US2905261A

US2905261A - Fire escape

Info

Publication number: US2905261A
Application number: US606644A
Authority: US
Inventors: Edward J Mcconologue
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1956-08-28
Filing date: 1956-08-28
Publication date: 1959-09-22
Anticipated expiration: 1976-09-22

Description

Sept. 22, 1959 Filed Aug. 28, 1956 E. J. MQCONOLOGUE 2,905,261

FIRE ESCAPE 2 Sheets-Sheet l IN V EN TOR. fan Aka J NC-CONOLOGUE BY 46km ATTORNEY p 1959 E. J. mcomoLocauz 2,905,261

FIRE ESCAPE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filid Aug. 28, 1956 2 W 4 7 l a I 8/ z A U M mi. [a g 6 |l I 3 l0 2 7 xii a1 INVENTOR. EDWARD J /7cC0/v0/ oquE BY flaw Mb A TTORNEY FIRE ESCAPE Edward J. McConologue, San Francisco, Calif.

Application August 28, 1956, Serial No. 606,644

2 Claims. (Cl. 182-85) This invention relates to a fire escape.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a fire escape with a collapsible fire escape ladder of a lazytong type.

Another object of this invention is to provide a fire escape ladder of the type described which is particularly stable, light and easily extended and contracted.

Another object of this invention is to provide a fire escape ladder in which the sides of the same are made of pivoted links arranged on'a lazy-tong principle and having the top pair of said links on each side considerably longer than the rest of the links to provide greater lateral stability for said ladder.

. Another object of this invention is to provide an eflicient and simple brake for said ladder which permits the expansion of said ladder at a desirable uniform speed.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the specification proceeds and the novel features of the device will be particularly pointed out in the claims hereto annexed.

In this specification and the annexed drawing, the invention is illustrated in the form considered to be the best but it is understood, that the invention is not limited to such form; and it is also to be understood that in and by the claims following the description, it is desired to cover the invention in whatsoever form it may be embodied.

This invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the specification, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side view of the fire escape.

Fig. 2 is a front view of said fire escape.

Fig. 3 is a side view of said fire escape with the ladder in a contracted position.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of said fire escape.

Fig. 5 is a cross-section of Fig. 1 n the line -5.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a slide plate attached to a beam.

Fig. 7 is a partial perspective view of a modified form of the attachment of the ladder to the fire escape balcony.

The fire escape, comprising the subject matter of this invention consists of a ladder 1 which is secured to a usual escape balcony 2. The latter includes floor beams 3, covered with planks 4, and a railing 5 with upper beams 7, to which said ladder is secured in a manner to be hereinafter described in detail.

The ladder 1 consists of two sides 10 and 11, connected by rungs 12. Each of said sides is constructed on the lazy-tong principle and is formed of a plurality of

links

14 and 15 pivoted at their middles by said rungs 12. The ends of said links 14 are pivoted to the ends of the links 15, as shown at 17. All the

links

14 and 15 are of the uniform length. However, a pair of the top links and 21 of each side 10 and 11 is considerably longer, preferably one and a half times longer than the

links

14 and 15. Each of the

links

20 and 21 is divided by a rung 12, by which they are pivoted together, into two unequal portions: a lower portion 24 and an upper portion 25. The lower portion 24 is equal 2,905,261 Patented Sept. 22, 1959 to one half the length of the

link

14 and 15, while the upper portion 25 is preferably twice the length of the lower portion 24. The longer

top links

20 and 21 carry studs 31 secured thereto, which studs pass through said openings and are free to slide therein. The free ends of said studs pass beyond the plates 28 and are reduced in diameter at 32 and threaded, and carry washers 33 and nuts 34 locking said studs in said openings. The studs 31 are free to slide in said openings 30. When the ladder 1 is extended, as shown in Fig. 1, the studs 31 occupy the closest position to each other. When the ladder is contracted, the studs 31 occupy the farthest position from each other.

An elongated metal guard plate 36 is secured to said beams 7 and 3 at each side of the ladder in the middle between said plates 28, which guard plate extends downwardly from the beam 7 to the beam 3 and some distance beyond the latter beam and has its lower end flared outwardly and away from the ladder 1. The guard plates 36 are provided to prevent direct contact of the

links

14 and 15, 20 and 21, with the beams 3 and other parts of the balcony 2, in order to bar possible entanglement of said links with the balcony, and to assure proper extension and contraction of the ladder 1.

The ladder 1 generally is stored on the balcony 2 in a contracted position, as shown in Fig. 3. It may be extended to the ground in a few seconds and raised into a contracted position by a mechanismpresently to be described.

The upper beams 7 carry secured thereto supports 40 in which a shaft 41 is journalled. The latter carries a drum 42 having a rope 43 wound thereon. Both ends of the shaft 41 are squared for the purpose of placing a handle 45 on either of them for rotating said shaft and drum.

The shaft 41 also carries a cog-wheel 46 thereon which serves as a lock as it will be hereinafter explained.

Another shaft 50 having a drum 51 is arranged in close vicinity to said ladder 1 and parallel to the shaft 41. The shaft 50 is rotatably supported in brackets 53 secured to said beams 7. The rope 43 of the drum 42 extends to the drum 51 and is wound about said drum a few times and is further extended to the first rung 12 and over the same downwardly to the last rung 12 to which the end of the rope 43 is secured. By rotating the shaft 41, the rope rotates the drum 51 and the shaft 50 and the ladder 1 is gradually collapsed and brought into an upward position, as shown in Fig. 3.

One of the brackets 53 carries a lever 55 pivotally secured thereto above the shaft 50. The lever 55 carries on one of its ends a loop 56 which normally extends to the cog-wheel 46 and engages one of the cogs thereon. The other end of said lever 55 is formed into a handle 57.

When the ladder 1 is in a contracted position, the loop 56 is on one of the cogs of the cog-wheel 46 and thus keeps said shaft 50 arrested, and by means of the rope 43 also keeps the ladder 1 suspended in the contracted position.

To release the ladder 1, the lever 55 is swung in a counterclockwise direction. This releases the cog-wheel 46 from the loop 56. The weight of the ladder 1 pulls the rope 43 downwardly at an ever increasing speed.

The rope 43 forces the

drums

51 and 42 with their respective shafts to rotate. The inertia and the friction of said drums andshafts slows down the expansion of the ladder 1 to. a desired speed.

Fig. 7 shows a modified form of connection between the ladder 1 and the balcony 2 in which the openings 30a are out directly in the beam,7fa..

Instead of; the shaft 50 andrthe. drum 51, some other means may be. used for thepurpose of stabilizing and braking' thedescent of the ladder 1. and for centering the downward movement of therope 43..

I: claim:

1 The combination. with afire; escape balcony having upper beams and: floor beams, of a. fire. escape ladder comprising two sides, a. plurality of rungs connecting said sides; each. of the sides consisting of apair of uppermost. long links, and; aplurality of: short-links secured to each other on a lazy-tong principle, said; long; links being at least one and ahalf times-longer-than the;short links; means for slidably securing the: top ends: of said long links to the upper beams, a first shaft rotatably secured to said upper beams, a first. drum secured to said. first shaft. for rotatione therewith; a second shaft secured to said upper-beams, a second drumt carried. by said second shaft; a rope attached to the. first drum-,said rope extending to the second drum and Wound'. therearound, and further extending to. the; lowermost rung and having its. end attached; thereto; a. cog-wheel; secured to. the first shaft, means for engaging; said cogwheel' for arresting the rotation of the. shaft; and for releasing said. cog-wheel; means for rotating the; first shaft for winding said rope on the first; drum. andathus collapsing and raising said ladder, said rope,.drums. and shafts acting as a brake when theladder' expands: downwardly,

2. The combination with a fire escape. balcony, in cluding floor beams covered with planks. and at railing around the balcony reinforced with: upper beams; of a fire escape ladder comprising two sides, each side consisting of a pair of uppermost long links and a plurality of short links secured to each other on a lazy-tong principle, said long links being at least one and a half times longer than the short links; a plurality of rungs connecting said sides, each rung passing through a pair of the links and serving as a pivot thereto; said upper beams having slots arranged therewith; a stud carried by the upper end of each of the. top links, each of said studs passing through a respective slot and slidably retained therein; said. sl'ots. being: so spaced from each other that when thestuds contact the inner ends of the slides, the end of the ladder reaches the ground; a first shaft; rotatably secured to-said. upper beams, afirst drum secured to said first shaft for rotation therewith; a second shaft securedto said upper beams, a second drum carried by said second shaft; a rope attached to the first drum, said rope extending to the second drum and Wound therearound, and further extending to the lowermost rung and havingv its end attached thereto; a cog-wheel secured; to) the, first. shaft, means for engaging. said: cogwheel. for. arresting. the rotationz of the shaft, and for releasing said cog-wheel; means for rotating the first shaftfor winding saidrope on the first drum and thus collapsing. and raising; said. ladder, said rope-,drums and shafts acting;as. abrake when theladder expands downwardly-L References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 391,188 Piche Oct. 16', 1888 1,072,024 Morno Sept. 2, 1913 1,17-1 7-93 Krbavac Feb. 15, 1916 2,279;594 Patterson Apr. 14', 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS 418,344 Great: Britain Oct. 23,1934 762,081 France Jan. l8, 1934