Emergency escape mechanism

An emergency escape apparatus, which comprises:

• a plurality of modular column sections, each of which are axially aligned and mounted essentially contiguous to each other, to form a main column, each of said column sections having a slot along one side, said slots being maintained in a constant alignment whereby said aligned slots form a descent channel within said main column, said descent channel extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of said main column;
• a plurality of modular helical lead screw sections, each of which are axially aligned and mounted, essentially contiguous, to each other, to form a worm shaft, said worm shaft being generally centrally located, and rotatable, within said main column and extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of said main column;
• motive power means for rotating said worm shaft;
• at least one exit lead unit extending laterally to said main column, from an area adjacent said main column, and adapted to merge with said main column, said exit lead unit being slotted longitudinally along one side to form a feeder slot merging into said descent channel;
• a carrier means having a hook-up unit affixed thereto, said hook-up unit being adapted to ride within said feeder slot in said exit lead unit and, thence, ride within said descent channel in said main column, whereby as said worm shaft is rotated in the prescribed direction by said motive power means, said hook-up unit, while engaged in said descent channel, slides along the shoulders of said rotating worm shaft and thereby descends longitudinally within said descent channel, said rate of longitudinal movement of said hook-up unit thus being indirectly prescribed and governed by said motive power means;
• and
• an escapee support means connected to one end of said carrier means, said escape support means to be secured to a potential escapee, whereby as said hook-up unit descends in said descent channel, said escapee support means descends toward the bottom of said descent channel.