Untitled record

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THE GRAPHIC C0.PH0T0.-UTH.39&amp;41 PARK PLACE,N.Y.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOS. H. GRIMSLEY, OF NEW LEXINGTON, OHIO.

FIBE-ESCAPE LADDEB.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 20,875, dated July 13, 1858.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Joseph H. Grimsley, of the incorporated village of New Lexington, in Perry county, State of Ohio, have in5 vented a new and improved mode of constructing ladders for the purpose of enabling persons to escape from the upper stories of buildings when egress by the ordinary avenues has been cut off by lire; and I do hereby 10 declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The nature of my invention consists in 15 constructing ladders with sides of metallic wires or other incombustible materials, in joints or parts connected by joints in such manner that they may be folded up into small compass, or let out for use, at pleasure. 20 The upper end of the ladder is so constructed that it may be immediately made fast to the inside wall or window frame of a building and the whole of the ladder thrown out and suspended by such fastening. At about 25 four feet from the lower end of the ladder a leather strap is fastened upon the side pieces, by means of which a person .may be tightly buckled to the ladder and let down— the rounds or steps answering for hand30 holds by which to let the ladder gradually down. Each round or step of the ladder has axles turned at each end, on which, at proper intervals, wheels or flanges are secured by linch pins or nuts. These wheels or flanges 35 turn on the axles with ease and are designed to keep the ladder far enough out from the wall to prevent the hands and feet from touching and at the same time to keep the ladder from swaying or lodging on any pro40 jections of the building.

For the purpose of enabling others to construct or make use of my invention I will describe the mode of making and using the same.

A number of rounds or steps of wood or other material are prepared in number, length, and diameter to suit the purpose. These steps are turned with axles at each end on which are placed wheels or flanges 50 of any desired diameter, secured, as at Figure 1. The steps have also a groove turned near each end around and in which the sides of the ladder pass. A single wire, or a number of small wires bound together, are drawn । around the groove in such manner as to 55 include the end of another wire, as at c, c, c, &lt;?, c, Fig. 2, or to include a small ring or link; the other end of the wire is bent into an eye to be fastened to the wire above or into the ring or link as the case may be thus 60 making a joint at each step or round of the ladder and allowing the whole to be folded up, when not in use, as shown in Fig. 3. Between the fourth and fifth step from the bottom (where the steps are placed one foot 65 apart) a broad strong leathern, or other, strap is fastened on the sides and arranged so as to be easily fastened together, with a buckle, or otherwise, as at D, D, Fig. 2.

The. upper end of the ladder terminates in 70 an iron or other incombustible ring as at g Fig. 2, which ring may be made fast on or to any arrangement for that purpose inside the building.

To use the ladder in case of fire or other 75 emergency, it is only necessary to have the upper end secured and then unfold and throw out of the window, door, or other aperture, the whole ladder. The flanges or wheels rest against the wall of the building 80 and keep the ladder steady and far enough out from the wall to enable a person to descend with comparative ease and safety.

Should it be desirable to use the ladder to rescue the sick, infirm, or any one too 85 timid to safely descend alone the feet may be placed on the lowest step and the straps D D Fig. 2 buckled tightly around the body under the arms. When thus secured the person may be put out the window and 90 safely lowered to the ground by any one of ordinary strength—the wheels or' flanges keeping the person thus lowered from all danger of having hands and feet bruised or broken by coming in contact with the wall. 95