US316375A

US316375A - Fire escape and water tower combined

Info

Publication number: US316375A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1885-04-21
Anticipated expiration: 1902-04-21

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet '1.

G. A. LIEB.

FIRE ESCAPE AND WATER TOWBR'GOMBINED.

No.316,3'75. v a I 1' Patented A rgm, 1885.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

0. A. LIEB.

FIREESGAPE AND WATER TOWER COMBINED.

(No Model.)

Patented Apr. 21, 1885 N ml. .N n I s y m 1 M v \NU NITED" STATES PATENT "OFFI E.

CHARLES A. LIEB, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

FIRE-ESCAPE AND WATER-TOWER COMBINED.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 316,375, dated April 21, 1885.

Application filed February 28, 1885. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. LIEB, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county and State of New York,

' of a hydraulic ram. The water for operattube of the ram.

ing the rain is forced through a pipe or hose connected with the platform of the tower, and is conducted through a valve into the lifting- One of the sides of the valvechamber is provided with an opening that connects with a discharge pipe or nozzle for throw ing water onto a fire from the top of the platform. The platform can be rotated to face in any direction by means of gearing operated from the platform. The apparatus is mounted on wheels whose axles are secured to a suitable wagon frame or body, so that the apparatus can be drawn like any conveyance to the place where it is to be used. It is essential that the apparatus stand level when in use, and in or-.

der to obtain this position when the surface of Y the street or place where it is to be used is not level I provide feet, which in this example are four in number, and which extend downward from swinging arms that turn on corners of the wagon-body. These feet contain sliding tubes, each of which is forced downward through suitable guides by the agency of water forced into them in the manner of a hydraulic ram, the quantity of water forced into each being regulated automatically by means of a leveling device which is connected with the feet by pipes running along the swinging arms. The several pipes lead from separate valve-passages in the chamber of the leveling device, the valves being opened by the oscillations of the device when the apparatus is not level, so as to allow the water to pass into the appropriate pipes and cause the feet connected therewith to be extended, so as to bring the apparatus to the proper level. In this manner the water, acting on the tubes of the feet after the manner of a hydraulic ram, is made to bring the wagon-body to a true level through the agency of the automatic leveling device.

This invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in section, of my improvement. Fig. 2 is a section in the line mm, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the platform. Fig. 4. is a horizontal section through the leveling device in the line y 1 Fig. 5, the observer being supposed to look upward in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the leveling device.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

The letter A designates the tower-platform.

It is extensible, being composed of divisions that can slide upon each other, as indicated in Fig. 3. In Fig. 1 it is shown in cross-section.

The platform turns on a pivot, 12, projecting ent directions, the shaft of the pinion being provided with a hand-wheel, E, for that purpose.

The top of the tube B is closed by the disk 0, on which is secured the valve F, through which the water is supplied to the lifting-tube I B. The chamber of valve F is provided with an opening and hose or pipe, G, which may be used against a fire from the top of the platform, and which may be closed by the stopcock H.

The water to be used in connection with the apparatus is supplied through a pipe or hose, J, which connects with a fire-engine or other force-pump, and when the valve F is opened by turning the hand-wheel I (the stop-cock H being closed) the water is forced through valve F into the lifting-tube B. The watertube B slides in the water-tube B, and the bottom of the latter is secured to the bottom plate, f.

From. the bottom of the fixed water-tube B and through the plate f a pipe, K, extends,

which pipe supplies the water to the device Ice ample of my invention consists of a pendulumvalve and chamber. The pipe K extends to the leveling device, and is provided with a two-way cock, L, situated at the lowest part of the pipe, one of its ways permitting the water to be forced onward toward theleveling device, and the other discharging the water to the ground from the pipe K and from the tubes B and B. The pipe K, between the two-way cock and the leveling device, is provided with a stop-cock, M, which is closed when the apparatus has been brought to a horizontal position. The water which is forced through the tubes B B and pipe K is conducted by the latter into the waterway N of the valve-chamber O of the leveling device, which is provided with valves 1?, that close valvepassages R, communicating between the water- 7 way N and a series of pipes, S, leading from being forced downward and outward by the pressure of the water acting upon it on the principle of the hydraulic ram. This action takes place with the feetV of that part of the wagon body or structure which is lower than the other parts, because the position which will be taken by the pendulum under these circumstances will open that one or those of thevalves P which are connected with the lowest feet, and will keep the same open until each foot becomes extended to the ground, and by the extension of its tube raises its part or corner of the wagon-body to the proper level, so that the pendulum reaches a vertical position with reference to the wagon-body and the chamber 0.

The tubes ofthe feet V may be made pointed at their lower ends, so as not to slip on the ground, and near their extremities they are provided with discharge-cocks W, by which the water in the tubes and in the pipes S may be discharged when the apparatus is taken out ,of action.

, The pendulum Y swings from a ball-andsocket joint, Z, arranged in the central upper part of its valve-chamber, and the pendulumrod has on it an enlargement, a, where it passes through the valve-chamber, against which the inner ends of the valve-stems of the valves P rest,-being held against it by the pressure of the water in the annular water-way N against the'valves; 'It follows from this construction that the swing 'of the pendulum, or rather the departure of the valve-chamber 0 from a true horizontal position, will cause one or more of the valves to be opened and the water to be forced through the corresponding pipes, S, and into the tubes of the corresponding feet, when the inner tubes will be forced out by the pressure, of the water.

All the valves P can be opened, when desired',-by screwing'up the conical sleeve 1), which surrounds the enlargement a of the pendulum-rod, so as to force it up between The water-tubes B B are combined with tubes B B in the manner shown in Fig. 1.

The outer tube, B is secured to the frame of the wagon or structure by a ring, e, or other suitable means, and its lower end is fixed to the plate f, which also carries the fixed watertube'B. iThe outer tube, B, serves as a guide to the tube Bi, which, like the lifting-tube B, is secured to the toothed disk 0.

The passage-way of the valve F, through which water is forced into the tube B, is pro- I vided at its lower end with a check-valve, g.

In arranging the apparatus for use the stopcock H of the hose-pipe G is closed, and the valve F isopened, so as to cause the water to enter the tube B and to pass into pipe K, the stop-cock M being opened and the two-way the water in the tube B is retained, and the elevation of the tube and tower maintained by means of the check-valve g, which prevents the escape of the water, and consequent low ering of the platform. In order, now, to use the stream of water forced through the hose I against the fire, the stop-cock H is opened and the water allowed to pass into the pipe G, the platform being turned in the proper direction by operating the pinion D. Y

The extensible platform is made with divisions 1 2 3 4, which slide upon each other, so that the platform can be extended to an equal extent in both directions from the toothed disk 0 as a center. as only partly extended. This capacity of the platform for extension increases its usefulness, as it enables the firemen to be at a safe distance from a fierce fire, and yet to be at the cock turned in the proper direction to conduct has been reached, the valve F is closed, and

The division 4 is here shown proper elevation for efiicient work. The a I When it is desired to lower the platform,

the two-way cock L is opened, so as to permit the water in the tube B to escape, thereby causing the platform to fall gradually as the water is allowed to escape.

It is evident that the apparatus can be used also as a fire-escape by elevating the tower at 5 the'place of peril and receiving'uponthe platform those who are in danger.

The swinging arms are arranged so as to lie close against the sides of the wagon when the latter is in motion, and when they are used for bringing the wagon to a level condition they are swung out to such positions as will secure the requisite stability.

In practice the tube B will be of less diameter in comparison with the other tubes than I is here shown.

I do not wish to limit myself in the number of the tubes to be used either for lifting the platform or for placing the wagon in a level position, as there may be several series of tubes sliding on each other in the manner commonly employed in the telescopic arrangement of tubes.

Other automatic devices acting by gravity can be employed instead of the pendulumvalve here shown for leveling the apparatus without departing from my invention, which, in this feature of it, includes the use of gravity in connection with the valves and pipes of the leveling apparatus for securing automatically the leveling of the wagon or structure at the place where it is to be used.

I do not confine myself to the use of a column of water in carrying out my invention, as any liquid or fluid under pressure can be employed.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with a wagon-frame or other structure, of the automatic leveling device above described and the feet V, constructed and arranged so as to be extended by the pressure of a column of water on the principle of the hydraulic ram, substantially as above described.

2. The combination of the automatic levelthe hose-pipe G, and the platform A, substantially as described.

4. The combination of the tubes B B, arranged to be moved one upon the other by fluid-pressure, the platform A, the valve F, the supply-pipe J, the pipe K, connecting with the tubes, the automatic leveling device, substantially as described, the feet V, and the wagon frame or structure, essentially as set forth.

5. The combination of the valve-chamber O, the valve P, the sleeve b, for opening the valves, and the pendulum Y, with the wagon frame or structure, the sliding feet V, and pipes connecting the valve-chamber with the feet for leveling the wagon frame or structure, substantially as described.

6. The sleeve 7), in combination with the pendulum Y and the valves P of the pendulumvalve, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set hand and seal in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES A. LIEB. [a s.]