US536866A - Fire-escape - Google Patents

Description

(NoModeiL) G. F. FITZ GERALD.

FIRE ESGAPB.

No. 536,866. Patented A 'r. 2, 1895.

lNl/ENTOH BY ATTORNEY.

WITNESSES;

PATENT Farce,

CHARLES F. FITZ GERALD, OF WEST MILLBROOK, MICHIGAN.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart Of Letters Patent NO. 536,866, dated April 2, 1895.

Application fi November @1894. Serial No. 528.083- (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. FITZ GER- ALD, a citizen of the United States, residing at West Millbrook, in the county of Mecosta and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes; and I do hereby declare the following to bea 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 in which the descent of a person is controlled by friction and regulated by a lever brake; and it consists in the novel construction and combination of the parts hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a front view of the fire-escape; and Fig. 2'is a side view of the same.

A is a cord or rope the upper end of which is secured at a window and reaches to the ground.

B is a friction post or bar which is preferably hollow and may be of. hem-aluminum or any other strong material.

O is a removable cap which is secured to the top of the post by the pin 0, and c is a hole formed in the top portion of the cap on one side of the post.

D is the handle bar rigidly secured to the bottom of the post, and provided with a hole (1 on one side of the post, and preferably on the other side of it from the hole 0.

The rope A is passed through the hole 0 in the cap, coiled spirally around the post, and passed through the hole din the handle bar.

The person using the fire-escape may stand on the handle bar, or hang onto it,but a sling E is preferably attached .to the handle bar, for the person to sit in. The friction of the spiral coils of rope controls the descent, and the device is adjusted to persons of different weights'by-removing the cap and changing the number of spiral coils which surround the post.

F is a lever brake pivoted on the pinfin a slot in the handle bar. This brake presses against the rope and acts automatically, as

the brake handle requires to be depressed by hand to permit the device to descend the rope. The brake is operated by the person who is descending, but it may also be operated from above, or below, by means of the brake cord g which is secured to the handle of the brake. This cord is passed through a hole g in the handle bar when the brake is to be worked from above, and is thence led upward to the window.

What I claim is- .1. In a fire escape, the combination, with the vertical hollow post, and the horizontal handle bar secured to its base and provided with a rope hole, of a cap provided with a rope hole and slid upon the top of the post, a removable pin securing the said cap to the post, and a rope passing through the said holes and wound spirally around the post, substantially as and for the purpose set forth,

2. In a fire escape, the combination, with the vertical post, a removable cap attached to the top of the post the handle bar at its base, and a rope passed through holes in the said cap and handle bar and wound spirally around the post; of a brake consisting of alever pivoted in a slot in the handle bar on a pin,one end of the said lever bearing against the rope and the other end serving as a han-' dle for increasing or releasing the pressure, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature

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