AN IMPROVED LIFTING MACHINE APPLICABLE AS A FIRE ESCAPE, AND FOR REPAIRING AND DECORATING HOUSES AND OTHER BUILDINGS
Year: 1867

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Edward Beningfield at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 5th April
1867.
I, EDWARD BENINGFIELD, of Old Kent Road, in the County of Surrey, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED LIFTING
MACHINE APPLICABLE AS A FIRE ESCAPE, AND FOR REPAIRING AND DECORATING
HOUSES AND OTHER BUILDINGS," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of a machine of the following construction, that is
to say, I take three pieces of light metal tubing or tough light wood from
20 to 30 feet long, more or less, and hinge or otherwise connect each piece
about midway of its entire length, so as to be capable of doubling up when
out of use, and of forming three entire long legs when undoubled for use,
forming in fact three long legs as a tripod stand. The upper end of each
leg is connected by a short hinged pin to a flat crown plate about 2 or 3
feet across, more or less. This plate has three circular holes formed through
it equidistant from each other to receive the before-mentioned hinged pins,
which are capable of being turned freely in the said holes, the said pins being
loosely connected to the said crown plate on the upper side thereof each by by a
cotter or other suitable means. I also propose to adapt a spur or stop to the
upper part of each of the aforesaid legs fitted with a pin taking into a hole in
the crown plate to keep the legs firmly connected to the said crown plate
when the legs are spread out at the bottom when the machine is in use as a
triped stand. To the centre of the aforesaid crown plate I also connect a swivel

page_text: ring, upon which I hang a block or pulley, over which a wire rope or chain
passes, one end having a cage suspended therefrom to hold one or more
persons. I also form a hole through the centre of the bottom of the said
cage to pass a hose pipe through, so that when the machine is required to be
used as a fire escape a fireman entering the cage can be lifted to any desired
height of a building on fire, and direct a jet of water to any particular part of
the said building; or he can rescue the inmates of a house from any floor, and
placing them in the cage the cage may be lowered by persons below.
An important feature of novelty and usefulness in this machine consists in
the small space it occupies and the facility with which it can be taken up a
court or narrow passage; also the ease with which it can be raised, it being
simply necessary to lay the legs flat on the ground, two legs being extended in
one direction and the other leg in an opposite direction, two persons hold the
bottoms of the two legs, whilst one or more persons push the bottom of the
other leg inwards, thus raising the legs as a tripod stand, and when raised and
the cage
is connected thereto, and a man raised therein, and supposing two of
the legs of the machine to be against the wall of a house, by lifting up the
third leg the cage may be brought close against any desired window of the
house, and ingress to the house be thus obtained. To adapt this machine for
repairing and decorating houses two such machines may be used, and a plank
or stage be suspended from the crown plate of each machine; the planks or
stage may be provided with hand rails to afford safety to the workmen.