GB2183474A

GB2183474A - Descent apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2183474A
Application number: GB08530442A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Mark Daleta
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1985-12-10
Filing date: 1985-12-10
Publication date: 1987-06-10
Also published as: GB8530442D0

Abstract

Descent apparatus for use in enabling an escape to be made from a building includes support means and an individual lowering means for attachment to the support means and for use by each respective body to be lowered from the building, whereby a plurality of bodies may be lowered in succession from the building without waiting for a previous body to have reached the ground. The support means may be a guide rail (2) mounted vertically on an outside wall (1) of a building and the lowering means may include means for attachment to the body and means for attaching the lowering means to the guide rail (2). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Descent Apparatus This invention relates to descent apparatus. The invention has particular, though not exclusive, application to apparatus for use in escaping from a building, particularly in the event of fire.

It is, of course, possible to build permanent fire escape stairways that provide means for the rapid evacuation of a number of people from a building in a continuous manner. The invention is concerned with less expensive means of providing an exit from a building. One of the disadvantages of known escape apparatus employing cable or rope which unwinds from a coiled supply is that it is necessary for one person to have reached the ground before another person can make use of the escape apparatus.

Embodiments of the invention to be described below provide means by which each person descending from a building is independent of the other and may descend at short intervals after the other.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side view of one form of apparatus, Figure 2 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in Figure 1, Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1, Figure 4 is a section on the line 11 4 of Figure 1, Figure 5 is a side view of another form of apparatus, Figures 7 and 8 show side views of another embodiment in two different positions respectively, and Figure 9 is a plan view of an arrangement for use with the apparatus shown in Figures 5 to 8 and Figure 10 is a section on the line X-X of the arrangement shown in Figure 9.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the embodiment of the invention is shown in relation to a wall 1 upon the outer surface of which there is mounted vertically a rail 2. The rail 2 is bolted to the wall 1 in a known manner and the rail 2 is made with spigots 3 at one end and corresponding holes 4 at the other end. Sections of rail 2 may be arranged on the face of a building which incorporates the wall 1 and may extend from an exit point at any height above the ground to a point almost at ground level. From Figure 2 it is possible to see a bolt 5 holding the rail 2 to the wall 1 and that the rail 2 has inner faces 6 and outer faces 7 which cooperate with a member 10 which incorporates a governor.

The member 10 includes a cylindrical part 11 which houses the governor and arm 12 which extends from one side of the part 11 and from which a harness indicated at 13 may depend, and two pairs of wheels 14 which are mounted on the side of the part 11 remote from the arm 12. As may be seen from Figure 4, the wheels 14 are freely rotatable, being mounted on studs 15 which extend from a housing 16 and which are spaced apart by a compression spring 17. The part 11 of the member incorporates a freely rotatable shaft 20 to the opposite ends of which there are attached respective dished wheels 21. Also extending from the shaft 20, there is a plate 22 having bosses 23 upon which there are mounted gear wheels 24 which are coupled to a hub 25 from which there extends a wheel 26 which acts as a governor.

In orderto use the apparatus described above to leave a building, a user attaches himself to the harness 13 on the arm 12 and inserts the wheels 14 into the channel formed in the rail 2, in the way shown in Figure 2 so that the upper pair of wheels 14 run on the respective inner faces 6 of the rail 2.

The lower pair of wheels will not be employed. The lower pair of wheels is provided in order that the device 10 may be introduced into the rail 2 with either pair of wheels uppermost. With the wheels 14 within the rail 2, the downward force exerted by the arm 12 causes the wheels 21 to engage the outer faces 7 of the rail 2. The person wishing to leave the building attached to the harness 13 is now able to do so and to depend from the end 30 of the arm 12 in the harness 13. The weight of the person is sufficient to cause the member 10 to travel down the length of the rail 2, the wheels 14 running on the inner faces 6 of the rail and the wheels 21 rotating as they run down the outer faces 7 of the rail 2 under the control of the governor mechanism 22-26. The governor mechanism is so designed that the descent of the person along the rail 2 is at a safe speed.It will be understood that the harness 13 is attached to the end 30 of the member 10 by means of a shackle which is rotatable so that the member 10 may be used either way up.

It will also be understood that the member 10 is personal to each user and that as soon as one user has left the building it is possible for another user to follow immediately so that there may be a series of users travelling down the rail 2 one above the other at the same time. Referring now to Figures 5 and 6 there is shown a channel member attached by means of a bracket 36 to a wall at a point above an exit opening in a building. The opening may of course be a window or a special exit. Extending from the end of the member 35 there is a cable 37 which terminates in a handle 38. Within the member 35 there is stowed a channel member 39 and a support arm 41. The support arm 41 is hinged to the member 35 at 42 and it is hinged upon itself at 43 so that it normally folds into the member 35.By pulling on the handle 38 the member 41 is caused to be unfolded from the channel member 35 and the channel member 39 is caused to hinge about 42 downwardly to the position shown in Figure 6.

A user pulling upon the handle 38 and causing the channel member 39 to extend from the building is able to introduce a roller member (not shown) which is attached to a reel 45 containing a cable. The free end of the cable, which is indicated at 46, extends from the reel 45 and terminates in a harness indicated diagrammatically at 47 for use by the person wishing to leave the building. The rate at which the cable 46 is able to be withdrawn from the reel 45 is determined by a governor mechanism to be described with reference to Figure 10 below.

An alternative form of jib to that shown at 39 is shown in Figures 7 and 8 where a jib 50 is shown pivoted at 51 about a bracket 52 which is attached to a wall 53. A cable 54 attached to a handle 55 controls a release mechanism for the jib 50 so that by pulling upon the handle 55 a user may cause the jib 50 to extend from the wall 53 in the way shown in Figure 8. The jib 50 incorporates a channel member 56 into which a roller (not shown) attached to a reel 45 may be introduced in the way described with reference to Figures 5 and 6.

Referring now to Figures 9 and 10 there is shown the reel 45 in which there is housed the rope or cable 46. The cable 46 is wound upon a rotatable reel 60 which is coupled by means of a stud 61 to a series of gears 62 and a governor wheel 63. The reel 45 is attached to a roller 64 by means of a cable 65.

In use the roller 64 is inserted into the channel member 39 or 56 and, since these members are designed to hang with a slight slope, the roller 64 travels to the end of either member 39 or 56 and a user who has already put on the harness 47 is able to leave the building through the exit and descend safely in the harness 47 as the cable 46 unwinds from the reel 45 under the control of the governor mechanism 61-63. It will be understood that as soon as one user is clear of the building a second user may insert the roller 64 of his reel 45 into the channel 39 or 56 of the jib which extends from the building and travel to the ground.

It will be seen that there is provided an individual escape apparatus for each person and that it is not necessary for a first user to reach the ground before a second user is able to leave the building. It is a disadvantage of many known escape apparatus that before a second user can descend, a first user must have reached the ground.

In the embodiments described above the personal escape apparatus incorporates control mechanisms that ensure that the rate of descent is controlled until an acceptable rate, even for the heaviest user.

It will be appreciated that, although the invention has been described by way of example, with reference to particular embodiments, variations and modifications within the scope of the invention may be made.

Claims

1. Descent apparatus for use in enabling an escape to be made from a building including support means and an individual lowering means for attachment to the support means and for use by each respective body to be lowered from the building, whereby a plurality of bodies may be lowered in succession from the building without waiting for a previous body to have reached the ground.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the support means is a guide rail arranged to be mounted to extend vertically on an outer wall of a building and the lowering means includes means for attachment to a body to be lowered and means for attaching the lowering means to the guide rail in such a way that movement of a lowering means attached to the guide rail may be obtained at a controlled speed along the length of the guide rail under the influence of the weight of a body attached to the lowering means.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 in which the lowering means includes a governorwhich controls the speed of the lowering means in cooperation with wheels which run on the guide rail during the descent of the lowering means.

4. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the guide rail has a Ushaped cross-section with inner faces upon each of which one of a pair of freely rotatable wheels on the lowering means is able to run respectively.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the support means includes an arm for use in supporting the lowering means in such a way that the lowering means is spaced from a building, in which the lowering means includes a housing for a reel of cable or rope, one end of the cable or rope and the housing being arranged for attachment between the arm and a body to be lowered from the building, and in which governor means is provided for controlling the rate of unwinding of the reel.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 in which the arm is attached to the wall by a hinge whereby the arm may be positioned to lie close to the building when not in use.

7. Apparatus as claimed in either claim 5 or claim 6 in which the one end of the cable or rope is arranged for attachment to the arm and the housing is arranged for attachment to the body.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7 in which the one end of the cable or rope is attached to the arm by means of a roller, means being provided on the arm to enable the roller to travel along the length of the arm and to enable the lowering means to travel to a position spaced from a building.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 substantially as described with reference to Figures 1-4 or Figures 510 of the accompanying drawings.