US707704A - Fire truck and ladder. - Google Patents

Description

No. 707,704. Patented Aug. 20,y |902.

-H. w. LLOv0. FIRE TRUCK AND LADDER.

(Apphcatxon led May 19, 1902.)

(No Modal.) 8 Sheets-Sheet l.

atlzmmap No. 707,704. 4 Patented Aug. 26, |902.

H. W. LLOYD.

FIRE 'muck 'Aun LADDER.

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Patented Aug. 216, 19024.

H; w. LLOYD.. VFmla Tauck AND LADDER.

(Application md may 19, 41902.)

(No Model.)

A8 Sheets-Sheet 3.

attazmlp no. 707,704; Patented Aug. 20,1002.'

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F|BE TRUCK AND LADDER.

(Application filed May 19, 1902.)'

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(Application led May 19, 1902.)

Patenfed Aug. 20, |902.

@Hof/wmp Patented ug. 26, |902. HA.A W. LLUYD.

.Fmi TnucK AND'LADDER.

(Application mad my 19, 1962.)

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Patented Aug. 26, |902.

H. w. L LoYn. FIRE TRUCK AND LADDER.

(Application led Hay 19, 1902.)

8 Sheets-Sheet 7.

(No Model.)

Patented Anug.L 26, |902.

(Application Bled May 19, 1902.)

8 Sheets-Sheet 8.

(No Budel.)

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Nits 1 STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARVEY lV. LLOYD, OF SOUTI-Il/VEST CITY, MISSOURI.

FIRETRUCK AND LADDER.

SPECIFCATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 707,704, dated August 26, 1902. Application filed May 19,1902. Serial No. 108|000. (No model.)

To all wwm, it mrty/ concern:

Be it known that I, HARVEY W. LLOYD, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Southwest City, in the county of McDonald and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire Trucks and Ladders; and I do declare the'following to be a 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 improvements in ladders and conveyors, and particularly to a ladder and conveyer designed for'use in con nection with re-trucks and adapted also for a variety of other purposes.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved device forreachiug the upper stories and roofs. of high buildings in case of fire to effect the saving of life and property, said device embodying an endless conveyor Which when the invention is in use on afire-truck may be employed for carrying firemen and others up and Vdown a ladder and which may also be used for transferring goods of all kinds to and from buildings of high elevation.

A further object of the invention is to provide controlling' mechanism whereby the ladder may be raised, lowered, and adjusted with facility and with a minimum expenditure of power.

With these and other objects in View, whichl will readily appeal' as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in certain novel features of construction and combination and arrangement of parts,as will be hereinafter more fully described, defined in the appended claims, and illlustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in whichm Figure l-is a side elevation of a fire-truck embodying myinven! ion, showing the normal position of the parts. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a front elevation. Fig. Il is a rear elevation. Fig. 5 is a side elevation showing the derrick elevated and the ladder adjusted to a horizontal position preliminary to extending it. Fig. 6 is a side elevation showing the ladder elevated and extended. Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section of the apparatus. Fig. S is a cross-section thereof. Figs. il and 10 are longitudinal secframe.

hooks, so as to be out of the way.

tions through the two winding-shafts and their drums. Fig. 1l is a perspective View of the ladder and endless conveyor. Fig. l2 is a longitudinal section through two telescoping sections of the ladder. Fig. 13 is a detail view showing one of the devices for releasing the free arms of the derrick preliminary to lowering the same. Fig. 14 is a View showing the Winding mechanism employed for contracting the extensible ladder. Fig. l5 is a detail perspective View of one of the crossbars or rounds of the ladder, the couplings carried thereby, and the attached ladder-section. l

Referring now more particularly to the y drawings,the numeral l represents a Wheeled base or main frame, and 2 an auxiliary frame `mounted thereon, the said auxiliary frame having a turn-table connection with the main frame,whereby it may be rotated on said main frame, the turn-table connection shown in the present instance consisting of rollers 3, suitablyjournaled upon the auxiliary frame and bearing upon the platform 4 of the main The auxiliary frame swings upon a suitable pivot or king-bolt 5, connecting the same with the platform 4. Arranged upon opposite sides vof the platform are footboards 6, which are united thereto by hinges or pivots 7 and are provided on their under sides with folding brackets 8, which when the footboards are let down to a horizontal position are adapted to bear against the sides of the auxiliary frame and act as braces to support .said footboards and relieve the hinges or pivots of strain. The side footboards are of greater length than the auxiliary frame,and their extended portions are adapted to sup port transverse front and rear ootboards 9, which are adapted to be held in an upturned or folded position by hooks l0 upon the frame. Similar hooks 11 are provided to support the `side footboards inV an elevated position.

When the apparatus is not in use, the footboards may be turned up and held bythe The primary purpose of the footboards is to afford standing room for the iiremen and others when the apparatus is going to and returning from a fire or is being transferred from place to place for use.

Arranged upon opposite sides of the auxiliary lframe at the front and rear of the dc- IOO vice are standards or supports 12, suitably pivoted at their inner ends thereto, as indicated at 13, and provided at their outer -or free ends with jack-screws 14 for regulating the length of said supports, as desired. When the apparatus is adj usted for use, these standards or supports are turned doWn so as to bring the jack-screws to bear upon the surface of the street or ground, and said screws are then adjusted to compensate for inclinations or irregularities of ground-sur-- face, so as to provide at each corner of the auxiliary frame a rigid brace or support which will effectively hold the same in adjusted position and obviate all liability of tilting ot' the apparatus under the Weight of the elevated derrick, ladder, or any other parts of the apparatus when adjusted for use. Whenthe standards or supports are not in use, theyare turned up out of the Way and are held elevated by pivoted hooks or catches .15 upon the frame-engaging pins or keepers 1b' on said supports. Mounted on the top of the frame is an adjustable derrick 17, comprising two sets of arms 18 and 19, connected at their meeting ends by a cross rod or shaft 20, the opposite ends of the arms 18 being pivoted at 2l to the frame, so as to swing in a vertical plane. The free ends of the arms 19 of the derrick are adapted in raising and lowering the derrick to slide in guideways 22 upon the top of the frame, and to ride over suitable curved stops 23, xed to the frame. These stops 23 cooperate with other stops 24 to form a recess or socket for the reception ofthe said free ends of the arms 19 to support the derrick when yelevated for use against movement. When the derrick is being elevated, the arms 19 slide forwardly through the guideways 22 and over the curved faces of the stops 23 and then drop down into said sockets or recesses, said stops 23 holding the derrick from movement in a rearward direction and the stops 24 holding the derrick from movement in a forward direction. When it is desired to fold the derrick or restore it to its normal position it is necessary to elevate the arms 19 out ot' the sockets, and to accomplish this elevatingplates 25 are provided, said plates being carried by levers 26, pivoted to the auxiliary frame, each lever having a handle 27 pivoted thereto and arranged so as to be conveniently operated by a fireman or other person standing on thel platforms or footboards 6. The mechanism for operating the derrick and other parts of the apparatus is hereinafter described.

Mounted to Swingin the open frame 2 upon suitable trunnions or journals 23 is an extensible ladder 29` This ladder comprises a base 30 and a series of telescoping sections 3l, 32, 33, 34, 35, and 36, each comprising a pair of tubular parallel side rails 37, a cross-bar 38, and reducing-couplings 39, connecting said cross-bar to the tubular. side rails and forming guides of smaller diameterthan the tubular side rails of eachsection for the smaller side rails of the connecting ladder-section telescoping therein. The tubular side rails of the base ladder-section 31 are rigidly connected to` the base 30, which may be, as shown, in the form of a box or chest for containing and distributing air, steam, or other motive iuid under pressure, said box or chest also serving to counterbalance the Weight of the extended ladder, enabling thelatter to be easily manipulated. On this base are mounted hand-operated air-pumps 40, having suitable connections 40 for supplying compressed air to the interior of said chest.. These pumps are used when it is desired to employ a fluidpropelling medium for extending the laddersections; but in place of the air-pumps steam or gas supplying mediums adapted t-o subserve a similar purpose may be employed. Each extensible ladder-section is provided at its inner end with a stop-liange 402, which is adapted to abut against a similar flange 403 on the outer end of the next adjacent section closer to the base 30 (or directly against the coupling 39, if desired) to limit the outward movement of the first-named section. The couplings 39 may be provided with suitable packing and the construction of the joint made such in practice,fwhen air, steam, or other suitable elastic propelling medium is employed, as to form fluid-tight joints between the sections to prevent the escape of said impelling fluid, the outer ends of the tubular rails of the outermost laddersections being closed to form abutments against which the impelling medium. acts to force the ladder-sections outward to extend the ladder. Suitable controlling-mechanism for regulating the supply of air or other impelling medium will be employed in practice, but

is not herein shown, as the specific construction or arrangement of such parts forms no part'of the presentinvention. In addition I also employ a Winding-drum and suitable connections, as hereinafter described, for extending the ladder, the same being either as an adjunct to the pumps for extending the ladder-sections or as a safety mechanism for performing this work in the event of accident to the pumps or the fluid-supplying connections.

The cross-bars 38, connecting the couplings 39, serve as supports for the ladder-sections proper, which ladder-sections (denoted 41) are provided at their outerends with hooks 42 to engage apertures 43 in said bars and are thus detachably connected with the bars. The inner ends of the rails of the ladder-sections carried by the telescopic parts of the ladder are formed notched to form beveled shoulders 44 and projections to engage the outer edges of the cross-bars of the successively-larger sections to prevent the ladder-sections from swinging When the ladder is extended, which operation is assisted by spring-plates 45, fixed to the cross-bars and'bearing against the upper rounds of the ladders. These springs serve to hold the beveled shoulders of the ladders in engagement and prevent the lower IIO or free ends thereof from swinging out of engagement with the adjoining cross-bar. In addition the said spriu gs also serve to allow the ladder-sections to slide downward upon one another upon the contraction or shortening of the ladder by the telescoping of the tubular sections thereof without becoming disconnected from the cross-bars, so that as the tubular sections collapse the ladder-section upon one of the outermost telescoping sections will slide down over and upon the ladder-sections of the next adjoining innermost tubular telescopic section, as shown in Fig. 7, thus adapting said sections to have free movement upon one another to eect the quick and easy collapsiugortelescopingof theladder. Vhen the ladder-sections are extended, the beveled shoulders 44 press on the cross-bars 3S and allow the ladder-sections to fold inwardly in longitudinal alinement and substantially in parallel relation to the side rails of said sections, the frictional engagement of the shoul.

ders, together with the pressure of the springs 45, being sufficient to maintain the laddersections in such position when the telescoping sections are held extended by the fluid pressure. The pressure of the springs and frictional engagement of the beveled shoulders 44 may even be sufficient to hold the tubular sections extended upon the removal of the fluid-pressure by the exhaust of the confined air; but when the pressure of the luidmedium is removed and the retracting mechanism is operated to retract or close up the ladder-sections the pull upon said sections will overcome the resistance of the springs and frictional bind of the shoulders 44, and said shoulders will be caused to act as cams, which ride outward on the bars 3S against the pressure of the springs 45, thus swinging outward or projecting the free ends of the ladder-sections 4l to allow the same to slide downward upon one another as the telescoping sections collapse.

An endless conveyer 4G is mounted upon the ladder and comprises side chains carrying buckets or platforms 47, forming supports on which the firemen or other persons may be carried up and down the ladder and which may also be used for conveying goods to and from the roofs or upper stories of high buildings. The purpose of this conveyer is to facilitate the escape of persons from burning buildings. Vhen the apparatus is used for hauling and storage purposes, the conveyer may be employed for transporting goods of all kinds to and from a building. The side chains of the conveyer run over sprocket-wheels 4S upon a shaft 49, journaled in the outer telescoping sections of the ladder and upon sprocket-wheels 50, carried by a winding-shaft 51, journaled in bearings 52 upon the base 30, which shaft is provided with a crank-handle 53, whereby it may be operated to impart motion to said sprocketwheels and to the endless conveyer in an obvious manner. To maintain the lower portion of the conveyer in proper position and to insure the easy movement thereof, a roller 54 is revolubly mounted upon the rear portion of the ladder-base 30 and serves as an antifriction-bearing for the rear stretch of the chains of the conveyer to prevent the same from binding against or catching in any of the projections or parts of the apparatus. The ladder normally hangs vertically, and the weight of its base and connections is such Was to nearly counterbalance it, the lower or shorter end thereof, carrying saidbase, being somewhat heavier than the telescoping sections, so as to effect the easy restoration of the ladder to its normal position, while adapting the ladder to be adjusted by the expenditure of a minimum amount of power. In order to compensate for the length ofthe conveyer due to the lengthening and shortening of the ladder and maintaining the desiredtautness of said conveyer, mechanism is provided for taking up the slack therein whenever required, the same comprising a reel or winding-drum 55, mounted. at each end of the frame, to which drum is connected one end of a cable 56, carrying at its opposite end a bar 57, having loops or guides 58 for the reception and passage therethrough of the side chains of the elevator. The winding-drum is provided with a crank and suitable ratchet mechanism, and by its means the cable may be taken up or let out to tighten or loosen the conveyer, according to the length of the ladder. Vhen the ladder is to be extended, the cables are unwound, and when, on the contrary, the ladder is to be collapsed the cables are wound up, so as to maintain the desired tension on the elevator.

As before described, the telescoping sections of the ladder are extended or forced outwardly to lengthen the ladder by means of an elastic propellingmedium supplied by the air-pumps 40 or equivalent mechanism. To collapse or force inward the ladder-sections to shorten the ladder, suitable winding mechanism must be provided, and to this end I employ a winding-drum 59, located upon the base BOand having connected therewith two cables 60 and 6l, which pass over or are rove through pulleys G2, carried by the reducing? couplings 39, the free ends of said cables being connected either to the base or to the rigid lower sections of theladder. The winding-drum has at one end an operating-crank 63 and a locking and unlocking lever 64,

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adapted to be held in locking `position by a suitable form of pivoted keeper 65 upon the said base 30. Vhen this lever is locked by the keeper, the winding-shaft may be revolved only in the direction` to wind' up the cables and is held against retrograde rotation; but upon the release of the lever the drum may be turned in the opposite direction to unwind the cables and permit of the laddersections being extended. By this construction it will be seen that when the ladder-sections are to be extended the winding-drum is turned in one direction to pay out the cables and that, on the contrary, when the laddersections are to be telescoped. the drum is actuated to wind up the cables, whereupon the ladder-sections will be drawn inwardly and will be caused to close one after the other in an obvious manner. The cables 60 and 61 also strengthen the tubing and prevent the latter from swaying unduly when extended.

Mounted in suitable bearings upon the front portion of the frameis a winding drum or reel 66, comprisingashaft 67, having fixed thereto a gear-wheel 68, with which meshes a pinion 69, carried by a shaft 70, having a crank-handle 71 for operating the same and communicating motion to said drum or reel. Pawls 72 and 73 cooperate with the gearwheel 68 to hold the same against rotation in one direction or the other, one pawl being adapted to prevent rotation in one direction and the other in a reverse direction and each l being pivotally mounted, so as to be thrown y front portion of the frame, as shown.

into and out of operation at will. On the shaft 67 are a series of clutch- drums 74, 75, 76, 77, and 78, each of which is loosely mounted upon said shaft and is adapted to be ixed thereto by the clutch mechanism, of which any suitable form may be employed. To the drums 74 and 78 are connected cables 79, which pass upward over pulleys on the forward portion of the frame and are connected at their free ends to the arms 19 of the derrick 17, and these two drums and cables are adapted to be employed for drawing the der- -rck to a forward position andr elevate it from its normal position. (Shownin Fig. 1.) To the clutch- drums 75 and 77 are connected two other cables 81, which pass over pulleys 82 upon the rod or shaft 2O of the derrick 17 and are connected at their free ends to the ladder. These drums and cables are employed for elevating the ladder from a horizontal to a Ver-l tical position. The intermediate drum 76 has attached thereto a cable 83, which is provided at its free end with a hook 84 to engage a loop or eye on the base 30 of the ladder, and the purpose of this drum and cable is to preliminarily raise the ladder from its normal vertical to a horizontal position,in which it is held while the telescopio g sections are being extended. These cables pass upwardly through suitable guides 84 on the The cable 83 passes over a suitable pulley 85.

Upon the rear portion of the frame is mounted a winding drum or reel 86, comprising a shaft 87, carrying a gear-wheel 88, which meshes with a pinion 89 on a shaft 90, having attached thereto a crank91 for operating it. Pawls 92 and 93 are pi'voted to the frame and coperate with the gear-wheel to hold it against rotation in either direction. On this shaft 87 are mounted four clutch-drums 94,

95, 96, and 97, and to the clutch- drums 94 and 96 are connected cables 98, which pass upward and forward over pulleys 99 upon the rear portion of the frame and are attached to the free ends of the arms 19 of the derrick-frame 17. The drum is an extra drum,designed for emergency use. The drum 96 has connected thereto a cable 100, which passes through a pulley-block 101 and is provided at its free end with a hook 102 to engage a bail or loop 103, connected to the rear portion of the base 30 of the ladder. This cable and the cable 83, connected with the winding-drum 76, are employed when the ladder is held in a vertical position, either contracted or extended, to steady said ladder and to prevent it from swinging while the apparatus is being conveyed from place to place or is in use. The ladderis provided at its outer end with hooks 104 to engage the wall or window-sill of a building in the usual manner.

The operation is as follows: The normal position of the parts is shown in Fig. 1, from which it will be seen that the ladder normally stands in a vertical position, while the derrick folds downwardly and rearwardly, with its arms 18 resting on the top of the frame 2 and its arms 19 hanging down in rear thereof. When it yis desired to elevate theladderbyextendngitstelescopic sections, the derrick is first raised to the position shown in Fig. 5 by paying out the cables attached to the drums 94 and 97 and winding up the cables attached to the drums 74 and 78, at which time all the drums with the exception of the said drums 74 and 78 are disconnected to turn loosely on the two windingshafts. After the derrick has been elevated in the manner described the drum 76 is fixed to its winding-shaft and said shaft operated to wind up the cable attached to said drum to move the ladder to a' substantially horizontal position, at which time the drums 7.5 and 77 are fixed to their winding-shaft and the drums heretofore in use disengaged from theirshafts. Said drums 75 and 77 are turned to draw up the cables attached thereto and move the ladder to a substantially vertical position, as shown in Fig.\6, in which position the ladder is ready for use and may be swung to the front and rear to adjust it as desired through the medium of the cables connected with the drums 76 and 96. In

thus adjusting the ladder it will of course be understood that the winding-drum upon the base 30 is turned to let out the cables which are employed for contracting or telescoping the ladder-sections. After the parts have been adjusted in this manner the ladder is held stationary by winding up the drums 76 and 96 to the desired extent to make the cables attached thereto taut, and then the frame 2 is swung around to a position at right angles to the frame 1 to bring the rear portion of the ladder in position to face the building or structure to the upper doors of which it is desired to gain access. The ladder will then be in position for use, and the elevator may be employed for carrying firemen and others to and from the top of a build- IOO IIO

ing in the manner heretofore described. It will of course be understood that as soon as the ladder is adjusted the supports l2 are turned downward and the jack-screws la adjusted to suit the character of the street or ground surface, so as to rigidly hold the frame 2 against movement.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it is thought that the construction, mode of operation, and advantages of the invention will be readily understood without requiring an extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention, and I therefore reserve to myself the right to make such changes as clearly fall within the scope thereof.

I claiml. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a supportingframe, a derrick thereon, adapted to be raised and lowered, a telescopic ladder pivotally mounted in the frame, means for raising and lowering the derrick, means operating in connection with the derrick for elevating the ladder from a horizontal to a vertical position, means for adjusting the ladder to the horizontal position, and means for projecting and retracting the telescopic sections of the ladder, substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a supportingframe provided with sockets; of a derrickframe adapted to be raised and lowered and having movable arms adapted to be seated when the derrick is raised in said sockets, an extensible ladder, means operating with the derrick-frame for elevating and adjusting the ladder to a position for use, means for elevating and lowering the derrick-frame, and elevating devices for lifting the arms ot the derrick out of said sockets preliminary to the operation of the means for lowering said derrick, substantially as set forth.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a supportingframe; of winding-shafts upon the front and rear of said frame,each of said shafts carrying clutch-drums, a derrick adapted to be raised and lowered, an extensibleladder mounted to rg e,

swing vertically in the frame and adapted to be adjusted to a horizontal position to project its sections and to a vertical position for use, cables connected to certain of the Winding-drums upon said winding-shafts to raise and lower the derrick, other cables connected to other drums upon one ofthe winding-shafts and cooperating with the derrick to elevate the ladder to a vertical position for use, and cables also connected with the winding-drums on the two shafts for adjusting the ladder to a horizontal position and steadying it in a Vertical position, substantially in the manner described.

4. In an apparatus of the character described,a ladder composed of tubular telescoping sections, each section comprising tubular side rails, couplings connected to said rails and forming reducing-tubes for the rails of the connectingsection to slide through, cross-bars connecting said couplings, ladders having a detachable pivotal connection with the cross-bars and adapted to slide one down upon the other when the sections are retracted and notched to provide cam-shoulders to engage the cross-bars, and springs fixed at one end to the cross-bars and bearing at their free ends on rounds of the ladders for retaining the ladders yieldingly in position with the cam-shoulders engaging the cross-bars, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a supportingframe having guideways upon the upper rear portion thereof and stops at the forward ends of said guideways of a derrick-f rame adapted to be raised and lowered and having movable arms slidable in said guideways and adapted to engage said stops, a ladder mounted to swing within the frame, means cooperating, in part, with the derrick-frame for adjusting the ladder, means for raising and lowering the derrick-frame,pivoted plates for elevating the free arms of the derrick-frame out of engagement with said stops, andl means for operating the said plates, substantially as specied.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HARVEY W. LLOYD. Witnesses:

C. J. (JROCKER, R. P. THOMAS.

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