A handrail system that is constructed and arranged to be coupled to a stairwell such that at least a portion of a hand railing may be in an upright position or a lowered position. In an upright position, the system provides a complete top-to-bottom handrail. In the lowered, stowed position, the upper railing portion is conveniently stowed away within the stairwell. In a bulkhead embodiment, a full handrail is provided in the upright, use position and the upper railing is stowed within the bulkhead when the bulkhead doors are closed.

An emergency slide system to provide an evacuation of a high-rise building comprises a plurality of slide assemblies configured for movement from a first stowed position to a second deployed position. Each of the plurality of slide assemblies are built into a wall adjacent each of the flights of stairs disposed in the stairwell of the building. Each of the plurality of slide assemblies is disposed in a storage enclosure built into the wall adjacent each of the flights of stairs disposed generally parallel to the flights of stairs designed to zig zag down from an upper floor of the building to a lower floor. Each of the slide assemblies is constructed of an elongated escape chute to enable a person exiting the building to slide down a plurality of the elongated escape chutes between the upper and lower floors disposed in the stairwell of the high-rise building.

An elbow joint connector includes an elbow portion and a locking mechanism detachably coupled to a distal end of the elbow portion. The locking mechanism including a pair of locking members translatable relative to one another along an interface transverse to a longitudinal axis of the elbow joint connector. Divergent translation of the pair of locking members relative to one another along the interface increases a portion of an outer periphery of the locking mechanism to lock the elbow portion to an adjoining member. The elbow joint connector is configured for detachable coupling to an adjoining elbow joint connector and pivotally rotatable relative thereto from a first configuration in which respective center axes of the connectors form an acute angle to a second configuration in which the respective center axes are collinear.

The present disclosure relates systems and methods involving movable/adjustable guardrails. An example system includes at least one rotating mount having a lower weldment rotatably coupled to an upper weldment. The lower weldment is coupled to a walking surface. The system also includes a guardrail weldment coupled to the upper weldment of the at least one rotating mount. The system additionally includes an actuator configured to controllably adjust a configuration of the guardrail weldment between an extended configuration and a retracted configuration with respect to the walking surface. In some embodiments, the system could include a remote unit configured to control a position of the actuator. For example, the remote unit could include a wired remote controller having a user interface and at least one button.

A safety barrier assembly for a parking garage is positioned in proximity to an opening in a floor of the parking garage that accommodates vertical movement of a VRC between floors of the parking garage. The safety barrier assembly has left and right vertical guide columns. A handrail and a knee rail have opposite ends guided for vertical movement in the columns. A bottom rail is connected pivotally to the knee rail and hangs to a position below the knee rail when the knee rail is in the lower position. An actuator causes the bottom rail to pivot up as the knee rail is elevated.

An elbow joint connector includes an elbow portion and a locking mechanism detachably coupled to a distal end of the elbow portion. The locking mechanism including a pair of locking members translatable relative to one another along an interface transverse to a longitudinal axis of the elbow joint connector. Divergent translation of the pair of locking members relative to one another along the interface increases a portion of an outer periphery of the locking mechanism to lock the elbow portion to an adjoining member. The elbow joint connector is configured for detachable coupling to an adjoining elbow joint connector and pivotally rotatable relative thereto from a first configuration in which respective center axes of the connectors form an acute angle to a second configuration in which the respective center axes are collinear.

A vertical raising safety rail. The safety rail includes lower linkage arm assemblies that are connected to a base and to a center rail assembly and configured to raise or lower the center rail assembly relative to the base when a rotational force is applied to the drive shaft. The safety rail also includes upper linkage arm assemblies that are connected to the center rail assembly and to a top rail. The upper linkage arm assemblies are connected to corresponding lower linkage assemblies and are configured to move the top rail relative to the center rail assembly. When the top rail is raised, one or more safety curtains are unfurled from a take-up roller inside the top rail to provide a safety curtain in the vertical plane of the safety rail.

A vertical raising safety rail having a moveable top rail, a base, a movable center rail assembly positioned above the base and below the top rail, a drive shaft, and a motor that provides rotational power to the drive shaft. The safety rail further includes a pair of spaced apart lower linkage arm assemblies that is operatively connected to the base and to the center rail assembly and configured to raise or lower the center rail assembly relative to the base when a rotational force is applied to the drive shaft. The safety rail also includes a pair of spaced apart upper linkage arm assemblies that is operably connected to the center rail assembly and to the top rail. The upper linkage arm assemblies are operably connected to corresponding lower linkage assemblies and are configured to move the upper rail relative to the center rail assembly. When the rotational force is reversed, the safety rail collapses into a compact footprint.

An extendable rail system for a flight of stairs to exit a heliport comprising a railing positioned along the flight of stairs, where the railing includes a handrail; a plurality of anchors attached to the railing, where the plurality of anchors support the handrail; a rail extension attached to a top portion of the railing, where the rail extension moves between a first position and a second position; a motor coupled to the rail extension, where the motor moves the rail extension between the first position and the second position; a first actuator positioned on the heliport, where the first actuator activates the motor; and a second actuator positioned at a base of the railing, where the second actuator activates the motor.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, a handrail system for a ramp assembly, the handrail system includes first and second handrail posts oriented substantially perpendicular to a ground surface, a handrail portion having first and second ends extending between the first and second handrail posts, wherein the handrail portion is substantially parallel to a ramping surface ramping from a first elevation to a second elevation at a grade, and first and second interfaces at the first and second ends of the handrail portion for interfacing with the first and second handrail posts. In another embodiment of the present disclosure, an adaptor is configured for a handrail portion.