US388279A - Fire-escape - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

W. H. HOWARD.

FIRE ESCAPE.

No. 388,279. Patented Aug. 21, 1888.

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XVILLIAM H. HO\VARD, OF HOUSTON, TEXAS.

Fl RE=ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 388,279, dated August 21, 1888.

Application filed Marrh 16. 1888. Serial No. 267,368. (No model.)

1'0 aZZ whom it may concern.-

bottom of the chute, being journaled suffi- Be it known that I, ILLIAM H. HOWARD, ciently close together to form an almost cona citizen of the United States, and a resident tinuous bottom, and two rollers, 7 and 8, are 55 of Houston, in the county of Harris and State journaled, respectively, at the top and bottom of Texas, have invented certain new and useof the chute, having the ends of a brake-strap, ful Improvements in Fire-Escapes; and I do 9, secured to them, the strap winding upon hereby declare that the following is a full, the lower roller, the shaft of which is proclear, and exact description of theinvention, vided with a crank or handle, 10, for revolv- 60 which will enable others skilled in the art to ing it, and with a ratchet-wheel, 11, engaged IO which it appcrtains to make and use the same, by a pawl, 12, so that the strap maybe wound referencebeing had tothcaccompanying(lrawupon the lower roller and tightened against ings, which form a part of this specification, the rear sides of the anti-friction rollers, servand in whiching as a brake for them, the ratchct-wheel and 65 Figure 1 is a perspective view of a building, pawl serving to hold the lower roller in posishowing my improved lire-escape in operative tion and to thus keep the strap in its adjusted position. Fig. 2 is a view of the rear side of tension. The upper ends of the side rails are the apparatus; and Fig. 3 is a longitudinal connected bya bail or strap, 13, having aloop, sectional view. 14., at its middle, and the chute may be sup- 7c The same numerals of reference indicate the ported by means of this loop from one of the same or corresponding parts in all the figures. prongs 15 of a swiveled hook, 1G, pivoted in My invention has relation to that class of the outer end of an arm or bracket, 17, profile-escapes consisting of a chute placed in an jecting from the building at the window or apinclined position against a window or other erture from which the escapeis to be operated. 75

aperture in the building on lire, in which the It will now be seen that when the escape is persons or articles to be transported to the adjusted in its inclined position, persons may ground from the building slide down the said slide down the same, the anti-friction rollers chute; and it consists in the improved conpreventing any injury by friction against the struction and combination of parts of such a bottom of the chute, and the person sliding 8o chute fire-escape having transverse rollers in down the chute may place thehands upon the the bottom of the chute for reducing the frichandrails and thus guide the descent.

tion between the bottom of the chute and the By adjusting the brakestrap the descent body sliding down the chute, and provided maybe governed so as to prevent any too sudwith means for regulating the revolutions of den descent, and the chute may be employed 85 the anti-friction rollers, as hereinafter more for articles of'furnitureas wellas forsavingperfully described and claimed. sons, the hand-rails serving as guards for pre- In theaceompanyingdrawings, the numerals venting the articles from falling off from the 1 indicate the side pieces of the chute, which chute. side pieces may be made of either wood or The chute may at alltimes remain in opcr- 90 iron, according to desire, and are formed with ative position, as it can only be used for de- 40 molded hand-rails 2 at their front edges, afscent, the rollers preventing ascending the fording hold for the hands of the person slidchute; but for the purpose of still further ining down the chute. The rear edges of the suring safety and preventing any attempts to side pieces or side rails are connected at suittamper with the chute, or to ascend the same, 95 able distances by means of cross-braces 3, servany suitable alarm may be connected to the 5 ing to keep them at their proper relative disescape, which will be sounded when it is tance, and at the lower end the side rails are touched. connected by means of a foot-rail, 4, having The escape may he made portable and in downwardly-projeeting spikes 5, with which lengths, so that it may be employed at fires 1C0 the lower end of the ladder or chute may be in buildings not provided with the escape;

secured firmly in the ground. but itis preferably applied permanently to the Anti-friction rollers 6 are journaled transbuilding, so as to be accessible whenever reversely between the side rails, forming the quired.

Having thus described my invention, Ielaim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States 1. In a fire-escape, the combination of a chute formed of two side rails and transversely-journaled anti-friction rollers forming the bottom of the chute, with a brake-strap bearing against the rear sides of the rollers and having means for tightening it against them, as shown, and for the purpose specified.

2. In a fire-escape, the combination of two side rails having hand-rails or moldings upon the forward edges, anti-friction rollers journaled transversely between the side rails,forming the bottom of the chute, rollersjournaled transversely in the top and bottom of the chute, and a brake-strap secured with its ends to the rollers bearing against the rear sides of the anti-friction rollers and winding upon the lower roller, as shown, and for the purpose specified.

3. In a fire-escape, the combination of a chute having anti-lriction rollers journaled transversely to form a bottom, and having a strap on bail at the upper end formed with a central loop, and a bracket or arm having a founpronged swiveled hook in its outer end, as shown, and for the purpose specified.

4. In a fire-escape, the combination of an arm or bracket having a four-pronged swiveled hook at its outer end, and a chute having a strap or bail at its upper end formed with a central loop engaging the prongs of the hook, and-having a transverse footrail provided with spikes for entering the ground,as shown, and for the purpose specified.

5. In a chute fire-escape, the combination of side rails having the rear edges connected by crossbraces and having molded hand-rails upon the forward edges, anti-friction rollers j ournalcd transversely between the rails to form the bottom of the chute, a roller journaled in the upper end of the chute, a roller journaled transversely in the lower end of the chute and having a ratchet-wheel and pawl and a crank, and a brake-strap secured'to the rollers at the ends of the chute and bearing against the rear sides of the anti-friction rollers and winding adjustably upon the lower roller,as shown, and for the purpose specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereunto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

\VILLIAM H. HOWARD.

\Vitnesscs:

SAM I-I. BRASHEAR, JOHN H. RUBY.

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