An Improved Domestic Fire-escape.
Year: 1895

page_text: PROVISIONAL DE MULE TUATION,
An Improved Domestic Fire-escape.
I, REMI JEAN GEORGES MONTARDON, of 75, Rue de Passy, Paris, France,
Violinist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to an improved life-saving apparatus or domestic fire-escape
which is of simple construction, easy of manipulation, and can be readily fixed to
the window-sill or balcony or to hooks on the building provided for the purpose so
that no time, which is of such consequence on an emergency, need be lost. By
means of this apparatus the occupants of a building may quickly escape without
external aid.
My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which
Figure 1 represents a face view, Figure 2 a side view, and Figure 3 a plan of
the apparatus.
Figure 4 represents a side view and Figure 5 a face view of a modified arrange-
ment of the apparatus.
The same letters of reference denote like parts in all the figures.
The fire escape consists essentially of a drum a mounted to turn loosely upon- an
axle & carried by brackets c, c, and secured by means of nuts screwing on the ends
of said axle. The brackets c are braced together by tie-rod d, as shewn in
Figure 2, and are of such construction that the apparatus may be readily fixed to
the window-sill or balcony or suspended from hooks on the building. The
brackets c may be provided with leather straps e for more securely attaching the
apparatus to the balcony or other rigid support.
In descending, the drum a is held fast, it being provided for this purpose with a
perforation at one end to receive a pin f which abuts against one of the brackets
and so prevents the drum from rotating. Upon the drum a is coiled two, three, or
four turns of a rope g one end of which is provided with a band of leather or
other suitable material, terminating in a running loop, as seen.
The apparatus is
of sufficiently small size to be enclosed in a box but care should be taken to keep
the rope coiled upon the drum so that the escape may be always ready for use.
On an alarm of fire the apparatus is immediately applied to the window, the
The band is then
pin being inserted so as to prevent rotation of the drum.
passed under the arms and the person escaping then allows himself to descend by
his own weight, the descent being checked by gently grasping the free end of the
rope. In this manner the arms and legs are completely free so as to enable the
person escaping to avoid striking in his descent against coraices or other projecting
parts of the building. During the descent the rope slips cu the drum a as the latter
is prevented from rotating and consequently but a very little effort is required to
steady the person descending. On reaching the ground the person using the escape
releases the band which may then be drawn up again to enable another person to
use the escape, the pin f having been first removed from the drum by a person in
the room so as to permit the drum to rotate.
In this manner a number of persons may be rescued in succession, care being
When all the inmates
taken to replace the pin fin position before each descent.
have been rescued, the last person remaining passes the band under his arms,
throws out of the window all the rope remaining in the room, and after inserting

page_text: the pin f in the drum descends by his own weight, the free end of the rope being
held either by him during his descent or by another person in the street.
In cases where any of the inmates of a house are too timid or unable through
illness or other cause to avail themselves of the apparatus, it may be used as an elevator
for going in search of them. For this purpose after fixing the apparatus the pin f
is withdrawn and the band lowered to the ground, after which the other end of the
rope which should simply be passed over the drum without being coiled thereon, is
thrown out of the window so as to enable any one after placing the band under the
arms to draw himself up or be drawn up by others, by pulling on the free end of
the rope.
In this manner the rescuer is enabled to enter the building in search of
any person remaining in it, and can then proceed to lower them to the ground in
the manner before described. The lowering operation occupies but a few moments
and the raising operation can be performed in less than half a minute.
In the arrangement represented in Figures 4 and 5 the drum a is provided with
a ring of ratchet teeth i recessed therein at one end with which a pawlj pivoted
to bracket c engages. This ratchet and pawl may be used in lieu of the stop pin f,
the employment of which is therefore optional.
Dated this 29th day of August 1895
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
I, REMI JEAN GEORGES MONTARDON of 75, Rue de Passy, Paris, France,
Violinist, 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 life-saving apparatus or domestic fire escape
which is of simple construction, easy of manipulation, and can be readily fixed to
the window-sill or balcony or to hooks on the building provided for the purpose so
that no time which is of such consequence on an emergency, need be lost.
means of this apparatus the occupants of a building may quickly escape without
external aid.
By
My invention is illustrated in the drawings accompanying my Provisional
Specification in which
Figure 1 represents a face view, Figure 2 a side view, and Figure 3 a plan of
the apparatus.
Figure 4 represents a side view, and Figure 5 a face view of a modified arrange-
ment of the apparatus.
The same letters of reference denote like parts in all the figures.
The fire escape consists essentially of a drum a mounted to turn loosely upon an
axle b carried by brackets c c and secured by means of nuts screwing on the ends
of said axle. The brackets c are braced together by a tie-rod d and are of such
form, as shewn in Figure 2 that the apparatus may be readily fixed to the window-
sill or balcony or suspended from hooks on the building. The brackets c may be
provided with leather straps e for more securely attaching the apparatus to the
balcony or other rigid support.
In descending the drum a is held fast it being provided for this purpose with a
perforation at one end to receive a pin f which abuts against one of the brackets
and so prevents the drum from rotating. Upon the drum a is coiled two, three, or
four turns of a rope g one end of which is provided with a band h of leather or
other suitable material terminating in a running loop as seen.
The apparatus is of sufficiently small size to be enclosed in a box but care

page_text: should be taken to keep the rope coiled upon the drum so that the escape may be
always ready for use.
On an alarm of fire the apparatus is immediately applied to the window the
pin being inserted so as to prevent rotation of the drum.
The person
escaping then passes the band h under his arms and allows hinself to descend by
his own weight, the descent being checked by gently grasping the free end of the
rope. In this manner the arms and legs are completely free so as to enable the
person escaping to avoid striking in his descent against cornices or other projecting
parts of the building. During the descent the rope slips on the drum a as the
latter is prevented from rotating and consequently but very little effort is required
to steady the person descending. On reaching the ground the person using the
escape releases the band which may then be drawn up again to enable another
person to use the escape, the pin having been first removed from the drum by a
person in the room so as to permit the drum to rotate.
In this manner a number of persons may be rescued in succession, care being taken
to replace the pin f in position before cach descent. When all the inmates have
been rescued the last person remaining passes the band under his arms, throws out
of the window all the rope remaining in the room, and after inserting the pin fin
the drum descends by his own weight, the free end of the rope being held either
by him during his descent or by another person in the street.
In cases where any of the inmates of a house are too timid or unable through
illness or other cause to avail themselves of the apparatus, it may be used as an
elevator for going in search of them. For this purpose after fixing the apparatus
the pin is withdrawn and the band lowered to the ground after which the other
end of the rope, which should simply be passed over the drum without being coiled
thereon, is thrown out of the window so as to enable anyone after placing the band
under the arms to draw himself up or be drawn up by others by pulling on the
free end of the rope.
In this manner the rescuer is enabled to enter the building
in search of any person remaining in it and can then proceed to lower them to the
ground in the manner before described. The lowering operation occupies but a
few moments and the raising operation can be performed in less than half a
minute.
In the arrangement represented in Figures 4 and 5 the drum a is provided with
a ring of ratchet teeth i recessed therein at one end with which a pawlj pivoted
to bracket c engages. This ratchet and pawl may be used in lieu of the stop pin f
the employment of which is therefore optional.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
A portable fire escape for descending from or ascending to the upper storeys of
buildings, consisting essentially' of brackets c extended to form U-shaped braces
with means thereon for securing said brackets to the window-sill, balcony, or other
part of the house, an axle carried by said brackets, a rotatable drum mounted upon
said axle, means for effecting an engagement and disengagement between the drum
and the brackets for allowing of or preventing the rotation of the drum, and a rope
coiled around the drum and having one end provided with a band adapted to be
passed under the arms the said rope forming the means for controlling the descent
or elevation of the person all substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated
in the drawings.
Dated this 6th day of March 1896.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.