APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING QUICK AND EASY ACCESS TO THE SUMMITS OF TALL CHIMNEYS, SHAFTS, SPIRES, LOFTY BUILDINGS AND THE LIKE
Year: 1885

page_text: I, WILLIAM WALTON of Murton House Bishop wearmouth Sunderland in the
County of Durham Schoolmaster (formerly Engineer Student in Her Majesty's
Service) do hereby declare the nature of my invention for APPARATUS FOR
OBTAINING QUICK AND EASY ACCESS TO THE SUMMITS OF TALL CHIMNEYS, SHAFTS,
SPIRES, LOFTY BUILDINGS AND THE LIKE to be as follows:-
At any convenient point, at or near the summit of the chimney, shaft, spire, or
other building I fix a large pulley which revolves in a vertical plane. At the
distance of a few inches above this pulley is a cylinder having at each end and in
the middle a ridge, thus forming a double spool. This cylinder is placed with its
axle parallel to the groove of the pulley. The cylinder axle is however not directly
above the groove of the pulley but so much towards one side that, in the revolution
of the cylinder, that part of its surface which forms one edge of a horizontal plane
through its axis is always over the groove of the pulley. That is to say: a
vertical plane through the groove of the pulley is tangental to the surface of the
cylinder. A fine strong cord is taken whose length is about twice the distance of
the pulley from the ground (or other accessible place) To each end of this cord
is attached a small weight and the middle of the cord is placed in a notch in the
circumference of the middle ridge of the cylinder. When the cylinder is made to
revolve in such a direction that a point in its circumference immediately above the
pulley passes upward and over the top of the cylinder the two halves of the cord
will be wound on the two spools at once. It is so arranged that when all the cord
is wound on the spools the weights will be over two points in the groove of the
pulley at opposite ends of a horizontal diameter of the groove. The cylinder is
prevented revolving through the mechanical moments of the weights by means of
a catch. This catch may be withdrawn by a person at any convenient station

page_text: below, by the pulling of a wire connected with it either directly or by means of a
lever or otherwise When the catch is withdrawn the weights descending turn the
cylinder, and as the cord leaves the cylindrical surface when it is over the groove
of the pulley the two cords and the groove are in the same vertical plane When
the weights reach the station below the cord finishes unwinding from the spools
and falls from the notch in the middle ridge into the groove of the pulley. It is
now clear that by detaching from one end of the fine cord its weight and attaching
instead the end of a stronger cord, this latter may be pulled over the pulley and in
a few minutes a rope can take its place which will be strong enough to hoist a
man, a rope ladder, a series of ladders, materials &°.
Dated thin 20th day of 1005

page_text: Apparatus for Obtaining Quick and Easy Access to the Summits
of Tall Chimneys, Shafts, Spires, Lofty Buildings, and the
like.
I, WILLIAM WALTON of Murton House Bishopwearmouth, Sunderland, in the
County of Durhamn, Schoolmaster, formerly Engineer Student in Her Majesty's
Naval Service do hereby declare the nature of my invention of APPARATUS FOR
OBTAINING QUICK AND EASY ACCESS TO THE SUMMITS OF TALL CHIMNEYS,
SPIRES, SHAFTS, LOFTY BUILDINGS AND OTHER ERECTIONS 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 a new method of, and apparatus for obtaining quick and
easy access to the summits or lower points of lofty erections by at any time making
an immediate connection between the summit or such lower points of the erection.
and the ground or other convenient starting place. Connection having been made
by a fine cord passing round a fixed pulley at the summit it is easy to replace this
fine cord by another of such strength as to be perfectly safe for men to ascend
either to inspect the structure itself or a lightning-rod connected thereto or (in the
case of repairs or alterations) to assist those below in raising machinery, scaffolding,
ladders, and other apparatus to their respective places for the work.
I will at once proceed to describe, with the aid of the drawings the method of
obtaining the first and immediate connection between the summit or high elevation
and the ground or low elevation.
Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 is a Front Elevation of the apparatus with the greater part of the front
cover reinoved.
Figure 2 is a Vertical Section of Figure 1 on the line x. x showing also one
method of affixing the apparatus to the structure.
Figure 3 is an End Elevation showing the Brake and the Starter worked by
pulling from below.
Figure 4 is a Horizontal Section of Figure 3 on the line y. y. showing in section
the brake-cylinder and in plan the Starting- and Brake-Lever (the Starting- and
Brake Lever being separated laterally from the Brake-Cylinder to show the parts
more clearly).
Figure 5 is another method of working the Brake and the Starter by electro-
magnetism.
Figure 6 is an enlarged sketch of the Starter showing its hinge which is made to
work in one direction only.
Figure 7 shows two methods of affixing the apparatus to a structure.
A is a horizontal axle to which are fastened so as to revolve with it a double
spool B. B. with its flanges D. D. D and a brake-cylinder C. This axle A revolves in
suitable bearings P. in the standards E E In the middle flange
of the double
spool B B is a notch F. to hold a cord when winding the spool and to let its lip

page_text: when the spool is allowed to unwind. Instead of a double spool with a flange in
the middle a single spool may be substituted with a pin fixed at some point of its
circumference half way between its ends. G. is a pulley revolving in a vertical
plane on the bolt or pin H which is securely fastened in a vertical face of the
chimney or other erection. The double spool B B is so fixed above the pulley G
that the plane of the middle flange D passes through the centre of the bolt H on
which the pulley G revolves, and also that a vertical plane through the groove of
the pulley cuts a horizontal line which is at right angles to the axis of the spool
and towards the front of the apparatus at a convenient point between b and d so
that when the spool begins to unwind, the weights N. N. falling will carry the two
ends of the cord by which they are suspended fairly into the groove M of the
pulley G. K is part of the front of the cover L which, in the drawing, slips over
the bolt H by means of a slot in the head h. It may also be otherwise arranged
and fixed. This piece K is made of such a shape as to come very near the exterior
and upper edge of the pulley G and is so bent inwards that its tendency is to guide
or throw the cord by which the two weights are suspended fairly into the groove M.
of the pulley G.
Qis a horizontal pin fixed to the frame E and forms a fulcrum for the starting-
and brake-lever R. S. The lever R carries the starter T which is hinged to work
in one direction only, as shown in Fig. 6. The lever R may also carry a sliding
weight to increase or decrease its moment about the fulcrum Q. To the end of the
lever R is attached one end of a brake-spring the other end of the spring being
attached to some fixed point Z, in the cover L or elsewhere. To the end of the
lever S is attached a wire which passes through guide-eyes to the bottom of the
structure or to some other accessible and convenient place. The starter T is meant
to press against a pin or projection U on the interior surface of the brake-cylinder.
Instead of raising the lever R by pulling down the lever S by means of the wire
attached to its end the said lever R may be raised directly by means of an electro-
magnet as shown in Fig. 5.
I will now proceed to describe the working of the apparatus The apparatus is
fixed as near as required or convenient to the summit of a chimney or other
structure The top of the apparatus may stand above the stone-work or other
building-material of the structure as shown at 1 Fig. 7 or its top may be level with
or below the top of the building-material as shown at 2 Fig. 7 The strong bolt H
on which the pulley revolves is firmly fixed to the structure-The other apparatus
may be easily taken down by unslacking the holding-down bolts.
A fine strong
cord is taken whose length is about twice the distance of the pulley from the
ground or other accessible place. To each end of this cord is attached a small
weight N and the middle of the cord is placed in the notch F (or over a pin or
projection on the surface of the spool as before mentioned) By turning the spool in
a direction over the top and backwards the two halves of the cord are wound at
the same time on to the two halves of the spool. When all the cord is wound thereon
the weights N. N will be hanging from the spool B Band above the groove M The
weight of the lever R with or without the sliding weight W tightens the brake Z on
the brake-cylinder C and the apparatus remains ready for use when required. When
access is required to the place where the pulley G is fixed the brake-lever R is
raised either by pulling the wire attached to the end of S or by sending an electric
current from the station below up the wire to and round the magnet the current
completing its circuit through the lightning conductor as shown in Figs. 5 and 7.
Raising the lever R relaxes the brake Z and sets in motion the cylinder and its
connections by means of the starter T pressing against the pin U When R reaches
the position R¹ it is ready to press on the revolving axle A and the starter Tis
safely within the orbit of the pin U as is shown in the dotted position Fig. 3. By
increasing the upward pressure of R either by pulling the wire or by means of the
magnet this lever acts as a brake in modifying the velocity of the descending
weigts N. N. In the case in which R is raised by the magnet, when it reaches the
position R it is prevented from coming into actual contact with the magnet,

page_text: pressing instead against an elastic stop V on the frame E. By increasing the force
of the electric current at the station below the. consequently increasing magnetic
force causes R to compress the elastic stop V and to press more firmly on the
axle A By decreasing the electric current or by allowing S to rise slightly the
lever R is slightly lowered and the axle A is allowed to revolve more freely.
Whether the magnet be used or not, the bottom end of the wire which actuates the
said magnet or is used to pull down the lever S is put into communication with
the lightning conductor (if there is one) for greater safety. When the pressure of
the brake is sufficiently relieved from the brake-cylinder C and from the axle A the
weights N. N cause the spool to revolve and allow the cord to unwind. When all
the fine cord is unwound from the spool the middle of the cord leaves the notch F
and falls upon the top surface of the groove of the pulley. The weights N. N. have
by this time reached their appointed station below. By detaching from one end of
the fine cord its weight and attaching instead the end of a stronger cord this latter
may be pulled over the pulley and in a few seconds its place will be taken by a
rope strong enough to hoist a man, a ladder, a series of ladders, materials &c.
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. The double spool with its middle flange containing the notch used in the
manner and for the purpose substantially as set forth.
2. The single spool with the pin or projection fixed in its circumference in the
manner and for the purpose set forth.
3. The combination of the pulley G with the double spool having in its middle
flange the notch for the purpose substantially as set forth.
4. The combination of the pulley G with the single spool having a pin or pro-
jection in its circumference for the purpose as set forth.
5. The starting lever and its arrangement as set forth.
6. The compound braking arrangement by means of the lever R tightening the
spring or pressing on the axle A substantially as set forth.
7. The braking arrangement by means of the electro-magnet substantially as set
forth.
8. The combination of 5 and 7.
9. The compound starter and brake by tension and by electro-magnetism
substantially as set forth.
10. The combination of 3 or of 4 with either of the claims numbered 5. 6. 7.
8 or 9.