Heat and smoke vent

Claim 2

A vent for heat and smoke adapted to be mounted on a roof of a building or like structure, comprising: a. a curb adapted to be mounted on a roof and having a vent opening therethrough; b. a heat softenable translucent or transparent synthetic resinous plastic vent cover means which is capable of softening and sagging when heated under predetermined conditions for sagging and dropping out of the vent opening to open same and allow heat and smoke to escape through the vent from the area in the building therebelow; c. mounting means for releasably mounting said vent coveR means on said curb; and d. a shield disposed over only the central portion of said vent cover and insulating same from cooling by rain falling thereon, thereby allowing the vent cover to soften and deform under said predetermined heating conditions so as to automatically disengage said cover from said mounting means for opening the vent to allow heat and smoke to escape.

Claim 3

The structure set forth in claim 1, wherein: said predetermined conditions under which said cover softens and sags includes heat in the vent for a period of two minutes at about 430*F., and for a further period of three minutes at about 530*F., while rain is falling on the vent at a rate of about one-half inch per hour, with the cover completely releasing from said mounting means in not more than 5 minutes under such conditions.

Claim 4

The structure of claim 2, wherein: said shield is read-supported on but is unattached thereto to prevent rigidifying of said vent cover which might interfere with the sagging of said cover when it softens and deforms to disengage from said mounting means.

Claim 5

The structure of claim 3, wherein: a. said vent cover has a pyramid shape when in its normal undeformed condition; and b. said shield extends over the upper central portion of said pyramid-shaped vent cover.

Claim 6

The structure of claim 4, further including: protective guard means mounted with said vent cover for catching a person who might otherwise inadvertently fall through said vent cover.

Claim 7

The structure of claim 7, wherein: a. said shield comprises a flexible sheet covering said vent cover but which is so thin that it is not self-supporting but which is capable of deflecting falling rain; and b. ridges formed in said vent cover for supporting said shield in spaced relationship thereto.

Claim 8

The structure set forth in claim 6, wherein: said ridges are in a waffle pattern.

Claim 9

A vent for heat and smoke adapted to be mounted on a roof of a building or like structure, comprising: a. a curb adapted to be mounted on a roof and having a vent opening therethrough; b. a heat softenable translucent or transparent synthetic resinous plastic vent cover means which is capable of softening and sagging when heated under predetermined conditions for sagging and dropping out of the vent opening to open same and allow heat and smoke to escape through the vent from the area in the building therebelow; c. mounting means for releasably mounting said vent cover means on said curb; and d. said mounting means including vent cover support means disposed along the upper surface of said curb with peripheral spaces therebetween for supporting the edge of said vent cover at spaced points only to thereby provide flow passages along the edge of said cover for heat coming upwardly through the vent opening to thereby assure the warming and softening of the edge of said cover to disengage and release same from said mounting means when said vent cover sags.

Claim 10

A vent for heat and smoke adapted to be mounted on a roof of a building or like structure, comprising: a. a curb adapted to be mounted on a roof and having a vent opening therethrough; b. a heat softenable translucent or transparent synthetic resinous plastic vent cover means which is capable of softening and sagging when heated under predetermined conditions for sagging and dropping out of the vent opening to open same and allow heat and smoke to escape through the vent from the area in the building therebelow; c. mounting means for releasably mounting said vent cover means on said curb; and d. said mounting means including vent cover support means disposed along the upper surface of said curb with peripheral spaces therebetween for supporting the edge of said vent cover at spaced points only to thereby provide flow passages along the edge of said cover for heat coming upwardly through the vent opening to thereby assure the warming and softening of the edge of said cover to disengage and release same from said mounting means when said vent cover sags.

Claim 11

The structure of claim 8, wherein said vent cover support means includes: a plurality of supporting buttons mounted with and spaced along the periphery of said inner frame means to support said vent cover, and allowing the heated air to escape from the building through the spaces between said supporting buttons to warm said edges of said vent cover, allowing said vent cover to deform and disengage from said vent.