Improved Ornamental Apparatus for Effecting Personal Escape from Upper Stories of Houses on Fire.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Sept., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 15th Oct., 1895-Accepted, 14th Mar., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Ornamental Apparatus for Effecting Personal Escape from
Upper Stories of Houses on Fire.
EDWARD GRIFFITH 42 Basinghall Street London E.C. Commission Agent do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
First I make an elongated drum, which is made to revolve upon au axle. Upon
the inside of the drum I fix a spring or springs in connection upon the drum and
upon the axle. The ends of the axle are secured to a frame, fitted within an
ornamental case enclosing the drum. Around the drum I wind a long chain. I fix
the complete apparatus upon a convenient position on the house, generally over
a window. Then the apparatus is ready for action. When a person seizes hold of
the end of chain, the drum immediately revolves, thus unwinding the chain and
lowering the person. The spring inside of drum winding up as the descent is
made when the person releases hold of the chain, the spring power recoils the chain
around the drum, so that it is ready to re-operate.
Dated this 3rd day of September 1895.
Improved Ornamental Apparatus for Effecting Personal Escape from
Upper Stories of Houses on Fire.
EDWARD GRIFFITH, 42 Basinghall Street, London, E.C., Commission Agent
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 may be accomplished in more than one fashion: First. I describe
one fashion thus; I make a drum A, which is made to revolve upon an axle I ;
upon the inside of the drum, I fix a spring, or springs, in connection upon the
drum and upon the axle I, K, L, M ; the ends of the axle are secured to a frame, N.
Around the drum A I wind a long chain 0: In circumstances where a brake
power is necessary, I provide the power by passing my chain over a lever
connected to a brake B, C : The frame, enclosing the drum, may be fitted within
an ornamental case Fig. 3. I fix the complete apparatus upon a convenient
position on the house, generally over a window. Then the apparatus is ready for
action. When a person seizes hold of the end of chain, the drum immediately
revolves, thus unwinding the chain and lowering the person the spring of drum
winding up as the descent is made. When the person releases hold of the chain,
the spring power recoils the chain around the drum, so that it is ready to
re-operate.
Secondly. I describe another fashion thus :-I make a drum P which is made
to revolve upon an axle Q, upon the outside of drum I make connections R to a
spring motive power S. Around the drum P I wind a long chain T, where circum-
stances require I make a brake power by passing the chain over a lever U, in
connection with a brake V, this second described machine is used exactly as my
first described machine.

page_text: I have illustrated and described means of carrying the invention into effect, but
the invention can be carried into effect by other means. The apparatus may be
made portable, or for fixing and may be attached to the face of a building, or
built in a building, or be placed anywhere within a building.
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 :-
:-
I. The adaptation of a roller or drum to wind or unwind a chain, for use as a
fire escape and like purposes the motive power, of re-coiling the chain on the drum,
being a spring or springs :-arranged either inside, or outside, or both inside and
outside the drum or roller.
II. A brake, the action of which is applied by the descending chain bringing it
into operation.
III. A chain carriage to adjust and regulate the coiling of the chain around a
drum, the action of the chain carriage being regulated by a chain in connection
with the end of drum, and a powerful spring operating it, in the reverse direction
to maintain the position of the chain carriage.
IV. The method of connecting springs for internal operation within a roller by
connecting flanges with ingoing sockets, and sheath overlapping and having free
movement upon the sockets, and the spring, encircling the sheath, being fixed to
the flanges.
Dated this 14th day of October 1895.
EDWARD GRIFFITH.