US398826A - Fire-escape - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

C. M. POWLER.

FIRE ESCAPE.

No.398,826. Patented Mar. 5, 1889.

Har 1 hir 1@ CHARLES ),l. FOWLER, OF

Trice.

ATnnT SALEM, MASSA@HUSETTS.

mee-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 398,826, dated March 5, 1889.

Application tiled November 2l, 1888i Serial No. 291,480. (No model.l

To @ZZ whom t may concor/z.: Be it known that 1, Crnxntns M, FowLER, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of i Salem, in the county ol Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and usei ful improvements in. Fi1re-llscapcs,oic which the following', taken in connection with the accompanyingl drawings, is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in portable tire-escapes, and it carried out as iollows, reference being` had to the accompanying' drawings, whereint Figure 1 represents a sectional iront elevation o1 the device, shown 'the covering-plate as removed. Fig. 2 reprr yents a cross-section on the line X K, shown in Fig'. 1; and Fig'. 3 represents a cross-section on thc line Y-Y, also shown in Fig'. 1.

Similar letters refer to similar parts wherever they occur on the different parts of the drawings.

1 represents a metal case orbox, which may be of any desired size or form and provided with a detachable plate or cover, Q, as shown in the drawings.

3 is the life-line, the upper end ol' which is to be secured in a suitable manner to the wini dow sill, casing, or other part olf the building or furniture within the room when the device is to be used, and for this purpose the upper end of said lite-line may be provided with a hook, ring, or other suitable or well-known fastening device, which is, however, not shown in the drawings. The life-line 3 passes loosely through vertical perforations e and 5 in the upper and lower portions, respectively, of the oase 1 and cover 2, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and it is to be made long' enough to extend from the place where it is secured to the ground, or nearly so.

Within the box 1 is pivoted at 6 the main brakedever 7, to the inner end of which is attached the rope or chain S, to which the person that is to be lowered secured by means of a suitable belt or other device usually emp ployed in portable nre-escapes, such device being', however, not shown in the drawings. l The main brake-lever 7 has on its under side two brake projections, 9 and 10, one on each i side of the fulerum 6, as shown in Fig. 1, the object of which will hereinafter be set forth.

L Below the brake projection tl is arranged witln in the case 1 the stationary projection 11, preferably provided with an upper concave surface, as shown in Fig'. 1. ielow the brake projection l() is journalcd within the case 1 on a pin-screw or rivet, 12, the guide-pulley 13, as shown in Figjs. 1 and 3. I prefer to guide the rope at this place over the pulley, as shown; but this is not essential, as a stationary pin or projection maybe used for this purpose without departing from the essence of my invention.

1i is another stationary pin or `guide proj ection within the case l, around which the lifeline 3 is guided, as shown in Fig. 1. To the outer end of the main brakedevcr 7 is attached the cord 15, having a suitable button or handle, 16, secured to its lower end, as shown in Fig'. l, by means of which the descending` person can manipulatethe said main brake-lever for the purpose ot' regulating' the frictional resistance on the life-line, and thus to regulate and control the speed of the def scent, or stop it altogether, as circumstances may require.

17 is asecondary or auxiliary brake-lever pivoted at 1S to the case 1 and provided in its outer end with a cord, 1 9, to the lower end of which issecured a suitable handle or button, 20, as shown in Fig. 1, by means of which said auxiliary brake-lever can be manipulated for the4 thereto, and when so suspended the weight of the party will cause the projection 9 on the brake-lever 7 to press and bear on the lifeline 3, where it passes over the stationary proj ectiou 11, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, thus preventing the device from sliding` downward on the said lifeline until the pressure of the brake-lever 7 is relieved, which is doneby the IOO operator taking hold of the cord 15, and by pulling downward on it causing the said lever 7 to be swung on its fulcruin il, and the pressure of the proj ection El on thelineS consequently relieved, allowing' the device and the person attached to it to gradually descend.

Should the operator pull too hard on the cord 15, the brake projection 9 will be entirely, or nearly se, relieved from the line where it passes over the stationary projection 11, and the line will be compressed or held between the brake projection lO and the pulley or proj ection 13. Should the operator while descending let go Vhis hold on the main brakelever cord 15, the brake projection 9 will be automatically pressed against the rope 3 Where it passes over the stationary projection 11 by the Weight of the said operator, thus arresting the descent until the brake-lever 7 is again manipulated, and so on. It Will thus be seen that the person descending has a perfect control of the device, can regulate at pleasure the speed of the descent, and can arrest the descent at any desired place, in a manner as hereinabove fully set fort-h.

Although the lever 7 is sufficient for the purpose of regulating and controlli-ng the frictional resistance on the life-line 3, I prefer in practice to use in connection Withit the auxiliary brake-lever 17, partly for the purpose of employing an additional means for braking on Athe life-line and thereby controlling and regulating the frietional resistance on said line, and also for the purpose of balancing the device by enabling the operator to grasp with one hand the brake-lever cord 15 and with the other the auxiliary brake-lever cord 1f), and by holding onto both, and thus manipulating both the mai u and auxiliary brake-levers, a perlect control ot' the device is obtained.

Having thus li'ull y described the nature, con struction, and operation of my invention, I wish to secure by Letters Patent, and elai 11i- 1. The herein-described lire-escape, consisting oi' the `frame 1 2, adapted to slide on the life-line 3, and having rope-guides ll, I3, and 1l, combined with the brake-lever 7, pivoted to the traine and having the brake projections 9 and 10, and the rope or chain 8, attached to said brake-lever, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The herein-described fire-escape, consisting of the frame 1 2, adapted to slide on the life-line 3, and having rope- guides 11, 13, and 14, combined with the pivoted main brakelever 7, having the supporting rope or chain S attached to it and having the brake projections 9 10, as described, and the auxiliary brake-lever 17, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my nam e to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses, on this 17th day of November, A. D. 1888.

CII'ARL'ES M. FO\\'LER.

Witnesses:

ALBAN ANDRN, CARL A. ANDRN.

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