Improvements in Apparatus for Use as a Fire Escape and Lowering Weights from Buildings.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd May, 1888
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Feb., 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, 13th Apr., 1889
Improvements in Apparatus for Use as a Fire Escape and
Lowering Weights from Buildings.
TOT
I, THOMAS BRICE, of Sandy Hill, Washington County, State of New York, United
States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
My Invention relates to apparatus chiefly designed for enabling persons to escape
from burning buildings, but which may also be used for lowering weights generally;
(as for instance in painting and repairing buildings) and the object of my invention
is to provide apparatus not liable to become disarranged in the excitement and hurry
of the occasion, and which may be readily adjusted to the weight to be lowered.
The Invention consists of a box or case composed of two long rectangular balf
boxes arranged with their hollow sides facing one another and each provided with a
series of pulleys around which passes a rope, as hereafter described, and pairs of
longitudinal metal straps or bands which are secured to the sides of the half boxes,
and extend to the ends of said boxes on their outer sides, and terminate in couplings
arranged to be brought together or separated, by screw bolts. One of these couplings
is screw threaded internally to mesh with the bolt, and the other is made U-shaped to
give passage to the rope, and is swivelled to the end of the bolt. The pulleys in the
half boxes are arranged in pairs, and they all turn loosely upon their axes, which are
supported in the metal bands. The rope passes through each end of the case, and is
wound first around the pulley of one half box, and then around the corresponding
pulley in the other half box, and this is continued around the double series of pulleys
from one end to the other of the case. When the pulleys of one half box are made
to approach those of the other half box by the adjustment of the screw bolts at the
end, the rope is turned in shorter bends, and it passes through the case with a greater
retardation to adapt it to the descent of an increased weight, and when the boxes are
separated, the rope passes more freely. To enable the operator to adapt this adjustment
to the weight to be lowered, I provide graduated indicator plates which are attached
to one of the half boxes, and register with the edge of the other half box or with a

page_text: line made on the same. These indicator plates are marked with numbers from 25
to 500, indicating pounds, and these marks in registering with the edge or line of
the opposite half box, indicate that when the two half boxes occupy this position, the
rope will pass through the pulleys at a proper speed for the descent of the number of
pounds that may be thus indicated.
In using this apparatus, the rope is attached to the upper storey of a building at
the window, and straps which are attached to the case are passed around the body
under the arms and around the legs of the person to be lowered; or a suitable
harness or basket may be used for women, children, or goods. The weight of the
person overcoming the resistance offered by the bending of the rope around the
pulleys and the apparatus and person are lowered freely and uniformly and without
jerks. To enable the rope to be grasped by the operator, and its descent regulated, or
the device stopped at any desired point, the rope may be passed around pulleys on the
outside of the case.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Use as a Fire Escape and for
Lowering Weights from Buildings.
I, THOMAS BRICE, of Sandy Hill, Washington County, State of New York, United
States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be perforined, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object of my invention is to provide for the same or smoke and which
of persons from burning
buildings when egress is cut off from the staircase by
may also be used for lowering staging in repairing or painting high buildings. It
consists in a peculiar construction of case with adjusting screws or .bolts, pulleys,
rope, and indicator, for adjusting the device to the weight of the persons who are to
descend, as will be hereinafter described.
In the accompanying drawings figure 1 is a side elevation, figure 2 an end view,
and figure 3 a longitudinal central section.
The case is made of two long rectangular half boxes A A with their interior sides
facing each other. The preferred dimensions of the case, as formed by these half
boxes, is about seven inches wide two and a half inches thick and about two feet long
but these dimensions may of course be varied. To the sides of each of the half
boxes are secured the longitudinal metal straps or bands B B which extend to the
ends of the boxes on their outer sides and terminato in couplings a b arranged to be
brought together or separated by handled screw bolts CC one at each end. One of
these couplings, 6 is screw-threaded internally to engage with the bolt and the
other a is made U-shaped to give passage to the rope and is swivelled to the end of
the bolt. D D D etc. represent a series of grooved pulleys which are arranged in
one of the half boxes and D' D' D¹ etc. represent another series which are arranged
in the other half box in the same plane as the first series. These pulleys all turn
loosely upon their axes d and d¹ and said axes rest in the metal bands B B. Through
each end of the case thero passes the rope X which is wound first around the pulley
of one half box and then around its corresponding mate in the other half box and so
is continued around the double series of pulleys from one end to the other of the
case. Now, when the pulleys of one half box are made to approach those of the
other half box by the adjustment of the screw bolts at the end the rope is turned in
shorter bends and it passes through the case with a greater retardation to adapt it to
the descent of an increased weight. When the boxes are separated the rope passes
more freely. To enable the operator to adapt this adjustment to the weight to be
lowered, graduated indicator plates FF are attached to one of the half boxes and
register with the edge of the other half box or with a line made on the same. These
indicator plates are marked with numbers from 25 to 500 indicating pounds, and
these marks in registering with the edge or line of the opposite half box, indicate
that when the two half boxes occupy this position the rope will pass through the
pulleys at a proper speed for the descent of the number of pounds that may be thus
indicated.

page_text: In using this apparatus, the rope is attached to the upper story of a building at
the window and the straps S S' which are attached to the case are passed the one S
around the body under the arms and the other S₁ around the legs of the person to be
lowered; or in the place of these straps a suitable harness or basket may be used for
women, children, or goods.
This device in its passage does not produce such friction on the rope as to burn it
and the rope moves freely and uniformly and without jerks. The device is also
simple and reliable and is not likely to be disarranged in the hurry and excitement of
the occasion.
By passing the rope up over a pulley Z, figure 1, and over another Y on the outside
of the case, the rope may be grasped by the operator and its descent regulated or the
device stopped at any desired point.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination of the two half boxes A A with metal bands B B and screw
bolts CC, the two series of pulleys D and D¹ with axes d d sustained in the bands B,
and the rope wound about the pulleys, substantially as shewn and described.
2. The combination of the two half boxes A A with metal bands B B and screw
bolts CC, the two series of pulleys D D¹ with axes d d' located in the bands, the
-rope wound-around the pulleys, and graduated indicator plates attached to one of the
half boxes and adapted to register with the other half-box to indicate the-adjustment,
-substantially as shewn and described.