Improvements in or relating to Means or Apparatus Applicable for Use in Rescuing Persons from Burning Buildings, Cleaning Windows, Pointing Buildings, and other similar Purposes.
Year: 1888

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Means or Apparatus Applicable for
Use in Rescuing Persons from Burning Buildings, Cleaning
Windows, Pointing Buildings, and other similar Purposes.
We, WILLIAM RICHARD NOBLE, of Woodland Terrace Chapeltown, Leeds,
Commercial Traveller, and JOHN BLAKEY, of 42, Lady Lane, Leeds, both in the
County of York, Boot and Shoe Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in or relating to means or apparatus that
may be used for various purposes, such as a fire escape, or a moveable stand or cage
from which windows may be cleaned, or buildings pointed or repaired without the
erection of scaffolding, and the like; and its object is to provide simple, ready, and
effective mechanism or arrangement of parts for raising, lowering, and traversing a
cage or basket to any desired position outside the building.
According to this invention, to and extending the full width of, or around the
outside of one or more Houses, Warehouses, or other buildings at a convenient
distance from and parallel with the wall or walls, is or are fixed immediately
under the spouting or eaves one or more long bars or rails on or to which is mounted
a moveable carriage provided with any required number of pulleys (actuated if
required by gearing) for travelling the carriage to and fro on the rail or rails, and
also for raising and lowering a wire (or other suitable) cage or basket suspended
therefrom. Motion is given to the pulleys by endless chains, bands, or their equivalents,
placed in such a position that the occupant or occupants of the cage or basket can
raise or lower, as well as traverse themselves across the building to any desired
position.
The cage or basket may also be provided with hooks or stays for holding it, when
required, to the building at any desired point.
When the cage or basket is not in use it is preferably placed in a recess or opening
(covered by a grating) formed for its reception below the pavement, and suitable
shields or retaining devices may also be employed for preventing unauthorized
persons tampering with the chains or using the cage.
Dated this Tenth day of July 1888.

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Means or Apparatus Applicable for
Use in Rescuing Persons from Burning Buildings, Cleaning
Windows, Pointing Buildings, and other similar Purposes.
We, WILLIAM RICHARD NOBLE, of Woodland Terrace, Chapeltown, Leeds,
Commercial Traveller, and JOHN BLAKEY, of 42 Lady Lane, Leeds, both in the
County of York, Boot and Shoe Manufacturer 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 improvements in or relating to means or apparatus that
may be used for various purposes, such as a fire escape, or a moveable stand or cage
from which windows may be cleaned, or buildings painted pointed or repaired without
the erection of scaffolding, and the like, and its object is to provide, simple, ready,
and effective mechanism or arrangements of parts for raising lowering, or traversing
a cage or basket to any desired position outside the building.
In the drawings:-
Fig. 1 shows the application of the invention to a building.
Figs. 2 and 3 are front and side elevations of hoisting and traversing arrangement.
Fig. 4 an elevation of one arrangement of a cage or basket suitable for rescuing
persons from burning buildings.
Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are respectively front and side elevations, and a plan of a cage
suitable for window cleaning and other similar purposes.
Figs. 8, 9, and 10 are respectively a front and an end elevation, and a plan of
grappler for use in combination with the cage.
According to this invention to the outside walls of one or more houses, warehouses,
or other buildings are fixed immediately below the spouting or eaves any desired
number of brackets A arranged so as to receive and support a long bar, rod, or rail B
preferably rectangular in section though not necessarily so.
The bar B is bolted or securely fixed to the brackets A and is made in one or more
pieces fastened together so as to extend the full width of one or more warehouses or
other buildings parallel with the outer walls and eaves or spouting, and it is also
curved as shown at Fig. 1 to pass round and extend the full width of the gable, or
end of the building. By curving the bar B at each corner of the building as shown
it may be made
run continuously round a detached or block of buildings.
On the bar B is mounted or hung a moveable carriage C provided with two grooved
pulleys c c (above and below the bar as shown) in such a position that pulley c runs
on the top of the bar, whilst pulley c' is arranged to bear against the under surface of
the bar. By means of the flanges of the pulleys, the carriage C is retained on the
bar, but at the same time it is capable of being traversed to and fro across or round
the building at pleasure.
On the end of shaft c² which carries the pulley c is mounted and keyed a
sprocket wheel c³ over which is passed an endless chain & through which the required
motion for traversing the carriage' is imparted.

page_text: The endless chain is preferably made to extend from the sprocket wheel c³ to
within a short distance of the floor or ground, and in its descent when
may
required be passed through suitable eyes or guides attached to the cage E (to be here-
after described) in such a position as to be within reach of the occupant of the cage,
but still out of the way so as not to impede his action. In order to keep the cage
steady whilst being raised or lowered the chain may be arranged at its lower end
to pass round a second pulley or sprocket wheel which is kept in its vertical
position by hooks c attached to a weight c' suspended a few inches from the
pavement.
To the underside of the carriage C is fixed an eye or hook c³ for the reception of
the hoisting mechanism.
The simplest and most useful form of hoisting mechanism is that of a pair of
what are known as Weston's Differential pulley blocks D D¹ actuated by an
endless chain d which may or may not be arranged to pass through the cage.
Although in the drawings we have shown a pair of Weston's blocks as the hoisting
means, yet we would have it distinctly understood that we do not desire to confine
ourselves to this particular method of raising or lowering the cage as other well
known mechanical means may be employed, such as for instance, Cherry's blocks,
or ordinary blocks with a chain or rope wound on to an ordinary winch, but we
prefer using a pair of Weston Blocks, as they are the handiest and can easily be
arranged with their raising and lowering chains within easy reach of the occupant
or occupants of the cage.
E is the cage or basket which, may be made either square, rectangular, circular,
or any other convenient form. In the drawings at Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7, we have
shown two forms of cages or baskets, that at Fig. 4, consisting of a platform e
suspended from a frame e¹ by four chains (one at each corner) and provided with
one or more stays e³.
These stays e also act as guides for preventing the occupant or occupants from
falling out of the cage.
This class of cage is useful for rescuing persons from burning buildings and when
not in use can be readily packed away into small compass. But when a cage is
required to hold one person only, either for the above purposes or for window cleaning,
painting, pointing or repairing, buildings, or other similar purposes, the cage shown
at Figs. 5, 6 and 7, will be found convenient; this class of cage consists of two
troughs or receptacles et (for the occupant's feet) held together by suitable stays e e.
Above the troughs e is a curved band e' connected to the troughs by means of the
stays e. The openings between the ends of the bands e' may be closed by means
of a chain or bar. Projecting upwards from the stay e is a bar el curved over at
its upper end to about the centre of the cage and provided with a ring or eye ell
for attaching the cage to the pulley Block D¹.
Each class of cage may be provided with a pair of hooks e pivoted to the lower
portion of the cage for holding it to the building; a ring or eye e¹ for attaching
the cage to the pulley blocks D' for hoisting purposes, and also with a hook or
hooks for carrying hose pipe, bucket, paint pot, or other tools or implements for
rescuing lives.
When it is desired to hold the cage E fast to the wall at or near a window a move-
able grappler shown at Figs. 8, 9, and 10 may be employed.
The grappler I consists of a bar i bent at each end so as to grasp the wall (as
shown at Fig. 9) and it is provided at its outer bent end with a screw for fixing
it in position. From or about the middle of the bar i project the arms at a right
angle therewith for receiving the outer ends of the retaining hooks e¹² or a sack
apparatus (such as is used in saving lives at fires) is also used and the hooks which
are employed holding such sack may be attached to said arms in addition to those
for holding the cage to the wall. It will readily be understood that when a sack
apparatus is employed the fireman would only use the cage in order to enable him to
assist any person desirous of leaving the building at any given position

page_text: In the above described apparatus the occupant or occupants can raise or lower, as
well as traverse himself or themselves across the building to any desired position.
When the cage or basket is not in use it is placed preferably in a recess or
opening F (covered by a grating) formed for its reception below the pavement G
and suitable shields or retaining devices H such as a wood or other tube having a
hinged door may also be employed for preventing unauthorized persons tampering
with the chains or cage.
By the use of this invention any portion of the outside of a building can be got at
in a very few minutes and thus persons can be rescued with ease, the seat of the
fire can be at once discovered, and the hose and hand pump (if at hand) can be
carried there instantly, or grenades can be thrown into the blazing, smoking, or
smoldering mass from the nearest point.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1st. The means or apparatus for rescuing persons from burning buildings, cleaning
windows, painting pointing, and repairing buildings and other similar purposes con-
sisting of a bar or rod fixed so as to run partially or continuously round the outer
walls of a building or buildings parallel thereto, a moveable carriage provided with
pullies and weighted chains for traversing the carriage on said bar to any part of the
building, and a cage or receptacle attached to said moveable carriage in such a
manner that it may be raised or lowered at pleasure substantially as herein set forth
and illustrated.
.
2nd. In means or apparatus for rescuing persons from burning buildings, and other
useful purposes, the combination with a building or buildings of a bar or rod fixed
thereto by brackets so as to run partially or continuously round a building parallel
with the outer walls from which a suspended cage or receptacle may be raised,
lowered, and traversed to any desired part by means of mechanism as described, as
and for the purposes set forth.
3rd. In means or apparatus for rescuing persons from burning buildings or other
useful purposes, the combination with a rod or rail such as B fixed to the outer
walls of a building or buildings parallel therewith, of a moveable carriage such as C
from which a cage or receptacle such as E may be suspended and the means or
mechanism for raising, lowering, traversing, and holding said cage to any part of
the building substantially as herein set forth.
Dated this Tenth day of Anril 1889
WILLIAM RICHARD NOBLE.
JOHN BLAKEY.