A MACHINE OR APPARATUS TO EFFECT THE ESCAPE AND PRESER- VATION OF PERSONS AND PROPERTY. IN CASES OF FIRE OR OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES
Year: 1830

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, Lieutenant-
Colonel LESLIE WALKER, C.B., of Cumining Street, Pentonville, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
at Westminster, the Sixth day of October, One thousand eight hundred and
thirty, and in the first year of His reign, did give and grant unto me, the said
Leslie Walker, His especial licence, sole privilege and authority, that I, the
said Leslie Walker, my exors, admors, and assigns, and such others as I, the
said Leslie Walker, my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of
years therein mentioned, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my
Invention of "A MACHINE OR APPARATUS TO EFFECT THE ESCAPE AND PRESER-
VATION OF PERSONS AND PROPERTY. IN CASES OF FIRE OR OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES;"
in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that I, the said Leslie
Walker, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in His said
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and
by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large
appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Leslie Walker, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described
and ascertained in and by the Drawing hereunto annexed, and the following
description thereof (that is to say) :-
In the said Drawing, Figure 1 is a front view of a window with my said
machine or apparatus, which I term a fire escape, affixed ready for use.
Figure 2, a side view thereof; and Figure 3, a plan thereof viewed from
above; in all of which said Figures the same letters of reference indicate the
similar parts. A, in Figures 1, 2, and 3, is the inner cross bar of the machine
or apparatus, placed horizontally across the back of the window frame, and
kept steady between the two slides or grooves B, B, shewn in Figure 3, and
by dotted lines in Figure 1, and which are affixed to the window frame for
that purpose. Into the middle part of this cross bar the short standard bar C
is firmly affixed, as shewn in Figure 2, having an iron foot D, Figures 1 and 2,
secured to its lower end by means of wood screws, and by which foot it is
supported upon the bottom of the window frame. From the lower end of the
standard bar the diagonal bar E ascends and projects outwardly, as shewn_in
Fig. 2, and another diagonal bar F extends from the upper end of the standard
bar C, and is united with the diagonal bar E, as shown in Figure 2, and thus
forms a firm triangular frame or support for the outer cross bar G, Figures 1,.
2, and 3, which is affixed upon the upper end of the diagonal bar E by means
of the square iron socket H, which has an iron angular trough I at its top, as
shewn endways in Figures 2, and edgeways and by dotted lines in Figures 1
and 3, and in which said trough the outer cross bar G is lodged and firmly held
by ineans of wood screws. J, J, are two iron braces or stays which servo to
strengthen the frame; they are passed through holes made in the outer and
inner cross bars, and are secured firmly by screws and screwed nuts; they
likewise serve as pivots on which the two pullies K, K, turn as centres.
These pulleys are let into holes formed to receive them in the outer cross bar G,"
as shewn in Figure 3, and a plaited rope L, L, Figure 1, is passed over them,
to one end of which a car M is hung, and to the other end a counterbalance N.
This car M is made of brown canvass, or of any other fit and proper fabric, and
has a wooden bottom firmly affixed to it, the under side of which is stuffed with
tow in order to form an elastic part where it touches the ground on its descent.
The bottom is, besides, supported by three or four plaited ropes, which pass
upwards from it to a wooden hoop, which is affixed to the centre of the car, and
thence to a part of another wooden hoop, which is affixed to the top or border of
the car, but which leaves a part of it open in order to permit any person to got
:

page_text: into or out of the car with greater facility, but a canvass flap is provided to
close that opening when thought necessary. This car is, besides, furnished
with three other plaited cords, which are affixed to the part of the wooden
hoop at the upper border of the car, and are passed through three holes formed
in an iron plate O, Figs. 1 and 3, and secured above it by knots. This iron
plate has also a hook, by which the car is hung to the rope L, as above
mentioned. To the bottom of the car another smaller cord P is affixed, the use
of which is to enable persons below to guide the car clear of an area, railings,
&c. There is likewise another small cord Q, Figures 1 and 2, affixed to the
hoop, and which can be hitched around a cleat R affixed to the side of the
standard C, as shewn in Fig. 1, and by dotted lines in Fig. 2, and the car bo
thus drawn close to the window or wall and secured steadily whilst a person is
getting into it in order to descend. There is a staple S affixed above each of
the pulleys in order to prevent the rope L, L, from slipping out of their grooves.
The counterbalance N, which, as above mentioned, is hung to the other end
of the rope L, L, consists of a metal vessel or receptacle to contain cast-iron
weights, all of which are flat, and some are of a semi-cylindrical form, others
of a quadrantal shape, and others angular, such, for instance, as those shown
at Figure 4, each having an iron hoop affixed in it to lift it by. The vessel or
receptacle N is formed of iron, and has a handle T affixed to it, by which it is
attached to the end of the rope L. This counterbalance is to contain more or
less weight, as will be described hereafter. There is likewise firmly affixed to
the outer cross beam G a knotted hand or check rope U, as shewn in Fig. 1,
and which is long enough to reach the ground. In order to use this machine
or apparatus, first throw up the window sash, then place the inner cross bar A
in its horizontal position across the window, inside of it, as shewn in the plan,
Figure 3, lodging each end of it within the grooves B, B, formed to receive
them, and also resting the iron foot D securely upon the bottom of the window
frame. The machine will then be firmly supported by these three points of
bearing, and its outer cross bar G will project outside of the window far
enough to afford space for the car M to be raised and lowered. The counter-
balance N must then be lowered to the ground, when the car M may be hung
upon the other end of the rope L and be drawn close to the window or wall by
the rope Q, and secured by hitching that rope around the cleat R, and thus be
prevented from swinging outwards whilst any person is seating himself or
herself in the car; the person will then take a firm hold of the hand or check
rope U, and then unhitch or loosen the cord Q from the cleat R, when the
descent of the car may be regulated as to its slowness or swiftness in propor-
tion as more or less of the weight of the person descending is transferred from

page_text: the car to the hand or check rope, and which said rope being independent of
and unconnected with the action of the pulleys, it will on being pulled
counteract or neutralize their effect, accordingly as a greater or lesser propor
tion of the weight of the person is transferred from the car to the hand or
check rope. On reaching the ground that rope U should be let go; taking
care, however, that the rope P, which, as aforesaid, is affixed to the bottom of
the car, be previously laid hold of, in order to prevent the too rapid descent of
the counterbalance, and the consequent ascent of the car. This rope also;
being thrown outwards previous to the descent of the car, may be taken hold
of by any persons upon the ground, and who may thus, as aforesaid, be enabled
to clear the car from touching any balcony or other exterior projection, should
any occur. The re-ascent of the car may thus also be rendered gradual in
order to receive another person into it, and thus rescue such person or persons;
and likewise also to remove any property requiring it. The counterbalance
may be about seven inches in diameter and seven inches in height, having au
iron bail to swing it by. Its weight may be encreased or decreased at pleasure
by the person about to descend placing therein one or more of the weights
made to fit the inside of the counterbalance, and each of which has its specific
weight conspicuously marked upon it. But the moderate weight of about four
stone and a half is sufficient to enable persons weighing from six to eleven
stone to descend with ease and without the least risque, they régulating the
slowness or quickness of the motion, by means of the hand or check rope, as
already stated. The various parts composing this machine or apparatus can, if
required, undergo one of the many and well known but simple chemical pro-
cesses for rendering them fire-proof. On withdrawing the apparatus the car
should be unhooked and taken in at the window, and the counterbalance drawn
up and likewise taken in. The frame may then be removed by first raising and
lowering the inner cross bar, or reversing those movements, in order to detacli
it from between the grooves, when it may be withdrawn into the room.
I do not mean or intend hereby to claim as my Invention
any of the
various parts of which this machine or apparatus may be composed which may
already have been known or in use; but I do hereby claim the manner of
combining and employing them, and particularly the moile of regulating tho
descent and ascent of the car and the person therein, by means of the counter-
balances and the hand or check rope, as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Leslie Walker, hayo hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of January, in the year of our'
Lard One thousand eight hundred and thirty-one.
LESLIE (L.s.) WALKER.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-fifth day of January,
in the year of our Lord 1831, the aforesaid Leslie Walker came before our
said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.