, ▁on ▁May ▁ 7 , ▁ 1 8 7 8 ▁received ▁U . S . ▁Pat ent ▁number ▁ 2 0 3 , 5 1 7 ▁for ▁a ▁w agon - mount ed ▁fire ▁escape ▁lad der . ▁On ▁April ▁ 8 , ▁ 1 8 7 9 , ▁he ▁received ▁U . S . ▁Pat ent ▁number ▁ 2 1 4 , 2 2 4 ▁for ▁an ▁" im prov ement " ▁on ▁the ▁lad der . ▁On ▁May ▁ 1 6 , ▁ 1 8 8 2 , ▁he ▁received ▁U . S . ▁Pat ent ▁number ▁ 2 5 8 , 1 8 6 ▁for ▁a ▁fire ▁escape ▁lad der ▁that ▁could ▁be ▁aff ixed ▁to ▁buildings . ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁often ▁err one ously ▁c ited ▁that ▁Winter s ▁was ▁the ▁original ▁invent or ▁of ▁the ▁w agon ▁mounted ▁fire ▁escape . ▁Winter s ' ▁version ▁was ▁pat ented ▁ 2 9 ▁years ▁after ▁George ▁H utt man ▁and ▁George ▁K orn el io ▁initially ▁introduced ▁the ▁idea ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 9 . ▁However , ▁Winter s ' ▁lad der ▁replaced ▁the ▁wooden ▁lad der ▁with ▁a ▁metal ▁frame ▁and ▁parallel ▁steps . ▁Winter s ' ▁innov ation ▁was ▁util ized ▁by ▁the ▁Ch amb ers burg , ▁Pennsylvania ▁fire ▁department ▁who ▁mounted ▁the ▁lad der ▁on ▁a ▁horse - dra wn ▁w agon . ▁ ▁Joseph ▁R . ▁Winter s ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Le es burg , ▁Virginia ▁to ▁an ▁African - American ▁brick maker