Improved Portable Fire-escape.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Oct., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 16th July, 1890-Accepted, 27th Sept., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Portable Fire-escape.
I, JOHN JEWELL of No. 77 City Road Bristol Upholsterer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The invention consists of a piece of flat rope or webbing of suitable material in
conjunction with a wood block constructed to run on same. The webbing or rope
passes vertically through the block by a curved or corrugated grove or passage. The
grove or passage is so curved or corrugated, that it offers a frictional resistance to the
weight descending. One end of the webbing or rope is fastened to a hook or other
holdfast in the Lurning building and the other end is lowered through the window to
the ground. To the block is attached a sling or belt for the body. The descent of
the weight or body is regulated by some person on the ground seizing and holding
tightly to the webbing. In order to further retard the rate of descent (if necessary) a
brake may be applied to the block, workable by the person descending.
The webbing or rope is rendered uninflamable during process of manufacture and
may be made of increased thickness at the lower end & thus render it impossible for
the person descending to come with violence to the ground.
Dated this 15th day of October 1880
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Portable Fire-escape.
JOHN JEWELL Commission Agent 115 Fulham Palace Road London, S.W. 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:
This invention consists of a coil of fire resisting flat rope or webb to be used as a
means of descent from burning buildings. One end of the webb (A) is attached by
means of a triangular hook or ring (B) to a staple or other holdfast in the room from
which the descent is to be made. The other end of the webb or the coil of webb is
then thrown into the street below, unwinding itself as it falls.
The lower end of the webb is then held firmly by some person in the street below.
At the upper end of the webb is a conductor or block (C) which runs on the webb.
The conductor is a block of wood or metal through the centre of which longi-
tudinally there is a curved or corrugated passage or channel (D) through which the
webb passes, the curvatures or corrugations offering a frictional resistance to the
weight of the body descending. The rate of descent is controlled either by the brake
attachment (E) to be used by the person descending, or by anyone below holding the
lower end of the webb firmly.
Fastened to the conductor is a belt or sling (F) which is passed over the head &
shoulders & supports the weight of the body.
Having now particularly described & ascertained the nature of my invention &
In what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is
1. The novelty of a flat corrugated passage or channel through the block.
2. The introduction of fire resisting flat rope or webb, thereby rendering the bulk
of the apparatus less by 75 per cent. than any other escape yet invented.
D. Cl

page_text: 3. The brake attachment Fig. E for use in isolated districts.
4. The bringing into use of only one rope or webb, the pace as well as the descent
being made by the single hanging piece, thereby reducing the cost as much as the
bulk.
Dated thi th
1