US369148A

US369148A - wrig-et

Info

Publication number: US369148A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1887-08-30
Anticipated expiration: 1904-08-30

Description

(No Model.) I 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A. P. WRIGHT.

FIRE ESCAPE LADDER. No. 369,148 Patented Aug. 30, 1887.

mmodeL 7 Q 3 SheetQ-Sheet 2.

- A. P. WRIGHT. Y

FIRE ESCAPE LADDER.

No. 369,148. Patented Aug. 30, 1887.

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l m I I P [5 ii m M FCICRS. PhMo-Lithognpfiwr. Washington. D. C,

{No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

A; P. WRIGHT.

FIRE ESCAPE LADDER. I No. 369,148. Patented Aug. 30, 1887,.

QVLWAMA- lu-U041 l'oz UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ATWILL P. WRIGHT, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

FIRE-ESCAPE LADDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 369,148, dated August 30, 1887. I

Application filed May 19, 1887. Serial No. 238,772. (No model.)

had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of same as erected for service; Fig. 2, a side elevation when in position for vertical storage; Fig. 3,

in position for raising from horizontal storage; Fig. 4, an edge view of ladders folded for horizontal storage; Fig. 5, a side view thereof in folded position; Fig. 6, a perspective view of ladder as erected for service, the sides of the ladders provided with the grapples being toward us for better illustration; Fig. 7, an en larged detail of the ladder-rail, vertical rod, and grapple in closed position thereon, and

. Fig. 8, a similar view, with grapple shown in operative position.

Similar letters and figures of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. Y.

My invention relates to that branch 'or subclass of fire-escapes known as portable ladder escapes. My object is to improve their construction and operation, and utility also; and my invention consists in the several novel features of construction and operation, hereinafter described, and specifically set forth in the several clauses of the claim hereunto annexed.

It is constructed as follows: A B are ladders hinged together at their upper ends, and provided with rollers 1 at their lower ends, said rollers or wheels being secured upon a trans verse shaft, 2, journaled in the lower ends of the ladder-rails. The ladders are also con nected together when opened by the adjustable braces 3. The shaft 2 is provided with a central pulley, 4, over which a belt, 23, runs to a pulley, 24, upon the Windlass-beam 5. This beam is provided with pawl-and-ratchet devices 6 7, the teeth of one ratchet standing in an opposite direction to those of the other, and 8 8 are ropes connected to the ladder B, and wound upon the Windlass erected on ladder A, and by the winding up or unwinding of these ropes the distance between the bases of the ladders is varied, as desired. Upon the shaft 2, I also mount the arms 9, each of which is provided with a stop-roller of rubber or flexible material, which rollers can be thrown up out of the way, or down in front of the wheels 1, and operate as stops to prevent the wheels from sliding outward.

O is a side brace-bar connected to the hinge connecting the ladders, and adapted to brace the whole against tipping sidewise or outward. This brace is made adjustable, when desired, as to length.

D is an adjustable grapple, mounted and adapted to slide vertically upon the rods 10, secured upon the side rails of the ladders. The sides of this grapple are first hinged to the slides 11, and, secondly, are made in sections 12 13, hinged together, and the whole is adapted to fold up, as shown in Fig. 7, against and compress the spring 20. The outer ends of the sections 13 are provided with hooks 14., adapted to hook over a window-sill. These outer sections, 13, are metallic, or heavy enough,so that when quickly'thrown over they will smash through a window sash and glass, the hook catching over and into the sill. They can be thrown over and the grapple unfolded by the spring 20, when the rope 15 is slackened, while the rope 16 is used to adjust the height of the grapple, as may be desirable. A stop, 21, is also provided to regulate the section 13 and the hook. Also, by the rope 22 and the guiderope 17,1 can raise or lower the basket 18, to remove people from a building.

When the ladders are folded together, as shown in Fig. 4, to raise them, I open out on edge and then turn over flat, as shown in Fig. 3, and then by raising the center a little and winding upon the Windlass the ropes will draw the bases of the ladders inward upon the wheels, elevating the center until raised, as shown in Figs. 1 and 6 of the drawings. It can also be drawn up about as shown in Fig. 2 for' vertical storage, in which case it is opened'out for use by pulling the bases of the ladders apart or loosening the stop-rollers and slackening the ropes 8, or by removing the stops and rotating the Windlass backward, when the belt 23 will rotate the pulley 4 and wheels 1.

It will be observed that the rotation of the Windlass rotates the shaft and wheels upon the ladder A, and that the rotation of this shaft will also rotate the windlass and wind up or unwind the ropes when the ratchet-and-pawl devices are properly adjusted. It will also be observed that the bearing-pieces carrying the shafts and wheels upon the bases of the ladders are also adapted to be adjusted vertically, so that the ladders will stand erect upon sloping or uneven ground. Furthermore, it will be observed that this ladder can be used as a scaffold or scaffoldsupport for painters and builders, and also as a derrick and for other similar purposes.

In Figs. 4 and 5 the ladder is shown in position for horizontal storage, with chains suitably attaehed to hold the ladder-sections together; also in Fig. 2, when in position for vertical storage, I draw a chain around the upper rounds of the ladders to prevent any liability of their spreading apart through accidental handling, &c.

Having-described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. A fire-escape ladder consisting of the ladders A B, hinged together and mounted upon wheels and provided with stop-rollers, and an adjustable grapple mounted upon the ladders, substantially as described.

2. A grapple consisting of side rails provided with hooks and hinged to slides fitting upon rods secured to the ladder-rails, substantially as described.

3. A fire'cscapeladder consisting of the ladders A B, mounted upon wheels provided with stop-rollers, ropes connecting the ladders and a Windlass mounted thereon, and a grapple mounted upon said ladders, substantially as described.

4. The journal shaft 2, having mounted thereon arms provided with stop-rollers, in combination with the wheels 1, secured upon said shaft, substantially as described.

5. The combination,with the wheel l, mou nted upon an axle, of a stop-roller pivotally secured at the axis of said wheel, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

6. The combination of the Windlass mounted upon ladder-A, ropes 8, connected thereto and to ladder B, and the ladders A B, of substantially equal length, hinged together at one of their ends and provided with wheels and stoprollers, substantially as described.

7 In a fire-escape ladder, an adjustable grapple adapted to slide vertically upon a rodsccured to the ladder-rails, in combination with a spring, 20, attached to the grapple and adapted to bear against the rod, substantially as described, and for the purposes specified.

8. The ladders A 13, provided with grapples and hinged together and mounted upon wheels, in combination with the adjustable brace 3, connecting the same,substantially as described.

9. The ladders A B, hinged together and provided with carrying-wheels and stop-rollers, in combination with the side brace-bar, C, substantially as shown and described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 22d day of April, 1887.

ATVILL P. \VR IGHT.

In presence of- WM. 0. RAYMOND, WM. Boon.

Correction in Letters'iPareni No. 369,148.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 369,148, granted August 30, 188 the application of Atwill P Wright, of Syracuse, New York, for an iinprevei Fire-Escape Ledders, an error appears iii the printed specification requiring tion as follows: In line 38, page 2, the Word journal-shaft should have been journaled-shaft; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this 00 therein that the same may conform to the record of the ease in the Patent Offi Signed, countersig'ned, and sealed this 6th day of September, A. D. 1887.

D. L. HAWKIN; Acting Secretary of the [SEAL] Countersigned BENTON J. HALL,

Commissioner of Patents.