A MACHINE FOR ELEVATING OR LOWERING FIREMEN & &
Year: 1885

page_text: We HERBERT HOBSON of No 15 High Street Heywood Foreman Mechanic and
SHEPHERD RUSHTON of No 13 Collinge Street Heywood aforesaid mill furnisher
in the County of Lancaster do hereby declare the nature of our invention for
A MACHINE FOR ELEVATING OR LOWERING FIREMEN & &, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following.statement:-
Our invention has for its object to elevate firemen or workmen to great altitudes
of a building or structure in cases of fire or in cases where it is necessary for
persons in the execution of their duties to be employed at great elevations our
arrangement can evidently be applied to many various uses and will manifestly be
of great advantage to builders and others obviating the preparation of and the
consequent delay necessary in the construction of unwieldy scaffolding as is now
used for such purposes at the same time ensuring safety to the workman or
operative.
.
In order that our invention may be understood we have reference to the
accompaning two sheets of drawings which is suitably equipped and arranged as
an elevator to high altitudes of a building in cases of fire.
Fig 2 is a plan of Fig 1 shewing the gear wheels for operating the screw rods.
Fig 3 is a view shewing the position of the machine when not in use or in position
for transport.
Fig 4 is a view shewing our invention applied or used for the purpose of
repairing or constructing a tall structure such as a mill chimney being an
illustration shewing how our arrangement can be applied to structures which may
be surrounded and therefore operated upon from all sides.
Fig 5 is a plan of Fig 4.
Fig 6 is an enlarged sectional view of an hydraulic lift.
Fig 61 is a plan of hydraulic arrangement.
Fig 7 is a plan of the top plate or platform.
Fig 8 is a plan of plate through which screw rods pass.
Fig 9 is a plan of Fig 1 at A' A' shewing the application of hydraulic apparatus
on the underside

page_text: Fig 10 is a sertional elevation of top plate see Fig 2 at B' B¹ Figure 11 is a plan
of cross rail or bar Upon the carriage or vehicle A I mount a frame B of square
rectangular or other desired form being secured at one end of the carriage upon
pivots C so as to be free to move thereon for the purpose of adjustment when the
carriage is not upon level ground, on each side of the frame B I attach links D.
which are connected to the links E, connected to a frame F at the upper part of our
apparatus by a series of any convenient number of links G. being of any desired
length according to the size or height of machine required the links E are likewise
provided on each side of the frame F. see Fig 1 before referred to which frame is
similar to frame B, the links G forming the sides of the machine extended or
opened out as shown in Fig i are connected together by crossrails or bars H.see
Fig 11 or if necessary by a rectangular or square frame I without crossrails or bars
as shewn in Fig 4 which form is necessary when the structure to be repaired or
operated upon by the workmen may pass through the machine the object of
employing the plates I is for the purpose of strengthening and ensuring stability
in the machine when the same is extended or in use as shewn in Fig 4 the
extrenities of the links G are suitably provided with spiral springs J the office of
which are to draw together the extremities of the links G thus to cause or assist in
the elevation or raising of the platform F of the machine when the suitably
threaded rods K are rotated and which are situated and fixed at the upper part of
the platform of the machine, the said rods have screw threads provided on their
lower parts that is the parts below the platform and pass through openings in the
covering or flooring L of the frame F which forms the platform before referred to
and is for the purpose of accomodating floor space or area for the firemen or other
operatives in charge of the machine. The said rods K thence pass downwards into
suitable crossrails or plate see Figs 1 & 8 respectively which crossrails are provided
at convenient parts with apertures N suitably threaded för the reception of the
screw rods K the screwed part of the rods being of any desired length as may be
required according to the length of links or connections G upon one of the rods K
I fix a handle K' by which means the said rods may be rotated by the person in
charge of the machine a rotary motion being communicated to the other rods by the
agency of suitably geared wheels L¹ adjusted on the rods conveniently on the
underside of the cover or platform L see Fig 10 as the rods K. are rotated obviously
the plate or frame F and M, consequently travel to or from each other and which
for convenience of description we will term the moving plates or frames the series
of links G being connected together also being attached at the parts O on each
side of the frame or plate M also to the links or connections E on the frame F in
such a manner that they shall recede to and from each other at their jointed
extremities Oas the frames or plates F and M. are caused to recede to or from
each other by the action of the screw rods. The intervening links G connecting
the links D. and E and being jointed in a similar manner so as to be free to move
at their jointed extremities thus form one continuos length on each side of the
frame F & B consequently the whole of the connected parts are caused to move in
a corresponding direction as the screw rods K are rotated accordingly as it is desired
to elevate or lower the platform of the machine.
Fig 5 shews another method of transmitting motion to the screw rods K when
our apparatus is required for the purpose of repairing or building structures, which
may be encompassed or surrounded by our apparatus and which may be necessary
for the purpose of adapting our apparatus to the various classes of works. Fig 4
gives an illustration shewing our machine applied for the purposes of repairing or
constructing a mill chimney at the lower part of the machine we fix suitable
supports P. on each side of the machine for the purpose of supporting the machine
when fully extended or in its working position the office of the supports being to
further ensure steadiness or stability, when in use we also preferably desire to
employ a selfacting hydraulic arrangement which arrargement will be chiefly
applicable to our apparatus when the same is of large dimensions see enlarged view
Fig 6 which arrangement may be applied in connection with the lower crossbar II H

page_text: Fig 1 or may be applied at the lower part of the machine at the outer sides thereof
as shewn in Fig 4 this arrangement consists of the threedway tube q. in which we
provide plunger rods R and connecting rod R¹ on the outer extremities of the
plunger rods R I provide crossheads R" connected to each other by spiral
springs R the operation of this arrangement is as follows. The upper part of the
rod R¹ being connected to a convenient part of the framing of the machine and
the threeway tube having its space filled with water or if desired water may be
forced into the threeway tube by the aid of an ordinary force or hand pump as the
machine is caused to ascend receiving its first motion by operating the screw
rods K the connecting rod is elevated in the vertical portion of the tube thus
causing a space or vacancy therin the water or other liquid contained in the tube
is caused to fill the vacancy thus to press against the lower extremity of the
connecting rod R¹ thus a vacancy is caused in the lower or horizontal part of
the tube the extremities of the plunger rods R within the tube are caused to travel
towards each other being aided by the springs R11 thus tending to force the water
in the upright tube q. against the lower against the lower surface of the con-
necting rod when the machine is caused to decend the connecting rod R¹ forces the
water or othe liquid into the lower parts of the tube q. thus causing the fluid to
press against the extremities of the plunger rod R consequently to force them
outward and to expand the spiral springs R the hydraulic arrangement is then
in position to elevatic the platform F when required the water or other liquid
may be emptied from the tube through a suitable orifice when required this arrange-
ment obviously acts as an auxiliary force during the operation of raising the
platform of the machine at 'the. lower part of the machine we provide a suitable
screw T for the purpose of adjusting the level of the machine as may be desired
and at the upper part of the machine we also provide a fall platform U for the
purpose of placing in connection the same with any suitable opening or part of a
building in which in case of fire it is necessary for firemen to enter.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that
what we claim is
1. In a machine for elvating persons to great elevations in cases of fire or in the
performance of their duties the combination of the links E. D. and G the plates or
frames F. B. and M cross rails H srew rods K and wheels L¹ the carriage A also
the hydraulic arrangement, substantially as and for the purposes herein fully set
forth and described in the annexed drawings.
Dated thin orth J. of T
100K
JOHN H. BUTTERWORTH,
Agent to the Applicants.