US2562502A - Automatic closure for sliding pole floor holes - Google Patents

Description

July 31, 1951 T. s. MOINTIRE 2,562,502

AUTOMATIC CLOSURE FOR SLIDING POLE FLOOR HOLES Filed Aug. 24, 1950 x 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 31, 1951 T. S. M INTIRE AUTOMATIC CLOSURE FOR SLIDING POLE FLOOR HOLES 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 24, 1950 July 1951. l T. s. MOINTIRE 2,562,502

AUTOMATIC CLOSURE FOR SLIDING POLE FLOOR HOLES 7 Filed Aug. 24, 1950 3 Sheets-Shet 3 Patented July 31, 1951 AUTOMATIC CLOSURE FOR SLIDING POLE FLOOR HOLES Thomas S. McIntire, Watertown, Mass.

Application August 24, 1950, Serial No. 181,293

2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in sliding pole of the type which actuate closures for the holes through which men pass when sliding 'down the poles from one floor to another in fire andpolice stations, and the like. Firemen, in particular, while on duty at a fire station, are subject to momentary call and are required to be .at their respective posts on fire apparatus in the shortest possible time after an alarm is sounded. Between calls, the men ordinarily engage themselves about the premises and spend considerable time in quarters which usually are provided for them on a floor above the place of garaging of the fire apparatus.

The sliding-pole method of descent from an upper to a lower floor has been quite generally accepted as the best and quickest way of assembling the manning force for the apparatus. Also, to avoid drafts, and the danger and discomfort which has resulted from fumes rising through open sliding pole holes to the mens quarters above the place of garaging of the apparatus, the more modern fire stations are equipped with pole hole closures which automatically open to permit passage of a man through a pole hole and automatically close after the man has passed through the hole.

Heretofore, however, the automatic pole-hole closures have been relatively noisy in operation, especially when closing. More important, however, has been the tendency for, the closures, following a substantial period of use, to close with a gradually increasing force of impact of the closure elements against the sliding pole. As a result, the closures, in some cases, have roughened the surface of the pole, and frequently the closure elements have become deformed by the repeated forcible impacts. Such a roughened pole presents the danger of damaging the clothing of a'man sliding down the pole or even injuring the man if the condition of the roughened pole is such that a cutting or scratching projection occurs on the pole. When there is substantial deformation "of oneor more of the closure elements, they fail to perform effectively their purpose of preventing passage of gusts of air and noxious fumes .to the mens quarters.

.It is among the objects of my present invention to improve upon the prior automatic sliding pole hole closure devices by controlling the movements "of the sliding pole which actuates the closure elements. Such poles are mounted for limited downward movement in response to a predetermined amount of downward pressure thereon, "such as when a man grasps the pole and places some or all of his weight on the pole. The downward movement of the pole actuates the closure members to open position so that the man can slide freely and unhampered through the open pole hole. When the man reaches his destination and his weight is removed from the depressed pole, it resiliently snaps back to its original elevated position with simultaneous actuation of the closure elements to positions closing the opening. According to the invention, at least a. portion of the sliding pole has cylindrical hollow form, and means within the hollow of the pole provides for relatively rapid but controlled and cushioned downward movement of the pole and relatively slow but controlled and cushioned upward movement of the pole.

Another object of the invention is to provide an automatic sliding pole apparatus wherein the sliding pole has limited and controlled downward movement for opening pole hole closure elements and has controlled upward, retarded and cushioned movement for closing said closure elements,

and wherein the controlling, retarding and cushioning means maintains the pole against vibration during its closure actuating downward and upward movements.

It is, moreover, my purpose and object generally to improve the structure and operation of automatic sliding poles, and especially such poles whose axial movements'actuate pole hole closure elements between closed and open positions.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig.1 is a top plan view of an automatic sliding pole apparatus mounted in operative relation to a pole hole in the floor of a building and embodying features of my present invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, with portions of vertical members broken away to conserve space;

Fig. 3 is a medial vertical cross-sectional view of the lower end portion of the sliding pole and its guide, on a substantially enlarged scale; I

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view on line 4-4 of Fig. 3, on a larger scale;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view on line 55 of Fig. 3, on the scale of Fig. 4, the ball valve being omitted;

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view on line 6-6 of Fig. 3, on the scale of Figs. 4 and '5; and

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view showing one of the connections between one of the vertical members and a closure element.

Referring to the drawings, lower and upper floors of a building are indicated respectively at H] and 12 in Fig. 2, and a sliding pole hole is indicated at [4 in upper floor 12, constituting a passageway through which men on the upper floor 12 may descend to the lower floor [0. A sliding pole l6 stands vertically erect at the center of hole I 4, extending from a location well above floor l2 down to the lower level 16 where its lower end is slidably engaged in the guide bracket or socket l8.

The particular sliding pole herein represented is suspended from a tripod supporting structure indicated generally at 20; and a guard rail 22, at a suitable elevation above floor l2, encircles the tripod and forms therewith a cage whose elements are in guarding relation to the hole [4 in floor [2. Any suitable form of gate may be provided for getting access through the cage to the pole l6, such as the hinged guard rail sections 22a, 22b which may be held closed by the slidable sleeve 220.

The sliding pole l6 has its upper end fixed in the central coupling cap 24 of the tripod, and each leg of the tripod is telescoping in character with a fixed tubular portion 26 in which a tubu lar portion 26 of smaller diameter is depressible against the yielding tension of a spring 36 which is housed within the outer fixed tube 26. All of the depressible tubes 26 extend vertically upward six or more feet above floor i2 and have their upper portions turned inward and joined together by the said central coupling cap 24, whereby all move as a unit when the sliding pole I6 is depressed.

As herein illustrated, the closure for hole l4 comprises a suitable number of hinged segmental closure elements 32 at the under side of floor i2.

The closure elements, when closed, fit together to provide a conical closure around pole I6 to completely and efiectively cover the hole l4; and all are adapted to swing downwardly and outwardly to clear the way for a man sliding down the pole through hole l4. Each closure element 32 is mounted for rotational movement about its own pivot 34, as best seen in Fig. '7, wherein the illustrated closure element is in open position, and the associated tubular portion 26 of the tripod is depressed. A link 36 connects the closure element to the lower end of the tubular portion 26, whereby the closure element responds to movements of tubular portion 26.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 3-6, the lower end portion of pole I6 is tubular, and a cylinder 38 is fixed therein an appreciable distance inward from the extreme lower end of the pole. A piston 40 is relatively operable within cylinder 38 when the latter moves with pole I6, and the piston has a piston rod 42 rigid therewith and extending through the lower end wall of the cylinder to a loction of fixed securement within the socket l8. Conveniently, the lower end of the piston rod may have the threaded enlargement 43 thereon screwed into a cup-like member 44 within socket 8, with a bolt 46, or the like, securing the member 44 and the socket l8 to the floor I0. Any suitable packing means 46 may be provided around piston rod 42 where it extends through the lower end wall of cylinder 36.

According to the invention, the cylinder 38 has a substantial quantity of oil 56, or other liquid, sealed therein, the quantity preferably nearly filling the cylinder, but leaving an appreciable air space above the liquid, so that an air cushion is provided at 52. Piston 46 has conduits therein for passing oil 56 from one side to the other of the piston as the cylinder moves relative to the piston,

and a ball valve 54 within the piston is adapted '4 to restrict this flow of oil through the piston, particularly on each upward movement of the cylinder following a depression of sliding pole I6. Ball valve 54 normally rests by gravity out of closing relation to any of the flow conduits through the piston and remains in that relative condition when the cylinder moves downward. Hence, when pole I6 is being depressed to open the closure elements 32, ball valve 54 oifers relatively little obstruction to the passage of oil through the piston from its upper side to its lower side within cylinder 38. However, the piston conduits themselves are of a nature to ofier appreciable resistance to passage of the oil through the piston without preventing a suitably rapid descent of the sliding pole under the influence of a mans weight thereon. In other words, the descent of the pole I6 is a controlled, cushioned descent, and the final downward travel of the pole is further cushioned by the pocketed air at 52 in the upper end of cylinder 38. As a result, the downward travel of the pole l6 is a suitably rapid but smooth and cushioned movement which avoids shock to the sliding man, and to the closure elements which open in response to the initial downward movement of the pole. As herein shown, piston to has an interior chamber 56 within which the ball valve 54 is retained, and a series of conduits 58 lead into this chamber from the upper end of the piston. Also, a substantial recess 66 is provided in the upper end portion of the piston with a central port 62 opening into chamber 56 through the bottom wall of the recess 66. The lower end wall of the piston has the series of ports 64 opening therethrough into chamber 56, and a valve seat 66 within the chamber has a series of shallow grooves 68 therein, as best seen in Fig. 5. Hence, when valve 54 is moved downward away from seat 66, oil 50 from the upper side of the piston can pass through conduits 58 and port 62 into chamber 56 and thence around valve 54 and out through ports 64 into the lower end of the cylinder. When the cylinder moves upwardly, oil is forced through ports 64 into chamber 56 and valve 54 is forced upward to its seat 66 thereby restricting upward flow past valve 54 to that which passes through the shallow seat grooves 68. The downward stroke of the pole [6 may be relatively rapid even though the movement is effectively cushioned, whereas the upward stroke of the pole necessarily will be relatively slow and retarded. However, the restricted fiow of oil, or other liquid, through the piston may be made as much or as little as may be desired, both for the downward and upward movements of pole l6, by suitably selecting the number and size of the flow conduits and ports, and the number and dimensions of the seat grooves 68.

It is intended that the patent shall cover, by suitable expression in the appended claims, whatever features of patentable novelty exist in the invention disclosed.

I claim as my invention:

1. In apparatus for automatically opening and closing a floor hole in response to axial movements of a sliding pole extending through said hole, the combination with a sliding pole and closure means for a floor hole, of means at an end region of the pole providing a substantial chamber for holding a supply of liquid sealed within the chamber, a piston within the chamber, and relatively movable therein, said piston having restricted flow passages therethrough for restricted flow of liquid in the cylinder from one side to the other of the piston, a valve within the piston operative to permit substantial restricted flow of liquid through all of said flow passages when the sliding pole moves in one axial direction, and operative to substantially reduce liquid flow through the piston when the sliding pole moves in the opposite direction, and resilient means biasing the sliding pole in said opposite direction.

2. In an automatic sliding pole apparatus having a sliding pole movable axially to open floor hole closure elements in response to the weight of a man sliding down the pole, the combination with a said pole, of a cylinder with piston therein of which one is rigidly connected to said pole and the other is relatively fixed, a body of liquid sealed within said cylinder, there being flow passages through said piston for restricted flow of liquid from one side to the other thereof when said pole moves in one axial direction, valve means in 6 said piston operative to further restrict liquid flow through the piston when said pole moves in the opposite direction, and means for moving the :pole in said opposite direction following release of the pole after a movement thereof in said one axial direction.

THOMAS S. McINTlRE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,488,413 Towse Mar. 25, 1924 1,952,178 Mclntire Mar. 27, 1934 2,393,559 Pappas Jan. 22, 1946 2,397,640 Bingham Apr. 2, 1946

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