Improved Means for Raising and Lowering Weights in Case of Fire, or for other purposes.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Dec., 1899-Accepted, 24th Mar., 1900
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Raising and Lowering Weights in Case of
Fire, or for other purposes.
EDWARD GERRETT, Manager Limited Company, 67 to 77, Brompton Road, London,
S.W., in the County of Middlesex, I 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 an improved apparatus for lowering and raising weights or
for use in saving life in case of fire.
In order to achieve the object of my invention I construct one two or more rollers
made of any suitable material provided with rope or chain so arranged that when one
roller unwinds the rope, the rope on the other roller being wound up, or vice versa.
Each of the said rollers have a cog wheel at one end, which gear into each other.
The other end of one of the rollers has a band brake attached thereto, the said band
brake is so arranged that it can be adjusted to let down any weight. I sometimes
use an oil brake to answer the same purpose. The two rollers revolve on bearings,
the said bearings are fixed to a frame. The said frame is fixed in a convenient
position on a girder or bracket on the top of a building or over the top of a window
where it may be used in case of fire. The said apparatus is provided with a suitable
covering ornamental or otherwise to protect it from the weather.
The said apparatus can also be used inside a building for raising and lowering boxes
or other freight.
I will now proceed to describe my invention in detail having reference to the
accompanying illustrative drawings in which similar letters of reference are used to
denote similar or equivalent parts wherever they occur.
Fig. 1 on Sheet 1 shows two rollers with the toothed wheels in gear with each
other, showing one roller with the rope wound round it, and the other roller with
the rope almost unwound, and showing the four bearing fixed to the frame.
Fig. 2 is an end view of the two cog wheels in gear.
Fig. 3 on Sheet 2 is an end view of the two rollers showing one roller with the rope
completely wound up and the end of the rope hanging down with a stirrup or foot-
rest attached, and the other roller with the rope almost unwound, showing the long
rope broken apart and short end of the rope with a stirrup or footrest attached
thereto.
Fig. 4 shows an ordinary band brake with band attached to one end of the rope,
showing the rope broken away, the other end of the rope touching the ground if
required.
Fig. 5 on Sheet 3 shows a modification of the apparatus with only one roller with a
flange at each end, and one flange in the centre, and is supplied with 2 lengths of rope.
The said centre flange forming a division for each rope, to prevent the ropes touching
each other. The said roller is provided with a band brake the same as before
described and fixed to the end of the said roller, the two ends of the ropes have
stirrups or footrests attached as shown in Fig. 3 on Sheet 2. When one of the
2 ropes is wound up, the other rope has run down. In Fig. 1 on Sheet 1 A is the
roller with the rope nearly unwound. A shows the roller with the rope nearly
wound up. B B is the two cog wheels running in gear. B1 B1 are the four

page_text: bearings. CC are the ends of the spindles which revolve in the bearings. C1 C1
are the ropes.
C2 C2 is the framework. In Fig. 2, B B is the two cog wheels in
gear. CC is the ends of two spindles. In Fig. 3 on Sheet 2 A is the roller with the
rope nearly unwound. Al is the roller with the rope nearly wound up. CC are
the ends of the two spindles which revolves in the bearings. C1 C1 is the ropes.
H H are the ends broken away. DD is the stirrups or footrests. In Fig. 4 E is the
band of the brake. E 2 is the sheave to which the baud is attached, F is one end of
the band fixed to the framework C2. F1 is the other end of the band with a rope
attached marked C3, for the purpose of putting on the brake for lowering the weight.
Fig. 5 on Sheet 3 A is one part of the roller showing the rope nearly unwound. Al
is the other parts howing the rope nearly wound up.
B1 is the bearings. CC is the ends of the spindles. C2 is the framework. E is
the band of the brake. E 2 is the sheave. K K K are the flanges.
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 :-
1st. The arrangement and combination of parts forming the improved apparatus
for raising and lowering weights, substantially as described and illustrated in Fig. 1
of the accompanying drawings.
2nd. In combination of mechanism employed in the construction of the improved
means for raising and lowering weights, substantially as described and illustrated in
the accompanying drawings.
1000