US404514A

US404514A - Fire-escape

Info

Publication number: US404514A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1889-06-04
Anticipated expiration: 1906-06-04

Description

(No Model.)

v G. W. W0RD]'\1\T.r

FIRE ESCAPE.

No. 4,04*,514. A Patented June -L 1889.

m, A *Il l UNITEDv STATES PATENT OEEICE.

GEORGE IV. VORDEN, OF LEWISTON, NEV YORK.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 404,514, dated June 4, 1889.- Applieation filed May 8, 1888. Serial No. 273,189. (No inodel.)

.To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. WORDEN, of Lewiston, in the county of Niagara and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fire Escapes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of fireescapes which consist of a drum 4attached to the window-frame, a cord or rope wound upon said drum and carrying a band or girdle which encircles the person using the escape,

and a brake device connected with the drum,

whereby the rotation of the latter is retarded.

The object of my invention is to produce a safe and reliable fire-escape of this class which shall be inexpensive and simple. in construction.

The invention consists of the improvements which will be hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a sectional elevation of my iinproved iire-escape applied to a window-frame, and showing the retarding mechanism in engagementwith the drum. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the drum and the bracket or bearing supporting one end thereof. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the retarding mechanism, showing the same disconnected from the drum. Fig. 4t is a cross-section in line x Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the drum. Fig. 6 is a cross-section thereof on an enlarged scale. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary side elevation of the drum with several of the radial slats removed. Fig. S is a cross-section in line y y, Fig. 3.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

A represents the window-frame.

B is the horizontal drum, arranged on the inner side of the window-frame, and upon which the rope C is wound, and C is the girdle or belt, which is secured around the person in descending to the ground.

d is the shaft of the drum, which is supported at one end in a hookshaped bearing or bracket CZ', secured to the inner side of the window-frame, and provided with a lockingdog cl2, pivoted to the bracket d', and bearing against the upper side of the shaft d, so as to coniine the latter in its bearing. The opposite end of the drum-shaft d is made square and fits into a square socket e, formed at the inner end of a short horizontal shaft e', which is journaled in bearings formed in the upper portion of an upright rectangular casing E. The latter is arranged adjacent to the window-frame, and is preferably formed of two parts, one part f consisting of the rear wall of the casing and the other part f forming the front wall and side walls thereof, the two parts of the casin g being secured together by horizontal bolts f2, as shown in Figs. l and 3. The two parts of the casing are provided at their lower .ends with lugs or ears f3, through which pass fastening-bolts, whereby the casing is iirmly secured to the floor of the room.

g represents a vertically-movable shaft arranged within the casing E and turning in bearings g formed in horizontal cross-bars g2 g3' g4, arrangedgin the casing E. The crossbars 2 3 (4 are divided centrall and one .C/ J i half of the same is formed on the rear wall f of the casing E and the other half on the front wall thereof, as shown in Fig. S. The bearings of the shaft g are formed partly in one half and partly in the other half of the cross-bars g2 g3 g4. The shaft gis provided at its upper end with a bevel-wheel H, which meshes with a similar wheel H', mounted on the short horizontal shaft c within the casing E.

I represents a horizontal lever pivoted near the lower end of the casing and Ahaving its inner arm t' projecting into the casing E through an opening t, formed in the front wall of the casing.

j represents a horizontal friction-disk secured to the inner arm ofthe lever I andbearing against the under side of a similar friction-disk j', secured to the lower end of the.

vertically-movable shaft g. l

k represents a movable counterbalancingweight arranged upon the outer long arm t2 of :the lever I, and whereby the shaft g is raised so as to bring its bevel-wheel II in engagement with the bevel-wheel H and whereby the friction-disk j of the lever is held in foreible contact with the friction-disk j', so as to retard the rotary movement of the vertical shaft g and the'fdrum B. The vertical movement of the shaft g is limited by two collars Z Z', secured to the shaft on opposite sides of the central cross-bar g3 of the casing E. The

IOO

upper collar Zallows the shaft gto move downwardly sufficiently to disconnect its bevelwheel II from the bevel-wheel II, and the lower collar Z prevents the shaft from being moved upwardly so far as to cause the teeth of the two bevel-wheels to bind. The counterbalancing-weight 7a is placed at such a distance from the fulcrum of the lever I as to produce sufficient friction between the disks jj gj to properly retard the rotation of the drum B to allow a slow descent of the person attached to the rope C. rlhe lever I is preferably graduated like an ordinary scale-bar, so that upon placing the counterpoise 7a opposite the number correspondin g to the approximate weight of the person using the escape the rotation of the drum will be properly retarded to effect a slow and safe descent. The collar l. bears against the under side of the central. cross-bar q3 when the shaft g is raised, and thereby increases the friction-al resistance upon the shaft g and drum B. IVhen a descent has been made, the weight 7c is moved inwardly, as shown in Fig. 3, thereby7 allowing the vertical shaft g to descend, throwing the bevel-wheels II Il out of gear, and permitting the rope to be rewound upon the drum preparatory to making another descent.

m represents a small auxiliary drum secured to the outer end of the short shaft e', out-side of the casing E, and m is a wire rope attached at one end to the drum m and passing over a pulley n, attached to the ceiling and provided at its opposite end with a Weight N. The rope m is wound upon the small drum m in an opposite direction to the rope C of the drum B, so that when the rope C is unwound from the drum B the rope m will be wound upon the auxiliary drum m. After making a descent and throwing the shaft g out of gear with the drum-shaft (l, the weight `N, which has been raised by the unwinding of the rope C, descends and causes the rope m to be unwound from the auxiliary drum m, thereby turning the latter and causing the shaft e and main drum B to revolve in the proper direction to again wind the rope C upon the latter. In this manner the rope C is automatically rewound upon the drum B, ready for another descent. The diameter of the auxiliary drum ml and drum B are so proportioned that the winding-weight N travels a distance about equal to the height of the room in winding the rope C upon the main drum.

lVhen the escape is not in use, the drum B, with the rope C, is removed from the socket c and bearing d by swinging the dog (Z2 outwardly. Y

rlhe drum B is composed of two metallic hub-disks o, which are adjustably secured to the shaftd, and radial wooden slats or bars p, which engage with their ends in radial grooves p', formed in the inner sides of the hubalisks 0, as clearly shown in Figs. 5, (5, and 7. The hub-disks are adjustably secured to the shaft d by set-screws p2, which engage in longitudinal grooves p3, formed in the shaft (i. This construction enables a drum of larger or smaller diameter to be readily constructed by inserting slats p'of greater or less width into the radial grooves of the hub-disks, and as the disks o are adjustable longitudinally a long or short. drum may be readily construeted by employing slats of different lengths. This construction enables a drum of any desired size to be readily made, which is very desirable, as the drums arranged at the upper stories of a building are required to carry more rope than those of the lower stories, and must therefore be of greater diameter than the latter. XVhen the fire-escape is used in hotels or similar buildings, the shaft g is preferably connected with a suitable alarm in the main office, so as to notify the clerk when the escape is used and enable him to locate the lire, and also prevent guests from leaving the building by means of the fire-escape without detection.

q represents the cord, which connected with a bell or other alarm in the office, and q is a catch or trip lever pivoted tothe inner side of the casing E, and to which the cord (l is attached.

q2 is a cani or finger secured tothe shaft g, and which strikes the upper arm of the catch q when the shaft is rotated, andthereby pulls the cord q and gives an alarm.

l. In a fire-escape, the combination, with a horizontal drum, of a friction-disk, connecting mechanism whereby the rotary motion of the drum is transmit-ted to the friction-disk, and a weighted lever bearing directly against said friction-disk for retarding the motion of the same, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with a horizontal drum, of a vertical shaft geared with said drum and provided with a friction-disk, and a weighted lever bearing against said friction-disk, substantially as set forth.

The combination, with a horizontal drum, of a gear-wheel mounted on said drum, a vertically-movable shaft provided with a gearwheel meshing with the gear-wheel of the drum and having a friction-disk, and a lever bearing against said friction-disk and 'provided with a movable counterpoise, whereby the pressure of the lever against said friction disk may be regulated, substantially as set forth.

4C. The combination, with the window-frame, the casing E, and the horizontal shaft e', mounted in said casing and provided with a bevel-wheel II and at one end with a square or flat-sided socket c, of the removable drum B, having a shaft provided with a flat-sided end adapted to enter the socket c and formed at its opposite end to fit a hook-shaped bearing d', secured to the window-frame, a vertical shaft g, having a bcvelavheel II, meshing with the wheel II', a frictioirdiskj", secured IOO' IIO

to said shaft, and Aa Weighted lever I, provided with a friction-diskj, bearing against the disk j', substantially as set forth. l

5. The combination, with the rope C, the

5 horizontal main drum B, and its shaft provided With the gear-Wheel H', of the vertically-movable shaft g, provided with a gear- Wheel H, meshing with the gear-Wheel H and with a friction-disk j', a lever I, provided at ro its inner end with a friction-disk j, bearing against the disk j, a eounterpoise k, arranged upon the lever I, an auxiliary drum m, mounted on the shaft of the main drum, and a rope m', Wound upon the auxiliary drum in an' op-