US42719A - Improvement in safety-doors for churches - Google Patents

Description

' ada West, have inventeda new and Improved other purposes.

usual manner, and it opens inwardly, the

.ot the ordinary construction, and particularly UNITED 'STATES PAT1:i\Vt` ONICE.

ALEXANDER H. WAGNER, OF PIMLICO, ENGLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN SAFETY- DOORS FOR CHURCHES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 42,719, dated May l0, 18(24.

To all whom t may concern.'

Beit known that I, ALEX. H. WAGNER, of Pimlico, in the county of Middlesex, England, temporarily residing at Windsor, Can- Safety-Door for Churches, Snc.; 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, making a part ot this specitication, in which- Figure I represents an outside view of my invention. Fig. 2 is an inside view ot' the same. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the same.

Similar letters of reference in the three views indicate corresponding parts.

The object of this invention is to construct the doors of a church or other public building so that the same in ordinary cases open inwardly, the same as doors of the usual construction, but in case of fire or other accident, whereby the assemblage in the building is compelled to break up in great haste, by a slight touch ot' a lever or other suitable contrivauce the door is made to swing outward with an increased area, and the obstruction oft'ered by said door to the egress of the people from the building is considerably decreased. v

The nature of my invention and its peculiar advantages will be readily understood from tle following description.

A represents the door ot' a church or other public building in which large assemblages of people congregate, either for worship or for This door is hung on hinges a, which are secured to the frame B in the same as the doors in most such buildings.

If a large assemblage has congregated in the buildin g, and a tire or other accident occurs which renders it desirable for everybody to leave said building as quick as possible, a door When the same opens inwardly, is inadequate tor the occasion. It is liable to become clogged up or closed by the people in their great eagerness to rush out and the haste with which in i such cases each person is trying to save his or her own life, and the inadequate means of egress in public buildings ot' the ordinary construction has been the cause ot' great loss ot' life.

In order to facilitate the egress through the door and to prevent its being clogged up or closed, I have hung the frame B of my door on hinges b, so that the same swings outwardly, and I fasten it by means ot' eyebolts o and loops d. The eyebolts are firmly inserted in the inner surface of the frame, and when the same is closed they pass through mortises in a strip, O,of wood or metal, which is secured to the inside -edge ot the opening in which the frame s made to swing. The loops d are firmly attached to the inner side of' the strip C in such a position that when theframe is closed a rod, j', can be freely passed through the eyes of the bolts c and the loops d.

.In practice the frame will be secured by means ot' two eyebolts and two loopsone above and the other below-and the bolts or rods which fasten the same are connected to a lever, D, on opposite sides from its fulcrum, as clearly shown in Fig'. 2, so that by depressing the end of said lever both rods are Withdrawn simultaneously, and the frame, together with the door, is allowed to swing out, as shown in Fig. 3. I do not wish to contine myself, however, to any peculiar way of securing the frame by means ot' the lever D and cyebolts and loops c d, as this object can be eli'ected in various ways.

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

l. The combination of a door, A, opening inward, with a frame, B, hung on hinges and opening outward, substantially in the manner shown and described.

2. The application to the frame B and door A, constructed as described, of a lever, D, or its equivalent, so that by a slight touch of said lever the frame is liberated and allowed to swing open.

ALEXANDER Hi WAGNER.

Witnesses:

ELIsHA CHASE, JOHN FULLER..

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