Abstract: A heat-saving attachment in the nature of a jacket surrounding the smoke pipe of a furnace located in a basement or other relatively unheated space. Air is drawn from the unheated space or other area into the annular space between the jacket and smoke pipe, absorbing heat from the exterior of the pipe as it is directed through laterally disposed baffle means within the annular space from whence it is directed through a warm air duct to a space to be heated. Electrical controls may be provided to establish predetermined time delays between turning on and off of the furnace burner and respective on and off controls of an intake fan for drawing air from the unheated space into the jacket.

Abstract: A system for emergency evacuation of individuals from a multi-story building. A hollow, vertically disposed tube of sufficient cross section to accommodate a person in a sitting position is affixed to the outside of the building, parallel to a side wall, and inclined tubes provide access from a doorway through the building wall at each floor to the interior of the vertical tube. Pivotally mounted platforms are disposed within the tube at vertical intervals of a few feet and attached to weighted lever arms which normally maintain the platforms in a blocking position across the interior of the tube. The weight of an individual will overcome the bias of the counterweight and rotate the platform to an unblocking position, allowing the individual to drop to the next platform. A controlled rate of descent is provided by the time required for the individual's weight to overcome the inertia and biasing force of the counterweights attached to the lever arms at each successively lower level.