Improvements in Lowering Devices suitable for use as Fire Escapes.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Feb., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Nov., 1893-Accepted, 23rd Dec., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Lowering Devices suitable for use as Fire Escapes.
I EARL CLEGG of Military Training College Wargrave near Henley on Thames
in the County of Berkshire, Caretaker, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows:-
This invention relates to portable devices which may be quickly and easily
arranged in proper position on a window sill or parapet for the purpose principally
of enabling occupants of a building to lower themselves thereby in event of fire,
and the purpose of the improvements is principally to render such apparatus more
convenient and reliable when in use and self adjusting so that after a person has
descended the apparatus may return to its first position without loss of time so
that another person may descend in the same manner.
The apparatus comprises a frame of suitable material carrying a reel of sufficient
size for winding up a sufficient length of rope which when unwound will reach the
ground, a small pulley being also provided on the frame over which the said rope
passes the one end of the latter being attached to the reel the other carrying a
spring or other hook for attachment to a suitable belt or sling.
The frame is suitably shaped to project over a window sill and has two adjustable
straps ending in hooks for secure attachment over the inside of the window sill
and has also a hinged strutt or bracket bar adapted to rest against the outside wall
to support the outer end of the frame. A chain which may be adjusted in length by
hooking up one or more links supports the free end of the strutt.
The reel is provided with a spring of sufficient power to revolve the reel and
wind up the rope and sling when the latter is freed of its load..
The reel is also provided with a ratchet and pawl gear or other brake under the
control of the person lowering himself the pawl or brake being provided with a
light cord which is usually kept rolled on a light spindle or reel which may be
detached from the frame. This device may be arranged so that the person must
retain a continual pull on the cord to prevent the reel from being stopped or
conversely that the pulling of the cord causes the reel to be stopped.
The reel is also provided with an automatic brake the purpose of which is to
regulate the descent of the person in the sling whether that person is light
or heavy. This brake consists of one or more freely pivoted and swinging
hook like pieces of steel or other metal so arranged over the bearings of the rotary
axle of the reel that the hook like extensions of these pieces pass under and in
contact with the said axle or suitable drums fixed thereon. The axle or drums
and the faces of the hook opposed to them are roughened while the contact surface
of the hook is made to such a curve in relation to the axle that the rotation of the
latter while the person is lowered causes the hooks to automatically grip against
the axle and retard its rotation in proportion to the grip which will be the stronger
the heavier the load on the cord. As however the rotary power on the axle bears
also a proportion to the weight of the load, this brake acts automatically and with
sufficient practical exactness to enable the same apparatus to be used for descent
of persons of any weight.
Dated this 22nd day of February 1893.
R. HADDAN,
Agent for Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Lowering Devices suitable for use as Fire Escapes.
I EARL CLEGG of Military Training College, Wargrave near Henley on Thames,
in the County of Berkshire, Caretaker, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to portable devices which may be quickly and easily
arranged in proper position on a window sill or parapet for the purpose principally
of enabling occupants of a building to lower themselves thereby in event of fire,
and the purpose of the improvements is principally to render such apparatus more
convenient and reliable when in use and self adjusting so that after a person has
descended the apparatus may return to its first position without loss of time so that
another person may descend in the same manner.
The apparatus comprises a frame of suitable material carrying a reel of sufficient
size for winding up a sufficient length of rope which when unwound will reach the
ground, a small pulley being also provided on the frame over which the said rope
passes, the one end of the latter being attached to the reel the other carrying a
spring or other hook for attachment to a suitable belt or sling.
The frame is suitably shaped to project over a window sill and has two adjustable
straps ending in hooks for secure attachment over the inside of the window sill and
has also a hinged strutt or bracket bar adapted to rest against the outside wall to
support the outer end of the frame. A chain which may be adjusted in length by
hooking up one or more links supports the free end of the strutt.
The reel is provided with a spring of sufficient power to revolve the reel and
wind up the rope and sling when the latter is freed of its load.
The reel is also provided with a ratchet or toothed and pawl gear or other
stopping device or brake under the control of the person lowering himself the pawl
or brake being provided with a light cord which is usually kept rolled on a light
spindle or reel which may be detached from the frame. This device may be
arranged so that the person must retain a continual pull on the cord to prevent the
reel from being stopped or conversely that the pulling of the cord causes the reel
to be stopped.
The reel is also provided with an automatic brake the purpose of which is to
regulate the descent of the person in the sling whether that person is light or heavy.
This brake consists of one or more freely pivoted and swinging hook like pieces of
steel or other metal so arranged over the bearings of the rotary axle of the reel
that the hook like extensions of these pieces pass under and in contact with the said
axle or suitable drums fixed thereon. The axle or drums and the faces of the
hooks opposed to them are roughened and hardened while the contact surface of
the hook is made to such a curve in relation to the axle that the rotation of the
latter while the person is lowered causes the hooks to automatically grip against
the axle and retard its rotation in proportion to the grip which latter will be the
stronger the heavier the load on the cord. As however the rotary power on the
axle bears also a proportion to the weight of the load, this brake acts automatically
and with sufficient practical exactness to enable the same apparatus to be used for
descent of persons of any weight.
In the annexed drawing Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus from one side
showing it affixed to a window sill ready for use, Fig. 2 is a plan view and Fig. 3
a side elevation of the other side of the apparatus.
A is the frame carrying the pulley B and the drum C. D is the strutt and E the
chain for adjusting the same. F are the fixing straps and G the hooks thereon.
Within a case H at end of drum C is the coiled spring J which is wound up by
the descent of a load and operates to rewind the cord K on the drum C. L is the
spring hook at the end of the cord K to receive a suitable belt. The ends of the

page_text: spindle M of the drum C are squared to receive a handle N for use in case of failure
or insufficiency of the spring J to draw up the cord K or anything that may be
attached thereto if desired. The stop gear consists in the example shown of the
cogged wheel O on the spindle M and the two pawls P, Q, of which the former P
has an arm P' to which the cord R is attached, the latter passing through an eye Q¹
at the end of pawl Q, thence to an eye S and pulley T so that by a pull of the
cord R the pawls may be simultaneously released, until pull on the cord ceases
whereupon the spring U ensures the return of the pawls or one of them into engage-
ment with the wheel O. A sliding handle V is placed on the cord R to avoid
friction with the hand, a lateral twisting of this handle will be sufficient to provide
sufficient retarding friction on the cord R to hold the pawls released.
The automatic brake is shown at W; it consists of a hook W freely pivoted at
W to the frame A and hanging under the spindle M, its inner surface is roughened
to engage with the roughened surface of the spindle as before described. One of
these brakes may be placed at each end of the drum. A latch X may be used to
hold the brake hook W out of contact when not desired.
Y are wedges to be placed on the window sill in case of need if desired to
preserve the horizontality of the apparatus.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is-
1. The device comprising the drum with automatic brake arranged to operate
substantially as described and for the purposes set forth.
2. The combination therewith of the return spring J substantially as set forth.
3. The contrivance for lowering suitable for use as a fire escape substantially as
illustrated and described.
1000
R. HADDAN,
Of the Firm of Herbert Haddan & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C., Agent for Applicant.