An Improved Fire Escape or Apparatus for Lowering Persons from the Upper Storeys of Buildings.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Aug., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 7th May, 1895-Accepted, 8th June, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Fire Escape or Apparatus for Lowering Persons from
the Upper Storeys of Buildings.
I, ALFRED THAмм, Doctor of Medicine, of 62 Duisburgerstrasse, Düsseldorf,
in the German Empire, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to appliances for lowering persons from upper windows by
means of ropes, and more particularly to the method of utilizing the friction of the
rope for retarding the descent.
The main rope, belt, or band, is fastened with one end to the window sill or other
suitable object, and reaches with the other end to the ground floor or street. Along
this rope is adapted to slide a curved metallic brake bar provided at the ends with
hooks or rings, and carrying a smaller rope or band for holding or supporting the
person, said smaller rope being secured to the said bar and forming a sling, loop or
seat for the person to be lowered. The main rope is coiled around the metallic
bar, which assumes a vertical or nearly vertical position and forms at the upper
and at the lower end a book, through which the main rope is drawn, to prevent i
from slipping off.
The general shape of the said metallic brake may be that of the letter S, or A,
The said brake may be
or of an anchor, or a double S, or a helix or otherwise.
bent from one metallic bar or composed of two or more pieces, around which the
main rope is coiled more or less, according to the brake action required, and the
main rope may have both ends fixed at the top, so as to form a loop extending to
the ground floor.
Dated this 7th day of August 1894.
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
Agents for the Applicant.
An Improved Fire Escape or Apparatus for Lowering Persons from
the Upper Storeys of Buildings.
I, Dr. ALFRED THAMM, Physician, of 62 Duisburgerstrasse, Düsseldorf, in
the German Empire, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to appliances for lowering persons from the upper parts of
buildings by means of ropes, bands, or straps, and more particularly to the means
for producing the necessary brake-action to check the speed of descent.
In the accompanying drawings:
:-
Fig. 1. is a side view of a life-saving apparatus embodying my invention.
Fig. 2. shows a modification of the same.
B
2
and £ monrosent various further modifications.

page_text: The apparatus chiefly comprises (besides the rope) (a) a metal bar (6) bent at both
ends to form hooks or provided with separate end hooks, and made of any
convenient shape.
The simplest form is shown by Fig. 1. which represents a straight iron bar bent
at the ends in opposite directions, so as to form a figure similar to the letter S.
The ends may, however, be bent on the same side, so that the bar resembles the
letter C.
In Fig. 2. two bars are joined together in the middle, and bent at the ends so as
to resemble a letter X.
In Fig. 3. the middle part or shank of the bar is bent into a V or horseshoe
shape, and the ends are directed outward. In Fig. 4. the middle part is similar to
that in Fig. 3, but the ends are bent inward, and the bar is placed upside down.
In Fig. 5. the middle and upper part of the bar are similar to Fig. 1. but the
lower end has two hooks placed symmetrically, and in Fig. 6. it has three hooks.
The apparatus is used in conjunction with a rope, band or strap a which is
attached with one end to the sill or casing of the window, from which the person
wishes to descend, while the other end is allowed to hang down. The rope is then
carried through the upper hook (Fig. 1.), or one of the upper hooks (Fig. 2.). or
through the bend of the horseshoe piece (Fig. 3.), subsequently coiled several times
around the middle part or bar, and finally guided downward through the lower
hook or one of the lower hooks. The greater the number of windings of the rope,
the greater will be the friction and the lower will be the speed during the descent.
When in operation, the lower part of the rope is either held by a person
standing on the ground, or the person descending allows the rope to glide through
the hand and holds the same more or less lightly.
An auxiliary rope or a sling or belt g is suspended from the lower hook or hooks
and serves as a support for the person while descending. The said person may sit
in the loop formed by the auxiliary belt g, or the person may be firmly attached to
the said belt.
If there are several lower hooks, as represented by Fig. 6, each may have an
auxiliary belt g and the apparatus then serves for lowering several persons
simultaneously.
In the type shown by Figs. 3 and 4, two main ropes a may be guided through the
apparatus and serve for lowering two persons at the same time.
Having now particularly described my invention and in what manner the same
is to be performed, I declare that I claim :-
1. A lite saving apparatus or fire-escape comprising a metallic bar or several
connected bars having at each end a hook or hooks, and a rope wound or adapted
to be wound around the said bar or bars, substantially as and for the purpose
described.
2. The various forms of life saving apparatus, substantially as described and
shown by the drawings.
Dated this 6th day of May 1895.
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
433, Strand, London, Agents for the Applicant.