Improvements in Apparatus applicable as a Fire-escape and also for Building and similar Operations.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 5th May, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 5th Feb., 1892-Accepted, 5th May,
1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus applicable as a Fire-escape and also for
Building and similar Operations.
I, FRANCISCO ERAUSQUIN, of Bilbao, in the Kingdom of Spain, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to fire-escapes also applicable for building and similar
operations.
The improved apparatus which forms the subject of this invention, presents as
compared with those heretofore employed no other similarity than that which may
exist in the principle upon which their construction is based it differs from them
especially in its details and in its operation.
Although the object for which all the apparatus of this kind are designed is
the same they differ from each other either in their general arrangement or in
other respects; some are defective in their development whilst others are too
complicated.
The materials employed in the construction of my apparatus are iron and
wood the mechanical part being made of the former and the frame of the latter
material.
The improved apparatus comprises a system of arms pivoted after the manner of
lazy-tongs. To the lower extremities of the first pair of arms is applied the
actuating device which comprises two screws one having a right handed and the
other a left handed thread.
When this screw is rotated the lower extremities of the said arms are moved
towards or from each other. These arms operate all the others, which has the effect
The upper
of shortening or lengthening the system in the vertical direction.
extremities of the arms of the first section are connected by hinges with the lower
extremities of the arms of the second section, and so on the apparatus being thus
constituted in a continuous manner so that its parallel arms are capable of reaching
the highest points of a building; it is moreover very strong at its base, because of
its symmetrical arrangement relatively to its axis which passes through the centre
of the platform mounted upon a carriage.
Two easily accessible stairs are provided, which are connected so as to form a
single stair. The base constitutes a platform which rests upon a carriage of very
simple construction. It offers a sufficiently great resistance to withstand the
vibrations which are liable to take place while it is in operation.
Vertical screws serve to put the leveling mechanism in its proper position before it
is operated. Two cranks are secured upon a shaft which turns in bearings and
carries a pinion. This gears with a toothed wheel keyed upon another shaft
which receives the above-mentioned two screws having right and left handed
threads.
For supporting the latter shaft I provide two bearings which are adapted to
slide vertically in guides; this arrangement is necessary on account of the fixed
guides used for the shoes and slides at the lower extremity of the first pair of arms.
These guides are supported upon the carriage by fixed brackets. During the
operation of the apparatus the links fixed to the said shoes do not remain at the
same level, because they turn around their pivots simultaneously with the shoes.
I may employ intermediate bearings for the guides above referred to.
Each screw engages with a link in the form of a nut, which being connected with
a shoe at the lower extremity of the above-mentioned arms, is displaced upon the
horizontal shaft in its entire development which represents half the length of this
shaft.

page_text: Accordingly, if the movement of the said link is continued the extremities of the
arms, together with the shoe and links, will occupy the position of rest before the
operation.
Four wheels or loose pulleys serve for supporting the interior weight of
the sections, and also for facilitating the movement of the said links these wheels
being connected with the first shaft at the four extremities of the two links which
turn upon the two interior parts at the lower part of the carriage.
Small bars of iron at the extremities of the arms carry a net which prevents the
other nets or fabrics from becoming entangled.
Two men are sufficient for actuating the apparatus. The arrangement of the
pinions, the screws and the horizontal shaft is such that the operation can be
effected with the greatest facility; in two minutes the apparatus can be extended
to a height of from 16 to 20 metres, that is to say, to the top of the highest
houses.
The strength of the apparatus is great enough for the stairs to take up as many
persons as they may be able to receive without causing such movements and
vibrations as will give rise to danger or produce any deterioration; in all the parts
of its several sections my apparatus provides a safe and convenient staircase.
At the upper part is arranged a net which enables children and aged or sick
persons to be saved, and also furniture and articles of great value to be safely taken
down.
Parallel with the stairs are a series of cords which serve as hand-rails. Other
cords form an open net which completely covers the first section from the top to the
bottom thus serving as a support in the passage from one section to another, for if
in the mounting or descent a person were to become giddy the cords would serve as
a support and guard.
When the apparatus is on the spot, upon the sides of the bars hereinbefore
referred to are fixed a few very strong bars which, placed parallel to each other,
may serve as foot-bridges when they are extended from the said bars or uprights to
the balconies, windows, or other supports upon which they are fixed by means of
movable hooks and bolts which keep the apparatus immovable.
The carriage is provided with a water pipe of the ordinary form, which has a
diameter of about 13 centimetres and the necessary length for connecting it with
the water reservoir and conducting the liquid to the top of the house on fire, and
also to the various other points where it may be necessary and to which it is
conducted by branch-pipes.
The upward movement of the water pipes is effected simultaneously by means of
corresponding bands fixed to the cross-bars of the apparatus which carries at suitable
points numbered hooks attached to the side bars by rings and adapted to be applied
wherever it may be deemed expedient to fix them. Upon the carriage are moreover
placed one or two tool boxes.
This improved apparatus may serve for several purposes; for instance it may be
employed as a scaffolding for cleaning the front of a house, for putting on or
repairing roofs and the like. Its construction may be modified more or less
according to the circumstances nnder which it is to be used.
Dated this 5th day of May 1891.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus applicable as a Fire Escape and also
for Building and similar Operations.
I, FRANCISCO ERAUSQUIN, of Bilbao, in the Kingdom of Spain, 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:-
My invention relates to fire-escapes, also applicable for building and similar
operations.
The improved apparatus which forms the subject of this invention presents as
compared with those heretofore employed no other similarity than that which
may exist in the principle upon which their construction is based it differs from
them however especially in the details of construction and in its operation.
Although the object for which all the apparatus of this kind are designed is
the same they differ from each other either in their general arrangement or in
other respects; some are defective in their development, whilst others are too
complicated.
The materials employed in the construction of my apparatus are iron and wood;
the mechanical part being made of the former and the frame of the latter
material.
The improved apparatus comprises a system of arms pivoted after the manner
of lazy-tongs. To the lower extremities of the first pair of arms or trunk is
applied the actuating device which consists merely of two parallel vertical screws.
The rotation of these screws causes the upward or the downward movement of the
axis of articulation of the arms of the lower pair of tongs, which pair then
operates all the others, which has the effect of shortening or lengthening the
system in the vertical direction. The upper extremities of the arms of the first
section or trunk are connected by hinges with the lower extremities of the arms of
the second section or trunk the apparatus being thus arranged in a continuous
manner so that its parallel arms are capable of reaching the highest points of a
building. This apparatus is moreover very strong at its base, because of its
symmetrical arrangement relatively to its axis which passes through the centre of
the platform mounted upon a carriage.
Two easily accessible flights of steps are provided which are connected so as to
form a single flight. The base constitutes a platform which rests upon a carriage
of very simple construction. It offers a sufficient resistance to withstand the
vibrations which are liable to take place while the apparatus is in use.
In the accompanying drawing,
Figure is a front elevation of the improved fire-escape.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same,
Figure 3 is a plan thereof and
Figure 4 is a front and side elevation respectively drawn to a smaller scale
showing the escape applied to the front and side of a house.
A denotes the locking screws which serve to put the levelling mechanism in its
proper position before it is operated. Two cranks C are secured upon a shaft D
which turns in the bearings C¹ C¹ and carries bevel pinions E gearing with the
toothed wheels F F.
These wheels F F are keyed upon the vertical screws B each of which engages
with a nut I integral with a guide J the two guides J J controlling the axis of
articulation Z of the lower oblique arms of the first stairs. The shoes L of the
lower arms carry rollers G guided upon the carriage by the fixed parts J and
adapted to roll upon the platform of this carriage.
The various uprights or side bars K of the stairs are connected together by
hinges N N; M M are small bars of iron fixed to the extremities of the side bars

page_text: and carrying a net which prevents the other nets or Taories from becoming
entangled.
Two men are sufficient for actuating the apparatus. The arrangement of the
pinions, the screws and the horizontal shaft is such that the operation can be
effected with the greatest facility; in two minutes the apparatus can be extended
to a height of from 16 to 20 metres, that is to say to the top of the highest
houses.
For ensuring the stability of the apparatus in the lateral direction I provide
suitable stays each of which consists of two parts or members X and X. One
end of the part X is secured to the carriage and one end of the part X¹ to the
axis Z the opposite ends being pivoted together at e as shown diagrammatically in
Figure 1.
As shown in Figure 4 the escape is made up of limbs or members K hinged
together at N so as to form a kind of lazy-tongs arrangement. Seven of these
limbs or members K are provided with steps k, four being on one side and three on
the other side of the escape thus forming a ladder of zig-zag form. When the
fireman mounts the said ladder he will pass up the first limb K as shown in Figure 1
until he arrives at the first hinge N when he will cross from the said limb to the
limb on the opposite side of the escape as shown in Figure 2 and again mount the
second part of the ladder and so on until he arrives at the desired height.
The strength of the apparatus is sufficiently great to withstand the pressure on
the stairs of as many persons as they are able to receive without causing such
movements and vibrations as will give rise to danger or produce any deterioration;
in all the parts of its several sections my apparatus provides a safe and convenient
staircase.
At the upper part is arranged a net Y (see the general view to a small scale,
Figure 4) which enables children and aged or sick persons to be safely removed
from the building and also furniture and articles of great value to be safely taken
down.
Vertically with the stairs are a series of cords a a a Figure 1 which serve as
handrails, which cords may consists of short lengths extending between the arms of
the different sections of the escape as shown in Figure 1 or in any suitable manner or
the cords may be made continuous from top to bottom and secured to the said arms
where they cross the same.
Between each pair of successive divisions of the ladder are fixed, nettings or
cords b b b which in cases of giddiness are intended to prevent persons falling from
the escape.
These cords bbb Figure 2 form an open net which completely covers each section,
where the crossing from one side of the escape to the other in order to pass from
one ladder to another, is effected, the said cords may be fixed to the exterior
parts of the ladders in any suitable manner so as to serve as a support for those
who mount and descend the same.
When the apparatus is on the spot, upon the sides of the escape are fixed a few
very strong small bars which, placed parallel with each other, may serve as foot-
bridges when they are extended from the said escape to the balconies, windows, or
other supports upon which they are fixed by means of movable hooks and bolts
which keep the apparatus immovable as shown in Figure 1. The carriage may be
provided with a water pipe for connecting it with the water reservoir and conducting
the liquid to the top of the house and also to the various other points where it may
be necessary and to which it is conducted by branch-pipes.
The upward movement of the water pipes is effected simultaneously by means of
corresponding bands fixed to the cross bars of the apparatus which carries at
suitable points, numbered books attached to the side bars by rings and adapted to
be applied wherever it may be deemed expedient to fix them. Upon the carriage
are moreover placed one or two tool boxes.
This improved apparatus may serve for several purposes for instance it may be
employed as a scaffolding for cleaning the front of a house, for putting on or

page_text: repairing roofs and the like. Its construction may be modified more or less
according to the circumstances under which it is to be used.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
The improved fire escape having arms which constitute an extensible ladder, and
uprights pivoted together and all constructed arranged and operating substantially
as herein before decribed with reference to the accompanying drawing and for the
purposes specified.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.