AN ENCLOSED CHUTE FIRE ESCAPE

Abstract: Enclosed chute fire escape (1) for use, in the event of fire, in the safe, controlled and rapid exit of persons from the burning structure (17) without exposure to flames, heat or smoke. Said enclosed chute fire escape (1) is elongated and is of rectangular configuration, and has a bottom (3), side walls (5) and a top (7). The side walls (5) carry support brackets (9) which have depending legs (11) which carry and dispose handle rails (13) parallel to the bottom (3). Access portals (19) formed through the side walls (5) provide access to platforms (15) carried by the side walls (5) coplanar with the horizontal building plane of the building (17). Vertical grip rails (21) are disposed and carried between and by the top (7) of the chute (1) and the handle rails (13).

Description: Description An Enclosed Chute Fire Escape Technical Field This invention relates to the field of fire escapes and more par¬ ticularly an enclosed chute fire escape for use, in the event of fire, in the safe, controlled and rapid exit of persons from the burning structure without exposure to flames, heat or smoke. Background Art The prior art, U.S. Patent No. 99,399, discloses afire escape; U.S. Patent No. 258,247 discloses a fire escape; U.S. Patent No. 277, 156 discloses a fire escape tower; U.S. Patent No. 294, 994 dis- closes a fire escape; U.S. Patent No. 309, 926 discloses a fire es¬ cape; U.S. Patent No. 493,556 discloses a fire escape; U.S. Patent No. 670, 050 discloses a fire escape; U. S. Patent No. 788, 818 dis¬ closes a fire escape; U.S. Patent No. 876, 893 discloses a fire es¬ cape; U.S. Patent No. 937,552 discloses a fire escape; U.S. Patent No. 952,239 discloses a fire escape; U.S. Patent No. 1, 057, 835 dis¬ closes a portable fire escape; U.S. Patent No. 1,078,931 discloses a fire escape; U.S. Patent No. 1, 194, 098 discloses a fire escape; U.S. Patent No. 1,200,686 discloses afire escape; U.S. Patent No. 1,465, 182 discloses a portable fire escape; U.S. Patent No. 1,483,249 discloses a tubular fire escape; U.S. Patent No. 1,555,355 discloses a fire escape; U.S. Patent No. 1,560, 128 dis¬ closes a rust resisting and adjustable supporting yoke for fire es¬ cape chutes; U.S. Patent No. 1,596,552 discloses afire escape; U.S. Patent No. 1,604,444 discloses a fire escape; U.S. Patent No. 1,754,375 discloses a fire escape of sliding type; U.S. Patent No. 1,950,996 discloses a tubular fire escape; U.S. Patent No. 2, 101,284 discloses a lifesaving chute; U.S. Patent No. 2, 119,444 discloses a safety fire escape for buildings; U.S. Patent No. 2,253,604 discloses an extensible chute; U.S. Patent No. 2,461,429 discloses a continu- ously extensible, retractable, and collapsible structure; U.S. Patent No. 2,779, 596 discloses an amusement slide; U.S. Patent No. 3, 013 , 640 discloses a fire tower; U. S. Patent No. 3, 301, 347 dis ¬ closes lifesaving equipment to be used for structures ; U. S. Patent No. 3, 433,323 discloses inflatable escape slide wa apparatus ; U. S. Patent No. 3, 819, 011 discloses inflatable escape slideway apparatus; U. S. Patent No. 3, 831, 711 discloses emergency escape device for high rise building ; U. S. Patent No. 3, 910, 377 discloses a life saving escape chute; U. S. Patent No. 3, 915, 258 discloses an escape system; U. S.- Patent No. 3, 968, 856 discloses a spiral slide fire escape; U. S. Patent No. 3, 980, 155 discloses a fire escape; U. S. Patent No. 4, 162, 717 discloses an e scape device ; U. S. Patent No. 4, 167, 224 discloses an e scape chute ; West German Patent No. 2, 441, 887 dis ¬ closes a fire escape for tall buildings with spiral chute. Disclosure of Invention In accordance with the present invention, an enclosed chute fire escape is provided, but is not countenanced in the prior art, in the form of an elongated chute of rectangular configuration, having a bottom, side walls and a top. The side walls carry support brackets which have depending legs which carry and dispose handle rails par¬ allel to the bottom of the elongated chute. Access portals formed through the side walls provide access to platforms carried by the side walls coplanar with the horizontal building plane of the building. Ver¬ tical grip rails are disposed and carried between and by the top of the chute and the handle rails. In utilizing the enclosed chute fire escape for exit from a burning building, a person enters through the neare st access portal and onto a platform, grasps a vertical grip rail and lowers himself so that his feet touch the bottom of the elongated chute, then positions his body so that his back is lying on the bottom of the chute and for feet-first de scent down the chute, and grasps a handle rail and releases such grasp to the extent necessary to control and allow gravity descent of his body down the bottom of the chute. Brief Description of Drawings The details of the invention will be described in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of the enclosed chute fire e scape of this invention; and Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the invention disposed for operative use in a three -story building shown in phantom lines . Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention In Fig. 1 of the drawing, reference numeral 1 generally refers to ■the enclosed chute fire escape of this invention. Elongated chute 1 is of rectangular configuration and has a bottom 3 , side walls 5 and 7. Disposed between side walls 5 and suitably carried in fixed relation¬ ship therewith are handle -rail support brackets 9. Suitably fixed to and depending from support brackets 9 are legs 1 1 which are suitably fixed to and carry handle rails 13. The handle rails 13 , uniquely con¬ figured as shown, are longitudinally disposed relative to elongated chute 1. Disposed between side walls 5 and suitably carried in fixed rela - tionship therewith are platforms 15. Each of the platforms 15 is dis ¬ posed coplanar with the imaginary horizontal plane of the building structure, generally referred to by reference numeral 17. Suitable acce ss portals 19 -re formed in either or both of the side walls 5 where needed to provide acce ss to their respective platforms 15. Of course, such access portals 19 would be suitably closed by erαergency exit doors (not shown) or the like from the building structure 17 itself in order that emergency access to such platforms 15 can be gained . through such acces s portals 19 by opening and thereafter closing such emergency exit doors to thereby prevent or minimize any exposure to flames, heat or smoke from the burning building or from same enter¬ ing chute 1. Suitably fixed to and upstanding from handle rails 13 are vertically disposed grip rails 2 1 which are suitably fixed to the top 7 of chute 1. Each of the platforms 15 has a leading edge 23 and a trailing edge 25. The handle rails 13 are disposed parallel with the bottom of chute 1 and approximately 22 inches from the bottom 3 of such chute 1. The platform 15 is suitably disposed such that its trailing edge 25 is approximately 30 inches from the bottom 3 of chute 1. -4- . ~"~" " " In Fig. 2, the chute 1 is shown disposed in inclined relationship in a three -story building structure 17. Access portals 19 and cor¬ responding platforms 15 are provided on the second and third floors where needed depending upon the number of persons who may utilize the enclosed chute fire escape 1 in the event of a fire. In utilizing the enclosed chute fire escape 1 for exit from a burn¬ ing building, a person would open the neare st emergency exit door on his floor, enter through the corresponding acces s portal 19 onto plat¬ form 15 and close such emergency exit door. Then he would suitably grasp the vertical grip rail 1 and lower himself from the leading . edge 23 of platform 15 in such manner that his feet touch the bottom 3 of chute 1. Then such person would so position his body that his back is lying on the bottom 3 of chute 1 and his hands are grasping a handle rail 13 preparatory to feet-first descent down chute 1. He then releases his grasp upon handle rail 13 to the extent necessary to allow gravity descent of his body down the bottom 3 of chute 1 while at the same time maintaining light hand contact with handle rail 13 to guide his body upon bottom 3 of and down chute 1, and also to be in a position to slow or stop his descent which will depend upon the magnitude of grasping force his hands apply to such handle rail 13. Shown in the drawing is a chute 1 in which two separate handle rails 13 are disposed. Of course, only one handle rail 13 could be utilized; in which case , the width between the side walls 5 would be proportionately less. Also, more than two handle rails 13 could be utilized; in which case, the width between the side walls 5 would be proportionately greater. Whether one handle rail 13 is, or two or more handle rails 13 are, utilized would depend upon the number of persons who would make use of chute 1 in the event of a fire. Multiple handle rails 13 permit a cor re spondingly greate r number of persons to use the fire escape 1 at the same time . Inasmuch as each handle rail 13 is centrally disposed relative to a person's body throughout such person's de scent down the chute 1, it is physically far easier for a person to grasp with both QM ' I ' _5_ ~" .. . — . - hands a handle rail 13 that is centrally aligned with his body than to extend his arms laterally outward to grasp a rail or rails. Such cen¬ tral disposition and alignment of a handle rail 13 allows a person to exert more physical control in guiding, slowing or stopping his descent down the bottom 3 of chute 1. Of particular significance is the fact that there are no mounting means such as brackets or the like, which at any time will physically interfere with such person or his hands in guiding, slowing or stopping his de scent down chute 1. A corresponding number of chutes, inclined at the same angle as the chute shown in Fig. 2 , would be employed serpentine -fashion but in alternating dispo sition for a multi- story building similar to build¬ ing structure 17 having more than three floors . In such case, and de ¬ pending upon the number of floors, the first chute would be disposed as chute 1 is disposed in Fig. 2 , the second chute would be inclined at the same angle as is chute 1 shown in Fig. 2 but in the opposite direction. The third chute would again be disposed the same as chute 1 is disposed in Fig. 2 , etc.

Claims: Claims 1. An enclosed chute fire escape for use, in the event of a fire, in the safe, controlled and rapid exit of persons from the building structure with which said fire escape is employed without ex¬ posure to flames, heat or smoke, said fire e scape comprising an elongated chute, support brackets , depending legs and handle rails, said chute having side walls carrying said support brackets . therebetween, said support brackets carrying said depending legs, said depending legs carrying said handle rails, said handle rails being disposed throughout the length of said chute, each of said handle rails being centrally disposed relative to a person's body with said person descending said chute on his back, said depend¬ ing legs carrying and mounting said handle rails for non-inter¬ fering engagement physically by a person's hands in guiding his body, or slowing or stopping same, in descent on his back down said chute. 2. An enclosed chute fire e scape of claim 1 wherein said chute has a bottom and wherein said handle rails are parallel with said bottom of said chute. 3. An enclosed chute fire e scape of claim 1 wherein said chute has acces s portals and platforms, wherein said acce ss portals pro ¬ vide access to the interior of said chute and said platforms, and wherein said chute carries said platforms . 4. An enclosed chute fire escape of claim 1 wherein said chute has access portals, platforms and grip rails, wherein said acces s portals provide acces s to the interior of said chute and to said platforms, wherein said chute carrie s said platforms, wherein said chute and said handle rails carry said grip rails . 5. An enclosed chute fire escape of claim 1 wherein said chute has a bottom, wherein said handle rails are parallel with said bottom of said chute, wherein said chute has acce ss portals, platforms and grip rails, wherein said acces s portals provide acces s to the in¬ terior of said chute and to said platforms, wherein said chute and ;ι?o said handle rails carry said grip rails . 6. An enclosed chute fire es cape of claim 5 wherein said chute has a top, 'wherein said chute top and said handle rails carry said grip rails and wherein said grip rails are vertically disposed. 7. An enclosed chute fire escape of claim 6 wherein said building structure has an imaginary horizontal plane and wherein said plat¬ forms are coplanar with such horizontal plane of said building structure. C-._?I V. '

Inventors: RICHARDSON H
Applicants: RICHARDSON H
Application year: 1980
Main classification: A62B1
IPC codes: A62B1