Rare Vintage Longworth Patent Hotel Reel Auto Fire Escape SAFE Ltd Engineers Blackpool, Circa 1930s

This is a rather rare Longworth Safety Automatic Fire Escape made by Safety Automatic Fire Escapes Limited (Fire Engineers) of Blackpool, Lancashire, England, Circa 1930s; this type of fire escape was used throughout the 1930s and well into the 1970s in most Blackpool Hotels but have all most disapeared of the face of the earth. The front of the cast metal drum is printed with instructions for use as follows - THROW REEL FROM WINDOW. ADJUST LIFE BELT ROUND BODY AND UNDER THE ARMS. CLIMB THROUGH THE WINDOW. YOU WILL THEN BE SAFELY AND AUTOMATICALLY LOWERED TO THE GROUND. ASCENDING BELT CAN BE USED FOR NEXT PERSON, now to clarify a little; when it states throw reel from window, I presume that it does not mean the cast housing but the reel of rope which would has one of the canvas life belts on, the second belt remains at the top for the user, as the first person goes down the original belt throw down raises up for the next person to use. The front of the drum is also printed with the following patents - British Patents 373728 (1933), 487526 (1939) French Patent 835258 (193?) and a South Africian Patent 337/1938 granted in 1938; above the housing the fire escape has the serial number 1537057S (Please see all Photos) The Fire Escape measures 6.5" in diameter (excluding bracket, hook, rope and belts), all though are in Excellent Used Conditon, there is some rubbing to the original paintwork. The Fire Escape works fine though but have not personally tried dangling myself out of a window and would not recomend you trying either (Please Refer to Photos). There is a charge of £10.00 to all U.K. Residents (Standard Parcels) due to the device weighing 4 kilogram unpackaged, we will also ship Worldwide no problem but please contact for price on Postage. If you have any further questions please feel free to contact!

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