Improvements in and connected with Fire Escapes.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Feb., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 11th Nov., 1892-Accepted, 31st Dec., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Fire Escapes.
JAMES CADOUX HUDSON 75 Upper Ground Street Blackfriars Road London
in the County of Surrey Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in portable fire escapes of that kind for
which I was granted a Patent No. 2841 A.D. 1889 and these improvements relate
to a more convenient way of raising the ladders from the horizontal position in
which they are when travelling to the vertical position when the extension ladders
are about to be used. Instead of the firemeu bearing down the back end of ladder
to the ground and stooping down and raising the two handles of the box and thus
raising the ladder to the vertical position I lead the wire rope which directly
extends the second ladder from the winding drum over a pulley at the back and
lower side of the box and then to a pulley at the bottom of main ladder and from
there over a pulley at the top of main ladder and then down to the bottom of
second ladder where it may be secured or pass over a pulley there and return to
top of main ladder. I provide a stop or swinging hook which when in gear with
the sliding ladders prevents them from extending. When the ladders are horizontal
and the handles of the truck are on the ground and the stop or hook in gear, if the
drum of extending gear is turned round, the bottom of ladder is drawn by the wire
rope towards the pulley on the bottom and back end of box, until the bottom end
of ladder touches the ground. If the winding drum be still revolved, the box and
pulley thereon being then drawn nearer towards the ladder and running back on
the travelling wheels, the handles will be raised from the ground and the ladders
will assume the vertical position. The retaining pin will be passed through the
holes in the handles and the wire rope slacked a little by unwinding the drum.
The stop or hook will then be thrown out of gear and the ladder can be extended
in the ordinary manner. The ladder can be returned to the horizontal by reversing
these movements. The drum or pulley below the box can be made readily
moveable so that the wire rope can be detached therefrom when the ladder is
entirely removed from the truck.
I can also use a separate drum for raising the ladder to the vertical, the wire
rope passing over a pulley at back and bottom of box and the drum being on the
axle of travelling wheel or other convenient position.
Dated this Eleventh day of February 1892.
>
JAMES CADOUX HUDSON.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Fire Escapes.
JAMES CADOUX HUDSON 75 Upper Ground Street Blackfriars Road London
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner tl.e
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
My invention relates to improvements in portable fire escapes of that kind for
which I was granted a Patent No. 2841 A.D. 1889 and these improvements relate
to a more convenient way of raising the ladders from the horizontal position in
which they are when travelling to the vertical position when the extension ladders
are about to be used.

page_text: Instead of the firemen bearing down the back end of the ladder to the ground
& stooping down and raising the two handles of the box and then raising the ladder
to the vertical position, I lead the wire rope which directly extends the second
ladder from the winding drum over a pulley at the back end and lower side of the
box and then to a pulley at the bottom of main ladder and from this over a pulley
at the top of main ladder and then down to the bottom of second ladder where it
may be secured or pass over a pulley there and return to top of main ladder. I
provide a stop or swinging hook which when in gear with the sliding ladders
prevents them from extending.
When the ladders are horizontal and the handles of the truck are on the ground
and the stop or hook in gear, if the drum of extending gear is turned round, the
bottom of ladder is drawn by the wire rope towards the pulley on the bottom and
back end of box, until the bottom end of ladder touches the ground. If the winding
drum be still revolved, the box and pulley thereon being then drawn nearer towards
the ladder & running back on its travelling wheels, the handles will be raised from
the ground and the ladders will assume the vertical position. The retaining pin
will be passed through the holes in the handle and the wire rope slacked a little by
unwinding the drum. The stop or hook will be then thrown out of gear and the
ladder can be extended in the ordinary manner. The ladder can be returned to
the horizontal by reversing these movements. The drum or pulley below the box
can be made readily moveable so that the wire rope can be detached therefrom
when the ladder is entirely removed from the truck.
I can also use a separate drum for raising the ladder to the vertical, the wire
rope passing over a pulley at back and bottom of box and the drum being on the
axle of travelling wheel or other convenient position.
My invention is represented by the accompanying drawing, the same letters and
references indicate the same parts in all the figures.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the escape and truck with improved raising and
extending gear.
Fig. 2 is a plan of same.
Fig. 3 is an end elevation of same.
Fig. 4 is a side elevation of escape in reduced scale shewing the ladders horizontal
and in the position in which the escape is run to a fire.
Fig. 5. is a similar elevation but shewing the position of ladders when partly
raised to the vertical position and also racing the course of the raising rope.
Fig. 6. is a similar elevation to Figs. 4 and 5 but shewing the ladders raised to
the vertical position.
A is a hose cart fitted with a pair of wheels B, an axle C and springs D also a
pair of wheelbarrow handles E. F is a telescopic ladder with extending gear
complete. G G are the handles on drum H on which a wire rope I is coiled and
which passes over a pulley or drum J having axle and bearing on bottom of box A
or on wheelbarrow handle E. The rope then passes over a sheaf or pulley K at
bottom of main ladder of telescopic ladders F and thence to a pulley L at top of
main ladder and thence to the bottom of second ladder as in the ordinary manner.
N is a catch or stop fixed to the main ladder and which, when thrown into gear
with the spokes or sides of second and top ladders, prevents them from extending.
when the catch N is in gear and the escape standing in position Fig. 1 or Fig. 4, if
the extending handles & are turned and the rope wound on to the drum H, the
bottom end of ladder is drawn down to the ground as in Fig. 5; the motion being
continued the truck runs back and the ladders are further raised to the vertical
position as in Fig. 6. A cross bar or pin M is then passed through the handles E
and across the face of the ladders F. The handles G G and drum H are then
slacked back when the catch or stop N can be thrown out of gear.
By continuing to wind up the handles G on drum H the ladders can be extended
in the ordinary way.
By reversing this motion the ladders can be lowered and can be laid hori-
zontally. When it is necessary to detach the ladders entirely from the truck,

page_text: the rope I can be disengaged from the pulley J and the ladders used and
extended independently of the truck altogether.
As shewn in dotted lines in Fig. 1 I can also use a separate drum J with
handles P for raising the ladders to the vertical position, or a drum Q on the
axle C, the ends of the axle being squared for detachable handles R, the rope in
these cases passing over the sheave K at the foot of main ladder or secured to
the foot of main ladder as may be found convenient. In the latter case the
winding gear will be separate and distinct as shewn in Patent granted me No. 2841
A.D. 1889.
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
Firstly The manner of constructing raising and extending gear for portable
fire escapes by means of which the ladders can be easily raised from the hori-
zontal to the vertical position by an arrangement of pulley, drum and rope and
stop or catch in connection with the extending gear as illustrated and described.
Secondly-The manner of constructing raising gear for portable fire escapes by
means of a drum, handles and rope separate and distinct from the winding gear as
illustrated and described.
Deted this 11th day of November 1892.