Year: 1897

page_text: I, JEAN FRANÇOIS CHAZOTTE, of 409, Parthenais Street, Montreal, Canada,
Inventor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide a simple, efficacous and light fire-
escape.
The invention comprises a suitable frame mounted upon wheels and having
means to enable it to be drawn by horses or the like.
Beneath the frame is a guide in which wedge-shaped blocks are adapted to slide
and be forced against the axle by a screw, fitted with a winch-handle, which passes
through one of the blocks.
A "lazy tongs" is supported by the frame, in a vertical position, and has blocks
at. its lower ends which slide on a horizontal guide-bar and are drawn together and
apart by means of a screw having right and left-handed threaded portions passing
through the blocks. The upper end of the "lazy tongs" carries a platform upon
which a frame is fitted which can be raised or lowered by a rack and pinion. This
frame carries a pulley over which a cord is passed. The cord is connected to a
windlass on the frame first referred to, and has a cage at its other end for lowering
persons or articles to the ground.
A hose-reel is mounted upon the frame, and the hose thereon has a nozzle which
can be readily retained by a suitable device upon the raised platform so as to be
convenient for immediate use by a fireman thereon.
A ladder is inclined against the raised platform to enable persons to descend.
100%
PERCY R. J. WILLIS.
Agent for Applicant.
I, JEAN FRANCOIS CHAZOTTE, of 409, Parthenais Street, Montreal, Canada,
Inventor, 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 invention relates to improvements in fire escape ladders in which a platform

page_text: to carry men and the nozzle ends of two hose and also a folding ladder and the
main support for a salvage basket are raised vertically by means of lazy-tongs
levers operated by a double screw, and crank, handles; and the objects of my
improvements are to provide means for slightly tilting the body of the wagon
carrying said ladder, and also to steady it upon its rear axle, as hereinafter described,
and pointed out in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings
in which:-
-
Figure 1 is a side view of the machine with the upper platform and ladder
partly elevated and one of the sills, hereinafter referred to, removed. Fig. 2 is a
top view of the same.
Fig. 3 is an enlarged side sectional view (the section being taken on the line a―
of Fig. 5) of the rear end of the body of the wagon, shewing the tilting mechanism.
Fig. 4 is a like view to Fig. 3, but shewing the body of the wagon tilted and the
parts in their alternative position.
Fig. 5 is a part front or end view of Fig. 3, the centre part, with the exception
of the rib 35, being drawn in section on the line y-y of Fig. 3.
The body 1 and wheels 2 of the wagon constitute the supports of the machine.
Centrally over said body and parallel therewith is placed a right and left-hand
screw 4, provided with a crank 3 on its rear end. Said screw has its ends sup-
ported in standards b, secured on the top of the wagon transversely thereof. Said
standards are connected by two rods 6, that serve as guides for the lower portions
of two blocks 5, adapted to slide theron. The upper portions of said blocks are
screw-tapped to receive the screw 4, by which the blocks are moved apart or
toward each other, said movement causing the bars 7, of the lazy-tongs to assume
clifferent angles from their joints 8 and thus clevate the platform 9-which has
hinged thereto the nozzles on the ends of hose 25-and also men who may be on
the platform. To one end of said platform is secured the upper end of a folding
ladder 10, which has its lower end wound around a drum mounted centrally upon
the shaft 11, by which it is held under tension; said drum carrying a gear-wheel 13,
that is operated by a gear-wheel 14, mounted upon a shaft c, that carries a ratchet
wheel d for engagement with a retaining pawl e. Said shaft is operated by a
crank 12 on the end thereof.
.
To the top of the platform 9 is pivoted a bridge 15, that has hinged to its end
a ladder 17, the upper end of which is connected to the sides of the bridge by
folding braces 16. Upon a bolt secured to the upper end of the ladder 17 is mounted
a pulley 18 over which passes a wire rope 19 having a salvage basket 20 at one
end. The opposite end of the rope 19 passes under the guide pulley i and over
the guide pulley k, and is coiled around a shaft 21, that is operated by a crank 22
on its outer end. Upon the shaft 21 is mounted a drum f that carries around its
periphery a brake strap 24 one end of which is fastened to the body of the wagon
and the other end is secured to a lever 24", by which it is tightened to regulate
the descent of the basket 20 or to stop it at any point opposite windows or other
points of a building.
Each hose 25, the ends of which are retained by the platform 9, can be rolled
on drums 26, mounted on the ends of the shaft 11.
To help the screw 4 in raising the tower at the beginning of the operation, a
gear-wheel 27 is mounted on a shaft 29, supported in bearings mounted centrally
on top of the body of the wagon. Said gear 27 meshes with a rack 28, that has
its upper end secured to the bottom of the platform 9.
"
The tower can be slightly tilted toward a building by means of a right and left
hand screw 30, located under the body of the wagon; said screw being in engage-
ment with the screw-tapped wedge-like blocks 32 and 33, the inclined faces of
which bear against the under-side of the curved ends 34 of a rib 35, which is
grooved longitudinally to clear the screw, and is hung from the body of the wagon
on the transverse rod 36 supported in brackets 40.
The wedges 32 and 33 are supported on cleats 41 projecting from sills / secured
to the rear axle of the wagon by brackets 42.

page_text: The front part of the rib is, though not essentially, suspended by a link 45
pivoted thereto at 46 and to a bracket 47 on the underside of the body 1.
When it is desired to slightly tilt the tower the wedges 37 (hereinafter described)
are moved into the position shewn in Fig. 4, and the screw 30 is rotated by means
of the winch handle 43 to cause the wedges 32, 33 to recede from each other. This
movement allows the rib 35 and the body to fall until the rib rests upon
the bridge 44 of the bracket 42, and the body 1 of the vehicle rests upon the
sills h.
Inasmuch as the rear portion of the body 1 will be lower than the front part,
the tower mounted thereon will be tilted therewith.
When the body is elevated, as shewn in Figs. 1, 3 and 5, the blocks 51 on the
underside of the body 1 are lifted entirely off the springs m. The springs are
bolted to the top of the bearings 52 (which can reciprocate vertically in hangers 53)
but are not secured to the underside of the body 1 or the blocks 51.
When, however, the wagon is drawn over rough ground and the use of springs
is desirable the wedges 32 and 33 are drawn into the position shewn in Fig. 4 so
that the body 1 rests upon the springs, the tops 50 of which are slightly higher than
the upper edges of the sills ; but they are caused to be permanently compressed
level with the top edges of the sills so that the body is caused to rest upon them
by the extra strain due to the leaning over of the raised tower and the weight of
a fireman on the platform 9. When the tower is lowered, however, the springs
will be sufficiently resilient for use when the wagon is being drawn over rough
ground.
To add to the stability of the machine when standing on ground that is some-
what inclined, said machine is provided with counterbalancing arms, 31 pivoted
to the sides of the frame and carrying weights 31" on their outer ends. Said arms
can be opened at right angles with the sides of the wagon so as to give greater
weight to that side, but when not in use they are closed alongside of the frame of
the wagon.
To prevent any oscillation of the tower that may be caused by the yielding
nature of the springs m of the wagon (if springs are used,) the weight of the wagon
and tower is removed from the springs by means of wedges 37, which are pulled be-
tween the bottom of the frame of the wagon and and wheels 54 on its back axle by
means of the levers 38, having their lower ends pivoted to brackets 55 depending from
the body 1 and rods 39, connecting said levers to the wedges. The body 1 is
slotted at 56 to permit the levers 31 to be moved into the position shown in Fig. 4.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
(1) In a fire escape ladder, the combination of a wagon frame 1, the rib 35
thereunder, having curved ends, wedges 32 and 33 under said ends and the screw 30
in engagement with said wedges substantially as described.
(2) The combination of the wagon frame 1 and a lazy-tongs ladder thereon,
wheels and axles supporting said frame, wedges between the bottom of the frame 1
and wheels on the rear supporting axle, the lever 38 pivoted to said frame, the
connecting rod 39 uniting said lever and wedges, substantially as described.
(3) The combination of the wagon frame 1, a lazy-tongs ladder thereon, the
top platform 9, hose-nozzles secured to said platform, the drums 26 carrying the
hose, a bridge revoluble on the platform 9, a ladder upwardly inclined on the end
of the bridge, a pulley 18 upon said ladder, a wire rope over said pulley, a crank
shaft retaining one end of said rope, and a friction strap and a drum upon said
shaft substantially as described.
(4) The combination of the wagon frame 1, a lazy-tongs ladder having screw-
blocks 5 at the foot thereof, a right and left hand screw passing through said
blocks, the platform 9 on top of the ladder, the rack 28 pendant from said platform,

page_text: the horizontal crank shaft 29 mounted upon the wagon frame and the pinion 27
upon said shaft for engagement with the rack substantially as described.
Dated this 1st day of November 1897
P. R. J. WILLIS,
Agent for Applicant.