Patent ID: 6955244

Claim:
An individually operated escape device for escaping from a burning building, said device comprising a frame having a seat for receiving at least one individual thereon; at least one rotatable wheel mounted on said frame below said seat for spacing said seat from a building; a vertically disposed guide mounted on said frame at a forward position of said seat for guiding a cable means therein; a reel rotatably mounted on said frame below said guide for unwinding of the cable means therefrom; a hydraulic energy absorber mounted on said frame and operatively connected to said reel to regulate rotation of said reel; and a manually operable speed regulating valve mounted on said frame for adjusting said hydraulic energy absorber to control the speed of rotation of said reel to control a rate of descent of said frame along the cable means, wherein said energy absorber includes a housing having an inlet for an inflow of hydraulic fluid, an outlet for an outflow of hydraulic fluid and a plurality of circumferentially disposed passages for a flow of hydraulic fluid form said inlet to said outlet; a plurality of piston check valves, each said check valve being slidably mounted in a respective passage to move between a retracted position to allow hydraulic fluid to flow from said inlet into said respective passage and an extended position to block flow of hydraulic fluid from said inlet into said respective passage while discharging hydraulic fluid from said respective passage through said outlet; and a wobble plate connected to said reel to rotate therewith and connected to each said piston check valve to reciprocate each said piston check valve in a respect passage between said positions thereof, and a hydraulic line connected to and between said inlet and said outlet to define a closed loop, and comprising another valve in said hydraulic line for selectively opening and closing said line to a flow of hydraulic fluid therethrough and a tail skid pivotally mounted on said frame in depending relation, said tail skid being connected to said another valve to actuate said another valve to close said hydraulic line in response to said skid contacting a ground surface and pivoting relative to said frame.