US1171088A - Alarm system for fire-escapes. - Google Patents

Description

D.S1 BURKHART. ALARM SYSTEM Fos rmi EscAPEs. 1,171,088.

APPLICATION FILED MAR, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Patented Feb. 8, 1916.

D. S. BURKHART.

ALARM SYSTEM FOR FIRE ESCAPES. APPLlcATloN FILED MAR. 5'. 1.915.

.l l 7 1 ,088. Patented Feb. 8, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ffl/3v Z5 A/ 26 Snom/WM DANIEL S. BURKHART, OF SPOKANE, WASHINGTON.

ALARM SYSTEM .FOR FIRE-ESCAPES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. s, 191e.

Application le. March 5, 1915. Serial No. 12,287.

T 0 all whom t may concern.'

Be it known thatl, DANIEL S. BURKHART, a citizen of the United States, residing at Spokane, in the county of Spokane and State of Viashington, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Alarm Systems for Fire-Escapes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in alarm and lighting system and has to do more particularly with an improved system of this character which is especially adapted for use in connection with that type of fire escape apparatus which is actuable or movable under the weight of a user, such for instance as that disclosed in my co-.pending application filed December 12, 1914, No. 876,995.

It is one of the objects of this invention to provide a circuit, which is complete in itself, and which is not only independent of any circuit in the interior of the building but which is also disposedoutside of the building and preferably mounted upon the fire escape apparatus itself.

A further object is to equip or include in the circuit, certain bells and electric lamps Vwhich are preferably disposed adjacent the building openings or' doors or windows along which the fire escape mechanism vertically extends so that in the event that only one person may be apprised of the existence of a fire and mounts .the fire escape mechanism to descend, such bells and lamps will then be energized to not only warn other occupants but also to indicate, in darkness the position of the reescape mechanism.

Other objects and features 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 z-Figure 1 is a view in elevation of a building shown provided with the device of my invention applied to a fire escape mechanism constructed in accordance with my hereinbefore identified application, Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of an improved gravity switch adapted to be actuated by the escape mechanism to close circuit when said mechanism is operated, Fig. 4 is a view looking in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 3, Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the parts in different positions, Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view of the circuit.

Like characters of reference designate similar parts throughout the different figures of the drawings'.

As illustrated, 1 designates the side of a building in which superposed building openings such as windows 3 and 4, are provided. Adjacent the windows I have shown platforms 3 and 4 to be used by occupants escaping through the windows prior to mounting the. escape mechanism. Said mechanism, like my prior application, is embodied in the form of an endless mechanism or carrier 5 vand 6 having foot treads 7 suspended by pivots 8 and supporting lines 9. Suitable hand holds 10 are positioned in a manner to be grasped by the hands of thel user. The upper bights of said carrier are shown trained *about` wheels 11 mounted.

upon` a shaftwhich is journaled in-bearings 12 and 13. The bearing 13 may have incorporated therein a governor, for controlling the rate of speed of the fire escape mechanism, under-gravity action due to the weight Y of the user, such mechanism being exempliied for instance in the 'device disclosed in my ycopending application filed December 12, 1914, Serial No. 876,995.l The lower bights of the carriers 5 and 6 are trained about wheels 14, mounted upon a shaft 15,

journaled in suitable` bearings 16. The frame work of the iire escape mechanism may include a pipe or conduit 17 for'containing the electrical ywires 'comprising the circuit and also for supporting" exterior guiding lamps 18, .to vguide occupants in their. approach tothe lire escape mechanism vfrom the platforms 3 and 4. Alarm devices such as electricbells v19,- are disposed interiorly of the building and the conduit 17 has branches 20 which extend through the wall of the building 1 so as to protect the wires leading to the bell.

Referring to the circuit shown in Fig.l6,

i 21 designates a source of current which may be disposed in any desired position exteriorly of the building and to one pole of which is connected a conductor 22 which is branched at 23, 24 and 25', for connection with the bells 19.k The other pole of said source of current is connected with a conductor 26, which latter is connected at 27 with one terminal of a circuit closing switch. A conductor 28 is shown connected at 29 with the other terminal of the circuit closy ing switch and is also connected at 30, 31 and 32 with the bells 19 to complete circuit therewith. A manually operable switch 33, may be provided, as shown in Fig. 6, for the usual purpose. A conductor 34, is connected at 35 with the same switch terminal that the conductor 28 s connected with and is also provided with branch connections 36, 37 and 38 with the lamps 18. The lamps 18am connected by conductors 39, 40 and 41 with conductor 22. A manually operable switch 42 may be interposed in conductor 34.

My improved circuit closing switch is mounted upon a bracket 43, of conducting material, which in turn is secured to platform 4. The bracket 43 is insulated from platform 4 by insulating material 44. A spring terminal 45' is mounted upon a block of insulating material 46 and is connected with conductor 26, at 27. A swinging switch arm 47 is mounted on the bracket 43, at 48, to swing about a fixed axis and switch arm 47 is provided with a weight 49 which normallyr acts to swing said arm into a circuit-closing position into engagement between the forked ends 50, of spring contact 45, after the switch arm has been thrown oif from a substantially vertical position shown in F ig. 3. rlhe switch arm 4T is provided with an insulated backing 5l vfor engagement with an actuating member 52, mounted upon shaft l5,V which latter is actuated by the escape mechanism. After the escape mechanism has been used it will be adjusted so that the revolving actuating member 52 will be disposed in the position shown in F ig. 3. rlhe switch arm 47 will be adjusted off from a vertical dead center so that the' weight 49 will act to hold the arm 47 in the position shown in F ig. 3, against actuating member 52. immediately after a user has mounted the escape, its mechanism will begin to rotate actuating member 52 and the latter will throw arm 47 off from a dead center position so that the weight 49 will carry said arm into electrical engagement with forked ends 50 so to close circuit and energize the lamps and bells. These alarm devices will thereafter continuously operate until the switch arm 47 has been manually retracted out of Copies of this patent may be obtained for engagement with forked ends 50, irrespective as to whether or not the fire escape mechanism is continuously operated by subsequent users.

lt is believed that the advantages and utility of my invention will be fully understood from the foregoing description, and while l have herein shown and described one specific form of my invention, l do not wish to be limitedthereto except for such limitations as the claims may import.

l claim:

l. ln an alarm and lighting system lfor lire escapes, av lire escape mechanism comprising endless user supporting means, a circuit disposed along said mechanism, alarm and lighting devices in said circuit distributed along said mechanism, a circuit closing switch means for closing said circuit, and a device rotated by said endless means for actuating said switch means to close said circuit, substantially as described.

2. ln an alarm or protecting system for fire escapes, a fire escape mechanism movable under the weight of a user, an electric circuit, warning or protecting devices in said circuit and disposed along the building area protected by said mechanism, a switch for closing said circuit including a gravity Vmovable weighted arm, and means rotatable upon movement of said mechanism for shifting said arm into a gravity acting position, substantially as described.

3. ln an alarm and lighting system for lire escapes, a lire escape mechanism movable under the weight of a user and extending vertically along and outside of a building to be protected, a conduit extending along said mechanism, a circuit comprising conductors disposed in said conduit, electric lamps mounted on said conduit and connected with said circuit, bells connected with said circuit, and means operated by said mechanism for. closing said circuit, substantially as described.

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

Witnesses z Jnssn PAYNE, H. E. SMITH.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Eatents. Washington, D. C.

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