Abstract:
An elevator system for traveling on a rail attached to the outside of a high-rise building. The rail has an H shape and has trolleys connected to cables riding in a channel on the rail for raising and lowering elevators. Motors rotate spoils having cables connected to the trolleys. One elevator having a telescoping arm attached for reaching any position on or above the building. A platform or cabin attached to the telescoping arm can deliver materials to the building while under construction and thereafter be used for building maintenance such as window washing. The movable platform adjacent a building can take the place of scaffolding for a safer work environment. The telescoping arm may have various attachments for different functions such as for rescuing people trapped in a high-rise during a fire or for positioning fire fighters and hoses or fire fighting equipment next to a fire.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     This invention relates generally to an elevator system running on a rail attached to the outside of a building. The rail can support two cables for lifting or lowering two elevators. The elevator system may have two cars, a combination elevator and crane and an elevator. The invention can be used for fire fighting and rescue and can also be used for construction and maintenance of high-rise structures.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0004]     Currently vertical transportation in high-rise structures is limited to stairs and elevators. Fire fighters on the outside of the building are limited by how high their ladders will reach when fighting fires or attempting rescues. Construction and building maintenance is limited as to access to the outside walls and roof of the building. For example window washing is limited a plank precariously dangling from ropes extending from the top of a building. Construction of the building is similarly hampered by the need for scaffolding and lack of easy transportation and access to all areas on the outside of the high-rise building.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     The invention utilizes an elevator having a crane portion. The elevator portion is for traveling vertically up and down the outside of a building. The crane portion extends form the elevator portion to a desired location on the building. The crane portion can support a passenger cabin for fire rescue. The cabin can also have fire-fighting equipment for access to all portions of a building. The crane can also haul building materials to any location on a building under construction and can be used for window washing or other maintenance activities on the outside of the building.  
         [0006]     The crane portion has a telescoping arm for adjusting the distance between the cabin and the elevator. The telescoping arm has pivots on both ends. One pivot is attached to the cabin for keeping the floor of the cabin horizontal. The second pivot is to angularly position the telescoping arm relative the elevator portion. A rotating portion on the elevator portion swings the telescoping arm toward or away from the building.  
         [0007]     The invention also utilizes a second elevator. Both elevators run vertically on an H shaped rail attached to the side of a building. The rail has a channel for running two separate cables connected to two separate trolleys riding in the channel for lifting and lowering the elevators on the rail. The rail is engaged by wheels on the elevators to stabilize the elevator. The wheels can be mounted on arms that pivot and temporarily clamp the elevator to the rail permitting the elevator to engage the rail or the elevator wheels can permanently engage the rail. The pivoting arms can be opened to remove the elevator from the rail so that the elevator can be transported to a different rail on the same building or to a rail on another building.  
       OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     It is an object of the invention to provide vertical and horizontal transportation to the outside surface or roof of a building.  
         [0009]     It is an object of the invention to transport fire-fighting equipment at any point on the outside of a building.  
         [0010]     It is an object of the invention to rescue people from buildings during fires or other emergencies.  
         [0011]     It is an object of the invention to transport construction materials to any part of a building under construction.  
         [0012]     It is an object of the invention to provide a platform for construction or maintenance personnel for working on a building.  
         [0013]     It is an object of the invention to provide a transportable fire fighting and rescue system to high-rise structures.  
         [0014]     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  
       [0015]      FIG. 1  shows a front view of the invention on a building.  
         [0016]      FIG. 2  shows a top cross section of the elevator column.  
         [0017]      FIG. 3  shows a side view of the elevator with crane on a transport vehicle.  
         [0018]      FIG. 4  shows a side view of the elevator with crane being installed on a rail.  
         [0019]      FIG. 5  shows a top view of the elevator with the arms open and wheels disengaged from the rail.  
         [0020]      FIG. 6  shows a top view of the elevator with the arms closed and wheels engaging the rail.  
         [0021]      FIG. 7  is a front cross sectional view of an elevator connected to a trolley.  
         [0022]      FIG. 8  shows a top cross sectional view of an elevator on the H shaped rail.  
         [0023]      FIG. 9  is a side cross sectional view of the elevator with crane on the rail. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0024]     High-rise buildings are hazardous during fires since fire-fighting equipment is limited to reaching only the lower floors because ladders, cherry pickers and other equipment have limits of extension well short of the upper floors. A further hazard is that inside elevators cannot be used during a fire since people could become trapped inside the elevators or be exposed to smoke. It therefore becomes difficult to evacuate a high-rise building during a fire, to rescue people trapped inside or to fight the fire.  
         [0025]     Further, it is useful to have equipment on the building for access to the outside surface for window washing and maintenance. The equipment can also be used during construction to haul materials and workmen to the positions on the outside of the building or to access the upper floors and roof during construction.  
         [0026]     The invention provides a vertical column or rail  17  attached to the outside surface of a building  18  and an elevator car or elevator cars  3  and  58  attached to the rail  17  for riding up and down the outside of the building  18 .  
         [0027]     As shown in  FIG. 1  building  18  has a housing  59  on the roof containing lifting mechanism  57 , which comprises motors  151  and  152  for driving two separate spools  251  and  252  respectively, having two separate cables  351  and  352  respectively, for lifting or lowering the elevator cars  3  or  58 .  
         [0028]     Elevator  58  is stored in housing  59  until it is needed. It is aligned with emergency exits  69  on the outside of building  18  for evacuating people during emergencies such as a fire.  
         [0029]     Shock absorbing elements  53  at the base of column  17  help provide a smooth stop for elevator car  58  at the base of building  18 .  
         [0030]     An auxiliary power supply  68  can be used to supply power to the motors  151  and  152  to power the elevators  3  and  58  in case of a power outage in the building  18 . The power supply  68  plugs into the column  17  at electrical connector  60 .  
         [0031]     The controls for elevators  3  and  58  can be in the elevators or remotely controlled from ground at control station  70 .  
         [0032]     Elevator  3  has a crane portion attached on the top. The crane portion comprises a pivoting mechanism  20 , a turning mechanism  21 , a telescoping arm  4 , a pivoting mechanism  22 , and a cabin  5 . The cabin  5  can support fire fighting equipment  48  and firemen  101 . The cabin  5  can be rotated on turning mechanism  23 . The crane portion can position the cabin  5  at any desired position along the face of the building  18  by a combination of the elevator  3  moving up or down, and the crane portion using the pivoting mechanism  20  to swing the telescoping arm  4  to the desired angle and then extending or retracting to a desired position adjacent building  18 . The turning mechanism  21  can move the cabin  5  toward or away from the building  18 . The cabin  5  can be used to rescue people who cannot get to the emergency exits  69 .  
         [0033]     The vertical column  17  can be attached to a building  18  as the building is being constructed or it can be added to an existing building. The vertical column  17  can have expansion joints  103  between sections of r rail  17 . The expansion joints  103  are made out of an alloy or material which is fireproof and has a low coefficient of expansion with temperature.  
         [0034]     As  FIG. 2  shows, vertical column or rail  17  has an H shape and has several features designed for use with the elevators  3 ,  58 . The vertical column  17  has a high friction coating  19  to make a better contact with tires  9  on the elevators  3  and  58 . A power cable channel  72  in the H shaped vertical column  17  allows electrical power cables  52  to access the roof to drive motors  151  and  152 . Guides  38  on the outside face of vertical column  17  allow for wheels  9  or cog wheels  36  on the elevators  3  and  58  to engage the vertical column  17  and keep the elevators  3 ,  58  aligned on the column  17 . Lights  56  may also be installed on the vertical column  17  to help during nighttime operations.  
         [0035]     The H shaped vertical column  17  also has a trolley channel  61  for cables  251  and  252  to travel in. The trolley cables  251  and  252  are connected to trolleys  45  and  55 , which run separately in trolley channel  61 . Trolley  45  is attached to elevator car  3  and trolley  55  is attached to elevator car  58 . Trolley wheels  64  engage the trolley guides  62  in the trolley channel  61 .  
         [0036]     As shown in  FIG. 3  the elevator  3  and the crane portion are transportable to building  18  by a truck  1 . If the elevator  3  is for fire fighting the truck  1  may be a specialized fire truck. If the elevator is used during construction or maintenance the truck may be a construction truck. When truck  1  arrives at building  18  the elevator  3  is attached to the rail  17 . When finished with its work, elevator  3  can be removed from the rail  17  and used on another portion of the same building or moved to a different building.  
         [0037]      FIG. 4  shows elevator  3  being installed on vertical column  17 . Truck  1  is adjacent the building  18 . The top surface  2  of the truck  1  has a rotating mechanism  25  for turning pivoting mechanism  27  which has a telescoping arm  26  attached. Telescoping arm  26  is connected to pivoting mechanism  29 , which is connected to holding mechanism  28  for holding elevator  3  in position for connecting it to vertical column  17 .  
         [0038]      FIG. 9  shows how the elevator  3  is lifted into place by holding mechanism  28 . Forklift tines  30  are inserted into a portion of the elevator  3 . The fork lift tines  30  have apertures  33  which are engaged by jack elements  32  to lock the elevator  3  onto the fork lift tines while the elevator  3  is being positioned by against rail  17 . A stabilizing slot  35  on elevator  3  helps hold the elevator  3  in position on holding mechanism  28 , which fits into the slot. Optionally electromagnets  34  can be used to either hold the elevator in position relative to the holding mechanism  28  or act in conjunction with the fork tines  30  to hold the elevator  3  in place.  
         [0039]     As shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6  the H shaped column  17  is engaged by elastic tires  9  on wheels  15 , prevent left to right movement on the rail  17  relative to the building  18 . The wheels  15  are supported on frames  14  attached to spreadable arms  13 . The arms  13  pivot on hinge  12  and are opened or closed by operating pistons  16 . When arms  13  are opened the elevator portion  3  can be removed from the H shaped rail  17 . When the arms  13  are clamped closed on the H shaped rail  17  the elevator portion  3  is attached to the rail  17 .  
         [0040]     With the elevator portion  3  attached to the rail  17  additional wheels  15  having tires  9  on the spread arms  13  rotated 90 degrees to the first set of wheels  15  have tires  9  to engage the inside surface of the top of the H shaped rail  17 . Additional wheels  15  with tires  9  engage the outside surface of the top of the H shaped rail  17 . The wheels  15  on the inside and outside of the top of the H shaped rail  17  are pressed together by a jack device  11  engaging telescoping beam  10  to push tires  9  against rail  17   
         [0041]     Guides  38  indented in the columns  17  engage wheels such as cogwheels  36 , which engage apertures in the columns  17  to grippingly engage the column  17 . A brake having break calipers  39  operating on disc  37  attached to cog wheel  36  ( FIG. 9 ) can be used by operating brake lever  41  attached to brake cable  40  for stopping the elevator portion  3  in emergencies by pulling on emergency break  41  in cabin  5  on elevator  3  or in elevator  58 .  
         [0042]     With elevator  3  held in place on column  17  it can be connected to trolley  45  by a cable  66  having an eye connector  42  on the end of the cable and placed on hook  43 , which is attached by a cable  65  to the trolley  45 .  
         [0043]     Elevator  58  as shown in  FIG. 8  is attached to column  17  in a similar manner as elevator  3 , the difference being that elevator  58  is permanently connected to the column  17 . Therefore wheel frame  14  is permanently in place for holding the tires  9  on wheels  15  against column  17 .  
         [0044]     In some embodiments the cogwheels  36  can be used as the drive wheels. An engine compartment  7 , in  FIG. 9 , has an engine or electric motor for providing power to drive wheels  36  for propelling the elevator portion  3  along column  17 . The engine compartment  7  in this embodiment replaces a portion of the storage tank  6  for fire fighting foam in the elevator  3  since cable  45  lifts and lowers the elevator  3 .  
         [0045]     In all the embodiments the elevator  58  or cabin  3  can carry passengers. The elevators can have fireproof doors  46  and fireproof windows  47  and walls.  
         [0046]     Elevator  58  can be directly connected to trolley  55  without intervening cables since it is permanently connected to rail  17 .  
         [0047]     Cabin  5  has an access hatch  49  for climbing out of the cabin  5  to the top of the cabin which has a flat roof for standing on and a railing  50 . Fire fighting equipment  48  such as a nozzle can be used to spray water, foam or chemicals on a fire.  
         [0048]      FIG. 9  shows  
         [0049]     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.