US398992A - Fire-escape - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

J. WHITE.

UNITED STATES ATENT @rricn.

JOHN WHITE, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 398,992, dated March 5, 1889.

Application filed May 16, 1888. Serial No. 274,113. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN YVHITE, of Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire -Escapes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, whereby any one skilled in the art can make and use the same.

My invention relates to the class of apparatus that are adapted to be permanently attached to a building for the purpose of facilitating the escape of the occupants in case of fire; and my object is to provide an apparatus that shall be compact in form and so arranged as to be out of the way when not required for use, but capable of being instantly extended when there is any need of using it.

To this end my invention consists in a ladder-reel arranged on the inside of the wall of ahouse above the story to be protected by the escape, the wall being slotted for the extension of the ladder and provided with a guide-roller, in combination with the clamp and lever attachment with a pull-rope, by means of which the ladder can be extended; and it further consists in details of the apparatus and the combination of the parts, as more particularly hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a view in elevation of part of the front wall of a house, illustrating the application of my improvement. Fig. '2 is a view in vertical section of the wall, showing the location of the ladder-roll. Fig. 3 is a detail view of part of the ladder, showing the method of attaching the rungs. Fig. l is adetail frontview of the balcony-floor. Fig. 5 is a detail plan view of a folding balcony or bracket, showing its socket in a slot below the window-sill and parts unfolded to steady the ladder.

In the accompanying drawings, the letter a denotes the front wall of ahousc; h, a window; c, the downwardlyslopin g slot out through the wall immediately under the roof cl. In the line of the slot 0 and inside of the wall is mounted the ladder-reel e, on suitable bearings, in such position that the ladder f, the lower end of which lies on the guideway g, will, when the pressure of the clamp h is removed, slide through the slot and extend itself downward in front of the window or tier of windows I). In order to wind the ladder up, a winch, 1 connected by gearing to the spindle of the ladder-reel, is used, or other suitable means may be provided.

The clamp h consists, preferably, of a flexible band, 71', embracing the drum 7d, and connected to the lever 72 on opposite sides of its pivot h, the outer arm of the lever bearing a weight, 72. that clamps the reel firmly in its normal position and has to be lifted, as by means of the pull-rope 72, in order to allow the ladder to run out. The ladder f is made up, preferably, of the wire ropes f and me tallic rungs f that have on their opposite ends the split clamping devices f that are tightened upon the ropes by means of clampscrews.

The slot 0 is closed on the outside by a hinged plate, 0, that carries a guide-roller, c and is pushed outward by the weighted lower end of the ladder as soon as the hold of the brake or clamp is removed from the ladderreel. This guide-roll holds the ladder at a proper distance from the face of the wall while it is extended, and after it has been wound in the plate may be closed to cover the opening.

Under each of the windows, in a slot j, in the wall, is located a sectional bracket, lo, that may be swung out horizontally after the ladder is extended, and projecting through the ladder serves to steady it as well as form a landing-platform. This bracket or folding balcony is preferably made in sections 75'' k each swingin on a vertical pivot, Z Z, about which is coilcd a spring, m, that tends to swing the respective sections outward as soon as the bolt 72 is withdrawn. This bolt 92 has a handle extending through the wall and located in a position easy of access within the room. As soon as released, the sections swing outward in opposite directions, and passing between the side parts of the extended ladder press against them and serve to steady the ladder, at the same time providing a standing-place outside of the window for persons passing from the room to the ladder. The bolt 12 may be arranged to operate automatically as soon as the ladder is extended, or by the ladder in extending.

flexible ladder secured at its upper end to a wall, a folding bracket form ed in two sections, each swinging on a pivot and pressed ont- Ward by a spring, and the bolt whereby the folding parts of the bracket are temporarily held within the bracket-socket, all substantially as described.

JOHN WHITE. Witnesses:

GEORGE G. HADDOW, A. B. JENKINS.

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