Improvements in Fire Escapes.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 21st July, 1891-Accepted, 19th Dec., 1897
COMPL
Improvements in Fire Escapes.
1 WILLIAM ALLEE BEATTY, of Room 1300 Auditorium Buildings Chicago,
llinois, United States of America Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the
aid invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
escribed and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention has relation to that class of portable fire escapes wherein the
sustaining tape, cord, or wire is carried by a reel journalled within a suitable
upporting frame that is furnished with means whereby the user of the fire escape
can control the revolution of the reel and the consequent speed at which his descent
shall be made.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a fire escape embodying my invention.
Fig. 2 is a view in vertical transverse section through the reel and sustaining
frame illustrated in Fig. 1, the wire tape being omitted from the reel.
Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the sustaining frame.
Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the screw whereby the end of the tape will
be attached to the building.
Fig. 5 is a detail end view of the hollow screw or axle for the reel.
Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view showing a modified form of supporting frame.
Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a further modified form of supporting frame.
Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of the lower portion of one of the suspension
links.
Fig. 9 is a detail side view of the screw-axle.
Fig. 10 is a detail side view of the thimble for the axle.
A designates the reel whereon is wound the suspension tape B. By preference I
employ a flat tape formed of aluminium, or of tough steel, as I have found that
from either of these metals a small and light tape of great tensile strength can be
formed. The tape will be of any desired length and at one end it is securely
attached to the central portion of the reel A, whilst the opposite end is furnished
with a ring b whereby the tape can be conveniently attached to the attachment
screw C when this screw has been securely embedded in the window casing or
other convenient point from which the descent is to be made. The reel is sustained
between the side plates D and D' of the supporting frame, these side plates being
preferably formed from sheet steel and being by preference connected together at
their bottoms by the integral tie plate D. The side plates D and D₁ of the
sustaining frame are preferably of a size corresponding with the end plates u and a¹
of the reel, so as to more effectively exert a pressure throughout the entire surface
of the end plates. The tie-plate D by which the side plates D and D'are united,
is sufficiently elastic to permit these plates to be readily forced inward under the
action of the pressure mechanism whereby the revolution of the reel is controlled,
as will presently more fully appear. Between these side plates of the supporting
frame the reel A is sustained, being journalled upon an axle or screw E that passes
through the reel and through the side plates D and D¹ of the supporting frame, and
as well also through the pressure plates or caps F and F', that bear upon the outer
faces of the side plates D and D. By preference I interpose between the side
plates D and D¹ of the supporting frame and the end plates a and a' of the reel,
5 the friction pads G of leather or other suitable material, these pads being
preferably connected to the side plates D and D' by cement or light rivets.
While I regard the employment of the pads G G' as highly desirable because of
the better frictional bearing afforded thereby, still I do not wish my invention to

page_text: De understood as necessarily restricted thereto, since the side plates D D' of th
supporting frame might bear directly upon the end plates a a' of the reel, althoug
I do not deem such construction as desirable. In the preferred form of m
invention, the pressure plates F and F' are concaved or dished as shown, th
purpose of this construction being to cause these plates to exert a more effectiv
pressure towards the outer portion of the side plates D D' of the supporting fram
and at the same time to give an elasticity to such plates which will tend towards
more uniform and effective action of the reel, when pressure has been applied t
control the paying out of the tape, as the user of the escape makes his descent
By preference, also, and for like reason, the side plates D D' of the supportin
frame are concaved or dished about their central portions, as more particularly see
in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The axle E in the preferred form of my invention is
hollow screw provided at one end with a flanged head e that bears against th
pressure plate or cap F and provided at its opposite end with screw-threads e
whereon will work the hand-nut H. The head-end of the axle E is furnished with
one or more ribs or splines e' that enter corresponding notches and formed
respectively in the
cap
F and the side plate D of the supporting frame about their
central perforations, the purpose of these splines and notches being to guard the
axle against rotation, as will presently more fully appear.
opening of the axle E extends a coiled spring K, one terminal of which is attached
Through the central
to a cross-bar k, that rests upon the head e of the axle, whilst the opposite terminal
of this spring is attached to a cross bar k¹ that rests upon the hand-nut H, or the
opposite end of the axle. By preference, the cross bar k¹ is furnished with bent
ends that enter perforations h formed in the nut H, the purpose of which
arrangement will hereinafter inore fully appear.
portion of the axle E from wear, and insure a more easy and accurate working of
In order to protect the threaded
the parts, I prefer to place upon this axle a thimble M having a flanged end m,
this thimble being located between the threaded portion of the axle E, the pressure
plate F', the side plate D' of the supporting frame, the friction pad G, and the end
plate a¹ of the reel. In order to allow for the inward movement of this thimble,
the bore of the reel is counter-sunk or enlarged as at a², as more particularly seen
in Fig. 2 of the drawings.
In the preferred embodiment of my invention, the tie plate D' that connects the
side plates D D' of the supporting frame, is furnished with upturned portions d
that constitute eyes or seats to receive and retain the suspension links O
and O. In order to brace the links O and O¹, each of them is formed with an
inwardly extending lug o adapted to bear against the bottom of the opposite link.
By this means, when the links O and O' are together, as seen in Fig. 1, and the
hook P of the body strap R has been engaged therewith, the lugs o upon the links
will cause an interlocking of these links, and consequently will cause the weight of
the user of the escape to be better sustained thereby. That is to say, when strain
is thrown upon the hook P iu straight downward direction, such strain will be
borne equally by the links O 0¹, and if strain be towards one or the other of the
links, it is obvious that inasmuch as the lug of each link passes beneath the end of
the opposite link, the slipping of the ends of the links past each other is guarded
against, and consequently the strain upon either link is braced by the resistance of
the opposite link.
The operation of the construction hereinbefore described will be seen to be as
follows: If it is desired to employ the escape in making a descent for example
from the window of a burning building, the user of the escape will first pass the
ring 6 of the tape over one of the hooked ends c of the attachment screw C, and
when so connected the ring will be guarded against slipping therefrom by means of
a spring C¹, each end of which serves to guard one of the hooks c of the screw.
The body strap R will then be fastened about the body of the user beneath the
arms, and the descent will be begun. It will be found that the coiled spring K by 5
reason of the pressure which it normally exerts upon the hand nut H, will turn and

page_text: force this nut against the flanged end of the thimble M, and consequently will
cause the cap plates F F to bear upon the side plates D D¹ of the supporting
rame, and to force these tie-plates and the friction pads G G¹ against the ends a a
of the reel with a pressure corresponding to the force of the coiled spring K.
Hence, it will be seen that even if the user of the escape should neglect to turn the
hand-screw H, the coil-spring K by reason of its pressure upon the parts as above
indicated, will prevent such an extremely rapid movement of the reel A as would
be disastrous. Moreover, the force of the coiled spring thus tending to turn the
hand-nut H in forward direction will guard against the user mistaking the proper
direction for the turning of the nut to check the movement of the reel, since any
backward turning of the nut tending to loosen the reel, would be at once indicated by
the resistance of the spring. It will be observed that the coiled-spring K, by reason of
its connection to the end of the axle E through the medium of the rod K, can have its
force or tension adjusted by merely turning this rod about the notched or toothed
face of the heade of the axle. And in this way the tension of the spring can be
adjusted to suit the weight of the person for whom the escape is especially designed.
That is to say, if the cross bar k is in the position seen in Figs. 2 and 5 of the drawing,
the tension exerted by the coiled spring is suitable for a person of medium weight, and
it is desired to set the spring for a very heavy person, it is only necessary to turn the
cross bar k, one or two additional revolutions, thereby winding the coiled spring,
and increasing its tension upon the hand-nut H, and by so much increasing the
pressure exerted by this nut upon the pressure plates F E to check the movements
of the reel A. If the user of the escape desires to effect a more rapid ascent
than is permitted by the hand-nut H when controlled by the spring K, it is only
necessary for him to turn backward the hand-nut against the force of this spring;
or if he desires to effect a more gradual descent it is obvious that he can, by
turning forward the hand nut H, increase the pressure upon the pressure plates F
and F, and upon the reel, until the movement of the reel is more or less checked
or completely arrested if desired. My purpose in mounting the cross bar k¹ upon
the hand-nut H in the manner shown, is to permit this nut to be forced inwardly
after the cross bar k¹ has come to rest upon the end of the axle E, and yet
maintain the tension of the spring, and it is plain that when the hand nut H is
turned to effect an increased checking or arresting of the movement of the reel A,
so that this nut passes below the end of the axle E, the cross bar k' will rest upon
the end of the axle, but the bent ends of the cross bar will still be retained within
the perforations of the hand-nut and consequently the tension of the coiled
spring K will always be maintained. This feature of employing a spring for the
purpose of moderating the movements of the reel, regard as of very great
importance, and while I have shown what I regard as the best form of spring for
such purpose, I do not wish my invention to be restricted thereto, since it is
manifest that various other forms of springs might be employed without departing
from the broad spirit of my invention. As the hand-nut H is turned to produce
a pressure upon the plates F and F', and through these plates and intermediate
parts, upon the end plates of the reel A, it will be seen that the initial pressure
of the plates F and F will be exerted through their outer portions, on account of
the concaved or dished shape of the plates, and as this pressure is delivered at the
greatest point from the centre of revolution of the reel, it will obviously be much
more effective than if at a point nearer the centre of revolution. If the plates F F¹
were simple flat plates, and the side plates D and D' of the supporting frame were
not concaved, as shown, then the pressure exerted by the screw axle E would be
greater adjacent the point of application than at a greater distance therefrom,
unless these plates were made of such increased size and weight as to render the
apparatus very cumbersome and bulky. Moreover, by forming the pressure
plates F and F concaved or dished, as shown, a more gradual and elastic action of
these plates is secured, the pressure being applied as above stated, first adjacent
the outer ends of the plates, and then as the plates are compressed, upon the

page_text: concaved portion of the side plates D and D', until a gradual checking or arrest of
the movements of the reel A is effected. It will be observed that as the hand-
nut is turned to effect the arrest or checking of the reel A, the force of this
spring will be exerted upon the flanged end of the thimble M, and the thimble will
thus be forced inward along the expanded bore of the axle E. This thimble M
not only serves to protect the threads of the axle against wear, which would occur
if the side plate D' of the supporting frame and the pressure plate F were allowed
to bear directly thereon, but by reason of the bearing of the hand-nut H upon the
head of the thimble, an easier action of the hand-nut is allowed. Any simple form
of instrument, such for example, as a pair of nippers or a small pronged wrench
or key, may be used for shifting the cross-bar k to adjust the tension of the coiled
spring K.
The attachment screw C has its threaded shank c furnished with a gimlet-
point, so that the shank can be readily inserted into the window casing or other
convenient part of the wood work of the building, and the hooked ends c of this
shank not only afford a ready means whereby the shank may be firmly screwed to
place, but when the flat edges of these ends are brought to bear upon the wood-
work, they serve as fulcra to sustain the weight of the user of the escape, as the
descent is being made, and thus in great measure relieve the tendency to withdraw
the screw shank from the wood. The employment of the spring C³ for retaining
the attachment ring or loop of the tape against displacement is also a desirable
feature, but the precise shape of this spring may be varied without departing from
the invention. The use of an attachment screw such as that illustrated, is
particularly advantageous in that it enables the free end of the tape B to be
attached at such distance above the bottom of the window that the sharp bend
of the tape over the window sill is avoided and moreover the user of the escape is
allowed to place his weight upon the tape from the outset, and without the
necessity of first paying out a portion of the tape and then dropping until the
slack of the tape is taken up as would be necessary if the end of the tape were
attached to the window-sill or to any fixed article of furniture within the roomn
upon a line or below the window-sill.
The precise details of construction above set out may be varied without departing
from the scope of my invention. Thus, for example, in Fig. 6 of the drawings I
have illustrated a modified form of the supporting frame. In this construction, the
side plates D D¹ of the supporting frame are furnished with downwardly depending
plates d' perforated, as at d to receive the catch or snap hook P of the body
strap or to receive suitable intermediate links if desired. These downwardly
extending portions d' may be formed integral with cach other, and with the side
plates if desired. In Fig. 7 a further modified form of supporting frame is
illustrated. In this construction the side plates D D¹ of the frame are connected
together by a tie plate D* formed integral with such side plates, and constituting
a seat adapted to receive the cross bars of a link S to which the snap hook P of
the body strap may be conveniently attached. When this form of supporting
franie is employed, I prefer to provide at the top of the frame a swinging guide-
bar T against which the tape B will bear as it is being paid out, the effect of this
guide bar being to give a steadier movement to the tape during the descent of the
user of the escape than would be possible if the tape passed from the reel in a line
corresponding with the line of the strain exerted upon the body-strap.
Other changes in the details of construction will readily occur to those skilled
in this class of devices; and features of the invention may be employed without
its adoption as an entirety. Thus for example, the coiled spring for the purpose
of causing the side plates to exert a pressure upon the heads of the reel may be
used with advantage in connection with a suitable hand-lever instead of the screw-
nut shown in the drawings. It is simply necessary in such case to pivot the
hand-lever to a bar or yoke attached to one of the side plates of the frame, and
projecting slightly beyond the opposite side plate, so that the levers can extend

page_text: across the face of such opposite plate, and be joined to the end of the coiled spring,
thus causing the hand lever to exert a pressure for normally forcing the sides of
the frame against the reel. When such a hand lever is employed the pressure
plates F F need not be used.
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:
1.-A fire escape comprising a supporting frame, a reel sustained between the side
plates of said frame, concaved or dished pressure plates upon the outside of said
frame, and suitable means for exerting pressure upon said plates, and through them
to the sides of the frame and ends of the reel, substantially as described.
2.-A fire escape comprising a supporting frame, having concaved or dished end
plates, a reel sustained between the side plates of said frame, concaved or dished
pressure plates upon the outside of said frame and suitable means for exerting
pressure upon said plates, and through them to the sides of the frame and ends of
the reel, substantially as described.
3. A fire escape comprising a supporting frame, a reel carried by said frame, a
threaded axle extending through said reel and frame, suitable pressure mechanism,
and a movable thimble for protecting the threaded portion of said axle, substantially
as described.
4. A fire escape comprising a supporting frame, a reel carried by said frame, a
threaded axle or screw, a threaded adjusting hand nut and a spring for holding
said nut in working position to exert a normal pressure upon the reel heads,
substantially as described.
5.-In fire-escapes, the combination with a revoluble reel for carrying the line
or wire, and with a suitable supporting frame therefor, having jaws adapted to
enclose, sustain, and compress the outer faces of the reel-heads, of a brake device
adapted to be controlled by the hand of the operator for forcing the jaws to
compress the reel heads, and a spring connected to. said brake device, and
constantly acting upon said brake-device, to cause said brake device to normally
force said jaws to compress said reel heads, substantially as described.
6. In fire escapes, the combination with a revoluble reel and with a suitable
supporting frame therefor having a compressible jaw, and a companion jaw to
enclose the reel heads, of a tubular sleeve mounted in said jaws, a coiled spring
passing through said sleeve, and a suitable brake device adapted to be controlled
by the hand of the operator, for compressing the clamp jaws, said coiled spring
being connected to said brake device whereby the pressure of the clamp jaws will
be maintained, substantially as described.
7-A fire-escape, comprising a supporting frame, a reel carried by said frame, a
hollow threaded axle or screw, a threaded adjusting nut and a spring passing
through said hollow axle for holding said nut in working position, substantially as
described.
8.-A fire-escape comprising a supporting frame, a reel carried between the side
plates of said frame, pressure plates upon the outside of said frame, a hollow screw
passing through said reel, said frame and said pressure plates, a threaded adjusting
nut for said screw and a coiled spring passing through said hollow screw and
attached to said nut, substantially as described.
9. A fire-escape comprising a supporting frame, a reel carried by said frame,
a threaded hollow axle or screw, a threaded adjusting nut and a spring passing
through said hollow axle or screw, and adjustably connected thereto, and connected
also to the said nut, substantially as described.
10. A fire escape comprising a reel and a supporting frame for said reel, said
frame having a cross plate at its bottom formed in piece therewith, and provided
with two eyes for loops and suitable loops within said eyes, substantially as
described.

page_text: 11. In fire-escapes of the kind described, the combination with the supporting
frame, and the body strap, of connecting loops provided at their bottom with inter-
locking lugs, substantially as described.
Dated this 21st day of July A.D. 1891.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,.
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.