AN IMPROVED LIFTING MACHINE APPLICABLE AS A FIRE ESCAPE, AND POR REPAIRING. AND DECORATING HOUSES AND OTHER BUILDINGS
Year: 1868

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION felt by Edward Beningneid at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
8th April 1868.
I, EDWARD BENINGFIELD, of Old Kent Road, in the County of
Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN
IMPROVED LIFTING MACHINE APPLICABLE AS A FIRE ESCAPE, AND POR REPAIRING.
AND DECORATING HOUSES AND OTHER BUILDINGS," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of a machine of the following construction,.
that is to say:-
I take three pieces of light metal tubing or tough. light wood, from:
about 20 to 30 feet long more or less, and hinge or otherwise connect
each piece about midway of its entire length, so as to be capable of
doubling up when out of use, and of forming three entire long legs.
when undoubled for use, forming in fact three long legs as a tripod.
stand. The upper end of each leg is connected by a short hinged pin

page_text: to a flat crown plate about 2 or 3 feet across more or less.
This plate
has three circular holes formed through it equidistant from each other,
to receive the before-mentioned hinged pins, which are capable of being
turned freely in the said holes, the said pins being loosely connected
to the said crown plate on the upper side thereof, each by a cotter or
other suitable means. I also propose to adapt a spur or stop to the
upper part of each of the aforesaid legs, fitted with a pin taking into
a hole in the crown plate to keep the legs firmly connected to the said
crown plate when the legs are spread out at the bottom, when the
machine is in use as a tripod stand. To the centre of the aforesaid
crown plate I also connect a swivel ring, upon which I hang a block
or pulley, over which a wire rope or chain passes, one end having a
cage suspended therefrom to hold one or more persons. I also form
a hole through the centre of the bottom of the said cage to pass a hose
pipe through, so that when the machine is required to be used as a
fire escape a fireman entering the cage can be lifted by means of a rope
or chain passed over the before-mentioned pulley in the crown plate,
one end of the said rope being fixed to the cage, and the other end
loose and reaching to the ground. The fireman can fasten the loose
part of the rope to the cage and so support the cage, and when required
can lower himself down by the said rope, and the cage can be lifted by
persons in the strect. The fireman can carry a hose and thus direct a
jet of water to any particular part of the said building; or he can rescue
the inmates of a house from any floor, and placing them in the cage
they may be lowered by him or the persons below.
An important feature of novelty and usefulness in this machine
consists in the small space it occupies, and the facility with which it
can be taken up a court or narrow passage; also the case with which
it can be raised, it being simply necessary to lay the legs flat on the
ground, two legs being extended in one direction and the other leg
in an opposite direction; two persons hold the bottom of the two
legs whilst one or more persons push the bottom of the other leg
inwards, thus raising the legs as a tripod stand; and when raised
and the cage is connected thereto and a man raised therein, and
supposing two of the legs of the machine to be against the wall of
house, by lifting up the third leg the cage may be brought close
against any desired window of the house and ingress to the house be
thus obtained.
a

page_text: To adapt this machine for reparing and decorating houses two such
machines may be used, and a plank or stage be suspended from the
crown plate of each machine. The planks or stage may be provided with
hand rails to afford safety to the workmen.