Improvements in Apparatus or Devices for Use as Fire Escapes.
Year: 1893

page_text: .Date of Application, 8th Sept., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 26th June, 1894-Accepted, 28th July, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus or Devices for Use as Fire Escapes.
1 ALGERNON YOCKNEY of Woodbine Cottage, Wilcove in the County of
Cornwall, Fleet Paymaster Royal Navy do hereby declare the nature of my
invention to be as follows :―
The object of my invention is to provide a simple and efficient apparatus or
device by which persons can readily escape from a window or the like in the event
of fire. The said device or apparatus consists essentially of an endless rope or
chain which carries a strap or device by which a person can be secured to the
endless rope or chain. The said endless rope or chain is of a length sufficient to
reach from the highest point at which it is likely to be required for use down to or
near to the ground. The said endless rope or chain is attached to a loop or
connection which can be attached to a hook or other support in the room or place
from which the escape is to be made the attachment of the said loop or connection
and the rope or chain being such as to enable the endless rope or chain to be
worked through the said loop or connection so that by operating the said rope or
chain the person supported by it can be lowered and then after the person has been
released the strap or device can be elevated again for the attachment of another
person if required. There may be two such straps or supports on the rope or chain
so that when one has been lowered the other has at the same time arrived above
for the escape of another person. The means for the attachment of the person
to the endless rope or chain may be of any suitable description for instance it may
be a strap to be passed under the arms and there may be a cross piece for the legs
of the person to rest on. The device may be made so that it is portable or that
it can be rolled up and carried about in a portmanteau for instance or it may be
made as a permanent instalment in any room or place from which it is desired to
provide means of escape in case of fire. When lightness is desirable the rope
may be of hemp or other like material strengthened by a wire or wires and it may
be prepared so as to be fire resistant or of a material which is fire proof such as
asbestos. The means for connecting the aforesaid loop or the like may be of
any suitable kind for example it may be a movable cross bar capable of being fixed
across a window opening.
In order to prevent the rope from being abraded when operated there may be
provided an attachable piece of an antifrictional character which can be placed
over a window sill or other part over which the rope may pass, and this attachable
piece when the device is portable may be made so that it can be readily rolled up.
Dated the 8th day of September 1893.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, Agents..
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus or Devices for Use as Fire Escapes.
I, ALGERNON YOCKNEY of Woodbine Cottage Wilcove in the County of
Cornwall, Fleet Paymaster Royal Navy 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 :-
The object of my invention is to provide a simple and efficient apparatus or device

page_text: by which persons can readily escape from a window or the like in the event of
fire. The said device or apparatus consists essentially of an endless rope or chain
which carries a device consisting of a sling strap loop or loops by which a person
can be secured to the endless rope or chain so that the person can lower himself
or herself, or be lowered, at any desired speed. The said endless rope or chain is
of a length sufficient to enable it to reach from the highest point at which it is
likely to be required for use down to or near to the ground. The said endless
rope or chain is attached to a loop or connection or loops or connections which can
be attached to a hook or hooks or other support in the room or place from which
the escape is to be made the attachment of the said loops or connections and the
rope or chain being such as to enable the said endless rope or chain to be
worked through the loop or connection so that by operating the said rope or chain
the person supported by it can lower himself or herself or be lowered at any required
speed and then after the person has been released the supporting device can be elevated
again for the attachment of another person if required. There may be two such
supporting devices on the rope or chain so that when one has been lowered the
other has at the same time arrived above for the escape of another person. The
device by which to attach the person to the endless rope or chain may be formed in
the rope itself or it may be made separate and be connected to the rope or chain in
any convenient manner, for instance it may consist of two loops formed in the
endless rope through one of which loops the legs or one leg of the person using the
apparatus may be passed, the other loop being placed round the body beneath
the arms of the person who is thus efficiently secured to the endless rope.
of forming the loops in the endless rope the said loops may be made separate and
be attached to the rope in any convenient manner. The whole device may be made
portable and so that it can be rolled up and carried about in a portmanteau or
hold-all for instance, or it may be made as a permanent instalment in any room or
place from which it is desired to provide means of escape in case of fire.
lightness is desirable the rope and supporting device may be of hemp or other like
material strengthened if desired by a wire or wires and the rope may be prepared
so as to be fire resistent or it may be made of a material which is fire proof such as
asbestos. The means for connecting the aforesaid loops or the like, to which the
endless rope or chain is attached, may be of any suitable kind for example it may
be a cross bar capable of being fixed across a window opening. In order to
prevent the rope from being abraded when operated there may be provided an
attachable piece of an anti-frictional character which can be placed over a window
sill or other part over which the rope may pass, and this attachable piece when the
device is portable may be made so that it can be readily rolled up and may contain
the apparatus when it is not in use, or any suitable article such for instance as a
door mat or the like may be used although this would only be necessary when
several descents are to be made.
Instead
When
And in order that this invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to the
several figures on the annexed sheet of drawings the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 shews the apparatus when not in use and Figure 2 shews the same
apparatus in use with a person attached thereto and in the act of descending from
a window.
Figures 3 and 4 shew means for attaching the support to the endless rope.
Figure 5 illustrates a means of fixing the apparatus in position in a window and
Figure 6 shews a modification of the loops or eyes through which the endless rope
passes.
A is the endless rope which for the sake of lightness is preferably made of
hemp and rendered fire-proof (by soaking in chloride of calcium or alum or the
like for instance). The rope A preferably passes through two eyes or thimbles B
(or through a single broad eye or thimble) and around or through another eye or
thimble B³ arranged above and at right angles to the eyes or thimbles B so as to

page_text: form in the rope A a twist somewhat resembling a figure 8. The breadth of the
eyes or thimbles B is preferably greater than the breadth of the thimble B' so as
to ensure the connection retaining a position that will permit of the rope A passing
through the eyes B without irregular friction. To the eyes or thimbles B and B
is attached a rope C having loops a b c formed therein by simply tying knots at the
required distances apart in the said rope C. The attachment of the rope C to the
thimbles B and B is preferably made by passing the rope first through the upper-
thimble B' and then around the thimble or thimbles B. If two eyes or thimbles
be used arranged in the same plane the rope C is passed around both and the
rope A is passed through both eyes or thimbles. The eyes or thimbles B & B
may if desired be cast or otherwise formed in one piece but I prefer to make them
separate to accommodate themselves to the direction of strain put upon them when
the apparatus is in use. The rope A is preferably made of a length sufficient to
enable it in its endless form to well reach the ground from the highest point at
which the apparatus is likely to be required for use and the sling or support for the
person to descend is preferably formed in the rope itself as shewn in Figures 1
and 2, this sling or support consisting of two loops D and E the loop D being of
sufficient size to easily surround the chest of the largest persons likely to use the
apparatus and may be provided with a sliding piece d by means of which the said
loop may be contracted as required to fit round the chests of persons of less size.
The other loop E is intended for the reception of the legs or one of the legs of the
person to be lowered as shewn for instance in Figure 2 so that the said person will
be efficiently supported by the loops D and E.
A simple and convenient way of forming the sling or support in the endless rope A
is shewn in Figures 1 and 2 and cousists in forming two loops D and E of the
required size in the rope and retaining them in the looped form by what is known.
in nautical language as a "bow-line on a "bight" but the loops may be retained
in any other suitable way. The advantage of forming the support in the rope A:
is, that there will be no liability of the support becoming detached and the length
of the rope may be readily increased if required as herein before described.
If a toggle or cross bar as shewn at e is desired it may be secured in a knot
formed in the rope below the loops D and E. A handkerchief or the like having
instructions thereon for using the apparatus may be removably secured in the knot
securing the loops D and E, which handkerchief or the like may be used for
breaking the descent of the person as hereinafter described.
"
When the support is made separate from the rope A the said support may
consist of an endless rope doubled so as to form two loops as shewn in Figure 3 and
secured to the rope A by what is known as a "double reef knot or as shewn in
Figure 4 the support may be attached to a toggle or cross bar e, and the said toggle.
be secured to the rope A by what is known as a "clove hitch as shewn. I do
not however restrict myself to any particular means for forming in or connecting.
to the rope A the supporting devices.
"
At a part immediately above where the support or sling is formed in or connected
to the rope A a sheath or covering of canvas or other suitable material may be
provided through which the ascending portion of the rope A may be caused to
pass so that by compressing with the hand this covering the passage of the rope A
therethrough may be retarded or regulated as required. Instead however of a
fixed sheath the handkerchief g secured in the knot where the loops join the endless.
rope hereinbefore referred to may be used by the person supported in the loops, to
grasp the ascending portion of the rope to regulate his or her descent as required.
By this arrangement when two slings or supports are connected to the endless rope
the ascending portion of the rope may be readily released or allowed to pass so as
to admit of the slings passing each other in ascending and descending. The lower
part of the loop through which the leg or legs of the person is or are passed may
be attached to the endless rope to prevent the person supported thereby from
swinging about or turning round the rope.
...
To use the apparatus it may be fixed to an article of furniture in the apartment

page_text: from which escape is to be made, for instance-it may be attached to the back of a
chair as shewn in Figure 2 by passing the rope-containing the loops a b c beneath
the top rail k from the back and then over the back of the chair, or a bar of
sufficient strength to support the weight-and-sufficiently long to engage both sides
of the window frame'may be placed in the loop a to fix the apparatus in position.
Or the apparatus may be secured in position, by, passing the larger loop cover a
portion of a bedstead or other large piece of furniture conveniently positioned in
the apartment. Or hooks or other devices may be provided in the opposite sides
of the window frame as shewn in Figure 5 to which hooks the loop c after being
passed through the loop a may be engaged, or the apparatus may be secured to the
window sashes when open as shewn in Figure 5A or it may be secured in any other
convenient manner as although I have shewn the loops a b and c this number is not
essential. The apparatus being secured in position the person wishing to escape
through the window places the loop C round his or her body beneath the arms and
then sits in or passes one leg through the loop D. The rope A is then thrown
outside the window and the person holding onto the rope with the handkerchief g
(or sheath) in his or her hand, also passes out of the window whereupon the person
will descend by gravity and draw the rope A through the eyes or thimbles B and
over or around the eye or thimble B'. By reason of the thimble or thimbles B
being considerably broader than the thimble B' the said thimble or thimbles B
will assume the position shewn in Figure 2 so that the rope A will pass freely
therethrough and without liability of being jammed between the said thimbles and
the window sill, thus ensuring the free passage of the rope. The ascending portion
of the rope passing through the hand of the person, is prevented by the canvas
sheath or handkerchief from injuring the hand and the passage of the rope can be
retarded or the speed regulated as required by a slight compression of the
ascending portion against the descending portion of the rope. The window sill
may be provided with any suitable antifriction device to prevent abrasion of the
rope, for instance, as shewn in Figure 2 the hold-all or wrapper h in which the
apparatus may be wrapped when not required for use may have smooth rods i
attached thereto and this hold-all or wrapper before the rope A is passed out of the
window may be placed in position on the window sill as shewn, so that the rope A
will pass over and in contact with the rods which being rounded and smooth will
prevent abrasion of the rope. When only a few descents are to be made this
antifriction arrangement is not necessary. The speed and direction of the descent
may be governed regardless of the person suspended or a forced descent may be
ensured by a person below having hold of the rope A and releasing or hauling it as
required. When the suspended person has reached the ground and been freed
from the apparatus the rope A may be hauled from below so as to again raise the
support into position for the escape of another person and so on as often as required
or if two supports or slings are formed-or attached to the endless rope they may be
arranged so that when one reaches the ground the other will be raised into position
for another person to escape. Should a person find that the endless rope would not
reach the ground it could, by freeing one set of slings or loops, (when formed in the
rope A) be lengthened about seven feet and it could be further lengthened about
seven feet by taking out the other set of slings or loops, the person in this case in
descending would have to sit on the bar'e which is secured to the rope A.. A
helpless person would have, in such case, to be secured to the endless rope, for
instance by a towel or the like, or another set of slings might be provided made of
any available material and attached to the endless rope, as shewn in. Figure 3 or 4
for instance. Should it be found that the distance to be descended is still greater
than the rope will reach, the latter could be severed below the support and a length
of any available material added, it being borne in mind that the substance for the
uptake can be far weaker than for the downtake even a length of weak twine being
sufficient for this purpose.
Instead of making the rope A-permanently endless I preferably-connect the ends
of a long rope by a simple connection which may be readily undone the said

page_text: connection of the ends being situated below and near where the sling or support is
formed or attached so that the person descending may if required disconnect the
ends. By this means should a person consider that the rope in its endless form is
not sufficiently long to reach the ground either before or while descending he or
she may disconnect the ends so that the descent may be continued and governed by
a person above the apparatus, it becoming then a lowering escape only, or instead.
of requiring a person above to pay out the rope, the sliding piece d on the loop C
may consist of a ball of string having one end connected to one end of the rope A
and the other end to the adjoining end of the said rope so that when the ends of the
rope A are separated they will still be connected together by the ball of string
(and the rope A remain endless) which becoming unwound will lengthen the endless.
rope to the required extent.
Instead of the metallic eyes or thimbles B B' herein before described the endless.
rope may pass through loops formed on a separate piece of rope as shewn in.
Figure 6 secured to the window from which the escape is to be made in any suitable
manner, the endless rope A passing through two loops 6 and C formed in the rope
by tying knots as at m n and the end of the loop C being fastened above the
loop 6 as at p so that should the friction of the rope A wear through the loop b
the said endless rope will still be retained by the knot n in the loop C* this
arrangement however is not recommended if metal eyes or thimbles are available.
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 :-
An apparatus for enabling persons to descend or escape from elevated positions.
the said apparatus consisting of the combination with an endless rope or chain of a
support or device attached to or formed in one with the rope or chain to which
support or device a person can be readily attached, and loops, eyes, or thimbles
through or around which the rope or chain passes with the desired amount of
friction, the said loops eyes or thimbles being provided with means whereby they
may be fixed or attached to the place from which the descent is to be made, so that
the rope or chain can be worked through or around the loops eyes or thimbles
either by the person supported, or by other person or persons from below or from
above substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this 26th day of June 1894.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
Agents.