Fire escape – ladder – or scaffold – Ladder – Flexible
Patent
1994-09-06
1996-03-19
Chin-Shue, Alvin C.
Fire escape, ladder, or scaffold
Ladder
Flexible
182206, E06C 914
Patent
active
054996929
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to escape ladders used, for instance, in escaping from an upper story of a building in the event of an emergency.
In recent years the public have become increasingly security conscious with many devices being proposed to facilitate the safe and swift escape from buildings in an emergency such as a fire. Such devices include emergency chutes and ladders.
Many known escape ladders are provided in a rolled or folded condition such that they can be stored in close proximity to an emergency exit such as a window. Some of these known ladders nave been provided with means at one end for engaging a window sill or ledge for securing the ladder inside the window. Such a fixing does not necessarily work with every window sill or ledge structure and, if there is not window sill or ledge, the ladder cannot be used. With escape ladders which are provided in rolled or folded condition, there is a possibility that the ladder will not unfold or unroll correctly. Particularly in the case where the links between the rungs are in the form of chains or other flexible elements, these elements may become twisted or tangled during the unfolding procedure and the ladder will not extend to its full length. In addition ladders in which the links are in the form of flexible elements are often difficult to climb down because of the swinging movement induced in the ladder.
The present invention is concerned with an escape ladder which, in one or more of its aspects, overcomes or at least partially overcomes some of the disadvantages of known escape ladders.
According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided an escape ladder of collapsible construction having rungs spaced by side links, each side link connecting two adjacent rungs, one end of the ladder being provided with means for fixing the ladder to a structure, at least one end of each link being arranged for movement relative to its respective rung in a direction axially of the rung between a first position which the link is able to pivot relative to the rung and a second position in which relative pivotal movement is prevented.
Preferably the escape ladder of the invention includes means to lock said one of the links relative to the rung to prevent movement axially of the rung.
Preferably, each rung has connected to it two pairs of links, a first pair being rigidly attached to said rung and extending to an adjacent rung to which they are attached for movement axially thereto, each of said second pair extending, in its second position, in a direction which is substantially aligned with, or with its axis parallel to, the axes of the links of the first pair.
Preferably, there is provided means for biasing said one end of each link into its second position. More preferably the link end is spring loaded.
According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided an escape ladder of collapsible construction having rungs spaced by side links, each side link connected to adjacent rungs, one end of the ladder being provided with means for fixing the ladder to the structure, said fixing means being provided with structure engaging elements arranged to engage the structure on substantially opposite sides thereof, the fixing means including means for varying the distance between said structure engaging elements according to the distance between said substantially opposite sides.
Preferably the fixing means are in the form of an adjustable claw bracket.
Preferably an escape ladder in accordance with either aspect of the present invention is provided with a sheet of fireproof material which, when the ladder is in its collapsed condition, is sandwiched between the rungs and links and, when the ladder is in its extended condition, extends between the ladder and the structure to which the ladder is fixed.
Preferably a ladder in accordance with either aspect of the present invention is provided with spacing means which, when the ladder is in use in its extended condition space the rungs from the structure to which the ladder is fixed. More pr
REFERENCES:
patent: 1340627 (1920-05-01), Powell
patent: 2615665 (1952-10-01), Baxter
patent: 3307654 (1967-03-01), Green et al.
patent: 3727724 (1973-04-01), Gilbert et al.
patent: 3907064 (1975-09-01), Svalberg
patent: 3907067 (1975-09-01), Kennedy
patent: 4143741 (1979-03-01), Souza
patent: 4664224 (1987-05-01), Chen
Chin-Shue Alvin C.
Schindler Edwin D.
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