US24909A - Kiah johnston - Google Patents

Description

AUNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEroE. p

HEZEKIAH JOHNSTON AND WM. J. MATTHEWS, OF COLLINSVILLE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS TO THEMSELVES AND JONATHAN BERKEY, OF SAME PLACE, ASSIGNORS TO HEZE- KIAH JOHNSTON.

FIRE-ESCAPE LADDER.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 24,909, dated July 26, 18591.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HEZEKIAH Jol-1N- sToN and WILLIAM J. MATTHEWS, of Collinsville, in Madison county and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fire-Escape Ladders; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawing, making part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a top view and F ig. 2 a vertical section through A A.

Our invention consists in combining anl endless apron, belt or chain, with a set of folding ladders, when the said ladders are constructed and operated substantially as herein after set forth, and also in combining with the said ladders a movable platform, arranged and operated as hereinafter described.

To enable others skilled in the arts to make and use our invention, we will proceed to descfribe the construction and operation, thereo Similar letters of reference represent corresponding parts of the different figures, of the accompanying drawing.

A A is the main frame, which is mounted upon the axle I, the said axle being supported by the wheels B B, upon which the machine is transported, or conveyed from place to place. Upon this frame and wheels, (which is in the nature of a truck) the folding ladder is fixed. The said ladder consists of a series of ladders which fold or slide into each other. Thus C is the first or base ladder, which is iixed to the frame A, at an angle as shown, or it may form a continuation of that frame, and be upon the same plain with it. The inside of this first ladder is grooved out, so as to receive the ladder D, which slides up and down into it. And the inside of the ladder D is grooved out to receive the ladder E which bears the same relation to D that D does to C. These ladders are unfolded by means of ropes S S, and R R. The ropes S S, pass over a loose pulley in the top of each ladder, as shown at d el, and c c. The ladder C being wider than the ladder D, the rope R is made to pass through the guides f f to keep it clear of the rope s. These ropes, after having performed the functions aforesaid are secured around the pins o c fixed in each side of the ladder C C.

M is a. platform secured to the upper end of the ladder E, by means of a working joint, whereby it may be thrown up on a line with the ladder or be made to set on a. line with the horizon, as shown on the drawing. The rope g is secured to this platform as shown at M; this rope passes through the guides N N, and from thence around the drum O, by which it is hauled taut, so as to operate as a brace, to support the ladder and at the same time hold the platform in position.

G G are two rollers, the one of which is fixed to the lower end of the ladder C and the other to the upper end of the ladder, E, and around these rollers an endless belt is placed, which may be made of canvas, rope or chain as the case may require, and which is made to travel over the said rollers, by the application of power to the crank H which has hold of the axis of the roller G.

V V are receptacles in the nature of bags xed upon the outside of the endless apron or belt. The obj ect of these receptacles, is to receive a person from off of the platform M, and to convey the said person to the ground which is done by lowering, away upon the crank H. The rollers Cr G should be made with projections on their surfaces so as to lay hold of the belt to prevent it from slipping. l

J J J are steps whereby a person may descend from the belt to the frame A, from whence it is but a short distance to the ground.

L L are braces fixed to the back end of the main frame, to keep it from receding, after the ladder has been placed in position against a wall. These braces may be folded up against the back end of the frame, as shown at L, there being a. hook fixed in the frame to receive them. c

K K, are levers fixed to the main frame for the purpose of depressing the back end of it, and thereby raising the ladders, against the side of a wall.

N N are small wheels fixed to the upper end of the ladder to facilitate its advance up the side of a wall, and H is the tongue to which the power is applied for the purpose of transporting the machine.

a a a Fig. 1 are braces to brace the sides of the ladder and to them is fixed, pieces of thin metal, (not shown on the drawing) to support the upper side of the belt'J E.

Let the ladder be in the position shown upon the drawing and lei'J the platform be in the upper Window of a building. A person coming upon the platform may lay hold of the brace u and from thence step into the receptacle o and from thence be lowered to the ground.

Having thus described the construction Patent, is-

and operation of our invention, what We claim as new and desire to secure by Letters l 15 The combination of the endless belt'l E,

with the folding ladders, and the platform Mgin the manner described.

H. JOHNSTON. WM. J. MATTHEWS.

Witnesses AMos BROADNAX, MICHL. OKIEFFE.

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