Fire escape device

Claim 1

A fire escape device for a room of a structure having a window, ceiling, floor and wall from ceiling to floor around the window in the room, said fire escape device comprising a plurality of sections of substantially fireproof material movably mounted on the ceiling of a room in the area of a window in the room, said sections comprising a first section spaced from the window and substantially parallel thereto and two side sections each extending from a corresponding part of the first section to the wall on each side of the window said sections being shaped to enclose a predetermined area around the window, one of the sections being affixed to the ceiling and the remaining sections having curved ends and being movably mounted in coupled and cooperative relation with the one of the sections and with each other via said curved ends in a manner whereby in stored condition the sections are in a minimum area in substantial abutment with the ceiling and spaced from the floor and in extended condition the sections form a continuous partition from ceiling to floor at a predetermined distance from and around the window and abutting the wall at a predetermined distance from both sides of the window thereby isolating a predetermined area around the window from fire; and latch means for releasably maintaining the sections in stored condition and permitting the sections to extend to the extended condition when the latch means is released.