An Improved Coupling, Chiefly Designed for Uniting Blankets and Sheets to Constitute a Fire Escape.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Feb., 1887.
Complete Left, 22nd Mar., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 22nd Apr., 1887.
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An Improved Coupling, Chiefly Designed for Uniting Blankets
and Sheets to Constitute a Fire Escape.
1, THOMAS HALE junior, of Old House Sovenoaks in the County of Kent Colonial
Broker do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to an improved coupling contrivance whereby sheets and
blankets may be readily and securely connected together in a continuous manner for
use in assisting the escape of the inmates of a burning building, the coupling being
also applicable for securing other objects.
The coupling consists of two short lengths of rope, each terminating in a loop at
each end, the two pieces of rope being interlaced or connected so as to permanently
retain their proper relative positions whilst supporting independently any strain that
may come upon them. The loops of the one member are so arranged relatively to
those of the other member that the corner of a blanket or sheet can be readily
threaded through and around the loops in such manner as to be firmly secured thereby
without being knotted. The tension on the coupling when the device is in use tends
to tighten the grip of the coupling on the objects which it serves to secure, so that in
the event of an outbreak of fire the occupants of a building would be able to lower
themselves from one of the windows, by means of the sheets and blankets secured
together by one or more of these couplings.
T. HALE, JR.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agents.

page_text: An Improved Coupling, Chiefly Designed for Uniting Blankets
and Sheets to Constitute a Fire-escape.
I, THOMAS HALE junior of Old House Sevenoaks in the County of Kent, Colonial
Broker, 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
My Invention relates to an improved coupling contrivance whereby sheets and
blankets may be readily and securely connected together for use as a means of escapo
from a burning building. The coupling is also applicable for securing other objects
together.
The coupling consists of two short lengths of rope interlaced or connected so as to
permanently retain their proper relative positions and each terminating in a loop at
each end. The one member is rather longer than the other, and its loops are so
arranged relatively to those of the other member that the corner of a blanket or sheet
can be readily passed through and around the loops at one end of the coupling device
in such manner as, without being knotted to be the more firmly secured the greater
the tension that may be applied to it. The coupling having pairs of loops at both ends,
serves for uniting together two sheets or blankets for the purpose above mentioned,
and as a means of readily making fast a rope thus formed to a bedstead or other
article of furniture.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this
Specification, in which figure 1 represents the coupling device separately; figure 2
shows the coupling made fast to a bed-post; figure 3 shows the mode of attaching a
sheet or blanket to the coupling; Figure 4 shews the coupling as in use.
The coupling consists of two members, each made of rope. The longer member of
the two terminates in loops a a formed by splicing or otherwise securing the extremities
to points a' in the length of the rope, the middle portion being a plain single rope.
The other member is preferably doubled on itself throughout its length, and is formed
into terminal loops by splicing together the two adjacent portions, as at 1, these
portions then being separated to form eyes c, and the ends being finally spliced to the
middle, as at d. The longer member is threaded through the loops b and through
the eyes e in the manner shewn, and it is free to slide therein to a limited extent, the
splices a forming stops to prevent its being drawn out of place.
The preferred mode of using the device is shown in figures 2 and 3. The coupling
is made fast to a bed-post, for example, by lapping it round the post and passing
the loops ab of the one end, together through the loops a b of the other end and
drawing the device tight up to the post. A sheet or blanket is then attached to tho
loops of the free end, preferably in the manner shewn in figure 3, that is to say, by
threading the corner of the sheet or blanket first through the loop a from the side
opposite that at which the loop bis situate, then making a turn round the side members

page_text: of both loops and passing it through both the loops a b from the same side as at first
then passing it completely across behind both loops, and finally threading the corner
between the four side members of the loops, as shewn in the figure.. This terminal
fastening is essential, but the mode of passing the sheet or blanket the first and second
time through the loops may. be varied, but that shewn is the most secure.
opposite corner of the sheet or blanket may be similarly attached to another similar
coupling, to the opposite end of which another sheet or blanket may be attached and
so on, until a rope of the requisite length has been formed.
The
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed; I declare that what I claim is;
The herein described coupling device for use substantially in the manner and for
the purpose set forth and illustrated in the drawings.