IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE- ESCAPES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark of the firm of A. M and
W. Clark of 53 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex Fellow of the
Institute of Patent Agents, for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-
ESCAPES communicated to him from abroad by John Zerr, of Keokuk in the
County of Lee and State of Iowa, United States of America
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th October 1883.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK of the firm of A. M. and W. Clark, of 53 Chancery
Lane in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ESCAPES." [Communicated to him from abroad by John
Zerr, of Keokuk in the County of Lee and State of Iowa, United States of
America]
This Invention relates to that class of fire escapes in which scaling ladders are
secured to the building and belts are raised by means of ropes passing over pulleys
at the upper ends of the uppermost ladders by which the rope or belt or basket can
be secured for lowering persons.
Each ladder is constructed with a foot piece, and with a cross bar connected
with the ladder by a chain which cross bar is placed against the inside of a window
casing for the purpose of holding the ladder vertically in the window opening.
After a series of ladders such as described above, have been raised successively at
opposite ends of the building, ropes are passed over pulleys held on the uppermost
end of the ladder and hooks at the ends of the ropes are united and then by pulling
one rope more or less the hooks are brought to any desired window of the building,
and the persons can be rescued by means of a belt raised by the said ropes and
hooked into the hooks at the ends of the ropes, which belt is passed around the
person to be rescued upon which the person is lowered by means of the above
described ropes.
The foot plate of each ladder is provided with downwardly projecting lugs, so
that when the foot plate is placed on a window sill the lugs will rest against the
outer surface of the sill. The chain is secured to one of the middle rungs of the

page_text: ladder, and to a hook secured by a tightening screw to the cross bar-which has
hooks at its ends to catch on the mouldings of the window frame. The ladder is
provided at its rear side near the upper end with an eye closed by a latch for a
purpose hereafter described. A pulley is provided with a ring or link, adapted to
be hitched onto the upper end of one of the side bars of the ladder, which is
provided at the upper ends with studs to prevent the said link from sliding down.
Over the said pulley a rope is rove which is provided at one end with a hook.
The device is used as follows:
A ladder is placed against the building then another ladder is handed up the
foot piece of which is placed upon the window sill, and secured by placing the ends
of the cross bar against the inner window casing hooking the chain onto its hook
and drawing it taut by turning the tightening nut. The ladder is thus held in a
vertical position, cannot fall and is perfectly safe. A pulley being then attached
to the upper end of said ladder as above described the hook of the rope rove
through it is attached to a ring on the foot piece of another ladder, and the rope
passed through the eye near the upper end of the ladder and secured therein by
the latch above mentioned. The ladder will thus be raised in a vertical position by
pulling on the free end of the rope. When the ladder reaches the pulley the rope
opens the latch, thus releasing the upper end of the ladder from the rope to permit
it to be raised to the desired height. The ladder is then adjusted in the proper
position in front of a window and fastened in the manner previously described.
In the same manner the next ladder is raised and so on one ladder for each story.
The pulley is carried from one ladder to the one next above it, and finally is held
on the end of the uppermost ladder. The ladders are to be raised at the windows
at the ends of a burning building, and after being so raised the hooks, at the ends
of the ropes, are united and then by pulling more or less on one rope or the other,
the hooks can be guided to any desired window in the front of the house. A life
saving belt can be secured to any of the ropes and can be raised to any window.
A person to be rescued can secure the belt around the body and then can easily be
lowered by means of the ropes. Guy ropes are secured to the lower ends of the
ropes, or to the hook, for the purpose of drawing the persons being saved from the
building while descending, so that they cannot be injured by striking against
cornices or projecting parts and will not be endangered by fire breaking through
the windows
The device is very simple as the ropes for raising the ladders are used for rescuing
the people.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Patent Office on the 7th April
1884.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK of the firm of A. M. and W. Clark of 53 Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE ESCAPES" A communication to me from abroad by John
Zerr, of Keokuk, in the County of Lee and State of Iowa, United States of
America
This Invention relates to that class of fire-escapes in which scaling ladders are
secured to the building and lowering belts or baskets are raised by means of ropes
passing over pulleys at the tops of the uppermost ladders. Each ladder is
constructed with a foot piece, and with a cross bar connected with the ladder by
a chain which cross bar is placed against the inside of a window casing for the
purpose of holding the ladder vertically in the window opening. After two series
of such ladders have been raised and fixed to the front of a building at suitable
distances apart ropes passed over pulleys on the top of the uppermost ladders are
united by hooks at their ends and then by pulling one rope more or less the hooks
are brought to any desired window of the building, and the persons can be be
rescued by means of a belt hooked onto the said hooks the lowering being effected
by means of the said ropes.
In the accompanying drawings, figure 1 is a front elevation of a building with
this improved fire-escape erected thereon for use. Figure 2 is a front elevation of
one of the improved scaling ladders on a larger scale. Figure 3 is a longitudinal
section of the same showing it secured to a window, and Figure 4 is a cross
section on line xx figure 2. The same letters of reference indicate the same parts
in all the figures.
Each ladder A is provided with a foot plate B having downwardly projecting
lugs C at each end so that when the foot plate is placed on a window sill, as shown
in figure 3, the lugs C will rest against the outer surface thereof. A chain E is
secured to one of the middle rungs of the ladder and to a cross bar F furnished
with hooks G at its ends to catch on the mouldings of the window frame. Through
the middle of the bar F passes a hook a having a screw threaded shank to receive
a winged nut b.
The ladder A is provided at its rear side and near the upper end with a cross
bar H having a loop or eye J at the middle which is closed by a latch K pivoted to
the rear side of the cross bar. A pulley L is provided with an elongated ring or
link M adapted to be hitched onto the upper end of one of the side bars of the
ladder which is provided at the upper ends with inwardly projecting studs d to
prevent the said link from sliding down. Over the said pulley is rove a rope N
provided at one end with a hook O. The fire escape is used as follows:
A ladder is placed against the building and two firemen ascend to the second
floor; then another ladder is handed up the foot piece B of which is placed upon
the window sill and secured by placing the ends of the cross bar F against the inner
window casing hooking a link of the chain E onto the hook a and then drawing the
chain taut by turning the wing nut b. The ladder is thus held in a vertical
position, cannot fall and is perfectly safe. The firemen then ascend the ladder
raised in front of the window of the second storey and hitch the link M on to the
top end of one of the side bars of the ladder and the hook O at the end of the
rope N is attached to the ring or loop D on the foot piece B of another ladder, and
the rope being passed through the loop J in the cross bar H of that ladder and the
latch K closed, the ladder may be raised in a vertical position by men pulling on

page_text: the free end of the rope. When the ladder reaches the pulley L, the rope forces
open the latch K, thus releasing the upper end of the ladder from the rope, to
permit it to be raised to the storey above.
The ladder which has just been raised is then adjusted in the proper position in
front of a window and fastened in the manner previously described. In the same
manner the next ladder is raised and so on one ladder for each storey, the pulley L
being carried from one ladder to the one next above it, and finally fixed on the top
of the uppermost ladder as shown in figure 1. Two series of ladders are to be
raised at suitable distances apart against the front at either side of a burning
building, as shown and after being so raised the hooks O of the ropes N are united
and then by pulling more or less on one rope or the other, the hooks O can be
guided to any desired window in the front of the house. A life saving belt P can
be secured to any of the ropes and can be raised to any window. A person to be
rescued can secure the belt around the body and then can easily be lowered by
means of the ropes. Guy ropes R are attached to, the ropes N or to the hook O for
the purpose of drawing the persons descending away from the building.
Experienced firemen can raise the ladders in a very short time, and the hooks O
can be brought to any window instantly.
The fire-escape is very simple as the ropes for raising the ladders are used for
rescuing the inmates.
Having described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
herein before in part recited Letters Patent. is:
1 A ladder having the foot piece B, with ring D, and the cross piece H in
combination with the chain E, permanent brace F, pulleys L, and ropes N, Ras
shown and described.
2nd The combination with the ladder A, having the foot piece B, of the ring D,
the cross piece H having a loop J, and the latch K, substantially as herein shown
and described and for the purpose set forth.
3rd The combination with a series of ladders A of the pulleys L, the ropes N
having the hooks O, and the guy ropes R, substantially as herein shown and
described and for the purpose set forth.
4th The combination with a series of ladders A of the pulleys L, the ropes N,
having the hooks O, the guy ropes R, and the belt P, on the ropes N, substantially
as herein shown and described and for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto set
my hand and seal this Seventh day of April A.D. 1884.
A M CLARK (L.S.)