Improvements in Fire-escapes.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Dec., 1896-4ccepted, 16th Jan., 1897
Improvements in Fire-escapes.
1, ERIC OLOF SJOLANDER, of Cedar Bayou, in the County of Harris, and
State of Texas, United States of America, Gentleman, 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 :-
The invention relates to improvements in fire-escapes. The object of the present
invention is to improve the construction of fire escapes, and to provide a simple
and comparatively inexpensive one adapted to be applied to a building or series of
buildings, and capable of readily transferring persons from a building to the
ground, and of being carried from one portion of a building to another to effect
the escape of persons from any portion of the same and at an elevation thereof.
The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrange-
ment of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings,
and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.
In the drawings:-
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a fire escape constructed in accordance with
this invention and shown applied to a building.
Figure 2 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of the track showing the
hanger suspended therefrom.
Figure 3 is a side view of the same.
Figure 4 is a plan view of the windlass frame.
Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same.
Figure 6 is a plan view of a portion of the track illustrating the construction
thereof at a corner of a building.
Figure 7 is a detail view illustrating the construction of the adjustable support
and showing the position of the same when carrying a person.
Figure 8 is a similar view showing the support before it is applied.
Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of
the drawings.
1 designates a horizontally disposed track-bar, T-shaped in cross section,
designed to be mounted on a building adjacent to the top thereof at a point above
the uppermost windows and capable of receiving a hanger 2, and of permitting the
same to be readily transferred from one portion of a building to another, to enable
persons to escape from any window thereof. The track-bar is secured to the
building at means of hangers 3, arranged at intervals and composed of L-shaped
portions 4, and straight inclined braces 5. The vertical arm of each L-shaped
portion rests against the building and the outer terminal of the horizontal arm and
the lower terminal of the inclined brace are bent downward vertically and are secured
to the vertical flange of the T-shaped track at opposite sides thereof, as clearly
shown in Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings.
As the track is inverted T-shaped in cross section it forms horizontal track
flanges at opposite sides of the vertical flange for rollers 6, arranged at the top
of the hanger 2. The track may be mounted on a building or a series of
buildings, and at a corner it is designed to have sufficient curve as shown in
Fig. 6 of the accompanying drawings, to enable the rollers to pass readily from
one side of a building to another. The hangers consist of a yoke provided at
its bottom with an eye 7, and having the upper terminals of its sides bent
inward horizontally to provide journals for the said rollers 6, which are located

page_text: at opposite sides of the vertical flange of the track. The hanger carries a
pulley 8 arranged within a suitable block or casing, which has a strap-iron
provided with an eye that is linked into the eye 7 of the hanger.
The pulley which depends from the hanger receives an endless chain 9, which
extends downward from the top of the building to the ground, as clearly shown
in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings, to a windlass-frame 10. The windlass-
frame 10 carries a concave drum 11, around which the endless chain is wound,
the chain being preferably wound around the drum twice; the drum is mounted
on a transverse shaft 12, journaled in suitable bearings of the windlass frame
and carrying a crank-handle 13 at each end; and the chain is maintained in
contact with the drum at one side thereof by a tapering or elliptical spring-
actuated pulley 14. The pulley 14 is mounted on a shaft 15, the terminals of
which slide in suitable ways 16 of the windlass-frame, and the shaft 15 is engaged
by substantially U-shaped springs 17, which press the roller against the drum.
The springs are provided at their outer ends with eyes for the reception of
fastening devices for securing them to the sides of the windlass-frame, and have
eyes at their inner ends for the reception of the shaft 15. By this construction
the drum engages the chain frictionally, and the latter may be actuated in either
direction by rotating the crank handles 12.
The windlass-frame 10 is composed of sections 18 and 19, detachably connected
together at their adjacent ends and are disposed at an angle; the section 18
carries the drum and the pulley 14, and the operator, by standing on the other
section 19 which is provided at its outer end with a platform, will maintain the
endless chain sufficiently taut.
The chain is prevented from twisting at the drum by curved guides 20, secured
to the section 18 at opposite sides of the drum, and the descent of a person is
controlled by a brake-lever 21 fulcrumed on the inner end of the section 18 and
having an enlarged head 22 at the inner or lower end to engage the chain. The
brake-lever extends outward from the inner end of the section 18, and its outer
end or handle is within easy reach of the operator, when he stands upon the
section 19 of the frame.
A building is designed to be provided with a life-belt or support 23 for each
person employed in or inhabiting it; this life-belt or support may be constructed
of any suitable material, being composed of sides 24 and 25, and provided at the
ends of the sides with hooks 26, and the side 24 is adapted to form a seat for a
person, while the other side is designed to encircle his body. The side 25 is
provided at intervals with suitable eyes 27, and the life-belt is applied by
encircling the body above the waist with the side 25, engaging one of the hooks
with an eye at the front of the body, the other side 24 forming a seat as clearly
illustrated in Fig. 7 of the accompanying drawings, and the other hook is engaged
with one of the links of the endless-chain, thereby securely connecting a person
with the same. The weight of one or more persons will cause the endless-chain to
move with sufficient rapidity to transfer such persons from a building to the ground
with the desired rapidity, and the movement of the chain may be readily regulated
by the brake mechanism before described.
The sections 18 and 19 of the windlass-frame, are composed of side bars and
cross-bars, the side bars being arranged at an angle to each other, and connected
by the cross-bars; the inner ends of the side-bars of the section 19 are beveled,
and fit against the lower edges of the side bars of the section 18, and eyes 28 are
arranged at the inner terminals of the side-bars of the section 19, and are engaged
by hooks 29 of the other section 18. The sections 18 and 19 are further
connected by hooks 30, mounted on the section 19 adjacent to the inner edge
thereof, and the other section is provided with eyes 31 at its inner end to be
engaged by the hooks 30.
It will be seen that the fire-escape is exceedingly simple and comparatively
inexpensive in construction that it is capable of being readily transferred from one
portion of a building or buildings to another, and that it is adapted to transfer

page_text: persons rapidly from any window of a building to the ground. It will also be
apparent that simple and effective means are provided for controlling the descent
of persons, so that any number of them may be lowered at one time, and that
means are also provided for reversing or moving the endless-chain in either
direction when desired.
Changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be
resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages.
of this invention.
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. In a fire escape, the combination of an endless chain, a windlass frame
composed of two detachable sections oppositely inclined and disposed at an angle,
their inner connecting ends being elevated, oue of said sections being adapted to
receive the weight of the operator, whereby the chain is maintained taut, and a
drum mounted on the windlass frame at the angle thereof and receiving the
endless chain, substantially as described.
2. In a fire escape, the combination of a track a hanger, an endless chain
connected with the hanger, a drum receiving the endless chain, a windlass frame
carrying the drum and composed of two sections arranged at an angle and
detachably connected, one of the sections being provided with a platform adapted
to receive the weight of the operator, whereby the chain is maintained taut, and
a brake lever fulcrumed on the windlass frame, arranged to engage the chain
adjacent to the drum and having its handle portion arranged above the platform.
of the windlass frame in convenient reach of the operator, substantially as
described.
3. In a fire escape, the combination of a track, a hanger, an endless chain
connected with the hanger, a drum receiving the endless chain, a windlass-frame-
carrying the drum and composed of two sections detachably connected arranged
at an angle and adapted to receive the weight of the operator to maintain the
chain taut, a brake lever fulcrumed on the windlass frame and arranged to engage
the chain adjacent to the drum, and a spring-actuated pulley slidingly connected
with the windlass frame and arranged to engage the chain, substantially as described..
4. In a fire escape, the combination of a windlass frame, a drum journaled
thereon, a shaft arranged in suitable ways and located adjacent to the drum, a.
pulley mounted on the shaft, substantially U-shaped springs located at the ends
of the shaft, provided with eyes for the reception of the latter and secured at
their outer terminals to the windlass-frame substantially as described.
5. In a fire escape, the combination of a windlass frame composed of two
sections detachably connected and arranged at an angle, a drum mounted on one-
of the sections, a crank handle connected with the drum, curved guides mounted
on the windlass frame, located at opposite sides of the drum, and adapted to
prevent an endless chain from becoming twisted, a brake-lever fulcrumed on the
windlass-frame and arranged adjacent to the drum, and a spring-actuated pulley
located adjacent to the latter, substantially as described.
6. In a fire escape, the combination with an endless chain, means for operating
the same and a life belt or support composed of two sides, one of the sides being
provided at intervals with eyes and hooks located at opposite ends of the sides,.
one of the hooks being adapted to engage the endless-chain and the other to-
engage said eyes, substantially as and for the
purpose described.
Dated this 0.1.1.
1000
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.