Improvements in Portable Apparatus for Facilitating Escape from. Fire and the Extinguishing of such Fires.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 4th June, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 6th Apr., 1891-Accepted, 9th May, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Portable Apparatus for Facilitating Escape from.
Fire and the Extinguishing of such Fires.
I, EDWARD PRATT, of Albert Ironworks, Uxbridge, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to portable apparatus by which the escape of persons from
the windows or upper part of burning buildings is greatly facilitated, the improved
apparatus being also provided with water hose and other appliances of the usual
kind, by which the extinguishing of such fires is effected.
I take a hollow column or standard of wood, metal, or other suitable material
and of sufficient length or height.
At some distance from the bottom of this column (preferably about 6 feet)
transverse gudgeons or pivots are fixed or formed which are carried by and turn in
corresponding bearings at the top of a strong frame or support of sufficient height
which is firmly fixed upon a horizontal platform or carriage supported upon wheels
so that it can be readily moved from place to place as required, two of the wheels
being preferably of larger diameter than the other two to facilitate such movement.
One side of the fixed frame or support is open, so that when the column is turned
upon its pivots from a horizontal to a vertical position its lower end can enter the
open side of the frame, and when in a vertical position can be firmly secured by
bolts, wedges, or other equivalent means.
Upon the platform or carriage I fix a windlass provided with a rope or chain the
outer end of which is fixed to the lower end of the pivotted column or tube, so that
the latter can be raised by the windlass to a vertical position or lowered to its
horizontal position as required.
Round the column fits freely a moveable stage or platform which can rise and
fall upon the column, when the latter is vertical, to any desired height. A chain
or rope is attached to this platform, and passes up over one or more pulleys at the
top of the column and thence down to the windlass already described, or to a
similar one, by means of which the platform can be raised or lowered to any
position. The rising and falling platform carries the firemen, and it may also be
provided with a ladder and sliding bridge which can be extended to the windows or
roof of buildings. A length of hose pipe is also carried along the entire length of
the column, to which it is fixed and the hose pipe is provided with junctions
or unions to which additional lengths of hose and nozzles can be connected for the
purpose of delivering water in any required direction. The water hose from an
engine or from the main is coupled in the usual way to the lower end of the hose
pipe described.
By means of my improved apparatus, access can be readily obtained by firemen
to any part of a burning building, from which persons in danger can be rescued and
lowered by the moving platform. At the same time the firemen can readily direct
a stream of water at the height and to the points where it will be most effective.
Dated this 4th day of June 1890.
EDWARDS & Co.,
35, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Portable Apparatus for Facilitating Escape from
Fire and the Extinguishing of such Fires.
I, EDWARD PRATT, of Albert Ironworks, Uxbridge, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, 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 and accompanying drawing, that is to say:-
My present invention relates to portable apparatus by which the escape of
persons from the windows or upper parts of burning buildings is greatly facilitated,
the improved apparatus being also provided with water hose and other appliances
of the usual kind, by which the extinguishing of such fires is effected.
The accompanying drawing is in illustration of my invention and shews a side
view of the apparatus.
In order to put my invention in operation I take a hollow column or standard a
of wood, metal, or other suitable material and of sufficient length or height. At
some distance from the bottom of this column (preferably about 6 feet) transverse
gudgeons or pivots are formed or fixed which are carried by, and turn in,
corresponding bearings at the top of a strong frame or support d of wood or
metal, of sufficient height to keep the column a steady when raised, which is firmly
fixed upon a horizontal platform e, or carriage supported upon wheels so that it can
be readily moved froin place to place as required, two of the wheels being
preferably of larger diameter than the other two to facilitate such movements.
One side of the fixed frame or support d is open, so that when the column a is
turned upon its pivots from a horizontal to a vertical position as shewn in dotted
lines, its lower end can enter the open side of the frame d, and when in a vertical
position can be firmly secured by bolts, wedges, or other equivalent means g.
Upon the platform or carriage e I fix a windlass provided with a rope or
.chain the outer end of which passes round guide pulleys and is then fixed to the
lower end of the pivotted column or tube a at so that the latter can be raised by
the windlass to a vertical position, as shewn in dotted lines, or lowered to its
horizontal or inclined position as required.
Round the column a fits freely a moveable stage or platform k which can rise
and fall upon the column a, to any desired height. A chain or rope preferably of
steel is attached to this platform and passes up over one or more pulleys at the
top of the column a and thence down to the windlass already described, or to a
similar one, by means of which the platform k can be raised or lowered to any
position.
The rising and falling platform k carries the firemen, and it may also be provided
with a ladder and sliding bridge which can be extended to the windows or roofs of
buildings.
A length of hose pipe m is also carried along the entire length of the column a to
which it is fixed, and this hose pipe is provided with junctions or unions n, to which
additional lengths of hose and nozzles can be connected for the purpose of delivering
water in any required direction. The water hose from an engine or from the main
is coupled in the usual way to the lower end of the hose pipe described at n!.
Two three or four wheels may be used, four being preferable.
To the axles of the front wheels, shafts for a horse or handles for men can be
attached in the usual way.
When the shaft or tube a is raised to the vertical position as shewn in dotted
-.lines, by the means.described, the required number of firemen stand on the moving
platform k and are elevated to the required position by means of the crab or
windlass . The platform k may carry in addition to firemen, supplementary
scaling ladders or light escapes so that the loftiest buildings may be reached.
When persons are to be rescued from very high buildings sliding arms may be
run out from the lower frame e so as to increase the width of support, the horizontal

page_text: position of the frame and consequently the vertical position of the shaft being
maintained by adjusting screws. The raising and lowering crab h is fitted with a
brake as well as the moving platform k so that the platform can be stopped in its
ascent or descent in any position.
The main column a may be made telescopic but by preference it is made in
one length and the additional apparatus required carried on the sliding platform k.
Should time be all important a fireman can stand upon any part of the column a
and be raised with it without the intervention of the sliding platform k.
To the sliding platform k a supplementary platform may be attached which is
raised with the former but can be separated from it and fixed at any desired height
upon the column so that firemen or rescuers may remain aloft upon it while the
rescued are being sent below.
In addition to the saving of life this apparatus can be used as a portable scaffold
for painting cleaning and repairing buildings.
The windlass h, may be provided with ordinary clutches so that either the rope i
for elevating the column, or the rope for raising or lowering the platform k, or
both simultaneously, may be used. Or two separate windlasses arranged in any
convenient part of the platform e may be used.
By means of my improved apparatus, access can be readily obtained by firemen
to any part of a burning building, from which persons in danger can be rescued and
lowered by the moving platform. At the same time the firemen can readily direct
a stream of water at the height and to the points where it will be most effective.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and the manner in which the same is to be performed, I declare that
what I claim is :-
1. The combination of the platform e, frame d, column a, pivots b, sliding
platform, windlass, and rope i, arranged and operating substantially as and for
the purpose described and illustrated.
2. The combination of the pivotted column a, sliding platform k, windlass h, and
rope 1, for the purpose of raising and lowering the platform k, substantially as
described and illustrated.
3. The combination of the devices for turning the column a upon the pivots b
with the devices for raising and lowering the platform k, substantially as described
and shown.
4. In combination with the pivotted column a, the water hose m, and branches or
unions n, substantially as described and illustrated.
1 1
CA 1 1001
EDWARDS & Co.,
35, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.