IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE ESCAPES
Year: 1884

page_text: "
I PETER JENSEN of 33 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex do hereby
declare the nature of said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE ESCAPES
(A communication to me from abroad by Paul Schmahl of Biberach on the Riss,
Wurtemberg, German Empire) to be as follows:-
These improvements refer to the means for raising and lowering the ladder of
the fire escape, and to the construction of the carriage and frame for carrying the
ladder.
Figure 1 is an end view showing the latter in the shut up position, and Figure 2
is a side view.
The ladder itself which may consist of one part or two or more parts which can
slide on or in each other, rests on a four wheeled carriage with usual fore carriage
and two main wheels on an axle. This axle consists of a main upper part or
beam b having a central horizontal hole provided with a bolt around which the
whole carriage frame can turn and provided with a downward projecting lug
whereto the two parts e of the axle proper are jointed. Between the aforesaid
beam b and the two movable axle ends e on which the main wheels are fixed there
are at each side india rubber or other buffer appliances or springs which are held
in the required tension by means of a screw. In order to disconnect this part an
eccentric is provided at each side for raising the spring when in the downward
position and for throwing the spring appliance out of action by means of a spring.
The aforesaid three parted main or hind axle is fitted into a slotted axle stock h
which together with the framing i turns round the aforesaid pivot of the beam
part of the main axle. In order to cause the lateral turning or inclination and
raising as required and in accordance with the condition of the ground so that the
carriage framing carrying the ladder may be placed horizontally and in order to fix
it in such position I provide at each side of the axle stock a spindle or screw k
which can be moved by means of endless screw or bevel wheel gear and so that as
one is raised the other is lowered. These spindles rest on the aforesaid axle
beam b. In order that now by this turning motion, the whole carriage frame may
turn I provide a pivot c¹¹ on the fore carriage on a level with the aforesaid pivot of

page_text: the bind axle. The fore carriage has, now to be fixed in position after the turning
and this is done as follows:-
Two tooth racks m stand up in a spreading rim on the fore carriage and are
guided by means of arms which are fixed below the cross beam P of "the ordinary
ring frame of the locking gear. These tooth racks work through two bearings
which are fixed to the lower cross beam of the framing and gear each with a
toothed disc having on both sides small slides between which the tooth rack m is
guided and so that the teeth in the disc must always stand parallel with the teeth
of the tooth rack. In front of the latter and passing through projections of the
two bearings there is a spindle provided with eccentrics which can release or jamb
the two tooth racks. They are disconnected while the hind axle is being regulated
and when this is accomplished they are by means of a handle on their spindle
turned against the tooth racks whereby the front carriage is fixed in position.
. The ladder a rests on the carriage frame or bridge and with its fulcrum over the
main wheels its upper end reaching out beyond the front carriage. Firmly con-
nected to the lower outer ends of the axle stock two strong rising S shaped beams
or girders w of a U section with the hollow side towards each other; their front
ends are fixed to an upright column or framing on the carriage frame at the fore
carriage. These two beams are at the back connected below by a strong iron cross
bar which in the middle carries a bearing for a spindle T which is covered by a bar
of U section and rises in the same diagonal direction as the two aforesaid S shaped
beams and provided with its other bearing on a cross bar z on the fore part of the
carriage frame.
-
The spindle is formed with screw thread and is provided with a nut to the sides
of which are jointed two tie rods which recede at an angle of 45 degrees and are
connected to a spindle C which is provided with rollers that rest in the S shaped
beams and forms the fulcrum for the ladder. The upper end of the screw spindle
is provided with a bevil pinion E which gears into a bevil wheel on a horizontal
spindle provided with a handle.
By turning the bevil gear the screw spindle is made to turn thereby causing the
nut which is kept from turning by means of its tie rods to move up or down on the
screw spindle.
But to the outer ends of the aforesaid fulcrum spindle are fixed the lower ends F
of two bow string girder shaped columns which at their upper and foreward ends
by means of a transverse bolt or spindle are connected to the upper end of the
ladder, or if the ladder is made-in-parts-sliding-in-or on-each-other, then-they-are-
connected with the upper ends of the lowermost of such parts. In consequence the
aforesaid nut will by its tie rods and fulcrum spindle C carry the columns F with
it and raise or lower the ladder a in a safe manner. The nut has a straight path
but the columns F an S shaped rising path and the arrangement of the S shaped
girders forming guides, and their being fixed below to the axle stock are all with
the view to affording the most suitable angle a Gw of working for the ladder.
The S shaped girders are supported by a frame H in connection with the aforesaid
enlarged locking gear rim so as to turn without changing the horizontal position.
Din distranth day of June 1884

page_text: I, PETER JENSEN of 33 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex do hereby
declare the nature of said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE ESCAPES being
a communication to me from abroad by Paul Schmahl of Biberach on the Riss
Würtemberg German Empire and in what manner the same is to be performed to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:--
These improvements refer to the means for raising and lowering the ladder of
the fire escape, and to the construction of the carriage and frame for carrying the.
ladder.
Figure 1 is an end view showing the ladder in the shut up position, Figure 2 is
an end view showing the ladder in the extended or raised position; Figure 3 is a
side view showing the ladder in full lines in the shut up position and in dotted
lines in the raised position; Figure 4 is a plan view, and Figures 5 to 24 are detail
views.
The ladder itself a Figure 1 may consist of one part or two or more parts which
can slide on or in each other. These parts are either as shown in the cross section
Figure 7 and plan Figure 8 so connected that the second and third parts are held
together and guided by brackets a¹, or as shown in the cross section Figure 9-the
parts are connected by brackets a² which at their lower ends work in grooves.
The ladder rests on a four wheeled carriage with usual fore carriage and two
main wheels on au axle. This axle consists of a main upper part or beam b having
a central horizontal hole c provided with a bolt c¹ around which the whole carriage
frame can turn and provided with a downward projecting lug d whereto the two
shanks of the axle e proper are jointed. Between the aforesaid beam b and the
two movable axle shanks or rods e on which the main wheels fare fixed there are
at each side india rubber or other buffer appliances or springs which are held in the
required tension by means of a screw. In order to disconnect this part an eccentric g
is provided at each side for raising the spring when in the downward position and
for throwing the spring appliance out of action by means of a spring. The afore-
said three parted main or hind axle is fitted into a slotted axle stock h which
together with the framing i turns round the aforesaid pivot c¹ of the beam part of
the main axle b. In order to cause the lateral turning or inclination and raising,
as required and in accordance with the condition of the ground so that the carriage
framing carrying the ladder may be placed horizontally and in order to fix it in
such position I provide at each side of the axle stock a spindle or screw k which
can be moved by means of endless screw or bevel wheel gear and so that as one is
raised the other is lowered. These spindles k rest on the aforesaid axle beam b. In
order that now by this turning motion the whole carriage frame may turn I provide
a pivot Fig 2 on the fore carriage on a level with the aforesaid pivot c¹ of the
bind axle the two pivots c¹ and c² forming as it were the ends of an interrupted
longitudinal length axis. The fore carriage has now to be fixed in position after
the turning and this is done as follows:-
Two tooth racks m shown in the detail front, view Figure 5 and side view,
Figure 6 and also, in the, detail, sectional front view Figure 10 stand up in an

page_text: enlarged rim n made of U section on the forecarriage and are guided by means of
arms o which are fixed below the cross beam p of the ordinary ring frame of the
locking gear. These tooth racks m work through two bearings q which are fixed
to the lower cross beam p of the framing i and gear each with a transversely
toothed disc or clamps r having on both sides small projections s between which
the tooth rack m can slide and is guided; and so that the teeth in the disc ? must
always stand parallel with the teeth of the tooth rack.
Figure 11 is a plan section, Figure 12 side view and Figure 13 end view of a
tooth rack m and parts connected therewith where it passes through the cross
beam p.
In front of the tooth rack m and passing through projections q¹ of the
two bearings there is a spindle t provided with eccentrics t¹ which can release or
jamb the two tooth racks m. They are disconnected while the hind axle is being
regulated and when-this is accomplished they are by means of a handle u on their
spindle turned against the tooth racks whereby the front carriage is fixed in
position. Figures 14, 15 and 16 are diagrams illustrating the straight and slanting
positions which the racks m may assume while their teeth are always in proper
gear with the discs, which turn in their bearings as required. The ladder is
raised in the following manner-see Figure 3.
The ladder a rests on the carriage frame or bridge ȧ and with its fulcrum v over
the main or bind wheels its upper end reaching out beyond the front carriage.
Firmly connected to the lower outer ends of the axle stock two strong rising
S-shaped beams or girders w of a U section with the hollow side towards each
other; their front ends are fixed to an upright column or framing on the carriage
frame i at the fore carriage. These two beams are at the back connected below by
a strong iron cross-bar x see Figure 4 which in the middle carries a bearing for a
spindle y which is covered by a bar of U section and rises in the same diagonal
direction as the two aforesaid S-shaped beams and provided with its other bearing
on a cross-bar on the fore part of the carriage frame. Figure 17 is a part end view
of the spindle y and parts connected therewith and Figure 18 a perspective view.
The spindle y is formed with screw thread and is provided with a nut A to the
sides of which are jointed two tie rods B which recede at an angle of 45 degrees
and are connected to a spindle C which is provided with rollers D that rest in the
U grooves of the S-shaped beams w and forms the fulcrum for the ladder. The
upper end of the screw-spindle y is provided with a bevil pinion E which gears
into a bevil wheel E' on a horizontal spindle provided with a handle E².
By turning the bevil gear the screw spindle y is made to turn thereby causing
the nut A which is kept from turning by means of its tie rods B to move up or
down on the screw spindle y.
But to the outer ends of the aforesaid fulcrum spindle.C are fixed the lower
ends F of two bowstring girder shaped columns F which at their upper and forward
ends G are connected to the upper end of the ladder, or if the ladder is made in
parts sliding in or on each other, then they are connected with the upper ends of
the lowermost of such parts as here shown. In consequence the aforesaid nut A
will by its tie rods B and fulcrum spindle C carry the columns F with it and raise
or lower the ladder a in a safe manner.
The nut A has a straight path but the columns F an S-shaped rising path and
the arrangement of the S-shaped girders w forming guides, and their being fixed
below to the axle stock are all with the view to affording the most suitable
angle G, a w of working for the ladder. The S-shaped girders ware supported by
a frame H Figure 3 in connection with the aforesaid enlarged locking gear rim so
as to turn without changing the horizontal position.
From the foregoing it will be understood that the ladder does not turn on the
carriage but can only be made to incline forward or laterally. Referring again to
. Figures 7, 8 and 9 it will be seen that the three parts of the ladder rest in each
other either as shown in Figure 7 in such manner that the second and third parts
are guided and held together by the iron clamps a', or as shown in Figure 9 in

page_text: such manner that guide clamps a² are made to enter guide grooves in the next
lower part.
Figure 19 is a diagram to illustrate the mode in which the ladder parts are
connected and how they appear in the folded up position; and Figure 20 is a
diagram showing them on the raised or pulled out position. The pulling out is
effected by a small endless screw 2¹ on a drum z, and by winding up a cord which
passes over a pulley R at the top of the lowermost ladder part see Figure 19 and
takes hold of the second ladder at the three lowermost rungs. By this means the
second ladder is raised and would draw the third ladder with it to the same height,
but as the third ladder must get up above the second, there is provided a cord which
is fixed to the three bottom rungs of the third ladder and passes over the pulley R'
of the second ladder and at its other end is fixed to an eye O arranged at top of
lower or first ladder. Thus the rising second ladder carries the third ladder with
it in such manner that the latter rises at double the speed.
The ladder is erected in the collapsed position by means of the pinion and the
three parts are then drawn out or apart as just described.
·
The inclination of the ladder is taken at about 80° at most it remains fixed at
any inclination without pawl gear.
In order that in case of breakage of a pulling rope the latter parts should not
run back and cause accident fall hooks or clamp levers L see Figures 21, 22, 23
and 24 are applied below at the sides of the second and third ladders; these clamps
give way when the rungs pass them being provided with counterweights L' but
coming against stops L³ take against the nearest ladder rung in the downward
motion. When the weight is thrown over as shown in Figure 24 and when the
ladder has first been raised a little higher the clamp lever is thrown out of action.
Figure 22 shows the position when the ladder is being extended; Figure 23 shows
the weight thrown over for disconnecting. Figure 24 shows the ladder drawn a
little further up and the clamp is thrown out of gear for allowing the ladder to be
collapsed.
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 as the invention communicated to me is
First A fire escape with mechanical means for raising and lowering to any
suitable angle without the use of ropes and having the following characteristic
features viz: a carriage framing i which while turning on two horizontal fulcrum
pivots c c can be placed into a horizontal position by means of screw spindles /
on each side of the axle stock h around the hind axle bde and by tooth racks m
with means for fixing in position an appliance for erecting the ladder consisting of
the slanting screw spindle y with nut A and jointed draw rod B connected to the
lower axis C of the columns F and S-shaped beams w for guiding the rollers D of
the column axis and adapted to obtain as great as possible a leverage, substantially
as described.
Second-The combination of parts forming the fire escape shown on the drawings.