Year: 1886

page_text: I WILLIAM WILLOTT POPPLEWELL of 17 and 18 Southampton Buildings in the
county of Middlesex, Civil Engineer of the firm of Popplewell Colton & Co. Patent
Agents and Consulting Engineers do hereby declare the nature of the above inven-
tion (which has been communicated to me from abroad by Ferdinand William
Hofele, of the city, county and state of New York, U.S.A.) and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
This invention relates to an improved telescopic ladder of that class in which an
extension ladder formed of a number of ladder sections is pivotted to and supported
on a truck, and adapted to be raised into an upright position, so as to be extended
by a suitable hoisting gear, said telescopic ladder being adapted for the use of fire-
departments, army observatories, for hoisting safes and for other purposes and
the invention consists of a telescopic ladder composed of a number of extensible
ladder-sections, said ladder being pivotted to the frame of a supporting truck and
raised into upright position or lowered on the truck frame by means of hoisting
devices operated in connection with hinged auxiliary posts that are supported in
inclined position on intermediate posts when the ladder is lowered on the truck
frame and locked to the main-posts at the opposite ends of the truck frame when
it is to be raised.
The extension ladder is extended by means of a hoisting gear composed of a
drum having sprocket wheels, and endless chains that are connected to the first
and second sections of the ladder and guided over suitable pulleys. The invention
consists further of certain details of construction which will be fully described
hereinafter and finally pointed out in the claims.
In the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1. represents a side elevation of my improved telescopic ladder shewn as
supported in folded state on the truck.
Fig. 2. is a side elevation of the ladder, shewing it in raised position and ready
to be extended,

page_text: Fig. 3. is a side elevation of the same drawn on a smaller scale and shewn
entirely extended.
Fig. 4. is a side elevation of the telescopic ladder drawn on a larger scale and
shewing the extending mechanism.
Fig. 5. is a vertical transverse section on the line x-x Fig. 1 drawn to a larger
scale.
Figs. 5 and 5 are details of the tiller shaft and its locking device.
Figs. 6 and 7. are respectively a side view and end view of the mechanism for
raising and locking the mainposts.
Fig. 8. is a vertical section of the front part of the truck shewing the device for
automatically unlocking the hose-reel.
Figs. 9 and 10. are details of the telescopic ladder shewing the ice-scrapers and
Figs. 11 and 12 shew my improved telescopic ladder applied respectively for use
as an army observatory and for hoisting safes or other heavy objects.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
In the drawings A represents the truck frame on which my improved telescopic
ladder L is supported.
The truck frame A is made of any suitable construction and supported on the
fifth wheel of the front axle, and on a bolster of the hind axle the position of
which is regulated by a tiller mechanism of the usual construction. The truck
frame A is reinforced by a light iron truss frame and provided near the ends with
upright mainposts B. B one at each side, and intermediately between the same
with shorter posts or standards B¹ the latter being preferably made of wrought
iron.
The standards B' are provided at their upper ends with keepers b. for supporting
the auxiliary posts C. C in inclined position said posts C. C. being hinged at their
lower ends to the truck frane A close to the upright main posts B. B and
provided at their upper ends with pulleys d. The main posts B. B are also
provided with pulleys a. a. at their upper ends which pulleys guide the ropes a¹
that are attached to the auxiliary posts C. C. and provided at their opposite ends-
with handles a² by which the ropes a¹ can be readily taken hold of for hoisting or
lowering the auxiliary posts C. C. To the hinged posts C are pivotted locking
hooks e. which are guided in quadrantal keepers e and adapted to be locked to
pins e of the main posts B as shown in Figs. 2. 6 and 7.
The raising of the auxiliary posts C into upright position is accomplished by the
ropes al without difficulty as the intermediate standards B¹ support the posts C in
inclined position from which they can be raised in a quick and easy manner until
they arrive at the main-posts and are locked thereto. When the hinged posts C
are locked to the upright posts B of the truck frame A the telescopic or extension
ladder L which is supported on the truck frame and applied to the same by the
pivot shaft I can be readily raised from a horizontal into a vertical position by
ropes E which are attached to the main posts of the extension-ladder, and passed
over the pulleys d. at the upper end of the auxiliary posts C to the hoisting
drums F which are located respectively at the front and rear trucks of the truck
frame A. The raising of the extension ladder L on its pivot shaft is readily
accomplished by winding the front rope E on the front drum F and simultaneously
unwinding the hind rope E from the hind-drum F¹ until the extension ladder
arrives in upright position, as shewn in Fig. 2. When the extension ladder is in
upright position it is secured to the ground by means of the foot screws L' which
are properly adjusted so that their roughened or rubber-covered surfaces firmly
press on the ground.
The pivot shaft I of the extension ladder L is supported in adjustable bearings,
provided with levelling screws I shewn in Figs. 1 and 2 by which the extension
ladder can be readily adjusted to an upright or inclined position, prior to extending
the sections.
To prevent the truck frame from changing its position during the operation of
raising the extension ladder L when the truck is on slightly inclined ground, or

page_text: when the same is pulled up-hill, it is provided at both sides with swiveled truck
braces A¹ which are supported in keepers alongside of the beams of the truck and
dropped whenever required for use. They are provided with pointed ends, so as
to "bite" the ground.
A rigid tool-platform G is suspended by fixed hangers G' below the truck
frame A at the middle of the same and provided with side-steps G said platform G
and steps G serving to support a number of tools and implements and also some
of the attendants required for handling the extension-ladder when arriving at the
place of use.
At the back of the driver's seat is supported on fixed hangers a platform G³
shewn in Fig. 8. on which the foreman takes his place so as to ring the bell
arranged below the driver's seat and direct from this position the different move-
ments of the extension-ladder when raising or lowering the same. In connection
with the hinged auxiliary posts C is arranged a device for automatically unlocking
the hose-reel H, when lifting said posts.
This unlocking device is shewn in Fig. 8. and consists of a chain or rope r, that
is attached to the lower end of one of the auxiliary front posts C and passed over
a pulley of one of the front main-posts B and then downward to a check-pawl r
that is pivoted to a bracket-plate on the front main-post B. The pawl å engages
a ratchet-wheel on the shaft of the hose-reel H. When the hinged post C is
lifted and firmly locked to the fixed main-post B. the chain or rope r. is stretched
so as to lift the pawl 2 out of engagement with the ratchet wheel and unlock
thereby the hose-reel automatically so that when the ladder L is extended the hose
unwinds from the reel H without requiring the separate unlocking of the same.
The extension-ladder consists of three or more ladder-sections of which the lower
section is composed of four posts which are connected by transverse rungs and
braces so as to be rigidly connected with each other.
The second section is made in the same manner and guided in rails of the first
or main-section, while the top-section is made of a single ladder as will appear by
reference to cross-section, Fig. 5.
The extension-ladder L is provided with four hinged and extensible braces L³,
that are placed in inclined position when the ladder is in raised position as shewn
in Figs. 2 and 3.
When the extension ladder has been raised, properly levelled, secured to the
ground by the foot-screws L¹ and the extension braces L² placed in position, a
hoisting drum L³ at the base of the extension-ladder L is operated in the usual
manner.
The hoisting drum L' operates four endless hoisting chains L* which pass around
sprocket wheels of the drum and over suitable guide-pulleys m. m. near the same
and guide-pulleys.m¹ at the upper ends of the first ladder-section to the lower ends
of the second ladder section, and from the same over the guide pulleys m³ back to
the drum. The upper ends of the first ladder section are also connected by
chains L which pass over pulleys m³ of the second ladder section to the lower
ends of the third ladder section as shown in Fig. 4. so that on hoisting the second
section of the ladder by turning the drum L³ the third section is simultaneously
raised by the chains L. As the first and second ladder-sections are connected by
four endless chains with the hoisting-drum L³ which latter engages the chains L'
by means of the sprocket-wheels shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4. they impart
thereby a positive motion to the second ladder-section both in extending and
telescoping without relying at all on the weight of the second telescoping section
in lowering the same. This is an essential feature of the present application as
thereby any danger in extending or telescoping the extension ladder is avoided,
even in case any one of the endless chains break.
The turning of the drum L³ is accomplished by means of a crank-shaft and
suitable gearing in connection with the usual pawl and ratchet-devices brakes etc
not shewn in the drawings. By the positive motion imparted by the hoisting gear
described any obstruction caused by the formation of ice on the sideposts or rails

page_text: of the upper sections of the ladder can be readily overcome, for this purpose the
first and second sections of the ladder L are provided with transverse scrapers 8. 8
shown in Figs. 9 & 10 which scrapers remove any ice that may have been formed
in cold weather on the rails of the second and third sections when lowering the
same after use.
.
To the main section of the ladder is attached a seat T¹ for the tiller-man which
seat is arranged back of the tiller wheel T. To the second and third ladder
sections are attached firemen's platforms T2 T3 which serve as stops when the
ladder is telescoped, so as to protect the hoisting gear from being injured by
contact with the lower ends of the telescopic ladder-sections.
The tiller-wheel is keyed to a tiller-key K. which is made of two sections, a
lower section Ķ² which is supported in a bracket bearing K* of the truck frame A
and provided with a pinion K³ and an upper longer section K' which is pivoted
to the lower section K³ and connected to the tiller-wheel T as shewn in Fig. 5.
The upper section K¹ of the tiller key K is passed through slots i. in the side posts
of the third or upper ladder section and fitted by its square upper end into a
square recess in the hub of the tiller wheel which is connected to the upper end of
the tiller key K by a spring key i¹ and chain or rope i² as shewn in Figs. 5 and 5º.
The hub of the tiller wheel T is connected by bolts to a flanged collar which is
fitted to a ring shaped rail of the supporting frame of the tiller wheel T.
When the extension-ladder L is to be raised the spring-key is detached from the
tiller key so that the latter is automatically disconnected from the tiller wheel by
the raising of the ladder.
When the extension ladder is lowered down to the truck frame A all that is
required is to guide the tiller-key through the slots i of the third or upper section
of the ladder aud through the collar into the hub of the tiller-wheel T after
which the spring-key is replaced and thereby the tiller-wheel locked in a reliable
manner to the tiller key without the use of any detachable parts that are liable to
get lost in operating the ladder.
The oscillating-motion of the tiller key K when detached from the tiller wheel
is corrected in one direction by a stop device formed by the eccentric lower end of
the upper section K¹ shewn on Fig. 5b so that the tiller-key cannot drop and injure
any one of the attendants when the ladder is raised.
The extension-ladder L is provided with the usual accessories such as hinged
drop-bridges which are adapted to fold up against the sides of the main-ladder and
arranged at opposite sides of the same so as to counterbalance each other, guy-
ropes, water-hose, hose-couplings and nozzles, so that when the ladder is extended
the fire-men or other attendants can readily mount the ladder, establish communi-
cation with the burning building and direct the streams of water to the points
desired. The operation of my telescopic ladder has been described to some extent 4
in connection with the description of the different parts but the main steps of the
operation are as follows. The first step consists in raising the inclined posts C
into upright position by the hand ropes a. a. and locking them to the fixed main-
posts B. Simultaneously therewith the hose-reel is unlocked. The extension-
ladder L is then raised into upright position by the ropes E and winding drums of 4
the front and rear-trucks.
.
Before raising the ladder, the tiller-man has to release the tiller wheel by with-
drawing the spring key from the tiller key. The ladder is next adjusted into
vertical or inclined position as required, and secured to the ground by the foot
screws at the base of the same.
The ladder is then extended by means of the endless-chains and hoisting gear
and supported in position by the inclined extension braces of the same and suitable
guy-ropes. The hose are lifted simultaneously with the extending of the ladder so
as to be ready for use.
5
The firemen then mount the extension ladder and take up their positions on the 5
platforms of the ladder-section so as to direct the water in any desired direction for

page_text: effectively reaching the source of fire, or getting to the upper floors of high
buildings by means of the drop-bridges.
When the telescopic ladder is used as a portable observatory, a platform is
arranged at the upper end of the third ladder section as shown in Fig. 11 while
when the ladder is used for hoisting safes and other heavy objects the extension
ladder is provided with a truss-beam at the upper end and with brace-beams in
place of the drop-bridges as shewn in Fig. 13.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and the method of performing the same I declare that what I claim is
First. The combination of a truck-frame having fixed main posts at the ends,
auxiliary posts hinged close to the main-posts, locking-devices for connecting the
auxiliary posts with the main-posts, an extension-ladder pivoted to the truck-frame,
a hoisting device consisting of hoisting drums supported by the truck-frame and
hoisting ropes passing over pulleys at the upper ends of the auxiliary posts and
being connected to opposite sides of the extension-ladder substantially as set
forth.
Secondly. The combination of a truck-frame having fixed main-posts hinged to
the truck-frame near said main posts and intermediate posts provided with keepers
at their upper ends for supporting the auxiliary posts in inclined position sub-
stantially as set forth.
Thirdly. The combination with a truck-frame, having fixed main-posts near its
ends and shorter intermediate posts, having keepers at the upper ends, of hinged
auxiliary posts, supported in inclined position on the intermediate posts and
locking devices by which the hinged posts are locked to the upright main posts
substantially as set forth.
Fourthly. The combination, with a supporting truck frame of an extension
ladder pivoted to said truck frame levelling screws for the bearings of the pivot-
shaft of the ladder and adjustable foot-screws at the lower end of the ladder for
securing it to the ground substantially as set forth.
Fifthly. The combination of a truck-frame with a rigid tool platform supported
below the same and provided with auxiliary side steps substantially as set forth.
Sixthly. The combination with the truck frame, having fixed main-posts and
hinged auxiliary posts of a device for automatically unlocking the hose-reel when
raising the hinged front posts substantially as set forth.
Seventhly. The combination with a truck-frame of an auxiliary step or platform
supported by hangers above the fifth-wheel and back of the drivers seat sub-
stantially as set forth.
Eighthly. The combination with a truck frame of a telescopic ladder supported
on the same, a tiller-wheel supported on a guide frame of the ladder a tiller-key
made in two sections, a lower section and an upper section pivoted to the lower
section and a locking device for attaching or detaching the tiller-key to or from the
tiller wheel substantially as set forth.
Ninthly. The combination, with a truck frame of a telescopic ladder supported
on the same, the uppermost ladder-section of which is provided with slots above the
tiller mechanism, a tiller key formed in two sections of which the upper section
passes through the slots in the ladder section, a tiller wheel a guide frame for said
tiller-wheel and a spring key for holding the tiller key to the hub of the tiller
wheel substantially as set forth.
Tenthly. The combination of the truck-frame, an extension-ladder pivotted
thereto, a hoisting-gear composed of a drum, having sprocket-wheels, and endless
chains that are connected to the first and second sections of the ladder, and guide
pulleys for said endless chains substantially as set forth.
Eleventhly. The combination of a truck-frame, an extension-ladder pivoted
thereto and composed of telescopic sections, a hoisting gear composed of a drum
baving sprocket wheels, endless-chains connecting the first and second sections of

page_text: the ladder, guide pulleys for said endless-chains, and chains and pulleys connecting
the second and third section of the ladder, substantially as set forth.
Twelfthly. The combination with a truck-frame of an extension ladder pivoted
to said truck-frame, a hoisting gear for extending the ladder sections, chains
connecting the first, second and third sections of the ladder, the second ladder-
sections being provided with firemen's platforms that act as stops for the ladder
sections when telescoping the same substantially as set forth.
Thirteenthly. An extension-ladder the lower sections of which are provided with
transverse scrapers at the upper ends for removing the ice when telescoping the
ladder-sections substantially as set forth.
POPPLEWELL, COLTON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.