US41628A - Improvement in fire-escapes - Google Patents

Description

'A i UNITED STATES JOSIAH LOHR, OF NEV YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT l PATENT OFFICE.

N FIRE-ESCAPES.

"To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, JosLiH LoHE, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Fire-Escape; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same. reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part 0f this specification, in Which- Figure l represents a side elevation of my apparatus when arranged in position to be drawn through the' streets. Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of the same when in position to rescue persons from a burning building.

Similar letters of reference in both views indicate corresponding parts.

rlhis invention consists in a mast or pole provided with suitable platforms and rigging and connected to an oscillating shaft, which has its bearings in lugs rising from arevolving table or platform, in combination with a truck supporting said revolving platform and with a suitable hoisting mechanism, in such a manner that said Vmast can be turned down to a horizontal position and at right angles with the axles of the truck, ready to be drawn through the streets of a city or town, or that it (the mast) can be raised to any desired angle and revolved with the platform in either direction, according to the height or position' of those parts 0f a building which may be on fire or from which it may be desired to remove persons or articles.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe it.

A represents a truck supported byy four wheels, B, and provided with a platform, C, and draft-pole D, that serves to draw the same with all its appendages through the streets of a city or town. The center of the platform C of the truck forms the bearing or step for the central gudgeon, a, on which the table E turns freely in either direction. This table is proquire.

tion by corner-pieces c, and it is further steadied by shrouds d, extending from the head of the mast down to arms e, which are firmly secured to the ends of the shaft F beyond the table E, so that they do not interfere With the motion ot' the shaft or mast.

Vhen the mast is brought down to a horizontal position, its head rests on an additional two-wheel truck, H, which also supports the basket I, the use of which will be hereinafter explained.

The mast is raised and lowered by a rope, f, extending from a triple block, g, around three blocks, h, and a windlass, z', and thence to a cleat, j. where its end is belayed. The blocks h are secured to the mast at different distances from its head, as experience may dictate, and the triple. block g is rigidly attached to the the table E. Two brackets, 7c, secured to the sides of this standard, forni the bearings for the windlass, and the cleat j is firmly secured on its "front edge. By giving to the rope a few turns round the Windlass and taking hold of its loose end one man, with the neces sary assistance to turn the windlass, is enabled t0 control the position of the mast, and when he desires to retain the same in any desired position he belays the rope on the cleat j, and the object is accomplished.

K K are two platforms, which are rmly secured to the mast at different distances from its head, and which are intended to afford room for the iiremen to work upon at different heights. A hook, Z, secured to the rope Pt, which extends down through a suitable channel in the interior of the mast, serves to hoist up the hose to the upper platform, K, and a similar hook, Z, secured to a rope, Zf, is intended to hoist up the hose to the lower platform, K', and these hooks are so constructed that they embrace the hose and hold it at the desired height, thus giving to the firemen a chance to direct the current of Water without being obliged to sustain the Weight of the hose from the platform down to the ground.

`A hook, ZZ, attached to a rope, ZDF, which emanates from the top of the mast, and which is intended to extend down through the interior of the same and out at its side below, so that it can be handled from the table E, is intended to sustain the basket I, which is used upper end of a standard, J, which rises from for thepurpose of rescuing persons or articles from a burning building.

The mast itself is intended to be made of wood and of snlTicient length to reach to the top of the highest building. It will be covered with fire-proof paint, and ought to be made hollow and provided with a series of small holes, so that a current of water can be passed through them to prevent the mast from catching fire if it should be used close to a burning building.

The operation is as follows: When the apparatus is put up in a truck-house or drawn through the streets of a city or town, the mast is turned down to a horizontal position, its head resting on the secondary truck H, as clearly shown in Fig. 1 ofthe drawings. On arriving at the place of theiire the secondary truck is removed and the mast israiscd to a vertical or oblique position, so that the table E can be turned andv the shaft F brought in a position parallel, or nearly so, to the burning building. The firemen are now enabled to play from the platform K K on any part of the burning building, and if it is desired to approach any part of the building the mast is brought in an inclined position, as shown in Fig. 2, and by these means the basket I may be brought before any one of the windows of a house to allow of rescuing persons or ar ticles. The operation of the mast is considerably facilitated by the revolving table E, which may be turned by suitable guy-ropes, or in any other desirable manner.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of the revolving table E, oscillating shaft F, mast G, and Windlass i, all constructed and operating in the manner and for the purpose substantially as herein shown and described.

JosiAH Lona.

Vitnesses:

Tiros. S. J. DOUGLAS, Giao. W. REED.

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