Fire escape device

Claim 2

A portable fire escape comprising an elongated flexible rope having an upper end capable of being anchored with respect to a building structure and having a length to depend to adjacent ground level, a sleeve assembly mounted on the rope for longitudinal movement, means connected to the sleeve assembly for supporting a person therefrom, and means on the sleeve assembly for gripping engagement with the rope to control the rate of descent along the rope, said means including a manually actuated screw-threaded member, said means supporting a person including a flexible belt having the ends thereof connected to the sleeve assembly, said sleeve assembly including a ring encircling the rope with the screw-threaded member extending radially into the ring, a pair of clamp members mounted in the ring with one of the clamp members being fixed with respect to the ring and the other clamp member being movable with respect thereto and engaged by the threaded member, each of said clamp members including an apertured lug projecting from the opposite edges of the lower end portion thereof, a substantially U-shaped member engaging each adjacent pair of lugs to retain them in assembled and substantially aligned position, each U-shaped member being connected to an end of the belt whereby downward force on the belt will cause the clamp members to move towards each other for frictional engagement with the rope.

Claim 3

The structure as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said clamp members is substantially semi-cylindrical in configuration and being of substantially greater length than the vertical heighth of the ring for engaging the rope over a substantial surface area thereof for controlling the rate of descent along the rope in response to rotation of the screw-threaded member.

Claim 4

The structure as defined in claim 2 wherein said rope is provided with a loop on the upper end thereof for engagement with the building.

Claim 5

The structure as defined in claim 3 wherein said belt is provided with a reinforced rigid hem in each end thereof, each U-shaped member being in the form of a wire member rigid in construction with inturned ends extending into the hem for connecting the ends of the belt to the sleeve.

Claim 6

In a fire escape device, a slide assembly adapted to be mounted on a vertically disposed rope for movement thereon, said slide assembly including an annular ring, a pair of vertically elongted clamp plates mounted within said ring for relative movement toward and away from each other for frictionally engaging the rope, manually actuated means on said ring engaging at least one of said clamp plates for causing relative movement therebetween, sling means for supporting engagement with a person, and means connecting the sling means to said clamp plates for retaining the clamp plates in substantially aligned condition and retaining the clamp plates in adjacent relation when the sling means is exerting a downward force thereon.

Claim 7

In a fire escape device, a slide assembly adapted to be mounted on a vertically disposed rope for movement thereon, said slide assembly including an annular ring, a pair of vertically elongted clamp plates mounted within said ring for relative movement toward and away from each other for frictionally engaging the rope, manually actuated means on said ring engaging at least one of said clamp plates for causing relative movement therebetween, sling means for supporting engagement with a person, and means connecting the sling means to said clamp plates for retaining the clamp plates in substantially aligned condition and retaining the clamp plates in adjacent relation when the sling means is exerting a downward force thereon.

Claim 8

The structure as defined in claim 5 wherein said clamp plates have concave facing surfaces adapted to engage a rope, one of said plates being rigidly fixed to said ring and the sling means being permanently connected to said plates.

Claim 9

The fire escape device as defined in claim 5, wherein each of said clamp plates is provided with a concave inner surface for engaging a rope with one of said clamp plates being rigidly fixed to the ring, said means connecting the sling means to the clamp plates including oppositely extending lugs on each of said clamp plates, said sling means including a connecting member on each end thereof for extending through the lugs for retaining the lugs and plates in adjacent assembled relation, said connecting members including a U-shaped area engaging apertures through the lugs for retaining the lugs in aligned relation and urging the lugs towards each other when doWnward force is exerted on the sling means, said clamp plates being substantially longer than the ring and extending both above and below the ring, said manually actuated means on said ring including a threaded member having a handle on the outer end thereof, said threaded member being threaded through the ring with the inner end thereof engaging the plate opposite to the plate rigidly connected to the ring for frictionally clamping the rope between the plates.

Claim 10

A portable fire escape comprising an elongated flexible member having an upper end capable of being anchored with respect to a building structure and having a length to depend to adjacent ground level, a sleeve assembly mounted on the flexible member for longitudinal movement, means connected to the sleeve assembly for supporting a person therefrom, and means on the sleeve assembly for gripping engagement with the flexible member to control the rate of descent therealong, said means including a manually actuated screw-threaded member, said means supporting a person including a flexible belt having the ends thereof fixedly connected to the sleeve assembly, said sleeve assembly including a ring member encircling the flexible member with the screw-threaded member extending radially into the ring member, a pair of clamp members mounted in the ring member with one of the clamp members being fixed with respect to the ring member and the other clamp member being movable with respect thereto and engaged by the threaded member, said flexible belt having a connector member on each end thereof, each of said clamp members having oppositely projecting lugs means thereon, said connector members on said belt being connected to said lug means on said clamp members whereby downward force exerted on the connector members by a person supported by the belt will urge the clamp members toward each other for frictional engagement with the flexible member.

Claim 11

A portable fire escape comprising an elongated flexible member having an upper end capable of being anchored with respect to a building structure and having a length to depend to adjacent ground level, a sleeve assembly mounted on the flexible member for longitudinal movement, means connected to the sleeve assembly for supporting a person therefrom, and means on the sleeve assembly for gripping engagement with the flexible member to control the rate of descent therealong, said means including a manually actuated screw-threaded member, said means supporting a person including a flexible belt having the ends thereof fixedly connected to the sleeve assembly, said sleeve assembly including a ring member encircling the flexible member with the screw-threaded member extending radially into the ring member, a pair of clamp members mounted in the ring member with one of the clamp members being fixed with respect to the ring member and the other clamp member being movable with respect thereto and engaged by the threaded member, said flexible belt having a connector member on each end thereof, each of said clamp members having oppositely projecting lugs means thereon, said connector members on said belt being connected to said lug means on said clamp members whereby downward force exerted on the connector members by a person supported by the belt will urge the clamp members toward each other for frictional engagement with the flexible member.