US329190A - Fire-escape - Google Patents

Description

v Patented 001:. 2'7, 1885-.

T. D. MGKINZIE.

FIRE ESCAPE.

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WITNESSES (NQ Mod el.)

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THOll/IAS DUN CAN MOKINZIE, OF COLORADO, TEXAS.

Fl RE -ESCAPE.

QBPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.329,190, dated October 27, 1885.

Application filed June 26, 1685. Serial No. 169,894. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS DUNCAN Mo KINZIE. a citizen of the United States, residing at Colorado, in the county of Mitchell and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes, of which the following is a description.

This invention relates to that class of fireescapes which are intended to rescue persons from a burning house by taking them from the windows of the house to the ground; and the object of the invention is to provide means whereby lowering the car may be made more safe and easy to the operators, whereby the occupants of the car may be shielded from smoke and flames bursting from lower windows while the car descends, whereby the shield may be housed when not in use, and in means whereby the use of this fire-escape for burglars may be prevented.

To this end my invention consists in the construction and combination of parts forming a fire-escape hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a front elevation of a portion of a house, showing my invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the car on a larger scale, and Fig. 3 is a detail of the upper roller. Fig. 4 is a view of the endless chain for raising and loweringthe car provided with rounds or bars.

A represents the front of a house of any number of stories.

B is the escape-car, having an open back or doorway into which persons may step from the windows of a house. I

O is a shield, consisting of a series of sheetmetal slats hinged to fold together into a small space at the threshold of the doorway, so that passengers may step over it in entering the car, and is fitted to be drawn up in the doorway to close the same, and to be secured to a cross-bar, D, by means of rings or hooks E on the upper slat, adapted to engage holders F, which close into the bar D when not in use. This bar is for the further purpose of serving as a support by which passengers may steady themselves while standing in the car at a dangerous height from the ground.

G' represents a pulley journaled in a brack et, H, which maybe permanently or removably secured to the side of the house above the highest window, and J is an endless chain mounted on the pulley to extend its loop to the ground.

L represents weights attached to the chain on the side thereof opposed to the car to balance the car and to some extent to balance the load in the car. To this end the weights may over-balance the car by about one hundred and twenty-five pounds, as that is supposed to be the nearest average to one persons weight. If the car is to be especially adapted to carrying more persons or a heavier load, more weight should be added to as nearly balance them as possible,-in order that it may be easier to the rider to control the descent of the car.

M is a brake bearing on the pulley or roller G, and provided with a rope, N, reaching to the ground,depending close by the path of the car, whereby any person in the car or an attendant on the ground may stop the roller and hold the car at any point, or a person on the ground may prevent the weight which descends as the car ascends from descending too rapidly in hauling up the car when the pas sengers have got out of it. The weights may be about one hundred pounds each to advantage, and an attendant on the ground may look up and see how many persons get into the car, and then attach as many weights as will nearly balance the load. By this means the danger of falling or of injury from concussion by a too rapid descent is avoided, and the work on the brake is reduced to a minimum. In general, the car should be kept suspended above the highest window, and the chain should be weighted for one passenger. Then the first one who discovers the house to be on fire may descend and attend the foot of the chain for others. The persons in the car may reach the weight-chain and let themselves down by permitting it to rise hand over hand,and dispense with the brake. The car alone should weigh less than one man. In fact, it should be as light as possible, and may probably be made to weigh less than fifty pounds and yet be strong enough to carry three or four persons.

To prevent burglars from using this escape as a means for entering the house, I provide a bell, P, to be sounded by a pin-and-lever arrangement, P, on the axle of the pulley G.

The wheelG, over which the chain J runs, is journaled on a stationary stud, G, to the end of which one end of a spring, Q, is secured. To the other end of this spring the bell P is attached by its shank Q. This shank extends to one side of the spring into the path of the 'pin P, and hangs in a plane radial to the stud G, whereby the bell is so hung as to be rung by its shank yielding to the movement of the pin P when the latter revolves in either di reetion. WVhenever the chain is moved enough to turn the pulley, the bell will sound. This is also valuable asan alarm for the household.

To utilize my endless chain and weights for laboring men, I may provide a mere frame consisting of three or more bars, D D D, attaehed across between the chains like ladderrounds, about five feet apart, the bar D serving as before to hold to, the bar D to stand on and for men below to hold to, and the bar D" for the lower men to stand on. I also provide means for attaching a firemans hose to the crossbar D, as shown in Fig. 2, so that firemen and hose may be raised opposite to any window, and there direct the stream of water into the fire.

Q represents the hose-fastener, consisting of an iron strap or hasp hinged atR to the crossbar D, then curving upward to receive the hose or pipe, and provided with a thumbscrew, S, by which to make it secure. The

hasp is notched at one side, so that it may be disengaged from the screw S to swing back and receive the hose. By this means a pipe may be fastened pointing toward the house and be raised opposite to any window, and there do service without a man nearer to it than the ground. Other cross-bars may be placed at the sides of the ear lower than bar D for the use of children. to the chains in any usual manner.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The eombination,ina fire-eseape, of a car open at the rear and provided with a crossbar,D,and holders F, anda series of slats,O, fitted to slide vertically in the said rear opening, hinged to fold together, and provided with hooks E, adapted to engage the holders F, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination of the stud G, fixed to the bracket H, the pulley G, mounted to revolve thereon and provided with the projecting pin P, the spring Q", attached at one end to the stud G, and the bell P, having ashank, Q, provided with a portion projecting to one side of the spring Q into the path of the pin P, such projection hanging in a plane radial to the stud G, substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination of an elevator-chain, a car provided with a ClOSS-b2tl,D, a hasp, Q,

hinged at one end to the said bar and perforated and notched at one side of its other end, and a thumb-screw, S, substantially as shown and described, whereby a hose or its pipe may be clamped to the said bar to be elevated, as

set forth.

THOMAS DUN CAN MCKINZIE. Witnesses: I

\VALTER A. POWELL, MACK SHANKs.

The weights may be attached 0

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