IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE ESCAPES, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1862

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Robert Robinson at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 5th June
1862.
I, ROBERT ROBINSON, of No. 18, Fish Street, Hull, in the County of York,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
FIRE ESCAPES, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER
PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in constructing a portable machine consisting of
a base or platform provided with suitable wheels to allow of the platform and.
apparatus mounted thereupon being easily and rapidly moved about or trans-
ported from place to place.
Upon the base, platform, or framework of the machine two upright side
guide pieces and supports are erected, and instead of employing a long unbroken
length of ladder, I employ a convenient number of short lengths, each of
which is in turn elevated by suitable gearing, between the before mentioned
side guides and supports, the height of these guide pieces being equal or nearly
equal to that of each of the lengths of. ladder; the ladders are provided on their
edges with a rack or series of studs or pins or a plate having suitable slots-or, in-
dentations therein. I apply gearing fixed to the side framing of the apparatus,
by the operation of which, through a spur or ratchet wheel or other suitable con-

page_text: trivance for gearing into the racks attached to the sides of each ladder, the
first length of ladder is projected upward, a second length of ladder is then
attached to the first length which is about to leave the guides, and so on until
the requisite height is reached. The angle of the framing and the ladders
projected therefrom may be changed by means of a screw shaft or moveable
strut or other equivalent means by which the upright framing is made to move
upon the pivotted bottom centres.
I connect each succeeding length of ladder at its upper extremity to the
lower extremity of the preceding ladder by means of hooked bars taking on to
a metal rod or "round "at the bottom of the preceding ladder, and the lower
end of each piece of ladder is also provided with a spring catch or locking
piece by which the top end of each side piece of the lower ladder is further
secured; these catches or locking pieces are acted upon by the toothed wheels,
which operate upon the rack so that the ladders cannot be projected from
between the upright frames of the machines until they are securely connected.
The machine is mounted upon a square base, framework, or foundation
which has rollers for enabling it to be moved in a transverse direction, and
the framework or base may have a compound framework capable of traversing
in either direction within the main framing.
For the purpose of removing the machine from one place to another a pair
of carriage wheels are mounted upon an axle fixed at a convenient height from
the frame so that by means of a double joint handle or swing arm mounted
between the spokes of each wheel, these wheels when the machine has arrived
at its work may be used as fly wheels. To the inner face of each boss of the
carriage wheels is fitted a toothed wheel or pinion and a drum or barrel for
performing the various operations of raising the ladders, raising and lowering
the basket and such like work, and by means of a clutch applied to the boss
of each wheel they may be thrown into or out of gear seperately. By connect-
ing the two bottom ends of the upright motion shafts by means of a horizontal
shaft with a bevil or spur wheel gearing into the wheel fixed on the carriage
wheel, the ladders may be raised and lowered through one handle only, whilst
the other functions are performed by the independant action of the opposite
handle and wheel.
For the purpose of guiding the basket, creel, or carriage up and down the
ladders projecting guide rods are provided on each side of the ladders through-
out their length. At the back of the basket two short guide pieces or grooved
rails are mounted with a parallel motion arrangement, by which they are
contracted or brought together for the purpose of enabling the grooved rails

page_text: to take into the guide bars; they being then expanded to their full width are
held extended and secure until it is again necessary to detach the basket, creel,
or carriage.
In removing the apparatus from one place to another it is first turned over
on to the carriage wheels, the bottom framing being only of such a size as to
clear the ground.