Improvements in and in connection with Ladder Fire Escapes.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Aug., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 11th May, 1892-Accepted, 4th June, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and in connection with Ladder Fire Escapes.
We, GEORGE WILLIAM MELVIN, Secretary and Manager to Rose Bray & Co.
Limd., of Deptford Green, Deptford, in the County of Kent, and JOE
ROBINSON, Superintendent of the Nottingham Fire Brigade, Nottingham, in the
County of Nottingham, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
Our invention relates to fire escapes provided with telescopic or sliding ladders,
and the object of our invention is to provide convenient means for readily detaching
the telescopic or sliding ladder from the escape, so that it may be employed as an
independent ladder. According to the usual arrangement the elevating lines, which
are wound on a roller on the carriage, pass over pulleys on the top of the main
ladder and descend to the foot of the sliding ladder, to which they are permanently
attached. In our improved arrangement we do not attach the lines to the ladder
itself, but to a horizontal forging, or casting, which is affixed to the lowermost
rung, or other convenient part of the sliding ladder by a screw, bolt, or other
suitable device, which can be readily fastened or unfastened. No stops are fixed
on the sliding ladder, but the ends of the said forging or casting are so shaped
that they partly embrace the sides of the main ladder, and form the stops which
limit the travel of the sliding ladder by coming in contact with the fixed stops at
the upper end of the main ladder.
To remove the sliding ladder, the escape is placed in a horizontal position, the
screw, bolt, or other device is unfastened, when the said ladder can at once be drawn
out clear of the escape, and is then ready to be used as an independent ladder for
scaling, or other purposes.
The escape, as above described, is assumed to be fitted with a main ladder and
one sliding ladder only, but in cases where an escape is furnished with two or
more sliding ladders, our invention can equally well be applied in a similar manner
to the last, or uppermost ladder of the series.
Dated this 11th dor of August 1801
AMBROSE MYALL,
21, Cockspur Street, London, S.W., Agent for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and in connection with Ladder Fire Escapes.
We, GEORGE WILLIAM MELVIN, Secretary and Manager to Rose Bray & Co.,
Limited, of Deptford Green, Deptford, in the County of Kent, and JOE
ROBINSON, Superintendent of the Nottingham Fire Brigade, Nottingham, in the
County of Nottingham, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement :-
Our invention relates to fire escapes provided with telescopic, or sliding ladders,
and the object of the said invention is to provide convenient means for readily
detaching the telescopic ladder from the escape, so that it may be employed as an
independent ladder.
According to the usual arrangement, the elevating lines, which are wound on a
roller on the carriage, or main ladder, pass over pulleys on the top of the main
ladder and descend to the foot of the sliding ladder, to which they are
permanently attached. In our improved arrangement we do not attach the lines
0.1

page_text: to the ladder itself, but to a forging or casting, which is affixed to the lowermost
rung, or other convenient part of the sliding ladder, by a screw, bolt, or other
suitable device, which can be readily fastened or unfastened. No stops are fixed
on the sliding ladder, but the ends of the said forging or casting are so shaped,
that they form the stops which limit the travel of the sliding ladder, by coming
in contact with the fixed stops' or other equivalent devices at the upper end of the
main ladder.
To remove the sliding ladder the escape is placed in a horizontal position, the
screw, bolt, or other device is unfastened, when the said ladder can at once be
drawn out clear of the escape, and is then ready to be used as an independent ladder
for scaling, or other purposes.
The escape, as above described, is assumed to be fitted with a main ladder and
one sliding ladder only, but in cases where an escape is furnished with two or more
sliding ladders, our invention can equally well be applied in a similar manner to the
last ladder of the series.
In the accompanying six sheets of drawings;
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of part of a large fire escape, of usual pattern, having
one sliding ladder with our invention applied thereto;
Fig. 2 is a cross-section through A A in Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a plan of Fig. 1, and
Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the attaching apparatus ;
Fig. 5 is a side elevation of part of a small escape of the class described in the
Specification of the Letters Patent granted to the aforesaid G. W. Melvin, No. 3810
of March 3rd 1891, and having three sliding ladders with our invention applied
to the last ladder of the series;
Fig. 6 is a plan of Fig. 5;
Fig. 7 is an end elevation, partly in section, through B B in Figs. 5 and 6, and
Fig. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of the attaching apparatus, which is a
modification in form of that shewn in Fig. 4.
Similar letters of reference denote similar parts throughout the drawings, and in
both cases only so much of the escape is shewn as appears necessary to explain the
construction and operation of our invention.
Referring first to Figs. 1 to 4, C is the main fixed ladder of the escape, and
D the sliding ladder, travelling upon the strips E E, and raised by the ropes F F,
which pass over pulleys at the top of the main ladder C in the usual way.
Our
attaching apparatus, shewn most clearly in Fig. 4, consists of a flat bar. H, which is
placed behind the bottom rung D' of the sliding ladder D, and is affixed thereto by
a screw J, which passes through holes in the bar H and the rung, and is screwed
into a tapped hole in a plate D2 let into the front of the rung. The screw is
formed with a collar J' to bear against, the bar H, and a head of any couvenient
form, such as J2, which may be readily grasped by the hand. The ends of the
bar H are bent downwards and then outwards, as shewn at K K, to pass under
the strips E E, and they form the stops which abut against the fixed stops on the
main ladder, when the sliding ladder is fully extended. M M are clips formed in
one piece with, or attached to the bar H, which embrace the rung D₁ and so take
the strain off the screw J when the sliding ladder is raised or lowered.
LL are
projecting arms, fixed to the clips M M and provided at their outer ends with
sockets L' to receive the rope F F.
To free the ladder D from the escape, it is only necessary to unscrew and draw
out the screw J, when the said ladder can at once be slid quite away, for, as will be
seen, the attachments of the ropes F F and the stops are all on the bar H.
In the modified pattern of the apparatus, as shewn applied to a small escape: with
three ladders, in Figs. 5 to 8, D is the last or undermost sliding ladder, forming
the top ladder when the series is extended. Our apparatus; seen most clearly in
Fig. 8, consists of a flat bar H, placed against the bottom rung D', and secured
thereto by a screw J, which passes through a hole in the rungtand is screwed into.a
tapped hole.in an extension M³ on the bar, which rests on the top of the rung..

page_text: A plate D³ is preferably let into the rung for the collar J of the screw to bear
against. M M are extensions on the bar which go underneath the ring, and in
combination with the extension M¹ form clips, which keep the bar in correct
position. N is a handle fixed to the bar H, to enable the apparatus to be
conveniently removed.
In this escape the ladders do not travel upon strips, as in the previous example,
but they are provided with studs P which slide in grooves formed in the sides of
the next ladder, such grooves being preferably constructed by cutting a rabbet on
the edge of the side and affixing a flat metal plate underneath it. Such pins P P,
as aforesaid, are provided on the ends of the bar H.
In this escape only a single raising rope F is shewn, so that arms. L L are
not required, but an eye F₁ is formed in the extension M', to which the said
rope is attached.
The screw Jis, in each case, preferably connected to the bar H by a short chain,
to prevent its loss when unscrewed. It will be seen that no strains come upon these
screws, they simply form the means for securing the apparatus in position upon the
rung, and any other device may be employed which will suitably answer the
required purpose.
We do not confine ourselves to the precise design or pattern of either of the
forms of our apparatus which we have shewn and described, as the same may be
varied without departing from the essential features of the invention.
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 :-
1. In a telescopic fire escape, a device which can be affixed to the sliding
ladder, and so constructed as to form the point of attachment for the raising rope
or ropes, and to carry the ladder stops, and which when detached leaves the sliding
ladder free to be removed from the escape.
2. A device for attachment to the sliding ladder of a telescopic fire escape,
consisting of a bar H with clips M M, stops K K, arms L L to receive the rope,
and an attaching screw J, substantially as and for the purposes set forth, with
reference to Figs. 1 to 4.
3. A device for attachment to the sliding ladder of a telescopic fire escape,
consisting of a bar H with extensions M, M, M', pins P P, a handle N, and
attaching screw J, substantially as and for the purposes set forth, with reference to
Figs. 5 to 8.
Dhi th 1 of 1000
AMBROSE MYALL,
21, Cockspur Street, London, S. W., Agent for the Applicants.