IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE ESCAPES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Kennedy, of Strabaine, in the County of Tyrone,
Ireland, Shirt Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE
ESCAPES."
Sealed the 21st November 1879, and dated the 18th August 1879.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said James Kennedy at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th August 1879.
JAMES KENNEDY, of Strabaine, in the County of Tyrone, Ireland, Shirt Manu-
facturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE ESCAPES."
This Invention relates to certain improvements in fire escapes, and consists in a
capability of adjustinent to all possible circumstances, giving at the same time a
more ready and safe means of exit for those within a building on fire, whether ablė
bodied or invalids, than in use hitherto.
To a platform on wheels for the purposes of locomotion I attach the gearing for
a platform above, on which the fire escape is fixed. The gearing for the adjustment
of the escape to suit the declivities of the road or street consists of a main shaft
turned by a handle, upon which are fixed bevel wheels, which latter drive bevel
wheels fixed upon two counter shafts working at each end of the platform; and at
right angles to the main shafts upon each of the counter shafts are two bevel wheels
working into other bevel wheels secured to screws working through nuts similar to
the ordinary screw jack operating upon the upper platform, which is hinged in the
centre by means of strong bearings secured to the lower platform.
To the front of the upper platform suitable bearings are secured, upon which the
fire escape is hinged, and is capable of adjustment to any angle and without resting
against any of the walls of the building; this is effected by means of a shaft carried
on bearings attached to the upper platform, upon which are two bevel wheels, one
at each end, working into other bevel wheels secured to vertical screws, which
screws operate upon nuts attached to a bar passing right across the under side of
the escape in the same way as a screw jack, and at a convenient distance from the
hinged centre of the fire escape itself.
'

page_text: I will now describe the fire escape, which is divided into three portions; the
middle portion consists of a double grooved inclined plane, one above the other, that
is to say, there are two grooves on each side; in these grooves my improved cage
works up and down by means of a hand turned barrel, ropes, and pulleys; the barrel
is secured at the lower portion of escape. The cage is provided with seat and bars;
back and front, readily adjustable; the back or lower portion of the cage consist of
a hinged door, the hinge at the bottom, and on the opening of the back bar of cage,
this door opens, and the person or persons therein are taken out, the door closed
and the cage boisted again to the top of the incline for more; the two outer portions
of the escape consist of good step ladders, each step or foot board being about
twelve inches apart, and capable of adjustment to the varying angles of the escape
itself; this is accomplished in the following manner:-Each step is centred or
hinged at the back; towards the front of each step is a bar passing across the step,
terminating on each side by a nut; through these nuts a screw passes from top to
bottom; at the foot of each of these screws is a bevel wheel worked by other
bevel wheels fixed upon a shaft at right angles, and actuated by a handle as
required.
In order to give extension to the escape I have an upper portion, which can be
used or not, as is required; this portion can also be made, to form a platform upon
the top of the escape, and I have also arranged a carriage suitable for the removal
of invalids, but for all ordinary cases the cage above referred to is sufficient, and no
fear is entertained as to the result of placing one's self in the cage, precipitancy not
being visible by the door above referred to.
The steps of the ladders being quite firm, give a confidence to the fireman; these
in duplicate, one on each side of the cage incline, give facilities for the firemen to
deal with the fire and to those engaged in the more humane work of saving life.
For the more perfect understanding of my improvements I have attached one
Sheet of Drawings, in which like parts are indicated by like letters in all the Figures.
Figure 1 is a front view, Figure 2 is a side elevation, Figure 3 is a front view of
the cage. I will now proceed to describe the Drawings. A is the platform carried
by wheels for the purposes of locomotion, the latter not shewn; S is a handle fixed
upon shaft a, working counter shafts b and c, by means of bevel wheels d; e, e, are
bevel wheels on counter shaft b and c, working upright screws ff, operating upon the
nuts g, g, similar to the action of a screw jack; h, h, are, the fixings carrying counter
shafts b and c and upright screws f, f; i, i, i, are three bearings fixed to lower plat-
form A, in which the upper platform B is centred or hinged by means of bar j
passing through bearings i, i, i, attached to lower platform A, and bearings k, k, k,
attached to upper platform B; C is the centre portion of the escape and is the cage
incline; D is the cage shewn at the top in Figure 2; D¹, D¹, are the two step
ladders with the foot steps l, l, l, from top to bottom; m, m, m, m, are the screws
which bring the foot steps level at whatever angle the escape is being worked by
the shaft and the bevel wheels o, o, o, o, secured to the screws m, m, m, m;
PPP, P, are the bearings upon the upper platform forming with the fixings q, q, q, q,
attached to the escape the hinge by means of bar ?; S is the handle which operates,
by means of driving wheel vand pinion w upon the barrel similar to a windlass;
round this barrel is wound a rope 1, passing round fixed pulley 13 at the top of the
escape, attached to the cage by mean of these appliances, the cage is readily passed
from top to bottom at will; S works the shaft x, by means of which and bevel
wheels y and z, the latter fixed to vertical screws a', operating upon nuts b³, the
fire escape is given any inclination whatever, also, in a similar manner to that of a
screw jack; S' is the handle which actuates the upper portion or extension of the
escape E, shewn level as a platform in Figure 2; F is for the reception of invalids
when required, either for private houses or hospitals; 63 and 6* are the lamp brackets,
two on each side.
Figure 3 is a front view of a cage; G³ and G³ are bars back and front, hinged
at G and G, secured in their places by spring levers; H is the seat, capable of

page_text: being lifted up; and I is the hinged door, shown down in this view, which forms
the back of the cage and prevents the person being lowered from seeing the precipi-
tancy of the fall; L1, L2, are the bowls or wheels which slide in the grooves of the
sides of the centre portion, one on the upper and the other in the lower.
Having thus described my Invention, I wish it to be understood that I do not
claim the exact details herein set forth, but what I do claim is the capability of
adjustment, substantially in the manner herein set forth and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Kennedy, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Fifteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy nine.
Witness,
JOHN WAUGH,
Engineer & Patent Agent,
29, Tyrrel St.,
Bradford.
JAMES KENNEDY. (L.B.)