IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE ESCAPES
Year: 1884

page_text: 1
I JOHN FRIBORG of 76, Great Portland Street, in the county of Middlesex,
Furniture Designer do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE ESCAPES" to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the construction of an improved fire escape.
:
In carrying out my invention I provide a carriage with which I combine a
telescopic ladder of the construction hereinafter described and means for raising
and extending the ladder in a simple and expeditious manner.
The carriage consists of a platform of suitable dimensions for carrying the men
and gear; the platform is mounted on two pairs of wheels, the axle of one pair
being fixed to the platform, the axle of the other pair of wheels is carried in a
sliding bearing; a screw and screw nut are provided the nut being fixed to the
sliding bearing in such a manner that the turning, of the screw by a crank handle.
with which it is provided will cause the sliding bearing and with it its pair of
wheels to be moved towards or away from the other pair of wheels according to
the direction in which the screw is turned.
The improved ladder is made in lengths; each length being provided with a
shoot preferably constructed of wire netting; the several lengths of the ladder are
made of such dimensions that they may slide one within the other telescope
wise, suitable stops being provided to limit the outward play of the parts of the
ladder.
To the lower and larger length of the ladder and shoot and near the centre of
each side thereof is jointed one end of a lever, the other ends of the two levers
being jointed to the axle of the larger wheels of the carriage; to the centres of the
said levers are jointed another pair of levers the other ends thereof being jointed
to the above named sliding bearing.
The ladder is provided, with hand gearing operating cords, chains or their
equivalents, the said cords or chains passing over pullies and being so connected
with several lengths of the ladder that the same can be easily and expeditiously
extended by turning the handle of the gearing.
The upper end of the last length of the ladder is provided with a platform with
rails for the person in charge of the escape to stand upon and assist persons to be
safely lowered down the shoot.
.

page_text: When the escape is not in use or is being moved from place to place the ladder
is in its closed position, and lies horizontally or nearly so over the platform. To
raise the ladder for use, the hereinbefore described screw is turned and the sliding
bearing will operate the levers connected to the ladder and the ladder will thereby
be raised into the required vertical or nearly vertical position and the lengths of the
ladder may then be extended by the above named gearing to the required height.
To bring the parts back to their normal position the gearing and screw are turned
in the opposite direction.
Instead of the sliding bearing being connected to the axle of one pair of wheels,
it may slide on the carriage platform without moving the axle with it.
G. F. REDFERN,
Agent for the Applicant.
'
.
1.JOHN FRIBORG, of 76 Great: Portland Street in the County of Middlesex,
Furniture Designer do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE, ESCAPES" 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 the construction of an improved fire escape.
In carrying out iny invention I provide a carriage with which I combine a
telescopic ladder of the construction hereinafter described and means for raising
and extending the ladder in a simple and expeditious manner:
In order to enable. my invention to be fully understood I will describe the same
by reference to the accompanying drawing in which figure I represents a side
elevation of my improved fire escape the parts being in the position they occupy
when travelling; figure 2, is a similar view but shewing the apparatus in its
raised position ready to be extended; figure 3 is a plan of the carriage of the
apparatus; figure 4, is a plan of the ladder; figures 5 to 16 are detached details of
various parts of the apparatus. Similar letters in all the figures represent similar
parts.
:
The carriage of the apparatus as shewn in figures 1 and 2 is constructed of a
platform a of suitable dimensions and which serves for carrying the men and the
gear; the platform is mounted on two pairs of wheels b, b, and c, c,; the axle of
the pair of hind wheels b, b, is fixed to the platform a, and the axle of the front
pair of wheels c, c is carried in a sliding bearing d, shewn in the detached sectional
views at figures 5 and 6. The said sliding bearing is constructed with a groove a³,
which receives a corresponding projection a³ forming a guide fixed to the underside
of the platform a; a screw e and screw nut fare provided the nut being fixed to
the sliding bearing d in such a manner that the turning of the screw e, by means
of a crank handle i with which it is provided at each end of the platform a, or by
other suitable means will cause the sliding bearing d and with it its pair of wheels c
to be moved towards or away from the other pair of wheels b, according to the
direction in which the screw e is turned. Figures 13 and 14 are transverse sectional
views of the carriage.

page_text: The improved ladder which is clearly shewn in.figure 4 is made in lengths, each
length being provided with a shoot g figure 2 preferably. constructed of wire
netting; the several lengths of the ladder are made of such dimensions that they
may slide one within the other telescope-wise as shewn in figure 7, which represents
a cross-section of the sides. of the ladder on the line A B of figure 8, which is a
plan of the same; the sides of the ladders are provided with a rebate h, in, which
slide. projecting pieces j, formed at eacli, end of the lengths of the ladder; such
pieces.j, when the ladder is lengthened, come against projections, or stops shewn
at k, figure 9, which is a detached sectional view on the line CD, of figure 8, the
said stops serving to limit the outward play, of the parts of the ladder; figures 10
and. 11, are cross sections on lines EF and G H, respectively of figure 8, and
figure, 12, is,an, elevation of the sides of the. several lengths of the ladder.
To the lowest and largest length 7 of the ladder and shoot and near the centre of
each side thereof are jointed at m as shewn in figures 1 and 2, one end of a pair of
levers n, the, other ends of the two, levers being jointed to an, axle o, provided
above the axle of the larger wheels b, of the carriage; to the centres of the said
levers at p, are jointed another pair of levers q, the other ends thereof being jointed
at r, to an axle upon the sliding bearing d'; 8 is a stay which is jointed to the
length, of the ladder at t.and near the centre of the lever g at t', which stay
serves.to bring the ladder. into the required position when raising and lowering
the same.
For extending the ladder it is provided at the lower end of its lowest and largest
length l, with a pair of drums as clearly shewn at figure 4, and at figure 15,
which shews a detached; view of a portion of the said length of the ladder, round
which drum are wound cords, chains or their equivalents v;; on the drums u, are
fixed toothed wheels w, gearing with pinions x, which are operated by means of
winch handles y, figure 4; the said cords or chains v, pass over pullies z, as shewn
in figures 8 and 12, the cords or chains v, are in this manner connected with the
several lengths of the ladder so that the same can be easily and expeditiously
extended by turning the handle y of the gearing; a ratchet a¹, and pawl 6¹ are
provided for each drum to keep the ladder in its raised position.
The upper end of the last length 1, of the ladder is provided with a platform d³,
as shewn in plan at figure 16 for the person in charge of the escape to stand upon
and assist persons to be safely lowered down the shoot, the said platform having
rails d² at the sides thereof; e¹, are wheels or rollers to enable the end of the ladder
to slide against the walls of the building or the like. When it is required to lower
persons from the platform d¹, a rope is employed running over a pulley f¹, figure 16,
the travel of which rope can be regulated by any suitable means.
When the person
being lowered arrives at the bottom of the shoot the lower rungs of the ladder
open outwards as shown at, in figures 4 and 15, the said rungs being pivotted in
in the sides for that purpose. When the escape is not in use or is being moved
from place to place the ladder is in its closed position, and lies horizontally or
nearly so over the platform as shewn in figure 1. To raise the ladder for use, the
screw e, is turned by its handles i and the sliding bearing d, being thereby moved
forward will operate the levers n and and the stays connected to the ladder as
described and the ladder will thereby be raised into the required vertical or nearly
vertical position as shewn in figure 2, and the lengths of the ladder may then be
extended by the above named gearing shewn in figures 4, 8 and 15, to the required
height. To bring the parts back to their normal position the pawl b', must be
released from the ratchet wheel a', and the gearing and screw are then turned in
the opposite direction.
The bearing or fore carriage of the front wheels is arranged to turn horizontally
on the body thereof in the ordinary manner and in order to prevent this turning
when the apparatus is brought to the place where it is required to raise the ladder
the frame of the seat g¹, is extended backwards on each side of the carriage and is
pivotted at r, to the sliding bearing d, and also carries a tail piece h¹ which by

page_text: turning the seat g¹ upon its pivot r, up over the platform a, as shewn in figure 2,
will be caused to bear against. the axle of the front wheels and fix them in
position.
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 fire escape the combination with a carriage having sliding bearings for
one pair of wheels as described of an arrangement of levers for effecting the
raising and lowering of the fire ladder substantially as hereinbefore described and
represented in the accompanying drawing.
(2) An improved ladder for fire escapes constructed in lengths each length
having a shoot and the whole constructed arranged and operating substantially as
herein before described and represented in figures 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, and 16
of the accompanying drawings.
(3) The improved fire escape hereinbefore described and represented in the
accompanying drawings.