Improvements in and connected with Ladders for Life Saving and other purposes.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 24th July, 1899
Cecification Left: 24th Apr., 1900-Accepted, 2nd June, 1900
5
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Ladders for Life Saving
and other purposes.
I, JOSEPH WHITELEY, of Clowes Street, Chapel Street, Salford, in the County
f Lancaster, Pattern-maker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
o be as follows:
:-
This invention has for its object to provide a ladder for life saving and other
purposes which can be readily applied to existing or new buildings or structures,
instantly brought in and out of use and concealed in the building or structure
when out of use.
To this end I form a ladder the sides of which consist of links jointed together
by means of rods forming the steps of the ladder.
This ladder I employ in suitable guides fixed say in case of a building in
connection with each window below the ceiling or above or below the floor of
the building so as to slide out through an aperture formed in the wall and over
hang for use and when not required to slide back into the building which aperture.
is closed by a flap which entirely conceals the ladder.
In order to facilitate the sliding in and out of this ladder I form the links of
the ladder with teeth each adapted to gear into a pinion secured upon a shaft
suitably mounted in the building or structure and directly or indirectly rotated,
say by a handle or motive power.
The inner end of this ladder I form with a bottom which when the ladder is
slid out projects from the wall and serves as a platform, say for a fire man to
stand upon.
I may also pivot to the said platform a rail or rails adapted to assume a
vertical position as the platform issues from the wall and thus provide
hold and which; as the ladder is drawn in. folds up therewith.
If desirable the ladders of a number of windows may be adapted to be slid
in and out simultaneously from one point or separate from a number of points
as may be found most suitable.
P T... 1899.
DOSSHARDT & Co.,
T. BOSSHARDT & Co.,
Agents to Applicant.
Improvements in and connected with ad
and other purposes.
I, JOSEPH WHITELEY, of Clowes Street, Chapel Street, Salford, in the County
Lancaster, Pattern-maker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention

page_text: and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
1
This invention has for its object to provide a ladder for life saving and other
purposes which can be readily applied to existing or new buildings or structures
and in case of fire, or for cleansing, painting or repairing purposes can be
instantly brought in and out of use and concealed in the building or structure
when out of use.
And in order that my invention may be more fully understood I have caused
to be appended hereunto two sheets of drawings marked with letters of reference
indicating like parts in the various figures.
Figs. 1&3, Sheet I, are front views and Figs. 2 & 4 vertical sections re-
spectively of a portion of a building and ladders constructed in accordance with
my invention applied thereto.
Figs. 5 & 6, Sheet II, are similar vertical sections, and Fig. 7 a plan of
Fig. 5 showing a modification of my invention.
In carrying out my invention and referring to Figs. 1, 2, 3 & 4 I form a
ladder, the sides of which consist of links a jointed together by means of ribs b
forming the steps of the ladder.
I may employ a ladder constructed as described, in connection with each
window above the ground floor, or in connection with the windows of every
alternate or any desired number of vertical rows of.windows.
Each of these ladders I employ between two suitable guides, say two channel
irons c, c in the present instance secured between the floor and ceiling d, e
respectively, or above the floor or below the ceiling of the building as may be
found most convenient.
In the front of each outer ladder end, an aperture f is formed in the wall of
the building, to permit of sliding the ladder out and overhanging for use, as
shown in Figs. 3 & 4, the said aperture being closed when the ladder has been
drawn in by a flap like cover g hinged to the building as shown in Figs. 1 & 2,
which entirely conceals the ladder.
In order to facilitate the sliding in and out of this ladder, I form its links
with teeth each adapted to gear into a pinion h secured upon a shaft i suitably
mounted in the building or structure and directly or indirectly rotated, say by
a hand wheel k, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 & 4, or by motive power as may be
found most convenient, so that the ladders of a number of windows may be
adapted to be slid in or out simultaneously from one point, or separate from a
number of points, as may be found most suitable.
The inner end of this ladder I form with a bottom / which when the ladder
is slid out, projects from the wall of the building, see Fig. 4, and serves as a
platform, say for a fire-man, painter or repairer to stand upon.
The ends of the outer pair of ladder links above the first ladder, are each
formed, with a slot m, see Figs. 2, 3 & 4, adapted to engage the uppermost
rod or step of the ladder below and thereby connect the whole series of ladders
together so as to be continuous.
In order to facilitate the movement of the ladder a roller n may be applied
in front of the aperture f over which the ladder passes.
Referring to Sheet II, instead of forming the ladder described with one
platform, two may be provided.
This I accomplish by employing in the guides c, c between the same and the
ladder links, a frame o formed at its top edge for a certain distance with teeth
and at its outer end with two platforms & p and an opening 9 between the
same, through which the ladder can pass up and down, the outer platform p
being furnished with a cross piece forming a cover g adapted to close and open
the aperture f.
The last pair of links of the said ladder I leave open and to a cross piece r
formed on the said frame, I pivot a double hook s.

page_text: provements in
When commencing
When the ladder is inside the structure the upper end or
gages the last ladder rod or step b, as shown in Fig. 5.
draw out the ladder, the said frame will move with it, until it has arrived in
e position shown in Fig. 5, when the pinion h will leave the teeth of the
ame o and the ladder will slide alone having in the meantime disengaged
self from the hook s.
When drawing the ladder in, the frame o will remain in the position shown
n Fig. 6, until the last ladder rod or step 6 contacts with and engages the
ook s when the two will slide together until the cover g has taken up its
osition in front of the aperture f.
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 is:
-
1st. A life saving apparatus comprising guides arranged in the building
and opening at the wall thereof, and a jointed ladder arranged in said guides
with means for projecting the ladder from the guides whereby it will assume
a vertical position along the wall of the building, all substantially as set forth.
2nd. A life saving apparatus comprising guides arranged in the building
and opening at the wall thereof, and a jointed ladder arranged in said guides
with means for projecting the ladder from the guides whereby it will assume
a vertical position along the wall of the building, said jointed ladder having on
its uppermost portion a platform, substantially as described.
3rd. A life saving apparatus comprising guides arranged in the building and
opening at the wall thereof, a cover for the open ends of the guides, and a
25 jointed ladder arranged in said guides with means for projecting the ladder
from the guides whereby it will assume a vertical position along the wall of
the building, said cover being operated by the projection of the ladder from
the guides, substantially as described.
4th. A life saving apparatus comprising guides, a ladder movable in sai
30 guides and made up of jointed sections, and platforms movable with the ladde
said platforms having a space between them through which the ladder extend
substantially as described.
5th. A life saving apparatus comprising a plurality of guides secured in t
building at different levels, and a plurality of ladder sections made up of joint
35 portions from the guides and to form a continuous ladder, substantially
bed
1000