US391358A - de waele - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) A 3 SheetsSheet, 1.

A. DE WAELE.

FIRE ESCAPE. No. 391,358. Patented Oct. 16,1888.

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3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

A. DE WAELE. FIRE ESCAPE.

No. 391358.59 Pa tgntedflct. 16, 1888.

win -5E5; m 1

40 ml. #4 M08056.

N PETERS PbalbLlihagnphar, Wuhinglm, D, C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUSTE DE WAELE, OF GHENT, BELGIUM.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 391,358, dated October 16, 1888.

Application filed September 17, 1857. Serial No. 249,967.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUSTE DE \VAELE, a subject of the King of Belgium, residing at Ghent, in the Kingdom of Belgium, have in vented a new and useful Improvement in Fire- 1Fscapes, of which the following is a specificaion.

The nature of the invention consists in the details of combination and construction substantially as illustrated in the drawings hereinafter described, and subsequently pointed out in the claim.

Figure 1 illustrates a side view of my newlyinvented fire-escape with the parts extended and ready for use at the side of a house. Fig. 2 illustrates the same folded up against the side of the house. Fig. 3 is afront view illustrating the same as folded against the side of the house. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 5 is a side view illustrating a modification of my fire-escape. Fig. 6 is a view in perspective of my device.

In the example of my invention illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and i the fire-escape is intended to be used in connection with a balcony or between two balconies.

The first example of my invention which I shall describe is constructed and used in connection with a balcony. This balcony is fastened to the outside wall of a house, directly in front ofa window, in the usual and well-known way, as illustrated in the drawings, except that one end railing or banister of the balcony is pivoted, as hereinafter described. This piv oted end railing of the balcony is designated by A B O D; (Z, the ladder of the fire-escape, and cf and ef the hand-rails; a a and b b, rods or shafts on which are pivoted theladder and the floor of the fire-escape. One end of thebalcony-railing is also hung upon the rod or shaft a a. This rod or shaft a a is secured in eyes which have shanks fastened in the wall of the house. The frame (1 of the steps is rigid; but the hand-rails cf and e'f are sup ported on this frame by pivoted banisters g g G. The frame of the steps is partly supported by the rods or braces J H and J H.

The end A B O D of the balcony-banisters is rigidly mounted upon the rod a a on the end next to the balcony and so arranged in connection with said rod and the other working parts of the fire-escape that when the escape is.

(No model.)

folded up against the wall it will occupy the proper position for the end banisters of the balcony. \Vhen the fire'escape is extended for use, the floor of the escape-which is rigidly attached to the rod a a, turning that rod, upon which, as aforesaid, the end A B O D of the balcony is mounted-causes the said end of the balcony to revolve with said rod edgewise in its own plane at right angles to the axis of the rod until it assumes the position designated by A B O D of Fig. 1, in which position it will be entirely out of the way and free access afforded from the balcony into the fire-escape. When the fire-escape is folded up against the wall of the house, the parts of the escape moving in the opposite direction from that just described carry back the end A B G D of the balcony to its first position, where it is again held for the end banister of the balcony, as illustrated by A B O D of Fig. 2.

When my fire-escape is in use, it is as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4. When not in use, itis folded up, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3. To change from one position to the other, the handrails cf and e f are laid down upon the frame of the ladder by folding down the banisters g g G against the said frame of the ladder. Then, by lifting up the ladder and pushing it toward the wall, the joints at a a and I) b are caused to bend, so that the parts describe the dotted arcs illustrated in Fig. 1, until the floor of the escape becomes perpendicular against the wall, the end of the banisters of the balcony assumes its proper position, the braces J H and J H come up against the wall,and the ladder stands perpendicular, parallel to the wall, with its top a little above the balcony-railing, and all the parts assume the position represented in Figs. 2 and 3. The parts are returned to the position illustrated in Fig. 1 by exactly the reverse operation.

This fire-escape may be made of any convenient metal; but I prefer to make it of iron.

To secure the escape against the side of the house, I have provided the look I, the keys of which may, as is usual in such cases, be deposited with any proper person or at any proper place, so that they will be handy and available in time of need.

I To prevent burglars and other evil-disposed persons from making any improper use of this fire-escape, alarge enough plate of metal may be fastened upon the front to effectually prevent them from climbing up, or a long shutter may be constructed to look over the lower part of the ladder. I

Where there is no balcony the floor of the escape may be furnished with proper handrails pivotal] y attached to the wall of the building on either side of ornear to a window, so that the escape can be easily reached from the window, and so that the parts will fold up with the rest of the escape, as hereinbefore described.

What I claim as my invention, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination, with a fire-escape landing arranged between balconies or adjacent thereto ing is pivoted, and a movable end railing of the said balcony, also pivoted upon, attached to, and moved by said pivotal rod, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth. 25

In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

AUGUSTE DE WAELE.

Witnesses:

GEORGE BEDE, M. WAssoN.

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