IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE MEANS OF INGRESS AND EGRESS TO THEATRES, HALLS, HOTELS, AND OTHER BUILDINGS AND DWELLINGS IN CASE OF FIRE OR PANIC."
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Uriah Scott, of No. 151, Great Portland Street, Oxford
street, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, for an invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MEANS OF INGRESS AND EGRESS TO THEATRES, HALLS, HOTELS,
AND OTHER BUILDINGS AND DWELLINGS IN CASE OF FIRE OR PANIC."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Uriah Scott at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd March 1882.
URIAH SCOTT, of No. 151 Great Portland Street, Oxford street, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer, "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF INGRESS AND EGRESS
TO THEATRES, HALLS, HOTELS, AND OTHER BUILDINGS AND DWELLINGS IN CASE
OF FIRE OR PANIC."
First. My improvements in the means of ingress and egress to Theatres, Halls,
Hotels, and other buildings and dwellings in case of fire or panic consists in the
forming of balconies outside buildings. To each floor of such Buildings I form a
Balcony, according to the number of floors in such building; and having staircases
from the upper Balcony to the lower ones, and staircases from the lower ones into
the street, so that people can come from the top or any of the floors of the
buildings to the street, so that in case of fire people can get out of the said
building more safely. Any number of doors can be made from each floor to lead
into the balconies, these balconies can be made at the sides, back and front of such
buildings if required.
.
Secondly. For the making of the canopy over the entrance of a theatre that is
used for the purpose of protecting visitors from getting wet, useful in forming a
flight of steps and giving greater egress from such buildings in case of need. I
adopt the following method, I make the roof of this canopy of sufficient length to
reach from the first balcony to the kerbstone of the pavement, one end of the
canopy is hinged to the balcony so as to raise and fall if required, the other end of
this canopy is to rest on two or more pillars fixed near the kerb of the pavement,
this end resting on the pillars is to have moveable brackets so that they can
release the canopy and let this end rest on the pavement. The upper or top side
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page_text: of this canopy is to have steps formed on it with side rails which will form
ballusters so that when it is down it will form a staircase into the street from the
balcony. To balance or counterpoise the weight of this canopy or moveable
staircase I connect a lever and weight to the hinged end so that it will balance
this Canopy, and when wanted it will fall on the pavement with ease.
Thirdly. For making safety outlets in case of fire in buildings or dwelling
houses I form a fire proof shaft sufficiently large for a person to move up or down
in with aid of metal ladder steps fixed inside this shaft; doors are to be made
in this shaft to correspond with each floor; these doors are to be made of
some non inflammable material with springs to keep them closed after a person has
entered a shaft, so that if a fire takes place a person can descend from any floor
which they may be in down this shaft to the bottom part of such building without
coming down the ordinary staircase. At the bottom of this shaft is a door leading
into the street or other place of safety or any place practice may point out, these
shafts can have light and ventilation from the street, these shafts are to be built at
any part of the building free from wood work.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Uriah Scott in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st September
1882.
"
URIAH SCOTT, of 151 Great Portland street, Oxford street, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer, IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF INGRESS AND EGRESS
TO THEATRES, HALLS, HOTELS, AND OTHER BUILDINGS AND DWELLINGS IN CASE
OF FIRE OR PANIC"
My improvements in the means of ingress and egress to Theatres, Halls, Hotels,
and other buildings and dwellings, consists in the forming of Balconies outside
buildings, to each floor of such buildings I form a Balcony according to the number
of floors in such buildings; and having staircases from the upper balconies to the
lower ones, so as to connect one with the other, and stair cases from the lower one
into the street, so that people can come from the top or any of the floors of the
building, so that in case of fire or panic people can get out of the said building
more safely. Any number of doors can be made from each floor to lead into the
balconies. These balconies can be made at the sides back and front of such
buildings if required. The staircases from the balconies can be formed so as to
only allow each part of the audience to descend into the street by making part of
each balcony to form a landing place and making more staircase into the street.
Secondly. For the making of the canopy over the entrance of a Theatre that is
used for the purpose of protecting visitors from getting wet, useful in forming a
Bight of steps and giving greater egress from such buildings in case of need, I
adopt the following method:-I make the roof of this canopy of sufficient length
to reach from the first balcony to the kerbstone of the pavement. One end of the
canopy is hinged to the balcony, so as to rise and fall if required. The other end
of this canopy is to rest on two or more pillars fixed near the kerb of the pavement.
The end resting on the pillars is to have moveable sockets, so that they can release
the canopy and let this end rest on the pavement. The upper or top side of this
canopy is to have steps formed on it with side rails which will form ballusters so
that when it is down it will form a staircase into the street from the balcony. To
balance or counterbalance the weight of this canopy or moveable staircase I connect
a lever and weight to the hinged end so that it will balance this canopy and when
wanted it will fall on the pavement with ease. The stair-cases to the balcony can
be fitted with hinges to rise and fall if desired.
Thirdly. For making safety outlets in case of fire in dwelling houses or other
buildings I form a fire proof shaft sufficiently large for a person to move up or
down in, with the aid of a metal ladder fixed inside the shaft. Doors are to be
made in this shaft to correspond with each floor. These doors are to be made of
some non-inflammable material with springs to keep them closed after a person has
entered the shaft, so that if a fire takes place a person can descend from any floor
which they may be in, down this shaft to the bottom part of such building without
coming down the ordinary staircase. At the bottom of this shaft is a door leading
into the street or other place of safety, or any other place practice may point out,
these shafts can have light and ventilation from the street. These shafts are to
be built at any part of a building free from woodwork.
In witness whereof I the said Uriah Scott have hereunto set my hand and
seal this twenty first day of September in the year of our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.