AN IMPROVED FIRE ESCAPE
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Ryan, of Fishamble Street, in the City of
Dublin, Machinist, and William Egar, of Westland Row, in the City of
Dublin, Dentist, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED FIRE ESCAPE."
Sealed the 19th March 1867, and dated the 28th September 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Ryan and
William Egar at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 28th September 1866.
We, WILLIAM RYAN, of Fishamble Street, in the City of Dublin, Machinist,
and WILLIAM EGAR, of Westland Row, in the City of Dublin, Dentist, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED FIRE ESCAPE,"
to be as follows:-
Our Invention relates to an improved fire escape. According to our
Invention we construct a light folding ladder, which when shut presents
the appearance of a column or pole, and which is capable of being attached
to the required sill, stone parapet, or part of a building by means of a clamp
having in it a prepared slot or recess shaped to receive the stationary side of
the ladder; this clamp is fastened to the sill, stone parapet, or other required
part by screwed bolts leaded into it or otherwise connected with it, and
tightened on the clamp. A bent iron is also used, such iron extending over

page_text: the coping stone of the parapet or other convenient part of a building, and
bending or passing down behind the same; it takes a portion of the wall
with a tightening set screw, and it is arranged at front to receive the upper
end of the stationary side of the ladder; this with the clamp prevents the
ladder when open from turning sidewise. The fastenings are so contrived
that when a person has mounted he can (after having unscrewed the bolt
behind the parapet or other part on which is the bent iron) pull the ladder up
after him. A pin is run through the bottom of the ladder to fasten it when
closed; when this pin is withdrawn the ladder is easily opened. The ladder
is provided with rungs, each of which has at one end a self-supporting square
or otherwise shaped shoulder.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Ryan and William Egar in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 28th March 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM.
RYAN, of Fishamble Street, in the City of Dublin, Machinist, and WILLIAM
EGAR, of Westland Row, in the City of Dublin, Dentist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said William Ryan and William Egar, Her special licence that we, the
said William Ryan and William Egar, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said William Ryan and William Egar,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED FIRE
ESCAPE," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said William
Ryan and William Egar, our executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under our, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be
filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE; that we, the said William Ryan and William Egar,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and:
by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
Our Invention relates to an improved fire escape. According to our
Invention we construct a light folding ladder, which when shut presents the
appearance of a column or pole, and which is capable of being attached at
bottom to the stone, sill, or required part of the building by means of a
bracket or clamp having in it a projecting piece to enter into a hole in the
stationary side of the ladder; this bracket is fastened to the sill, stone, or
other required part by screwed bolts leaded into it or otherwise connected with
it, and the nuts are tightened on the bracket, thus securing it to the sill:
A bent iron is also used, such iron extending over the coping stone of the
parapet or over other convenient part of the building, and bending or passing
down behind the same; it takes a portion of the wall of the parapet with a
tightening set screw, and it is arranged at front to receive the upper end, of
the stationary side of the ladder; this upper arrangement with the bracket
at bottom prevents the ladder when opened from turning sidewise. The
fastenings at top are so contrived that when a person shall have mounted the
ladder he can, after having unscrewed the bolt behind the parapet or other
part on which is the bent iron, pull the ladder up after him. The ladder is
provided with rungs, each of which has at both ends a self-supporting square
or otherwise shaped joint or shoulder.
'
The accompanying Drawings exemplify in what manner the Invention may
be carried into effect.
Figure 1 is a section taken through the upper window of a house shewing
sufficient of wall and roof to illustrate the use of the Invention, and repre-
senting also our improved fire-escape ladder M opened out ready for
use. The fire escape or ladder M rests on a bracket A bolted or otherwise
securely fixed to the window sill, and the escape ladder is also secured to
the coping stone of the parapet by a bracket B, Figure 1, which is also
secured to the coping stone, and is prolonged or extended downward and
cramped into the brick work as shewn. E is a square projection on the
bracket A, entering a hole in the stationary side of the ladder.
Figure 2 is a similar section, except that in this view our improved fire
escape is shewn closed. Q is a lever for opening and closing the ladder.
Figure 3 is a transverse section of our fire escape shewn on a larger scale
than that of the preceding Figures; it is taken on the line F, G, of Figure 1...

page_text: This view shews the mode in which the steps or rungs of the ladder are jointed
to the small cast-iron or brass joint piece D, Figures 3 and 4, which is
riveted or otherwise fixed to the half side. If the sides of the fire escape are
made of cast iron these joint pieces are cast in the solid.
Figure 4 is an elevation of a portion of one side of the fire escape; it
shews the joint piece and the mode of fastening in the steps or rungs to the
side and step in their position in the sides of the ladder, each rung having at
both ends a self-supporting shoulder or joint H.
Figure 5 is a plan of the top bracket B; Figure 6 is a view of the lower
bracket A. These brackets may be made by preference of cast iron or brass,
and in this case they may be made ornamental.
The ladder is so constructed that it folds up, and when so folded it presents
the appearance of a pillar with rounded sides. It is arranged for being
fixed to the sill of a top window and to the coping of a parapet at the top of
a house; it is accessible by opening the window. The person who desires to
use the ladder and escape by its means turns the lever or handle Q, Figures
1 and 2, which consists of an extension or prolongation of the lowest step or
rung of the ladder, the person thereby opens the ladder, and is enabled to
ascend to the roof; or the ladder may be placed inside a house on the top
floor under a trap in the ceiling, so as to be attained thro' a dormer
window.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same may be performed, we declare that we claim the fire
escape, consisting of a ladder-opening out for use, and closing or folding when
not in use, and constructed and arranged substantially in the manner herein-
before described and represented in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Ryan and the said William
Egar, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-sixth day
of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-seven.
Witness,
JOSEPH LEGGATT.
W". RYAN.
(L.B.)
WILLIAM EGAR. (L.S.)