US1625221A - Automatic fire escape - Google Patents

Description

April 1911927 (3. NYKOLYSHAK AUTQMATIC FIRE ESCAPE a Sheets-Shed 1 Filed May 22, 3.925 i 1927. ca. mmowswm AUTOMATIC FIRE ESCAPE Filed m y 22., 1925 Shgets- -Sheet s INVEN R Patented l8,

Mirna n i w r s! than c GEORGE NYKOLYSHAK, F 3' CITY, NIE'W JERSEY.

AUTOMATIC ESCAPE.

Application filed. May 22,

This invention relates to ii'nprovements in automatic fire escapes for emergency use in effecting the escape of a person or persons trapped in a building by lire.

The principal object of the invention resides in a device adapted to be installed in the interior of a building adjacent the top of a window for instant use and which includes a harness adapted to be applied to the body of the user and which is secured to the free end of a cable normally wound about a spring actuated reel, whereby the cable will automatically rewind after a person is lowered to the ground in order to permit other persons to likewise escape. 1

A further object resides in an automatic fire escape which includes a cable, a brake means for controlling the paying out of the cable as the user is lowered to the ground, spring mechanism for rewinding the cable, and a secondary or emergency spring means adapted to be brought into operation in the event of the breaking of the iirst spring mechanism.

With these and other objects in view, the invention resides in certain novel construction and combination and arrangement of parts, the essential features of which are hereinafter fully described, are particularly pointed out in the appended claims, and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which i Figure 1 is a view of my invention installed in the interior of a room.

Figure 2 is a view of the outside of building showing my invention in use.

Figure 3 is a front elevation of the working mechanism with the casing removed.

Figure 4: is an enlarged vertical sectional view on the line ll of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 5 5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail sectional view through the brake mechanism.

Figure 7 is a perspective View of an emcrgency device.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the reference numeral 10 designates my improved apparatus in its entirety which is adapted to. be mounted on the inside of a building adjacent the top of a window as clcz'n'ly shown in Figure 'l. of the drawings,

for ready access in an emergency for facilitating t] a escape of persons trapped in burning building.

My device 10 includes a casing ll having a 'move about their pivots thereby 1925. Serial No. 32,156.

hingedly mounted door 12 in the front wall thereof whereby access may be had to the harness 13 attached to the free end ot a cable l l. lhe cable is normally wound about a reel 15 keyed to a shaft 16 havin its bearings in a frame 17. Mounted on the shaft 16 for rotation therewith and disposed on opposite sides of the reel are bralte drums 18 which co-act with the respective brake bands 19. Secured to one end ofeach of the brake bands is an arm 20 pivotally mounted as at 21 and which arms are connected by across rod 22. A thumb screw 23 is ad justably mounted in a lug which depends from each of the arms and has a swivel connection with the other end of the respective brake band. The said screw is adapted to control the action of the brake band which depends upon the amount of braking action desired. The cable 14-. passes from the reel under the cross rod 22 and over a roller 24, stationarily mounted above the rod 22. It will be seen that a pull exerted on the free end of the cable will cause the arms 20 to contracting the band about the drums for setting up a. braking action whereby a person is permitted to lower himself from the window to the ground at a predetermined rate of speed. The said screw 28 isadapted to control the speed by limiting the contraction of the brake band whereby to accommodate the I lowering of persons of different weights. Springs 25 are connected with the rod 22 and with the frame for normally holding the brake hands out of engagement with the brake drums, but the action of the springs is overcome by the weight on. the end of the cable. One end of the shaft 16 extends be yond the side 01": the frame and has keyed thereto a reliitireh small gear 26 which meshes with a larger gear 27 keyed to the end of a. shaft 28 for transmitting motion from one shaft to the other. A flat coilspring 29 has one end secured to the shaft 28 and its other end secured to a portion of the frame 1'5. The spring 29 is normally unwound when the cable is entirely wound about the reel, but it will be seen that as the cable unwinds, the mot on ofthe shaft l6 is transn'iittcd to the shaft 28 through the gears 26 and 2'? thereby winding the coil spring and placing the same under tension. By the time a person has been lowered to the ground the spring will be sufficien tly wound to cause the reel to automatically rewind the cable to permit other persons to be lowered. The device is quick in its action to permit numerous persons to escape in a miniimun period of time.

In order to eliminate any possibility of the device from being rendered inoperative by reason of the spring 29 breaking,.1 have provided a secondary or emergency spring 30 which is similar in construction to the spring 29, but instead of beingsecuredlo the shaft 28, the end of the samefis attached to a sleeve 31 loosely mounted on: the shaft 28. The other end of the spring isattached' to a portion of the frame 17 in a similar: man.- ner as the spring 29; The inner faceoftlie sleeve provided witha clutchor. surface teeth 32 for co-action with similar teeth formed ona sliding clutch collar 33 mounted forrotation with the shaft 28.. Anexpanr sion spring 34 surrounds the shaft andds interposed between a collar 35 fixed to. the shaft and theclutch collar an d tendstonormally force the clutch collar into. co-action with the teeth The clutch collaris'pror vided with a reduced portion which receives the yoke end of apivoted lever: 36. The lever is normally held in aaposition. against the action of the spring 34 but may be readily actuatedor releasedto permit the clutch parts to engage thus bringing the spring 30 into use. The spring 30.will have the same effect upon the. reel as the spring 29 and assures a positive.working of the device in the, event thatthe spring 29 should become damaged.

Theharness .13. above referred, to maybe ofany suitable construction, but. I have shown a sling portion 3'T.for..the user tovsit upon, a waistencirclingportion anda connoctino strap 39. All .oftheharnessis constructed of chain and .is removably attachcd to the end, of thecable-by suitable snap fasteners 40 whereby persons maybe easily released from the harness as.v they reach. the ground.

InFigure 7 of the drawinp'. I have shown a devicewhich'is adapted tobe used in the event that both of the springs: become damaged whereby the cable will not rewind about the reel. The device is shown inits entirety as at il and includes a pairof pivoted levers 42 having co-actingjaws 43 formed on one end thereof The jaws are formed with co-acting recesses for "ripping engagement with the cable and the same are adjustable by means of a set screw 4d .carried by one of the. jaws and coacting with the other aw. The lower ends of the levers are formed with eyesfi whereby theharness may be attached thereto for permittinga person to slide down the cable. By insertion of the adjusting screw, the rate of speed may be varied according, to the weight of theperson being lowered.

While I have described what I deem to be the most desirable embodiment of my in vention, it is obvious that many of the details may be varied without in any way doparting fron'rthe spirit of my invention, and I therefore do not limit myself to the exact details of construction herein set forth nor to anything less than the whole of my invention llmitcd'only by the appended claims.

lVl'ial' claimed as new is l. A, fire escape comprising a. fral'ne, a shaft journalled therein, a reel fixedly mounted on said shaft. a cable normally wound about said reel, brake means operableby said cable for controlling the rotation of said shaft upon the paying out of said=cable, a second shaft, means for transmittinginotion between said shafts, and a spring. means adapted to be placed under tension by the rotation of said last mentioned'sha-ft upon the paying out of said cable when a pull is applied to the free end ofithe same whereby'toautomatically rewind saidcable about said reel upon the re lease of said pull.

2. A fire escape comprising a frame, a shaft journalled therein, a reel fixedly mounted on said shaft, cable normally wound about said reel, brake means operable by said cable for controlling the rotation of'said shaft' upon the paying out of said cable, means for regulating the action of said brake means, a second shaft, means for transmitting motion between said shafts, and a spring means adapted'to be placed under tension by the rotation of said last mentioned shaft upon the paying out of said cable when a pull is applied to'thc free end of the same whereby to automaticall-y rewind said cable about said reel upon the release of said pull.

3. A safety apparatus comprising a. casing, a shaft journalled for rotation therein, a reel keyed to said shaft, a cable normally wound about said reel, brake drums rotatable with said. shaft, brake bands for co-action with-said brake drums, and operable by said cable upon the paying out of the same, a second shaft journalled in said frame, means for transmitting motion between said shafts, and a spring means adapted to be put under tension upon the roation of said second shaft in one direction.

4. A'safety apparatus comprising a casing,.a shaft journalled for rotation therein, a reel keyed to said shaft, a cable normally wound about said reel, brake drums rota-table with said shaft, brake bands for co-action with said brake drums, a rocker member to which the ends of said brake-bands are connected, tension means for holding saidrocker member normally in a nonbraki'ng position, said cable being operatively associated with said rocker member for actuating the same against the action of said tension means to cause the tightening of said brake bands about said drums when a pull is exerted upon the free end of said able.

Av safety a 'iparatus comprising a as ing, a shaft journalled for rotation therein, a reel keyed to said shaft, a cable normally wound about said reel, brake drums rotatable with said shaft, brake bands for coaction with said brake drums, a rocker member including a pair of spaced turnably mounted arms to which the respective ends of the brake bands are connected, a cross rod supported by said arms, tension means for holding said rocker member in a non-braking position, said cable passing beneath said cross rod and over a roller mounted above said cross rod whereby a pull exerted on the free end of said cable will actuate said rocker member against the action of said tension means to cause said brake bands to tighten about said drums.

6. A safety apparatus comprising a casing, a shaft journalled for rotation therein, a reel keyed to said shaft, a cable normally wound about said reel, brake drums rotatable with said shaft, brake bands for coaction with said brake drums, a rocker member including a pair of spaced turnably mounted arms to which the respective ends of the brake bands are connected, a cross rod supported by said arms, tension means for holding said rocker member in a nonbraking position, said cable passing beneath said cross rod and over a roller mounted above said cross rod whereby a pull exerted on the free end of said cable will actuate said rocker member against the action of said tension means to cause said brake bands to tighten about said drums, a second shaft journalled insaid casing, means for transmitting motion between said shafts, and spring means adapted to be placed under tension by the rotation of said last mentioned shaft upon the paying out of said cable when a pull is exerted on the same whereby to automatically rewind said cable about said reel upon the release of the pull.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

GEORGE NYKOLYSHAK.

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