Pocket Fire Escape Wound on Reel Is Safeguard in Tall Buildings (Oct, 1924)
Pocket Fire Escape Wound on Reel Is Safeguard in Tall Buildings
To demonstrate the efficiency of a “vest-pocket” fire escape which he has devised, the inventor fastened one end of it to a seventeenth – story window railing of a New York hotel and lowered himself safely to the ground by clinging to the stout wire cable which unwound from a reel holder. A loop and snap buckle were attached to the end so that it could be quickly adjusted, and a spring in the reel took up part of the weight in descending.
Boy, I hate it when they don’t provide any details. I think I’ve found the patent for this device issued to William K. Edwards in 1924. The patent drawing sure resembles the photo.
http://www.google.com/patents?.....pe%22+1924
This looks like something James West would have used.
Comment by Firebrand38 — January 19, 2008 @ 7:01 pm
not really “scary” at all… if i was in a tall building that was on fire, i’d love to have a bag of rope so i could rappel down.
Comment by me — February 1, 2011 @ 11:03 pm