Improvements in Fire Escapes.
Year: 1889

page_text: United States of America),
Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 16th Aug., 1889
Complete Specification Loft, 16th Aug, 1990 Accepted 16th Nov. 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Fire Escapes.
I SAMUEL HENRY SPRAGUE of Beloit in the county of Mitchell and State of
Kansas United States of America Gentleman 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 :-
This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in fire escapes
and it consists in the construction and combination of the parts as will be herein-
after fully set forth and specifically pointed out in the claims.
In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side view showing my improve-
ment applied to a window Fig. 2 is a plan view Fig. 3 is a front view and Fig. 4
is a detail view.
The object of my invention is to provide a fire escape for buildings which will
have a cage or receptacle capable of being lowered by the occupant thereof at any
desired rate of speed by drawing upon a chain or other flexible connection which
passes through the said cage and is attached to a brake-lever so that said brake
lever may be brought in contact with a drum to prevent too rapid rotation of the
shaft over which the chain to which the cage is attached passes; said shaft
also being provided with a drum around which is passed a chain in opposite direc-
tion so as to automatically wind said chain to raise the cage to the window when the
cage is unoccupied.
In the drawings A refers to a window to which a frame B is suitably secured
preferably by inserting the pins bb and in perforations or eyebolts attached to
the window frame so as to maintain the frame B in the position shown.
The main portion of the frame B consists of the side beams CC suitably connected
to each other by transverse beams cc, and to the outer portion thereof is secured
a rectangular frame D from the upper portion of which project bars d which extend
inwardly and downwardly to the inner cross beam c to which the ends thereof are
secured. The outer or projecting ends of these bars d. d. are provided with depending
stripes e e between the lower ends of which are secured pulleys ff over which pass
the chains or flexible connections F & F these chains passing over the pulleys ff
and extend therefrom to the drums g g around which said chains are passed in
opposite directions.
The shaft G has the drums g g' and g², rigidly attached thereto and the outer
end of the shaft is provided with a crank handle by means of which the shaft can be
The shaft G
rotated when the occupants of the cage are unable to assist themselves.
is journalled in suitable bearings attached to the cross pieces as shown, and the
central beam c is provided with a suitable spring. H, the upper end of which is
attached to a ro: I secured to the rear crossbeam c of the main frame B and after
passing over the drum g² and between guide rods ii. the projecting end thereof is
provided with an eye to which is secured a rope or chain 11 which is passed into the
cage K through the opening k in the upper part thereof.
The rod or brake bar I is normally held out of contact with the drum g² by the
spring but when the chain I is drawn upon, the spring will be pressed so that the

page_text: bar will contact with the drum and prevent the shaft rotating; and this rod or break
bar is provided with a loop or bail J which is provided at its lower end with an
upwardly projecting lug or pin ; which will engage with perforations or recesses n
in the periphery of the drum 92 so that when the brake-bar is held in a raised
position by the spring the rotation of the shaft G will be prevented and thus
the cage is prevented from descending until the rope I' is drawn upon to depress the
brake bar.
To the chain F is secured a weight W which is sufficient to counterbalance the
weight of the cage and cause the same to be elevated as said weight descends.
In practice in case of fire the frame is secured to the window and the weight which
may have been placed within the cage thrown out. This will cause the shaft to
bring the cage opposite the window opening-so that a person can enter said cage
and by drawing upon the chain or rope 1' will cause the cage to descend gradually.
The persons weight combined with that of the cage will raise the weight W by
rotating the shaft; and when the occupant steps from said cage it will immediately
rise to the window.
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. The combination in a fire escape of a suitable frame B having a shaft journalled
therein projecting bars d d carrying pulleys ff a brake bar I secured to the inner
side of said frame and provided with a spring H, guide bars ii therefor, flexible
connections F and F wound in different directions upon the shaft and provided at
their ends with a cage and weight and a flexible connection 1' extending from the
projecting end of the brake lever into the cage so that the descent of the cage can be
regulated, the parts being organized substantially as shown and for the purpose set
forth.
2. The combination substantially as described, of the frame, the chain drums fixed
on a shaft journalled therein and provided with car-chairs, the brake drum fixed to
the same shaft and provided with peripheral recesses, the brake bar overhanging
the brake drum and provided with a pull rope and a band secured to the brake bar
to encircle the brake drum, and provided with a lug to engage the recesses in the
drum.
Dated this 16th day of Anonst. 1889
HORN & SON,
Applicant's Agents.