Abstract:
For fire fighting and emergency rescue in high-rise buildings the building can be equipped with rails on the outside of the building. The rails have elevators, which travel on the rails on the outside face of the building. Two elevators traveling in unison and supporting a platform extending therebetween can provide a corridor and or a scaffold for reaching anyplace on the face of a building. Other elevators or elevators with cranes can be used on the rails in combination with the elevators with the platform to fight fires, rescue people from the upper floors of buildings or perform maintenance or construction tasks.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     This invention relates to elevators on rails on the outside of a building and more particularly to two elevators on such rails with a corridor attached between them to act as a moveable platform for fire fighting, emergency rescue, building construction and building maintenance.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0004]     Some buildings have elevators on the outside of the building, which offers a nice view as the elevator ascends and descends the side of the building. These are standard elevators and are not to be used during fires. The elevators have cables and are enclosed within the structure of the building to protect the elevator parts. There is usually a glass enclosure for the elevator so that people in the elevator can look out through the side of the building. These elevators are not available for removing large numbers of people from a building during a fire and are not useful for fighting fires or performing maintenance or construction work on the building.  
         [0005]     There are window-washing platforms that use ropes on either side of the platform to support the platform as it travels up and down the side of the building. The ropes are spooled on a barrel, which is turned by an electric motor, which can be operated by someone on the platform.  
         [0006]     There are no devices for spanning the entire face of a building, which can be raised and lowered to reach any point on the face of the building and can be used to fire fighting, emergency rescue, building maintenance or window washing.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     A pair of elevators riding on rails on the face of a building have a platform extending between them for accessing any point on the face of a building as the elevators are raised and lowered in unison. The platform can support a corridor such that people can enter the corridor and either walk therethrough to an adjacent corridor or be transported up or down in the corridor or a connecting outside elevator for emergency rescue operations. Pairs of elevators on each face of the building can be raised and lowered in cooperation with each other or individually to effect rescues. Other elevators or elevators with cranes thereon can also be used in conjunction with the pairs of elevators with a platform and corridor thereon for rescue, fire-fighting or building construction or maintenance.  
       OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     It is an object of the invention to provide access to the entire outside face of a building.  
         [0009]     It is an object of the invention to transport large numbers of people to safety in a corridor traveling on the face of a building.  
         [0010]     It is an object of the invention to coordinate the movement of the platforms on the faces of a building with each other and other elevators for rescues and other functions.  
         [0011]     It is an object of the invention to provide a platform across the face of a building for fire fighting.  
         [0012]     It is an object of the invention to provide a platform across the face of a building for use in building construction and building maintenance.  
         [0013]     Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]      FIG. 1  shows two faces of a building equipped with a corridor extending between two elevator on the outside of a building, plus an elevator cab, and an elevator with crane, used during a fire.  
         [0015]      FIG. 2  shows a front view of the side of a building equipped with rails on the outside of the building and having two elevators supporting a corridor.  
         [0016]      FIG. 3 a  front cross sectional view of a portion of a corridor supported by an elevator on the face of a building.  
         [0017]      FIG. 4  shows a top view of elevators supporting corridors at the corner of a building showing how the corridors interact.  
         [0018]      FIG. 5  shows a top view of the elevator connected to a rail on the outside surface of a building and a portion of the corridor on the elevator.  
         [0019]      FIG. 6  shows a side view of the elevator connected to a rail on the outside surface of a building and a portion of the corridor on the elevator.  
         [0020]      FIG. 7  shows a side view of the base of a building having an elevator with a crane and an elevator on a rail attached to the side of a building. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0021]     In high-rise buildings it is difficult to gain access to the face of the building from the outside on the upper floors. It is particularly necessary to access the face of the buildings during fires such that fire fighters can extinguish the fire and to rescue people on the upper floors.  
         [0022]     In a prior filed application, Ser. No. 10/205,981 entitled High-Rise Fire Fighting Rescue and Construction Equipment filed Jul. 26, 2002, which is attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference, the applicants have shown how to attach an mobile elevator from an emergence vehicle to a building for riding up and down rails secured to the outside of a building. The elevator has a crane thereon for extending a cab to any point on the face of the building for fire fighting and for rescuing people in the building.  
         [0023]     The applicants have also filed application Ser. No. 10/334,023 entitled High-Rise Fire Fighting Rescue and Construction Equipment filed Dec. 30, 2002, which is attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference, which is similar to Ser. No. 10/205,981, however the newer application shows the use of cables to lift and lower the elevator on the rails attached to the outside of the building. The cables allow for the elevator cab to be lighter since the electric motors for propelling the elevator can be moved to the building to operate the cables rather than being in the elevator.  
         [0024]     The applicants have also filed application Ser. No. 10/431946 entitled High-Rise Fire Fighting Rescue and Construction Equipment filed May 5, 2003, which is attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference, which adds a second elevator running on the rail to be used in conjunction with the elevator and crane to increase the transportation capacity during an emergency such that more people can be rescued in a shortened time frame.  
         [0025]     The applicants herein add another feature to the elevator system for the outside of a building which can be used in conjunction with the previously disclosed inventions to again increase the number of people who can be rescued and provide for better access to the face of the building for use during emergencies of for building construction or maintenance.  
         [0026]     As  FIG. 1  shows there is a building  5 , which is on fire. In order to provide the building with fire fighting and rescue services the building is provided with rails  4  on the face of building  5 . The rails  4  support elevators  3  which are operated in unison to support a corridor  24  therebetween. The corridor  24  has a large floor space for carrying a large number of people therein. The corridor  24  can be lifted or lowered to the floor needed to rescue people. People can then access the corridor  24  by using emergency doors  15  on the building, which are opposite doors  46  in the corridor  24  to admit people. People can also access the corridor  24  though doors  43  opposite windows  16  on building  5 . Alternatively people can access the top of the scaffold  28  on top of corridor  24  at any point along the face of the building. A railing  51  is provided around the scaffold  28  for safety. A ladder  34  and trap door  33  allow people to transfer from the scaffold  28  to the corridor  24 .  
         [0027]     The corridor  24  can be lowered to the ground and people can then leave the corridor  24  through doors  47 . Alternatively the corridor  24  can remain in position at one floor and elevator  203  can be used to dock with the corridor and people can transfer from the corridor  24  to the elevator  203  by accessing trap door  40  on the floor of the corridor  24  and through opening  41  and stairway  42  in truss  26  and through trap door  240  on the top of elevator  203 .  
         [0028]     The corridor  24  extends between the two elevators  3  on either side of the building  5  in the embodiment shown, however there can be three or more elevators if the face of the building is longer with corridors between all the elevators.  
         [0029]     The elevators  3  also have a corner corridor portion  25  extending to the corner of the building such that two such corner corridor portions  25  on adjacent corners of the building  5  will meet at a 45-degree angle to form adjacent walls  145  with sliding doors  44  so that people can escape around the corner of a building. Assuming there is a fire blocking passage of a corridor  24  the corridor  24  can be parked at a floor to rescue people who can then move to an adjacent corridor  24  around the corner through corner corridor portions  25 . People can also use the scaffold  28  on top of the corridor  24  and on top of the corner corridor portion  25  to be transported to safety or can transfer to the adjacent scaffold  28  by passing through gates  45 . The people can then ride down to safety in the second corridor  24  or on the second scaffold  28  or reenter the building on a side away from the fire and use internal building stairs to escape the building.  
         [0030]     The corridors  24  and corner corridor portions  25  can have inside and outside fireproof walls, and a fireproof ceiling and floor to protect the people inside. Refractory glass windows  27  in the corridors  24  help protect the passengers while letting them see out of the corridor  24  and let light into the corridor  24 . The corridors  24  are supported by trusses  26  for a lightweight strong structure. The trusses  26  have rotating connection units  31  for pivotally attaching the truss to the elevator  3 . The connections of the corridor  24  to the elevator  3  have moving metallic bridges  35  and corrugated elastic sheaths  30  to bridge the gap between the corridor  24  and the elevator  3 . An elastic fence section  29  connects railing  51  to the upper portion  59  of elevator  3 . Doors  36  with windows  27  in elevator  3  can be opened to allow people access to the corridor  24  or the corner corridor portions  25  from the elevator.  
         [0031]     The lower portion  49  of elevator  3  is the passenger cabin the upper portion  59  holds fire suppressing foam  32  and batteries  111  for powering lights  38  for illumination, operation of doors, supplying power to the controls  37 , and supplying power at jacks  39 . Hose connections  69  are for connecting a hose for spraying fire suppressant foam from containers  32  on the fire.  
         [0032]     The building  5  has rails  4  attached to the outside face. The rails  4  are preferably recessed into a groove  12  in the building surface fro protection against the elements and are H shaped. The rails  4  have guide slots  7  for receiving thrust wheels  6  on the elevator, which stabilize the elevator on the rails  4 . The rails  4  have teeth  70  for engaging cogwheels  8 , turned by drive units  11 , which are preferably electric motors. The drive units  11  raise lower or stop the elevators  3 ,  103  and  203 .  
         [0033]     The rails  4  have heat resistant sections  14  at intervals to absorb changes in the length of the rails due to thermal expansion or contraction.  
         [0034]     The corridors  24  with the scaffolding  28  on top can be used to carry firemen and their equipment to the floors needed to fight the fire. The fire can also be fought from the scaffold  28  or the corridor  24 .  
         [0035]     The elevators  3  with the corridors  25  therebetween can be stored at the top of the building  5  in hangers  23  to hide them from view, or they can be stored on the ground, underground, or anyplace along the face of the building.  
         [0036]     The fire can be fought by use of elevator  103  having a crane  104  thereon. The crane supports and moves a pod  105  which can be used for rescuing people and transporting them to either a safe place on the building, the corridor  24  or scaffold  28 , elevator  203  or the ground. The pod  105  can also be used to fight the fire by use of nozzle  13  used for spraying water or fire represent chemicals or foam on the fire. The pod  105  can also be used during construction or building maintenance to access points on the face of the building or the roof. The pod  105  in the embodiments shown is supported by the crane  104  from above such that the pod can be set on the roof of the building  5  on the ground on the scaffolding  28  or on top of elevator  203 .  
         [0037]     Elevator  203  can be used to transport people from any floor of the building  5  to the ground or to bring fire fighters, workers or equipment to floors where needed.  
         [0038]     Elevators  103  and  203  have the same wheels  6  and cogwheels  8  and drive units  11  as elevators  3  to raise and lower themselves on rails  4 .  
         [0039]     Elevator  103  can be stored underground at a first level  19  below the ground such as in the building garage. A ladder  21  or other structure can be used to service the elevator  103  or the crane  104  when stored at first level  19 .  
         [0040]     Elevator  203  can be stored underground at second level  20  and have a ladder  21  or other structure used for servicing elevator  203 .  
         [0041]     When any of the elevators  3 ,  103 ,  203  are stored underground level the elevators may have a fence  22  around the opening or vertical slot  17  in the ground adjacent the building for safety. Alternatively a sliding roof  18  may be used to store the elevators underground and out of the elements.  
         [0042]     If the corridor  24  is positioned at ground level a stair  48  or other structure may be used for maintenance or to provide access the scaffold  28  or door  47 .  
         [0043]     The elevators  3 ,  103  and  203  may be attached to the building on the same rails  4  in any order, or they may be on separate rails to allow for the elevators  103 ,  203  to pass one another.  
         [0044]     In case of a fire or other emergency the corridor  24  can be lowered from the top and the elevators  103  and  203  can be raised to rescue people or deliver firefighters rescue workers and equipment to anyplace on the outside face of the building. With proper positioning and coordinated use of the corridors  24  with scaffolds  28 , the elevator  203  and the elevator  103  with a crane  104  and pod  105 . Fires can be put out and people rescued in an efficient manner while outside of the zone of the danger inside of the building. The same corridors  24 , scaffold  28 , elevator  203  and elevator  103  with crane  104  and pod  105  can be used for building construction and maintenance such as window washing.  
         [0045]     The corridor  24  may be used alone or in conjunction with elevators  103  and  203 .  
         [0046]     Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.