AN IMPROVED TELESCOPIC FIRE-ESCAPE
Year: 1884

page_text: I, EDWARD HODSON BAYLEY, of 42 Newington Causeway, in the County of
Surrey, Fire Escape Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention
for "AN IMPROVED TELESCOPIC FIRE-ESCAPE "
to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is the introduction of an improved method of
manufacturing fire-escapes, and relates more especially to that class of these
machines known as telescopic," although part of the invention is applicable to
fire-escapes generally.
Telescopic fire-escapes, as heretofore constructed, have always had the main
ladder conuected directly to the springs, the latter being bolted direct to the axle
of the escape. It followed therefore, as a natural consequence, that the width of
the main ladder was restricted to the maximum distance at which the springs
could be set apart upon the axle. The consequence has been, in practice, that the
restricted area of what may be called the base of the ladder, has placed a limit
upon the height to which fire-escapes could be safely raised and worked; as it is
clear that even a slight unsteadiness at the base of the main ladder, when the
fire-escape is in use, would represent a dangerous oscillation at the top of the
escape.
In carrying out my invention, I construct a wide frame which is bolted direct to
the springs. It is this frame that forms the base or platform of the main (and
other) ladders, and, consequently, the width of the main ladder is not restricted to
the distance of the springs from centre to centre, but may be as wide as the plat-
form will allow. As a result of the increased stability imparted by this part of
my invention, fire-escapes can now be constructed to safely reach, as well as to
rescue from, altitudes which have been hitherto practically inaccessible under
circumstances of peril from fire.
To facilitate the act of raising my improved fire-escapes, I construct the carriage
lever much more strongly than has hitherto been the practice, fixing thereunder a
stout iron truss upon which the firemen can stand and safely exert their whole
strength to raise the machine into a vertical position.
The increased weight of my improved carriage lever makes the whole machine
better balanced.

page_text: The ladder sides of my telescopic fire-escapes are all strengthened by the insertion
of wire in a longitudinal groove running around each side. Each ladder is further
strengthened by being trussed, back and front with steel or other equivalent wire
rope, so that from whichever side the strain comes upon the ladder, it is relieved
therefrom by the above described trussing which practically converts each ladder
into a double trussed girder, as far as its property of resisting strains is concerned.
And the upper ladder (or ladders as may be necessary to meet special cases), are
double trussed underneath, and single trussed on the top.
Instead, of fixing the above described trussing externally to the ladder sides, it
may be (using metallic hooping instead of wire rope) fixed upon said sides, being
passed, when desirable, back and front of the points of junction of the rounds to
the sides.
A fire escape constructed according to my invention has duplicate winding ropes,
so that the snapping of one, while the fire escape is in use, will prevent the latter
being at once disabled, as well as possible loss of life.
The pulleys of my improved fire escapes are made with what are known as ball
bearings, so that I secure rolling friction both at their axes as well as at their
peripheries.

page_text: I, EDWARD HODSON BAYLEY, of 42, Newington Causeway, in the County of
Surrey, Fire Escape Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention
for "AN IMPROVED TELESCOPIC FIRE ESCAPE," 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 the introduction of an improved method of
manufacturing fire escapes, and relates more particularly, but not exclusively, to
that class of escapes known as "telescopic."
In order that my invention, and the means by which the same may be carried
into practical effect, may be thoroughly understood, I will proceed to describe the
same in detail, referring in so doing to the accompanying drawings, which are to
be taken as part of this specification and read therewith, and in which like parts
are marked throughout the figures in which they occur with the same reference
letter.
Telescopic fire escapes, as heretofore constructed, have always had the main
ladder connected directly to the springs, the latter being bolted direct to the axle
of the escape. It followed, therefore, as a natural consequence that the width of
the main ladder was restricted to the maximum distance at which the springs
could be set apart upon the axle. The result has always been that the restricted
area of what may be called the base of the ladder, has placed a limit upon the
height to which fire escapes could be safely raised and worked, as it is evident that
a slight unsteadiness at the base of the main ladder would represent a dangerous
oscillation at the top of the escape.
To overcome this grave objection to the present construction of fire escape,
I make use of a wide frame which is bolted to the springs of the escape.
It is this frame that forms the base, or platform, of the main and other ladders,
The width of the main ladder at its foot may, therefore, be equal to the width of
the platform, which, in this respect, is restricted only by the wheels of the fire
escape.
The result of the increased stability secured by this part of my invention is, that
fire escapes may be made according to my invention to reach safely, as well as to
rescue from, altitudes which have been hitherto practically inaccessible under
circumstances of peril from fire.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the lower part of my improved fire-escape, and
its van.
A is the above described platform bolted to the springs, B, of the escape.
C, D and E are, respectively, main, middle and top ladders. A platform 4 feet
9 inches wide furnishes a base of sufficient stability for an escape of a total height
of 100 feet.
F is the carriage lever for raising the escape into a working position. The
improvement herein consists in making it much more strongly than has heretofore
been the practice,

page_text: .
G is a stout iron truss extending the full width of the lever, upon which the
firemen can stand and safely exert their whole strength in raising the escape.
H is an extension of the lever, and, with the sliding bars H', one at each side,-
serves to facilitate the act of raising the escape.
For an escape of the dimensions given above-viz, 100 feet high, having the
platform, A, 4 feet inches wide, I make the lever about 4 feet 9 inches wide, by
about 8 feet 6 inches long.
A second advantage resulting from the increased size and strength of the lever is
its additional weight, which secures better and more even balance between the parts
of the escape on the respective sides of the axle.
Fig. 2 is an elevation of the above described lever, looking at it from the left
hand in Fig. 1.
According to my invention, the sides of the ladders of my improved fire escape
are strengthened by the insertion of wire, single or twisted, in a longitudinal
groove running along the side. This is illustrated in Fig. 3, in which a is a ladder
side, and b a length of wire let into a groove extending the whole length of the
side. These wires are held down by staples, or other convenient device.
Each ladder of an escape constructed according to my invention is further
strengthened by being trussed, back and front, with wire rope, as shewn in Fig. 1,
where c, c, are the trussing wire ropes back and front of the main ladder. The
middle ladder is trussed in the same way; and the top ladder is double trussed
underneath, and single trussed on the top.
The advantage of this method of constructing the ladders of a fire escape is,
that from whichever side the strain comes upon the ladder, it is relieved therefrom
by the trussing on the opposite side, each ladder being practically a double trussed
girder, as far as its property of resisting strains is concerned.
Fig. 4 is a plan of part of a side of a ladder trussed, or braced, in a different way
Instead of using wire ropes external to the sides of the ladder, as described above,
and illustrated in. Fig. 1, I use metal hooping, d, fixed upon the ladder sides in any
convenient way, and passing in a zig-zag line back and front of the rounds, e.
Fig. 5 is a plan of an improved system of winding up a fire escape, according to
which I make use of duplicate winding ropes, f, f.
The advantage of this is obvious. In the event of one rope snapping, the
escape is not disabled, nor could any ladder come down with a run. I is the
winding drum, operated by revolving the axle, i, and power gear, h. J is a pawl
and ratchet which prevents the escape running down, thus enabling it to be raised
and used at any height it is capable of reaching. I may, according to my
invention, mount the blocks and pulleys of my improved fire cscape on antifriction
bearings, to facilitate the passage of the winding ropes.
Fig. 1 also illustrates in side elevation, my improved van to be used for the
transport of any fire escape.
K is the body of the van, and k is one of a pair of supporting pulleys, on which
the ladders of the escape rest.
L is a jointed shoe, fixed to the lower part of the rear end of each side of the van.
This shoe is illustrated in plan in Fig. 6.
M is one of a pair of hauling ropes.
When the escape has to be unloaded or loaded, the ropes, M, are loosed from
their cleats, m, and the rear halves, l, of the shoes, let down to the ground; when
the escape can be easily run on to the ground, or up into the shoes.
After loading, the half shoes, Z, are raised, and the escape made fast, as by a
rope N to the body of the van.
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 hereinbefore described method of attaching the main ladder of a fire
escape to a wide platform, A, instead of directly to the springs, or under carriage, of

page_text: the escape; substantially as set forth with reference to figure 1 of the accompanying
drawings.
2. The hereinbefore described enlarged construction of lever F with truss G ;
substantially as described with reference to the accompanying figures 1 and 2.
3. The methods, either or both, of trussing, or bracing, the ladders of a fire
escape; substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying
figures 3 and 4.
4. The combination of double winding ropes f,f; power gear, h; and pawl and
ratchet J; substantially as described with reference to the accompanying figure 5.
5. In combination with an improved fire escape constructed substantially
as herein before described, the fire escape van, having two hinged shoes and suit-
able hauling gear and fastening devices, as well as supports for the fore part
of the escape; substantially as described with reference to the accompanying
figures 1 and 6.