Improvements in Fire-escapes.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Feb., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 19th June, 1894-Accepted, 21st July, 1894
PROVISIONAL SIMULTIVATION.
[Communicated from abroad by MARGARET KILLEEN, of 359, Brunswick Street,
Halifax, in the Province of Nova Scotia, Dominion of Canada.]
Improvements in Fire-escapes.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The fire-escape is a rope ladder made in six parts. Part (1) is a ladder without
attachments with wooden or other rigid rungs to keep its sides from coming
together when in use. Part (2) is a heaving line attached to the side of the ladder.
Part (3) is a strong connection or rope woven into the side of ladder through
which said heaving line can work up or down. Part (4) consists of two rubber
balls each weighing about six ounces; one attached securely to each end of said
heaving line. Part (5) consists of two strong grappling hooks firmly secured to
the top of the ladder, and capable of being fastened on the window sill, roof of
building, or other convenient support. Part (6) is a life belt attached to the
heaving line.
My invention has for its object, to aid in lessening loss of life and limb, when
fire takes place in large buildings by placing in the hands of every one (when cut
off by fire) the means of reaching help from the street; and to place in the hands
of every fireman when cut off by fire the means of helping himself.
The escape can be carried on a man's body without impeding his progress.
It is
so simple that a boy can send it up eighty feet, with ease, by means of the heaving
line.
A fireman on reaching a burning building places the fire escape on the ground
and takes one of the balls in his hand having one hundred feet more or less of light
heaving line attached and aims for the roof or window; if he misses he can throw
the other ball, still having one hundred feet of heaving line at his disposal by
hauling the line through the connection.
My fire escape would give a fireman greater security on entering a burning
building. He can let his ladder down if cut off and haul up as many as are
necessary to carry him to the ground. It can be thrown to a burning building
If one such were
from the roof of a building on the opposite side of the street.
kept inside each window on the top tier or story of high buildings such as factories,
hotels or any building where help is employed then by connecting two or more of
them together one could (if cut off from ordinary fire escape) come in safety to the
ground.
A life belt is secured to the ladder to be used for securing children and others
not competent or able to take care of themselves, such line being lowered by means
of the heaving line.

page_text: improvements in Fire-escapes.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine Lake, & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 :-
This invention relates to an emergency fire-escape of which the following, in
connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full and clear description.
Figure 1 is a view in elevation of my fire-escape in position for use.
and 3 show details thereof.
Figures 2
The fire-escape is a rope ladder made in six parts. Part (1) is the ladder
without attachments stayed with wooden or other rigid rungs to keep its sides from
coming together when in use. Part (2) is a heaving line attached to the side of
the ladder. Part (3) is a strong connection of rope woven into the side of the
ladder through which connection said heaving line can work up and down.
Part (4) comprises two rubber balls each weighing about six ounces; one attached
securely to each end of said heaving line. Part (5) consists of two strong grappling
hooks firmly secured to the top of the ladder and capable of being fastened on a
window sill, roof of building or other support. Part (6) is a life belt attached to
the heaving line.
My invention has for its object, to aid in lessening loss of life and limb, when
fire takes place in buildings, by placing in the hands of any one cut off by fire the
means of reaching help from the street and to place in the hands of every fireman
when cut off by fire the meaus of helping himself.
The escape can be carried on a man's body without impeding his progress. It
is so simple that a boy can send it up eighty feet, with ease, by means of the
heaving line.
A fireman on reaching a burning building places the fire-escape on the ground
and takes one of the balls in his hand having one hundred feet more or less of
light heaving line attached and aims for the roof or for a window; if he misses he
can throw the other ball still having one hundred feet more or less of heaving line
at his disposal by hauling the line through the connection 3.
My fire-escape will give a fireman greater security on entering a burning
building. He can let his ladder down if cut off and haul up as many more ladders
as are necessary to carry him to the ground. It can be thrown to a burning
building from the roof of a building adjoining or on the opposite side of the street.
If one such were kept inside each window on the top tier or story of high buildings
such as factories, hotels or any building where help is employed, then by connecting
two or more of them together one could (if cut off from ordinary fire-escape) come
in safety to ground.
By means of the life belt 6 attached to the heaving line, and which is adapted to
be fastened around a child's waist any number of children one at a time can be
lowered in safety.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. An emergency fire-escape formed as a whole of ladder, grapplings, connection
attached to said ladder, heaving line passing through a slot in said connection, and
balls and life belt attached to said heaving line, as set forth.

page_text: 2. The combination of the ladder or rope with the connection 3, and the
heaving line 2 threaded through said connection, as set forth.
Dated this 19th day of June 1894.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.