GB2157166A - Fire escape appliances - Google Patents

Abstract

A fire escape appliance comprising an anchorage 15, 16 adapted for securement to a wall or other structure, adjacent, for example to a window, and a spool 24 detachably mounted on the anchorage and having a rope 27 wound thereon with one end secured to the anchorage,the arrangement being that the spool 24 can be detached and thrown from a window, the rope being unwound to form a means of escaping from the window. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Fire escape appliances This invention relates to appliances for enabling persons to escape from levels in a building above ground level, in the event of fire or other hazard.

The distance to the ground from floors above ground level is usually too great to allow persons to jump safely down although catching sheets or other devices may help in protecting against injury.

However such catching arrangements obviously call for the presence of someone at ground level.

In many cases no such persons is available and often no equipment of this sort is to hand in an emergency.

It has therefore been proposed to provide ladders or chutes which can be used without assistance. These are normally stored adjacent to windows suitable for escape by such a means.

However they tend to be bulky and therefore when not in use they represent an unwanted intrusion on space in a room. When required for use they must be manouvered out of the window and require some presence of mind or skill to enable a safe escape to be made.

It is the object of this invention to provide a fire escape appliance which is simple and reliable to operate and with which escape can be simply made with a high degree of safety and in which the appliance occupies a minimum of space when not in use.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a fire escape appliance comprising an anchorage adapted for securement to a wall or other position of use adjacent to a window or other escape opening, a spool detechably mounted on the anchorage and a rope normally wound on the spool and having one end secured to the anchorage.

With this arrangement the spool with the rope can be detached from the anchorage and thrown out of the window or other opening, one end of the rope remaining fastened to the anchorage. It is possible for persons to escape by climbing or sliding down the rope.

Preferably the appliance includes an enclosure for the spool, comprising a lid which is discardable when the rope is to be used.

Conveniently hand covers such as gloves or sleeves can be used to enable sliding down the rope to be accomplished without injury to the hands.

Advantageously the spool is shaped to carry some distance outwardly away from the building, if thrown in an appropriate manner, so that the rope will reach the ground at a distance from the building.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing in which: Figures 1 to 4 show in diagrammatic form the manner of use of a fire escape appliance constructed in accordance with the invention, and Figure 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the appliance.

As shown in Figures 1 to 4 the appliance can be used to escape from a floor of a building above ground level and is normally stored ready for use at such level adjacent to a window or other escape opening indicated generally at 10 in the building 11. In this example the opening includes an openable window but in certain cases it may be necessary to break the window before escape can be effected. The appliance which is indicated at 12 may be secured to a wall adjacent to the window opening and conveniently it is situated above the level of the window sill so that it is at a convenient height for use. The appliance, as will be described in relation to Figure 5, includes an anchorage on which is mounted a spool carrying a rope. This is enclosed by a cover when not in use but this is discarded when the device is to be made ready for use.

As shown in Figure 1 the cover is in place but when an emergency arises and it is necessary to escape through the window opening the cover is discarded thus revealing the spool carrying the rope. The rope end is attached to the anchorage and its other end is normally but not necessarily attached to the spool. As shown in Figure 2, the window having been opened, the spool is taken off the anchorage and in so doing the rope begins to unwind. As seen in Figure 3 the spool is thrown outwards through the window thus uncoiling the rope though its end is still firmly attached to the anchorage inside the building. Figure 4 shows how it is possible to escape by climbing or sliding down the rope.

Referring now to Figure 5 this shows the complete appliance in its normal stored position. It is shown fixed to a wall 13 which has an aperture 14 to accept an anchorage assembly. This includes an expandable assembly 15 of known kind which engages in the hole 14 and is tightly engaged by screwing up the bolt 16 forming part of this assembly. This is a suitable fixture for use in masonry but where the wall 13 is made from other materials, different types of fixing may be used.

The bolt 16 carries a nut 17 and rotation of this serves to expand the assembly 15 to secure it tightly in the hole 14 in the wall. Two washers 18 and a spacer tube 19 are engaged over the bolt and secured by a further nut 20. Rotatably engaged around the spacer tube 19 is an eye 21 which is attached to one end of a rope 22. To the nut 20 is welded a tube 23 which thus forms an outward extension of the anchorage. Freely rotatably mounted on the tube 23 is a spool 24 on which the rope 22 is wound.

The spool has dish-shaped end flanges so that, at one end, space is provided for the nuts 17 and 20 and the rope eye 21 and at the other end there is accommodation for a spigot 25 on a cover 26 which encloses the spool and rope. The cover preferably snaps onto the tube 23 by means of a spring detent or other device (not shown) or alternatively the cover has a lipped flange which can engage with the spool edge. The cover 26 is so shaped as to abut the wall 13 so as to completely enclose the rest of the appliance.

On the rope 22 are a number of sleeves 27 made for example from a material such as foamed plastics. These serve as hand-grips to protect the hands against the effects of frictional contact with the rope when sliding down the rope. Typically, four of these sleeves may be provided and they are fitted to the rope at the end nearest to the anchorage so that they are available for use at the upper end of the rope when the latter has been thrown from the window, as indicated in Figure 3 of the drawings.

In use therefore the cover 26 is removed and discarded. However it may incorporate an internal handle which can be used to grip it while it is used to smash a window or otherwise enlarge an opening ready for escape. It is preferably made from a plastics material and has sufficient strength to withstand such treatment.

The spool 24 is now taken off the extension portion of the anchorage formed by the tube 23. The spool has dish shaped end flanges and a central hole to accommodate the extension tube 23. The shape of the ends of the spool are such that this tends to fly when thrown out of a window as indicated in Figure 3, so as to arrive at the ground some distance from the building. if another person is present it is possible for this to be collected and sometimes attached to a fixture or simply held out to enable the persons escaping to move away from the building as soon as possible. The spool may remain attached to the end of the rope or, alternatively, it may be freed when the rope is fully unwound from it. Desirably the spool may be brightly coloured so as to be easily seen when it is thrown out of the window.

To escape, the rope is grapsed, preferably by means of the sleeves 27. Where the appliance is attached to a wall at one side of a window or other opening, the load applied to the anchorage is transmitted laterally of its length and in this direction it has great strength. There is substantially no tendency for the anchorage to be pulled out of the wall. Since the anchorage is preferably mounted at a position substantially above the window sill it is possible for persons escaping to climb out of the window while grasping the rope and this is easier than attempting to grasp the rope if this is passing immediately over the window sill.

The construction shown has a spool large enough to carry a substantial length of rope but where the distance to the ground is less great, shorter ropes may be used and in such case the spool will have a smaller width though preferably the diameter will remain the same.

The diameter of rope which may be suitable is half-inch or five-eighths-of-an-inch and the type of rope used is preferably of the non-twisting kind so that there is no tendency for snags in the rope to occur when it is thrown out of the window.

In certain high buildings it may be possible to use more than one rope at different levels so that escape can be effected from relatively high up the building.

Claims (5)

1. A fire escape appliance comprising an anchorage adapted for securement to a wall or other position of use adjacent to a window or other escape opening, a spool detachably mounted on the anchorage and a rope normally wound on the spool and having one end secured to the anchorage.

2. An appliance as claimed in claim 1 in which the spool has an enclosure therefor including a discardable lid.

3. An appliance as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims including gloves or sleeves for use when sliding down the rope.

4. An appliance as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims in which the spool is shaped to carry some distance outwardly when thrown in an appropriate manner, such shape including generally dish shaped end flanges.

5. An appliance as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims in which the spool is mounted on a spindle, to which the rope end is secured, the end of the spindle representing the said anchorage.

A fire escape appliance substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.