Improvements in Fire Escapes.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Aug., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 8th Mar., 1893-Accepted, 2nd June, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Fire Escapes.
I, JOHN ALANSON HUNT of No. 715 South West Street, Indianapolis,
Indiana, United States of America Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows
My said invention consists in a travelling carrier which is adapted to serve the
purpose of conveying persons and articles from a higher to a lower elevation, and
to be easily and safely manipulated, whereby it is of peculiar value in case of
emergency, as when conflagrations occur in large buildings and the like.
Its frame-work may be of any desired form or description, and is stoutly
secured to the side of the building, when, as is usually the case, it is arranged to be
used on the outside, and extends from the upper to the lower point at an angle, so
that the passengers thereon may ride down an incline, which has many advantages
over a perpendicular descent. At the upper end the frame-work may extend up to
form an enclosure adjacent to a window or door, and a platform may be built as a
part thereof, onto which the persons may step from the inside of the building
through said window or door. Upon this franie-work are bearings for the shafts
of sprocket-wheels over which the chains of the chain ladder or carrier run. One
set of these bearings (preferably the upper set) are of an ordinary form, and are
attached in a fixed position. The lower ones are preferably mounted in slides, and
operate by screws which pass through projections on the frame-work, and are
provided with hand wheels or equivalent devices. By this means the tension of the
chain ladder may be quickly and easily adjusted.
The chain ladder consists of two endless chains connected by rungs, as is usual.
It runs over sprocket-wheels which are carried on shafts resting in the bearings
supported by the frame-work. The upper or descending portions of the chains rest
upon and are supported by the upper edges of the side-timbers of the frame-work,
and are thus prevented from sagging. The under or ascending portions of these
chains hang loose, except that they may be supported at intervals by a little
projecting stud-shafts having anti-friction rollers which rest upon cleats attached to
the inner lower sides of the side-pieces of the frame-work.
Upon the chains of the chain ladder are angle-frames composed preferably of
two parts hinged together and to said chains. These joints permit the structure to
pass around the wheels at the ends, and thus have a continuous movement without
breakage or disarrangement of any of the parts. The pivots or pivot-bolts also
form the stud-shafts upon which the anti-friction rollers above mentioned are
placed, which support the under or ascending portions of the chains, and keep them
from sagging to too great an extent. The steps or scats for carrying the passengers
are secured to the horizontal parts of the angle-frames above mentioned.
This
It can
A. brake should be arranged adjacent to and adapted to come in contact with a
friction-pulley mounted on the end of one of the shafts carrying the sprocket-
wheels over which the chains of the ladder run-preferably the upper one.
brake may be of any desired form. It is preferably a lever having a concave shoe
fitting the surface of the friction-wheel, or a strap-brake which encircles and comes
in contact with a considerable portion of the surface of said friction-wheel.
be best operated by a cord depending from the end of the lever or the end of the
strap to near the ground, where a person can stand and hold it with just that force
of contact necessary to regulate the speed of descent, and can also stop it from time
to time to permit persons to mount the steps or seats, and dismount therefrom. As
will readily be understood, by a proper manipulation of this brake, a very speedy
descent may be secured, while the speed may be checked when the passengers

page_text: arrive at the bottom, thus allowing them to dismount without difficulty. The seat
or steps may be wide enough for two, three or more persons, and a number of them
may be attached. Therefore, à large number of them may be taken from a building
by this means in'a very short tinie.
Dated, at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 28th day of Júně 1892.
JOHN ALANSON HUNT.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Fire Escapes.
1, JOHN ALANSON HUNT, of No. 715 South West Street, in the City of
Indianapolis, in the County of Marion, State of Indiana, United States of
'America, 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 :-
་
My said invention consists in a travelling carrier which is adapted, by means of
certain peculiarities of construction and arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter
more particularly described, to serve the purpose of conveying persons and articles
from a higher to a lower elevation, and to be easily and safely manipulated, whereby
it is of peculiar value in cases of emergency, as for instance when conflagrations occur
in large buildings, and the like.
Referring to the accompanying drawing, in which similar letters of reference
indicate similar parts,
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a building with my improved device attached
to one side to serve as a fire escape.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of said device at the lower end, on an enlarged scale,
and
Figure 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view, looking in the direction indicated
by the arrows from the dotted line 3 3 in Figure 2.
In the drawings the portions marked A represent the frame-work upon which
the mechanism of my improved device is mounted; B an endless chain ladder;
C steps or seats mounted upon said endless ladder, and D a brake by which the
movement may be controlled, and its speed regulated.
The frame-work A may be of any desired form or description, and is stoutly
secured to the side of the building when, as in the case illustrated, it is arranged to
be used on the outside. It is arranged at an angle as shown, so that passengers
thereon may ride down an incline, which has many advantages over a perpendicular
descent. At the upper end the frame-work may extend upward to form an
enclosure adjacent to a window or door, as also shown in the drawing, and a
platform may be built as a part thereof, on to which persons may step from the
inside of the building, through said window or door. Upon this frame-work are
bearings A for the shafts of the sprocket wheels over which the chains of the
chain ladder run. One set of these bearings (preferably the upper set) are of the
ordinary form, and are attached in a fixed position. The lower ones A² are mounted
in slides A³, and are operated by screws A passing through upward projections a³,
and provided with hand-wheels or equivalent devices a¹. By this means the
tension of the chain ladder may be quickly and easily adjusted.
The chain ladder B consists of two endless chains connected by rungs, as usual.
It runs over the sprocket wheels B and B which are carried on shafts resting
respectively in the bearings A2. The upper or descending portions of the. chains
rest upon and are supported by the upper edges of the side-timbers of the frame-
work A, and are thus prevented from sagging. The under or ascending portions
of these chains hang loose, except that they are supported at intervals. by little

page_text: projecting stud-shafts having anti-friction rollers which rest upon cleats attached
to the inner lower sides of the side-pieces of the frame-work A, as shown most
plainly in Figure 3.
The steps or seats C comprises an upper portion which carries the seat proper
and the lower portion the foot-rest both secured by means of angle frames composed
of the parts C and C2 to the chains B. These frame parts are secured together
by means of pivots c, and they are secured to the chains by other pivots or pivot-
bolts c c². These joints permit the structure to pass around the wheels at the ends,
and thus have a continuous movement, without breakage or disarrangement of any
of the parts. The pivots or pivot-bolts e² also form the stud-shafts upon which the
anti-friction rollers c³ are placed, which support the under or ascending portions of
the chains, and keep them from sagging to too great an extent.
The brake D is arranged adjacent to and adapted to come in contact with a
friction pulley D' mounted on the end of one of the shafts carrying the sprocket-
wheels over which the chains run, preferably the upper one, as shown. This brake
may be of any desired form. It is preferably a lever having a concave shoe fitting
the surface of the friction wheel, as shown, or a strap brake which encircles and
comes in contact with a considerable portion of the surface of said friction
wheel. It can be best operated by a cord depending from the end of the
lever, or the end of the strap, to near the ground, where a person can stand and
hold it with just that force of contact necessary to regulate the speed of the descent,
and can also stop it from time to time to permit persons to mount the steps or seats,
and dismount therefrom. As will readily be understood, by a proper manipulation
of this brake, a very speedy descent may be secured, while the speed can be
checked when the passengers arrive at the bottom, thus allowing them to dismount
without difficulty. The steps or seats may be wide enough for two, three or more
persons, and a number of them may be attached as shown. Therefore a large
number of persons can be removed from a building by this means in a very short
time.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what mauner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
First. The combination, in a carrier, of a frame-work set at an angle, a travelling
chain carrier mounted thereon having seats or steps secured thereto and extending
out therefrom in a substantially horizontal direction, thus producing a substantially
level platform for carrying the passengers.
Second. The combination, in a carrier, of a framework set at an angle, and
frames secured thereto in such a position that the upper member thereof will be at
substantially a level, with a seat or step portion secured thereto, substantially as
shown and described.
Third. The combination, in a carrier, of travelling chains, frames pivoted thereto
having two portions which extend out in a horizontal direction, or on a level, but at
an angle with the chain and its direction of travel, the upper portion of which
carries a seat part, and the lower portion a foot-rest part, substantially as shown
and described.
Fourth. The combination, of travelling chains, angle frames pivoted thereto and
pivoted together, and seats or steps on said angle frames whereby a carrier is
provided, and an appropriate device for checking and regulating the speed of said
carrier, substantially as set forth.
Fifth. The combination, in a chain carrier, of frames composed of parts C' C*
pivoted to the chains, and pivoted together, and seats or steps C secured to said
frames, whereby the necessary movement is secured to permit the continuous motion
of the carrier, substantially as shown and described.
Sixth. The combination, in a carrier, of a frame-work set at an angle, bearings
on said frame-work, shafts carrying wheels mounted in said bearings, adjusting
screws A, whereby said bearings and the wheels carried thereby are adjusted to

page_text: the proper position, chains running over said wheels, and seats or steps secured to
said chains, whereby a safe and gradual descent from an upper to a lower elevation
may be secured, substantially as shown and described.
Dated this 8th day of March 1893.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant."