. One of these signals is a bell, and the
other is a cartridge exploding device which latter when the noise is very great
or the building very high would come into requisition when the bell might not
be heard from below. We will now describe this feature of our apparatus.
On the top of the movable section T of the trolley rail (Figures 2 and 13) there
is mounted a metal frame F bearing a gong bell F, and a revolving cartridge
cylinder F2 similar to that found in a pistol. Beside the bell is a hammer f
which is pressed toward the bell by a spiral spring f¹, and rests normally against
a stop pin. F³ is an operating rod bearing one or more lugs f3 which, when
moved in one direction, causes its lugs f³ to bear against a pin and deflect the
hammer and upon passing the same allows the hammer to Hy back from its
spring and strike the bell The operating rod F3 is strained in the opposite direc-
tion to its striking movement by a spinal spring F. For effecting.
the striking movement of the rod F there is duplicated at each end of the
same a similar device, one or the other of which comes into play, depending upon
whether the apparatus is to co-operate with a trolley rail on the left of it, or one
on the night of it, the position of which varies with different buildings As these.
devices have the same construction and mode of operation it will be sufficient to
describe one of them F (Figures 2 and 13) is an elbow lever one arm of which.
is jointed to the signal operating rod, and the other arm of which is operated upon
by a tappet lever ". The fulcrum of the elbow lever is a stud mounted in a
slotted head F adjustably by means of set screws. The tappet lever F is ful-
crumed upon a stud projecting laterally from the frame F. This tappet lever has,
at one end a stud or pin (Figure 2) that is adapted to bear against one aim of
the elbow lever when deflected and after passing the same allows the elbow
lever and operating rod to fly back from the action of sping F. To cause
this tappet lever F to be thus deflected it projects outwardly from the apparatus A
and is made to come in contact with a rigid arm F8 (see Figures 1 and 2) fixed to
the side of the building just above the trolley rail, so that the tappet lever comes
in contact with the same and causes the signal to be sounded just at the instant
that the movable rail section T3 reaches a position exactly in alignment with the
stationary rail section on the building, the rigid arm Fs being so placed on the
building as to permit this to take place at the right time.
After the advance movement of the rod F3 has carried the lugs f³ past the
pin of the bell hammer, the lugs on the backward movement must get past
the pin again, and for this purpose the pin is carried in an articulated
piece of the hammer and is also connected to the end of a curved spring p
that allows the piece p' with pin 2 to yield in backward direction as the lugs f³
return.
At each end of the movable trolley rail section T³ there is a stop S to prevent
1
:

page_text: the suspended trolley carried up on the rail T3 from accidentally running off
This stop is simply a forked slide mounted to reciprocate vertically on the frame F.
At the time of alignment of trolley rail section T with those on the building the
tapet levers F bear against pins $ on these stops and lift them out of the way
so that the trolley can be run off T and on to T T 01 T2.
We will now descube the cartridge exploding signal which is operated at the
same time with and through the bell operating devices.
The right hand one of the elbow leveis F5 (Figures 2, and 13) is made with
two sets of arms, or four altogether, two of them corresponding to the elbow
lever on the other side, and two additional ones G, G which are made to
operate the cartridge exploding devices. G is connected though an adjustable
link bar G2 with a swinging arm G3 hung about the axis of the pistol cylinder F2,
and having a pawl g that engages notches in the periphery of the pistol cylinder
and gives it a step by step revolution corresponding to the action of a revolver,
to bring a fresh chamber into range of the exploding hammer. The arm G¹ is
jointed to an adjustable rod G which at its lower end is jointed to an arm G5
pivoted at one end to a stud on the frame work and carrying a hammer G, that
is strained upwardly toward the pistol cylinder by a spiral spring G on the axial
stud. A trigger G8 is also pivoted to the arm and one end of it is arranged
to engage a notch g on the hammer and draw back the hammer with the aim
whenever the aim G is deflected downwardly. When, however, the arm G
descends far enough to bring the trigger G8 in contact with a stationary pio-
jection on the framework below, the trigger is deflected by contact therewith,
its tooth or dog is thrown out of the hammer notch, and the hammer responding
to the influence of its sping, advances to and stikes against a firing pin in a
guide at the bottom part of the cylinder which firing pin being in line with the
cartridge explodes the same and sounds a signal which is sufficiently loud and
distinct to be heard above the uproar and confusion of the crowd and the noise
of the engines.
In order to insure the ascent of the apparatus A it is necessary at times during
the winter season to clear the elevator bar C of adhering ice For this purpose
there is detachably fastened to the apparatus A at the top an ice cutter, shown in
detail in Figures 4, 6, 7. This consists of a metal frame I having a channel
through the same large enough to receive the elevator bar and having a slot or
opening at the middle of its back part opening into the channel to allow passage
over the supporting brackets of the elevator bar. On each side of the channel
In the frame I there is arranged on suitable axes, double disk shaped cutters I', I'.
The two disks of each pair hug closely to opposite sides of the elevator bar Cand
cut the ice off of the front and back sides of the same, while a curved chisel or
plow bit fixed between the two disks of each cutter plane the ice off the edges
of said bar. This ice cutter has at its lower four corners perforated lugs
two bolts or pins which when passed through the perforated lugs and also
through corresponding lugs on the top of the main frame of apparatus A, con-
nect the ice cutter to the latter, so that as said apparatus rises the ice cutter clears
the elevator bar of all adhering ice and leaves the bar clean for the apparatus A
to climb thereon.
and
With reference to the principal feature of our invention we would state that
the combined brake and operating wheel with cable a is the most important.
This is not only capable of use independently of the signal devices above it, but
it may be used for climbing tall chimneys, steeples &c. and all analogous uses
its peculiar construction and arrangement causing it to be effectively operated in
either direction by the rope with a perfect and automatic brake action
In connection with our apparatus as thus described any number of trolleys b
may be used. one for the basket, and one or more others for raising lines of hose
&c. to the top of the trolley. We may also use a trolley 63 to support a flexible
ladder L which is wound upon a drum L¹ (Figure 1) and is to be carried on the
fireman's wagon with the other apparatus.

page_text: The basket B is preferably made of woven wire lined with fire proof material
such as asbestos board, and it also has preferably a cover made of the same material
to protect its occupants from the flames
Instead of making the elevator bar C with perforations to be engaged by a
sprocket wheel it is obvious that it may have lack teeth to engage a toothed gear
wheel.
The cable winding drums X X, shown in Figure 12, are rotated by a shaft
and cranks c¹¹. They may be forced together so that their corrugated friction
faces come together and rotate as one, or they may be loosened to rotate inde-
pendently. To loosen them, the nuts are screwed back on the threaded portion
of the shaft and a swivelling collar with rollers is drawn back over a
spline, and the rollers playing in a box rigid with drum X¹ pulls the
latter away from X.
Having now particularly described and ascertamed the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. A combined brake and gear operating mechanism, consisting of a set of
gears, a cable wheel connected with the same and provided with peripheral strap
brake normally held to the periphery with frictional contact, a cable surrounding
the said wheel between its periphery and the stiap brake, and two guide sheaves
or pulleys for the cable arianged in loops of the cable as it extends from each
side of the wheel, a movable device sustaining said sheaves and connected to the
strap brake, said device being arranged to release the brake and operate the cable
wheel with a positive movement in either direction substantially as and for the
purpose described.
2. The combination with a cable operated wheel a cable, and a strap brake
surrounding the same; of a pair of guide pulleys arranged in loops of the cable,
and a spring actuated device cariying said pulleys arranged to normally apply
the brakes from a tension of the spring and to release the brakes from a tension
on the cable in operating the wheel substantially as shown and described.
3. The combination with a cable operated wheel, a cable, and a stiap brake
surrounding the same: of a level connected to the ends of the stiap biake, a
second lever with T-head bearing cable pulleys connected to the first named lever,
and a spring acting upon the T-headed lever to apply the brakes substantially
as and for the purpose described.
4. The combination with a cable operated wheel, a cable, and a strap brake
surrounding the same; of a lever a jointed to the strap brake on opposite sides
of the fulcrum, the elbow lever 18 connected to lever a² and having a T-head
with pulleys A Aº, the stationary pulleys A" A", the spiral spring a", and the
swinging stem 10 substantially as and for the purpose described.
5. A climbing device for a fire escape or analogous purpose, comprising a fixed
upright elevator bar attached to the building and piovided with a continuous
row of tooth seats, a mam frame guided upon said bar and having a gear wheel
positively engaging the said tooth seats, a cable operated wheel for said gear,
and a cable extending from said wheel to the ground substantially as and for
the purpose described.
6A climbing device for a fire escape comprising a fixed upright elevator bar
attached to the building and provided with a continuous row of tooth seats, a
main frame guided upon said bar and having a gear wheel positively engaging
said tooth seats a cable operated wheel for said gear a cable extending therefrom
to the ground. and a cable guide attached to the lower end of the upright bar
substantially as and for the purpose described.
7. The combination with the upright elevator bar of a cable guide C₁ consist-
ing of a channeled plate slipping over said bar and provided with a set screw and
a locking bolt, and having upon one side two sheaves C³ C³, a hinged housing Co

page_text: for the same, and an articulated screw C and nut C3; to permit its lateral inser-
tion and removal of the cable substantially as and for the purpose described.
8. A fire escape comprising horizontal trolley rails, brackets for sustaining the
same fixed to the upper part of a building an upright elevator bar with tooth
seats therein and provided with a gear wheel engaging the tooth seats, means for
rotating said gear wheel, and a movable trolley rail section carried by said
climbing device and arranged to raise a trolley, and suspended attachments, to
the level of the fixed trolley rails, and when in alignment therewith to permit the
trolleys to be run off the movable trolley rail on to the fixed trolley rails substan-
tially as and for the purpose described.
9. A fire escape, comprising horizontal trolley rails fixed to the upper part of a
building, an upright elevator bar, a climbing device arranged thereon, a movable
trolley rail section carried by said climbing device and arranged to raise a trolley
to the level of the fixed trolley rails, and an automatic signalling device to deter-
mine when the movable trolley rail is in alignment with the fixed trolley rails
substantially as and for the purpose described.
10. The combination with the upright elevator bar with tooth seats and climb-
ing gears guided thereon of an internal gear E connected to the operating gears,
a hanger bearing operator's seat E, the crank axle E³ with pinion E engaging
gear E, and a suitable brake substantially as and for the purpose described.
11. The combination with the upright elevator bar and the climbing devices
thereon of an ice cutter for the elevator bar consisting of a plate or frame with
a T-shaped channel through it embracing the bar and giving passage to its sup-
porting brackets, and two pairs of sharp disk-cutteis arranged at opposite edges
and upon opposite sides of the bar, and chisel cutters or plow bits arranged
between each pair of disk cutters substantially as and for the purpose described
12. In combination with the fixed trolley rails on the building, the upright
elevator bar and climbing devices mounted thereon and carrying a movable trol-
ley rail, an audible signal device, a stationary arm or abutment on the building,
and a signal operating device adapted to strike the said stationary arm or abut-
ment on the building and be in turn made to sound the signal substantially as
and for the purpose described
13 In a fire escape of the kind described, the combination with the climbing
devices carrying the movable trolley rail, the stationary trolley rails, and a fixed
arm or abutment on the building of an automatic cartridge exploding device
mounted on the climbing devices and operating when the trolley rail sections are
in alignment substantially as and for the purpose described
14. A fire escape apparatus comprising horizontal trolley rails and a vertical
elevator bar permanently attached to the building a climbing device with port-
able trolley rail, a trolley with cable basket and windlass, a second windlass, with
cable for the climbing device, said climbing device, portable rail, trolley, basket,
and windlasses, being transported upon a wagon and adjusted to the fixed fire
escape sections of different buildings substantially as and for the purpose
described.
Dated this 2nd love of No1800
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
Chartered Patent Agents, 53, Chancery Lane, London.