US20752A - Eire-ladder - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQE.

JOS. IVELTE, OF BUFFALO, NFV YORK.

FIRE-LADDER.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 20,752, dated June' 29', 1858.

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH VVELTE, of the city of Builalo, in the county of Erie, in the State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Extension Fire-Ladders and the Manner of Elevating the .Same and in the Arrangement of the Same on a Carriage; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure I is a longitudinal elevation of the carriage and ladders showing the manner oit elevating the ladders; Fig. II, a plan of the carriage without the ladders and Fig. III a plan of the ladders. Fig. IV, is an elevation of t-he ratchets.

Explanation of Fig. I: A, A, A2, lines of ladders placed one above the other. The ladders are held in the proper position by the guide cz. B, frame which supports the ladders when raised on an angle preparatory to being extended. This frame is supported on the right-angled levers B and B2, Fig. II, as shown at b, Figs. I and II. B', right angled lever, which in connection with a similar lever B2, Fig. II, supports the frame B. These levers are hinged to the standard C, as shown at c. The objects of these levers are to allow of the ladders being taken from the cart either before or after being extended. The lever B, is held in place by the catch e. E, windlass. The object of this windlass is to raise the ladders to any angle required. A rope or chain connects the lower end of the frame B, to the windlass and since it is hinged at its upper end, it is evident that by turning the windlass, the lower end of the frame will be drawn toward the windlass and the ladders elevated as required. D, winch handle which works the windlass. F, cast iron bracket which supports the windlass. G, is a key which fastens the ladders to the frame B. H, reel, on which are wound ropes which may be used for steadying the ladders.

Fig. II, is a plan of the carriage and frame B. B, frame which supports and elevates the ladders. This frame is hinged to the right angled levers B B2, by means of lthe shaft Z). I, bracket, against which the foot of the ladder rests when supported by the frame. J, brake. This brake is operated by means of the rods K, L, M, and

screw N, as follows. The screw N, turning in the bracket O, raises or depresses the rod M. This acting through the rod L, and shaft I), causes the projecting arm Q, to oscillate and by means of the rods K, draws the brake J, against the wheels. It, ratchet on the end of the windlass E. S, spring pawl. T, lever' which frees the ratchet from the spring pawl. U, lever whose object is to assist in removing the ladders from the cart or carriage.

Fig'. III, is a plan of the ladders as arranged together. A, upper ladder. A', middle ladder. A2, under ladder. This ladder is furnished with two windlasses near the bottom for the purposes of extending the ladders. V, windlass. A rope or chain leads from this windlass around the pulley IV, on the head of the lower ladder and returns toward the windlass and is made fast near the foot of the middle ladder. V. is a similar windlass to V. A rope or chain leads from this windlass over the lower and under the middle ladder and returns over a pulley Z, on the end of the middle ladder and over the middle ladder and under the upper ladder andvis made fast to the foot of the upper ladder. The arrangement of these ropes is shown more distinctly by the dotted lines a', y, y, Fig. I. From this arrangement of the ropes it is evident that by turning the windlass V, the upper ladder will slide upon the middle ladder through the guides a, unt-il it has reached its limit. It is also evident that by turning the windlass V, the middle ladder will slide upon the lower ladder, carrying with it the upper ladderuntil it reaches its limit. The ladders may then be fastened in their place by the hooks, Z. The windlasses are also provided with ratchet teeth and dogs so that it is impossible for the ladders to descend unless the dogs are raised. These ratchets and dogs are shown in elevation in Fig. IV.

Operation: The cart being brought to the place where the ladder is to be used, the first step is to press the brake against the wheels and render the cart as nearly stationary as possible. One or two men may then take hold of the winch handle and by working the windlass elevate the ladder to the required angle. This being done the small windlass V near the foot of the ladder may be turned and the upper ladder extended. If this will not reach the required height, the windlass V, may be turned and the middle ladder extended carrying with it the4 upper ladder until it reaches the required height when it may be secured in place as before described,

If it is desired to take the ladder from the cart the lever B, is freed from the catch, 6, and the lever U is thrown over until it rests on the end of the shaft b, as shown by the dotted lines Figs. I and II. By bearing down on this lever, and steadying by the rope, g, attached to the lever B', the levers B, B2, turning on the hinge c, the frame B, may be brought down until the ladders rest on the ground; the key G, being then removed the frame B, is disengaged from the ladders and the ladders left standing against the building. This may be done before the ladders are extended, and the ladders eX- tended afterward. To prevent the ladders catching under the eaves of the building, the upper ladder is provided with two right angled frames, Figs. I, and II. These frames are hinged at their right angle to one of the top rounds of the ladder. The ends of these frames are provided with small cast iron wheels. A rope passing through one of the arms L may be made to cause the cast iron wheels to roll on the side of the building and keep the ladder far enough from the building to clear the eaves. The ends of the ladders are also provided with wheels 7c, to lessen the friction when being raised against the building. The ladders may be lowered so that the foot thereof will rest upon the ground without removing the same from the carriage by allowing the levers B and B2, to turn on the joint e, as already described. The prongs, o, t, will prevent the ladder' from slipping on the ground. This arrangement of the ladders is very useful and effective for re companies, as it ena-bles the firemen to elevate the ladders easily and quickly and without danger, in narrow streets, in alleys and in yards when it would be impossible to get room enough to raise the ladders in the ordinary way. They may be raised to a perpendicular line and ascended with safety, or they may pass the perpendicular and rest against the building at an obtuse angle from the body of the carriage.

This improvement will be found of great utility in cases of lire.

I do not claim the ladders herein described nor their combination, nor the eX- tension thereof by any means. Neither do I claim hinging the ladders to the carriage.

I claiml. The combination of the right-angled levers B and B2, hinged to the carriage, with the frame B and windlass E for the purpose of elevating the ladders and lowering the foot thereof easily to the ground and for detaching the same from the carriage substantially as herein set forth.

2. I also claim the combination of the right angled frame 7L, 7L, including-the wheels z', z', with the topmost ladder, for the purposes as herein set forth.

JOSEPH WELTE.

Witnesses E. B. FORBUSH, W. H. FoRBUsH.

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