US1181667A - Fire-escape. - Google Patents

Description

R. JAFFIE.

FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLICATION men r:a.21. 1914.

1,181,667. Patented May 2,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

rm: COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPN co., WASHINGTON. D. c.

R. JAFFIE.

FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 21. m4.

1 1 8 1,667 Patented May 2, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ROBERT J'AFFIE, 0F WILKES-BARBIE, PENNSYLVANIA.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 2, 1916.

Application filed February 27, 1914. Serial No. 821,545.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ROBERT JAFFIE, a citizen of the United States, residing at \Vilkes-Barre, in the county of Luzerne and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire- Escapes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in fire escapes and resides in the provision of a novel form of fire escape which may be readily attached to the wall of a building adjacent to a window and when not in use positioned within a casing whereby a neat appearance is provided and the escape may be readily positioned for use by a person from the window adjacent to which the fire escape is attached.

An important object of my invention is to provide a folding ladder which is constructed in a novel manner in such a way that it may be readily disposed in an out of the way position when not in use and is protected against the elements by means of a casing.

Another important object of my invention is to provide a fire escape of the character described consisting of a folding ladder which is secured to a casing and constructed in such a way that it may be readily let down into operative position or drawn up into folded position into the casing by a person upon the upper floors of a house or building.

A still further important object of my invention is to provide a folding ladder of the character described which is provided with novel means whereby the several sections of which the ladder is composed are limited with respect to their inward and outward movement with relation to the wall of a building thus preventing accidents and enabling a person to descend safely and exeditiously from a burning building.

A still further important object of my invention is to provide a novel arrangement of pulleys operating in combination with a hoist cable that is arranged in such a way that a person within a building may pull up or let down the folding ladder from the window adjacent to which the fire escape is attached.

A still further important object of my invention is to provide a fire escape of the character described which is simple as to construction, capable of being readily attached, reliable and efficient in operation, and cheap to manufacture.

The above and additional objects are accomplished by such means as are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, described in the following specification and then more particularly pointed out as claimed:

\Vith reference to the drawings, wherein I have illlustrated the preferred embodiment of my invention as it is reduced to practice, and throughout the several views of which similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts: Figure 1 is a top plan view showing my fire escape attached to the wall of a building, the casing for the folding ladder open and the ladder removed, Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the casing attached to a wall and in closed position, Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing one side of the casing removed and the ladder in folded position, Fig. 4 is a front elevation showing the ladder in down and operative position and the casing open, Fig. 5 is a detail front elevation of the casing showing it in closed position, Fig. 6 is a top plan view showing the casing in detail and in closed position, and the means for latching the casing in closed position, Fig. 7 is a detail side elevation of a portion of the ladder showing the means for limiting the movement of the sections comprising a lad der relative to each other when the ladder is in down position and ready for operation, and Fig. 8 is a detail view of one of the pulleys on the rungs.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference the numerals 1 and 2 designate sections of a casing, said sections consisting of the top, bottom, front and side walls of a casing and are hinged as at 3 to opposite sides of a base plate 4: which forms in combination with the sections 1 and 2 the rear wall of the casing. The base plate 4 carries or has secured thereto in any suitable manner a plurality of laterally and rearwardly extending securing bars 5 that are secured in any suitable manner to the wall of a house or building to which the fire escape is to be attached. The bars 5 are secured in such a way that the casing is disposed in spaced relation to the wall of a building. The fire escape is preferably arranged upon the wall in a position where it may be readily accessible from a window.

As a means for locking the sections 1 and 2 of the casing in closed position I provide upon the section 1 preferably upon the top wall thereof, a hook (3 that is designed to cooperate with an eye 7 carried upon the top wall of the section 2. Thedisposal of the hook and eye upon the top wall of the sections 1 and 2 of the casing makes it possible for a person to readily lock or unlock the sections 1 and 2 from a window and eliminate the necessity of the persons leaning out of the window as would be the case should the hook and eye be positioned upon the side or bottom of the casing.

Mounted at one end upon the base plate 4 is a folding ladder designated 8 as an entirety. A frame consisting of a pair of spaced longitudinal bars 9 and a cross bar 10 connecting the upper extremities of the spaced longitudinal bars 9 is secured upon the outer face of the base plate 4. A rod 11 is inserted through the bars 9 adjacent the lower ends thereof and has pivoted thereon the first section of the plurality which comprise the folding ladder. The ends of this rod 11 extend beyond the bars 9 and are held against derangement by suitable means such as cotter pins.

The folding ladder 8 consists of a plurality of sections that are pivotally connected with each other. Each of the sections consist of side bars 12 and 13 that are connected at their ends with rungs 14. The rungs 14 are common to each section with the exception of the top uppermost and lowermost rung. The bars 12 and 13 of every other one of the sections are mounted pivotally upon the rungs 14 interiorly and in engagement with the inner faces of the ends of the other sections. This construction permits compact folding of the ladder.

As a means for limiting the swinging movement of the sections relative to each other, both inwardly and outwardly when the ladder is in down position and ready for use, I provide upon the ends of the side bars 12 and 13 of every other section, stop plates 15. The stop plates 15 are secured at certain of their ends by suitable fastening means and extend angularly with relation to the bars 12 and 13 so as to engage the ends of the adjacent bars of the next adjacent section. The plates 15 at the lower end of the bars 12 and 13 of the lowermost section carrying the plates are positioned upon the inner faces of the bars 12 and 13 and extend angularly and inwardly and engage the inner faces of the ends of the bars of the next lowermost section. It will be readily seen that the stop plates 15 are upon the outer sides at the ends of the bars 12 and 13 of every other section and upon the inner sides at the lower ends of said bars that are equipped with the stop plates.

By reference to Fig. 3 it will be noted that the stop plates 15 provide spacing elements for retaining the bars 12 and 13 in spaced relation when the ladder is folded.

It will thus be seen that the lowermost of the sections of the ladder is prevented from inward movement with relation to the next section while the next section is prevented from moving outward with relation to the next section, that is, the section above and so on. The ends of the bars 12 and 13 are rounded so as to ride freely on the rungs 14 and not be interfered with by the stop plates 15. As a means for folding the ladder 8, I provide a hoist cable 16 that is secured at one end to the lowermost of the sections of the ladder 8 and intertwined among the rungs 14. The arrangement of the cable is clearly shown in Fig. 4 in the drawings. The cable is passed upwardly about the rungs and between the side bars of the ladder and is mounted upon a pulley 17 that is secured adjacent to the upper edge of the base plate 4 as clearly shown in Fig. 4 in the drawings. This pulley 17 may be swiveled or otherwise universally secured so as to permit operation thereof at different angles. The free end of the cable 16 may be arranged within the casing when the ladder is drawn into folded position and when the ladder is in down position is positioned at a point whereby a person may readily grasp the cable and pull the ladder to folded position.

Upon every other one of the rungs 14 adjacent the one end thereof but between the bars 11 and 12 I provide a pulley 18. These pulleys 18 are rotatably journaled upon the rungs. 14 and held against sliding movement thereon by set collars 19. A guide member 20 is secured upon the rungs and cooperate with the pulleys 18 to prevent accidental displacement of the casing.

It will be readily seen that when the cable 16 has a pull communicated thereto the ladder 8 will be folded and lifted upwardly in folded position into close relation to the base plate 4. \Vhen the ladder 8 is in folded position as shown in Fig. 3 in the drawings the sections 1 and 2 comprising portions of the casing are swung into closed position and locked by the hook 6 and eye 7 and the ladder is held within the casing.

It will be readily seen that the ladder is protected against the elements and in being folded neatly within the casing presents a neat appearance and in no way mars the appearance of the building or house to which the fire escape is attached. After the ladder has been drawn into folded position, the cable 16 may be secured upon a suitable bracket 21. This bracket 21 is secured upon the upper portion of the base plate 4 suitably adjacent to the pulley 17 and in such a way that free closing of the sections 1 and 2 is permitted.

It will be readily seen that I have provided a simple and reliable fire escape which is adapted to be let down into operative position in an expeditious and reliable manner and may, when not in use be drawn into folded and out of the Way position and locked within a casing so as to be fully protected against the elements and present an ungainly appearance when attached to the side wall of a house or building adjacent to the window thereof.

In practice, I have found that the form of my invention, illustrated in the drawings and referred to in the above description, as the preferred embodiment, is the most eflicient and practical; yet realizing that the conditions concurrent with the adoption of my device will necessarily vary, I desire to emphasize the fact that various minor changes in details of construction, proportion and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, when required, without sacrificing any of the advantages of my invention, as set forth.

What is claimed is In a fire escape a folding ladder comprising a plurality of sections, each section including a pair of side bars, rungs pivotally connecting the adjacent ends of the pairs of side bars, and stop plates secured to the terminals of the side bars for limiting the swinging movement of the side bars in one direction and constituting spacing elements for retaining the side bars in spaced relation when the sections of the ladder are folded.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT J AFF IE.

Witnesses MAX GoLDs'rEIN, HENRY S'roFFEL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. c."

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