EMERGENCY DEVICE TO ALLOW A NUMBER OF PEOPLE TO BE TRANSFERRED BETWEEN TWO AREAS FAR APART FROM EACH OTHER

Abstract: An emergency device to allow a number of people to be transferred between two areas (2, 3) far apart from each other comprises a flat stiff plate (4) capable of being rolled up upon itself and susceptible of longitudinal and trasverse deformations according to curvilinear profiles, and plate-deforming elements (5 - 33) to change the plate (4) from a flat configuration to an operating one comprised of hollows disposed in succession in a transverse direction. The deformation elements (5- 33) can consist of a waterproof fabric layer (9) joined to the plate sides and provided with tubular ducts (15 - 33) extending over the whole length of the plate (4). Under operating conditions the plate (4) is unrolled and the tubular ducts (15- 33) are inflated with fluids under pressure in order to deform the plate according to hollows in succession. In one embodiment the upper layer of the fabric forms an emergency slipway for a plurality of people and the hollow-shaped plate a slipway for sending stuff and the like.

Description: The present invention relates to an emergency device to allow a number of people to be transferred between two areas far apart from each other and more particularly to a device which within a short period of time can be made ready to allow people and/or goods to be moved away from an area to another when emergency conditions occur, among other things the invention is intended for an emergency slipway for example for ships, planes, buildings and/or tall plants and also for creating a temporary bridge. Emergency devices such as slipways and the like are already known and they are used to evacuate a number of people between two areas far apart from each other, such as a slipway between a position on board of a ship and a raft or a lifeboat. Generally such devices consist of a great number of inflatable tubular elements made of rubber or other similar material, extended lengthwise between the ship and the sea surface up to a raft or a lifeboat. Located between the different tubular elements disposed in side by side relation are fabric layers designed to form slipping surfaces simultaneously used by several people in order to escape from dangerous areas. Known examples of such devices are disclosed in US-A-3470991 and EP-A-34371. It is clear that the slipway must be sufficiently strong as it must ensure a continuous salvaging function over the whole emergency period, although submitted to very important mechanical stresses. Consequently, the stiffening structures in known slipways usually consist of several groups of inflatable tubular elements disposed upon one another. Unfortunately the known art does not succeed in conciliating in a satisfactory manner two requirements both necessary to such devices, namely on one hand how to allow an appropriate storage of the device in predetermined areas within a restricted room and, on the other hand, how to make the device immediately usable in case of emergency. Actually, if it is likely that by adopting a system completely made of deformable material and consisting of tubular elements alternated with slipping layers the manufacturer is capable of supplying the user with a properly folded device ready to be stored and having an acceptable bulkiness, on the other hand the use of this system cannot take place timely because, due to the great number of superposed layers of tubular elements, waiting times are necessarily very long since they involve the complete inflating of the stout structure of the whole device. In addition, the presence of a great number of tubular elements obviously requires that one or more sources should be arranged for the introduction of fluid under pressure into each tubular element as well as the arrangement of many valves, ducts, and several safety devices. It is however apparent that the presence of a source of fluid under pressure having an important power which is practically never used if we except exceptional events, and the number of accessory parts for the introduction of fluid into the tubular elements bring about several drawbacks related to the complexity of accomplishment of the same and consequently increased costs. It is also to be pointed out that the known device once used, gives rise to difficulties for its recovery, due to the necessary folding operations interesting a great mass of deformable material which does not lend itself to be stowed in an orderly manner. In addition known devices for the above mentioned drawbacks are not adapted for use in all possible emergency situations in any environment, for example they cannot be used as an escaping way from very tall buildings in case of emergency or for accomplishing a temporary bridge for civilian and/or military use. Consequently, the technical task underlying the present invention is to provide an emergency device to allow a number of people to pass and/or to escape between two areas far apart from each other while avoiding all the above mentioned drawbacks. The technical task specified above is substantially achieved by an emergency device adapted to constitute a passage and/or escape means for a number of people and/or goods between two areas far apart from each other, characterized in that it comprises: a flat stiff plate capable of being rolled up upon itself and susceptible of longitudinal and trasverse deformations according to curvilinear profiles; deformation elements for carrying out the spring deformation of the plate according to curvilinear profiles in planes lying transversely to the plate and comprising at least a portion extended between two end point aligned according to a tranverse direction of the plate, and shortening means of the length of said portion; said portion of the deformation elements having its end points fastened to the plate at either side of the longitudinal centre line of the plate. The present invention will be best understood from the following detailed description given hereinafter by way of non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 diagrammatically shows an emergency device between two points far apart from each other; Fig. 2 shows a stiff plate forming the fundamental part of the device; Fig. 3 shows the plate viewed in Fig. 2 rolled up upon itself; Fig. 4 diagrammatically shows, by way of example, a further fundamental element of the device; Fig. 5 shows the element viewed in Fig. 4 applied to the plate of Fig. 2; Figs. 6 and 7 are cross-sectional and prospective views respectively of embodiments of the element shown in Fig. 4; Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the device in its operating condition; Fig. 9 shows some construction expedients in order to make the edges of the plate shown in Fig. 3 stiffer; Fig. 10 is a part prospective view of one embodiment of the device shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 11 diagrammatically shows the device in a rest position. Shown in Fig. 1 by dotted line 1 is a device designed to constitute an escape way or a temporary passage way for a number of people between two areas 2, 3 far apart from each other. The device could be used in case of emergency to connect the exit door of an airplane to the landing strip, the roof of a civilian or industrial building to the road or to the terrace of another building or yet to allow a number of people to evacuate from on board of a ship towards a lifeboat in the vicinity of the ship. In a general form the device is substantially comprised of two parts consisting of a stiff flat plate 4 capable of being rolled up upon itself (Figs. 2 and 3), susceptible of longitudinal and transverse deformation as shown in dotted line in Figs. 1 and 5 respectively, and of deformation elements 5 adapted to cause the spring deformation of the plate according to hollow shapes disposed in succession in a transverse direction of the plate (Fig.4). Deformation elements 5 comprise at least a portion 6 extended between two end points 7, 8 according to a direction m-m and shortening means acting on the lenght "1" of portion 6. In addition ends 7, 8 of elements 5 are fastened to the surface of the plate at locations which are opposite with respect to the centre line p-p and aligned with the transverse direction of the plate. Hereinafter by the wording deformation elements with at least one portion extended according to one direction and shortening means for that portion, we mean to point out the fact that said elements could be shaped as elongate bodies or take forms different from the elongate one, for example be arranged in layers, provided that in all adoptable solutions there is at least one size of the elements adapted to be associated with the plate in a transverse direction and susceptible of being reduced in lenght so as to deform the plate according to hollows in succession. Should the deformation elements 5 take an arrangement in layers with the same lenght as the distance between the two points to be connected, according to a preferred solution the upper surface of said layer-shaped extension could be used as a slipway for a number of people and the underlying part consisting of the deformed hollow-shaped plate could be a means for the transfer of different objects between the two points to be connected. Should the deformation elements 5 take the form of elongate bodies, according to a possible embodiment the hollow-shaped plate would be the only slipping surface to be used in particular for short lengths. According to one embodiment, portion 6 could be comprised of a waterproof envelope 9 and two tie rods 9′ associated with the envelope sideways and the ends of which are secured to the plate. In this solution the shortening means of portion 6 consists of a fluid under pressure sent into the envelope by a supply source 10. As is apparent from the diagram in Fig. 5, the expansion of envelope 9, represented by radial forces F, originates forces T on the tie rods directed from the end points towards the centre thereby giving origin to the passage of plate 4 from the flat configuration to a curvilinear hollow-shaped one shown in dotted lines, useful to constitute an emergency slipway or the like. In this solution or in other solutions of the same type deformation elements 5 are made in a folding material resistant to tensile strength, among others in rubberized fabric. A possible embodiment of the invention consists in forming a number of deformation elements 5 separated from each other and located in an orderly succession on the plate. Each deformation element comprises a hermetically sealed bag consisting of two superposed rubberized fabrics 11, 12 (Fig. 6) and associated with the edges of the plate through side tie rods 13, 14. The bag is supplied with fluid under pressure 10, in order to deform the plate into a hollow-shaped configuration. In a preferred embodiment of the deformation elements 5 (Fig. 7) provision is made for at least an inflatable duct 15 made of rubberized fabric, the length of which is equal to the length of the plate, and portions 16, 17 resistant to tensile stress and disposed sideways and integrally with said duct 15. The end of said side portions 16, 17, in turn, are associated with the plate, as already said. The two side portions 16, 17 can be extended in a continuous manner over the whole length of the tubular element or tube and can be made of a rubberized fabric which is caused to adhere to the rubberized fabric of the duct according to known procedures. This solution according to the general concept of the invention is based on the fact that the plate deforming elements have a continous succession of portions of a given length "1" which are subject to shortening after the introduction of air under pressure into the duct 15. According to this solution the upper part of the rubberized fabric layer constitute the slipping means for a number of persons. A further embodiment of the invention (Fig. 8) is based on the use of a plurality of inflatable ducts 18, 19, 20 disposed in side by side relation in order to form a corrugated layer having lateral end portions 21,22 fastened to the plate 4 so as to give it a hollow shape as shown in the same Fig.8. In this solution the outer surface of the layer constitutes the slipping way for a number of people and the inner surface 23 of the hollow can constitute an emergency slipway for transferring different articles between the two areas 2 and 3 shown in Fig. 1. In a further embodiment of the invention which is particularly suitable for devices adapted to constitute an escape way between two areas 2 and 3 (Fig. 1) which are very far apart from each other, say 20 to 65 metres, provision is made for longitudinal stiffening means of the edges 24, 25 of the plate 4. Preferably, said stiffening means comprises at least two ducts 26, 27 (Fig. 9) made of rubberized material, which can be inflated with fluid under pressure. The two ducts 26, 27 can be in the form of layers the ends of which are associated with the edges 24 and 25 of the plate 4, as clearly shown in Fig. 8, in order to exhibit, after the inflation, an important compressive strength applied to the edges of the plate 4 in the longitudinal curvilinear configuration taken by said points 2 and 3. As can be seen for example in Fig. 10, the inflation of ducts 26, 27 makes the edges take a bending giving rise to the above mentioned compressive resistance. In addition it is possible to provide several tubular ducts associated with each edge so that in case of accidental and/or sudden flattening of a duct, the other duct or further ducts disposed in side by side relation and duly inflated may at all events cause the stiffening in the edge area of the plate; it is also possible to connect to each other two ducts located at the edges by means of a tube so that the flattening of one of them brings about the automatic flattening of the one disposed at the other edge. According to a preferred solution said stiffening means can be envisaged as shown in Fig. 10, namely they can comprise at least two inflatable tubular ducts 26, 27 associated with the plate edges 24, 25 and the sides of the rubberized fabric layer can be fastened along longitudinal lines 26′, 27′ of the ducts located at the edges. Should one or both ducts located at the edges be submitted to flattening, the same tension which is due to the inflating of the central ducts of the rubberized fabric layer will give rise to a bending state at the plate edges which will result in a sufficient longitudinal compressive resistance of the edges. The plate 4 of the above described and illustrated embodiments is a flat plate made of stiff material, which means that the plate as compared with a square surface of 1 m sides has a very small thickness which, in most of the involved applications, can range between 0.5 mm and 10 mm or beyond. Still more particularly, examples of plates adapted for use in the present device are those which can comply with the following features of indeformability to shear and bending stiffness for a plate sample with a square surface of 1 m sides and a thickness in the range of 1 to 3 mm. Indeformability to shear = the plate when submitted to parallel forces of 10 kg applied in the opposite way to opposite sides is subjected to the displacement of one side relative to the other in the direction of the side itself for a value lower than 1 mm; Bending stiffness = the plate when restrained at one end point and submitted to a 1 kgm bending moment at the other end point, takes a curving shape defined by a radius included between 50 and 500 cm (centimetres). The plate 4 could be made of preferably thermosetting plastic materials, more particularly a polyester resin preferably strengthened with discontinuous glass fibers, a polycarbonate or a polyamide resin or still other composite materials. The plate could consist of metal sheets made of steel or for example it could be accomplished by adopting elastomer sheets or the like provided that a structure is incorporated within said material which is capable of avoiding the deformation to shear such as for example a network structure in which the longitudinal and transverse elements forming the net are locked to each other at their intersection points. Further embodiments of the invention consist in a plate 4 comprised of several superposed layers all of them being formed with the same material or even with different materials and wherein provision is made or not for possible stiffening elements such as for example the introduction of wires and the like according to the maximum tensioning directions. The stiffening elements in the plate could be in the form of transversely disposed staves and the plate thickness could vary from one point to another. The plate could consist of a number of transverse staves disposed in side by side relation and by one or more stiffening layers located underneath. For example provision could be made for one rubberized square fabric in which the angles between the fabric strings and the stave direction will be 45° wide and a second rubberized fabric comprising cords disposed at 90° relative to the stave direction. The fabric could be made of polyamide resin. In some embodiments the lower fabric could be made of rayon or polyamide resin or even aramide resin or it could consist of metal cords. The main object of the first square fabric is to keep the different staves in a side by side relation so that both spacing apart movements and sliding movements relative to the stave direction are prevented. The second fabric aims at exerting a tensile stress in operation. Preferably staves are made of plastic material, for example polyester resins with glass fibers oriented in the stave direction and upper fibers disposed at random. In one embodiment the stave ends can have a bigger thickness than the remaining part so as to increase the compressive strength when the plate is curved in use or also to make the stave take a given configuration. The junction between the stiff plate and the deformation elements 5 is carried out depending upon the material used for the two parts, more particularly if deformation elements 5 are made of rubberized fabric it is possible to incorporate the respective ends of said fabric along end portions of the resin forming the plate or in other cases the two parts could be bound to each other by adhesion or heat seal or using any auxiliary means such as flat clamps. After assembling the plate and the deformation elements, the plate is rolled up according to a cylindrical configuration consisting of a plurality of concentric coils. As an alternative solution the plate could be rolled up starting from the two longitudinal end points and thereby forming two bobbins joined to each other by an intermediate portion of the plate which could have a bigger thickness than the other portions. The device ready for use could be put in a suitable place according to a great number of possible storage ways, one of which has been diagrammatically shown in Fig. 11 by way of example and is hereinafter described. Assuming that the device 1 has to be used as an emergency slipway, the corresponding winding-on coil could be located on a stiff platform 28 within an appropriate framing 28′ arranged at one side of the ship allowing the access and the other for the ejection of the slipway, both openings being closed by a door openable in case of emergency. The platform can be moved and suitably oriented. The two coil ends 30 and 31 are respectively associated with the platform and an inflatable raft (not shown) of known type, ejected together with the slipway. While the unwinding operation is taking place, the supply source for the introduction of air under pressure into the inflatable ducts of the device is activated either manually or automatically, thus achieving the hollow-shaped configuration of the plate and the subsequent creation of the emergency slipway. The ducts could be inflated with other fluids other than air, for example, among others, carbon dioxide and nitrogen. The supply source can be of an already known type, namely either a compressor on board of the ship with flexible hoses associated with the ducts or suitable bottles the valves of which are responsive to the unwinding action of the plate or at all events provided with control means for the delivery of air. Disclosed hereinafter is, by way of example only, a possible embodiment of the emergency slipway partly shown in Fig. 10. The device of the example comprises a plate 4 and a rubberized fabric layer 32 the ends of which are connected to the tubular side ducts 26, 27 useful for stiffening the plate edges. The plate-deformation elements in the form of hollows are represented by several side by side tubular elements 33. According to a preferred embodiment the slipway, formed with the upper corrugated surface of the rubberized fabric layer, is divided into several descent lanes each defined by inflatable tubular ducts 34 bigger than the others 33 and projecting from the layer surface. The Boundary ducts can be fixed by glueing either along longitudinal and parallel portions of the fabric layer or each of them along two side by side ducts 33 intended for shaping the plate into hollows. The device is defined by the following data: - Flat stiff plate : material forming the plate = polyester resin with glass fibers - Deformation elements : - material: a layer of rubberized material with inflatable ducts for the hollow-shaped deformation and the stiffening of the plate edges. When the attachment takes place between rubber and plastics a glue of known type is used for attaching the plate to the rubberized fabric. The invention attains all the intended purposes as hereinafter explained. The device according to the invention comprises a stiff plate the hollow-shaped deformation of which in order to form a slipway is achieved by shortening said portions of the deformation elements applied transversely to the plate. The unfolding of the plate from the cylindrical configuration consisting of superposed coils to the one corresponding to the curvilinear configuration between two areas to be connected takes place in an orderly manner and immediately, due to the fact that, as the plate is made of a stiff material adapted to form the stout structure of the device, it controls the whole formation of the slipway in a correct manner and at each instant. The unwinding times of the plate are independent of the arrangement of the deformation elements because these elements applied to the plate are compelled to follow the longitudinal unfolding of the same as a result of its being stiff, practically without any sort of inertia. Should the deformation elements consist of rubberized fabric provided with ducts as for example shown in the embodiment of Fig. 10, the unfolding of the plate will compel the tubular ducts to carry out a corresponding unfolding in the absence of any superposition of fabric parts. Consequently the tubular ducts can be inflated immediately in order to cause the hollow-shaped deformation of the plate and, if it is provided, to define several lanes. In other words, in contrast with known devices in which the formation of the slipway can be delayed by the presence of folds and of mutually superposed fabric parts, in the present disclosure the formation of the slipway takes place freely and correctly, without encountering any type of hindrances. In addition, even if the deformation elements are accomplished by the use of tubular elements as shown in Fig. 10, it will be recognized that, due to the small number of tubular elements used, the inflation time necessary to give the plate a hollow-shaped configuration will be very reduced if compared with that of the known device comprising a plurality of groups of tubular elements disposed in several layers. The above mentioned result is achieved while keeping the overall bulkiness of the device within limits allowing its being stored in a small place. In fact due to the particular feature of the plate which can be rolled up upon itself, the all device can be wound up so as to form a cylindrical configuration with concentric coils very close to each other and this above all when the deformation elements are made of materials having a very high folding character as in the case of the fabric layer used in the embodiment shown in Fig. 10. The storage of the device under the form of concentric coils is also a determining factor in enabling, during a subsequent use, the correct unfolding of the same from the rest position to the operating position for the creation of the slipway. While various embodiments of the emergency device in accordance with the invention have been described, all possible variations thereof which are accessible to an expert in this particular field fall within the scope of the following claims. For example the device could be used to connect to each other two areas being at the same level, among other things for the purpose of creating a temporary passageway across a river or an alternative road, for example in place of collapsed viaducts or bridges as a result of floods or the like. The device made of materials having an appropriate strength could also be used to temporarily connect two areas far apart from each other in order to allow means of any kind of pass therethrough, such as for example motorvehicles. In addition the device with all its already described parts could offer an escape way between two areas far apart from each other, the only difference from the previous diclosure, reference being made for example to Fig. 8, consisting in that the hollow-shaped part of the plate 4 is turned downwardly and the slipping surface is the one corresponding to the inner surface of the currugated fabric provided with tubular elements 18, 19 and 20. Still in a further embodiment the device could consist of several units each being conceived for example as the one shown in Fig. 10. According to this solution the different units arranged as viewed in Fig. 8, could be associated in parallel or in series in order to form a single temporary passageway. According to a variant, the deformation elements could consist of elongate bodies with telescopically disposed slidable parts spaced apart from each other by fluid under pressure. In addition the fabric layer could be coated with appropriate substances such as natural and/or synthetic rubber latex or plastic materials adapted for coatings, for example polyvinylchloride.

Claims: An emergency device adapted to constitute a passage and/or escape means for a number of people and/or goods between two areas (2, 3) far apart from each other, characterized in that it comprises: a flat stiff plate (4) capable of being rolled up upon itself and susceptible of longitudinal and trasverse deformations according to curvilinear profiles; deformation elements (5) for carrying out the spring deformation of the plate (4) according to curvilinear profiles in planes lying transversely to the plate and comprising at least a portion (6) extended between two end points (7, 8) aligned according to a transversal direction (m-m) of the plate (4), and shortening means of the lenght of said portion; said portion (6) of the deformation elements (5) having its end points (7,8) fastened to the plate at either side of the longitudinal centre line (p-p) of the plate. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that said deformation elements (5) are made of folding material resistant to tensile stress. A device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said deformation elements (5) are made of rubberized fabric. A device according to anyone of the preceding claims, characterized in that said deformation elements (5) are comprised of a fluid under pressure designed to operate said shortening means. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that said deformation elements (5) comprise at least said portion (6) consisting of a waterproof envelope (9) fastened by two tie rods (9′) to the plate sides and said shortening means comprises a fluid to the introduced under pressure from a supply source (10) into said envelope (9) in order to expand it and give the plate (4) a hollow-shape configuration. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that said plate deforming elements (5) comprise at least an inflatable tubular element (15) the length of which is the same as that of the plate (4), two portions (16, 17) resistant to tensile stress located sideways and integrally to said tubular element (15), shortening means in the form of fluid under pressure to be introduced into said tubular element (15), said portions (16, 17) having free ends applied to the plate. A device according to claim 6, characterized in that said side portions (16, 17) are continuous and extend over the whole length of the tubular element (15). A device according to claim 6, characterized in that said tubular element (15) consists of two mutually superposed layers. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that said deformation elements (5) to transversely deform the plate (4) are applied to the upper surface of the plate and said plate (4) is deformed so as to create an upwardly facing hollow designed to constitute a passage and/or escape surface between two areas (2, 3) far apart from each other. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that said deformation elements (5) comprise a number of ducts (18, 19, 20) made of waterproof material connected to each other so as to form a continuous corrugated layer designed to constitute a slipping surface the length of which is the same as that of the plate (4) and the side ends (21, 22) of which are associated with the plate, in each transverse section of the layer a portion being defined which is extended between two end points and which is subjected to shortening in length when a fluid under pressure is introduced into said tubular elements. A device according to claim 10, characterized in that the ends (21, 22) of said layer are associated with the upper surface of the plate (4). A device according to claim 10, characterized in that the ends (21, 22) of said layer are associated with the lower surface (23) of the plate (4) in order to deform said plate and give it the form of a downwardly facing hollow, said layer being designed to form a slipping surface between two areas (2, 3) located at different levels. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises means designed to longitudinally stiffen the plate edges (24, 25). A device according to claim 13, characterized in that said stiffening means comprises two tubular elements (26, 27) made of waterproof material which can be inflated with fluid under pressure and are located on the plate edges (24, 25). A device according to claim 1, characterized in that said plate (4) is made of plastic material. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that said plate (4) is made of a thermosetting resin strengthened with fibers. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that said plate (4) is made of a polyester resin and said deformation elements (5) are made of rubberized fabric. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that said deformation elements (5) are made of a fabric coated with natural materials and/or the like. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that when a sample of said plate (4) corresponding to a square surface with sides of 1 metre and thickness of 1 mm is restrained at one end point and submitted at the other end point to a bending moment of 1 kgm, the plate takes a curved shape with a radius in the range of 50 to 500 cm.

Inventors: DAMINELLI, GIOVANNI, MANCOSU, FEDERICO
Applicants: PIRELLI S.P.A.
Application year: 1990
Main classification: B64D25
IPC codes: A62B1, B64D25, A62C99