US 4,469,198 AGranted

Outside rescue elevator system for high-rise buildings

OwnerRobert F. Crumpinventor

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Abstract

An outside rescue elevator system is shown for use on a high-rise building. The elevator system can be installed on existing buildings, as well as being included in new construction. The system includes a dual compartment track mounted vertically on the outside of the building, and a wheeled truck operating within one of the track compartments, and a dual cable system is included with the truck for raising and lowering the truck within the track. A portable elevator cab is connected to the truck, and the cab includes a pair of stabilizing wheels, so that the cab actually rides on a smooth vertical roadbed that extends up the exterior wall of the building. The elevator cab is provided as part of a mobile unit which includes a self-propelled truck, a motor/generator set mounted on a trailer that is pulled by the truck, so that the mobile unit may be stored in a remote location such as a fire department station house, and brought to the scene of a fire emergency at one of a plurality of high-rise buildings that is serviced by this safety system. The motor/generator set serves as an independent power supply for the cable hoist system of the building. Suitable safety measures are employed for maximum security. An important phase of this system is the provision of refuge areas on predetermined floors within the building in cooperation with the outside rescue elevator system for protecting the occupants of the building from smoke and fire during the rescue operation.

An outside rescue elevator system for a high-rise building, said system comprising:

a. a hollow, dual compartment track of double box-beam configuration in transverse view with two separate compartments, said track being adapted to be mounted vertically relative to an exterior wall of a building;
b. an elongated wheeled truck permanently positioned to travel within only one box-beam compartment of the track and having roller contact with the interior walls of said one track compartment;
c. said one compartment of the track having a narrow elongated slot in an outer wall extending longitudinally thereof;
d. the truck having coupling means extending outwardly through said slot for making engagement with a removably-attached portable elevator cab;
e. and an endless cable hoist system associated with the said dual track and including cable means in combination with sheaves mounted at both the top and bottom ends of the track, one pass of the cable means extending completely through the second box-beam compartment of the dual track and being shielded from the moving wheeled truck, while a second pass of the cable means is located within the first compartment and has free ends of the cable that are joined one to the top end of the truck and the other to the bottom end of the truck for supporting and moving the truck and its elevator cab;
f. said portable elevator cab having coupling means for joining with the coupling means of the truck, where said coupling means between the truck and the elevator cab comprises a pair of vertically spaced couplers, one adjacent the top of the cab and the other adjacent the bottom of the cab, so as to prevent the cab from wandering from its course of travel, and at least two rubber-tired stabilizing wheels carried by the lower portion of the elevator cab that are adapted to roll on smooth exterior walls of the building for gaining balance and stability of the cab during high speed movement as the elevator cab traverses the exterior of the building.

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Abstract

Claims11