The Invention
The patent, US440322A, granted to Daniel McCree of Chicago, Illinois, on November 11, 1890, is for a “portable fire-escape.” The invention is a wheeled apparatus designed to be moved to different interior parts of a building and used from a window to safely lower people during a fire.
Key Features of the Apparatus:
- Portable Truck: The entire fire-escape is mounted on a four-wheeled truck or carriage (A). This allows it to be easily moved through the hallways of a building to any window.
- Folding Ladder/Arms: A system of folding arms (B’ B”) is pivoted to the back of the truck. These arms can be extended and placed on a window sill, creating a stable platform from which to operate. When not in use, the entire structure can be folded down onto the carriage.
- Winding Drums and Ropes: The main components for lowering the cage are a series of grooved winding-drums (C C) on a shaft (B’). These drums hold wire ropes (a’ a’) that are connected to the passenger cage. The shaft is operated by a hand-shaft (D) on the front of the truck.
- Passenger Cage: The device has a passenger or safety cage (C’) that can be raised and lowered on the wire ropes. The cage has cleats on its sides that “lap over onto the sides of said arms and serve to steady the cage while being loaded.”
- Friction Safety Brake: The wire rope that connects the hand-shaft to the main shaft passes alternately over and under a series of rounds (b’) on the folding arms. These rounds act as a “friction safety-brake,” allowing the user to “properly and easily control” the movement of the cage, preventing it from dropping too fast.
- Stability and Reinforcement: The apparatus has several features for stability:
- Brace-rods to stiffen the structure.
- Brace-bars behind the cage to prevent it from swinging away from the building.
- A counter-weight in the front of the carriage-box to prevent the entire apparatus from tilting.
Significance of the Invention and Inventor
Daniel McCree’s portable fire-escape is a great example of an inventor creating a practical solution for a serious public safety issue.
- Addressing a Major Public Safety Problem: In the late 19th century, urban populations were growing rapidly, and multi-story buildings were becoming more common. Fire safety was a major concern, and fire escapes were often unreliable or inaccessible. McCree’s invention provided a mobile and self-contained solution that could be deployed to any window in a building, offering a new level of safety.
- A Coordinated Mechanical System: The design is a testament to McCree’s engineering skills. He created a coordinated system of levers, pulleys, and ropes, with the added innovation of a friction brake, to ensure the safe and controlled descent of the passenger cage. The focus on stability and ease of operation shows that he was thinking about the end-user in an emergency situation.
- The “Everyday” Inventor: Daniel McCree, from Chicago, was likely an individual inventor rather than a large industrialist. His patent, like many others from the era, shows how ingenuity was applied to solve practical problems that arose with the growth of modern cities and new building designs. His contribution is a small but important part of the history of fire safety technology.
