Improved Fire Escape.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 30th June, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 20th Mar., 1894-Accepted, 21st Apr., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Fire Escape.
I, CHARLES NEWMAN, of Paradise Street, Rotherhithe, in the County of
London, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of my invention is to provide a fire escape of simple construction
and which may be easily manipulated.
In carrying my invention into practice I secure on the inside of the room or
building from which my improved apparatus is to be used two uprights, in such a
manner that their upper ends are on a level with and near each corner of the
bottom of the window frame.
To the upper ends of said uprights I so hinge one end of two rods or bars that
when placed ready for use their outer or free ends project through the window.
Said rods or bars, which may be made of wood, open metal work, or the like, are
constructed in three or more lengths so hinged together that when the fire escape
is not in use they may be folded up into a compact form, but when open and
projecting through the window they form a rigid support.
In the free end of each of said rods or bars I pivot a grooved pulley, over each
of which a rope is placed having one end thereof secured to a basket or the like,
in which the persons escaping may be lowered by means of said ropes.
A. hood or guard may be provided for each of said pulleys to prevent the ropes
escaping from them; and the parts in which said pulleys are pivoted may be
constructed separately, and connected to the ends of the rods or bars by means of
swivel joints.
Dated this 20th ST
1000
CASTLE SMITH,
"Invention" Office, 54, Fleet Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.
CHARLES NEWMAN, of The Barley Mow, Paradise Street, Rotherhithe, S.E.,
Publican, 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 fire escape consists of one or two brackets, each of which is situated inside
the room when not in use and can be extended at will, to project outside after
opening the window, forming a rigid support, by means of which a person can be
lowered to the ground in a fireproof bag or other device. Each bracket is con-
structed with uprights as A Fig. 1. fixed inside any room just under the window
and extending from the floor to about the top of the wooden window sill attached
to which by a hinged & pin joint is a bar or bracket with one or more arms; two
arms B & C are shown in the drawing Fig. 1. which is the side view thereof. The
two arms are hinged at the junction and on the end of the second arm C a pulley
or wheel is attached over which a rope D is passed with a hook on one end
thereof, the rope being long enough to reach the ground or arranged to stop within
Price l

page_text: a few inches of it by simply tieing a knot in the rope in the right position, or by
a clip attached thereto.
There is a fireproof canvas bag E with a strong metal or fireproof rim round the
top with eyes attached thereto, through which, when the escape is being used, the
hooks attached to the rope are passed by any person inside the room after opening
the window, so that the bag hangs down outside. The rope is thrown out, one end
of which can be held by any person in the room as it hangs over the pulley & thus
step into the bag, or any person outside on the ground can hold the rope & the
person in the bag can be guided in descending either by his own aid, by that of
any person in the room, or by that of the person outside, the bag being lowered by
means of the weight of the person in it. One or two additional running blocks
or wheels are also fixed horizontally on the window board inside round which
the rope may be passed by any person inside the room to control the lowering
of the bag.
When the fire escape is not in use the brackets, the rope and the fireproof bag
can be folded up and will rest against the wall on the floor inside the room, the
full length of rope being coiled up, but the hook end of same being still in position
round the wheel.
Fig. 1. shows the side view of the fire escape bracket and fireproof bag when
extended and in use.
Fig. 2. shows the view from inside the room when the bracket is extended.
Fig. 3. shows the plan of bracket when extended.
The upright A consists of an iron or other strong metal rod or bar securely
fastened to the floor and shown by Fig. 2. which is a front view of A from inside
the room showing also a section through the floor with A attached thereto and
inade secure by a metal plate which is coach screwed to the joists; the rod A
passing through same and the floor boards & nutted underneath.
The side view of the two arms B & C of each bracket are shown in Fig. 1, in
position when the arms are extended and in use, the arm B resting on the block F
which may be wood or metal & fixed on the sill or on the arm B.
The plan of bracket is shown by Fig. 3, the arms of which are constructed to
the required lengths of thin plates of iron or other metal & bolted or rivetted with
distance pieces to block the plates apart.
At one end of C a pulley or wheel G is placed over which the rope passes.
One or two of these brackets can be used, one in the centre of the width of the
window, or one on each side of the window and they can be of various sizes
and lengths.
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 which I
claim is
That this is an "Improved Fire Escape" constructed with hinged bracket or
brackets and a fireproof bag all of which can be placed and kept inside any room
or building and used by any person; in case of need, from the inside, with or
without the aid or assistance of any one on the ground below and it is a simple and
ready means of escape in case of fire.
Dated this 20th day of March 1894.
MURRAY & FOSTER,
Agents.