US295929A

US295929A - Fire-escape

Info

Publication number: US295929A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1884-04-01
Anticipated expiration: 1901-04-01

Description

4 f bustible.

UNITE STATES THOMAS MAODONOUGH, OF BENTON, MICHIGAN.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming partof Letters Patent No. 295,929 dated April 1, 1884:.

Application filed December 8, 1883. (No model.)

i To aZZ whom it may concern.-

the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to fire-escapes; and it consists in certain details of construction and combinations of parts, as hereinafter pointed out and claimed.

The object of my invention is to produce a fire-escape which shall be simple in construction,of moderate cost, and capableof being packed away in small compass, and readily applied to a building for use.

In the drawings, in which like letters refer .to like parts, Figure 1 is a perspective view xbe readily attached to the hooks a a.

may be used instead of the wire cable; but I so asto be readily coupled together and easily of a window with my fire-escape in position for use. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the spools or reels on which the lift wires or cables are wound. Fig. 3 is a section of the supportingcable and an elevation of the end of one of the lift-cables and its hook. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the collapsible basket or cage. Let A represent the upper window of a building, and a a strong hooks inserted in the wall or window-frame, either inside or outside the building. I

a B is a short piece of wire cable, with a loop at each end, of such length that the loops can A rod prefer the latter, as it can be more readily packed away Two knots may be tied in the cable, or buttons'fixed thereon, to keep the liftwiresapart.

O O are two wires, wire cables,or ropes. I prefer small wire cables, as these are incom- A hook, D, is attached to one end of each of these wires or cables, which, when the device is to beused, can be instantly fastened to the supporting-cable B. The other ends of these lift wires or cables 0 are secured to reels or spools E E. These spools are made detached from each other. I make one of the spools with a projecting sleeve, 6, and the other with a projecting spindle, e,- or the sleeve may be omitted and the spindle e lengthened so as 'fromthe building,

The spools, or the spindle on which they are mounted, make convenient handles for the liftropes.

F is a collapsible cage or basket, made, preferably, in three sections, f f f, as shown, each section being of light wire or perforated sheet metal, in preference to ordinary wicker-work, and the sections being connected together by light chains 99. The lower sections are slightly smaller than the upper, so that when the basket stands on its bottom it will collapse or telescope together, so as to occupy very little space. The cage or basket has cars h h, or a bail or handle, through which the lift-cables G 0 pass; or the basket may be hung to a pulley, such as is shown in my Patent No. 286, 456, of October 9, 1883, thelift cables or wires 0 O passing through said pulley.

It will be seen that the parts of my device when folded up occupy but little space. The cables G O are wound on the reels E E, the reels coupled together, the basket collapsed, and all the parts maybe packed in a space no larger than one section of the basket.

When required for use, the supporting-cable B is hooked onto the hooks a a, the hooks D D hooked to the cable, and the reels thrown out of the window. Two men on the ground take the spools apart and spread the lift-cables O G at the bottom as far as may be desirable. They thus have perfect control of the movements of the basket, and by approaching each other can permit it to descend, or by spreading the cables apart can cause it to ascend, the inclined cables standing themselves as far from the base of the building as thought advisable. The basket in descending moves away and is not exposed to the flames from lower windows.

I am aware that the general method of raising and lowering a carrier by means of two inclined cables is not new, the same being shown in my former patent above referred to;

I claim 1. A collapsible basket, F, made in sections, as described, the sections being secured together by light chains, in combination with two lift wires or cables, 0 0, adapted to pass through the handles of the basket, and suitable mechanism to retain said cables in position for a fire-escape, substantially as described.

2. A fire-escape consisting of twospools or reels connected together substantially as described, so as to be readily separated, a liftcable wound on each reel, a basket or cage, through the. handle of which the cables pass, and mechanism, substantially as described, for securing the cables to a window, the whole constructed and adapted to operate in combination substantially as set forth..

3. The combination of the cable 13, supported on its hooks, as described, the cables 0 G, secured to said cable B by hooks D, the

basket F, having handles through which the cables 0 G pass, and the spools E E, secured to the cables, and having mechanism, substantially as described, whereby said spools may be readily attached together or taken apart, all constructed and operating substantially as and for the purpose set forth.