US1164988A - Fire-escape. - Google Patents

Description

D. S. BURKHART.

FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLICATION HLED 050.12. 1914.

1,164,988 Patented Dec. 21, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

. I; I Dan/e! Burk/7017'? i Mr? COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO.,WASHINGTON,D. C.

' D. s. BURKHART.

FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLICATION FILED 050.12, 1914.

1,164,988. Patented Dec. 21, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

s re'rns ra'rnnr orrron DANIEL s. nunnrranr, or SPOKANE, wnsnrneron.

rinn-nscnrn.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 21, 1915.

Application filed December 12, 1914. Serial No. 876,995.

I with the endless type whereon treads are mounted to support the user.

It is one of the objects of my invention to provide means whereby the endless carrier will always-be maintained sufficiently taut to be effectively operated, this feature of my invention being of particular importance where the endless carrier is in the form of chains trained about sprocket wheels.

It is a further'object of this invention to provide a fire escape of the endless type which is adapted to be actuated by the weight of the user and to which a governing device is applied to retard descent-of the user and prevent the escape from racing.

A still further object of the invention is to provide means whereby the fire'escape can be used either for descent or ascent thereby enabling the device of my invention to be used as an elevator for rescuers or firemen after the occupants have escaped.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel form of chain and sprocket which is particularly adapted for use in an endless type of fire escape and which functions to not only afford a smoothly running device but one in which is combined the necessary strength and reduction of'bulk and weight.

,Other features and objects of the invention will be more fully described in connection with the accompanying drawings and will be more particularly pointed out in and by the appended claims.

In the drawings :-Figure 1 is a view in side elevation showing one embodiment of my invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof. Fig. 8 is an enlarged view in elevation of oneof the lower mountings. Fig. 4 is a view in elevation, of Fig. 3,'looking in the direction of arrow 4. Fig. 5 is a per spective view of one of the treads used in connection with my improved fire escape.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of the novel form of chain, used in connection with my invention. Fig. 7 is a side view of a novel form of sprocket wheel. Fig. 8 is an edge view of the sprocket wheels shown in Fig. 7

Like characters of reference designate similar parts throughout the difierent fig ures of the drawings.

As illustrated, my improved fire escape is shown mounted upon the side wall 1 of a building, and includes upper and lower shafts 2 and 3. I will term the upper shaft 2, the governed shaft and the lower shaft 3,

' the operating shaft.

The upper shaft 2 has one end thereof journaled in-any suitable form of bearing 4 which may be fixed to the side of the build ing 1. The remaining end of shaft 2 is journaled in a governor bearing structure 5, which is fixed to the building and in which is incorporated a governor, indicated as a whole at 6, and which may be of any ap proved type, one form being-illustrated in my application filed December 12, 191i, Serial No. 876,996. For the purposes of the present disclosure, I have indicated a governor shaft 7, which is controlled by the governor, as being provided with a gear 8, meshing with a gear 9', the latter being mounted upon the governed shaft 2.

The foregoing arrangement is designed to control the rate of rotation of the governed 1 shaft 2 so as to prevent the fire escape from racing. The governor 6 is preferably of the centrifugal type.

Upon governed shaft 2 I mount sprocket wheels 10 and 11, over which sprocket chains 12 and 13 which depend therefrom and are also trained about sprocket wheels 14: and 15, respectively, mounted upon operating shaft 3. At suitably spaced points between the chains 12 and 13 I mount grip rods 16 and tread rods 17 The rods 16 and 17 may be secured in the link pivots of the chains in any desired manner and in the spaced re lation indicated. Upon the tread rods 17 I mount tread bars'18, the latter supporting a step or tread 19. The tread bars 18 may be slotted as at 20, to open downwardly, and inside of the bars I securelocking strips 21, as indicated at 22, said locking strips having upwardly opening slots 23, in which the rods 17 seat, thereby locking the bars 18 to said rods. By reason of the fact that the rods 17 are free to turn in their journaled connections in the chain links, the treads are free to be swung, or to adjust themselves, from theinoperative position shown on S lap. to

the operative position on the T lap. The free ends of the bars 18 are'apertured as indicated at 24 to receive or'be connected with thereof is sufficient to permit the pivoted ends of each tread to advance withrespect to the chain connected end or portion so that the tread may round the sprocket wheels and be disposed in the hanging inoperative position illustrated at 26, on the S lap. When the fire escape is advanced so that this tread will round wheels 10 and 11, its supporting chain which is in the rear of the tread, with respect to the direction of travel,

will first act to hold the tread inan'inoperative position, until the tread is advanced somewhat below the upper wheels where-' upon the tread will be free to be swung downwardly into a supporting position, as 1 indicated at 27. However, the parts may be fitted in such a manner that the treads will not automatically fall by gravity into a supporting position. When the user desires to mount a tread, he will simply advancethe same into a swung out position so that he can stepfupon the tread and, steady himself by grasping one of the grip bars. The weight of the user on the tread on the '1 side or lap will cause the chains to travel in the direction of the arrow thereby permits ting the user to descend under retarding action of the governor 6.

I It is an important feature of my invention to provide means for holding the chains taut and I will now describe such means in detail.

in bearings 28 'and 29, which bearings are formed integral with bearing arms "30 and 31. Said arms 30 and 31 are pivoted, as at 32, to bearing plates 33 and 34, fixed to the side of the building 1, and as both arms are alike in construction and operation as. regards the means for holding the chains taut,

only one detail. 1 p 4 Arm 31 is provided with a pivot lug35to which is pivoted at 36, a rod 37, provided of said devices will be described in with a spring abutment 38. The rod 7 telescopes a sleeve 39 which is pivotally mounted at 40 to a lug 41 on anchorage bar 34. A sleeve 39 is provided with an abutment 42 between which and the abutment 38 is interposed a spring 43. A spring 44 is interposed between abutment 42 and abutment 45 on the end of rod 37. The spring 44 functions to support arm 31 so as to prevent spring 43,

which is stronger than spring 44, from forcing arm 31 downwardly too far thus causing undue friction between the chain and sprocket.

I However, spring 43 holds 7 the chaln to a sufficiently taut working condition and two'springs' function to accommodate for contraction and expansion of the chains. It will be understood that the foregoingdiiferential spring device described in 'connectionwith arm 31 will be duplicated for arm 30, as shown in Fig.2.

.In cases-where itis desired to use the fire escape as a mea-nsfor'elevating firemen or w workmen, as the case may be, I provide 019- a crating means for actuating the fire escape in a direction reverse from that indicated by the arrow in Fig. l.

On operating shaft 3, mount a gear Wheel 46 which meshesgwith agear pinion 47, on crank shaft 48; Crank shaft 48 is to arrest location of crank shaft' 48 in a P clockwise direction. Thus whenthc oper-' ating crank 50 is applied to shaft 48 to eleva tethe treads on the/T lap, the crank i would be rotated ina contra-clockwise direction. In most instances, the pawl and crank would not be disposed on the fire designated persons for use in-emergency or at other times, so as't'o prevent the pawl 52 from locking the fire escape against use-for descent, in case of a fire.

My novel form of chain comprises tooth links 54, for engagement with the teeth 55,

of sprocket wheels 15, it being-understood that all of the sprocket wheels are of the same construction. The links 54 are connected by wheel engaging links 56, and the latter are drop steel forgings, preferably, so The lower or operating shaft 3 1s mounted tially grooved, as indicated at; 57, there being recesses 58 disposed on opposite sides of the teeth; 55 and at the terminalsfof the'grooves, to receive the ends of links 54. Thus withescape but would be retained by specially I out arching the relatively long wheel links 56, I provide means whereby they will nego tiate the sprocket wheels and effectively mesh the grooves thereof without displacing the links 5401i" from'the teeth 55.

It is believed that the novelty and utility j of my invention will be fully understood 1. from the foregoing description, and while i I have herein shown and describedone spee 'cific form of my invention,-I do not wish to be limited thereto except for such limita tions as the claims may import.

I claiIni- I I i 1. In a fire escape, upper and lower sprocket shaft structures, an endless chain carrier trained about said sprocket structures, fixed bearings for the 'upper shaft structureymovablebearings for the lower shaft structure, and oppositely acting spring mechanism engaging said movable bearings for supportingthe latter agalnst excessive chain tension and urging saidsive tension of said chain carrier, and a governor for limiting the speed of operation of said chain carrier and connected with said upper shaft structure to prevent transmission of load strain'on the descending lap of I said'chain carrier from exerting tension on the ascending lap, substantially as described.

3. In a fire escape, upper and lower sprocket shaft structures, an endless sprocket carrier trained about said structures, and spring tension mechanism for one'of said shaft structures comprising a relatively heavy spring acting to maintain working tension of said sprocket carrier and a relatively light spring acting to counteract excessive tension, substantially as described.

4:. In an endless fire escape for buildings,

upper bearings fixed to the side of the building, an upper shaft journaled in said bearings and provided with sprocket wheels, a lower shaft, sprocket wheels upon the lower shaft, chains trained about the sprocket wheels of said upper and lower shafts, bearing arms pivoted at their inner ends to said wall and provided with bearings journaling the lower shaft, a rod pivoted to one of said arms and having a spring -0opies of this patent may be obtained for abutment, a sleeve pivoted to said wall and telescoping said rod and provided with a spring abutment slidably engaging said rod between the ends of the latter, a relatively strong expansively acting spring'on said rod interposed between said rod and sleeve abntments and acting to swing, said bearing arms downwardly to maintain said chains taut, said rod having a spring abutment on its free end, and a relatively weak expansively acting spring interposed between said sleeve abutment and the last named rod abutment and acting to support said bearing arms against downward movement sufficient to bind said chains on said sprocket wheels, substantially as described.

- 5. In an endless fire escape for buildings, an upper shaft journaled in bearings fixed to the side of the building, and provided with sprocket wheels, a lower shaft provided with sprocket wheels, bearings pivoted to the side of the building and projecting sub stantially horizontally outwardly therefrom and having bearings for journaling said lower shaft, and longitudinally extensible mechanism pivoted to one of said arms and to the side of the building and including opposing springs, one acting to tension said chains and the other acting to counteract excessive chain tension, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

DANIEL s. BURKHART.

Witnesses H. E. SMITH, I EDNA BROYLES.

five cents-each, by addressing the Commissioner of ?atents, Washington, D. C.

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