Year: 1887

page_text: 1, ROBERT MORRELL of Summit in the county of Union and State of New Jersey,
one of 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 :-
The object of my invention is to combino a hand power force pump and its adjuncts'
and a ladder truck in one simple, efficient, light and inexpensive machine in a more
practical arrangement than as horetoforo made, also to combine the same and a hose
reel in one machine enabling all the requisite appliances for combating fires to be
available in one portable apparatus, for the convenience of small communities where
it is difficult to collect help for hauling more than one machine, and also difficult to
raise the money to buy the common fire apparatus, and I now proceed to describe my
invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a
side elevation of my improved fire engine with a section of the water tank, and Fig. 2
is a rear elevation and section of the water tank.
I make a four wheel truck consisting essentially of a light bed frame a, mounted
on the axle of the hind wheels 6 by the side springs e and on the front gear d by the
standards c, or it may be any approved equivalent device supporting said frame at a
suitable height for enabling the water tank and the force pumps g to be suspended
beneath the frame suitable for being carried and worked thereat to allow of the use
of the bed frame as a ladder truck on the upper surface of which, being thus adapted
for the purpose and unoccupied by any other part of the apparatus.
I arrange any approved system of racks, benches or other suitable holders h, on
which to carry a set of ladders i as usually carried on a ladder truck solely contrived
for the purpose; and in the space which the side spring arrangement affords between
the said springs e and below the frame on the hind axle I arrange the hose reel
where, in consequence of the said side spring arrangement and of the elevation of the
frame, there is ample room for it without interference of any of the other parts. The
reel consists of the tubular shaft or idrum j with the usual reel head k fitted to turn
freely on the truck axle.
The tank is suspended from the truck frame by suitable hangers 1 and stays m.
and the pumps g together with the air chamber n are also suspended from said frame
by suitable hangers o and are attached at the bottom to the bottom of the tank at p,

page_text: thus making a truss of substantial rigidity adapted to resist the thrust of the brake
levers by which the pumps are worked, said brakes being pivoted to the hanger
stand of the air chamber at s, by which their thrusts are delivered on both the truck
and the frame alike, but the pump may be supported wholly by the tank.
To prevent any rocking of the truck frame and tank on the springs, I have fitted
the vertically adjustable legs t to the tank by box cleats u and with binding screws w,
or it may be in any other approved arrangement enabling the legs to be set down on
the ground and made fast in that position for stays to resist the rocking. I arrange
the section pipe for the pumps with one end y terminating within the tank, and the
other end projecting out through one side to be used according as the water is to
be drawn from the tank or from outside by a hose, with a cap to close either end and
with the end adapted for connecting a hose when the water is to be received
that way.
For convenience in supplying the tank with water by buckets, while working the
brakes which interfere with access to the tank at the sides I arrange a spout under
the truck frame with one end extending from under the frame preferably at the front
beyond the range of the brakes where the water may be poured in with buckets
without interference of the brakes.
The essential object of the invention is the described contrivance of the force pump,
tank and other adjuncts thereof and the ladder truck in one practical machine, but it
is also important to include the hose reel also and whilst I prefer the arrangement
of the hose reel on the truck axle as here shown I may of course mount it above the
ladder by
a suitable supporting rack and still accomplish the contrivance of the
combination of all the three essential devices of fire apparatus in one machine, but
the elevation of the truck frame for the arrangement of the tank and the pumps
under it, enables me to locate the reel in the more convenient position on the axle.
The machine is provided with the usual draft rope 6' extended along the tongue c¹
and having the reel d¹ for rolling it up when not in use. The brakes e are pivoted to
the brake lever at f¹ suitable for folding upward for lodgment out of the way when
not in use.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. In a combined fire apparatus, the truck frame supported and constructed
substantially as described, with a ladder holder on the top of said truck frame, in
combination with a pump secured to the underside of the truck frame between the
front and rear axles and entirely out of the way of the ladder, as set forth.
2. In a combined fire apparatus, the truck frame constructed and mounted sub-
stantially as described, having a ladder holder on its top, in combination with a tank
secured to the under side of the truck frame, and a pump secured inside of said tank
beneath the top of the truck frame, said tank being provided with diagonal braces
which hold it rigidly to the truck frame, to prevent the bending of the truck frame
and ladders, and the wrenching of the pump as the engine its being operated,
as set forth.
3. In a combined fire apparatus, the truck frame, constructed with a ladder holder
and mounted substantially as described, in combination with a tank secured to the
under side of the truck frame below the top of the truck frame between the axles
and wheels, and provided with a pump, which is also secured at its upper end to the
under side of the truck frame, and which pump is secured to the tank at its lower
end, thus forming a truss support for the truck frame, and.a rigid support for the
tank and pump, substantially as described.
4. In an improved fire apparatus, the combination in one portable machine of a
suitable truck and truck frame of the character described, a pump and its adjuncts
suspended from the truck frame between the wheels and axles, the ladder holder
mounted on the top of the truck frame, and the hose reel mounted on the hind axle
of the truck, substantially as shewn and described.

page_text: 5. In a combined fire apparatus, the truck frame mounted and constructed with a
ladder holder on its top in combination with a tank and pump secured to the lower
side of the truck frame, said tank having diagonal braces which hold it firmly in
place on the truck frame, and said pump being secured at the top to the truck
frame, and to the tank at its bottom, substantially as and for the purposes specified.
6. In a combined fire apparatus, the truck frame provided with a water tank and
a pump in combination with a filling spout extending out of range of the pump
brakes, substantially as described.
7. In a combined fire apparatus, the truck frame constructed and mounted sub-
stantially as described, and provided with a pump and tank on its under side in
combination with the independent vertically adjustable legs, each of which is provided
with means for locking it in any desired adjusted position against movement in any
direction without disturbing the leg as it rests on the ground, substantially as
described.