While browsing Wikipedia, I came across this article on the worst fire in the history of the United States of America, the Iroquois Theater Fire. According to the article, many more lives that could have been saved from the horrific fate that so many of them suffered would not have been lost were it not for the fact that many of the fire escapes were fitted with “bascule locks” which are apparently not uncommon in Europe and the United Kingdom, but were almost non-existant in America. Now, I live in the United Kingdom, and I’ve never seen or heard of one in my life. I find it puzzling that a lock exists which is so complicated it could have added to such a tragedy. What does it look like, and how does it operate? A picture would help. I find it bizarre that something so simple could worsen such a catastrophe.
Thanks for your answer, but I can’t tell which one of those it is. None of those locks really looks like any of the ones you describe, and I can’t see how any of those would be that hard to open.
Thanks for your answer, but I can’t tell which one of those it is. None of those locks really looks like any of the ones you describe, and I can’t see how any of those would be that hard to open.
4 Answers
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As the text says, it was a lever operated lock that WAS not uncommon in Europe, see also espagnolette . The fact that the lever pulled toward you is not helpful in a hurry/panic so ‘panic bolts’ of the sort illustrated in the link in the first answer were invented/specified in most countries.
There is a parallel with aircraft seatbelts where the operation is different to the everyday car seatbelt latch, supposedly contributing to plane passengers being unable to release the belt in an emergency.
The link here apparently has a bascule lock, the lever operating bolts at the top and bottom of the door.
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The descriptionbelow is from the web page in the source box.
I don’t know what they look like either (I’m in UK). Perhaps they were discontinued after the accident you describe.
The bascule principle is most easily explained in terms of a see-saw. The idea is balancing a lever on a fulcrum (as with a see-saw), and counterbalancing each end with some type of weight. There are thousands of bridges in North America that function on this principle (i.e. drawbridges.) Weight is applied to one end of the “lever” or bridge section (referred to as a “leaf”) in order to lift up the other end so large vessels can pass underneath. The bridge is then lowered into a closed position by counterbalancing the weight again.
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A bascule is like an off centre see-saw with a counter weight on one end, so it may be the safety latch on the push to open locks on fire doors.
see link
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Bascule Lock