Timeline
From the Dutch patents of 1984 to the first U.S. demonstration, television appearances and the press of 1987–1990, using only dates the sources give.
Dates come from the clippings themselves, patent records, the original photo file names, or Rick Denzien’s own account. Where a date is not given, the entry says so.
Dutch patent application
Van der Neer International B.V. of Doesburg files Dutch patent application 8400368 for a “device for lowering a load along a line,” the priority filing for the Exit Traveler’s lowering mechanism. The inventors are Abram P. van der Neer and Harm W. Holman.
U.S. and European applications
The U.S. application (no. 668,332) is filed on November 5, 1984 and the European application on November 6, 1984.
Development credit
De Telegraaf reports that a Ministry of Economic Affairs development credit went to “een nieuw type reddingslijn (Van der Neer International)” (“a new type of rescue line”).
Launch in the Netherlands
Dutch newspapers report on the “Exit Traveller” from VDN International of Doesburg: a 40-metre steel band in a cassette, priced at 565 guilders plus VAT, tested by TNO. The Algemeen Dagblad reports that it had been produced in Arnhem for half a year; De Telegraaf shows a hotel director testing it from the third floor of the Ibis hotel in Zutphen.
On sale in Holland
By Newsweek’s account in October 1987 the Exit Traveler “has been on sale in Holland for a few years.” The Morning Call said the product was made in the Netherlands, where it was originally manufactured, and had been available in Europe for several years.
Newsweek, October 26, 1987; The Morning Call, November 20, 1987.
Promotional photographs
The promotional photographs carry the date 1987-07-15 in their file names.
“Equipment Digest”
Fire Engineering lists the Exit Traveler from R.A.W. Rescue Products Inc. as “a compact, automatic lowering device” for windows “as high up as 12 floors.”
“Emergency Exit”
Newsweek’s New Products item introduces the device, quotes Rick Denzien as president of R.A.W. Rescue Products of Ambler, Pa., and says it is “now being introduced in Asia, South America, the United States and Australia.”
First U.S. demonstration
The Morning Call reported that the device was demonstrated “for the first time in the United States yesterday” at the Montgomery County Fire Academy in Plymouth Township, Pa., before two dozen firefighters.
R.A.W. takes over the patents and U.S. production
According to Rick Denzien, R.A.W. never set out to be just a distributor: it brought an Exit Traveler prototype to the United States so the product could be manufactured here, and distribution was only a step toward acquiring the product and developing it further. The distribution stage lasted only a very short time. It then bought the patents, the production rights and the transfer of know-how, and began U.S. production of the Exit Traveler in Ambler, Pa. Key product changes were made by Rick Denzien and implemented by Win VanBasten. He adds that after the distribution agreement with R.A.W., all other distributors were tied to R.A.W. and there was no further production in the Netherlands. The year is not given in the sources.
Rick Denzien, personal communication, October 27, 2026.
“Automatic Exit Device”
The journal of the American Institute of Architects describes three models (Exit Permanent, Exit Traveler and Exit Home) from R.A.W. Rescue Products Inc.
Introduced in the Philippines
Unirel Industries Corporation announced the Exit Traveler in the Philippines.
Travel Holiday recommendation
The promotional video quotes a recommendation from Travel Holiday magazine’s 1988 luggage and travel-accessories guide.
U.S. patent assigned to R.A.W.
U.S. Patent 4,588,046 is assigned to R.A.W. Rescue Products, Inc. of Ambler, Pa. (effective September 8, 1988; recorded October 28, 1988).
“Save a life — yours”
A gift-oriented piece in the Manila Standard’s “Hodgepodge” column describes the device and an early-order offer.
“Developments to Watch”
Business Week reports that RAW “has sold 4,500 Exit Travelers via mail and [spec]ialty stores,” with KLM Airlines, Heineken and Shell Oil among corporate buyers, and that a 36-story model is in development.
A mention in a Michigan weekly
A fragment beginning “Exit T…” appears on page 8 of the 44-page issue; the scan is cut off at the margin.
Full-page advertisement
R.A.W. runs a full-page ad, “If you were there… Exit Traveler could take you safely to the ground,” in three issues, listing the ET4, ET7 and ET12 models at $369, $424 and $438.
“Playing It Safe”
Stan Sinberg’s feature on safety and security products uses the Exit Traveler in an illustrative hotel-fire scenario.
“Escape route”
A short item on the device, priced at $398, with a photograph of the cable, hook and harness.
In books on inventions and home security
Marketing Masters (1990), David Alan Wacker’s The Complete Guide to Home Security (1990) and More Future Stuff (1991) describe the Exit Traveler. A Taiwanese trademark “EXIT TRAVELER” is registered in December 1990.
U.S. patent lapses
U.S. Patent 4,588,046 lapses for non-payment of maintenance fees (effective May 15, 1994).
Hundreds of demonstrations, many live on TV
According to Rick Denzien, the Exit Traveler was demonstrated hundreds of times, many of them live on television. The highlights below are from his account.
Rick Denzien, personal communication, October 27, 2026. Read more →
Netherlands: Amsterdam Sonesta Hotel, on national TV
In Rick Denzien’s account, he prepared to descend from the top floor of the Amsterdam Sonesta Hotel on Dutch national television before a crowd of thousands. He and his partner also wrote a James Bond-style scene for the Dutch equivalent of “Late Night with David Letterman,” in which the show’s “Star” also descended from the top floor, “barely escaping” Russian spies.
His account, from rickdenzien.com. Read it →
India: a 12-story hotel in Delhi
Rick Denzien went on to India, where he demonstrated the product from a 12-story hotel building. The hotel was in Delhi (confirmed by Rick Denzien, personal communication, October 27, 2026).
His account, from rickdenzien.com. Read it →
Australia: Beyond 2000, Sydney
He then appeared on the high-tech television show Beyond 2000 in Sydney. The show’s host, Maxine Gray, and Rick descended from the 4th floor of a Sydney hotel room.
His account, from rickdenzien.com. Read it →
The original Exit Traveler website
A one-page FrontPage-era site about the Exit Traveler. Its text read: “Exit Traveler is a device that will give a person a safe, individual alternative to the ground in the event all other exits in a high building become blocked. The unit features a fire proof steel tape that has a reach of over 12 stories. Can you imagine... a personal escape route in the size of a shaving kit? Let us know if you want one.” (No units are available today; that last sentence is part of the original text.)
The page also showed two of the 1987 promotional photographs, the Newsweek clipping, the information video and links to six press clippings. All of them are on this site: see the Gallery, Press and Video pages.
Captured by the Wayback Machine
The Internet Archive holds captures of exittraveler.com from July 2018 to October 2025.
A historical archive
The original Exit Traveler website’s text, press scans, photographs and video brought together in one place.