IMPROVE- MENTS IN FIRE ESCAPES AND PORTABLE LADDERS
Year: 1865

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Thomas Dixon Whitehead at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 26th
April 1865.
I, THOMAS DIXON WHITEHEAD, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Carpenter, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN FIRE ESCAPES AND PORTABLE LADDERS," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists of the arrangement or combination of the parts of
fire escapes and portable ladders herein-after described, whereby the fire
escape or ladder can be transported with greater ease and made ready for use
in less time than ordinary fire escapes and ladders.
I will describe my Invention with reference to a firo escape. I make the
fire escape' in three parts, one fixed, and the others moveable; the fixed part
of the fire escape I will herein-after call the carriage, and the moveable
parts the inner and outer slides respectively. The said carriage and slides
are each of about twenty feet in length, but other dimensions may be employed.
The carriago of the fire escape is supported on four wheels while being
transported, the front pair of wheels being readily detached from the bind pair
of wheels when the fire escape is about to be used. The front wheels may
be provided with a pole or a pair of shafts by which the fire escape can be
transported by means of horses, or the front wheels may have handles or poles
connected to them (capable of removal at pleasure) by which the fire escape cau

page_text: be drawn along by manual labour. The carriage and slides of the fire escape
consist of ladders provided on their under sides with canvas or other fabric as
in ordinary fire escapes. The inner sides of the carriage have longitudinal
grooves made in them, in which the outer slide of the fire escape works, and
tho said outer slide has similar grooves in which the inner or smaller slide
works. The outer slide can thus be projected from the fixed part or carriage,
and the inner slide projected from the outer slide, so as thereby to lengthen
the fire escape nearly to the combined lengths of the said slides. The slides
of the fire escape are advanced from or withdrawn into the carriage in the
following manner :-The back of the carriage is provided with an upright or
frame, which frame carries two parallel horizontal drums or rollers. These
drums or rollers are turned by means of winches on their ends, two cords
attached to the back ends of the outer slide pass over pulleys in the fixed
carriage and along the sides of the said carriage, and are wound on one of
the drums or rollers described. Cords are also fixed to the front ends of
the said outer slide and are connected to the middle of the last-mentioned
drum, the cords being wound thereon in a direction opposite to that in which
the cords from the back ends of the slide are wound, by turning iho drum in
one direction the cords from the back ends of the slide are wound upon the
drum, and the slide is advanced from the carriage, the other cords being at the
same time unwound from the drum; by turning the drum in the opposite
direction the slide is withdrawn into the carriage. The outer slide, as well
as the smaller slide within it, are thus simultaneously advanced from or
withdrawn into the fixed part of the fire escape. The two slides may be
advanced from or withdrawn into the carriage either when the inner one is
situated within the outer one, or when the said inner one has been advanced
from the outer one. In order to advance the inner slide from the outer slide,
or give the reverse motion, I provide the said inner slide with two ropes or
cords which are wound upon a second drum or roller on the carriage. By
turning the said drum in one or other direction the slide can be advanced
from or withdrawn into the outer slide without affecting the said outer slide.
The two slides are prevented from being pushed back into the carriage, or the
inner one into the outer one, by means of moveable stops or palls which engage
with teeth or inclines on the sides of the slides, the said stops or palls being
capable of being turned aside or withdrawn from the teeth or inclines when the
slides are required to be returned into the carriage. In using the fire escape
when its whole length is required the inner slide is first drawn out from the
carriage by hand. This having been done the cords from the inner slide are
disconnected from the drum, and hooked or otherwise connected with the

page_text: cords which are connected to the front ends of the outer slide. By now
turning the other drum or roller the two slides are simultaneously advanced
from the carriage until the required length has been obtained. The front
pair of wheels being removed from the carriage the fire escape is elevated
and used in the ordinary way, on returning the slides to the carriage after
using the fire escape the stops or palls are liberated from the teeth or inclines,
and the last-mentioned drum or roller is turned so as to withdraw the outer
slide into the carriage. The cords of the inner slide are now detached from
the cords of the outer slide, and the cords of the inner slide fastened to their
drum, by turning which drum the inner slide can be withdrawn into the outer
slide within the carriage. By removing the canvas from the ladders of the
fire escape the said firo escape may be used as a portable ladder.