Abstract: A fire escape device suitable for receiving a person or persons to be safely descended from a relatively high elevation to the ground. The device includes a substantially box-like housing which contains a drum with a supporting cable and gear system. A basket is suspended at the base of the housing whereby a person or persons is/are lowered.

Abstract: A high rise fire escape mechanism uses a flat cable having notches to lower the victim. The cable is wound around a notched sprocket mounted inside a housing on a first axle. A second axle and an escapement mechanism mesh with the first axle to mechanically control the rate of descent of a victim to about four (4) feet per second.

Abstract: A descent vehicle for persons to lower themselves in a controlled manner by gravity from a high place or building on the outside. The unit rides on a rope secured to the building or high place and allows riders of different weights sitting on the seat of the vehicle holding on to handles to ride one at a time safely down from any height at about walking speed. Two main parts inside housing, pre-adjusted by the rider, bend and squeeze the rope to produce the desired safe descent speed. A hand brake on the unit is an additional safety feature.

Abstract: A descent apparatus to control the descent of people or materials from physical heights, for example, buildings, aircraft, ships, trees or mountains and may be used for business, pleasure, and military purposes, under routine or emergency circumstances. The apparatus employs a movable lever arm spring bias toward the braking disposition which influences the amount of friction between various sections of the cable used for lowering as the various sections of the cable interactively contact one another in opposed directions about multiple rollers.

Abstract: This invention relates to an emergency escape system for escape from elevated structures such as sky-scrapers, high-rise apartment or office buildings, etc., which system enables one to lower oneself from any level of a high-rise building to ground level all by oneself without requiring any help from rescue crews wherein, with the minimum amount of physical effort, the descending motion and speed is completely controlled by the descending person. The sky-ride emergency system comprises a closed loop of rope or cable wound on a friction drum over a number of complete laps in a substantially tight relationship. The cylindrical surface of the friction drum nonrotatably secured to an elevated level has a high friction coefficient. The closed loop of rope depending from the friction drum includes at least one securing means such as a hook or ring affixed to the rope. The lower extremity of the closed loop of rope depending from the friction drum reaches down to a lower level such as ground level.

Abstract: Escape device comprising a holder 1 in which is guided a flat belt 23 and which accommodates at least one brake shoe 12a on which a force is exerted depending upon the weight of the load and which is directed toward the belt 23.

Abstract: A device utilizing energy conversion into heat by eddy currents for braking the descent of a refugee as from higher stories of a building in the event of a fire or other emergency. Included is a payoff reel rotatably mounted on a frame for paying off wire rope. The payoff reel is coupled via overdrive gears to a rotor of electrically conductive material which also is rotatably mounted on the frame and which rotates at a greatly increased speed in response to the rotation of the payoff reel. A permanent magnet or magnets of generally annular configuration are secured to the frame in an opposed relation to the rotor for inducing eddy currents therein upon rotation of the payoff reel. The induced eddy currents convert the energy of the revolving payoff reel into heat.

Abstract: A safety device for preventing injuries to a worker as a result of a fall includes a housing which is intended to be supported at an elevated position where the worker is working and a cable which is adapted to be connected to a harness or belt worn by the worker. The housing includes a spring driven drum therein which normally keeps the cable wound thereon but which allows the same to be withdrawn slowly from the housing as more cable is needed by the worker. A centrifugally operated brake senses an initial quick withdrawal of the cable from the housing which results from the worker falling and stops further withdrawal therefrom to thereby prevent the worker from falling further. A hand operated winch mechanism carried by the housing allows a fellow worker to raise the fallen worker to safety.

Abstract: An emergency device which is stowed into a compact enclosure attached to the lintel of an upper-story window to facilitate evacuation in case of fire. The device comprises a windlass upon which is coiled a sturdy web supporting a body harness. The unrolling of the web is restrained by a powerful brake mechanism which can be controllably released by means of a handle associated with the harness. The control cable which connects the handle to the brake mechanism is coiled alongside the web and is unrolled at the same pace; thus giving the user continuous hand control of the brake release during the whole descent.

Abstract: A fire escape device enabling a person to escape from a multi-story building. The fire escape device of the invention comprises two sets of planetary gears which operatively interconnect a winding drum to the main shaft of a fan assembly. During operation, as the cable is unwound from the drum, the sets of planetary gears cause the shaft of the fan and correspondingly, the fan blades themselves to rotate at great speed thereby braking and hence controlling the rate at which the cable is released from the winding drum.

Abstract: An escape system (10) for lowering a user mounted thereon in a vertical direction (12) at a predetermined rate of descent responsive to a user applied force in predetermined areas on a seat member (22). The escape system (10) includes a mounting bar member (16) which extends in a longitudinal direction (18). The mounting bar member (16) is secured to a base surface (14) which may be a wall of an edifice, or some other vertically directed surface. A seat member (22) extends in the longitudinal direction (18) which provides containment or a seat for the user. A pair of first and second pulley members (32 and 34) are displaceably coupled to the seat member (22) through a rope element (36) passing between first and second pulley members (32 and 34) and cooperating with seat member (22).

Abstract: A controlled descent-speed, line system is described for the emergency evacuation of high office buildings, apartments and hotels. Included is a small diameter, high-strength steel cable of sufficient length wound upon a flanged reel. One reel flange is hobbed for drive chain teeth to drive a centrifugal clutch rotor hub sprocket. The out-drive clutch drum torques a linear actuator shaft which applies direct braking force to the cable reel. The load end of the cable is provided with a harness and umbrella deployable shield. The shield is stored as a slender, elongated column. Upon use, weight of the user collapses a number of straight spring strips into respective bows to approximate a spherical ball connected in the cable line above the users head to deflect heavy, falling debris and to maintain clearance between the face of the evacuated building and the user.

Abstract: Safety apparatus for lowering one or more persons from a window or a hotel room or the like characterized by structural framework that is affixed inside the room and disposed adjacent the window, an extensible arm that is pivotally connected with the structural framework and having a free end that is pivotally moveable exteriorly of the window, a rotating drum having a lineal member disposed thereabout and connected therewith for controllably dispensing the member and any person at the end of the lineal member, sheaves suitably mounted with the lineal member traversing thereover, body harness means for holding the person or persons and connected with the lineal member, such as the cable, and means for controlling the rate of descent of the person without requiring a separate control cable, radio control with elaborate receiving equipment inside the room or the like.