DE8606841U1 - Collapsible, anti-theft fire escape with separate release stations and safety belts with locking arms - Google Patents

Description

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SPONSOR NTAN'WÄWgvZ ELLENTIN

D-8000 Munich 2, Zweibrückenstraße 15, Telephone 089-224585, Telex 5-22903, Fax 089-222066

12 March 1986 NO 86 472 GM

Arild NILSEN
Geithusvn., 3370 VIKERSUND/Norway

Foldable, anti-theft fire escape with separate release stations and safety belts with

Locking arms

The invention relates to a collapsible fire escape made of metal which is normally folded and thus more resistant to theft. In the event of a fire, this fire escape can be unfolded by a simple manual operation from any escape station to form a fire escape which extends straight down to the ground and which is equipped with guides for locking arms with safety belts.

The safety belt is attached to one of the ladder side rails using its locking arm. These locking arms are designed in such a way that they slide down the side rail when not under load, and when loaded by the weight of a person they lock onto the side rail, thereby ensuring that the person does not fall off the ladder.

It is known that there are certain safety requirements associated with fire escape routes for buildings with two or more storeys. This problem is often solved by devices such as fire escape ropes, rope ladders or a sturdy ladder with safety rings permanently attached to the outside of the building.

However, rope climbing requires good training and it is usually too late to consider this aspect once the fire has broken out. In addition, climbing a swinging rope ladder requires a good ^physical condition and strong nerves, while the safety of fixed fire ladders equipped with safety rings is questionable if

a person in a state of panic loses their hand or foothold. This means that there is a real danger of falling down the ladder as if into a shaft. In addition, such ladders represent unsightly elements on the front of houses.

Different types of fire escapes are known.

!The ladder described in US-A-4 245 717 consists of separate sections for each floor. In an escape situation, the occupant of the upper floor of the house must first release his own section of the ladder. Once the occupant has climbed out to that section, he must then release the section of the ladder on the floor below. This can be done by the occupant bending down while holding on with one hand to release the next section of the ladder, or by trying to find the release mechanism with his foot.

In this way, the fleeing person must descend, floor by floor, or down ladders.

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section after section of ladder. It is obvious that such a descent is risky, especially if it is dark and the person has to feel around at each floor to find the release device. Furthermore, this ladder has several crossbars between the steps that hinder the descent. Furthermore, this ladder has no safety equipment to prevent a person from falling down if they lose their hand or foothold.

US-A-3 414 QSI describes a collapsible ladder with a release arrangement at the top of the ladder. A rope is attached to this release arrangement. If the ladder is to be used by the occupants of a multi ^- story building, it must be possible for all occupants of all floors to reach this rope. Consequently, this ladder is not theft-proof. If the rope is removed for any reason, the ladder cannot serve as an escape route for multi-story buildings if the occupant of the top floor is not at home or is unable to release the ladder in the event of a fire. In addition, this ladder has no device to protect the user from the danger of falling.

US-A-A.243 119 discloses a collapsible ladder, which is, however, in no way theft-proof. This ladder is held in position in the extended state by means of a hinged hinge. If such a ladder is used by several people at the same time, the hinge on the top is subjected to a heavy load. The risk of a material defect or breakage in relation to the hinge is therefore present, and if this were to occur, all people clinging to the ladder would be trapped. This ladder also has no safety features to protect the user from falling.

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It is therefore the object of the invention to propose a fire escape that enables a safe escape, is theft-proof and that is inconspicuously installed on the house façade.

This problem is solved by the features of patent claim 1.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject of the subordinate claims.

According to the invention, the ladder steps are attached to the side rails by means of a bolt providing an articulated connection. These side rails consist of two U-shaped profiles, the flanges of which face each other. Each of these profiles has two flanges that protrude from the bottom of the U-shaped profile on either side.

The side rail closest to the wall (hereinafter referred to as the inner rail) also has two additional flanges that protrude from the top of the U-shaped profile on either side and that close over the outer rail when the ladder is folded. The ladder is attached to the wall using fastening clamps that are adapted to the inner rail. The inner rail is secured to the fastening clamps using through bolts. These through bolts also hold the ladder rungs in position. This type of fastening also stabilizes the ladder against lateral movement when in use.

The rungs consist of a square tube that fits into the two profiles that form the side rails. If the rungs are opened to 90° relative to the side rails, the ladder or the rungs are

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* the walls are locked into the side rail profiles. The walls of the rungs are thicker around the bolt holes. When the ladder is folded up, the outer rail is held in position by a box-shaped element with the bottom facing upwards (hereinafter referred to as the locking cap). This box-shaped element is placed over the two side rails. To prevent the locking cap from being tipped over from below by any object, it is secured with a locking plug with a ball-shaped handle that is inserted through a hole in the cap and the outer rail. As a further safety measure against the removal of this locking plug by unauthorized persons from below, it is designed in such a way that a certain force is required to be able to remove it.

If the ladder is to be used from the highest point,

The locking plug and then the cap

removed, whereupon the ladder then opens under its own weight.

If the occupants of several floors of a building, e.g. a hotel or a block of flats, are to use the same ladder as an escape route, separate release points are installed at each escape station from which the ladder can be released straight down to the ground. For such conditions, the ladder is assembled as follows:

From a standard range of different ladder lengths, appropriate pieces are selected to provide the required total length. (The ladder lengths are connected to one another on site using unspecified connecting clamps to form a continuous ladder). At each escape station, the outer rail is

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* cut through and then a release pin is inserted into the outer rail above the cut and held in position by rivets. A hole is drilled into the outer rail below the cut, which is aligned with the hole

° in the release pin.

A locking plug is inserted through the hole in the outer rail and the release pin, which

rail is reconnected.
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In an escape situation, the residents of any floor, regardless of the residents of the upper or lower floors, are able to open the ladder from their escape station and climb down to the floor. The principle is therefore that whoever has to open the ladder from the escape station first releases it from their escape station down to the floor.

Each time a new escape station is opened on the floors above, the ladder section connects to the already opened ladder below.

The release pin, which has a slightly tapered end to guide the outer rail during the joining process, also features a collar to replace the material removed by the saw during the cutting process.

The safety belt is adjustable and is tied around the waist. An adjustable buckle is attached to the belt, which in turn is attached to a locking or blocking arm. The blocking arm is designed to fit the outer rail with sufficient tolerance so that the blocking arm can slide easily down the rail. If the blocking arm is

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If the weight of a person is subjected to this, the person will be clamped to the side rail due to the torque exerted.

5 If a person wants to climb the ladder from an escape point, e.g. a window, the safety belt is first tied around the waist. Then the blocking arm is inserted into the groove provided in the outer rail. This process is carried out before the escaping person climbs out onto the ladder.

Sj If the ladder is removed from the highest escape station

enter, the blocking arm is moved from the top of the

fi side rail here.

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If the ladder is entered after it has been raised from one floor

above has been released, the blocking arm is inserted through a punched slot in the flange of the outer rail. This slot corresponds to the size of the blocking arm for that escape station. The blocking arms have different widths. The blocking arm provided for the top floor is the widest, whereas the subsequent blocking arms provided at each escape station become progressively narrower.

A color coding, a number or the like

ensures _that appropriate safety belts are always available on a particular floor.

If an unconscious or physically disabled person has to be led down the ladder, this is made possible by attaching the person to a safety belt, the locking arm of which is equipped with a control lever. After the person has been lifted out and secured to the ladder using the safety belt, an assistant climbs the ladder from the opposite side and releases the

Blocking arm using the control lever. By releasing and

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* By pulling the control lever (like a car jack), the person is lowered along the side rail at a controlled speed.

^ In brief, the following advantages can be achieved with the help of the invention*

1. No limit on the number of floors the ladder can serve at the same time.

2. Security against unauthorized entry into the house, since the ladder can only be released or unlatched from the top or other floors, but not from the ground.

3. Residents on each floor can open the ladder from their respective escape stations so that it reaches straight down to the floor.

4. The user of the ladder is protected against falling from the ladder by a safety belt equipped with a blocking arm.

5. The feeling of greater security when entering the ladder from an escape station high above the ground.

6. Unconscious and physically disabled persons can be led down the side rail of the ladder using a safety harness, the blocking arm of which has a control lever.

7. A quiet and safe descent is possible thanks to wall mounting clamps that stabilize the ladder against lateral movement.

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The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the drawings.

Fig.1 the folding ladder in three different stages;

Fig.2 the ladder in opened and used condition;

Fig.3 the method of introducing the safety belt locking arm into the ladder at the top escape station;

Fig.4 the insertion of the blocking arm into the ladder from a central escape station;

Fig.5 a type of fastening with which the side rail is attached to the wall and the rungs are hinged;

Fig.6 the different widths of the insertion slots at different escape stations;

Fig.7 the closure cap placed over the rails; Fig.8 a rung in open position; Fig.9 a rung in cross section;

Fig.10 the orientation of the wall mounting clamp with respect to the inner rail;

Fig.11 the alignment of the outer rail with respect to the mounting clamp; Fig.12 a blocking arm with a control lever and Fig.13 the use of the control lever analogous to a

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car jack. The individual drawings show further details.

Fig.1 shows the ladder in use, where the reference symbol Y represents the ladder in the closed state, the

Reference symbol Z the ladder in a half-open state,

wherein the opening is effected by means of a release device on a

Escape station is carried out and the reference number 0 shows the ladder in the fully open position and in use with a safety belt.

Fig.2 shows how, when using the safety belt E with the buckle F, the locking arm B is clamped onto the outer rail !5 in the event of a fall.

Fig.3 shows the blocking arm B being inserted into a slot in the outer rail A from the top of the ladder rail or from the ladder rail 2Q which has been released from the highest escape station.

Fig.A shows how the locking arm B of the safety belt E is inserted through an insertion slot G provided on the ladder rail after the ladder has been opened from a floor above ■25.

Fig.5 shows the ladder at an escape station below the top floor, where the reference symbol L shows the release point with the ladder closed, the reference symbol N shows the ladder half-opened from QQ the release point and the reference symbol N shows the ladder in the fully open state at the release point.

The sketch marked with the reference symbol M shows the gc release pin O, which is attached to the outer rail A. The detailed drawing shown in the circle clarifies

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makes this clearer. From this drawing it can be seen that the end of the release pin O is tapered to facilitate the insertion of the underlying outer rail A. The same detailed drawing shows that the release pin has a collar R which replaces the material lost when sawing through the outer rail A.

Wall mounting clamps P are provided on the steps above and below the release stations, which stabilize the ladder against lateral movement.

Fig.6 uses reference symbols G-T and G-II to illustrate the different widths of the entry slots G at the upper and lower escape stations, whereby the blocking arm B cannot fall out through the slot G while it is sliding down the ladder.

Fig.7 shows how the ladder is made more theft-proof by means of a cap G and a locking plug K.

Fig.8 shows how the rung completes the unfolding process if it is at a position of 90° with respect to the rails A and S. The ends of the rungs are cut off at an angle at point X up to the center line of the bolt hole.

Fig.9 shows a cross-section of the rung W, with the walls around the bolt holes being thicker or reinforced (see reference U).

Fig.10 shows how the wall mounting bracket P and the inner rail S are aligned with each other. Flanges T are formed on the two legs of the inner rail S, which extend over the outer rail A when the ladder is folded.

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Fig.i1 shows the outer rail A and the blocking arm B in Section. On the blocking arm B there is a fastening point C

for the adjustable buckle F of the seat belt E j|

The outer rail A has projections H on the base part, which fit into grooves E of the blocking arm B with a certain tolerance. The alignment of the outer rail A with respect to the blocking arm B can be clearly seen in Figure 11.

Fig.12 shows the front and back of the Control lever V provides locking arm B.

Fig.13 shows how the control lever V can be used like a car jack to lower an unconscious person in the seat belt E.

The fire escape consists of U-shaped metal profiles as side rails, the ends of the rungs W being received inside the U-shaped profiles and fastened by means of bolts to the flanges of the U-shaped profiles. The outer rail A, as one of the side rails, is hinged to the inner rail S by means of the rungs, the profiles for the inner rails S having flanges on their outer sides near the bottom of the U-shaped profile which fit into the wall fastening clamps P, while on the outer side of the two exposed legs of the U-shaped profile smaller flanges T are provided which, when the ladder is folded, extend over the outer rail A

₃ q close. The profile for the outer rail A has smaller flanges H on the bottom which fit into the interior of a blocking arm B.

The outer rail A is adapted to >i · .* required number of g5 escape stations by sawing it through at the required places. A release pin 0 is in the

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Inside the outer rail A located above the cut and fixed to the outer rails A by means of rivets. A collar R of suitable size provided on the release pin 0 replaces the

Material removed by the saw.

Each escape station has a locking plug K which fits into a hole in the outer rail, this hole being aligned with a corresponding hole in the release pin 0.

The outer rail A is clamped to the inner rail S by means of a closure cap J and a locking plug K at the upper end of the ladder.

When in use, the ladder is stabilized against lateral movement by fastening clamps P. These fastening clamps P are designed to fit together with the inner rail S. The fastening clamps P are attached to the inner rail S using the same bolt fastening as the rungs W.

The rungs W have parallel oblique cuts at an angle of 45° to the center line of the bolt holes X. In this way, the ladder is self-locked against further opening if the rungs have opened by 90° with respect to the rails A and S.

The insertion slots G ⁱⁿ the flanges of the outer rail A provided for these blocking arms B have a different width at each escape station. The slot at the top is the widest, with the width being reduced continuously at each subsequent escape station, whereby a certain width of the insertion slot G corresponds to a certain escape station, and whereby each blocking arm B can be inserted over the slots of the underlying

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-U-escape stations without "derailing".

The blocking arm B has guide grooves E into which the flanges H of the outer rail A fit and forms an extension on which a fastening point or a fastening hole C is formed for the adjustable buckle F of the safety belt E.

A load acting on the fastening point C of the buckle F of the seat belt E exerts a torque on the

Blocking arm B. Due to the tolerances provided between the flanges H of the outer rail A and the grooves E of the blocking arm B, a clamping or blocking effect is achieved in the direction of the load.
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The blocking arm B is equipped with a control lever V, in case a physically disabled or unconscious person in the seat belt E is to be lowered.

The equipment according to the invention, namely a collapsible fire escape and a blocking arm with safety belt and control lever, enables the rescue of a physically disabled person by an assistant operating the control lever, which, similar to the effect of a

jack, clamps and releases the locking arm B. On

In this way, the person wearing the seat belt E can be lowered along the outer rail A at a controlled speed.

Claims (9)

&bull; « · t · ·· H a It · · ··· IIS &bull;&bgr; f &bgr; · · « · t N & PARTNER ,, D-8000 Munich 2, Zweibrückenstrasse 15, Telephone 089-224585,Telex 5-22903, Fax (Il + III) 089-222066 G 86 06 841.5 NO 86 472 GM 16.June 1986 Protection claims: 1. Collapsible fire escape made of metal, the side rails (S, A) of which consist of U-profiles and the rungs (W) of which are inserted into the U-profile and fastened to the legs of the U-profile with bolts, whereby one of the side rails - the outer rail (A) - is hinged to the inner rail (S) by means of the rungs (W), characterized in that the U-profile of the inner rail (S) has flanges on its outer sides near the floor which fit into wall fastening clamps (P), while on the upper sides of the two legs of the U-profile there are smaller flanges (T) on the outside which close over the outer rail (A) when the ladder is folded up and that the U-profile of the outer rail has smaller flanges (H) on the floor which fit into a blocking arm (B) equipped with a safety belt (E). 2. Fire escape according to claim 1, characterized in that the outer rail (A) is cut to accommodate the required number of escape stations at the appropriate locations, that a release pin (0) is arranged in the outer rail (A) above the cut, which is soldered to the outer rail and that the 4 · · I« 4t tt · · 0 4 « -2- Release pin (O) has a collar (R) that replaces exactly the material that is removed by the separation process became. 5 3. Fire escape according to claims 1 and 2, characterized characterized in that each escape station is equipped with a locking plug (K) which is inserted into a hole in the outer rail (A) and that the hole in the outer rail is aligned with a corresponding hole in the release pin (0). 4. Fire escape according to one of the preceding claims, which is protected against unauthorized use by persons from below, characterized in that the &iacgr; 15 outer rail (A) with the help of a closing cap (J) and f. a locking plug (K) at the top of the ladder is locked to the inner rail (S). 5. Fire escape according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the ladder is stabilized against lateral movement in use by fastening brackets (Len <"P) adapted to the inner rail (S) and secured to the ladder by the same bolt fastenings as for the rungs (W). 25 6. Fire escape according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the rungs (W) have parallel oblique cuts at an angle of 45° from the center line of the board holes (X). 30 7. Fire escape according to claim 2, characterized in that for the blocking arms (B) insertion slots (G) are provided in the flanges of the outer rail (A), which have different widths at each escape station &ldquor;c, the greatest width being at the top of the ladder and the width at each subsequent, ·« It (I It · · · ItI · «ill 'i »II · · · eic ■' &igr; ICFI -3- j underlying escape station becomes sequentially smaller/ | and that the blocking arms (B) have different widths for the insertion slots (G) at the specific escape stations, so that each blocking arm (B) can slide over the insertion slots of the underlying escape stations without derailment. &igr; 8. Fire escape according to claims 2 and 5, characterized in that characterized in that the blocking arm (B) has sliding grooves (E) which match the flanges (H) of the outer rail (A) and a recessed attachment point (C) for attachment of an adjustable buckle (F) of a seat belt (E). - 9. Fire escape according to one of claims 1 and 7, characterized in that the blocking arm (B) has a control lever (V).