System for exhausting smoke and controlling fires within a building

A system for exhausting smoke from a building, the building having a roof, exterior walls and at least one story, each story having a ceiling and a floor, the system comprising:

• a. actuable compressor means arranged for drawing smokeless air from the atmosphere outside the building and forcing it through the inlet end of a main conduit in communication therewith said main conduit extending to each story of the building;
• b. at least one branch conduit located on each story of the building, each said branch conduit having an inlet end, an outlet end, a length and at least one opening located along said length, said inlet end being connected to said main conduit, each said branch conduit permitting the passage of the forced air therethrough, said length extending across the story in proximity to the ceiling and projecting through an exterior wall of the building, said outlet end being open to the atmosphere outside;
• c. an actuable smoke exhaust valve associated with each said opening, said smoke exhaust valve being moveable from a normally closed position that obstructs air flow through said opening to an open position that permits air and smoke to flow unobstructedly through said opening;
• and,
• d. smoke detection means for opening at least one smoke exhaust valve on a story where smoke has accumulated in response to detecting an amount of smoke that exceeds a predetermined level and for actuating said actuable compressor means whereupon said actuable compressor means forces air through said main conduit and at least a branch conduit on the story where smoke has accumulated thus creating positive air pressure therein which draws smoke from the story through each said unobstructed opening resulting in the smoke being vented to the atmosphere outside.