Patent ID: 6957716

Claim:
A stairway and an emergency escape apparatus adapted to permit people in wheelchairs to egress a multistory building, the apparatus comprising: a ramp platform of sufficient width covering at least half of each stair tread and of sufficient length to span from an upper landing to a lower landing of said stairway; a latch mounted to an outward wall of the stairway for impinging said ramp platform in a stowed position and releasing said ramp platform to a deployed position; a plurality of hinges affixing an edge of said ramp platform to the outward wall; and a motion retarding reel mounted to an upper landing wall of the stairway, said reel comprising high strength cable outwardly dischargeable in a linear manner and self-retracting, said cable comprising a hook attachable to a wheelchair, said reel controlling ascent and descent along said ramp platform.