Fire-escape.

Application filed April 6,1904. Serial No, 201,815.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Bergvin Johnson, John W. Smith, and Barney Johnson, citizens of the United States, and residents of 5 Congress,· in the county, of Yavapai and Territory of Arizona, have invented a new and Improved Fire-Escape, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of this invention is to provide io novel details of construction for a fire-escape device which afford a very compact, convenient, and perfectly reliable means for descending from the roof or from a window in a building to the ground without danger or ob15 jectionable speed, and, furthermore, which will permit the arrest of the one who is descending at a window for the rescue of another person, who may be carried down in a safe manner.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, as is hereinafter described, and defined in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of this specification, 25 in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the device, taken substantially on the line 1 1 in Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of 3° the casing for the device, taken substantially on the line 2 2 in Fig. 3, and a side view of the interior mechanism, seen in direction of the arrow x in Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view substantially on the line 3 3 in 35 Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail view of the upper portion of the device exposed when the casing- door is opened and viewed in direction of the arrow x' in Fig. 2.

A casing 5 is provided for holding therein 4° the details of the device in proper relative positions, so as to coact for the proper operation of the same, and, as shown, the casing is mainly cylindrical and of convenient dimensions for portability. The casing is longitu45 dinally bisected at one side of the axial center thereof to produce a door 5^a, which is hinged at one side edge upon the corresponding side edge of the main portion of the cas ing, as shown at a in Fig. 3, the opposite side edges of the door and casing proper being se- 50 cured together in closed condition by a springcatch b, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3.

The body portion of the casing 5 is, together with the ends of the door 5% adapted for closure of the normal lower end of the casing by 5 5 the lower end wall 5^b, from which centrally depends a ring eye 5°. In a similar manner the upper ends of the door and casing proper are converged to provide a closure 5^d thereon, which may be rendered coniform, and in said 60 closure at its axial center an integral thimble 5^e is formed, the central opening c therein being downwardly and laterally extended through the closure to produce a passage o'. At a suitable distance above the ring eye 5^C 65 a transverse wall 5^s is formed, that is the true bottom of the cylindrical portion of the casing wherein the working parts of the device are located.

_ In central perforations formed in the lower 70 side of the closure 5^d and in the transverse horizontal wall 5^g a cylindrical shaft 6 is introduced at its respective ends and is therein secured by any preferred means, the securing means shown consisting of a key d at the lower 7 5 end of the shaft and a clamping-plate e at the upper end thereof, which respectively engage the bottom wall 5^s and the closure 5^d.

Before the fixture of the shaft 6 in place the following-named parts are mounted there- 80 on in operative relation to each other, as will be described. Upon the lower portion of the shaft 6, just above the wall 5^s, a spur-gear 7 is loosely mounted, and next above this gear a flanged reel-drum 8 is mounted in a like man- 85 ner; but the lower end of the drum is firmly secured upon an adjacent side of the spur-gear 7, so that they rotate together. The upper end flange 8^a of the drum 8 is annularly recessed, and in said recess on its circular pe- 90 riphery a series of teeth g is formed, thus producing a large internal gear in the flange 8^a.

A bracket-plate 9 in the form of a segment is furnished with a hub 9^a at its narrow end, the hub, which is centrally and vertically per- 95 forated, being mounted upon the shaft 6 and

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is thereto secured, thus adapting the bracketplate to rotate in a horizontal plane upon turning the shaft.

A sleeve-like body 10, which is the body 5 portion of a speed-governor, is loosely mounted upon the shaft 6 above the hub 9“, said body portion having opposite lateral ears h formed at its upper end,said ears having lapped engagement with cam-shaped formations // io on the upper end of arms 10“ and are pivoted thereon, so that the arms may swing from and toward the tubular body 10, and upon the lower ends of said arms similar ball - like weights 10^b are secured. Upon the lower end 15 of the tubular body portion 10 of the. governor a spur-pinion 11 is secured, and adjacent thereto upon the upper side of the bracketplate 9 two spur-gears 1213 are mounted, the larger gear 12 on the top of the gear 13 and 20 both secured together, these gears being held to rotate on the plate 9 by the vertical stud i ' or other suitable means, and, as shown clearly in Fig. 3, the spur-gear 12 is meshed with the spur-pinion 11.

Upon the upper side of the bracket-plate 9 a spur-gear 14 is loosely mounted upon a short shaft 14“, that' passes loosely through, said bracket-plate, and upon the lower end of said shaft is secured a spur-pinion 15, which meshes 30 with the large internal gear in the upper side of the top flange 8“ on the drum 8.

There is a ratchet-wheel 14^b mounted and firmly secured upon the upper end of the short shaft 14“, the teeth of which are adapted for 35 interlocked engagement with a pawl m, that is pivoted at its larger end upon the spur-gear 14, and preferably the latter is recessed in its upper surface to receive the ratchet-wheel 14^b, a spring m’ pressing the pawl m upon the 40 teeth of the ratchet-wheel.

Upon the drum 8 a strong but light and thin rope 16 is secured by one end and wrapped thereon, preferably by means of a crankhandle 17, secured upon the lower end of a 45 short shaft n, that is passed upward through a perforation in the horizontal lower wall 5^eand receives on the upper end thereof a spurgear 18, that is secured upon said shaft end and has meshed engagement with the spur50 gear 7. The free end of the rope 16 is extended to have loose engagement with a pulley 0, that is held to rotate on the side wall of the casing 5 near the lower flange on the drum, and from the pulley 0 the rope trends upward 55 and beneath a similar pulley p and thence through the passage c' out of the upper end c thereof.

It will be seen that in wrapping up the rope 16 upon the drum 8 by turning the crank60 handle 17 from left to right, as indicated by the curved arrow in Fig. 2, the rope will be drawn downward from the thimble 5° toward and upon said drum. The trend of the ratchetteeth on the wheel 14“ is in such a direction 65 that when the crank-handle 17 is turned to ward the right, as indicated by the curved arrow in Fig. 2, the wrapping of the rope upon the drum 8 will cause the pawl m to slide over the ratchet-teeth, and the governor will be no impediment to the free wrapping 70 of the rope on the drum, the travel of said rope below the pulleys 0 and p producing just the amount of tension necessary for insuring the close wrapping of the rope upon the drum.

On an end portion of the hollow body 10 of 75 the governor that has been described a friction-disk 19 is mounted and secured, said disk having flat parallel sides, a circular periphery, and a beveled side surface r, formed adjacent to the periphery by the sloping removal of 80 the lower corner of said disk. Upon the shaft 6 above the disk 19 a similar disk 20 is mounted and firmly secured, having its upper side beveled toward the circular edge of the disk. 85

It will be seen that when the governorarms 10“ are rotated at an objectionable speed they will be spread outward, which will rock the cam-shaped edges of the ears // so as to impinge them upon the lower side of the disk 19, 90 which will cause said disk to impinge upon the upper disk 20, that is a fixture on the shaft 6. This contact will produce frictional resistance and correspondingly reduce the speed of the governor - body 10, which will through its 95 geared connection with the drum 8 so regulate its speed of rotation that the downward movement of the fire-escape will be controlled and rendered safe without regard to the weight it sustains. ¹⁰⁰

Upon the lower side of the closure 5^d on the upper end of the casing 5 a clutch-block 21 is pivotally supported, said block having an essentially V-shaped notch s in its side, that may be rocked into engagement with the beveled 105 faces on the disks 19 20 and produce more or less friction thereon, depending upon the degree of pressure had by the block 21 thereon.

In effecting the connection of the clutchblock 21 with the level wall of the closure 5^d no a short arm is formed on the block and projects laterally therefrom, the pivot that is fixed in the closure 5^d having a loose engagement with said arm, whereby the block 21 is held in a horizontal position, with its notch s 115 disposed near the beveled edge portions of the disks 19 20,but normally disengaged therefrom, by the pressure of a finger-spring t.

Upon the side wall of the casing 5, near the closure 5^d thereon, a cam-head 22 is held to 120 rock by the journaled engagement of a short shaft 22“ thereon within a suitable opening u, formed in said side wall, and, as shown in Fig. 1, a crank-handle 22^b is secured upon the projecting outer end of the shaft 22“, which ^I25 handle is limited in its rocking movement by the spaced pins v, that project from the casing 5. The brake device described is only to be used when the fire-escape is to be held at a desired point while in use. 13⁰

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In putting the improved fire-escape into service it is to be understood that the end portion of the rope 16 that extends through the thimble 5^e outwardly is affixed upon a metal 5 cross-bar or other device fastened to a window-casing at an open window or a fixture in the room, so that the casing 5 is thereby held in position opposite the open window. Upon the ring eye 5^C a strap or band (not shown) is io secured that is passed around' the hips and waist of the person about to use the fire-escape.

The brake device consisting of the clutchblock 21 and crank-handle 22^b is now adjust15 ed by a depression of the crank-handle so as to rock the high portion of the cam-swell on the cam-head 22 into enforced engagement with the adjacent side of the clutch - block, which will cause its clutching-surface to em20 brace the sloped faces on the edge portions of the disks 19 20 and produce sufficient friction between the engaged parts named to prevent the governor, the gearing connected therewith, and the reel-drum 8 from rotat² 5 ing, which will permit the person to assume a suspended position on the fire-escape with the casing 5 disposed in front of his chest. This preliminary to descent need take but a few seconds, and by releasing the brake de3° vice from the disks 19 20 the latter, with the governor, connected gearing, and reel-drum 8, will be released and free to rotate, which the imposed weight of the suspended user of the fire-escape will cause and also effect the 35 controlled descent of the person carried by the fire-escape, due to the operation of the governor and the friction-disks 19 20.

It will be seen that the relative proportions of the connected gearing and the governor 4° coacting therewith will permit only a safe uncoiling of the rope 16 from the drum 8, the speed of descent being regulated by the governor, as before explained.

When there are persons to be rescued at 45 windows below the window whereat the fireescape is hung, the one on the fire-escape may apply the brake device and stop the same before the lower window to permit one or more persons to mount the casing and cling to the 5° rope for a speedy and safe descent to the ground.