US764187A - Fire-escape. - Google Patents

Description

No. 764,187. PATENTED JULY 5, 1904, s. J. GILMORB @L W. s. PERRY.

PIRE ESCAPE.

APPLICATIONHLED 0011s, 190s.

UNITED STATES Patented July 5, 1904.

PATENT OEEICE.

SILAS J'. GILMORE AND VILLIAM S.l PERRY, OF BURKMERE, SOUTH DAKOTA.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 764,187, dated July 5, 1904.

Application filed October 13, 1903.

To @ZZ whom, it IIe/Ly concern:

Be it known that we, SILAs J. GILMORE and WILLIAM S. PERRY, citizens of the United States, residing at Burkmere, in the county of Faulk, State of South Dakota, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements 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.

This invention relates to fire-escapes; and it has for its object to provide a mechanism of this nature which will be secured to the exterior of the building in such manner that under normal conditions it will serve as a balcony and which when properly loaded will descend by gravity, while its speed of descent may be governed at will.

A further object of the invention is to provide a construction embodying a car so arranged that after it has descended and its load has been removed it will ascend and its ascent may be arrested at any point.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification and in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the tire-escape with the car or balcony in partlylowered position. Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the hre-escape, including one of the upriglits, the balcony being in partly-lowered position. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through the brake-shaft. Fig. 4 is a detail view of a brake-lever and its latch mechanism.

Refer-ing now to the drawings, the present invention comprises a car, which in the prescnt illustration is shown in the form of a veranda, and this car is held normally at the upper limit of its movement and in position to be entered from a window of a building upon which the fire-escape is used. The car is slidably connected with uprights, and when a weight is placed on the ear it descends. The ear comprises sills 10 and 1,1 and connecting end pieces 12 and 13, which are mutually connected to forni a base-frame, which supports corner-posts 14, having rails 15, connected thereto and to which rails and the end pieces Serial No. 176,917, (No inodelJ Iuprights are attached laterally-spaced anglebars 22, having their flanges disposed toward each other, so that cut-under rails are provided which present guide-grooves 23, In

which are received the side edges of the vertical members 24 of brackets, comprising also 1 horizontal members 25 and diagonal braces 26, connecting the vertical and horizontal members. These brackets may be slid vertically from end to end of their respective upriglits or posts. At the upper and lower ends, respectively, of each upright or post are mounted sprocket- wheels 27 and 28, the axles of which are disposed within the uprights or posts, so that portions of the peripheries of the sprocket-Wheels may extend forwardly through the slots 29 between the angle-bar 22. A sprocket-chain 30 is engaged with the sprocket-wheels in each post, and the ends of the chain are connected to the upper and lower ends of the vertical member 24 of the supporting-bracket. Within each post is a counterbalanced weight 31, which is attached to the sprocket-chain therein, and these counterbalanced weights are so arranged and are of suchy weight as to overbalance the car and its supporting-bracket, so that the brackets, with the car thereon, are held normally at the upper ends of the post. The counterbalanceweights are preferably so made as to not only overbalance the car or balcony, but also the weight of a man thereon, so that when the car or balcony is'in lowered position a fireman may enter it, and if the car or balconybe then released it will ascend with its single passenger. When two or more passengers are on the car or balcony, it will descend against the action of the counterbalance-weights.

To hold the car against descent until it is properly loaded and also to stop the car at different points of its descent, a brake mechanism is provided. The brake mechanism consists of a rock-shaft 32, which is mounted in suitable bearings 33 on the front faces of the bases of the posts, and at the ends of this shaft are levers 34, having latch mechanisms 35, which cooperate with notched segments 36 to hold the rock-shaft at different points of its oscillation. The latch mechanisms for the levers comprise bolts 37, which are slidably mounted on the levers and to which are connected rods 38, which are attached at their upper ends to the levers 39, pivoted to the ears 40 on the levers 34. When the levers 39 are swung upwardly and rearwardly, the rods 38 move past the pivots of the levers 39 and are held against return movement. The lower sprockets 28 are provided with brake-drums 41, and on the shaft 32 are brake-shoes 42 for engagement with the brake-drums. With this arrangement it will be seen that by manipulating the hand-levers 34 the brake-shoes may be swung' into and out of engagement with the brake-drums and caused to bear against the brake-drum with varying pressures, so that the car may be released and permitted to move in either direction, or it may be held against movement at any point of its ascent or descent and that its speed of movement may bc retard ed.

In practice modifications of the specific construction shown may be made and any suitable materials and proportions may be used for the various parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is A fire-escape comprising hollow posts having vertical guideways on their front faces, brackets slidably engaged With the guideways of the posts, a car carried by the brackets, sprocket-wheels mounted in the upper and lower ends of each post, the lower sprockets being provided with brake-drums, a chain engaged with the sprockets in eachlpost and attached at its ends to the upper and lower ends of the corresponding brackets, a eounterbak ance in each post connected to the chain therein, a rock-shaft mounted transversely of the bases of the posts, brake-shoes carried by the rock-shaft in position to engage the brake drums respectively, when the shaft is rocked, means for rocking the shaft, and means for holding' the shaft in diHerent positions .of its rocking movement.

In testimony whereof We aHiX our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

Witnesses:

PETER HARKINsoN, LESLIE M. PERRY.

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