GB2171658A - Fire escapes - Google Patents

Abstract

A fire escape for occupants of an upper floor of a building comprises an arm pivotally attached to a lower point (15) on the wall of the building, its upper end being connected via a door (12) to an extensible chute (23,24) normally stowed in an escape opening at the upper floor. The arm and the chute can be lowered into position from the upper floor without assistance from outside the building. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Fire escapes This invention relates to fire escapes for use by occupants of a building in the upper floors. A variety of portable or foldable escapes have been used for many years including winches or controlled release cables, and also flexible inclined canvas chutes and trampoline-type jumping sheets. All of these suffer from various disadvantages. In particular they are not in general suitable for use by the aged or infirm or by very young children and several types require the presence of able-bodied assistance at ground level.

For example in the case of a canvas chute the lower end needs to be pulled out and away from the building and anchored before the chute can be used.

It is an object of the invention accordingly to provide an improved fire escape which is more suitable for use by young and old, able-bodied or infirm and which in particular does not require extra operators or assistance outside the building.

Broadly stated the invention consists in a fire escape for a building comprising an extending chute and a projector operable from within the building for holding the lower end of the chute away from the building so that the chute is inclined.

Conveniently the projector comprises an arm pivotally attached to the building. Thus in a particular preferred construction the chute is stored at an elevated position in or on a wall of the building and the arm is pivotally attached to the building at a point below the stowed chute, and is capable of swinging outwards to carry the lower end of the chute away from the building.

The invention also envisages other types of projector which do not require external assistance. For example, there may be one or more flexible cables permanently achored at ground level remote from the building and normally concealed and protected by membranes and other easily opened covers.

Each cable normally lies below the ground level and runs upwards on the wall of the building to the escape position and by tightening the cables from the upper end the required inclined support is obtained.

In any case the fire escape preferably includes a restraint or shock absorber controlling the movement of the projector.

From another aspect the invention consists in a fire escape including one or more suspending flexible tension elements, attached to an anchorage at an elevated position on the building, and also to a projector, the chute being connected to, and optionally movable along, the tension element(s).

The invention may be performed in various ways and one specific embodiment will now be described with reference to the accompany drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a partial front elevation of the wall of a building showing the escape appliance housed away, Figure 2 is a sectional side elevation of the appliance in the same position, Figure 3 is a diagrammatic sectional side elevation showing the appliance fully extended for use, Figure 4 is a sectional view through the escape chute when extended, Figure 5 is a front elevation of the appliance when extended, Figure 6 is a sectional side elevation showing the projector arm extended and the flexible chute folded down, Figure 7 is a sectional view through the folded chute, and Figures 8 and 9 are plan and side elevations of a restraint device for the protector arm.

Referring first to Figures 2 and 3 the appliance comprises a double walled enclosure 10 fitted in an external wall of the building at second floor level and having opening inner and outer doors 11 and 12. Within this enclosure is normally stored a tightly folded chute and other equipment to be described.

On the vertical wall 13 of the building, below the container is mounted a projector arm 14 pivotally attached to a hinged bracket 15 at its lower end and connected at its upper end to four cables, an upper pair of support cables 16 and a lower pair 17 as illustrated in Figures 3 and 4.

One end of each cable is secured to the outer door 12 which is rigidly attached to the arm 14 and the other end of each cable is rigidly attached to one of several anchorages 20 on the side wall of the enclosure 10. The arrangement is such that when the arm 14 is swung outwards to the position 22 in Figure 3 the cables 16, 17 are nearly taut in the inclined position illustrated.

The cables are connected to and support a channel shaped chute comprising two flexible side walls 23 and a bottom wall 24. The chute may be attached at intervals to the cables so that it is folded away in concertina fashion and extends with the cables. Or alternatively the chute may be slidable or the cables and allowed to run down to ground level when the cables are in position. In the example illustrated the whole flexible chute can be collapsed, folded and packed into a package secured to the outer door 12 when in its lower horizontal position shown in Figure 6. This permits the whole package combined with the door to be swung upwards back into position on the end of the pivot arm 14, ready for further use.

Means are also provided to control or cushion the downward movement of the arm 14 when released. For this purpose there is a subsidiary arm 26 pivotally attached to a bracket on the wall of the building at 27 above the pivot point 15 of the arm 14. The opposite end of the subsidiary arm is attached to a cross-head 28 running in the interior of the arm 14 which is of channel or box section. A spring 30 is incorporated in the channel and it will be seen that as the arm 14 pivots downwards from its vertical starting position the cross-head 28 moves within the channel towards the pivot 15 and this applied tension to the spring thereby cushioning and decelerating the downwards movment of the arm 14.

The enclosure 10 is preferably provided with a simple form of double lock which avoids the risk of a child accidentally opening the doors and being injured. The outer door 12 is not openable from outside the building.

Claims (6)

1. A fire escape for a building comprising an extending chute and a projector operable from within the building for holding the lower end of the chute away from the building so that the chute is inclined.

2. A fire escape according to Claim 1, in which the projector comprises an arm pivotally attached to the building.

3. A fire escape according to Claim 2, in which the chute is stored at an elevated position in or on a wall of the building and the arm is probably attached to the building at a point adjacent the stowed chute, and is capable of swinging outwards to carry the lower end of the chute away from the building.

4. A fire escape according to any of the preceding claims, including a restraint or shock absorber controlling the movement of the projector.

5. A fire escape according to any of the preceding claims, including one or more suspending flexible tension elements, attached to an anchorage at an elevated position on the building, and also to a projector, the chute being connected to, and optionally movable along, the tension element(s).

6. A fire escape for a building substantially in any of the forms described with reference to any of the accompany drawings.