Apparatus for Use as a Fire Escape, for Lowering Persons or Goods, and like purposes.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 9th July, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 8th Apr., 1895-Accepted, 18th May, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus for Use as a Fire Escape, for Lowering Persons or Goods,
and like purposes.
•
I, VITUS HEMBACHER of Fischach in the Empire of Germany, Master Smith
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The purpose of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus for use in
lowering persons or goods and for like purposes, the same being suitable for a fire
escape either for saving oneself or others, or for removing articles of furniture from
the upper stories of houses and generally wherever articles are to be lowered from
some higher place to a lower place.
Two parallel bars or plates carry between them journalled near one end a roller
or pulley and at the other end an eye and hook. Between these two plates slide
two other parallel plates carrying journalled between them another roller or pulley
lying between the first pulley and the eye but slightly displaced laterally of the
plane in which the eye and the axis of the said pulley lie. This second pair of
plates may be guided on studs and on the trunnions or axle of the first pulley, or
otherwise.
A rope is passed about these pulleys, being first passed between the pulley on the
sliding plates and the eye, thence back between the pulleys and over the other
pulley, whence it falls to the ground. The previous end of the rope is fixed at the
place whence the lowering is to be effected.
When a load is placed on the hook being suspended therefrom in a basket, or
by a eling or belt, the rope about the pulleys assumes the form of a letter S and
the pulleys are drawn together with a pressure corresponding to the load and to the
pull exerted by the person using the apparatus on the lower end of the rope. By
suitably controlling the pull on that part of the rope which passes to the ground
the person or article lowered can be transported along the rope at any practically
desirable rate of speed.
R. HADDAN,
Agent to Applicant.
Apparatus for Use as a Fire Escape, for Lowering Persons or Goods,
and like purposes.
I VITUS HEMBACHER of Fischach in the Empire of Germany, Master Smith
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 purpose of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus for use in
lowering persons or goods and for like purposes, the same being suitable for a fire
escape either for saving oneself or others, or for removing articles of furniture
from the upper stories of houses and generally wherever articles are to be lowered
from some higher place to a lower place.

page_text: This apparatus is represented in the annexed drawings (Sheet 1) in which
Figs. 1 and 2 are longitudinal sections and Fig. 3 shows the method of using
the same.
In Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 (Sheet 2) slight modifications of the apparatus are shown,
it being represented with, two rollers in Figs. 4 and 5, with three rollers in
Figs. 6 and 7.
Fig. 8 shows a method of using the modification given in Figs. 4 and 5.
The construction of the apparatus (Figs. 1 and 2) is as follows:—
aa are two iron, or other plates or bars, which support at one end by means of
a. fixed spindle b, a movable roller c whereas their other ends are firmly held
together by a cross piece d. The latter is provided with an eye in which is
suspended a hook e.
Between the roller c and the plates a two other plates or bars f,f of equal width
are movably inserted, which are provided with corresponding longitudinal slits to
slide along the spindle and two other pins a fixed in the bars a.. Both bars fare
firmly connected by a spindle h on which turns a roller c', which however compared
with the roller c is displaced laterally of the plane passing through the axis of the
roller c and the eye d. As the railsf permit of being, shifted, the roller c can be
brought nearer to the roller c or be removed from the same.
On the rollers c, c' the rope, shown in dotted lines, is wound as illustrated in
Fig. 2. That end of the rope that passes around the lower roller is fastened to a
hook k which is arranged in some convenient place. for instance on the window
frame, as shown in Fig. 3, whereas the other longer end of the rope, that is, that
which is passed about the upper roller. or pulley, reaches down to the ground.
i
The object to be lowered is, as shown in Fig. 3, suspended on the hook e and
the end of the rope which reaches down to the ground is held by a person. In
consequence of the dead weight of the load the lower roller or pulley is drawn
towards the upper roller or pulley, whereby the rope is squeezed between these two
rollers which prevents the load l from descending too rapidly, it being lowered at a,
moderate speed. This squeezing, of the rope between the rollers can, as required,
be increased or diminished by a corresponding strength of pull on the free end of the
rope, as by this operation the two rollers or pulleys, are more or less drawn towards
each other. This arrangement also, precludes the possibility of the object which,
is being lowered, in consequence of its descending too, rapidly, striking against the
ground and being damaged thereby.
As soon as the object has reached the ground, the two rollers or pulleys, are
removed from each other and the rope easily taken out.,
When persons are to be lowered the hook e suspends a ring which is attached to
a belt passing around the person's hips after which the operation of the rope i is
the same as described above with regard to the load lest the person should descend
too rapidly.
For lowering oneself, the hook e is also hooked in a rope tied around the hips or
in a belt, one then grasps the free rope end, and holding it with both hands, jumps
from the window etc. and so descends sliding along the rope which sliding is effected
by. alternately letting the rope loose, and grasping it further below with the two
hands just as in climbing down a rope. The descent can be faster or slower
according to the speed of passing. the rope through the hands, as the pressure of
the two rollers against each other is thereby regulated.
The construction of; the second form as represented in Figs. 4 and 5 (Sheet 2) is
as follows: -a, a is an iron or other fork-like bow, the two, arms a, a of which run,
parallel and are each provided with a slit s. These two arms carry between them,
journalled near their free ends a roller or pulley c with its spindle b whereas another
roller or pulley.ch with its spindle & slides in the slits. To the bow end is bolted
or rivetted at. a hook k with a loop which is to receive the hook.e.
The method of: construction as shown in Figs. 6 and 7; is similar to the above
only with the difference that here the bow is made of iron etc. of a different width,
and the two arms carry journalled between them near their upper ends, two rollers

page_text: or pulleys c, c' with fixed spindles b, . The slits, houses, as in the previous
construction, a sliding spindle 62 with a roller or pulley c².
Around the rollers or pulleys c, c', c, d, respectively, the rope (shown in dotted
lines) is passed in the manner illustrated in Figs. 5 or 7.
One end of the rope which passes around the lower roller or pulley is attached to
a book which is arranged in some convenient place, for instance on the window
frame (Fig. 8) whereas the other longer end of the rope, that is, that which is
wound around the upper roller or one of them, reaches down to the ground.
The object to be saved is, as already described for the first method of construc-
tion, fastened on to the hook e and the free end of the rope held by a person below.
The load also causes in this case the lower rollers or pulleys c¹ or c³ respectively
to be drawn towards the upper rollers or pulleys and there pressed against each
other, whereby the rope is so squeezed between the two or three rollers or pulleys
respectively, that the load is lowered at moderate speed. This squeezing can here
also be regulated by the lower rope end being more or less stretched according
as required whereby the rollers or pulleys are more, or less pressed against each
other.
For persons saving themselves or being saved by others, in these two forms of
construction the operation is the same as that described with regard to the first
described form.
On account of its simplicity in operation this apparatus can be used by inex-
perienced persons and can be employed wherever the application of any other
apparatus would be impossible.
Its chief advantage lies in the construction and simplicity of the mechanism, in
consequence of which the weight of the object or the person to be saved regulates
the descent of apparatus to the ground at moderate speed. It is also possible that
an object on its way down may be stopped by the hand slightly holding the rope.
In saving oneself or in saving others only one person is required to handle the
apparatus. This apparatus is not only suitable for use of fire brigades but equally
well for residents in the higher stories of houses. The apparatus may be provided
with a sling, a line, a belt or a basket.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. A device comprising a frame or two plates or bars a coupected to form such
a frame with fixed and displaceable rollers or pulleys around which the rope is
passed in such a manner that the weight of the object to be saved, which is
suspended from the end of the frame, causes a movement of the displaceable roller
towards the fixed roller or rollers for squeezing the rope between the rollers or
pulleys in the manner herein described and illustrated.
2. A form of construction of this apparatus as described above in which two
plates a, a carry the roller c and two sliding plates ff carry the roller c', the
plates f,sliding on the spindle band the pins y substantially as described for
the purpose set forth.
Dad och f A 1005
R. HADDAN,
Of the Firm of Herbert Haddan & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C., Agent to the Applicant.