US538398A - Fire-escape - Google Patents

Description

(nominaal.) l

C. H. WILBER 8u C. E. LAVERY.

lFIRE ESCAPE.- No. 538,398. V Patented Apr. 30.11895.

of JW' 8X y UNITED STATES PATENT @EET-CE;

CALVIN H. WILBER AND CHARLES E. LAVERY, OF NEWTONS CORNERS,

' NEW YORK.

FI RE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent No. 588,398, dated April 30, 1895.

Application tiled March 11, 1895. Seal No. 541,258. (No model.)v

T0 all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that we,'OALvIN H. WILBER and CHARLES E. LAVERY, citizens of the United States, residing at Newtons Corners, inthe county of Hamilton, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact. description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to improvements inl fire escapes.

The invention will first be described in connection with the accompanying drawings, and then particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, VFigure l is a perspective view of a device embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view illustrating the seat, the folded position of the same being shown in dot-ted lines. Fig. 3 illustrates the friction and guiding device detached. Fig. 4 is a detail View showing a mgdilied form of the spreader. t

Referring to the drawings A, A are two blocks or pulleys of ordinary construction and made of iron. The block A is provided with a securing device a by means of which the block may loe-fastened to any suitable support or hanger, the securing device in this case consisting of an iron ring, as shown. A chain B is attached to the securing device or ring ct by a snap-hook b and is reeved over the blocks or pulleys A, A', as shown, the fall b being of such length as to reach to the ground when the escape is lowered.

The block A is provided with an eye a2 through which passes a central upward-extending loop c formed integral with a spreader C, having at each end diverging arms c provided at their free extremities with eyes c2 to which are secured, by means of S-hooks c3, four depending chains c4, attached at their lower ends to a seat D, composed of two portions d, d hinged together on their under sides in order that they may fall together downward. A safetychain E connects the depending chains 04 so as to form a railing around the seat on three sides, while the fourth side is arranged to be closed by a removable front or belt chain F. Upon the fall b is threaded a friction and guide device consisting'in this case of a short tube' G made from leather or rubber and having a hole, g, for the insertion of a snap-hook g which is permanently secured by means of an` eye to one of the S-hooks c3.

The operation of our device is as follows:

A person desiring to escape from a burning building may place himself upon the seat D, 6o the seat of course being opened. The person so escaping after fastening the belt chain F in place may lower himself to the ground by grasping the friction device G and swinging `off from the building, allowing the fall b of the tackle to run through the tube G as slowly or as rapidly as desired, the rate of speed being determined by the friction on the chain,which of course depends upon the amount of pressure put upon the leather or other tube G by 7o the hand. In case the fall b is manipulated by some one standing upon the ground, as when women or children are being rescued from a building, the tube G is fastened to the snap-hook g and then serves'as a guide for 75 the fall ZJ', whereby the person on the ground operating the device, by holding the end of the fall away from the building may guide the seat D so that it will descend atan angle in- /stead of in a vertical line, whereby in case of 8o a fire breaking out in the lower windows the person occupying the seat D will not be burned. Furthermore, the tube G may be employed in the same manner as a guide when the seat is being again hoisted to the upper stories of abuilding by a person onthe ground,

in order to prevent the seat from dangling against the building or the tackle from being twisted.

The entire device may be suspended from a 9o bracket in a box secured tothe wall of a building above the window, either inside or outside the wall, the latter being preferable, and the box may be provided with a downward-swinging bottom secured by a latch, so that when 9 5 the latch is unfastened the bottom will swing down and the seat may be lowered from the box until opposite the window. Since the bottom seat D may be folded, the whole device may be packed in a small space and is rco easily transported from place to place.

In Fig. 4 we have shown a modified form of our device in which the spreader C has a central portion c6 to which the arms c are pivoted, so that they may be folded together as shown, the said arms c at their pivoted ends having stops c7 to prevent lateral displacement when in operation. To one of the arms c on each end of the spreader, and near the end is pivoted a brace rod c5 designed to connect with the opposite arm and to be secured in place by a thumb nut c8 entering a screw threaded hole therein, for the purpose of keeping the said ends in the operative position.

Having thus fully described our invention, what We claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a fire escape the combination, with a pair of iron blocks, a chain tackle and a spreader carried by the traveling block, aseres of depending chains, a series of S-hooks connecting said chains to the spreader, and a seat secured to the depending chains, of a tube of flexible material through which the fall of the tackle passes, and means for removably securing said tube to one of the S-hooks, substantially as described.

2. In a fire escape the combination, With a pair ot' iron blocks, a chain tackle and a spreader carried by the traveling block, of a series of depending chains attached to the spreader, aseat carried by said chains, a exible tube through which the fall of the tackle passes, said tube having a hole at one end, and a snap hook secured to one of the spreader arms, and arranged to engage the holein the flexible tube, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a fire escape, a spreader device com posed of a central portion, to which are hinged arms adapted to be folded together, said arms being held apart in their operative position by brace rods, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof We aEtix our signatures in presence ot' two Witnesses.

CALVIN H. WILBER. CHARLES E. LAVERY.

Witnesses:

A. W. TERRY, GEO. E. TERRY.

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