IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ESCAPES AND APPARATUS FOR RAISING AND LOWERING WEIGHTS, THE SAME BEING APPLICABLE TO OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Scott, of 551, Oxford Street, in the County
of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ESCAPES
AND APPARATUS FOR RAISING AND LOWERING WEIGHTS, THE SAME BEING
APPLICABLE TO OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES."
Sealed the 26th April 1867, and dated the 31st October 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Scott at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
31st October 1866.
I, JOHN SCOTT, of 551, Oxford Street, in the County of Middlesex, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE.
ESCAPES AND APPARATUS FOR RAISING ANG LOWERING WEIGHTS, THE SAME BEING
APPLICABLE TO OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates, first, to portable apparatus suitable for being caused
to project from a window or other suitable aperture situated in the upper part
of a building or structure, and capable of being readily fixed in position when
required for the purpose of enabling the inmates to escape from fire. For
this purpose I construct a frame or fenced platform of sufficient strength to
support the weight of one or more persons as required. At the inner or
back end of this frame or fenced platform there are projecting arms, which
may if desired be hinged or moveable, and of such length as to embrace or
come against the inner sides of the window or other opening through which
he frame or fenced platform is arranged to project. The frame and
apparatus

page_text: may be sufficiently portable to enable one person to move the same and
secure it in position when required for use, levers or other suitable contri-
vances being arranged in combination with the frame to act against the
exterior of the building, and thus in conjunction with the interior arms
hold the frame and apparatus firmly in a horizontal position.
The arrangement of apparatus I prefer to employ for gripping the exterior
surface of the building consists of a hand lever or levers connected by a link
or links to a semicircular segmental frame combined with a toothed ratchet
and spring catch arranged so as to grip and firmly hold the apparatus upon
walls of varying thickness. Upon the outer end of the frame or platform a
windlass, barrel, or drum is, mounted, the circumference of which is by
preference larger in the centre than at each end. Around the end or other
portions of the drum or barrel ropes or chains are wound which pass over
pulleys carried by a bar attached to a frictional break or breaks arranged so
as to press upon and partly embrace frictional collars or surfaces upon the
circumference of the drum. The ends of the two ropes or chains pass
downwards, and are connected to a bag, basket, or other receptacle, sling, or
seat suitable for receiving and supporting a person during their descent, the
frame acting as a guard or fence, and affording ready access to the descending
apparatus, whereby children or nervous persons may readily escape from fire
in case of need. Around the larger central portion of the drum another rope
is wound in the reverse direction to those at each end; this central rope
passes over a pulley carried by an arm attached to the free end of the frictional
break, and descends from the drum to the ground when the basket or carrier
is at its highest position, the descent of the basket or carrier causing the
central rope to be wound upon the central portion of the drum whilst the
other ropes or chains are unwinding. The break apparatus is so arranged
that it will prevent the rapid and dangerous descent of those suspended there-
from; but when it is desired to descend more quickly, then by pulling upon
the central rope.the break will be released and the bag or sling will be allowed
to descend at such a regulated speed as may be desired, the central rope
necessary being under the control of the persons below. In place of mounting
the windlass,barrel,and break apparatus upona frame,as previously described,
it may be permanently supported according to this part of my improvements
upon fixed brackets or other supports exterior of the building or structure;
or if desired it can be placed in position thereon when required independently
of the portable frame or platform previously described.
if
The windlass barrel and break apparatus arranged as previously described
according to the first part of my Invention may be employed for raising and

page_text: lowering weights, or for supporting a stage or platform for painting or
repairing the exteriors of buildings or other structures, or for supporting
persons whilst cleaning the exterior of windows, or for other similar useful
purposes
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Scott in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 30th
April 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
SCOTT, of 551, Oxford Street, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said John Scott, Her special licence that I, the said John
Scott, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said John Scott, 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN FIRE-ESCAPES AND APPARATUS FOR RAISING AND LOWERING WEIGHTS,"
THE SAME BEING APPLICABLE TO OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said John Scott, my executors or adminis-
trators, 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 immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Scott, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention relates, first, to improvements in the arrangement and con-
struction of portable apparatus suitable for being easily moved from room to
room, and readily fixed in position so as to project from a window in order to
enable persons or things to be saved from fire or other cause of danger.in

page_text: buildings with great facility, or to go or be conveyed up and down for
other useful purposes.
And in order that my improvements may be most fully understood and.
readily carried into practice I will proceed to describe the Drawing here-
unto annexed, which shows apparatus constructed and arranged in
accordance with this part of my improvements, the same letters of reference
apply to corresponding parts in each Figure of the Drawing, the nature of
which is written thereon.
a, a, is a frame or fenced platformın made of iron, wood, or other suitable
material strong enough to bear one or more persons; when fixed for use one
end of this frame or platform a is firmly held in position inside the building,
the other end projecting outwards. The inner end of the frame or platform a
has strong arms a', a¹, fixed thereon at right angles to the platform long
enough to press against the window frame or wall on both sides of the window
within the house, thereby holding the platform in position; and in order that
the arms may the better accomplish this object their inner surfaces are
roughed or provided with strong metal teeth wherewith to grip the window
frame or wall firmly, and thus prevent the frame a from slipping. The frame
or platform a may be still further secured by combining therewith levers or
other suitable contrivances to act against the exterior of the buildings, and
thus, in conjunction with the interior arms, hold the platform perfectly firm
and horizontal. The arrangement of apparatus I prefer to employ for thus
gripping the exterior surface of the building consists of a pair of semicircular
bars or arms b, b, strengthened by radial arms b¹, 6', being connected at their
outer ends by the cross bar 62; they are also connected by a central cross
bar 63, which is supported by and partially revolves in suitable bearings fixed
to or in the framework on each side of the platform a. The semicircular
gripping arms b, b, are actuated by the hand levers c, c, connected by links c¹
to arms bx, by which the arms b, b, are forced outwards and downwards so as
to press their lower points against the external wall and thereby form a firm
double bracket partly below the frame or platform a and partly by the side
thereof, thus sustaining it against a strain either from below or from the sides
The hand levers c, c, are guided in their movement between the frame a and
the curved brackets c² fixed thereon, upon the upper surface of which toothed
ratchets are formed, each lever c having a spring catch c³ mounted thereon to
take into the teeth of the ratchet, and thus hold the gripping arms b, b, firmly
in any desired position to suit the thickness of the wall which they may be
required to grasp. Upon the outer end of the frame or platform a a windlass
barrel or drum d is mounted, the circumference of which is, by preference,

page_text: g
larger in the centre than at each end. Around the ends or other portions of
the drum or barrel d ropes or chains d', d, are wound, which pass over
pullies e¹, e¹, carried by the bar e attached to the free ends of a frictional
break or breaks farranged so as to press upon and partly embrace frictional
collars or surfaces d2 upon the circumference of the drum. The ends of the
two ropes or chains d³,a", pass downwards and are connected to a bag, basket,
or other receptacle, sling, or seat g suitable for receiving and supporting a
person (or property) during their descent, the frame or platform a acting as a
guard or fence, and affording ready access to the descending apparatus g,
whereby children or nervous persons may readily escape from fire in case of
need. Around the larger central portion of the drumdanother rope or chain d³
is wound in the reverse direction to those attached to the receptacle g at each
end; this central rope d³ passes over the centre pulley e carried by the free
end of the frictional break fand descends from the drum d to the ground
when the basket or carrier 9 is at its highest position; ex is an india-rubber
or other spring to hold the break bar e and friction pulleys e, e², in position.
The descent of the basket or carrier g causes the central rope d³ to be wound
upon the central portion of the drum d, whilst the other ropes or chains d¹ are
being unwound therefrom. The break apparatus fis so arranged that the
weight in the carrier g will act to prevent the rapid and dangerous descent of
those suspended therefrom, but when it is desired to descend more quickly,
then by by the person in the sack g pulling upon the central rope d³ the
break will be released and the bag or sling g will be allowed to descend
at such a regulated speed as may be desired, the central rope d³ if necessary
being under the control of the persons below. When the basket or carrier
has descended to its lowest position it can be raised again to receive other
persons or property by hauling upon the central rope ds to unwind it from
off the drum d, and thus wind up the ropes or chains & and carrier g. In place
of mounting the windlass barrel d and break apparatus upon a frame, as pre-
viously described, it may be permanently supported, according to this part
of my improvements, upon fixed brackets or other supports exterior of the
building or structure, or if desired it can be placed in position thereon when
required independently of the portable frame or platform previously described,
and the portable frame or platform a may be employed for painting or
cleaning the exterior of a building or window from which it is projected.
The windlass barrel and break and other apparatus arranged as previously
described according to the first part of my Invention may be employed for
raising and lowering weights, or for supporting a stage or platform for paint-
ing or repairing the exteriors of buildings or other structures, or for

page_text: 'supporting persons whilst cleaning the exteriors of windows, cr for other
useful purposes where apparatus of this character may be applicable.
The arrangement and construction of the apparatus previously described
may be considerably varied without departing from the true character of
my. Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Scott, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
Witness,
J. G. TONGUE,
Patent Agent,
34, Southampton Buildings,
•W.C.
JNO. SCOTT.
(L.S.)