IMPROVED MACHINERY OR APPARATUS TO BE APPLIED TO THE WINDOWS OF HOUSES OR OTHER BUILDINGS, FOR THE PURPOSE OF PREVENTING ACCIDENTS TO PERSONS EMPLOYED IN CLEANING OR REPI RING THE SAME, AND ALSO FOR FACILITATING THE ESCAPE OF PERSONS PROM HOUSES WHEN ON FIRE
Year: 1840

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
ROBERTS, of Brewer Street, Somers Town, in the County of Middlesex,
Ironmonger, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Eighteenth day of July, in the fourth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
James Roberts, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said James Roberts, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
and such others as I, the said James Roberts, my executors, administrators, or
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times during the term of years therein mentioned, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVED MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
TO BE APPLIED TO THE WINDOWS OF HOUSES OR OTHER BUILDINGS, FOR THE PURPOSE
OF PREVENTING ACCIDENTS TO PERSONS EMPLOYED IN CLEANING OR REPI RING THE
SAME, AND ALSO FOR FACILITATING THE ESCAPE OF PERSONS PROM HOUSES WHEN ON
FIRE;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, obliging me, the said
James Roberts, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, par-
ticularly to describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled

page_text: in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as
in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large
appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
James Roberts, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference being
had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thercon (that is to say):-
My Invention of improvements in machinery or apparatus to be applied to
windows of houses or other buildings, for the purpose of preventing accidents
to persons employed in cleaning or repairing the same, and also for facilitating
the escape of persons from houses when on fire, consists of three distinct con-
structions of machinery, the first of which I adapt to windows when they
require cleaning or repairing on the outside, in order to prevent the person
employed in such operation from accidentally falling, and thereby receiving
injury.
The second construction is a portable apparatus, by means of which com-
munication may be made from the ground through a window with persons
enclosed within a house on fire. This apparatus is a system of jointed rods
connected on the principle of what is commonly called the " lazy tongs," and
when put into operation raises a strong hook fixed at the end of the system
of rods into any window of the house, and by there taking fast hold of the
window sill holds the apparatus securely, allowing persons either to ascend or
descend by it as a ladder, or by means of a basket, attached to the end of a
rope passed through a pulley affixed to the top of the apparatus, enables
persons to be assisted in their descent without the least danger of falling.
The third construction of machine consists of a compact apparatus for facili-
tating the escape of persons from houses when on fire, and may be contained
in a dressing or other table generally placed in bedrooms. When this fire
escape is required to be used, the top of the table is raised or taken off, and the
apparatus applied to the inside of the window, against the sides of which it is
readily secured, and persons may with the greatest safety be lowered to the
ground, or may be raised therefrom by parties below in order to assist in
rescuing the inmates or furniture of the house.
In order that my Invention may be more clearly understood I have shewn
in the accompanying Drawings several views of the different apparatus above
mentioned.

page_text: When this frame
The apparatus for cleaning and repairing windows is a rectangular open
box, shewn in two vertical sections at Figures 1 and 2, and in horizontal
section at Fig. 3, under which box is to be attached a bracket frame, as seen
in Fig. 1, and shewn detached at Fig. 4. The bracket frame has two side
bars a, a, connected by a rod at the outer part, and the inner extremities of
those bars are formed as hooks b, b, which are intended (when in use) to be
attached to eyes or hooks fixed into the sill of the window; and c is a rail of
wood connected to the under part of the frame which is intended to bear
upon the sill of the window, as represented at Fig. 1.
has been so affixed to the window sill, the box d, d, is
it, when two studs, with eyes e, e, upon the upper sides
will pass through holes in the bottom of the box, and the box will be
firmly attached thereto by means of springs 9, 9, with bolts f. f, as shewn
in the three first Figures. The upper side of the box d being then raised
upon its hinges, a person may safely stand upright in the box to clean or
repair the windows, being securely supported by the bracket below; and
when the work is done, the spring bolts being withdrawn, the box may be
readily removed from the bracket, and the bracket being unhooked may be
placed within the box, and the whole carried away without difficulty.
to be placed upon
of the bars a, a,
The second machine is a portable combination of levers on the principle, as
before said, of the "lazy tongs." Fig. 5 represents the machine closed, and in a
condition to be carried by a fireman to any situation where it may be required;
Fig. 6 represents a fireman just in the act of raising the apparatus; and
Fig. 7, the same when so raised against the side of a house. The rod or bar a
is the handle by which the combination of levers called "lazy tongs" may be
expanded or collapsed; the fellow rod or lever e constituting the standard or
fulcrum. On placing the end of the lever e upon the ground, and forming
resistance by the foot of the fireman (which may be aided by inserting the
end a little way into the ground), the fireman will be enabled by his left hand
to hold the top of the lever e securely, whilst by his right hand he depresses
the lever a, as represented in Figures 6 and 7, which will cause the reverse
end of the apparatus to be raised, and the hook b, at the end of the last lever,
which turns horizontally on a swivel, may by these means be projected into
the window of a house, and thereby the apparatus be suspended. A pulley c,
attached to the upper lever just under the hook, carries a rope, and when a proper
purchase is obtained a basket or other receptacle may be thereby raised to
receive a person desirous of escaping from the window. A sector ratchet rack
d is attached to the lever a, passing through a socket formed on the side of the
standard e, and a click taking into the ratchet prevents the levers from

page_text: collapsing, and retains the apparatus at any altitude to which the fireman may
have raised it; and when it is properly secured any person can ascend or
descend as up and down a ladder. It should be observed, that the lower end.
of the standard e may be, furnished with a stirrup or iron, into which the
fireman places his foot, so as to steady the apparatus.
This
My third improvement is represented in the several Figures 8 to 12.
construction is made compact and simple, and placed in a bed-room or dressing-
room table, in order to be available at a moment's notice. Fig. 8 represents a
horizontal view of the apparatus enclosed in a dressing table, the lid or top of
the table being removed; Fig. 9 is a front view of the apparatus thrown open
and applied to the inside of the window; Fig. 10 is a side view of the apparatus,
with a section of the window and wall of the house; Fig. 11 represents a vertical
section of the table and apparatus; and Fig. 12 is a plan or bird's-eye view of
Fig. 9. a, b, c, d, is a rectangular iron frame forming the entrance of a
canvass or net tube. The canvass e is connected to this frame by sewing or
otherwise. The lower rail a of the iron framework is elongated, and in length
is made about equal to the width of the window, for the purpose of preventing
the apparatus from shifting laterally when laying in the window frame. This
rail is furnished with two bent pins f, f, projecting downwards (see Figures 8
and 11). These pins are intended to fall into holes made in the window sill
for the purpose of steadying the apparatus, and preventing it from shifting
when in use. The upper rail is secured by rivets, cords, or in any conve-
nient manner, to a long horizontal rod g, g, which is some inches longer than
the window is wide, and extends across the framing when the apparatus is in
use, as seen best in Figures 9 and 12. The apparatus is connected to the
table by chains or bands h, h, attached to an iron rod i, fastened to the back
of the table by screws or otherwise. When the apparatus is required for use,
the canvass sacking is thrown out of the window, and gradually lowered to the
ground by the cord j, j, which is attached to the bottom of the canvass, and
the pins f, f, being placed in the holes formed for them in the window sill, the
upper horizontal bar g, g, is brought into contact with the window framing, as
seen in the Figures, which renders the apparatus secure. Then any person by
the help of the knotted rope k, k, may easily descend, or may be gradually
lowered in the canvass tube by means of the rope j, j. If required, a ladder
made entirely of rope, or of rope with wooden spokes, may be adapted to the
inside of the canvass tube. I sometimes employ a flexible ladder made of
metal rings, about six inches in diameter, and connected together by short
pieces of rope cr cord. When the apparatus is not in use it is to be packed
up and placed in the table, when the several parts will come into the position

page_text: shewn in Fig. 8. I sometimes use network over the canvass tube, in
order to strengthen it, but that is not absolutely necessary. And it may be
further observed, that all the combustible materials of which my apparatus is
composed, being, if unprotected, liable to destruction or injury from fire, I find
it desirable to saturate them with a solution of alum, or some other anti-
combustible material.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Roberts, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-one.