US1340627A - Ladder - Google Patents

Description

L. POWELL.

LADDER.y

APPLlcATxoN FILED Aus. 13, 1919.

1,340,627; Patented May 1s, 1920.

LETITIA POWELL, OF CARUTHERSVILLE, MISSOURI.

LADDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 1.8, 1920.

Application filed August 13, 1919. Serial No. 317,222.

To all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, LETITIA POWELL, ua citizen of the .United States, residing at Caruthersville, in the county of Pemiscot and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ladders, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to ladders and more particularly to a iieXible ladder designed for use as a fire escape.

It is the primary object of the invention to provide a ladder of the above type which is non-inflammable and which can be lowered from the upper window of a hoteloi' other building and suspended in position adjacent the lower windows in line with the upper window so that a large number of persons may quickly escape from the burning structure.

It is another object of the invention to provide a ladder having` foldable side members or rails and ladder rounds each consisting of an iron rod connected at its ends to said side members and having an asbestos covering or sheath.

The invention has for a further general object to provide a device of the character described which is simply and durably constructed, reliable and serviceable in use and can be manufactured at relatively small cost.

lith the above land other objects in view, the invention consists in the improved combination, construction, and relative arrangement of the several parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, subsequently claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which similar reference characters designate the corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein Figure 1 is an elevation illustrating one embodiment of my improved ladder show'- ing the same suspended in operative position from the window of a building.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a slightly modified form of the invention.

Referring in detail to the drawing and more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2 thereof, 5 designates the flexible side members or rails of the ladder each of which consists of a plurality of sections formed of a multiplicity of twisted rope strands indicated at 6. The rope strands at one of their ends are wired or otherwise securely fixed to the hooks 7, while to the other ends of the rope sections of the ladder, the swivel rings or eyes 8 are suitably secured. The rope strands 6 are entirely covered with asbestos indicated at 9, or some other suitable heat resisting material whereby the rope sections of the ladder are rendered non-inflammable.

The hooks 7 are adapted for engagement through the swivel eyes or rings 8 whereby the series of flexible ladder ring sections are connected, and the hooks are then closed by means ofpliers or other suitable tool. These hooks are, however, sufficiently large to permit the reduced ends 10 of the ladder rounds 11 being inserted therethrough. These ladder rounds are in the form of metal rods or bars and the reduced ends are threaded to receive the nuts 12 whereby -the ladder rounds are retained in connection with the hooks 7. Each of the metal rounds is entirely covered or sheathed in asbestos as shown at 12 so that these ladder rounds will not become so highly heated that they cannot be grasped with the hand.

The hooks 7 at one end of the ladder are adapted to be engaged through eyes or staples 13 suitably fixed in the sill or sleeper 13a of a window. When not in use, the ladder may be very compactly folded and stored in a boX or other suitable receptacle within the room adjacent the window. In the event of ire the ladder can be very quickly removed from the boX and lowered from the window so that it will hang in a pendant position adjacent to the other windows below. Thus the occupants of the rooms on the different floors of the building can readily descend the ladder and thus escape from the burning structure. As the side members of the ladder as well as the rounds thereof are entirely covered and protected by the asbestos sheathing, they will not be burned and destroyed by flames issuing from the windows of the structure.

In Fig. 3 of the drawing I have illustrated a slightly modified form of the device wherein each of the side members of the ladder consist in a plurality of metal bars 14 terminating at one of their ends in the eyes 15 and at their other ends in the hooks 16.

The hooks and eyes of the adjacent bars 14 are loosely engaged or connected as in the preferred embodiment of the invention so that the metal bars 14 can be readily folded upon each other. The asbestos covered ladder rounds 17 have their threaded terminals engaged through openings provided centrally in the corresponding side members 14, and the nuts indicated at 18 are adjusted and tightly engaged against the outer sides of the bars 14. This form of the invention is heavier and more durable than that form of the ladder having the side members or rails constructed of rope, though it cannot be as easily handled, owing to the increase in weight. It will, however, effectively serve the intended purpose. In the use of this modified form of the invention, the person descending the ladder may grasp the asbes tos covered rounds 17, if the side bars 14 which are disposed adjacent the window opening have become highly heated. y

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, the construction and manner of use and the several advantages of my invention will be fully and clearly understood. The improved ladder is well adapted for the intended purpose and owing to its very simple construction, the ladders can be manufactured and large hotels or other buildings equipped therewith at nominal cost. The rope sections of the ladder can be of any desired thickness so as to afford the requisite resistance to tensional strains.

While I have herein shown and described the preferred construction and arrangement of the several elements employed, it is to be understood that the device is susceptible of considerable .modification and I therefore reserve the privilege of adopting all such legitimate changes as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed. A

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is In a ladder, the combination with a pair of parallel ladder side rails, comprising a plurality of heat non-conducting side rail sections, certain of the ends of the said sections having swivel eyes, the opposite ends of said rail sections having hooks adapted to engage said'swivel eyes, said hooks being bent to form loops after having engaged in said eyes, of heat non-conducting ladder rungs provided `with reduced ends engaging said loops, and means threaded on said reduced ends to hold said rungs in place, and also to hold said ladder rails parallel and equally spaced.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afliX my signature in the presence of tivo Witnesses. LETITIA POYVELL. lVitnesses Mrs. B. M. THOMPSON, Oem L. CRIGE.

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