IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO FIRE-ESCAPES
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Phillips Thompson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st April 1882. A communi-
cation from abroad from Joseph Gabrielli of Spalato Dalmatia in the Empire
of Austria,
WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON of the Agency for Foreign Patent Solicitors of
G Lord Street Liverpool in the county of Lancaster and of 323 High Holborn
in the county of Middlesex Civil Engineer "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO
FIRE-ESCAPES A communication from abroad from Joseph Gabrielli of Spalato
Dalmatia in the Empire of Austria
"
This invention is a simple apparatus which can be employed everywhere and
serves the purpose of removing in the case of a fire persons or objects in an
expeditious and certain manner out of the endangered building and of lowering
them out of the different flats through the windows on to the street or any kind of
ground without risk
The apparatus consists of a channel shaped iron rod of which the middle part
has the breadth of an ordinary window and carries at both ends strong hooks or
carabine hooks The ends of the ropes are fastened to these and the ropes pass
through links or rings which are fixed to a safety bag. The safety bag is
constructed of strong texture and is strengthened by bands which pass round it
in order to increase its safety. The bands are sewed on to the bag or can be
attached in any other way. Slings are fixed in the bag for the persons who are in
the bag to take hold of
It is best to attach the lowering and elevating rope to the rear of the bag. The
rope runs over a pulley which is fixed to the middle of the channel shaped iron
rod, and which moves freely in all directions The rope must of course be long
enough to allow the extremity of that part which runs over the pulley to touch the
ground when the bag is lowered and the other extremity to do the same when the
bag is drawn up.
The new apparatus which is folded up when not required is made use of in the
following manner:
The fireman throws down from a window the hook of the hoisting rope and the
persons who stand beneath attach it to any part of the reseve annaratus ea to the

page_text: iron rod which is then drawn up with the ropes attached to it and the safety bag.
The iron rod is adjusted in the window opening so that the ends of it rest against
the inside of the wall. The ropes are grasped beneath and held in a slanting
position, the end of one the working rope which runs over the pulley is taken hold
of below and now the persons and objects to be rescued are placed in the bag. As
soon as the end of the rope which runs over the pulley is let loose the bag slides
down on the main ropes to the ground. As soon as the bag has been emptied
below it is raised again by pulling the end of the working rope which runs over
the pulley and in this way firemen or an apparatus for extinguishing fire can be
lifted into that part of the building which is in danger.
Even when the main ropes are not held the firemen can lower objects and lastly
himself in the bag without danger, by grasping the end of the working rope
which runs over the pulley and allowing the bag to slide down to the ground.
Should it be impossible to penetrate into that part of the house which is in
danger by way of the stair, and human beings are inside the hoisting rope is in
that case raised by means of poles from story to story and the rescue apparatus is
then elevated by it. The fixing of the apparatus in the window is so simple that
any person can manage it. Rescue men can then immediately be lifted in the bag
into that part of the building which is in danger
When compared with the apparatuses for rescue hitherto in use, the new apparatus
described above offers not only the essential advantages of cheapness and of being
easily managed and used but possesses also the great superiority that by it firemen
and fire extinguishing apparatuses can be raised in an easy and certain method into
those parts of the building which are in danger