US66058A - Improved tire-escape - Google Patents

Description

@uitrit ff @anni @frn JonN WAGNER `AND JOHN SGHMID, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA. Letters Patent No. 66,058, dated June 25, 1867.

IMPROVED FIRE-ESCAPE.

TO ALL WHOM ITMAY GONOERN:

Bc it known that we, JonNWAGNnn and Jol-1N Sentire, of the city of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsyl- Vania, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in thc Lattice Elevator and FireEscape; and we do hereby declare thatthe following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is an end elevation of the said improved machine.

Figure 2, a side elevation.

Figure 3, a plane view of thegbase and gearing; and

Figure 4, an enlarged sectional side view of the jointed rack of the same- Like lett-ers of reference indicating the same parts when in the 4dilfer'ent figures. o

Our invent-ion relates to that class of elevators and tire-escapes which consist of two or more vertical parallel series of jointed lattice-work, resting on a base and supporting a platform above, so that the latter canbe raised and lowered in front of a buildingr or elsewhere, and consists in the construction and application of a peculiar jointed rack in combination with operating pinions and take-up cylinders, arranged to operate the lattice, substantially as hereinafter described; p and our invention also consists inthe peculiar :arrangement and combination, with the series of Vthe lattice-work, of friction-wheels and supporting bearings, as hereinafter described, fertile-purpose of more substantially supporting the said lattice frames in their elevated positions.

Referring `to the drawings, A A' A" are three series of the jointed lattice frames; Bl, the supporting base; the platform; D D', thejointed racks; E E', the operating pinions of the racks; F F', the take-up cylinders of the same; G, the friction-wheels; and H H, the supporjing bearings therefor'. Each of the three selies of the lattice frames A consists of two layers of numerous long,` thin, stili` plates of iron pivoted together, the platesA of each layer crossing those of the other in parallel lines, as represented in iig. 1. The three series A A' A" are connected vtogether parallel with each other by means of horizontal tie-rods, et', which serve also as the middle .and the two end pivots of thenlattice plates. (See figs'. 2 and The lower end of each latticeframe Afis pivoted to and supported upon two slotted posts Z1' (see g. 1,) and the two lowest plates a4 (see iig. 1) are elongated outward and bent upward so as'to form arms, a", which carry tllle frictionwheels G, so that the'latter will lroll-up and down against the'curved bearing posts H, and thus tog ether aord more stability tothe lattice frames when elevated. The platform C is supported in a horizontal position on the upper ends of the lattice frames A by means of slotted studs c', to which the inner ends of the two highest plates of each lattice frame A arercspectively pivoted. The middle tie-rod at the upper ends of the lattice frames A slide up and down in two slotted steadying posts e" e" xed to the under side of the platform C, and thus a'ords additionnel stability to the 4horizontal position of the platform as the lattice plates rise and fall in the operation of the machine. The jointed racks D D' each consists of a straight, rigid bar, d", and a series of like short rectangular iiat plates, d', of iron, toothed on one edge and connected together by knife-joints, (see-'iig'. 4,) so that the toothed and jointed part of the bar can be wound edgewise aronndits respective take-up cylinder F, and also, when aligned with the rigid part CZ", form with it a straight bar, which will enter and Aslip along through the sockets or boxes d, which are fixed along in the middle of the width of each of the two outside latticc frames A A". The upper end of each of the jointed bars D D' is xed permanently in the upper `socket or boX CZ of its frame, (see gs.' 1 and 2,) so that when the bars D are forced upward through their respective sockets or boxes d* they will necessarily lift the sockets d5 c25 and consequently canse the expansion or elongation upward of all the lattice frames A A' A". The raising and lowering of the jointed bars are effected by means of the two pinions E E' on the shaft e", which gear into the respective teeth of D and D', the

said pinions being operated by the spur-wheels I I on their shaft and the Ipinions J J connected with a crankhandle, K, and the whole retained flrmlyat any height by means ofva pawl, L, and ratchet-wheel, M. (See iig. On one end ofthe shaft e there is a spur-whcel, N, which gears with the spur-wheel O, and the latter with the spur-wheel 1 and on theshaft of the latter wheel P the two takenp cylinders F F' are fixed, and also connected with the lower ends of the two respective jointed bars D D', the said cylinders and'gear-wheels being calculated in size so as to takeup and gire-olf the jointed bars D,as the pinions E may require in operating the machine. .hecylinders F F' are permitted to slide longitudinally on their shaft so as to keep in line with thejointed bars D during the taking up or the unwinding ofthe said bars or jointed racks DD?. The teeth of the saidracks D may, of course, bernade in either of their twotedges. The whole machine is intended to be hired on a truck or carriage', so that it can be readily drawn from place to place, or in case of a building on fire to be run close up tothe Walls and operated either for the purposeeoi` elevating firemen with hose or for gaining access to the upper Windows and rescuing the inmates or valuables and lowering them speedily and safely fno lthe ground. On the platform there is a sliding-plate, s, for bridging to a window when necessary.

A. machine of this description can be produced entirely of iron for four or five hundred dollars, which )vill be easily transportable, and capable of elevating its platform, with the weight'of three or four men upon'it, to thevheight of forty feet in a few minutes, with perfect safety, and with but little exertion applied to the handcrank. For painters, andother artisans requiring light, portable scatiolds, it can'be produced at much less cost and will afford greater facility than the ladders or other portable supporting devices heretofore used,

Having thus fully described our improvement in the lattice elevator and re-escape, what we claim as new I therein of our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is confined to the following` viz:

1, We claim, in elevatorsand tire-escapes, the lattice frames, in combination with thejointcd racks D D', the operating pinions E E', and the take-up cylinders F F', the same being arranged to `operate together, substantially as described, for the purpose of elevating and giving stiffness and steadincss to the lattice frames when in use.

2. We also claim, in combination with the lattice frames A of :in elevator and tire-escape, the frictioni Wheels Grand the bearing posts H, arranged to operate together substantially as described, for the purpose of' giving additional stability to the lattice frames when elongated, as described. l

' JOHN WAGNER,

JOHN SCHMID.

Witnesses:

l BENJ. Morrison,

WM. H. MonIsoN.

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