Apparatus and method for rapidly and reliably sealing off certain exit and entrance ways in response to smoke or fire

A fire resistant curtain having magnetic edge strips thereon and sized to be wound on a cylinder, whereby a vertical release of said cylinder adjacent to a passageway having metal or metallic sections thereon enables said magnetic edge strips to become magnetically attracted to said metal or metallic sections to thereby rapidly seal off said passageway, said magnetic edge strips having a laminating adhesive on one side thereof and thin metal strips adhered to the other side thereof, and said fire resistant material being attached to said magnetic edge strips which allows for expansion of said fire resistant material under pressure.

An apparatus for sealing off selected exit ways and entrance ways in response to fire or smoke which comprises:

• a. means including a fire resistant material having magnetic edge strips or sections thereon, said material being wound on a cylinder to which a spring reel is attached and said spring reel having a wire wound thereon and being operative to restrain vertical acceleration of said fire resistant material when dropped vertically from said housing,
• b. means within said housing electrically coupled to a smoke or flame detector for releasing said cylinder in vertical fall and in close proximity adjacent to an exit way or an entrance way desired to be sealed off, whereby the magnetic edge strips falling in close proximity to said exit way or entrance way become rapidly pulled toward the surface thereof.