US638080A - Fire-escape. - Google Patents

Description

Nu. 638,080. Patented Nov. 28, |899. D. A. TREADWAY.

F I H E E S C A P E [Application filed May 2, 18994) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

(No Model.)

vllillllllllllll No. 638.080. Patented Nov. 28, |899. f D. A. TREADWAY.

FIRE ESCAPE.

(Application led May 2, 1899.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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UNrTED STATES PATENT EEICE.

OTIS A. TREADWAY, OF ABERDEEN, MARYLAND.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

sPEcIFIoAE'roN forming part of Letters Patent No. 638,080, dated November as, 1899.

Application le. May 2, 1899. Serial No. 715,354. (No model.)

To if/ZZ whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, OTrs A. TEEADwAY, a 'citizen of the United States, and a resident of Aberdeen, Harford county, State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes; and my pre'- 'ferred manner of carrying out the invention is set forth in the following full, clear, and exact description, terminating with claims particularly specifying the novelty.

This invention relates to fire-escapes of that class which utilize an endless carrier; and the object of the same is to produce a practical device for permanent attachment to tall buildings, such as hotels and the like, whereby escape therefrom in case of lire is rendered easy, if not certain, to the stupeed and half-overcome victims, as Well as to others enjoying their presence of mind, though, possibly, terribly excited.

To this end the invention consists, broadly, in an upright well or cage of a height corresponding with the number of stories in the building and having openings or doors opposite each of said stories, means for moving the entire well laterally of the building and by an operator standing on the ground or on a running-board carried by the well, an endless carrier or elevator within such well for permitting the descent of the victims, and means for controlling the descent of said carrier by the operator standing on the ground or on said board; and the invention consists particularly in the specific details for carrying out this general idea, all as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and as shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a general perspective view of this device complete, showing it in position on a three-storyhouse, although it should be understood that I do not limit myself to the number of stories nor to the height of the tire-escape. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same, showing one platform about falling into place at the top, other platforms opposite each iioor, and still another platform in position ready for the exit of the victim. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4. is a detail elevation of the connectingshaft, shown in dotted lines at the bottom of Fig. 2, for communicating power from the main shaft at the front tothe lowermost sprocket-shaft at the rear of the wheel.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 desigL nates, broadly, a well or cage entirely of metal and preferably slatted, as seen in the drawings,'and the specific construction of this well is not important. 2 is a ladder or a series of ladders which may be attached to one orboth sides thereof for the use of firemen and others, if desired. 3 is a running-board supported by any suitable form of braces 4 at the front side of this well, which is open, as seen at 5. Said Well has openings 6, so spaced as to come opposite the windows in the respective floors of the building, and it also has an exit-opening 7 near the ground and preferably on one side.

10 10 are horizontal tracks supported by suitable brackets 11 along the face of the building and engaged by wheels 12 (preferably toothed, as shown) and which are mounted on shafts 13, jourualed in bearings 14 in the sides of the well, while 15 designates rollers which may travel against the face of said tracks. By preference the wheels have iianges 12', which pass behind the track to prevent dislocation of the wheels therefrom. Near the ground a power-shaft 15 is journaled in suitable bearings and driven by a hand-wheel 16, as shown, and this shaft is connected by beveled gears 17 with the upright shaft 18, extending the entire height of the well and journaled in bearings attached thereto, and this shaft in turn is connected by beveled gears 19 with both or all the horizontal shafts 13. Thus it will be seen that a cool-headed person standing on the ground or on the running-board 3 can manipulate the hand-wheel 16 to cause the toothed wheels 12 to move on the tracks 10, and in this man ner the entire Well can be adjusted laterally of the building, so as to bring its openings 6 opposite any desired windows therein.

20 2O are endless' chains of the sprocket type moving over sprocket-wheels 2l, suitably journaled in the front wall of the well at its top, and over other sprocket-wheels mounted on a main shaft 23, jonrnaled in suitable bearings just above the opening 5, and 24. is a hand-wheel on one end of this shaft, by which it can be turned. On this IOD e saoso shaft I also fasten a pulley 25, around which passes a band 26, whose center at the rear of the pulley is fixed to a bracket 27 and whose two ends at the front of the pulley are attached at different points to a lever 28, which moves over a toothed segment 29 and may have a thumb-lever 30.

3l 31 are two endless chains also of the sprocket type and passing over sprocketwheels on shafts 32 32, journaled in suitable bearings on the back of the well or nextthe building.

33 is a connecting-shaft journaled in bearings on the side of the well, and this shaft 33 is connected by beveled gears 34 with the shaft 32 at the back of the well as well as with the main shaft 23 at the front of the well. By this arrangement it will be seen that the two sets of sprocketchains are caused to move in unison.

The numerals 40 designate platforms, of which there will be a suflicient number to permit the operation described below. Each platform preferably has at one edge a shaft 41, with pulleys 42 at or near its extremities to bear against the well, and the platform is notched, as at 43, to pivotally receive certain links in the forward set of chains 20. The rear set of chains 31 31 carry at proper intervals links which have projections or ears 45, as shown, which projections are on the outer side of the chains. In addition to these details experience may suggest much else that I have not considered necessary to illustrate and describe in this connection. Obviously the exact sizes, shapes, and proportions of the parts are not essential, and considerable latitude must be allowed the manufacturer and freedom to be exercised by the contractor or builder.

The device being set up as shown in the drawings, it will be perfectly clear that by manipulating the hand-wheel 16 the entire well can be moved laterally across the face of the building to any point desired. If the iames or smoke is too dense at one point, the fire-escape will obviously be moved elsewhere. In adapting veach escape to the building on which it is to be used one platform 40 will stand Within and across the well just beneath each opening 6. The victims rush frantically to and out the windows and pass through these openings into the well and onto the platforms just mentioned. The fireman then loosens the brake above described, and the result is that the weight of one or more persons on the platform will cause the latter to descend. The brake may be manipulated to stop the descent, so that the very next platform can be used to save another imprisoned person or the one person already in the well can be lowered sufficiently to allow him to escape through the eXit 7. As each platform reaches the lower end of the well and the rear chains 31 pass under the lower shaft 32 their projections disengage the free end of the platform and the latter swings downward and outward through the opening 5 and ascends fiat against the front of the well, as seen in Fig. 1, the pulleys 42 assisting. Just as each platform passes over the upper front shaft 21 and drops into the well a pair of projections 45 on the rear chains comes into position to sustain the other edge of the platform in its descent. Obviously the hand-Wheel 24 can be used for assisting the motion of the devices or in place of the brake, if preferred.

The essential characteristics of this invention consist in the fact that the platforms while ascending or whilehanging out of use occupy comparatively no space, but while descending ready for use they stand horizontallyv across the interior of the well, 'where the most frantic person cannot possibly fail to find them.

A well-known objection to all fire-escapes now in use, so far as I am aware, is that in times of emergency the most skilful person loses his'head and cannot operate the sim-4 plest device. This exigency I avoid by having the operator on the running-board near the ground and by playing only upon the instinct of the frightened victim, which will naturally lead him out of the building and into the escape. Again, the objection to elevators as such is that having been used they must be raised again, and in emergencies the imprisoned person or persons will not wait for the elevator to rise, but often jump down the well. This cannot occur with my invention, because there is never a platform more than one story below the exit-opening from the building. Still further, I might add that it is the weight of the victims that really operates this device, and all that is necessary for the fireman to do is to apply the brake as may be necessary. E

What I claim as new is 1. In a fire-escape, the combination with an upright well having entrance-openings next the building and an exit-opening at its lower end, platforms within said well, and means for regulating from the ground the descent thereof; of horizontal rails supported by the building, iianged wheels traveling thereon,- shafts carried by the well and supporting said wheels, an operating-shaft at the lower end of the Well, and connections between all of said shafts, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a fire-escape, the combination with an upright well having entrance-openings next the building, and an exit-opening at its lower end, platforms within said well, and means for regulating from the ground the descent thereof; of horizontal rails supported by the building, toothed wheels traveling thereon, shafts carried by the well and supporting said wheels, an operating-shaft at the lower end of the well, an upright shaft carried by the well, and bevel-gears connecting the latter shaftwith all the others, as and for the purpose set forth.

31 In a lire-escape, the combination with an upright well and means for moving it laterally IOO IIO

across the face of the building, the Well having inlet-openings in its side adjacent said building and an exit-opening at its lower end; of shafts at the top and bottom of said well, endless chains running over pulleys thereon, platforms carried by said chains and spaced to correspond with the stories of the building, and a brake on the lower or main shaft, as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a fire-escape, the combination with a shaft supported near the top of a building and having sprocket-wheels, a main shaft near the ground and also having sprocket- Wheels, endless sprocket-chains moving over said Wheels, and a series of platforms carried by the chains and adapted to pass in front of the windows; of a pulley fast on said main shaft, a band attached at its center to a bracket in rear of this pulley, a lever in front of the pulley to which the ends of the band are attached at different points, and a toothed segment and thumb-lever, all as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a fire-escape, the combination with two sets of upright endless sprocket-chains, means for causing them to move in unison, and a brake for retarding their movement from a position near the ground; of a series of platforms pivoted to certain links in one set of chains, and a series of projections attached to certain links in the other set of chains, in such manner that the ascending platforms in falling into position to descend will have their free edges caught and their bodies held horizontal by said projections, all as and for the purpose set forth.

6. Inafire-escape, the combination with an upright well having inlet-openings opposite the various stories of a building, two sets of upright endless sprocket-chains, shafts near the top and bottom of said Wellcarrying wheels over which move said chains with their inner sides Within it and their outer sides respectively adjacent the building and on the face of the well which is outermost, other shafts and bevel-gears connecting these shafts to cause them all to move in unison,a runningboard carried by the Well, and a brake on the lower outermost shaft over said board; of a series of platforms pivoted to the forward set of chains so as to hang vertical while ascending outside the well, and to fall over the upper front shaft into the Well, and a series of projections carried by the inner set of chains in position to catch and-sustain the other edges of said platforms as the latter fall into position, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my signature this the 26th day of April, A. D. 1899.

O'lIS A. TREADVVAY.

VWitnesses:

CHAs. H. JACOBS, G. H. IvrNs.

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