IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SAVING LIFE AND PROPERTY FROM FIRE, APPLICABLE ALSO FOR LOWERING WEIGHTS FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edwin Robert Wethered, of Hythe, in the County
of Kent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SAVING
LIFE AND PROPERTY FROM FIRE, APPLICABLE ALSO FOR LOWERING WEIGHTS
FOR OTHER PURPOSES."
Sealed the 28th June 1870, and dated the 2nd May 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edwin Robert Wethered
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 2nd May 1870.
+
I, EDWIN ROBERT WETHERED, of Hythe, in the County of Kent, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR SAVING LIFE AND PROPERTY FROM FIRE, APPLICABLE ALSO FOR
LOWERING WEIGHTS FOR OTHER PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for saving
life and property from fire, applicable also for lowering weights for other
purposes.
In order to enable persons rapidly and safely to descend from the
window of a burning house I provide a cord (or it may be a chain) of

page_text: a length to extend from the window to the ground and in order to
make this cord fast above the sill of the window when it is required
for use I provide a hook adapted to be dropped over the top of the upper
sash of the window. When the hook has been so applied and the cord
attached to it by a bar and ring, or in other convenient manner, the sash
is raised and fixed in its place, by means of a wood screw, which is
attached by a wire cord, with the hook, that it may be always ready for
use, or this cord may be attached to a hook or ring fixed to the brickwork
or other convenient part of the window. The cord thus becomes securely
suspended from a point several feet above the window sill from which
the person employing the apparatus desires to drop. Immediately
below the point of suspension the cord is rove through a friction block
containing a number of small sheaves, over which the cord is passed in a
zig-zag course. At the lower end of the block a lever is carried on a
centre, and to one arm of this lever the person desiring to descend
connects himself, and his weight causes the other arm of the lever to
press as a break against the cord in the block, nipping it. against a
surface of wood or other material provided in the block for the purpose.
When the person desires to commence the descent he eases the pressure
on the cord by pressing on a handle upon the lever, and by thus varying
the pressure on the cord he can descend faster or slower, as he pleases.
The person descending is seated on a board suspended from a short rope,
which by a bar or other coupling at its end, is readily connected with
a ring on the lever. Attached to this short rope is a belt to be passed
around the chest to render the person descending more secure. A sack
loop or other suchlike arrangement may be substituted for the seat
and belt. A person below may by means of the pendant cord direct
the descending persön clear of the building and to a convenient point
to alight. There is a guide pulley at the lower end of the block to
allow it to run freely over the cord in whatever direction this may be
directed. Should the person using the apparatus desire to lower other
persons or goods the friction block (in place of the cord) is connected
with the hook on the window sash, the person or weight to be lowered
is connected with the ring at the end of the cord, and the person con-
trolling the apparatus regulates the descent either by means of the lever
on the block or by passing the other end of the cord through his hand.
The block is so arranged that the cord can run through it either way,
SO that in lowering the two ends of the cord may be used alternately,
and when convenient the opération may be controlled by a person

page_text: below. The lever may be otherwise affixed to the block and be carried
on the end and nip or otherwise press the rope by the action of the
person descending or otherwise using it, or by the application of a spring
action on the lever or break.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Edwin Robert Wethered in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 2nd November 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWIN
ROBERT WETHERED, of Hythe, in the County of Kent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Second day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-third year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Edwin Robert Wethered, Her special licence that I,
the said Edwin Robert Wethered, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Edwin Robert Wethered, 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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SAVING LIFE AND PROPERTY FROM FIRE, APPLICABLE
ALSO FOR LOWERING WEIGHTS FOR OTHER PURPOSES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Edwin Robert Wethered, my executors
or administrators, 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 Edwin Robert Wethered, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for saving

page_text: life and property from fire, applicable also for lowering weights for other
purposes.
In order to enable persons rapidly and safely to descend from the
window of a burning house I provide a cord (or it may be a chain)
of a length to extend from the window to the ground; I make this cord i
fast at a convenient distance above the sill of the window when it is
required for use. Immediately below the point of suspension the cord is
rove through a friction block containing a number of small_sheaves, over
which the cord is passed in a zig-zag course. On the block a lever break
is mounted, the person desiring to descend connects himself therewith
and his weight causes the break to press against the cord in the block and
nip it. When the person desires to commence the descent he eases the
pressure on the cord by pressing on a handle of the lever break, and by
thus varying the pressure on the cord he can descend faster or slower, as
he pleases. The person descending is seated in a sack loop suspended
from a ring in connection with the lever break, or a board seat, or other
such like arrangement may be substituted for the sack loop. A person
below may by means of the pendant cord direct the descending person
clear of the building and to a convenient point to alight. Should the
person using the apparatus desire to lower other persons or goods the
friction block (in place of the cord) is connected with the hook on
the window sash, or is otherwise made fast, the person or weight
to be lowered is connected with the ring at the end of the cord, and the
person controlling the apparatus regulates the descent either by means
of the lever on the block or by passing the other end of the cord through
his hand. The block may be so arranged that the cord can run through
it either way, so that in lowering the two ends of the cord may be used
'alternately, and when convenient the operation may be controlled by
a person below.
In order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect I will proceed to describe the Drawings
hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.

page_text: the cord is rove, as the Drawings show. These sheaves turn on studs
connecting the two cheeks c, c, which form the frame of the block, d is
a break lever mounted on a centre d¹; at the lower part of the block.
The person desiring to descend connects himself to one arm of the
lever d; the sack loop in which he seats himself being connected with
the ring d. The weight suspended from this ring brings the other end
of the lever d to press against the rope; and to preserve the rope from
chafing the lever is covered with leather at d. The rope thus becomes
nipped between the lever and the surface of wood, which is provided at e,
and so a sufficient hold is obtained on the rope to prevent it running
through the block; d'is a handle on the lever d, for releasing the
pressure on the rope. The person wishing to descend draws it down by
taking hold of it and transfers to it a portion of his weight. When he
so acts the block from which he is suspended runs down the rope, but
when he releases the handle the progress is arrested, or it may be
regulated to the speed desired. It will be observed that if the handle is
pulled too far down, the other end of the break lever presses on the rope,
and nipping it checks the descent so that no accident can happen from
unskilful management of the handle; f, is a chain which is used for
suspending the block in an inverted position from a fixed point when the
apparatus is to be used for lowering a person or weight by letting the
rope run through the block. The control may be maintained either by
the break or by applying a regulated tension to the return end of the
rope. The two ends of the rope may be used alternately for lowering in
this manner.
:
Figure 3 is a sketch illustrating the use of the apparatus by a person
descending, and it shows the way in which I prefer to make the ropè
fast at a suitable elevation above the window sill. The rope has a hook
at its end, and the two window sashes are placed in the position shown
in the sketch. The rope is passed around the sashes, and a loop of it
is caught by the hook at its end. At ga hook is shown fixed in the
wall of the building, such a fixed hook may be used as an alternative
means of securing the rope. The sketch represents the man as seated in
a loop sack.
Figure 4 represents the sack loop to a larger scale, it consists of two
loops of strong webbing A and B attached to a hook which connects with
the ring d², these loops have sewn to them the canvas piece C which
forms the seat. Buttons and button-hole fastenings are applied as is

page_text: shown, to the edges of the loops A and B. These are useful, especially
when the sack loop is used for lowering children or goods.
Figure 5 shows in section and Figure 6 in side view, another form of
a is
the apparatus, differing in some details from that above described.
the rope, 6 the sheaves, and c the side cheeks of the frame as before;
d is the break piece, it is jointed to the arms d', which are outside the
cheeks, and themselves turn about the centre of one of the sheaves;
d² is a ring on the break piece, from which the person descending is
suspended, and d³ is a hand lever, which is depressed when it is desired
to lift the break piece and prevent it nipping the rope against the
sheaves. For lowering a weight the block may be suspended by the
ring d², as already described. The use of the handle on the lever may
be dispensed with, as the transfer of the weight from the ring d² to the
frame of the block in any way will release the break. A fixed handlě
on one of the cheeks of the frame may be provided for this purpose.
If desired a ring may be provided at each end of the break piece, and
then the block may be used in descending either way up; the slot in the
cheeks is then continued, so that the break piece may nip the rope at
either end of its course.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, I would have it. understood that I
claim,―
The construction of apparatus for saving life and property from fire,
and for lowering weights for other purposes, substantially as described.
I also claim the construction of a pulley block, with a break for
controlling the rope passing through it; such block being so arranged
that the strain upon the rope causes it to be nipped and held substantially
as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edwin Robert Wethered, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Second day of November, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
E. R. WETHERED. (L.S.)