Improvements in or applicable to Fire Escapes.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 11th June, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 11th Mar., 1896-Accepted, 11th Apr., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or applicable to Fire Escapes.
I WILSON LITTLEDALE of 4 Arnott Street, Greenhill Street, Manchester, in
the County of Lancaster, Retired Fireman, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
My said invention relates to fire escapes of the ladder type and has for its
object to provide means whereby the latter may be elevated, that is turned from
the horizontal position upwards, at the same time as it is being extended in length
by causing the sections of the ladder to slide on each other.
The extension of the ladder is effected by ropes operated by a windlass in the
usual manner.
According to my said invention I apply to the shaft of the windlass or to a
prolongation thereof a pinion which gears into a toothed quadrant or sector rack
forming part of the supporting frame of the ladder. On the windlass being
rotated the said pinion will travel along the toothed arc and will elevate the ladder
at the same time that the extension is taking place. Ratchets and pawls or struts
engaging with detents are provided to retain the latter as it is gradually elevated
in case the power on the windlass is withdrawn.
When the pinion reaches the end of the racked arc it disengages itself and the
further rotation of the windlass completes the extension of the ladder.
Subsidiary arms or detents are provided for preventing the backward rotation
of the windlass after the extension of the ladder to the desired extent.
The windlass may be provided with fixed or removeable arms or cranks or a
ratchet lever may be used for operating the windlass and in some cases gearing
may be interposed between the axis of the crank and the windlass.
Dated this 10th day of June 1895.
E. T. WHITELOW, A.M. Inst. C.E.,
70 Deansgate, Manchester, Agent for the Applicant..
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or applicable to Fire Escapes.
I WILSON LITTLEDALE of 4 Arnott Street, Greenhill Street, Manchester, in
the County of Lancaster, Retired Fireman, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:—
My. said invention relates to fire escapes of the ladder type and has for its object
to provide means whereby the ladder may be elevated that is turned from the
horizontal position upwards at the same time that it is being extended in length by
the sections of the ladder being caused to slide on each other.
In order to more clearly explain my said invention I have appended hereto two
sheets of drawings to which reference is hereinafter made and which form part of
this Specification. -
i
S

page_text: In the said drawings
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a fire escape with the ladders contracted in length
and lying in their usual position for transport
Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the ladders partly extended and at the same
time partly elevated.
Fig. 3 is a detail of the mode of securing the ladders in their contracted
position.
In the said drawings a a a are the ladders b is the vehicle on which they are
mounted c is the windlass. The ladders a a a of the usual construction and their
extension is operated in the ordinary manner by means of ropes working on the
windlass c. The elevation of the ladders is effected by turning them about the
According to my said invention I apply to the shaft of the windlass c or to a
prolongation thereof a pinion d which gears into a toothed quadrant or sector rack e
secured to the vehicle or frame which supports the ladders.
fulcrum a¹.
On. the windlass being rotated for the purpose of extending the ladder the
pinion d will travel along the rack e (which has its centre of curvature at a¹) and
will elevate the ladder simultaneously with its extension. A ratchet is fixed on
the windlass or its shaft and a pawl f1 engages therein and by preventing the
windlass running backwards maintains the extension of the ladders when the power
on the windlass is withdrawn.
On the windlass reaching at the end of the toothed part of the arc e the pinion d
automatically disengages itself from the rack and the elevating action ceases while
the further rotation of the windlass continues the extension of the ladder as far
as may be desired.
For rotating the windlass fixed or detachable arms care provided. In the case
of very heavy ladders or where it is desired to effect the elevation and extension
with the minimum of manual power I use a ratchet lever in lieu of the arms o.
Such a ratchet lever or the arms c' may be fixed at one or both sides of the
apparatus.
On reaching the point e¹ the journals of the windlass engage with bearing e in
brackets e which are connected by a cross bar e. The brackets are formed as
springs which bear upwards. To again contract and depress the ladders the
pawl is lifted, the cross bar e is depressed so that the journals of the windlass
can leave the depressions and the windlass is turned in the reverse direction.
To prevent the ladders sliding on each other when in transit on the vehicle I
use a strap g secured to one of the rungs of the lowest ladder. The free end of
the strap g passes over one of the rungs of the topmost ladder and is looped on to
a book gl on the barrel of the windlass. When the windlass is wound tight and is
secured by the pawl 1 the strap g will be stretched tight. When however the
windlass is turned in the direction of the arrow the hook g¹ will automatically
disengage itself from the loop of the strap g.
To prevent the vehicle 6 from running back when in use a brake his provided
and is operated by the handle h¹. In Fig. 1 the brake is shown out of operation,
in Fig. 2 it is shown in operation.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is.
1. A ladder fire escape capable of simultaneous elevation and extension by the
rotation of the windlass substantially as hereinbefore set forth and shown in the
accompanying drawings.
2. In an extensible ladder fire escape the combination with the extension
windlass of a pinion and a curved rack for effecting the simultaneous elevation and
extension of the ladders substantially as set forth and shown.
3. In a ladder fire escape the combination with the ladders of a rack having its
centre of curvature at the fulcrum of the ladders and a pinion gearing therein for

page_text: the purpose of elevating the ladders substantially as and for the purpose set forth
.and shown.
Dated this 10th day of March 1896.
E. T. WHITELOW, A.M. Inst. C.E.,
70 Deansgate, Manchester, Agent for the Applicant.