Escape hatch

Claim 2

Quick opening apparatus comprising: a support, A closure member mounted to the support for motion between closed and open positions, a housing journaled to said support, a torque shaft connected in driving relation to the closure member so as to move said closure member between said open and closed positions upon rotation of the shaft, shaft drive means mounted to the housing and having a driving connection to the shaft whereby operation of said shaft drive means will rotate said torque shaft to move said closure relative to said support, latch means for selectively restraining motion of said housing relative to said support, and emergency operating means for disengaging said latch means to free said housing for motion with respect to the support, said emergency operating means including means for rotating both said housing and said torque shaft relative to the support, whereby said closure member may be operated rapidly by said emergency operating means without operating said shaft drive means.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said shaft drive means comprises a gear rotatably mounted in the housing and fixed to said torque shaft, and a gear driving worm rotatably mounted in the housing and operatively engaged with said gear, whereby upon operation of said worm said closure may be operated to and between said opened end closed positions and to and between substantially any intermediate portion thereof, and said closure may be retained in any one of said positions.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said journaled connection of said housing to said support comprises said torque shaft and means for rotatably mounting said torque shaft to said support and to said housing, whereby said torque shaft may rotate relative to both said support and housing upon operation of said worm when said latch means is engaged to restrain motion of said housing and may rotate together with said housing relative to said support when said latch means is disengaged.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said latch means comprises a notch formed in the periphery of said housing, a guide in said support extending radially of said torque shaft and having at least a portion thereof in registry with said notch when said housing is in a first position thereof, a latch pin mounted in said guide for radial motion relative to said torque shaft and extending into and captured within said notch when said housing is in said first position thereof, and said means for urging said latch pin along said guide into said notch, said emergency operating means including cam means for driving said latch pin along said guide from said notch upon motion of said operating means, to thereby free said housing for pivotal motion with respect to said support about the axis of said torque shaft.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 4 including an emergency drive surface on said housing, said emergency operating means including means for engaging said emergency drive surface to effect rotation of said housing about the axis of said torque shaft upon operation of said emergency operating means.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said emergency operating means comprises a lever journaled for rotation about the axis of said torque shaft, and wherein said cam means comprises a cam shoulder on the lever for engagement with said latch pin to drive said latch pin from said notch upon rotation of said lever about the axis of said torque shaft.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said means for engaging said emergency drive surface includes a housing drive shoulder on said lever positioned adjacent to but spaced from said emergency drive surface when said lever cam shoulder is in contact with said latch pin, whereby upon rotation of said lever the latch pin will be driven from said notch by said cam shoulder before engagement of said housing drive shoulder with said emergency drive surface, and whereby upon further rotation of said lever engagement of said housing drive shoulder thereoF with said emergency drive surface will rotate the housing together with the torque shaft relative to the support.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said housing is formed with a second notch in the periphery thereof for receiving said latch pin after said housing has been rotated by said emergency operating means to a second position wherein said torque shaft has actuated said closure member to an open position thereof, whereby when said housing is in said second position said latch pin is urged radially inwardly into said second notch of said housing to thereby latch said housing, said torque shaft and said closure member in such position.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 8 wherein at least one of said lever and said housing includes a peripheral surface that engages said latch pin when the latter has been driven from said first notch and that retains said latch pin in said radially displaced position until said housing has been rotated through an angle sufficient to substantially open said closure member.

Claim 11

A quick opening closure assembly comprising a frame having an opening therethrough of a size sufficient to allow emergency egress, a closure member pivoted to said frame for movement between a first position in which said opening is blocked and a second position in which said opening is unblocked by an amount at least sufficient to permit such emergency egress, a pair of brackets fixed to the frame, a torque shaft journaled in said brackets, said torque shaft having a driving connection to said closure member whereby upon rotation of said torque shaft said closure member is pivoted between said positions thereof, a housing journaled on said torque shaft between said brackets, a drive mechanism carried by said housing and including a gear fixed to said torque shaft and a manually operable worm in driving engagement with said gear, a latch mechanism interconnecting at least one of said brackets and said housing to restrain rotation of the housing about the axis of said torque shaft, and an emergency operating lever journaled on said torque shaft for disengaging said latch mechanism and rotating both said housing and torque shaft about the axis of said shaft, whereby emergency opening of said closure member may be accomplished without operation of said worm-and-gear drive mechanism and regardless of said worm-and-gear drive mechanism by rotation of said emergency operating lever to rotate said housing, said torque shaft and said closure member.

Claim 12

A quick opening closure assembly comprising a frame having an opening therethrough of a size sufficient to allow emergency egress, a closure member pivoted to said frame for movement between a first position in which said opening is blocked and a second position in which said opening is unblocked by an amount at least sufficient to permit such emergency egress, a pair of brackets fixed to the frame, a torque shaft journaled in said brackets, said torque shaft having a driving connection to said closure member whereby upon rotation of said torque shaft said closure member is pivoted between said positions thereof, a housing journaled on said torque shaft between said brackets, a drive mechanism carried by said housing and including a gear fixed to said torque shaft and a manually operable worm in driving engagement with said gear, a latch mechanism interconnecting at least one of said brackets and said housing to restrain rotation of the housing about the axis of said torque shaft, and an emergency operating lever journaled on said torque shaft for disengaging said latch mechanism and rotating both said housing and torque shaft about the axis of said shaft, whereby emergency opening of said closure member may be accomplished without operation of said worm-and-gear drive mechanism and regardless of said worm-and-gear drive mechanism by rotation of said emergency operating lever to rotate said housing, said torque shaft and said closure member.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said latch mechanism comprises a guide slot in said one bracket extending radially of said torque shaft, a pin mounted for movement within said slot, a spring connected to urge said pin radially inwardly of said torque shaft, and an outwardly opening peripheral notch in said housing, said notch being in registry with the radially inward end of said slot and receiving said pin when said housing is in a first position thereof with respect to said one bracket, whereby the spring tends to retain the pin within the peripheral notch of the housing to prevent relative rotation between the housing and said one bracket.

Claim 14

The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said emergency operating lever includes a cam shoulder formed on the periphery thereof for engagement with said pin to force said pin from said peripheral notch when said emergency operating lever is rotated.

Claim 15

the apparatus of claim 12 including a drive pin extending from said housing in a direction substantially parallel with the axis of said torque shaft, and wherein said emergency operating lever includes a drive shoulder positioned to engage said drive pin after the emergency operating lever has been rotated through a relatively small distance sufficient to cause said cam shoulder to force said latch pin from said peripheral notch, whereby the housing will be rotated by means of engagement of said emergency operating lever drive shoulder with sAid drive pin after said housing has been unlatched.

Claim 16

The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said housing has a second radially outwardly opening peripheral notch to receive said latch pin after the latter has been driven from said first notch and after the housing has been rotated by means of said emergency operating lever through an angle sufficient to rotate said torque shaft and move said closure member to its second position.

Claim 17

The apparatus of claim 10 including a screen mounted in said opening for pivotal motion about an axis parallel to the pivot axis of said closure member, whereby rotation of said emergency operating lever to rotate said closure member will cause said lever or a hand gripping said lever to contact said screen and to rotate said screen together with said closure member.