Improvements in Apparatus for Affording Escape from Buildings.
Year: 1886

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Affording Escape from Buildings.
I, JEAN BAPTISTE FONDU of Vilvorde, Belgium, Manufacturer, 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 present invention relates to a life saving apparatus enabling anybody to save
themselves by the window in case the door is threatened to be broken in or in case of fire
when the staircase is rendered impassable.
In the accompanying Drawings Figs. D, E, F, G, H, K, L, M, O, represent the
life saving apparatus which is helicoidal and with double friction in proportion to
the weight descending and provided with adjusting and stop clutches acting
instantaneously.
This apparatus consists of the following parts
1. Of a wrought iron plate 5 circular in the middle and provided with 3 arms, two
of which are in the longitudinal axis and the third in the transversal axis. The upper
arm ends in a corkscrew head 6 and the lower is provided with an eyelet hole 7 in a
vertically perpendicular position to the plate 5.
2. Of a rope holder or friction piece 8 of any desired metal but preferably of bronze,
and rigidly fixed by a square nut in the middle of the plate 5. On the outside or
circumference the friction piece 8 is provided with two parallel grooves which join
obliquely; it also has a central stud to which is fastened the ring 10.
3. Of a nut 11 having a milled edge, which is screwed on to the screw-threaded
part of the stud 9.
4. Of a bracing hook 12 which can be opened to introduce the rope, it is pivotted
to the eyelet piece 7 and has at its upper end a round head 13 with an opening like
a spanner.

page_text: 5. Of a friction piece 14 having a semicircular projection provided with three round
notches 15, 16 and 17 the openings of which are narrower. This friction piece is
rivetted to the transverse arm of the plate 5.
A rope passes round the double groove of the friction piece 8, the upper portion
through the cork-screw head 6and the lower portion hangs free after being passed through
the notches of the friction piece 14. The hook 12 being now closed and screwed fast
by the nut 11 maintains the rope in the grooves and prevents it from slipping off the
friction piece 8. By securely fastening the upper portion of the rope to a projection
inside or outside the building to a heavy piece of furniture or otherwise and by attaching
themselves to the eyelet 7 by a carbine hook and a belt or a piece of rope or otherwise
a person can descend to the ground without help of the arms or legs which remain
entirely free, and with a moderate speed. If the rope is passed through the lower
notch 15 see Fig. E the descent will be at normal speed, if the rope be passed through
the middle notch 16, as represented in dotted lines, in Fig. E; two persons may
descend, one holding the other, at normal speed, the friction of the cord in the groove
being in direct proportion with the weight.
With this apparatus a person more or less practised may even lower several others
by attaching one or more stirrups to the belt attached to the apparatus, and in this
manner the person lowering the others has not support the others who have their feet
in the above mentioned stirrups, and the whole weight rests on the apparatus.
The higher notch 17 serves to jam the cord and stop or prevent the descent,
see Fig. F, for this purpose the rope passed first notch 17 then through 16 and then
through 15.
The friction piece 14 may also be replaced, as indicated in Fig. G by a simple eyelet
hole 18 arranged in a rectangular projection of the transverse arm of the plate 5. The
apparatus can be furnished to the public with the rope already passed through this
eyelet so that even an inexperienced person can use the apparatus with perfect safety.
The speed regulating device can be of different construction, for instance it may as
represented in Fig. H consist of a U shaped support 19 provided with an axis 20 on
which turns an eccentric 21 with a groove and a handle 22. The rope turning the
eccentric like a pulley jams the roughened part of it against the rope and drags here
so that the descent will be completely stopped. The eccentric carries at its lower
part a stud 23 which engages in a notch of the U shaped support 19 when it is
desired to let the rope glide down freely. The eye in the eccentric being larger than
the axis on which it turns a simple pressure with the finger on the handle or knob 22
suffices to engage or disengage the stud 23.
Fig. K and L represent the application of a device for regulating the speed of the
descent and for permitting the person descending to hold on by the rope without the
hand suffering from friction. By means of this regulating device also several persons
can be lowered by a single apparatus at the same time. The arm 26 forms part of the
body 27 of the apparatus and is in its upper part 28 provided with a groove fitting of
the circumference of the rope. The inovable lever 29 is constructed in the same
manner and is pivotted at 31. By holding the two arms or handles 26 and 29 the
person descending can regulate the speed at will by the simple pressure of the hand
which is not touched by the rope passing between the two handles. Two jaws 31
attached to the lever 29 prevent the rope from slipping out in any case.
As represented in Fig. M the apparatus may also be provided with a eyelet hole in
its upper part so as to enable it to be hung up when the apparatus will rest immovable
and the cord or rope will be lowered. In this manner invalids or people paralysed
with fear can be lowered with ease, the person at the top who lowers the others
operating the apparatus.
Fig. Ŏ, represents a modification in which the wrought iron plate 5¹ is provided
with three grooved and rigidly fixed guides, 35, 35¹ and 35¹¹ rivetted in 32, 33 and 34.
These three guides are arranged quinquangular and the rope passing round them as
represented the effect of the friction will be the same as in the friction piece 8
in Fio. D.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is.
1. The life saving apparatus descending along a rope, as described and represented
and consisting essentially of the helicoidal friction piece 8 round which the rope
passes in combination with the brake arrangement substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
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2. The life saving apparatus provided in its upper part with a hole, as in Fig. M, so
that the apparatus may be suspended for the purpose of lowering other persons.
3. The life saving apparatus represented in Fig. O and provided with three grooved
guides arranged quinquangular between which the rope passes substantially as and for
the purpose specified.