US3738450A - Portable extensible fire escape slide - Google Patents

Abstract

A portable fire escape comprising a plurality of generally Ushaped chute members, the outside edges of one turned outwardly over the corresponding turned edges of the next, to provide a slidably interlocked, telescopically extensible system, with stops to limit the sliding of one chute member relative to its adjacent counterpart. The upper entrance end of the fire escape chute is pivotally connected to at least one clamping support strap for anchoring the chute to the escape window sill, with means provided for maintaining a suitable angle between the chute and the vertical wall of the building to be evacuated.

Description

United States Patent [1 1 Hessler et al.

[ PORTABLE EXTENSIBLE FIRE ESCAPE SLIDE [76] Inventors: Harold A. Hessler; Alice Hessler,

both of 875 W. 181 St., New York, N.Y. 10033 22 Filed: July 6,1971

21 App1.No.: 159,976

11 3,733,450 June 12, 1973 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 103,507 3/1964. Norway 182/48 Primary ExaminerReinaldo P. Machado Attorney-Seidman & Fisher [57] ABSTRACT A portable fire escape comprising a plurality of generally U-shaped chute members, the outside edges of one turned outwardly over the corresponding turned edges of the next, to provide a slidably interlocked, telescopically extensible system, with stops to limit the sliding of one chute member relative to its adjacent counterpart. The upper entrance end of the fire escape chute is pivotally connected to at least one clamping support strap for anchoring the chute t0 the escape window sill, with means provided for maintaining a suitable angle between the chute and the vertical wall of the building to be evacuated.

4 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures PATENIEBJUNI 2|975 3 738,450

INVENTORS 44 HAROLD A. HESSLER ALICE HESSLER BY ATTORNEYS.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The loss of life by fire and smoke inhalation of people trapped on the upper floors of one-family and multipledwelling homes, where building codes do not require permanent fire escapes, is a constantly recurring tragedy. Various prior-art fire escapes have been proposed, some retractable, for installation in such homes, but all have the disadvantage that they require permanent mounting at a preselected window of the home. At best, such installations are unsightly; more importantly, if access to that specific window is cut off by fire, heat, or smoke, escape is thwarted.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a portable fire escape device which avoids the disadvantages of the prior art. The telescopic chute in its completely assembled ready-to-use retracted position may be stored in any convenient accessible location. Made as light weight as possible consistent with adequate strength, the escape chute, when danger is signalled, may be carried to any accessible window, thrust out, clamped to the windowsill, and permitted to drop. An escape route is thus quickly established, and children as well as adults may be slid safely down, guided by the side walls of the chute; if time permits, even valued possessions may be rescued in this manner.

It is therefore a principal object of this invention to provide a portable extensible fire escape chute, easy, foolproof and safe to use from any accessible upstairs window of a home,

It is also an object of this invention to furnish a portable fire escape simple in construction and inexpensive to produce.

Various other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following descriptions and drawings which exemplify the concepts of this invention.

DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fire escape chute according to this invention, mounted on a window sill in its extended position and ready for use;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view similar to FIG. 2, but showing a modified embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the stop means of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4, but showing a modified stop means;

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the upper, window end of the escape chute, its clamping support straps and connecting means;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a modified clamping support strap;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the assembled parts of FIG. 6 mounted on a window sill;

FIG. 9 is a side elevational view ofa fire escape chute in its extended ready-to-use position; and

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a fully assembled fire escape chute in its retracted storage position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 shows portable fire escape 10 mounted on sill 12 of window frame 14 set in vertical house wall 16. Fire escape 10 comprises upper chute member 20 and lower chute member 30, both of substantially U-shaped configuration. Chute member 20 has a flat base portion 22 and upstanding side guide walls 24, each terminating at its upper end in rolled-over portion 26. Chute member 30 has a fiat base portion 32 and upstanding side guide walls 34, each terminating at its upper end in rolled over portion 36.

As seen in FIGS. '1 and 2, chute member 28 nests snugly within chute member 30, except where rolled over portion 26 encompasses portion 36, thus providing a slidably interlocking structure of rigidity and strength where the two chute members overlap. Sides 24 and 34 are tapered slightly outwardly to facilitate the sliding of one chute member relative to another, as well as to insure easy stacking of fire escape chute components.

Chute member 20 has mounted in each side wall 24 a rivet'28, designed to cooperate with slot 38 in each side wall 34 of chute 30. When fire escape 10 is lowered, each rivet 28 guides and allows its associated slot 38 to slide until upper end 40 of slot 38 reaches rivet 28, at which point chute 30 can no longer slide relative to chute 20, and the most extended position of fire escape 10 has been reached. Slots 38 and rivets 28 are positioned so that a considerable overlap of chutes 20 and 30, indicated at 42 in FIG. 1, remains at full extension, to provide rigidity to the device.

Chute members 20 and 30 may be constructed of any lightweight strong material, such as sheet aluminum. Their length may vary with the height of the windows from which fire escape I0 is to be used, the number of chute sections (see FIG. 9), and storage considerations. The lower ground-contacting end 44 of chute 30 may be advantageously curved as shown to facilitate the ground approach of a person using the fire escape chute.

An alternate construction is shown in FIG. 3, where chute members 20a and 30a have side guide walls 24a and 34a respectively, each perpendicular to base portions 22a and 32a respectively. Also, interlocking end portions 26a and 36a are turned outwardly over in a rectangular rather than cylindrical configuration. In FIG. 5, the rivet 28 is replaced by screw 46 in combination with headed nut 48, making it possible for fire escape 10 to be shipped as separate components for assembly in the home.

The pivoted chute anchoring means 50 is best shown in FIGS. 6 and 8. Chute member 20 carries at its upper edge integral rolled extensions which form hinge sockets 52. Clamping support straps 60 have corresponding hinge sockets 54. A hinge pin 56 is tapped at one end to accept screw 58, which, when all the components of FIG. 6 are assembled as in FIG. 8, locks the anchoring straps 60 pivotally to the chute 20.

Each clamping support strap 60 comprises, in addition to hinge socket 54, a horizontal portion 62, adapted to rest on window sill 12; a generally curved portion 64, designed to embrace the inner end of window sill 12; and a downwardly depending end portion 66, adapted to rest against the inner side of house wall 16 for full support of fire escape 10. The end of each strap 60 opposite end 66 is provided with a wedgeshaped extension 68, on which the end of chute 20 rests and which determines the angle of the combined escape chute 20,30 with the horizontal sill l2, and hence with the vertical wall 16.

It is evident that various modifications of chute anchoring means 50 may be substituted. As shown in FIG. 7, a single support strap 60a may replace the pair shown in FIG. 6. Also, the configuration of straps 60 or 604 may be modified to fit any specific sill construction, and wedges 68 may be varied to achieve any desired angle.

FlG. 9 illustrates a longer fire escape chute 10', for use in a window higher off the ground than that shown in FIG. 1. Here, chute sections 20 and 30 are operatively connected not to one another, but to one or more intermediate chute sections 70, each of which is slidably interlocked with the succeeding one. Side. walls 74 each have turned-over upper edges 76, rivets 78, and slots 80 to cooperate with either rivets 28 or rivets 78.

To use the tire escape 10. it is necessary merely to rest the chute on the window sill, clamp the anchoring straps 60 to the sill, and release the chute. Chute member 30 will slide and extend until curved end 44 reaches the ground. It is obvious thata rope or cable (not shown) may be attached to an outer wall 34 of lowermost chute member 30, for the purpose of retracting the fire escape 10 to its storage position shown in FIG. 10 after use.

The foregoing description and drawings thus have illustrated without limiting the concepts of this invention.

We claim:

1. A portable extensible fire escape for use in conupper end in an outwardly turned-over end portion, whereby each of said chute members is slidably interlocked with its next successive chute member;

means for limiting the sliding extension of each of said chute members relative to its next successive chute member;

anchoring means comprising at least one strap,

shaped and adapted to embrace the window sill, said anchoring means being pivotally attached to the uppermost end of the uppermost of said chute members; and

means for establishing a predetermined angle between said chute members and the window sill when the tire escape is in operative position, said anchoring means and said means for establishing the angle between said chute members and the window sill being incorporated in a single element.

2. The portable fire escape as described in claim 1, wherein said outwardly turned-over end portions of said side guide walls are rolled into a substantially cylindrical configuration.

3. A portable fire escape according to claim 1, wherein said means for limiting the sliding extension of each of said chute members relative to its next successive chute member comprises: said two upstanding side walls of one of said chute members each being slotted longitudinally for a substantial portion of its length; and said two upstanding side walls of said next successive chute member each having affixed thereto a cylindrical element adapted to pass through each of said slotted side walls and to permit slidable movement of said slotted side walls relative to said side walls bearing said cylindrical elements only as far as the slots extend.

4. A portable fire escape as described in claim 1, wherein said means for establishing the angle between said chute members and the window sill comprises at least one wedge-shaped element adapted to rest on the window sill and support said chute members at a predetermined angle.

Claims (4)

1. A portable extensible fire escape for use in conjunction with the sill of a window in an upper story of a building, which comprises: at least two substantially U-shaped chute members disposed in nested relationship with each other, each of said chute members having a substantially flat base portion and two upstanding side guide walls, each of said guide walls terminating at its upper end in an outwardly turned-over end portion, whereby each of said chute members is slidably interlocked with its next successive chute member; means for limiting the sliding extension of each of said chute members relative to its next successive chute member; anchoring means comprising at least one strap, shaped and adapted to embrace the window sill, said anchoring means being pivotally attached to the uppermost end of the uppermost of said chute members; and means for establishing a predetermined angle between said chute members and the window sill when the fire escape is in operative position, said anchoring means and said means for establishing the angle between said chute members and the window sill being incorporated in a single element.

2. The portable fire escape as described in claim 1, wherein said outwardly turned-over end portions of said side guide walls are rolled into a substantially cylindrical configuration.

3. A portable fire escape according to claim 1, wherein said means for limiting the sliding extension of each of said chute members relative to its next successive chute member comprises: said two upstanding side walls of one of said chute members each being slotted longitudinally for a substantial portion of its length; and said two upstanding side walls of said next successive chute member each having affixed thereto a cylindrical element adapted to pass through each of said slotted side walls and to permit slidable movement of said slotted side walls relative to said side walls bearing said cylindrical elements only as far as the slots extend.

4. A portable fire escape as described in claim 1, wherein said means for establishing the angle between said chute members and the window sill comprises at least one wedge-shaped element adapted to rest on the window sill and support said chute members at a predetermined angle.

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