US388829A

US388829A - Fire-escape

Info

Publication number: US388829A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1888-09-04
Anticipated expiration: 1905-09-04

Description

2 Sheets-Sheet 1. 0. J. CLARK.

FIRE ESCAPE.

(No Model.)

No. 388,829. Patented Sept. 4, 1888.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets--Sheet 2. C. J. CLARK.

FIRE ESCAPE.

No. 388,829. Patented Sept. 4, 1888.

I/Z' n v/ N vcnzns. Phom Lnlmgraphur Washmglcm n c UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIQE.

CHARLES JAY CLARK, OF KEOKUK, IOWA.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 388,829, dated September 4, 1888. Application filed lll'ayS, 1898. Serial No. 272,922. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES JAY CLARK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Keokuk, in the county of Lee and State of Iowa,

5 have invented new and useful Improvements which the following is a simple device whereby the occupants ofa burn- 2o escape attached to 0 arranged at each floor of the ing building may reach the ground in safety, and it consists in an improvenent upon the or dinary balcony fire-escape, whereby the facility of escape from the building is increased.

The invention consists ina certain novel construction and arrangement of parts, fully set forth hereinafter in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure l is a perspective view of the firethe front of a building. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of one of the intermediate balconies, showing the ladders connecting them, and indicating in dotted lines the positions of the ladders when they are arranged parallel. Fig. 3 is a plan view of one of the balconies. Fig. 4 is a detail view of one of the ladders.

Referring to the drawings, A A designate the balconies, ofany desired number,one being building, and the upper balconies are preferably arranged vertically over the lower ones and under windows on the various doors. The balconies are provided with hatchways B, and adjacent to the latter are arranged the supports or platforms 0, which are attached at their inner ends rigidly to the wall, and are provided at their outer ends with the steps D, which lead down to the balcony,

The ladders E E are provided at their lower ends with the fingers F F, which are adapted to be engaged in sockets G G in the said supports or platforms, and the shoulders H H at the upper ends of the said fingers bear on the edges of the sockets, and thus throw the entire weight of the ladder and its load on the support or platform. The upper ends of the lad ders project through the hatchways of the upper balconies and bear against the ends thereof,

and they are held in place by studs I on the sides of the hatchways.

The supports or platforms are arranged, respectively, at opposite ends of adjacent balconies, thereby causing the ladders to be inclined alternately in opposite directions. The hatchways, as will be seen, are formed in opposite ends of adjacent balconies, and the ladders are arranged so that their upper ends bear against the inner ends of the hatehways.

The main objects attained by the use of the supports or platforms above mentioned are, first, the balconies are relieved of almost if not all of the weight on the ladder, and, fur ther, the lower ends of the ladders are raised,

low are not interfered with. It will be seen that the Weight of the upper balconies or of the upper ladders does not accumulate on the lower balconies or supports, each ladder being supported independently.

Each alternate balcony is provided with an additional platform, K, provided with steps and sockets similar to the supports or plat forms above described.

This fire-escape is applicable to hotels, theaters, and other public buildings, and the ladders are preferably arranged therein at all times; but they may be carried by the fire-cont pany, in which case they must be of a length to suit all heights of stories. If the ladders are applied to a house having but small distance between the floors, they cannot be arranged as in the drawings, for the reason that the upper ends of the ladders, which project above the hatchways, would come in contact with the upperladders, and therefore the ladders must be arranged parallel, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. \Vhen the ladders are arranged thus, they may be of any desired length, and the lower ends of the alternateladders are engaged in the sockets in the alternate supports or platforms K, above referred to.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. In a fireeseape, the combination of the balconies havim hatehwa s therein the su c 7 y a 1 ports or platforms 0, arranged above the floors so that the upper ends of the ladders from beof the balconies and rigidly attached to the wall of the building, and the l idders mounted at their lower ends in sockets in the supports or platforms and arranged at their upper ends in the hatehways, substantially as specified.

2. In a fire-escape, the combination of the balconies having hatchways therein, the supports or platforms 0, having the sockets G G therein, the steps D leading to the balconies, and the ladders having fingers on their lower ends mounted in the said sockets, and shoulders H, bearing on the supports or platforms, substantially as specified.

3. In a fireescape, the combination of the balconies having hatchways therein, the supports or platforms 0 within the balconies, and the detachable ladders connected to each pair of balconies and mounted at their lower ends on the platforms or supports and at their upper ends inserted through the hatchways, as set forth.

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

CHARLES JAY CLARK.

\Vitnesses:

A. L. PARSONS, W. S. MCNAMARA.