US3480106A

US3480106A - Fire escape ladder

Info

Publication number: US3480106A
Application number: US775423A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jerome J Weiner
Original assignee: JEROME J WEINER
Current assignee: JEROME J WEINER
Priority date: 1968-11-13
Filing date: 1968-11-13
Publication date: 1969-11-25
Anticipated expiration: 1986-11-25

Description

Nov. 25, 1969 J. J; WEIN'ER FIRE ESCAPE LADDER Filed Nov. 13, 1968 INVENTOR. JEROME J. WE/NEI? United States Patent 3,480,106 FIRE ESCAPE LADDER Jerome J. Weiner, 670 Cedar Lane, Teaneck, NJ. 07666 Filed Nov. 13, 1968, Ser. No. 775,423 Int. Cl. E06c 9/06, 1/383 US. Cl. 182-96 10 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A fire escape ladder for mounting to the .side of a multistory building includes a pair of rails adapted to lay adjacent each other when the ladder is in its collapsed or stored position. The ladder, when stored, is also disposed to lay adjacent or substantially parallel to the side of the building. When the ladder is released for use, it drops by gravity to an erected condition with its lower portion swung away from the building so that the ladder, in position for use, is disposed at a determined slope to the side of the building. In the erected condition the side rails are spaced apart by the length of a plurality of spaced pivoted rungs extending from rail to rail.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention The use of multi-story buildings for living purposes has created a need for fire escapes and/or ladders whose design and construction has for many years been the subject of various constructions and patents. In particular, it is desirable that small homes having a plurality of stories be provided with a fire escape means of proven design and preferably in the form of a ladder which is readily available for use by adults and children. Such a ladder, of course, must be made difficult, if not impossible, for opening by manipulation from the ground below. A positive means for keeping the ladder closed is necessary to prevent a ready entrance for use by burglars and other intruders. It is additionally important that in providing a fire escape ladder for small homes that the cost of installation and construction of the ladder be economical so it may be economically within the reach of the many people requiring the use of a fire escape ladder. The fire escape ladder of this invention is contemplated as being low in cost and installation.

This ladder may be readily opened by an upstairs occupant and the user of the ladder which uses gravity to bring the ladder from a closed condition to an open condition. In the closed condition, the two side rails are adjacent each other and are in a substantially contiguous relationship. In the open condition, the side rails are spaced apart by the pivoted rungs therebetween and, at the same time, the lower portion of the ladder is caused to be moved away from the building to provide a determined slope of the opened ladder to the building. This design, provided as an inclined ladder, is more easily and readily descended by the user.

3,480,106 Patented Nov. 25, 1969 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The fire escape ladder to be more fully described hereinafter includes two side rails which are preferably metal channel extrusions. Between these rails are pivotally mounted a plurality of equally spaced rungs which are disposed to lie in a substantially parallel condition to the ground when the ladder is in its open condition. In the ladder closed condition, the rungs are very acutely angled toward the rails. One of the side rails is provided at its upper end with a slide member disposed to engage and ride in a guide-way means fastened to the side of the building. This slide member is shown as a roller retained in a channel guide or track. As the ladder is opened, the other side rail, which is a free side rail, is swung outwardly from its closed condition to an open condition. In the open condition, this side rail has moved to a lower point than is the position of the side rail in the closed condition. This closed position of the ladder has its lowermost point or ground engaging end of the side rail at a determined distance above the ground or street. The other side rail is at a lower level than the free side rail but its ground engaging end is also a determined lesser distance above the ground or street. The lower portion of this same side rail is attached to a toggle arm having one end pivotally attached to the rail and the other end pivotally attached to the side wall of the building so that as the ladder is moved from the closed to its open condition, this toggle arm pushes the lower portion of the ladder outwardly. In this manner the ladder in its open condition is disposed at a determined slope to the side of the building. Alatch mounted on the building is adapted to retain the two side rails in a closed or contiguous relationship to each other and a pull pin is disposed to provide a means for retaining the pivoted rail of the ladder in an up or closed condition prior to the release of the ladder from its latched or closed condition.

INTENT OF THE DISCLOSURE Although the following disclosure offered for public disemination is detailed to insure adequacy and aid in an understanding of the invention, this is not intended to prejudice that purpose of a patent which is to cover the inventive concept therein no matter how it may later be disguised by variations in form or additions. The claims at the end hereof are intended as the chief aid toward this purpose, as it is these that meet the requirement of pointing out the parts, improvements or combinations in which the inventive concept is found.

There has been chosen a specific embodiment of the fire escape ladder for multi-storied dwellings as adapted for use therewith and showing a preferred means for mounting said ladder to the side of the dwelling. This specific embodiment has been chosen for the purposes of illustration and description as shown in the accompanying drawing wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 represents a side view of the fire escape ladder in its opened condition ready for the descent thereon by the user of the ladder;

FIG. 2 represents a front view of the erected fire escape ladder in an open condition, the view taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

, FIG. 3 represents a side view of the fire escape ladder of FIG. 1 but with the ladder in an up or closed condition, and

FIG. 4 represents a fragmentary view of the closed ladder of FIG. 3 and showing in an enlarged detail the latch pin construction by which the side rails of the ladder are retained in a side-by-side condition.

In the following description and in the claims, various details are identified by specific names for convenience; these names, however, are intended to be generic in their application. Corresponding reference characters refers to like members throughout the several figures of the drawing.

The drawing accompanying and forming part of this specification discloses certain details of construction for the purpose of explanation of the broader aspects of the invention, but it should be understood that structural details may be modified in various respects without departure from the concept and principles of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the fire escape ladder as shown in detail in FIGS. 1 through 4, there is illustrated a window which may be a double-hung window through which a person may pass to use the invention. This ladder includes a right side rail 12 and a left side rail 14 which are contemplated as being a metal extrusion in the form of a U or channel shape. Preferably these extrusions are of aluminum alloy having a strength which is sufiicient to support a load of at least five hundred pounds. Between these rails which are of a determined length, there are a plurality of pivoted rung members 16 which are of like determined lengths. Each of these rungs is pivoted at both ends by means of pins 17 mounted in and through the opposed sides of the channels of the side rails. These rungs are also contemplated and shown as channels of lesser width than the outer channel rails 12 and 14. As exemplified, and attached to a wall 20 of a multi-story building, there is a pivoted brace or toggle arm 22 which has one end pivotally attached to an angle or bracket 24 which is attached to the wall 20. The other end of the arm 22 is pivotally attached to a bracket or tongue 26 extending outwardly from the back of the rail 12 and is best seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3.

When the ladder is in its downward or open condition of FIGS. 1 and 2, the toggle arm 22 is substantially parallel to a ground or street level support surface. The upper end of rail 12 is carried and supported by a small outwardly extending arm 32 having a roller 34 mounted on the end thereof. This roller is adapted to roll in and be retained by a track support or guide 36. As side rail 12 is moved up-and-down, the upper end of the rail 12 is maintained in a fixed spaced relationship to the face of the building by means of the arm 32, roller 34 and track support 36. As it is moved vertically in track support 36, the vertical position of the side rail 12 is dependent upon Whether the ladder is in its open or closed position. In the ladder open or supporting condition of FIGS. 1 and 2, the rail is substantially lower than in FIG. 3 whereat the rail 12 is in its upper or ladder closed condition.

' Referring now to the locking mechanisms for retaining the fire escape ladder in its up or closed condition, it to be noted that on the rail 14 there is attached a headed pin 40 which extends rearwardly therefrom. The other members comprising the latching mechanism are attached to the face of the building and include an upper arm 42 pivotally mounted on a pin 43 attached to the building. Pivotally depending from the end of arm 42 is a link 44 whose other end is pivotally attached to latch arm 46. This latch arm 46 is pivotally mounted on pin 47 attached to the building and has a spring 48 attached to its outer end so as to urge the left end of latch arm 46 upwardly. As seen in FIG. 4, the arm 46 has a notch 50 formed in its left end. This notch is disposed to releasably engage and retain the shank of the headed pin 40 so as to retain rail 14 against rail 12. The pin, when seated in notch 50, is retained in its upper vertical position adjacent the wall 20 by the head of the pin preventing forward movement of the pin from the notch. Rail 12 is maintainedin a vertical plane at its upper end by means of 4 the upper roller 34 in track guide 36 and at its lower end by the toggle arm 22. Although vertically movable, the roller 34 and toggle arm 22 maintain rail 12 in its mounted vertical plane.

When rail 12 is lifted to an up position adjacent wall 20, the upward movement of the rail 12 is substantially the same amount as the length of toggle arm 22. In its upward condition, the rail 12 brings a pair of apertures formed in the legs of the channel adjacent or in way of a hole in a latch bracket 52 attached to the wall. In rail 14 there is also a pair of aligned apertures formed in the legs of the channel. These apertures are so positioned that the closed ladder of FIG. 3 has the apertures in rails 12 and 14 aligned and also aligned with the hole in the bracket 52. A pull pin 54 is inserted through the apertures and bracket to prevent an unwanted upward movement of side rail 12 to permit the pin 40 to be lifted from the notch 50 of latch 46. The rail 14 is thus maintained adjacent the wall and is prevented from moving away from rail 12. The pin 54 is preferably attached to upper arm 42 by means of chain or cable 56.

USE AND OPERATION To store the fire escape ladder against the side 20 of the building as in FIG. 3, it only requires that the side rail 14 be moved upwardly and swung rightwardly to a position adjacent the rail 12 whereupon both rails 12 and 14 are lifted upwardly until the rails are brought adjacent the building. In this up or storing position, latch arm 46 is actuated so that notch 50 receives and engages the shank of the headed pin 40 to retain the rail 14 adjacent the rail 12 and rail 12 against the wall with the ladder in its stored condition. The pull pin 54 now has its shank portion thrust through the apertures in rails 14 and 12 and into the hole in latch bracket 52 to prevent the rail 14 from being dislodged from the pin 40. The chain 56, as provided on the pin '54, is used to actuate arm 42 as well as providing retaining means so that the pin is not accidentally dropped when the latch mechanism is released.

The release of the ladder from the stored or closed condition of FIG. 3 only requires that the window 10 be opened so that the user of the fire escape ladder may grasp pin 54 and pull the pin from the bracket 52 and then from the side rails. As and after the pin is pulled, it is also necessary to pull member 42 downwardly so that the latch arm 46 is pivoted on pin 47 to move the notch 50 from in engagement of pin 40. The pulling of the left end of member 42 downwardly is usually by yanking or pulling on chain 56. After the latch arm 46 is disengaged from the pin 40, the side rail 14 is released and falls sidewardly (leftwardly) and downwardly to the position of FIG. 2 as urged by means of gravity. The ladder is now in an open condition and both rails 12 and 14, as they move downwardly, are actuated by the toggle arm 22, as it swings in an arc, to move the lower portion of the ladder outwardly until the bottom ends of the rail engage the ground and the ladder assumes the open position of FIG. 1.

The upper end of side rail 12, as it moves downwardly, is maintained parallel to the side of the building by roller 34 in track guide 36. On the upper end of rail 14 there may be provided a spacer or rubber bumper 60 which is sized so as to engage the sill of the window 10 or the side wall of the building when the ladder is in its open lowered condition. This spacer merely insures that the upper ends of rails 12 and 14, with the ladder in the open condition, are generally parallel to the face of the building and that any tipping or rocking which might occur during the use of the ladder is at a minimum.

It is, of course, realized and noted that in certain circumstances the pull pin 54 and the bracket 52 need not be used. Instead of retaining the side rails 12 and 14 against upward movement by means of pin 54, the upper movement of side rail 14 can be limited by a stop block attached to the building and positioned to just engage the upper end of the side rail 14 when it is at its upper ladder closed condition.

The fire escape ladder shown and described is contemplated as being light in weight so that it may be easily moved from an open to a closed condition. In addition, the side rails 12 and 14, when the ladder is in the closed condition, present very little climbing assistance for a burglar, and with the window closed and locked, a lower window of the dwelling is more likely to be used as a means for breaking and entering.

Terms such as left, right, up, down, bottom, top, front, back, in, out, and the like are applicable to the embodiment shown and described in conjunction with the drawing. These terms are merely for the purposes of description and do not necessarily apply to the position in which the fire escape ladder may be constructed or used.

The conception of the fire escape ladder and its many applications is not limited to the specific embodiment shown but departures therefrom may be made within the scope of the accompanying claims and protection is sought to the broadest extent the prior art allows.

What is claimed is:

I claim:

1. A collapsible ladder for use as a fire escape when attached to the side of a building and with the upper end of the ladder adjacent an exit means such as a window, the ladder in a stored condition being adjacent the wall and when in an open condition is caused to be inclined at a determined angle inwardly and upwardly from its resting position near the building to an upper support condition against the building, said ladder including:

(a) a pair of side rails of substantially the same length;

(b) a plurality of rung members having each of their ends pivotally attached to the side rails so that the side rails may be swung to a ladder closed condition with said rails in a substantially side-by-side position;

(c) a guide track and means for mounting the track in a vertical condition to the building and generally parallel to the side wall of the building;

((1) track guide engaging means carried by the upper end of one of the side rails, said engaging means disposed to move in and through the guide track while maintaining the upper end of the side rail in a vertical plane and at a determined distance from the track;

(e) a toggle arm having one end pivotally attached to a side rail and at a selected distance from the bottom of the side rail and the other end of the toggle arm disposed to be pivotally attached to the building at a determined position whereby the side rail is moved from a closed condition to its ladder open condition the toggle arm is swung outwardly to a condition whereat it positions and maintains the side rail at a selected inclined position to the side of the building; and

(f) latch means disposed to be carried by the building and to engage and retain cooperative means on the ladder to retain the side rails in a side-by-side closed condition and further to retain the folded ladder above its support surface and substantially parallel to the building.

2. A collapsible ladder for use as a fire escape as in claim 1 in which the track guide engaging means is a roller carried on an arm attached to the upper end of a side rail, said roller being retained in said guide track formed with an open slot for the passage therethrough of the arm.

3. A collapsible ladder for use as a fire escape as in claim 1 in which the track guide engaging means and the one end of the toggle arm are mounted on the same side rail.

4. A collapsible ladder for use as a fire escape as in claim 3 in which the latch means includes a headed pin carried on the side rail not supported by the track engaging means and toggle arm, said headed pin being disposed to seat in and be releasably retained in a notched end of a latch arm pivotally carried on the building.

5. A collapsible ladder for use as a fire escape as in claim 4 in which the latch arm is spring biased so that the notched end is urged upwardly and in which the side rails have apertures so located that when the ladder is in a ladder closed condition these apertures are aligned and a latch bracket having an aperture therein, and adapted for mounting on the building with this aperture aligned with the apertures in the side rails so that when the side rails are moved to an up condition adjacent to and substantially parallel to the side wall of the building a pull pin may be inserted through the apertures to prevent a further upward lifting of the side rails.

6. A collapsible ladder for use as a fire escape as in claim 5 in which the latch arm is a member of a linkage assembly mounted on the building and having a member thereof connected by a chain or the like to the pull pin.

7. A collapsible ladder for use as a fire escape as in claim 1 in which the side rails are metal extrusions of generally channel configuration and arranged with their leg portions extending toward each other, and in which the rung members are also metal extrusions whose ends are pivotally disposed between the legs of the channel side rails.

8. A collapsible ladder for use as a fire escape as in claim 7 in which the rungs are metal channels and in which the guide track has an open slot adapted to pass therethrough an arm attached to the upper end of a side rail and in which said arm has mounted thereon a roller sized and positioned on the arm so as to be reciprocably retained in said slotted guideway.

9. A collapsible ladder for use as a fire escape as in claim 8 in which the track guide engaging means and one end of the toggle arm are mounted on a first side rail and in which the latch means includes a headed pin carried on the second side rail, said headed pin being disposed to seat in and be releasably retained in a notched end of a latch arm pivotally carried on the building.

10. A collapsible ladder for use as a fire escape as in claim 9 in which the latch arm is spring biased so that the notched end is urged upwardly and in which the side rails have apertures so located that when the ladder is in a ladder closed condition said apertures are aligned and a latch bracket having an aperture therein, and adapted for mounting on the building with this aperture aligned with the apertures in the side rails so that when the side rails are move to an up condition adjacent to and substantially parallel to the side wall of the building a pull pin may be inserted through the apertures to prevent a further upward lifting of the side rails.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 321,385 6/1885 Pyme l8295 400,656 4/1889 Flynn 182-96 3,025,923 3/ 1962 Burnstein 182-96 REINALDO P. MACHADO, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.