The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 03, 1985
Filed:
Mar. 02, 1984
William E Forrest, Denver, CO (US);
Advanced Evacuation Systems, Denver, CO (US);
Abstract
This invention relates to a multiperson emergency evacuation system characterized by a first rope used for the initial descent down the outside of the building, a combination anchoring and descent control fixture mountable adjacent the escape opening used to both anchor the upper end of a ground or rooftop-anchored fixed rope and for belaying with a second rope the personnel riding the fixed rope down by means of a friction drum mounted thereon, a body harness and a special connection for detachably fastening each individual escapee at spaced points intermediate the ends of the movable belay rope. The invention also encompasses the novel method of evacuating more than one person from the upper floors of a multistory building which comprises first erecting a fixture adjacent the escape opening having a drum-type friction belay feature, and then, assuming no one is on the ground to catch and anchor the fixed rope, sending one or more persons down to receive and anchor it while belaying them from above. After anchoring the lower end, the slack is removed from fixed rope at the upper end before tying it off. Next, a second movable belay rope used to belay the evacuees is rigged alongside the fixed rope. These evacuees are then harnessed and attached at fixed intervals to the movable rope at points outwardly of the descent control device and to the fixed rope so as to slide down the latter while belayed from above. The invention further features a novel knot and open-ended friction belay apparatus whereby turns can be added or subtracted without accessing the rope end even when loaded.