Fire escape device

Claim 1

IN A FIRE ESCAPE DEVICE INCLUDING A SUPPORTING CABLE AND SLING, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING LOWERING APPARATUS OPERATIVELY CONNECTING SAID SLING TO SAID SUPPORTING CABLE, SAID LOWERING APPARATUS INCLUDING A HOUSING HAVING A CABLE RECEIVING OPENING IN THE UPPER PORTION THEREOF, SAID HOUSING INCLUDING A PAIR OF OPPOSED SIDE WALLS, A FIRST SHAFT EXTENDING ACROSS THE INTERIOR OF SAID HOUSING AND ROTATABLY JOURNALED IN THE OPPOSED SIDE WALLS, A CABLE DRUM FIXED TO SAID FIRST SHAFT FOR ROTATION THEREWITH, SAID CABLE EXTENDING THROUGH SAID OPENING AND HAVING A PORTION THEREOF WOUND ON SAID DRUM WHEREBY SAID CABLE MAY BE WITHDRAWN FROM SAID HOUSING SO AS TO ALLOW FOR A LOWERING OF SAID SLING, A SECOND SHAFT EXTENDING ACROSS SAID HOUSING IN SPACED RELATION TO SAID FIRST SHAFT, SAID SECOND SHAFT BEING ROTATABLY JOURNALED IN THE OPPOSED SIDE WALLS AND PROJECTING OUTWARDLY BEYOND EACH SIDE WALL SO AS TO DEFINE OUTWARDLY PROJECTING SHAFT END PORTIONS, A BRAKE DRUM FIXEDLY MOUNTED ON EACH PROJECTING SHAFT END PORTION OF SAID SECOND SHAFT EXTERIORLY OF THE ADJACENT SIDE WALL FOR ROTATION WITH SAID SECOND SHAFT, A MOUNTING COLLAR FIXED TO EACH HOUSING SIDE WALL IN VERTICALLY SPACED RELATION ABOVE THE CORRESPONDING BRAKE DRUM, AN ELONGATED VERTICAL ROD MOUNTED WITHIN EACH COLLAR FOR A VERTICAL EXTENSION AND RETRACTION THEREOF RELATIVE TO THE SUBJACENT BRAKE DRUM, A BRAKE SHOE FIXED TO THE LOWER END OF EACH ROD FOR SELECTIVE MOVEMENT INTO AND OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH THE CORRESPONDING SUBJACENT BRAKE DRUM IN RESPONSE TO THE EXTENSION AND RETRACTION OF THE CORRESPONDING ROD, INDEPENDENT HANDLE MEANS ON EACH VERTICAL ROD FOR THE INDEPENDENT MANIPULATION THEREOF SO AS TO ENGAGE OR DISENGAGE THE CORRESPONDING BRAKE SHOE, AND DRIVE MEANS ENGAGED BETWEEN SAID SHAFTS FOR EFFECTING A CONTROL OF THE ROTATION OF SAID FIRST SHAFT IN RESPONSE TO A ROTATION OF SAID SECOND SHAFT WHEREBY THE RATE OF WITHDRAWAL OF SAID CABLE FROM THE CABLE DRUM IS DIRECTLY CONTROLLABLE THROUGH AN ENGAGEMENT OF SAID BRAKE SHOES WITH SAID BRAKE DRUMS.