US517318A - Fire-escape or lifter - Google Patents

Description

(3)50 Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. WEL LENS.

FIRE ESCAPE 0R LIFTER.

Patented Mar. 27,. 1894.

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THE NAHONAL LITHDGRAFHING COMPANY,

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w. W ELLENS. FIRE ESCAPE 0R LIFTER.

N0. 517,318.- 1 Patented Mar. 27, 1894.

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W. WELLENS.

FIRE ESCAPE 0R LIFTER.

No. 517,318. Patented Mar.'Z7, 1894.

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' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM WELLENQ, OF OLDHAM, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND EDWARD WELLENS, OF SAME PLACE, AND MARK SOWDEN, OF BROOK- LYN, NEW YORK.

FlRE-ESGAPE OR LIFTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Batent No. 517,318, dated March 2'7, 1894.

Application filed May 9, 1893. Serial No. 473,620. (No model.) Patented in England March 5, 1892, No. 4,381.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM WELLENS, of Oldham, England, have invented a new and Improved Fire-Escape or Lifter, (for which I have obtained Letters Patent in Great Britain, No. 4,381, dated March 5,1892,) of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements infire escapes and lifters; and the object of my invention is to produce a cheap, simple, and convenient apparatus by means of which weights or loads of different kinds may be easily transferred from one floor to another,

also to produce an apparatus which affords an efficient fire escape, and further to arrange the device so that it may be used as van ordinary ladder adapted especially for use in painting or making repairs on buildings.

To this end my invention consists in certain features of construction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 a is broken front elevation with parts in section, of the lifting apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the apparatus when arranged in a portable frame and adapted for lifting. Fig. 4 is an end View of the runner or carriage on which the frame is mounted.

- Fig. 5 is a broken side elevation of the carriage. Fig. 6 is a broken plan view of the same. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the apparatus when arranged as a fire escape. Fig. 8 is a front elevation of the apparatus shown in Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a detail side elevation of the ladder and of a hook and seat adapted 'to fasten the ladder and serve as a support for the framework. Fig. 10 is a detail sectional view, showing howthe ladder may be hooked to the wall of a building and hung out of a window. Fig. 11 is a broken front elevation of a modified form of the ladder and one of its drivers. Fig. 11 is a detail view of another modified form of driver for the ladder; and Fig. 12 is a side elevation of a folded ladder.

The apparatus employs an endless ladder which is driven by oppositely arranged pulleys or drivers, which consist of flanges 10 and a series of cross rods 11 connecting the flanges. The drivers are carried by shafts 12 which are journaled in supporting brackets 13, these being secured in a suitable framework 14. The endless ladder carried by the drivers or pulleys comprises opposite side pieces formed of a series of short links 15 and cross rungs or rounds 16, connecting the side pieces and forming the pivots of the links. The arrangement described enables the short links of the ladder to fit snugly around the cross rods of the drivers or pulleys, as shown in Fig. 2, so that the ladder will not slip, and to guard against noise these cross rods may be incased in rubber washers 17, see Fig. 2.

Instead of making the drivers with opposite fianges 10, as described, each driver may be composed of a single flange 10 see Fig. 11, provided with transverse pins 11 and the ladder may be made narrower, as shown in the same figure, so that the link 15 will turn over the outer ends of the pins or the flange may be notched to receive the ladder rounds as at 10 in Fig; 11*. The shafts of the drivers may be provided with any suitable brake mechanism to control the speed of the shaft, but a convenient form is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, which is substantially like an ordinary strap brake. Here the upper shaft 12 is provided with a pulley 18 over which extends a strap 19 which at one end is secured to a stud 20 on the frame 14. and which at the other end is secured to aswinging lever 21 which is fulcrumed on the frame, as shown at 22, and by pressing downward on the lever, the strap is forced upon the pulley so as to check or stop the same.

The ladder and the shafts may be turned by a person attempting to walk up one side of the ladder, after the manner of operating a treadmill and to enable loads to be raised or lowered winding drums 23 and 24 are used, these being arranged on the upper IOO manner of connecting the two drums, is shown in Fig. 3. where a rope 25 is secured to the upper drum 23, extends outward overa guide pulley 26, then downward through a sheave pulley 27 carrying a hoisting hook 28, thence upward over a pulley 29 hung parallel with the pulley 26, and thence downward to the pulley 24:. It will be seen that by winding the rope upon either or both of the drums, the pulley 27 and hoisting hook 28 are raised and a reverse movement lowers the hoisting hook. The shaft of the lower drum is provided with a ratchet wheel 30, see Fig. 3, which is engaged by a pawl 31 pivoted on an adjacent support, and the pawl prevents the ratchet wheel and the adjacent drum from turning in the wrong direction. The pawl is connected by a cord 32 with a lever 33, which is fulcrumed above the pawl and the handle 34 of which may be grasped so as to depress one end of the lever, raise the other and release the pawl.

The drums E33 and 241 are connected with their shafts, as illustrated in Fig. 1, so that they may be fastened so as to revolve with it, or released therefrom, so as to unwind without removing the ladder. For this purpose, each shaft, 12, is provided with squared portions, 35, (see lower right hand portion of Fig.1,) which are adapted to fit squared holes in the ends of the drums. When the latter are adjusted on the squared portions of the shaft, as shown in full lines Fig. 1, they are held there by a catch, 36, which is pivoted to one end of the drum and whose free end enters a ring groove in the shaft. By raising the said catch out of the groove, the drum is free to be shifted to the right, into the position shown by dotted lines, so that it no longer fits on the squared portions of the shaft, and may hence be rotated independently of the latter. To look the drum in the alternate, shifted position, another catch, 38, on the right hand end of the drum, is engaged with the adjacent ring groove in the shaft, 12. The catches 36 and 38 are held in either position, 1'. e. in or out of the ring grooves, by friction on their journal or pivot pins, which may be produced by any preferred means, say by use of an elastic washer.

The apparatus, when arranged to be portable, is constructed as in Fig. 3, the drivers or pulleys being placed one above another, as described, and journaled between posts 41 which are mounted 011 a suitable carriage 42, the latter having casters or trucks 43 at its corners to enable it to be easily moved about. The shanks of the casters are pivoted in the carriage to enable it to be easily turn ed, and when it is desired to hold them in a fixed position and in a plane parallel with the sides of the carriage, plates 43, which are pivoted on the sides of the carriage near the ends, are turned down so as to extend opposite the sides of the casters.

At the top of the posts 11 is an arm 44.- extending parallel with the carriage, and the arm is braced by an upright 45 extending from its outer end to one end of the carriage.

The posts are also braced by the braces46 ex- 70 tending from the foot of the upright 45 to the central portion of the posts. On one end of the carriage and at the end opposite the hoisting apparatus, is a heavy slideway 47 in which is a longitudinally mdyable slide 49 carrying a weight 48 which may be adjusted in and out, and this weight, together with the weight of the slideway, prevents theladdcr supporting frame from tipping over.

The portable apparatus is provided with a brake substantially like that already described, and in using either the portable apparatus or the other, the weight to be raised or lowered is fastened to the hoistinghook 28 and the operator travels up or attempts to travel up one side of the ladder, thus turning the drivers, the shafts 12, and the winding drums so as to operate the hoisting pulley and hook and shifting the position of the weight.

\Vhen used as a [ire escape, the apparatus is preferably arranged as shown in Figs. 7 and 8. Here the upper and lower shafts are journaled in brackets 50 and 51, the former being suspended from a suitable support and the ladder being placed upon the drivers. The ladder is arranged to extend opposite the windows of a building, and the upper shaft 52 is extended beyond the sides of the bracket or hanger 50 and its outer portions are supported in other suitable hangers 53. On the shaft are winding drums 5 1 and 55, and the shaft may be provided with one or any desired number. The drum 55 is loose on the shaft and connects therewith by a suitable clutch 56. Both the drums are provided with ropes or cables 57 having hoistinghooks 58 attached thereto. It will be seen then that the shaft may be turned by pulling down on the ropes, thus assisting in moving the ladder and in conveying any people who may be thereon, or the weight of the people on the ladder may be utilized for winding up the ropes and lifting any articles attached thereto.

The fire escape is provided at the top with a strap brake 59, substantially like that already described, which is operated by a lever 60 fulcrumed on the bracket 50, and to the free end of the lever is secured a cord 61 which hangs parallel with the ladder and which may therefore be conveniently grasped by any person descending the ladder so as to depress the lever, apply the brake, and control the speed of the ladder. Asimilarbrake 62is arranged on the lower shaft and operated by a lever 63 fulcrumed on the bracket 51, and by means of the lower brake a person standing on the ground may control the speed of the ladder. The lower shaft of the fire escape is provided at opposite ends with ratchet wheels 6e and 65 having teeth of opposite pitch, and these are engaged by pawls 66 and 67 on the bracket 51 and the ladder is by this means prevented from turning in the Wrong direction. It will be of course understood that but one ratchet across from the rung of one member to therung of the opposite one.

In connection with the fire escape, a cage of any suitable kind'may be hooked or otherwise secured to the ladder, and the person or persons to be lowered may enter the cage. To counterbalance the cage and also to assist in raising an object, weights 71 may be hooked to the ladder, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 7.

It will be seen that persons may readily step upon the ladder from a certain floor, as 72 in Fig. 7, and easily lower themselves or be lowered to the platform 73 which is arranged on a level a little higher than the top of the lower pulley or driver so as to prevent the feet of the persons lowered from coming into injurious contact with .the bars 11 of the driver..

The ladder may be used without the drivers or any of the apparatus described, in which case it is simply hung from a window of a building 75, being secured at its upper end to a hook 74 within the building and having its longer portion held slightly away from the building by pins or arms 76 which are secured to the ladder and rest against the wall of the building. When the ladder is not in use in this way, it may be folded into a compact shape, as shown in Fig. 12, and easily packed away and transported.

It will be understood from the foregoing description that the apparatus may be used conveniently as either a lifter or a fire escape, and when used for lifting it is not necessary to use a hoisting pulley, as specified, for the weight to be lifted or lowered may be secured directly to one side of the ladder by hooking a suitable platform to the ladder and placing the burden thereon, or the load may be attached in any other convenient way.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. An apparatus of the character described comprising the upper and lower shafts, the endless ladder passing therearound, hoisting drums carried by said shafts and a brake mechanism to control the shafts, substantially as set forth.

2. An apparatus of the character described comprising upper and lower shafts, the endless ladder passing therearound, and the hoisting drums movable longitudinally on the shafts into and out of locking engagement therewith, substantially as set forth.

3. An apparatus of the kind described, comprising oppositely arranged drivers or pulleys having parallel rods, an endless ladder having its sides formed of pivoted links adapted to turn on the rods, hoisting drums carried by the drivers, and a brake mechanism to control the speed of the driver shafts, substantially as described.

4. An apparatus of the kind described, comprising a carriage, an upright framework thereon, drivers journaled in the upper and lower portions of the frame and provided with parallel rods, an endless ladder held to run on the drivers, hoisting drums carried by the drivers, and hoisting ropes carried by the drums, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with the shaft, having squared portions and ring grooves, of a drum having squared portions corresponding to those on the shaft, and catches attached to the drum and adapted to lock it. by engagement with said grooves, substantially as shown and described.

6. An apparatus of the kind described, comprising drivers secured to shafts journal'ed one above the other, the drivers having each parallel rods thereon, an endless ladder connecting the drivers and provided with linked or jointed side pieces to run on the driver rods, hoisting drums carried by the driver shafts, and means for throwing the drums into and out of gear with the shafts, substantially as described.

WILLIAM WELLENS.

Witnesses:

H. BOOTH,

Solicitor, Oldham. WILLIAM LEES,

His Clerk.

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