US531883A

US531883A - Fire-escape

Info

Publication number: US531883A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1895-01-01
Anticipated expiration: 1912-01-01

Description

(No Model.)

H. VIBREGG.

PIRE ESCAPE.

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UNITED STATES PATENT l'llilblltlrT VIEREGG, OF GRAND ISLAND, NEBRASKA.

Fl R E- ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 531,883, dated January 1, 1895.

Application tiled March 19, 1894. Serial No. 504,205. (No model.)

.To LZZ whom it' may concern.-

Be it known that l, HENRY Wannee, of Grand lsland, in the county of Hall and State of Nebraska, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fire-Escapes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact descripion.

My invention relates to an improvement in fire escapes, and especially to an improvement upon the Letters Patent granted to me July 21, 1891, No. 456,388, the especial object of the invention being to provide a brake for the tire escape, automatically controlled through the medium of a governor, whereby the rapidity of the descent of a person will be automatically regulated, and also to provide an auxiliary brake adapted for use in connection with the automatic brake, when required.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

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

Figure l is a section through the casing of the fire escape, taken essentially on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2, the escape proper being shown in side elevation. Fig. 2 is a section taken essentially on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1. Fig. v3 is a detail view of the governor controlling the automatic brake; and Fig. 4. is a detail view illustrating the manner of attaching the track for the fire escape to the building.

In carrying ont thel invention, the lnain frame of the fire escape consists of two uprights 10 and 11, located at a predetermined distance apart, parallel with one another, the uprights at their upper ends being widened and connected by one or more cross bars 12 and a horizontal bar 13, secured at its center to each upright 10 and 11, said bars being parallel, and arched bars 14, one located at each side of the frame and extending from one extremity of the bar 13 to the other, as shown best in Fig. 1. At the junction of the cross bar 13 with the uprights ofthe frame a shaft l5, is journaled, one end of which extends beyond one side of the frame and is provided with a sprocket wheel 16, the said sprocket wheel being connected by a chain 17 with a similar pinion 18, the pinion being located in the wider portion of the frame, and it is mounted upon a shaft 19, horizontally located and extending in direction of the center of the frame, the said shaft being journaled in an adjustable bearing 19% The inner end of the shaft 19 is provided with a beveled gear 20, and the shaft near its inner end is supported by a hanger 21 or its equivalent, which hanger is made to rest upon a table 22, located upon a cross bar 23, which divides the narrower from the Wider portion of the frame.

A sleeve 2i is located upon the table 22, or upon the upper cross bar 23, and within the said sleeve a governor shaft 25, is held to revolve, the said shaft being made to extend through the table and through the cross bar 23 if both are employed. The upper end of the governor shaft isjournaled in an adjustable bearing 26, as shown in Fig. 2, whereby the shaft may be plumbed when occasion may demand.

A governor casing or jacket 27, is held to turn upon the upper portion of the governor shaft, its lower endresting and turning freely upon the upper end of the sleeve 24C. The governor casing or jacket is provided at its lower end with a beveled pinion 2S, which meshes with the beveled gear 20 on the upper shaft 19. The governor arms 29, are secured to the shaft 25 and are pivoted in openings in the jacket 27 through which they pass, as shown in Fig. 3, the outer ends of the arms being made to terminate in suitable balls or weights 30, whereupon, if the jacket 27 is violently revolved, the governor arms will be drawn upward by centrifugal force and will carry the governor shaft 25 downward to apply a brake to be hereinafter described.

A drum A is securely mounted upon 'the shaft 15 within the narrower portion of the frame. The said drum is provided with a hub 31,having a central groove 32 produced therein, which groove receives an endless chain 35. This chain, as has been described in the former patent above referred to,is so constructed that every other link will enter a channel located in the base Wall of said groove 82, or other means maybe provided for slightly retarding the passage of the chain over the IOO drum, or preventing it from slipping thereon. This chain is adapted to reach nearly to the ground and to be passed over a pulley attached to a heavy block provided with a handle, as has also been described in the aforesaid patent, thereby enabling persons upon the pavement or upon the ground to draw the chain outward, and thus prevent those descending, from being brought in contact with the window sills or other projections upon the face of the building, and if the house is constructed with an area, to carry the chain beyond the same. The descending person may simply grip the chain, or said person may be provided with any approved form of harness, which when employed is hooked tothe links of the chain. The block spoken of as being connected with the chain being heavy serves to hold the chain steady and enables the operator upon the side-walk to readily control the direction of the descent.

In order to prevent one stretch of the endless carrying chain from passing too close to the other stretch, a loop or yoke 35 is formed upon the lower portion of the frame, through which one stretch of the chain is made to pass as shown in Fig. 1, the chain being made to travel a predetermined distance from the outer end of the loop or yoke through the medium of a friction roller 36 or its equivalent, attached to arms 37, adj ustably connected with the lower portion of the frame, as best shown in Fig. 1,

At each side of the center of the drum and integral with it a large grooved wheel is located, or the said wheels may be fast to the shaft 15 and independent of the drum. These wheels are best shown in Fig. 2, and are designated as 38 and 39. Below these wheels a cross bar 40 is made to connect the uprights 10 and 11 of the frame, a second cross bar 41 serving the same purpose but being located below the bar 40. The lower ends of two

chains

42 and 43 are secured firmly to the cross bar 40, and these chains are carried upward to a contact, one with the grooved surface of each

wheel

38 and 39, and are attached at their upper ends to the T-head 44 of an angle lever 45, which lever is pivoted upon the upper portions of the arched bars 14 through the medium of a pin 46, shown in both Figs. 1 and 2. The upper member of the angle lever 45, is carried forward from the space between the two

wheels

38 and 39, and is adapted to be engaged by the lower end of the governor shaft 25. Thus when a person is descending, through the medium of the chain 33 the shaft 15 will be revolved, and according to the weight of the person the shaft will be turned to a greater or less degree, and consequently will revolve the governor jacket 27 in a proportionate manner, and cause the governor arms to be thrown outward to a greater or less degree, and thereby force the governor shaft 25 downward with greater or less pressure upon the brake lever 45, causing the

brake chains

42 and 43 to grip the wheels to a greater or less extent. Chains are employed for the brakes instead of straps, since more friction is obtained by their use.

It will be observed that the brake chains engage with one side only of the

brake wheels

38 and 39. Therefore, an auxiliary brake may be applied to the opposite surface of the wheels, to be brought into action when desired, or in the event the governor brake should not act properly. This auxiliarybrake is constructed by'attaching the upper end of a strap 47 to the inner face of each of the arched bars 14,k and carrying the said straps downward `in such manner that they may contact with the grooved surfaces of the

brakeV wheels

38 and 39. The lower ends of these straps are connected with preferably an elbow lever C, the connection being made to the short end 48 of said lever, the longer end being made to extend outward adjacent to that stretch of the carrying chain adapted to receive the person descending, and this longer member 49 of the auxiliary brake lever may have a chain or cable 50 attached to it, which may be carried to the ground so that it may be operated by a person from below. A hanger 51 is secured to the upper portion of the frame of the escape, which hanger carries a friction pulley 52, the said pulley being adapted to travel upon a track 53, the sections of which may be connected by pins or other approved couplings. The track is supported from the top of the building, as shown in Fig. 4, or from any point thereon; and a pin 53a is secured to the hanger, which when the wheel 52 is upon the track extends beneath the latter and prevents the wheel leaving the track.

In Fig. 4, I have illustrated one means of support in which brackets 54 are employed, adapted to support the track 53, said brackets having a bearing against the front of the building, and they are carried rearward and secured to the roof 55 for example with but a single bolt 56, but more may be employed if found desirable, as for example another bolt may be passed through the foot of the bracket into the wall.

The frame of the fire escape and all of its attachments are preferably provided with a casing 57, as shown in Fig. 1, made for example of sheet metal, the casing being designed to protect the device from the action of the elements.

-Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a fire escape, the combination, with a frame adapted to be suspended from a building, a drum journaled in the said frame and provided with three separate peripheral surfaces,'and an endless chain passed over the central surface, of brakes secured to a fixed support at the lower portion of the frame and engaging with the outer peripheral surfaces of the drum, the upper ends of the said brakes TOO IIO

drum chain, and an auxiliary brake mechanism comprising brakes which also engage said outer peripheral surfaces, levers pivoted beneath the drum and connected with said auxiliary brakes, and a hand chain or'cord depending from said levers along side of the endless chain, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a re escape, the combination, with a frame adapted to be suspended from a building, a drum journaled in the frame and provided with three separate peripheral surfaces, and an endless chain passed over the central surface, of brake chains adapted for engagement with one side of the outer peripheral surfaces of the drum, the said brake chains being secured at their lower ends to a fixed support, an angled brake lever journaled upon the frame and connected with the upper ends of the said brake chains, a governor located upon the upper portion of the frame, the shaft of which has bearing against the brake lever, a driving mechanism for the governor operated from the drum-shaft, and an auxiliary brake strap engaging with each outer peripheral surface of the drum opposite the brake chains, and connected with a brake lever adapted to be operated by hand, as and for the purpose set forth.

HENRY VIEREGG.

Witnesses:

W. H. THOMPSON, LIZZIE LIMBACK.