Ladderless safety escape device

Claim 1

A ladderless safety excape device comprising in combination: a frame; a cable drum mounted rotatably in said frame; a cable wound upon said drum and having means secured to the free end thereof for the support of a person; a braking mechanism for said drum for controlling the rate at which said cable is unwound to thereby regulate the rate of descent of the person, said brake mechanism including an outer element concentrically positioned about said drum and having free end portions extending in a generally radial direction in spaced relation to each other, spring means adapted to normally bias said free end portions towards each other to thereby apply a braking force to said cable drum; a brake control mechanism adapted to selectively operatively connect and disconnect said braking mechanism and said cable drum, incuding means for automatically connecting said braking mechanism and cable drum in the event said cable drum begins to unwind without being operatively connected to said braking mechanism, said automatic connecting means including a brake cam mounted between said spaced end portions of said braking mechanism pivotable between a first position engageable with said end portions to urge same apart against the bias of said spring means to remove the braking force from said cable drum and a second position out of engagement with said end portions to thereby permit said spring means to bias said outer concentric element radially inwardly and thereby apply said braking force to said cable drum, lever means being connected to said brake cam and adapted to be shifted into the path of rotation of a rewind handle for said drum when said brake cam is in its said first position and to cause said cam to pivot into its said second position upon engagement by the rewind handle upon rotation of said cable drum; manually operable cable drum control means for selectively locking said drum against rotation; and a rewind handle connected to said cable drum for rewinding of the cable thereon.