US365833A

US365833A - Combined fire-escape

Info

Publication number: US365833A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1887-07-05
Anticipated expiration: 1904-07-05

Description

(N'oxMdel.) '2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

, J.fL. MACDONALD.

GOMBINED FIRE ESCAPE, PIRE E XTIINGUISHB AND ELEVATOR.

No; 365,833.4 Pate July 5, 1887.--

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(No Model.)

COMBINEDFIRE ESCAPE, PIRE EXTIBTQUISIUIILl ANDELEVATOE. Nov. 365.833. 'Y

Patented July 5, 188x- NA PETERS, Pham-Lichugnphr, wnsmnsnm n. c,

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Nirn raras JOHN'L. MACDONALD, OF SHAKOPEE, MINNESOTA.

COMBIND FIRE-ESCAPE, FIRE-EXTINGUISHER, AND ELEVATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 365,833, dated July 5, 1887.

(No model.)

To wZZ whom, it may concern:

Beit known that I, JOHN L. MACDONALD, a citizen of the United States, residing in Shakopee, in the county of Scott and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Combined Safety Elevator, Fire-Escape, and Fire` Extinguisher, of which the following is a de-, scriptio'n. Y

As may be inferredfroni the-foregoing title, the invention consists incertain novel conibinations of elements in a structure designed for purposes of residence or of business, embracing in co-operative relation means whereby, upon the occurrence of adestructive conflagration,^escape from the structure of the occupants thereof is rendered easy and certain, whereby such conflagration may be either wholly extinguished or checked and confined within certain definite limits, and whereby persons or articles may be elevated to the top or lowered to the base of the structure, as may be desired, all as will be herein described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a view in perspective elevation of a structure having my combined safety-elevator, fire-escape, and tire-extinguisher applied therein. Fig. 2 is avertical section on aline extending inwardly from the exterior face of the structure through the shaft or well of the fireescape and elevator. Fig. 3V is a horizontal section on the line .ftof Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail vertical section showing hoseopenings in the wall of the safety shaft or well. Figs. 5, G, and 7 are modications of the construction represented in Fig. 3, drawn to a reduced scale.

The drawings represent an elevator, E, and a standpipe, l), within aIire-proof shaft or well, S, which is preferably of the 'rectangular forin shown, and the outer wall of which is by preference contiguous to or integral with the exterior wall, A', of the structure A, in'

which such shaft or well is contained. The

structure A will preferably be provided with one or more entrances of ordinary construetion, which are independent of the lower entrance and exit opening, S, at the base of the shaft S. Vithin the shaft S, and by preferstructure.

ence at or near the center thereof, is the Veasing E,containing the cage or carriage E of the elevator. Upon the exterior face of the wall A of the structure A, and in a plane` with the fioor of each of the upper stories of vsuch structure, isa balcony, A, which extends along such wa'll to a point beyond the walls of the shaftor well S, so that access to the balcony at each end" thereof is afforded through windows w or doors (Z, which open from passages or from apartments exterior to the shaft. Vithin the shaft S, and between its opposite frontend rear walls and the casing E of the elevator, are floors or galleries G andG, and these galleries are connected by means of flights of stairs F and F, so that, independently of the use of the elevator, a continuous passage from top to bottoni of the edifice within the fire-proof shaft is provided. The stand-pipe P,`eonnecting at the base of the building with the water-main of the street or other source of supply, extends vertically along the inner surface of the wall A', and is provided with branch pipes p and p and checkvalves p, one of each for each floor of the The branch pipes have fittings for hose-connections, and, as will be seen, the branch pipes p extend outwardly through the wall A and projectl over the balcony, so that when suitable hose, h, is attached streams of water may be directed from the balcony upon the front of the structure or into the interior of the same through the windows w or the doors d, which open upon such balcony. In like manner, when hose is connected to the inner branch pipe, p, the nozzle thereof may be inserted into openings s or sA in the side and rear wall of the shaft, the staudpipe thus discharging quantities of water from within and from without the shaft and upon both the interior and the exterior of the structure.

It will be observed that the hose-openiugs s and sV are each provided with a self-closing door or cover, cl, which is applied upon the outer extremity of the opening. By this means danger that the openings may by accident'or carelessness4 be left unclosed for thcadniission of smoke or ilaine is avoided, and

additional security against such admission may be insured by the application of a similar cover, d4, to the interior extremity of the hose-openings. If the extremity of the hose opening or port be vertical, the cover may be weighted to insure its clos-ure; but if the eX- tremity be inclined the weight of the metallic cover itself will cause it to iit closely upon its bearing-face. The upper extremity of the fire-proof safety-shaft S preferably extends above the roof of the structure, and communication between the roof and the shaft is afforded by means of one or more openings, s?, in the wall' of the shaft, the openings being provided with fire-proof doors or closing-plates D and a stairway, F2, leading from the opening to the topmost gallery, G. It will be observed that the shaft is of fire-proof masonry from top to bottom, no iron being employed in its walls, either in the form of doors or otherwise, and that in the sides adjacent to the interior of the structure it is without any openings whatever, save the small perforations for the insertion of the hose-nozzles. It will thus be seen that the shaft is Anot accessible directly from anypassage or apartment of the edifice, but only indirectly through the doors D, facing the balconies, the doors D, opening from the roof, or the door S at the base of the shaft.

vFrom the foregoing it will be apparent that the elevator will be 'at-all times accessible for use for the ordinary purposes of carriages of its class, and that upon the occurrence of an alarm of fire it may instantly be brought into requisition as a valuable auxiliary to the system of galleries and stairways already described, the infirm and the helpless being conveyed below by means of the elevator, while the more robust pass tothe street by the stairways and their connecting galleries. It is also obvious that in structures of large dimensions it may be desirable or necessary to provide a safety-shaft and elevator, either in connection with a series of stairways or otherwise in connection with more than one of the walls of the building. In a large hotel, for instance, or in au extensive manufacturing establishment, it

maybe advantageous to provide one or more shafts, both upon van outer or street wall and upon a rear wall facing an alley, or a court, or a garden wholly or partially embraced within extended wings of the structure.

The described safety-shaft S and its several Y entrances, the galleries' or landings and the stairways within the shaft, and the balconies, by which access to the shaft from upper stories of the structure is afforded, are all essentially identical with like elements shown and described in United States Patent No. 301,138, issued to me July l, 1884, and consequently no broad claim of novelty is hercinmade for these parts, either separately or in combination.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. The combination, in a structure for residence or other purposes, which is provided' with a series of balconies, of a fire-proof shaft which is provided with a series ofdoors or windows, each-of which opens upon one o f the balconies, and with a series of hose-openings, doors, or vwindows in the wall ofl the structure, outside the walls of the shaft open.- ing upon the balconies, and a stand-pipe which is provided with two series of branches, one series projecting through the outer wall of the building at a point opposite the balconies,so as to discharge from such balconies into the interior of the building, and the other series opening into the shaft and adaptedto discharge streams of water through the hoseopenings thereof. 1 2. The combination, in a structure for residence or other purposes, of a fire-proof safetyshaft which may be entered only through openings which communicate directly with the outer air, a series of balconies upon 4the outer wall of the shaft, an elevator within the shaft, anda stand-pipe provided with branches, as described, and adapted to discharge streams of water from the balconies and from the interior of the safety-shaft. 3. rlhe combination7 in a structure for residence or other purposes, of an incombustible safety-shaft, the interior of which is accessible only through openings which communicate directly with the outer air, a series of balconies upon the outer wall of the shaft corre- -sponding with the several upper floors of the structure and extending along the wall of the structure to points beyond the walls of the shaft, openings in the walls of the structure outside the shaft and communicating with the balconies, an elevator and series of stairways IOC) and galleries within the shaft, and an inwardly and outwardlydischarging stand-pipe extending-along the wall of the shaft from top to Vbottom of the same.

4. rljhe combination, in a structure for residence or other purposes, of a fire-proof safetyshaft which has a series of hose-openings, each of which is provided with a selfclosing cover or door, and a stand-pipe which extends from top to bottom of the shaft along the inner surface of the same, and which is provided with outwardly discharging branch pipes, and -with branch pipes which are adapted to discharge through the hose-openings in the wall of the shaft, substantially as and for the purposes described.

5. The combination, ina structure for residence or other purposes, of afire-proof safetyshaft which is accessible lonly through openings in the wall of such structure, and which has a series of hose-openings, each of which is provided with a self-closing cover ondoor, and astand-pipe which extends from top to bottom of the shaft along the inner surface of the same, and which is provided with branch.

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with branch pipes which are adapted to discharge through the hose-openings in the Wall of the shaft.

6. A structure foi1 residence or other pur- 5 poses, which embraces a fire-proof shaft which is providedwith galleries or landings, with balconies which correspond with such galleries or landings, and with a stand-pipe within the shaft which has two seriesof branch pipes, one series of which is operable from the bal lo conies for' the extinguisllincnt of fire` W1i3h1n the structure.

JOHN L. MACDONALD. Witnesses:

r JAMEs Mc'HALE,

CHARLES J. STRUNK.