US654482A - Fire-escape. - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

Patented July 24, |900.

F. W. NEBELTHAU.

Fl R E E S C A P E.

(Applipvbion led July 3, 1899,)

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FIRE ESCAPE.

{Applicntion led July 3, 1899.),

2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

(No Model.)`

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. 4ilNiTian STATES PATENT @Tribu resumen w1 NEBELTHAU, orMiNNnAPcLIs, MINNESOTA@ rms-ESCAP.

SPECIFICATION forming para of Letters rates No. 654,482, dated July' 241eoc.

Application le. July 5L, 1899. Seri-al No. 722,652. (No model.)

To all whom it may canberra;

Be it known that I, FREDRICK' vv. NEBEL THA, a citizen of the United Statesresiding at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Fs capes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of thel invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to provide an improved fire-escape which may be easily and quickly handled, will operate safely, and

which is adapted for general applicationto buildings in such manner that it will ordinarily be out of the way, but may be readily positioned for use.

To these ends my invention consists of the l improved tire-escapes applied thereto,the said fire-escape being shown in its folded or inoperative position. l Fig. 2 is a similar view to Fig. 1, but withA the nre-escape shown inits operative position ready fory use. Fig. 3 is an elevation showing a portion of the window to which the lire-escape is attached and showing the upper or receiving end of the fire-escape viewing the same from the inside of the building, and Fig. 4 is a bottomplan view of the lower end of the fire-escape.

The numerals l and 2 indicate, respectively, the walls and the floors ofthe building, and the numeral 3 indicates one of the windows thereof, to which my improved fire-escape is attached. Thenumeral 4 indicates a seat or couch, which is in the form of a box having an open bottomand one open side. This seat or couch is shown as mounted on casters 5, and it is adapted to be placed with its open side against the wall 1, immediately under the window 3, for a purpose which will presently appear.

In my improved iireaescape I employ as a means for permitting and controlling the escape of persons from the building a long and `to the ground, and it is preferably constructed of asbestos fabric or other fabric treated with asbestos, although it may of course be constructed of many otherflexible materials,

which should, however, in all cases be treated with some preparation making it as near reproof as possible.

At its upper end the tube ct is iiared or increased in cross-section, as shown at a2, and

it is provided with a lower flap a3, which, as

shown, is permanently secured to the wall l, immediately below the window 3, by means of a detachable cleat 6, as shown, held by screws 7. At its upper corners the enlarged receiving end a2 of the tube a is shown as provided with loop-eyes a4, formed as part of a rein-1 forcingrope or cord a5, which is run around the margin of the said end a2 to give the same the proper strength. These loop-eyes a4 are adapted to be hooked over the hooks 8, which are suitably secured to the inner sides of the window-frame.` cured to the hooks 8, the receiving end of the tube will be held open, so that a person may readilyenter the tube, and could not, in fact,

easily pass through the open window without entering theftube. v

At its lower or delivery end the tube a is securedto a twisting-ring b, this connection, asshown, being accomplished by securing the lower ends of the reinforcing cords or ropes a' to suitable eyes b', which project inward from the said ring Z), as best shown in Fig. 4. In this manner the lower end of the tube is so attached to the so-called twisting-ring b that a person making a descentthrough the tube a will readily pass through the said ring b. The ring b is provided with a crank or hand piece b2, by means of which the said ring may be turned to twist the tube ct, as presently described.

The twisting-ring b is mounted in a sup- When the loops a4 are se IOO porting-ringf, bearing ballsf being mounted to run in suitable grooves or channels formed in the outer and inner surfaces, respectively, of the said rings b and f. The so-called bearing-ring f is preferably formed in two parts, being split at f2 and secured together by small nutted bolts f5 and being further preferably provided with a pair of handpieces f4, that are also split on the said line f2, as best shown in Fig. 4..

For a purpose which will hereinafter appear a choke rope or cord gis formed in a loop around the upper portion of the tube d, just below its upper or entrance end d2, being, as shown, threaded through eyelets g', secured on the outer surface of the said tube. The lower end of the so-called choke rope or cord g will, when the device is in use or ready for use, hang to the' ground, so that it may be operated by a person standing below or on the ground.

WVhen the device is out of use, the loops a4 are detached from the hooks S on the windowframe, and the tube is piled up in the form of manifold, as clearly indicated in Fig. 1. The seator couch d4 may then be readily placed over the manifold, and the {ire-escape will be entirely out of the way and out of sight. At the same time the hre-escape is always available for use.

When it is desired to use the fire-escape, the seat or couch 4 may be quickly removed therefrom, and it is then only necessary to pick up the discharge end of the nre-escape, to which the rings b and f are secured, (these rings being found at the top of the manifold,) and throw the same out of the window. Then it is only necessary to hook the loops co4 onto the hooks 8 to put the device into condition for use.

To easily control the descent of persons through the tube a requires two persons on the ground who will support the delivery end of the said tube by means of the hand-pieces One of these persons, by taking hold of the crank b2 of the twisting-ring b, will turn the said ring so as to twist up the tube d, as shown in Fig. 2; When the tube d is properly twisted, a person jumping into the receiving end of the tube will descend but a very short distance therein, on account of the twists. The operator holding the crank h2 will then untwist the tube, so as to control the speed of descent of the person within the tube. After one person has entered the tube d another person may be prevented from following too closely into the tube by drawing `on the choke-rope g, thus contracting the upper or entrance end of the tube cr.

My improved fire-escape above described is of small cost and is efficient for the purposes had in view.

It will of course be understood that I do not limit myself to the specific details of construction above described, but, on the contrary, that my invention is capable of a large range of modification.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is as follows:

l. A fire-escape, comprising a flexible tube provided with means'for securing its upper end to a building and with a rigid or inflexible twisting band or ring at the lower end of said tube, by means of which ring saidV tube may be twisted and through which ring the person making the descent may pass, substantially as described.

2. A fire-escape comprising a flexible tube provided with means for securing it to a building at its upper end and a twisting-ring at the lower end of said tube through which the person descending may pass, in combination with a supporting ring or band in which said twisting-rin g is mounted, the said parts operating substantially as described.

3. A fire-escape comprising a flexible tube provided with means for securing it to a building at its upper end and a twisting-ring at the lower-end of said tube through which the person descending may pass, in combination with a supporting ring or band surrounding said twisting-ring and bearing-balls working in grooves formed respectively in said twisting and supporting rings, substantially as described.

4t. A iire-escape comprising a iiexible tube provided with means for securing its' upper end to a building, and the twisting-ring h at the lower end of said tube, having the crank b2, and the supporting-ringf mounted on said ring h by means of ball-bearings f', substantially as described.

5. In a fire-escape, a flexible tube securable at its upper end to a building, in combination with the choke-rope applied near the receiving or upper end of said tube for contracting the same, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

I testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FREDRICK W. NEBELTHAU.

Witnesses:

M. M. MOGRORY, F. D. MERCHANT.

IOO

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