Improvements in Fire Escapes and Scaling Ladders.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Mar., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 9th Nov., 1891-Accepted, 12th Dec., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Fire Escapes and Scaling Ladders.
I, GEORGE WILLIAM MELVIN, Secretary and Manager to Rose, Bray and
Company, Limited, of Deptford Green, Deptford, in the County of Kent, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The main object of my invention is to effect improvements in the construction of
small fire escapes and scaling ladders, of a similar class to that described and
shewn in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to George Bray, bearing
date 8th January 1887, and numbered 306.
The said improvements consist in a more convenient arrangement for moving the
ladder on the framing of the carriage. For this purpose I employ a double-sided
lever, which is hinged to the lower end of the main ladder and folds down flat
thercon when the escape is not in use. Two ropes, one on each side, are
affixed to the upper part of the lever, from thence they pass round pulleys on
the framing of the carriage, their other ends being affixed to the lower end of the
main ladder.
To move the ladders forward on the framing, the escape is tipped till the lower
ends of the ladders rest on the ground, the attendant then places one foot on the
bottom of the main ladder, and pulls the lever up by means of a rope attached to it.
The action of the aforesaid ropes passing over the pulleys, compels' the 'carriage
to slide back underneath the ladders, forcing them into the vertical or working
Short spikes, or studs may con-
position, at the same time that the lever riscs.
veniently be provided on the end of the main ladder, to obtain a firm hold upon the
ground. Two jointed struts are employed between the lever and main ladder, which,
when the ladder fully raised, automatically lock it and the lever in such position.
To return the ladders to their former place, it is only necessary to strike up the
joints of the said struts, and fold the lever down, when the ladders will slide back
on the framing.
Any convenient device, such as a pin or automatic drop bolt worked by a spring,
dropping into a hole on a lug on the framing against a stop on the side of the ladder,
may be employed to prevent the ladders moving on the framing when the escape is
travelling, and such pin must be withdrawn before the ladders can be raised, as
above described.
An escape' or scaling ladder of this class is ordinarily fitted with telescopic
ladders, and after the ladders have been thus advanced on the framing, the
telescopic arrangement can be operated by means of the usual, or other suitable
devices.
My invention is simple in construction, and there are no parts likely to get
out of order, and it is so easily operated that one man can readily work the
machine.
D: Thin dev of Narch 1891
AMBROSE MYALL,
21, Cockspur Street, London, S.W., Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Fire Escapes and Scaling Ladders.
I, GEORGE WILLIAM MELVIN, Secretary and Manager to Rose Bray and
Company, Limited, of Deptford Green, Deptford, in the County of Kent, 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:-
The main object of my invention is to effect improvements in the construction of
fire escapes and scaling ladders of a similar class to that described and shewn in the
Specification of Letters Patent granted to George Bray, bearing date 8th January
1887, and numbered 306.
In the accompanying five sheets of drawings, which illustrate a small fire escape
or scaling ladder, constructed in accordance with my invention;
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the escape, with the various parts in the relative
positions which they ordinarily occupy, when the escape is not in use, or is travelling
along the road.
Fig. 2 is a plan of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a cross section through the line a a in Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the escape, with the ladders erected ready for use.
Figs. 5 and 6 are elevations at right angles to each other, and Fig. 7 is a plan, to
an enlarged scale, of one of the standards on the framing of the carriage.
Similar letters of reference denote similar parts throughout the drawings.
As in the Specification of the before mentioned Letters Patent, No. 306 of 1887,
a pair of wheels A A are mounted upon an axle-tree B, of such length that they will
readily pass through any narrow passage or gateway. E is the carriage, or frame
affixed to the axletree B by springs F, F.
H HH, are the three parts of a telescopic ladder sliding under one another and
provided with stay lines or trusses, and otherwise constructed in accordance with the
Letters Patent granted to George Bray, No. 1165 of 1884, or No. 4347 of 1885,
or No. 5797 of 1886, or in any other suitable manner. It is unnecessary to describe
in detail the construction of these ladders, but they are preferably narrow, and are
not provided with shoots.
Longitudinal timbers J, J, are fixed on the frame E, and form a bed or carriage
on which the sides of the main ladder rest and slide, as will presently be described.
Small rollers K may be provided in the timbers J, J, to enable the ladder to move
freely thereon.
Jare metal standards fixed on the carriage to hold the
timbers JJ and keep the ladders in position thereon. These standards are made of
the form shewn in Figs. 3 and 6, to give room for the under struts and stay lines
on the ladder H.
The most important improvement contained in my present invention consists in a
more convenient arrangement for moving the ladders on the framing of the carriage.
For this purpose I employ a double sided lever L, L, which is hinged to the lower
end of the main ladder H at L' and folds down flat thereon when the escape is not
in use, or is travelling, as shewn in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. Two ropes M, M, one on
each side, are affixed to the upper part. of the lever at M', from thence they pass
round pulleys N, N, on the front standards J J on the carriage, their other ends
being affixed to the lower part of the main ladder H at M2, by means of a keyhole
link and stud, or other suitable device.
To move the ladders bodily forward on the framing, the escape is tipped till the
lower end of the main ladder rests on the ground, the attendant then places one foot
on the bottom rung of the said ladder and pulls the lever up by means of the rope P
attached to it. The ropes M, M, passing over the pulleys N, N, compel the
carriage E with its wheels A A, to slide back underneath the ladders, thus forcing
the latter into the vertical or working position, at the same time that the lever
rises.

page_text: Short spikes, or studs Q, Q, are preferably provided on the end of the main
ladder H, to obtain a firm hold upon the ground.
Two jointed struts R R, are employed between the lever L, L, and main ladder H,
which, when the ladder is fully raised on the carriage, automatically lock it and the
lever in such position, as shewn in Fig. 4.
To return the ladders to their former place, it is only necessary to strike up the
joints of the struts R, R, and fold the lever L L down, when the ladders will slide
back on the framing, into the position shewn in Figs. 1 and 2.
When in such position the ropes M M prevent the ladders moving on the carriage
in one direction, and to lock and prevent them moving in the other direction, any
convenient device, such as a pin, or automatic drop bolt worked by a spring, dropping
into a hole in a lug on the framing, against a stop on the side of the ladder may be
employed. In practice however, I prefer to use for this purpose the simple device
shewn on the drawings, which merely consists of a projection S fixed on each side
of the lever L L. When the lever is folded down, these projections come against
the standards J' and thus effectually lock the ladders on the carriage.
After the escape has been erected into the position shewn in Fig. 4 the telescopic
ladders may be extended by any convenient means. The arrangement I prefer to
employ consists of a drum T, journalled on the front of the main ladder H, and
provided with a winch handle T' at each end. A rope U from this drum passes
over a pulley U on the ladder H, and is fixed to the bottom of the second ladder H'.
A rope V fixed to the top of the ladder H passes over a pulley V₁ on the top of
the ladder F, and is fixed to the bottom of the ladder H2, thus by rotating the
handles T¹ the ladders are simultaneously extended.
The ratchet wheel T on the drum T, is so formed that the pawl T always stops
the handle T parallel with the ladders, as shewn, thus preventing the said handles
fouling the standards J, when the ladders are moved, on the framing.
The telescopic ladder is not necessarily made in three parts, as shewn, and a
single ladder of fixed length may be substituted therefor, if preferred.
The ladders are so disposed on the carriage that when in the position shewn in
Fig. 1 their centre of gravity is practically over the axle-tree B, thus making the
apparatus very convenient to handle.
In an escape or scaling ladder of this class, it is often convenient to be able to
remove the ladders from the carriage and wheels, and in order to effect this rapidly,
I sometimes employ the arrangement shewn in Figs. 5, 6, and 7.
On the top of each standard J' a finger W is pivoted. These fingers project over
the sides of the ladder H as.shewn, and keep it in place on the timbers J, J.
Each finger is held in such position by a spring X, entering a notch in the back
of the finger.
When the spring is pulled out, the finger can be turned aside into the position
shewn in dotted lines in Fig. 7, and the ropes M M being detached at M* M*, the
ladders with their lever L L can then be removed bodily from the carriage, or if
the apparatus is erected against a building, the carriage can be taken away from
the ladders.
Additional studs are provided on the ladder H at M³, M³, so that the
ropes M, M, can be attached thereto, as shewn by dotted lines in Fig. 4, to act as
guy lines.
The ropes M, M, are provided at the ends M³, M³, with a suitable tightening
arrangement, as shewn.
A box to contain a hand fire-pump, tools, or other articles, as well as hose boxes,
although not shewn in the drawings, can be applied to my improved apparatus in a
similar manner to that described in the aforesaid Specification of Letters Patent,
No. 306 of 1887.
In the aforesaid Specification, reference is made to the use of a lever for the
purpose of moving the ladders on the carriage, but such lever is described as hinged
to the framing or carriage, and was, in consequence, not found to succeed in
practice; but by my arrangement of hinging a lever to the ladder, the construction

page_text: is rendered so simple and effective that one man can easily operate the machine,
while there are no parts likely to get out of order, and the ladders with the lever:
can be instantly removed from the carriage, in one piece, as before described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim, is :-
1. In a fire escape, or scaling ladder, the arrangement for moving the ladder or
ladders on the carriage, consisting of a lever LL hinged to the main ladder H
at L', and ropes M, M, attached at one end to the lever and at the other to the
ladder and passing over pulleys N, N, on the carriage, substantially as set
forth.
2. In a fire escape, or scaling ladder provided with the arrangement for moving
the ladder or ladders on the carriage, as set forth in the preceding claim, the
combination with the lever L L and main ladder H of hinged struts R R, to
automatically lock the lever in the position shewn in Fig. 4, substantially as set
forth.
3. In a fire escape, or scaling ladder provided with the arrangement for moving
the ladder or ladders on the carriage, as set forth in the first claim, the combination
of a pin or automatic drop bolt, worked by a spring and dropping into a hole on the
framing, with a stop on the side of the ladder, substantially as and for the purposes
set forth.
4. In a fire escape, or scaling ladder provided with the arrangement for moving
the ladder or ladders on the carriage, as set forth in the first claim, the combination
of projections S, S, on the lever L, L, with the standards Jon the carriage,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
5. In a fire escape, or scaling ladder of the class described, the additional
studs M3 M3 on the ladder H, in combination with the ropes M, M, so that the
said ropes can be used as guy lines, substantially as set forth and shewn in
Fig. 4.
6. In a fire escape, or scaling ladder provided with the arrangement for moving
the ladder or ladders on the carriage, as set forth in the first claim, the combination
with the standards J' of pivoted fingers W, provided with springs X, for the
purpose of enabling the ladders to be readily removed from the carriage, substan-
tially as set forth.
Dated this 16th day of October 1891.
AMBROSE MYALL,
21, Cockspur Street, London, S. W., Agent for the Applicant.