An Improved Portable Apparatus to be Used in Escaping from Burning Buildings.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Sept., 1889-Accepted, 19th Oct., 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by THOMAS ROSS, of 137, Elizabeth Street, Sidney,
in the Colony of New South Wales, Importer].
An Improved Portable Apparatus to be Used in Escaping from
Burning Buildings.
I HENRY EDWARD NEWTON of the Office for Patents 6 Breams Buildings Chancery
Lane in the County of Middlesex Civil 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:-
The apparatus, which may be composed of any suitable material, consists of a central
shaft around which are formed parallel helical grooves. Projecting from two sides of
the central shaft are wings, in which openings are made for the purpose of admitting
two cords or ropos, down which the apparatus is intended to slide. The apparatus thus
constructed forms a flattened friction block. The openings in the wings are undercut,
so as to furnish a secure seat for the ropes, which are thus enabled to lie snug, and
close to the central shaft. As a further security against the ropes slipping from the
grooves, sliding safety guards are placed in the two wings of the block; as soon as
the ropes are coiled round the helical grooves on the central shaft, the safety guards
are pushed down, and the ropes will thus be effectually prevented from leaving the
grooves. The bottom of the block is formed into a ring, which sustains a chain, to
which slip rings or spring clips, attached to a sling or belt, may be secured.
In order to make use of the apparatus in escaping from the window of a burning
building, one end of a double cord should be made fast to a hook or ring within
the room, and the other end of the rope dropped, out of the window; the safety
guards on the block should be withdrawn (so as to leave the helical grooves on
the block open); the double rope should then be threaded onto the grooves, and
the safety guards closed. The person desiring to escape must place the sling, or
strap round his body under the armpits, and secure it by the spring clips to the
ring on the chain hanging from the block, and then cast himself from the window.
The friction of the double rope passing round the helical grooves on the block
will prevent the passenger from falling too fast, but will enable him to descend
towards the ground at a gentle pace. The chain hanging from the block is sur-
rounded by a tube of soft leather or other suitable material, through which the
rope should be passed, prior to its being threaded onto the grooves on the block.
The passenger would thus have a hold that he could seize while he is descending,
and by slightly squeezing the pliable tube with his hand, he could, if desired,
cause his descending motion entirely to cease: In certain cases, for-instance when
flames were issuing from windows that the passenger would have to pass while
descending the rope, it would be advisable, before descending, to have the rope led
to some point at a distance from the façade of the building, say to the other side
of the street. In this case the passenger would not descend the rope vertically,
but at an angle with the façade of the building. This would be likely to cause
the rope to jam against the angles formed at the point where the side wings are
cut away, to permit the ropes to be threaded onto the block. In order to overcome
this difficulty, curved fingers or guides are formed on the wings of the block at
the commencement and termination of the grooves.
In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is an elevation of the block. Fig. 2 shews
the whole apparatus complete, as in the act of descending from the window of a
burning building. Fig. 3 is the same as Fig. 1, but shewing the curved fingers at the
beginning and at the end of the helical grooves, while Fig. 4 is a plan of the same,
the fingers at the upper end of the block being shaded, while the lower fingers are
merely shewn in outline. A A is the central block, around which is formed the

page_text: grooves B B
A A' are the wings projecting from the same, and Torn, al with eyes
to receive the safety guards CC. As will be seen from the drawing, the groovod
wings are undercut so as to form channels in which the ropes may slide. The dotted
lines in Fig. 1 show the safety guards in the position to leave the grooves open for
the reception of the ropes, and when the ropes are inserted, the guards Care closed
up. In Figs. 2, D D are the ropes, E is the ring or loop at the bottom of the block A,
to which the chain is secured by a slip ring or spring clip G. Hooked onto
the lower extremity of the chain by a similar clip is the sling or strap H, for sustaining
the passenger. Kis the pliable tube enclosing the ropes and chain by which the
passenger grasps the ropes, thereby saving his hands from excoriation by the rope as
he descends. The tube, by being simply compressed, furthermore acts as a stop break
to the apparatus.
Similar letters of reference apply to Figs. 3 and 4; but in these Figures the upper
curved fingers are shewn at M M, and the lower ones at N N. Fig. 4 will show the
recess formed by the fingers so as to prevent the rope from slipping away from the
grooves, and jamming, should it be considered desirable for the passenger to descend
the rope in a diagonal direction.
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
1. In portable fire escapes, a central shaft around which is formed parallel helical
grooves, the central shaft being furnished with wings in which are openings that are
undercut, the undercut portion assisting the ropes to lie snugly in the grooves round
the central shaft.
2. In portable fire escapes the combination of a grooved friction block such as that
described in the specification, with the safety guards CC, for the purpose of preventing
the escape ropes from slipping out of the grooves in the friction block.
3. In portable fire escapes, the combination of a grooved friction block such as that
described, with a chain and slip ring or clip to which the strap or sling for carrying
the passenger may bo secured.
4. In portable fire escapes, the combination of a grooved friction block such as that
described, with a pliable tube that may serve as a hold and break to the apparatus
while a passonger is descending from an elevation.
5. In portable fire escapes, the combination of a grooved friction block such as that
described, with the curved fingers that will prevent the ropes slipping from the
grooves when the passenger is descending at an angle as described.
Dated this 17th day of September 1889.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.