Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Feb., 1887
Complete Left, 21st Nov., 1887
Complete Accepted, 23rd Dec., 1887
JAMES ALBERT AVERY % E. Challis & Son Oilman & Shipchandlers 66 Church
Street, Greenwich in the County of Kent oilmans assistant, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention consists of a series of Iron or other metal tubes, of suitable sizes, to
work freely one within the other, and the said tubes, to be extended by means of
Hydraulic or other water pressure, supplied from street hydrants or small pump
attached to escape, or any other means convenient, thereby making an escape, inde-
structible by fire, easily handled by firemen, much lighter in weight, and not liable to
get out of order, simple, and effective.
For this purpose instead of imploying wooden ladders (which are highly combustible)
I imploy in the first place a tube of sufficient diameter to receive another tube of
smaller diameter, to work freely in the larger tube and so on until any required height
can be obtained. The bottom of main or large tube to be fitted with stop cock to suit
Metropolitan hose coupling or any other coupling suitable, the said cock to be used
for extending, checking, or stopping the escape at any required height, and feeding
escape with water from hydrant or any other water pressure, the bottom of main tube
also to be fitted with drain cock so as to release water from tubes thus forming a
vacuum within tubes and allowing them to close one within the other by action of
atmosphere on exterior of tubes.
The centre of main or large tube to be fitted with collar furnished with trunnions
to meet arms attached to carriage, thereby allowing tubes to be placed in any required
position, or angle without effecting the base, and so liberating person or persons from
escape. The top of smallest tube to be fitted with adjustible perforated iron chair for
the conveyance of persons from burning buildings, the perforation to be utilized to
distribute water about the person or persons during their descent through flames, the
said chair to be detached from top of escape so as to allow a nozel of any required
discription to be screwed on top of small tube thus utilizing the escape to extinguish
fire, and thereby avoiding the necesity and risk of sending firemen up ordinary
escapes in order that water may be poured into burning buildings, by the water
passing through the telescopic tubes. The whole to be fitted on carriage and wheels,
with hose reel, pump and tool box, thus forming a compact, simple, and effective fire
escape, and fire extinguisher.
ז
.
1
1007

page_text: I, JAMES ALBERT AVERY, of 66 and 68, Church Street, Greenwich, in the County
of Kent, Oilman's Assistant, 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 apparatus which can be used as a fire escape or as a
means for extinguishing fires.
The invention consists in the employment of one or more series of iron or other
metal tubes of suitable sizes, the tubes of each series working telescopewise one
within the other.
The said tubes are extended by means of hydraulic pressure from a street hydrant
or a pump attached to the escape or by any other suitable means.
By this means I provide an escape which is practically indestructible by fire, casily
manipulated by firemen or others, much lighter in weight than those as hitherto
constructed, little liable to get out of order, simple, and effective.
In carrying out my invention instead of employing wooden or other ladders as has
hitherto generally been the practice and which are highly combustible, I employ in
the case where the apparatus consists of a single series of tubes, a metal tube in which
works another tube of smaller diameter, and so on, so as to allow of any required
height being obtained. The bottom of the main or large tube is fitted with a stop
cock adapted to receive a hose or other suitable coupling.
The said cock is used for extending the escape, for checking its movement, or for
stopping it at any required height, and for feeding the escape with water from a
hydrant or other water pressure.
The bottom of the main tube is also fitted with a drain cock so as to discharge the
water from the tubes thereby forming a vacuum within the tubes and allowing them
to close one within the other by the atmospheric pressure on the exterior of the
tubes.
At about the middle of the length of the main or large tube I fit a collar furnished
with trunnions working in arms attached to the carriage thereby allowing the tubes
to be placed at any required position or angle without moving the carriage and so
liberating a person or persons from the escape.
When the apparatus is to be used as a fire escape the top of the smallest tube is
fitted with an iron or other suitable metal chair or seat for the conveyance of persons
from burning buildings. This chair can if found desirable be perforated so as to
allow water to be distributed about the person or persons during their descent through
flames.
The said chair is detachable from the top of the escape so as to allow a suitable
nozzle to be adapted on the top of the small tube thereby allowing of the apparatus
being used for extinguishing fire, and avoiding the necessity and risk of sending
firemen up, as is the case with ordinary escapes in order that water may be poured

page_text: into burning buildings, the water in my apparatus passing through the telescopic
tubes.
The whole is fitted on a carriage provided with wheels, a hose reel, pump and tool
box, thus forming a compact, simple, and effective fire escape and fire extinguisher.
In order to enable my invention to be fully understood I will proceed to describe
how it can be carried into practice by reference to the accompanying drawings in
which
Figure 1 is a vertical section of a fire escape and fire extinguisher constructed,
according to my invention, of a single series of tubes but without the chair or the
nozzle.
Figure 2 is a front elevation of the same the tubes being shown in section.
Figure 3 is a plan of the underside of the body of the carriage.
Figure 4 is a plan of the collar which I fit on the main or large tube.
Figure 5 is an elevation of the trunnions which work in the arms of the carriage.
Figure 6 is a front elevation, and
Figure 7 a side elevation of the escape-chair.
Figure 8 is a vertical section of part of the tubes drawn to an enlarged scale.
Figure 9 is a plan of the tubes.
Similar letters in all the figures indicate similar parts.
a is the main or large metal tube, 6 is the tube which works telescope-wise within
the tube a, and c is a tube which works within the tube b.
d is a nozzle having a stop cock (not shown in the drawing) to which a hose or
other suitable coupling can be attached for the purpose of feeding the tubes from any
suitable source of water under pressure.
A drain cock is fitted at e to allow of discharging the water from the tubes and
thereby causing them to close one within the other as shown in figures 1 and 2.
The tubes a and bare fitted with stops ƒ and g respectively advantageously made of
lignum vitæ, and the tubes b and c are respectively provided with cup leathers h
and i, and with bosses or projecting portions ; and k (as clearly shown in figure 8),
which come against the stops f and g when the tubes are fully extended. By this means
the extension of the tubes is limited, free movement one within the other is given
to the tubes and at the same time they are rendered water-tight; fl and glare collars at
the upper ends of the tubes a and b, serving to guide and steady the tubes b and c
respectively.
is the collar which I fit at about the middle of the main or large tube. The said
collar is formed with a trunnion m turning in an eye n at the middle of and connecting
two trunnions o o; p p are the arms attached to the carriage and having bearings q q
in which work the trunnions o o.
r figures 6 and 7 is the metal chair or seat pivotted in a frames, provided with a
screw-threaded socket t, to allow of it being fixed to the screw-threaded upper end
of the innermost tube c. The said chair by extending and contracting the tubes b
and c in the manner herein before described forms a means of escape for persons from
the upper storeys of a burning building.
When requiring to use the apparatus for extinguishing a fire the metal chair ~ is
removed and a nozzle (not shown in the drawing) is provided, with a cock adapted to
be operated by means of cords or their equivalent from the ground so as to open and
close the cock when required.
The hereinbefore described trunnions allow of the tubes being placed at any required
angle relatively to the carriage without moving the latter so as to direct the stream of
water to the necessary parts of the burning building when the apparatus is used as an
extinguisher and to lower the persons to the ground when the apparatus is used as an
escape.
vis the carriage mounted on wheels w w.
x is the hose reel, and y the tool box with which I find it advantageous to provide
the carriage.
zzare props or stays for giving a firm base to the apparatus when brought to the
place where it is to be used.

page_text: To make use of the apparatus as a fire extinguisher, a hose and cock or the like are
attached to the nozzle d, the jet-nozzle is screwed on the end u of the tube c and the
cock thereof is closed.
-
The cock of the hose being now opened water from the main or other source is
forced into the tubes until they are extended to the required height. The tubes are
then placed in proper position and the nozzle-cock is opened by operating the cords
or the like hereinbefore referred to, when the apparatus will deliver a stream of water
into the required part of the building. The direction in which the stream of water
is projected can be regulated by moving the tubes on the trunnions m and o, which
practically form an universal joint.
The tubes are lowered by shutting off the supply of water and opening the discharge
cock at e.
The above description will enable the manner in which the apparatus is to be used
as a fire escape to be comprehended without further explanation it being of course
understood that the metal chair shown in figures 6 and 7 must be substituted for the
delivery nozzle.
It will be evident that if required a person provided with an ordinary fire hose
could be raised by my apparatus to the required height so as to place him in close
proximity to the part of the building to be played upon.
A line can be advantageously attached to the lower end of the main or large tube
to allow of regulating the descent of the chair to the ground and to cause the tubes
to reassume their former position.
Although I have described and shown my fire escape and fire extinguisher as
constructed of a single series of telescopic tubes it will be obvious that a number of
such series could be employed suitably arranged to form a single apparatus.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. A fire escape and apparatus for use in extinguishing fires constructed of a series
of tubes working one within the other and adapted to be extended by hydraulic
pressure.
2. The improved fire escape and apparatus for use in extinguishing fires consisting
of the combination of parts, substantially as herein before described with reference to
the accompanying drawings.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agents for the Applicant.