IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ESCAPES
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Clarke, of No. 16, Argyle Square, in
the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of “IMPROVEMENTS IN
FIRE-ESCAPES."
Sealed the 18th August 1871, and dated the 23rd February 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Clarke at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
23rd February 1871.
I, GEORGE CLARKE, of No. 16, Argyle Square, in the County of Mid-
dlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN FIRE-ESCAPES," to be as follows:-
My Invention has reference to the well-known "fire-escapes" con-
structed and supplied by me for the use of London and suburban
districts, and for certain improvements upon which I registered a design
on the 12th March 1863, No. 4343, and for further improvements upon
which Letters Patent were granted to me on the 31st January 1868,
No. 348.
One of my present improvements consists in strengthening the whole
or any one or more of the ladders of the fire-escape, by means of wires,

page_text: or wire ropes, or rods strained at both ends, and inserted into longi-
tudinal grooves formed in the ladder, such grooves being by preference
made so that the wires, wire ropes, or rods shall exactly fit them.
Another improvement consists in providing each side of the ladders.
with a supplemental wire passing from the one end round (to which it
is attached) along over the other rounds to near the middle of the
ladder, where it is passed under two or more of the rounds and
then again over the other rounds towards the other end of the ladder,
where it is attached to the other end round; by this means a complete
truss is formed without boring holes in or weakening any part of the
timber.
Another improvement consists in attaching wires to the top end of
the main ladder, which are caused to cross and rocross each other in
diagonal directions at intervals of about 6 feet all the way down at the
back of the ladder, thus forming diamonds, at the side angles of which
the wires are fixed to the ladder, while the lower ends are secured to
plates at the sides of the ladder by means of tightening screws and
nuts. By this arrangement lateral stiffness is imparted to the ladder,
preventing it from giving way or bulging or breaking sideways in cases
where a severe strain is put upon it. Or such wires may be arranged
to pass diagonally across and over rollers situated at each side of the
ladder under the fulcrum or axle of the turnover ladder. The above
described arrangement may also be applied to all the supplemental
ladders.
Another improvement consists in providing on the under sido of the
main ladder sidestays or brackets, carrying sheaves at their ends which
are connected by a transverse axle, and over which the truss wires pass.
Diagonal wires or rods pass upwards from the said side stays to the
outer sides of the sheaves on the quadrants, and thence again diagonally
upwards to the sides of the main ladder to which they are attached.
By this arrangement the main ladder is rendered more rigid when tho
weight of the whole of the "turnover" ladder is brought to bear on
it, and this rigidity may be still further increased by the addition of
wire stays on the front side of the ladder extending from the fulcrum
of the turnover ladder to the lever forming the counter support at the
lower end of the ladder to which the stays are fixed by tightening
screws.

page_text: Another improvement consists in arranging the main ladder so as to
be capable of being detached from the other part of the fire-escape.
For this purpose the ladder is provided with shifting side plates or
levers, capable of turning on pins as fulcra on the carriage frame, on
which pins the levers either fit with notches so as to be removeable
therefrom, or the pins may be arranged to be withdrawn from holes
in the levers. The ends of the levers are secured with bolts or catches
when the ladder is to be fixed, while for removing the ladder the levers
are disconnected from the frame and the wire and other stays are detached
from the ladder. By this improved arrangement the effecting of repairs
is greatly facilitated in cases of accidents at the stations, the main
ladder being generally the part that gives way or becomes injured, thus
by providing a duplicate main ladder at the station the defective ladder
may there be readily removed and replaced by the duplicate, thereby
obviating any loss of valuable time which would otherwise occur if the
entire escape had to be removed to the factory.
Another improvement applicable to small fire-escapes, consists in
attaching to the head iron of the main ladder wire stays, extending
to the middle of the main ladder where they are spliced and passed
through metal sheaves, attached to the truss or to the "
"hanging iron
whence they extend to the lower end of the main ladder to which they
are attached by screw plates.
"
Another improvement consists in trussing the top or "fly" ladder by
means of four wire ropes or rods, which are brought over the under side
of sheaves fixed in the centre of the ladder, and are attached at the
ends by means of rivets or otherwise, thus forming a complete truss or
suspending rod. This mode of trussing may also be applied to the
other ladders.
Another improvement consists in the application of additional levers
to the ordinary framed lever at the lower end of the fire-escape for the
purpose of lowering as well as propelling the same. Such levers are
hinged at one end to cach side of the framed lever and carry quadrants
or curved stays working through loops fixed on the framed lever
whereby the additional levers may be secured at any angular position
relative to the framed lever by means of pins passing through the
quadrants and loops, or they may be folded close up against the latter.
The framed lever is constructed without centre framework such as here-
tofore employed, having, merely connecting bars at each end so that

page_text: persons in raising and lowering the escape can use the additional levers
either outside or inside the framed lever. The additional levers when
fixed at an angle to the framed lever may be employed conveniently
for propelling the escape when in a horizontal or any angular position,
and they may also be employed in place of the sliding bolt which I have
heretofore used for securing the escape in position against a building.
For this purpose when the escape is placed in position the additional
lovers are allowed to fall on to the ground and their quadrants are
then secured in the loops by pins, thereby affording the machine a firm
bearing on the ground.
Another improvement consists in substituting for the present con-
struction of framework of the carriage an arrangement of iron brackets
or "grasshopper" scroll irons fixed at each end to the framing carrying
the main ladder, the springs being connected to the ends of such brackets
which are formed with loops to receive them. The brackets on cach
side of the framing are connected by transverse rods to impart stiffness
thereto, which rods pass through "pipe eyes" in the loops which form
the attachment for the springs. The transverse rods also serve as rests
for the supplemental "first floor" ladder carried at the back of the main
ladder when travelling. The lower or end brackets are framed so as to
embrace the end of the framing, to which they are fixed with screw
bolts; these framed portions serve to carry the axle of the small wheels
usually employed at the lower end of the machine and they are also
provided with lug heads for fixing the framed lever. The lower brackets
or scroll irons are by preference so bent or cranked as to form a step
for persons to mount the ladder when in a horizontal position. Attached
to these brackets is also a stretcher for the fixing canvass.
Another improvement consists in constructing the springs with the
upper or forward portion of the plates not reduced so as to be more
rigid than the lower or back portion of which the plates are drawn off
thin and so shaped as to throw the whole of the oscillation below the
fulcrum or attachment to the axletree, such oscillation serving to assist
in propelling the machine and to make the machine more manageable
by the persons at the lever while the rigid upper half of the spring is
also of great assistance in raising and lowering the machine. By the
axletree being fixed across the centre of the springs and by the transverse
bars to the brackets passing through the eyes thereof a complete fixing
is afforded to the frame or carriage of the escape.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Clarke in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 22nd August 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
CLARKE, of No. 16, Argyle Square, in the County of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the
thirty-fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said George Clarke, Her special
licence that I, the said George Clarke, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said George Clarke, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-
ESCAPES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George
Clarke, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in
the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Clark, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is
to say :-
My Invention has reference to the well-known "fire-escapes" con-
structed and supplied by me for the use of London and suburban
districts, and for certain improvement upon which I registered a design
on the 12th March 1863, No. 4343, and for further improvements upon
which Letters Patent were granted to me on the 31st January 1868,
No. 348.

page_text: One of my present improvements consists in strengthening the whole
or any one or more of the ladders of the fire-escape by means of wires
or wire ropes or rods strained at both ends and inserted into longitudinal
grooves formed in the ladder, such grooves being by preference made
so that the wires, wire ropes, or rods shall exactly fit them.
Another improvement consists in providing each side of the ladders
with a supplemental wire passing from the one end round (to which it
is attached) along over the other rounds to near the middle of the
ladder where it is passed under two or more of the rounds and then again
over the other rounds towards the other end of the ladder where it is
attached to the other end round, by this means a complete truss is
formed without boring holes in or weakening any part of the timber.
Another improvement consists in attaching wires to the top end of
the main ladder which are caused to cross and recross each other in
diagonal directions at intervals of about 6 fect all the way down at the
back of the ladder thus forming diamonds, at the side angles of which
the wires are fixed to the ladder while the, lower ends are secured to
plates at the sides of the ladder by means of tightening screws and nuts.
By this arrangement lateral stiffness is imparted to the ladder, preventing
it from giving way or bulging or breaking sideways in cases where a
severe strain is put upon it. Or such wires may be arranged to pass
diagonally across and over rollers situated at each side of the ladder
under the fulcrum or axle of the turnover ladder. The above described
arrangement may also be applied to all the supplemental ladders.
Another improvement consists in providing on the under side of the
main ladder side stays or brackets carrying sheaves at their ends which
are connected by a transverse axle and over which the truss wires pass.
Diagonal wires or rods pass upwards from the said side stays to the
outer sides of the sheaves on the quadrants and then again diagonally
upwards to the sides of the main ladder to which they are attached.
By this arrangement the main ladder is rendered more rigid when the
weight of the whole of the "turnover" ladder is brought to bear on it,
and this rigidity may be still further increased by the addition of wire
stays on the front side of the ladder extending from the fulcrum of the
turnover ladder to the lever forming the counter support at the lower
end of the ladder to which the stays are fixed by tightening screws.
Another improvement consists in arranging the main ladder so as to
be capable of being detached from the other part of the fire-escape.

page_text: For this purpose the ladder is provided with shifting side plates or levers
capable of turning on pins as fulcra on the carriage frame, on which pins
the levers either fit with notches so as to be removeable therefrom, or the
pins may be arranged to be withdrawn from holes in the levers. The
ends of the levers are secured with bolts or catches when the ladder is
to be fixed, while for removing the ladders the levers are disconnected
from the frame and the wire and other stays are detached from the
ladder. By this improved arrangement the effecting of repairs is greatly
facilitated in cases of accidents at the stations, the main ladder being
generally the part that gives way or become injured; thus by providing
a duplicate main ladder at the station the defective ladder may there be
readily removed and replaced by the duplicate, thereby obviating any
loss of valuable time which would otherwise occur if the entire escape
had to be removed to the factory.
Another improvement applicable to small firc-escapes consists in
attaching to the head iron of the main ladder wire stays extending to
the middle of the main ladder, where they are spliced, and passed
through metal sheaves attached to the truss or to the "hanging iron,"
whence they extend to the lower end of the main ladder to which they
are attached by screw plates.
Another improvement consists in trussing the top or "fly" ladder by
means of four wire ropes or rods which are brought over the under sides
of sheaves fixed in the centre of the ladder, and are attached at the
ends by means of rivets or otherwise, thus forming a complete truss or
suspending rod. This mode of trussing may also be applied to the other
ladders.
Another improvement consists in the application of additional levers
to the ordinary framed lever at the lower end of the fire-escape for the
purpose of lowering as well as propelling the same. Such levers aro
O hinged at one end to each side of the frame lever, and carry quadrants
or curved stays working through loops fixed on the framed lever, whereby
the additional levers may be secured at any angular position relative to
the framed lever by means of pins passing through the quadrants and
loops, or they may be folded close up against the latter. The framed
5 lever is constructed without centre framework, such as heretofore
employed, having merely connecting bars at each end, so that persons
in raising and lowering the escape can use the additional levers either

page_text: outside or inside the framed lever. The additional levers when fixed at
an angle to the framed lever may be employed conveniently for propelling
the escapo when in a horizontal or any angular position, and they may
also be employed in place of the sliding bolt which I have heretofore
used for securing the escape in position against a building. For this
purpose when the escape is placed in position the additional levers aro
allowed to fall on to the ground, and their quadrants are then secured in
the loops by pins, thereby affording the machine a firm bearing on the
ground.
Another improvement consists in substituting for the present con-
struction of framework of the carriage an arrangement of iron brackets
or "grasshopper" scroll iron fixed at each end to the framing carrying
the main ladder, the springs being connected to the ends of such
brackets which are formed with loops to receive them. The brackets
on each side of the framing are connected by transverse rods to impart
stiffness thereto, which rods pass through "pipo eyes" in the loops
which form the attachment for the springs. The transverse rods also
serve as rests for the supplemental "first floor" ladder carried at the
back of the main ladder when travelling. The lower or end brackets
are formed so as to embrace the end of the framing to which they are
fixed with screw bolts; these framed portions serve to carry the axle of
the small wheels usually employed at the lower end of the machine, and
they are also provided with lug heads for fixing the framed lever. The
transverse rods of the lower brackets or scroll irons are by preference so
bent or cranked as to form a step for persons to mount the ladder when
in a horizontal position. Attached to these brackets is also a stretcher
for the fixing canvass.
Another improvement consists in constructing the springs with the
upper or forward portion of the plates not reduced so as to be more rigid
than the lower or back portion of which the plates are drawn off thin,
and so shaped as to throw the whole of the oscillation below the fulcrum
or attachment to the axletree, such oscillation serving to assist in pro-
pelling the machine, and to make the machine more manageable by the
persons at the lever, while the rigid upper half of the spring is also of
great assistance in raising and lowering the machine. By the axletrec
being fixed across the centre of the springs, and by the transverse bars
to the brackets passing through the eyes thereof a complete fixing is
afforded to the frame or carriage of the escape.

page_text: On the accompanying Sheet of Drawings is shewn the construction of
fire-escapes having my various herein-before described improvements
applied thereto.
Figure 1 shews a side elevation of a fire-escape; Figure 2 shews a
front elevation of the same; Figure 3 shews a back elevation; Figure 4
shews the main ladder partly detached from the carriage; Figure 5 shews
the main ladder entirely detached; Figure 6 shews the mode of trussing
for smaller fire-escapes; Figure 7 shews the framed lever detached;
Figures 8 to 12 shew detached details of the improved carriage; Figure 13
shews the trussing of the supplemental and turnover ladders; Figure 14
shews a side view of Figure 13; Figure 15 shews cross sections of a
ladder with the strengthening wires inserted in grooves, and showing
also the truss wires; Figure 16 shews a side view of the supplemental
ladders attached; Figure 17 shews a section of a ladder with supplemental
strengthening wires passed over the rounds.
At Figure 15 A, A, are the strengthening wires introduced into
grooves in the sides of the ladder and fixed at each end of the same,
according to the first-before described improvement. The grooves may
either be of a rectangular section as at B or of a circular section as at B¹.
These wires are also shown at A in the plan of the trussed ladder at
Figure 13. At Figure 17 O is the supplemental wire passed over the
three centre rounds D of the ladder and extending underneath the other
rounds to the end rounds D¹, to which it is attached according to the
second before described improvement. At Figures 1, 3, and 4 E, E, are
the wires attached to the upper end of the main ladder F from which
they pass diagonally across to underneath the fulcrum G of the turnover
ladder where they are led over rollers, and pass thence again in a
diagonal direction to the lower ends of the ladder to which they are
attached by tightening screws I according to the third before described
improvement. In the same Figures J are the side stays or brackets
(forming hanging irons) attached to the main ladder F the ends of which
are provided with sheaves through which passes an axle K (Figure 3)
upon which the truss wires L work, according to the fourth before
described improvement. M, M, are the diagonal wires passing from the
said brackets to the sheaves N of the quadrants N³, from which they
pass to the top of the ladder where they are attached, as shewn at
Figure 1. A wire line O is attached to the fulcrum of the turnover

page_text: ladder and to the lever P where it is secured by tightening screws, so as
to impart still greater rigidity to the ladder.
At Figures 4 and 5 is shewn the arrangement for detaching the main
ladder from the framing, according to the fifth before described improve-
ment. Q(Figure 4) are the shifting side plates fixed to the ladder F
turning on fulcra or pins on the frame R, on which the ladder and
plates fit with notches S (Figure 5). The ladder is secured by bolts or
screws passing through lugs on the side plates at T, by unscrewing which
and detaching the stay irons Y and then depressing the back end of the
frame R by means of the lever P or supplemental lever Z the ladder is
partly detached, as at Figure 4, and it can then be entirely lifted off the
frame upon unfastening the stays from the lever P, as at Figure 5. At
Figure 6U is the wire stay attached to the head iron V of the main
ladder of small fire-escapes, and either spliced to the truss W or
secured to the hanging iron X, according to the sixth before described
improvement.
Figures 13 to 16 shews the mode of trussing the top or fly ladder
and also the other ladders, according to the seventh before described
improvement.
a, a, are the truss wires or ropes secured at the ends of the ladders and
passing over pulleys & on the under side at the middle of the ladder. At
Figures 1, 4, and 5 are shewn the additional or supplemental levers Z
hinged to the framed lever P on each sido thereof, according to the
eighth before described improvement. These levers are hinged at c to
cach side of the framed lever and carry quadrants & working through
loops e on the framed lever, in which they are secured by bolts
or pins passing through the loops and through holes in the quadrants,
as shown, so as to hold the lever Z either at any desired angle to the
lever P, as shewn at Figures 4 and 5 and in dotted lines at Figure 1, or
they may be secured thereby close up against the lever P, as shown in
full lines at Figure 1. The framed lever P is constructed without central
framework, as shewn in the detached view thereof at Figure 7, so that
persons can stand inside such lever when using the lovers Z. These
supplemental levers 2 can conveniently be used in the position shown at
Figure 4, or when fixed at any other augle for propelling the fire-escape,
or they may be used, as shown in dotted lines at Figure 1, for securing
the escape in position against a building, being allowed to drop so as to

page_text: take a bearing on the ground and then secured in that position by the
before-mentioned pins passing through the quadrants. These are formed
with stops at their ends, as shewn, so as to prevent them from passing
entirely out of the loops.
At Figures 1, 4, 5, and 9 to 12 is shewn the construction of the
carriage according to the ninth before described improvement.
"
The frame R is connected on cach side to the springs f by two
' grasshopper" scroll irons or brackets g, g', of which those g are each
constructed of two pieces bolted together as shown in the detached
details at Figures 9 to 11; the upper end of the inner part of g
being cranked outwards from its fixing to the main ladder, as shewn at
Figure 9, in order to allow space for the persons to pass down to the
bottom end of the tubular shoot n. The lower ends of both parts are
curved outwards to form a loop as shewn, and a transverse tie bolt /
passes through a "pipe cye" i between the loop, and connects the two
brackets or scroll irons on the opposite sides of the framing together,
while at the same time it serves as a support to the supplemental
"first floor" ladder j. The pipe cye i serves as the connection to the
eye of the spring. To the outer end of the transverse bolt is attached
the stay irons Y, which is secured to the ladder F at the upper end.
The back scroll irons or brackets g' are formed, as shewn at Figure 12,
so as to embrace the end of the framing R, to which they are fixed with
screw bolts. They are provided with lug heads to which the lever P
is fixed, and they also carry the axle to the small wheels 2. At the
lower end the scroll irons are connected to the spring by means of a
pipe eye, bolts, and spring couplings, and a cranked transverse bar m
passes through the eye of the springs connecting the two scroll irons on
each side of the framing together. This cranked bar m also forms an
accomodation for persons getting up and down the escape when in a
horizontal position. Attached to the back scroll irons is a stretcher for
the fixing of canvas.
Figure 8 shows the spring constructed according to the tenth before
described improvement, namely, with the upper or forward portion f¹ of
the plates not reduced so as to be more rigid than the lower or back
portion of which the plates are drawn off thin and so shaped as to
throw the whole of the oscillation below the fulcrum or attachment of
the axletrec, as and for the purposes herein-before described.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that
what I claim as the Invention secured to me under the herein-before in
part recited Letters Patent is, the several improvements in fire-escapes
herein-before described and shown on the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings whether such improvements be employed in combination or
separately and apart from each other.
In witness whereof; I, the said George Clarke, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
CTO CLARKE! 101