Abstract: This invention relates to a fire escape which has a base member, a brake device, a flexible elongated member for holding escaping persons and a drive device having at least one drive wheel which drives the brake device by frictional engagement with the flexible elongated member. The fire escape includes an actuator which is pivotally supported by the base member and acts to press the flexible elongated member at the entry side thereof toward the drive wheel to a contacting member disposed on the base member so as add a brake force to the flexible elongated member and to create a tension force in the flexible elongated member by receiving a force from the flexible elongated member at the exit side thereof from the drive wheel owing to a total weight of escaping persons held by the flexible elongated member.

Abstract: A reversible cable connector to connect a lanyard to a vertically suspended cable of the type which combines a U-shaped shoe to hold the cable in the crotch of the shoe with a lever arm pivotally mounted upon a pivot pin between the side plates of the shoe, the lever having a cam surface at the inner end of the lever arm engaging the cable when the lever is pulled downwardly and a connecting means at the outer end of the lever arm connecting with the lanyard.

Abstract: A safety belt for preventing injury to persons working in high places. The belt has straps for attachment to a window frame, scaffold or derrick or other supporting surface such as a ship's deck or hull. A housing secured to the forward portion of the belt is provided with a shaft on which is wound a line attachable to the window ledge, scaffold, derrick, boat deck or hull. A mechanism for lifting the user back to the supporting surface in the event of strap failure is associated with the shaft. The lifting mechanism is operable by the user.

Abstract: A fire escape device comprises a pair of arms pivotally connected together at respective ends for movement between an open position and a closed position. The distal ends of the arms can be fastened together when the arms are in the closed position. The arms are provided with respective means each defining at least a part of a passage and when the arms are in the closed position the respective means cooperate to thereby define a tortuous passageway between the arms for a rope or cable. The fire escape device can be used in a fire escape apparatus including also a length of cable and a harness. In operation a person attaches one end of the cable to a support, attaches the device to the cable and attaches a harness supporting him to the device; he then descends along the cable to the ground with the fire escape device braking his rate of descent.

Abstract: A device adapted to be fastened to a wire, a cable, a cord, or a similar flexible elongated element. The device comprises a base member or plate on which a preferably cylindrical element engaging member is mounted so as to be rotatable in one direction, and means, such as a ratchet mechanism, are provided for preventing rotational return movement of said engaging member. A transversely extending channel or slot in which part of said elongated element may be inserted, is defined in one end surface of the element engaging member, and when rotated in said one direction the wire or elongated element is wound around the cylindrical engaging member.

Abstract: An emergency personnel lowering apparatus having a stowage bag including a lowering line stowed in a plurality of hanks within the bag. A lowering control mechanism and an attachment line are positioned within the bag adjacent the lowering line. A portion of the attachment line extends out of the bag and forms a pull loop. The lowering control mechanism includes an adjustable descent control mechanism which controls the area of contact between different portions of the lowering line to control the rate of descent. Plural paths are provided for the lowering line in the descent control mechanism to adapt the system for different loads. A brake mechanism is provided to stop descent if the person on the line becomes incapable of self protection on the ground.

Abstract: A single piece safety brake having no moving parts for attachment between a safety line secured to a structure and a safety belt line worn by an aerial workman to prevent falls by the workman. The brake comprises a hollow helical guide member with an arcuate axis adapted to permit the safety line to be passed therethrough. A connecting eyelet may be located at one end of the guide member for connecting the safety belt line thereto. A serrated opening having inwardly projecting teeth is provided opposite the eyelet for exerting a drag on the safety line. The brake may be placed at any position on the safety line and easily moved there along by the workman. A downward force applied to the eyelet causes the brake to assume a substantially horizontal position, bringing the inwardly projecting teeth into contact with the safety line to exert a drag thereon and prevent downward movement of the brake along the safety line.

Abstract: A fire escape device includes a portable spool journalled in a casing including a safety hook for suspending the spool from an eyebolt installed in elevated relation to ground level. A support line is wound about the spool and includes a body harness at its free end. For retarding rapid descent of a human body in the harness, a cylindrical rotor extends coaxially from the spool for joint rotation therewith. The spool lies within a cylindrical cup supported by the casing defining a fluid tight chamber coaxially about the rotor. The chamber is filled with a viscous fluid to provide viscous friction forces in the circumference of the rotor. The viscous fluid is dimethyl siloxane having a density between 0.65.times.10.sup.6 and 2.0 .times. 10.sup.6 centistokes and the annular gap between the rotor and the cup is chosen to achieve a descent rate ranging between 3 and 5 feet per second for a human body weighing 250 pounds.

Abstract: A clamping device is formed of nestable body members pivotally hinged together, forming an inner space between them, housing and slidably supporting an elongated body such as a cable, bar, tube or the like in pivotally closed position, the large member having side walls one of which is elongated and the other shortened and forming an open space for receiving said elongated body and for mounting of said clamping device about any point thereon, one body member pivotally supporting a clamping means comprising an inner portion cam-shaped and pivotally bearing against and gripping said elongated body, an outwardly extending trigger arm for actuation by a chain worn about or attached as a safety device to the waist of a climber, ascending or descending a ladder or the like. Ascent of the climber allows him to draw the clamping device slidingly upon the elongated body as he ascends or descends the ladder, pivotally pulling the cam element out of gripping engagement of the elongated body.

Abstract: An escape device which includes a housing from which the user of the device is supported. The housing journals a drum about which a cable is coiled. During use of the device the free end of the cable is secured to a building part while the user being supported by the housing descends to the ground. A braking mechanism is incorporated in the housing to regulate the rate of descent of the housing and supported user.

Abstract: This invention relates to a clamping device slidably supported upon an elongated body such as a cable, bar, tube or the like, in a sliding cylinder of selected size to accommodate the elongated body, the device having a pivotally supported cam-like surface to lockingly engage and clamp the elongated body in fixed clamped position upon the elongated body, and includes means for locking the clamping cam out of engagement with the elongated body, whereby ascent of a climber allows the clamping device to be drawn upward or downward as the climber ascends or descends a ladder or the like holding the clamping cam disengaged but easily released from its locking means for quick clamping engagement of the elongated body by any quick pull, by misstep and for safe support of the climber in clamping engagement of said elongated body, rope or the like.

Abstract: A fire escape in the form of an elongated flexible member anchored at its upper end to a building structure or stationary device associated with the building structure with the flexible member being of sufficient length to reach the ground or some other lower level by which a person may safely escape from a fire in the building. An attachable and detachable slide is mounted on the flexible member for longitudinal sliding movement in relation thereto with the rate of descent being manually controlled by a person supported therefrom by a belt type sling. The slide includes a pair of hingedly attached members having partial grooves in their facing surfaces for engaging the flexible member and a screw-threaded bolt and nut assembly connecting the hingedly connected members for moving the facing surfaces toward and away from each other for varying the frictional engagement between the slide and the flexible member.

Abstract: A rope-descent device for lowering objects and in particular persons by means of a rope and comprising frame-mounted rollers around which a rope is run in an S-shaped path, the friction resulting from rope-to-roller and rope to rope contact being such that the rope tension transmitted through the device is greatly reduced so that, when the device is supported from one end of the rope an object such as a person supported from the device may be lowered by feeding the other end of the rope, which is subject only to the reduced rope tension, through the device. Reversal of the rolls of the rope ends, enables the device to be re-used without re-reeling the rope.

Abstract: The invention is a two component, shock-absorbing cable connector to secure a workman to a vertically-suspended safety cable; the first component, a U-shaped shoe, is placed upon the cable with the cable at the crotch of the shoe; the second component, a head combining a slide bar, cams and a handle, is fitted and latched between the sides of the shoe with the slide bar bearing against the cable; the cams include a face engaging the slide bar and outward arms connecting with the handle; these cams operate in unison to press the slide bar against the cable responsive to downward movement of the handle; the handle is attached by a lanyard or other connector to a safety belt or harness worn by the workman; thus, a fall of the workman will be checked by the connector as the weight of the workman pulls the handle downwardly to shift the cams, forcing the slide bar against the cable and squeezing the cable between the shoe crotch and the slide bar.

Abstract: A braking device for the frictional braking of ropes or belts is described which includes direction changing or guiding structure made in the shape of a loop with at least 360.degree. bending to obtain braking friction, an inlet for the one rope part and an outlet for the other load-supporting rope part, and an attachment for a load-supporting device having a direction of force which is essentially opposite the direction of force in the load supporting rope part, whereby the ingoing rope part can be used to regulate the speed of the rope through the braking device. The braking device consists of two substantially identical halves which are fastened together to form a unit with complementally engaging faces. In the inner face of the one half there is made a groove which, together with an identically similar groove in the inside face of the other half, forms a guiding channel for the rope or the belt.

Abstract: A lowering device including a unit which is adapted to slide downwardly at a controlled rate along a rope or other flexible line and which contains a circuitous passage through which the line extends to introduce friction between the line and the unit. In the preferred arrangement, two clamping devices controlled by rotatable collet sleeves are provided at opposite ends of the passage for controllably varying the rate of descent of the unit along the line, and the circuitous passage is formed by a tube contained within a case and surrounded by a mass of resinous plastic material hardened in place. The tube and contained circuitous passage may first be coiled in one direction, and then be coiled in the opposite direction, in a relation preventing twisting of the line as the device moves downwardly therealong.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for braking a mountain climber's descent while rappelling. A unique brake bar is provided which permits the use of two carabiners adjacent one another in a braking apparatus for attachment to a supporting rope thereby providing increased strength, redundancy and great braking effectiveness. Due to its novel shape comprising an elongate body provided with an oblong aperture at each end, the brake bar is adapted to readily accept the two carabiners simultaneously and, in particular, the configuration of the oblong apertures minimizes the possibility of the accidental release of the carabiners, thereby increasing the ease and safety of rappelling.

Abstract: A safety device comprising a runner which can be threaded onto a suspended safety line and houses a linegripping member movable between an unlocked condition and a locked condition and an operating member which provides externally of the runner an attachment point for a personal safety belt and is operatively associated with the line-gripping member to cause movement thereof towards locked condition responsive to sudden downward acceleration of the attachment point; with the improvement that the operating member comprises first and second link members pivotally attached to the runner, and a bar member pivotally connected to the link members to form a parallel linkage, and that the attachment point is disposed at least as high as the level of the top of the runner housing when the runner is oriented for use on a vertical line with the operating mechanism in its runner-free position.

Abstract: A slow descender includes a rope pulley and a braking apparatus which restricts the rotation speed of the rope pulley. The braking apparatus includes a mechanical braking device containing a centrifugal brake which has centrifugal weights, a V-shaped lining part cooperating with the weights, and a speed multiplying gearing device connecting the rope pulley and the centrifugal friction brake. The slow descender further includes an oil hydraulic braking device of the vane pump type or of the inscribed gear pump type.