A MACHINE OR APPARATUS TO BE USED AS A MOVEABLE OBSERVATORY OR TELEGRAPH, AND AS MOVEABLE PLATFORM 'IN ERECTING, REPAIRING, PAINTING, OR CLEANING "THE INTERIOR 'OR EXTERIOR OF BUILDINGS, AND ALSO AS A FIRE ESCAPE
Year: 1840

page_text: SIMPSON'S SPECIFICATION.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
HORATIO SIMPSON, of New Palace Yard, Westminster, Gentleman, 'send
greeting.
: : 1
"WHEREAS Her present 'most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria; by Her
Letters Pátent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing "date at West-
minster, the Fifth day of November, in the fourth year of Her reign, did,' for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Alexander
Horatio Simpson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, and such others as
I, the said Alexander Horatio Simpson, my executors, administrators," and
assigns, 'should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times hereafter during the term of years therein mentioned, 'should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and' the
Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "A MACHINE OR APPARATUS
TO BE USED AS A MOVEABLE OBSERVATORY OR TELEGRAPH, AND AS MOVEABLE
PLATFORM 'IN ERECTING, REPAIRING, PAINTING, OR CLEANING "THE INTERIOR 'OR
EXTERIOR OF BUILDINGS, AND ALSO AS A FIRE ESCAPE;" in which'said-Letters
Patent there is contained a proviso, that I the said Alexander"..Horatio
Simpson, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said "Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an "instrument
in writing under under my hand and seal; to be inrolled in Her Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within' six calendar months' next immediately after

page_text: the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, reference being thereunto
had, may more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Alexander Horatio Simpson, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference
being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters
marked thereon, that is to say :—
My Invention consists of a machine, of which description Fig. 1 represents
a side elevation of machine, and a building, in section; Fig. 2, the mode of
coupling or joining the several pieces of the shaft; Fig. 3. is a front view of
shaft with rack exhibited; Fig. 4 is a horizontal section of shaft; Fig. 5 is a
front view of a building, with another machine applied thereunto; Fig. 6 is
another mode of raising the gallery.
In Fig. 1, a represents the shaft mounted on the step B, and capable
of turning therein and on the pin A. I use butone gallery on one shaft, but
two are represented in the Drawing to shew the different positions. The
gallery C is fixed to the sliding frame D, which is fitted with a pinion d
which, working in the rack, raises or lowers the gallery or platform, according
to the direction in which the winch e is turned. The material which I
employ in the construction of the shaft as exhibited in Fig. 1 is wrought iron
in plates, rivetted together with angle irons, as seen in section in Fig. 4,
which construction I employ on account of its combining lightness and
strength, but I do not confine myself to any material, which may vary
according to circumstances. I sometimes construct the shaft of strips of plank
(either ash, oak, or any other strong and elastic timber would answer), which
strips I bind together, after the manner of a barrel, with iron hoops. The shaft
mounted in the step B, as before described, is supported laterally by stays E, E,
which are jointed to the collar e, e, which is prevented from sliding upwards
on the shaft by the pin F; the stays E, E, fit into holes in the foot or
pediment E, so as to admit of the stays altering their position or angle in
relation to the shaft, thereby supporting. it in different positions. One side of
the shaft is formed by a rack sunk flush with the sides; I sometimes use a
cast-iron rack, but I prefer one of the lantern form, it being less liable to break
under flexion; the teeth being formed by long bolts or rivets running across in
the same position as the teeth of the cast-iron rack, and rivetted through both
sides; I sometimes make the shaft in two or more pieces, according to its
length, for portability, as seen in Fig. 1, f, f, f, representing the joints.
Fig. 2 is a portion of the shaft, shewing how they may be fastened together,

page_text: a cotter being driven through both shaft or socket (which fits around the plug b)
and through the hole a, as, when the plug is fitted into the other portion of the
shaft, to which it is adapted, the holes correspond; the shaft can also be taken
out of the step B and the stays removed. The gallery being suspended by the
ping to the sliding frame D, D, is preserved in a horizontal position. To the
gallery are fitted two sliding bars G, G, one at each side, which move back-
wards and forwards in the sockets H, H, on which bars is placed a seat I, I.
K is a roller fitted to the bars, on which a rope L is wound, the other end
being fixed to the pin g, so that when the gallery is raised and lowered (and
consequently advances or recedes from the building or surface to be acted.
upon) the seat can slide forwards or retire by the bars, the rope L keeping
it steady, the friction rollers 6 assisting and tending partially to support the
gallery in a horizontal position. The studs c³, Fig. 1 and 3, assists a person
in climbing the shaft, the gallery being, as before stated, suspended to the sliding
frame D, which has friction rollers m, m, m, m, attached to it, and also a
pinion or spur wheel d, which, being in gear with the rack when the handle b
is put in motion, moves the frame D up or down, and the gallery suspended.
To the frame I sometimes fasten a counterpoise weight n by a rope M, which
passes over a pulley at the head of the shaft, which ought exactly to counter-
poise or balance the weight of the gallery and whatever it may be required to
raise with it. I also adopt in some cases a compound pully, as seen in
Fig. 1, letter O, when such mechanical advantage is required; and I also, as
seen in Fig. 6, use a rope fastened to the top of the shaft at one end, the other
being wound round a windlass or roller attached to the sliding frame D; but
whatever mode I employ for elevating the scaffold or gallery, the power to
produce motion is applied from the said scaffold or gallery by the means above
described, which motion, when a counterpoise is used, requires but little effort.
Fig. 5 exhibits an elevation of a building with another construction of scaffold-
ing attached. a, a, represent two pillars or shafts, of similar construction and
material to those previously described, on the top of which is fitted a cross
rail B, on which is is mounted a carriage C, running on flanged wheels c, c, to
which are fixed 'two galleries d, d, suspending a light ladder E by the pin or
bolt e, on the centre of which there is also a roller or pulley F, over which a
rope passes, one end of which is fastened to the gallery G, and the other to a
counterpoise or balance weight; to the gallery H, H, are clamps, which I
sometimes use to attach it to the ladder, but which permit it to slide up and
down; on the foot of the ladder there is another roller I, which runs on.a
cross bar L, similar to the bar B at the top, but which supports none of the
weight of the ladder, as it rolls nearly horizontally and against the side of the

page_text: bar. The ladder is used for the convenience of an assistant in: bringing
materials to the: workmen. The gallery, with whatever it may contain, should,
as in Fig. 1, be-so,balanced by the counterpoise weights as to remain. stationary
or. in a state of rest in whatever, position or elevation it may be placed, so, as
that a small effort on the part of those: therein will 'elevate or lower it. Now, in
order to bring the gallery to bear on any portion of the surface of the building
.that the workman may require, four, ropes K; K, K, K, have. one of. each. of
.the ends fastened to: the. points m, m,.m, m, two of which, as at the bottom of
the shafts, pass over. two live pullies N at the foot of, the ladder,. the, other ends
.being in the gallery; the two top ropes.pass over two.live.pullies on.the.same
axletree.as.the: wheels. c; c; into the gallery. Now, if the persons or person: in
the gallery. pulls. the two top. ropes he, raises. the gallery, or the two bottom
ropes, he lowers, it; and if he pulls either of the, two side, ropes, namely; those
attachedito:the same: column. or shaft, leaving the other two side ropes, loose,
.the gallery: and ladder will: move. horizontally in a lateral direction; by which
arrangement.it is evident the gallery and ladder can be brought to any position
required: I sometimes. use the gallery without the ladder, and employ.a. pully
and basket to raise tools, &c. It is evident that the shaft, herein described
in Fig. 1, will admit of being. placed in a perpendicular, position, and, of being
kept so by the stays:E;. E, independant of its being placed against any building
or erection, which admits of its being used as a moveable observatory. It: may
be used as a telegraph by having the usual and well-known apparatus attached
to the top of the shaft, herein described. It is also well adapted as a fire escape,
from its portability, and the. ease with which it is worked...
'
:
But I claim the use of a shaft or spar, as herein before described, with a
gallery or platform suspended or attached thereunto, so as to be capable of being
raised or lowered on the said shaft, by a power or force, either manual or. other-
wise exerted within the said platform or gallery; I. also. claim the use of a
horizontal suspension rail supported with shafts or spars, as herein-before
described, with a platform or gallery suspended thereunto, capable of receiving
motion from within the said gallery, as described. herein-before. And, 'lastly,
I claim the giving. motion to the gallery. or. platform; herein before described,
by the application of a power either manual or otherwise, from a point not
within the galleries or platforms.
In witness whereof, I, the said: Alexander Horatio.Simpson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fifth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-one.
ALEX. HORATIO (L.S.) SIMPSON.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Fifth day of May, in the
year above mentioned, the aforesaid Alexander Horatio Simpson came before
our Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained, in form above written.
And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of
the Statute in that case made and provided.
Inrolled the same Fifth day of May, in the year above written.