FR2515968A1 - Life saving appliance for controlled descent from building - is frame guided by pulleys uses pedal to apply brake to vertical cable via scissor mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

The life-saving appliance comprises a runner with pulley wheels (12,13,14,16) and brakes, enabling one or more persons to make a vertical cable descent from a multi-storey building, e.g. The brakes are operated by a pedal (3) and permit the user to control the rate of descent. The unit comprises a pivotable 'L' shaped member (18) on a post (1) with a handle (6) and a foot-rest (2). The gullies guide the cable down the post which is also fitted with the pedal together with an inlet (5) for the pedal-arm (4). The member is equipped with brake shoes (9,10,11) and eyes (19,28) for attachment of a user-harness and a return cable respectively. The user's weight on the foot rest causes the post and the member to pivot apart for rapid descent.

Description

 The object of the invention relates to a vertical descent device on a cable with adjustable fall speed.

 I1 is intended as a rescue means to allow one or two people to use a cable while ensuring by a simplified maneuver stopping or changing the speed of his fall.

 There is no easily stored, light and immediately usable personal rescue device, allowing a person in danger to descend quickly, vertically from a high floor, while having the possibility of taking a child with him for example. This before the arrival of everything takes place; this same device being usable for the descent along any wall or even in a chasm, that is to say in a vacuum, starting from a point of attachment of a cable of indefinite length.

 The device according to the invention makes it possible, starting from a light device, compact and immediately available, to use a cable to ensure rapid descent with adjustable fall speed, giving the possibility of reaching a lower level in complete safety.

 It is made up of a combination of a vertical bearing frame, guiding a cable along the grooved pulleys with double braking device and an articulated lifting bracket with braking profiles acting on the circuit of the cable engaged in the pulleys.

In the accompanying drawings, given by way of nonlimiting example, of one of the embodiments of the subject of the invention
Figure 1 shows in elevation and in section the device as a whole.

 Figure 2 shows the lifting garment.

 Figures 3, 4 show the operation of the device.

 It consists of a vertical frame 1 having at its base a step 2 and a pedal 3 whose arm 4 moves in the blocking socket 5.

 A handle 6 is placed projecting to constitute a grip for the user.

 The upper part of the frame supports the bracket articulated on the shaft 7.

 The vertical arm of the bracket 8 is provided with a set of three braking profiles in an arc of a circle 9, 10, 11 situated in the projection of the grooved pulleys 12, 13, 14 supported by the mount 1, and in which pass the cable 15, following the dotted line with return pulley 16. This cable 15 continues its path in the head tube, leaves it to pass through the cell 5, takes it again after the passage of the cell to exit by orifice 17.

 The horizontal arm 18 of the bracket has a ring 19. This ring receives the hook 20 of the harness or combination 21, in which the person using the device is placed.

 This garment is provided with an orifice 22 for the face.

Large amplitude openings to facilitate movement are provided on each side 23 for the arms, and on each side 24 for the legs.

 A hook 26 makes it possible to hang a jumpsuit for children for example.

 ring 28 placed on the upper facing of the arm 18 of the bracket retains the cable 29 for lifting.

 The upper end of the cable 15 is fixed at the start of the descent, for example to a window on an upper floor.

 It is engaged on the grooved pulleys 12, 13, 14 and by the reference 16 in the axis of the mount 1.

 It passes through the dimple 5 which can undergo the possible action of the brake 4.

 The user being suspended from the ring 19 holding on to the handle 6 and pressing the pedal 3 blocks the cable 15 in the braking socket 5 by the action of the arm 4.I1 also stops or slows the fall according to its order and the necessities of the moment.

 The user can badly place one of his feet on the step 2, carry the full weight of his body there by holding onto the handle 6. By this means, he obtains a rapid descent because the arm 8 deviates from the pulleys arrow R and releases the cable 15.0n is thus obtained by the play of the step 2, the handle 6, the pedal 3, the lever arm 18, and by the weight of the user suspended from the ring 19, braking more or less powerful by the pulleys 12, 13, 14 and the cable 15.

 The cable 15 may be free at its end touching the ground, but to avoid any swaying it can be stopped. This immobilization is essential for reassembling the device.

 On the other hand, at its upper part, the cable 15 is fixed to a window, for example with a hook with an anchor provided in advance placed at the top or in the middle of the window, or to any support that may be provided during the construction of the building.

 This device can be used both as a rescue means to escape a fire for example, as to descend any vertical wall or even in any vacuum by slowing and even stopping the fall to the desired point.

 However, the shapes, dimensions and arrangements of the various elements may vary within the limit of the equivalents, like the materials used for their manufacture, without changing the general conception of the invention which has just been described.

Claims (3)

REVliNDICATIONS 1 "Vertical descent device on cable with adjustable fall speed intended as a means of rescue to allow one or more people to quickly reach a lower level while accelerating or stopping the fall speed, characterized by the combination a vertical mount (1) carrying pulleys (12, 13, 14) guiding the cable (15) with an oscillating brake bracket on its axis (7) and of which a horizontal arm (18) supports the user suspended from the ring (19) and the other vertical (8) has braking profiles (9, 10, 11).  20 Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the vertical mount (1) comprises a platform (2), a brake pedal (3) whose arm (4) moves in a brake cavity (5) a grip handle (6) and at its upper part grooved pulleys (12, 13, 14) in which engages the cable (15) returned by the pulley (16) in the direction tube with outlet (17).  30 Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the braking angle comprises a vertical arm (8) with braking profiles (9, 10, 11) in an arc of a circle, and a horizontal arm (18) articulated on the shaft (7) provided at its end with a lifting ring (19) and a traction ring (28).  40 Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the combination (21) into which the user enters comprises a self-locking lifting hook (20), an orifice opening the face (22), large openings ( 23) on each side for the arms and the openings (24) also on each side for the legs, a quick closing system (25) and a hook (26) for additional suit (27).