IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE ESCAPES FOR HOUSEHOLD AND OTHER USE
Year: 1884

page_text: I ARTHUR BRANSBY FISHER, at the Offico for Patents 6 Lord Street, Liverpool,
in the County of Lancaster, Estate agent do hereby declare the nature of my said
invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE ESCAPES FOR HOUSEHOLD AND OTHER
USE" to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object a simple stationary apparatus for household,
hotel, and manufacturing use.
It consists :-
1st. In two eye bolts, or their equivalent, firmly fixed in the wall or floor of the
room near the window and on the level of the floor or just above it.
2nd. In two chains uniting the ladder hereafter described with the eye bolts ;
both these chains are just long enough to reach to the outside edge of the
window sill.
3rd. In a link ladder formed of light steel or iron links with a rung through
their eyes, which eyes are on one and the other side of the ladder so that it can
fold up into a compact mass or tube.
4th. In portions of metal hinged to the escape in such a manner that when the
ladder is hung out of the window they shall automatically fall and prop itself off
the wall. Several of these props at various points in the length can be fixed to
the ladder to steady it.
5th. In a box against the wall under the window inside the room with lid or lid
and back capable of covering the folded ladder but of being unhasped and opened
at a moments notice.
6th. In fixing a detonating apparatus with a string or tape of detonating caps or
other alarm to the box in such manner that no one can open the escape without
sounding an alarm. For this purpose I can use any of the well known detonating
or other alarms, but I prefer a waterproof tape of percussion capsules one of which
comes under a hammer with each opening of the lid. The object of this is to
alarm the house if any of the inmates attempt to use the firo escape to leave the
house, manufactory, or still more Hotel surreptitiously.
The mode of action is as follows:-
An inmate discovering that the house is on fire and egress by the stair case cut,
off rushes to the box, opens it causing a detonation likely to awake the inmates of

page_text: neighbouring rooms, he throws tho end of the ladder out of the window, the weight
of this draws the remainder of the ladder out and the length being proportioned in
original construction to nicely reach the ground the inmate or inmates safely escape
from the room without trouble or difficulty. The same ladder acting for any
number to escape.
434

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I, ARTHUR BRANSBY FISHER, Office for Patents, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool,
Lancashire, Estate Agent do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE ESCAPES FOR HOUSEHOLD AND OTHER USE, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :—
This invention has for its object, a simple stationary apparatus for household,
hotel, and warehouse or mill use, that will fold up into a minute compass, and
always be ready when wanted.
Referring to the drawings,
Figure 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus intended for a much taller
building, applied to a lesser one.
Figures 2 and 3 enlarged views of details.
It consists 1st of two eyebolts not shown in the drawing firmly fixed into the
floor or wall of the room near the window but on a level or nearly so with the
floor,
2nd In two chains A. A uniting the ladder hereafter described with the eyebolts;
both these chains are just long enough to reach to the outside edge of the window
Bill as shown.
3rd In a link ladder, formed of light steel or iron links B. B, with a rung C
through their eyes, which eyes are on one and the other side of the ladder,
alternately so that it can fold up into a compact mass, or tube, 23 shown in the
part lying on the ground in the drawing.
4th In portions of metal D, fixed to the escape in such a manner that when the
ladder is hung out of the window they shall automatically fall and prop it off the
wall. Several of these props at various points in the length can be fixed to
the ladder to steady it. They are shown every alternate rung in the drawing and
formed in one with the rung, they can however be fitted to the links if preferred.
5th In a box against the wall under the window, inside the room, with lid or lid
and back capable of covering the folded ladder, but of being unhasped and opened
at a moment's notice This box is not shown in the drawing, as any ordinary
boxing will do.
6th In fixing a detonating apparatus with a string or tape of detonating caps, or
other alarm to the box in such manner that no one can open the escape without
sounding an alarm. For this purpose I can use any of the well known detonating
or other alarms, but I prefer a waterproof tape of percussion capsules, one of which
comes under a hammer with each opening of the lid The object of this is to alarm
the house, if any of the inmates attempt to use the fire escape to leave the house,
manufactory or still more hotel, surreptitiously.
7th In a handle G swivelling on an axis firmly fixed to the bottom of the window
frame, so that the handle which ordinarily hangs down, or lies flat on the ledge can
be raised into the vertical position as shown. This is very useful for the person,
using the escape to hold on by when getting out of the window.
Referring again to the drawings, the rungs C are fitted tightly into the lower
end of the links in each case, and keyed, if necessary, so as to make a tight

page_text: immovable joint. The rungs are however turned down to a less diameter beyond
these links, and the upper end of the link below is slid in, and the end of the rung
riveted over, or fitted with a nut, taking care however not to fix it so tight, as to
prevent a free binge motion of the upper end of the link on the rung.
The parts D can be either fastened op, or formed in one with the rungs as shown,
or they can be formed to project from the links near the joint in such manner as to
not interfere with each other, or the links when the apparatus is folded up, and in
some cases I prefer to make every alternate pair of projections D nearer or further
from the centre line, or end of the links than the others, so that they shall, when
the apparatus is piled up, not come opposite each other, but each pair to the side of
the two contiguous ones. By this means, while the parts D always stand at right
angles or nearly so to the wall when in use, yet being curved out a little at their
base when the ladder is folded up, they stand clear of each other, and clear also of
the links The links are shown cut away at the joints, so that the two ends occupy
no more space than the thickness of the body of the links themselves, this is useful,
but not a necessary part of my invention.
•
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1st The manufacture of a fire escape, having a ladder formed of links and joints
capable of folding at or between each rung alternately in contrary directions, but
with stops to prevent the joints from opening beyond about 180 degrees substan-
tially as described.
2nd In combination with a folding ladder of a fire escape, a series of distance
pieces (D) placed at or near those joints capable of forming otherwise a salient angle
toward the wall, whereby the ladder is kept at a convenient distance off the wall,.
substantially as described.
3rd In combination with the flexible or folding ladder of a fire escape, the
chains A and handle G to hold on by whereby the ladder can hang securely out of
the window against the sill, and yet the person using it have a safe and convenient
appliance to hold on to while getting out of the window.
4th In combination with a fire escape, a box fastened with a detonating apparatus
to contain the same, whereby the apparatus cannot be used by an occupant without
alarming the other inmates by the detonation substantially as described.
WP. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and
323, High Holborn, London,
Patent Agents for the Applicant.