US1772816A - Burglar alarm - Google Patents

Description

S. PASMAN Aug. l2, i930.

BURGLAR ALARM l'lnd Sept. 28. 1927 Huff' Patented Aug. 12, 1930 PATENT OFFICE SOLOMON PASMAN, F YORK, PENNSYLVANIA BURGLAR .ALARM Application lfiled September 28, 1927. Serial No. 222,668.

This invention relates to burglar alarms, and especially to an improved electrical system which includes a protecting apron in front of the combination dial of a safe in which money and other valuables are kept under control of the lock which is operated by manipulation of said dial.

The main object vof this invention is to provide a convenient and effective means for permitting the owner or authorized person or persons to havev free access to the safe-dial while being effective to sound an alarm in the event of an unauthorized person attempting to gain access to the safe-dial.

Another object is to provide a device of this character which is attachable to the door of practically any combination safe, in position to shield andV guard the combination dial thereof. Another object is to provide a device of this character which is comparatively simple and inexpensive, and which is thoroughly practical and effective for the' purpose intended.

Other objects and important features are pointed out or implied in the following details of description, in connection with the accompanying drawings in which: b n

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the' electric circuits, the insulating and supporting bar being shown in broken lines.

Figure 2 isy a vertical sectional view illustrating the device with means for attaching it to the frontv of a safe.

Figure 3 isa perspective view in which the electric conductors are shown somewhat diagrammatically.

Figure f1 is a fragmental detail view illustrrating one formV of supporting and insulating bar or combination of bars whichr constitutes the upper part of the protecting apron which hangs in front of the safe-dial. l

Referring to these drawings in detail, in which similar reference characters correspond to similar parts throughout the several views, and in which the safe-dial D is shown merely to' illustrate the application ofthe invention:

TheA invention includes a box or casing 5 which is formed with a central opening' 6l for receiving the safe-dial D, the centrally apertured rear or inner side of the box being also provided with apertured flanges 7 through which screws or bolts may extend into or through the door of a safe on which the dial is to be guarded. The front side of the box is open with the exception of its upper part being closedfby a metal bar 9 which may be formed integrally with or separate from the main part of the box l5, and this bar 9 constitutes an electric conductor which coopere0 ates with the electric apronor shield in a manner Vwhich will presently be explained."

Referring particularly toV Figures 1 and 3, it will be seen that the electric apron 1() includes parts of two electric conductors which e5 are shown at 11 and 12, parts of these conductors beingpreferably formed of chains,

as shown in Figure 1, that is, the parts which hang in front of the dial D and form loops 11EL and 12a at their lower ends.y The upper 7o ends of the members 12 are looped as shown atl 12b, and extend over supporting lugs 13 which form the lower wall of a horizontal groove 14 in an insulating bar 15 which is also provided with notches 16 which receive 75 the upper loops 11b of the conducting chains or flexible members 11.

In addition to the insulating bar 15', a second insulating bar or strip 17 is secured on the bar 15, by screws or other appropriate S0 means, and bears againstY the loops 12b so as to frictionally hold them in position. A third insulating bar 18 is secured on the bars 15 and17, by screws or other appropriate means, to bear upon thev loops 11b, thereby holding 85 these loops clamped in fixed position, it being understood that the bar 17 has notches 16 which are the saine as those of the bar 15, and that the loops 111" extend in front, in rear and over the tops of the insulating bars 15 and 17. It should also be'understood that these insulating bars 15, 17 and 18, when united as shown, constitute a unitary insulating member which securely holds the loops' 1lb and 12b against slipping and against 95 electrical contact with one another. `This insulating member 15-17-18 is secured in the casing 5, in rear of the conducting bar 9, by any appropriate means, so such wires ywill not normally touch the conducting bar 9,

but Will be caused to touch the same if any person pulls the conductors outward, in an attempt to gain access to the dial D, and by thus closing the circuit between the conductors 11 and 12, the current flows from the battery 20, through the bell 19, switch- contacts 22 and 23, through the conductor 12 to the conductor 11, and thence back to the battery 20, whereupon an alarm will be sounded by bell 19 which is enclosed in the casing 5 and operable by a battery 20 (shown in Figure 1) in a manner which will presently be explained. At this point,'it might also be well to explain that the battery and bell circuit is also adapted to be closed by the loops 11 and 12a, that is by any loop 11n being moved into contact with any loop 12, or vice versa. Therefore, if a burglar or other unauthorized person attempts to gain access to the dial D, for turning the dial, such attempt results in moving the loops 11a and 12a so they make electrical contact with one another, thereby closing the bell and battery circuit, and thus causing the bell to ring. However, it should be understood that the battery circuit is normally closed by a double throw switch 21 which is shown open in Figure 1, and when thus open, the owner or any authorized person can raise the loops 11a and 12, or push them aside, and then manipulate the dial D without soundingr the alarm, and without receiving a 4shock from the loops 11:l and 12a; but when the switch 21 is closed so that the battery circuit is closed through its contacts 22 and 23 and through a loop 11l and a loop 12a, the bell 19 will ring. It should be further understood, however, that the double throw switch 21, while closing the battery circuit, also closes between the contacts 24 and 25, and that the latter contact is connected to a high potential conductor 26, and that the conductors 12 and 26 extend to any source of electro-motive force located outside of the casing 5. The conductors 12 and 26 preferably carry 110 volts, whereas the battery and its circuit carry six volts. The battery-circuit is provided with an automatic switch or relay-switch 27 which includes a plunger 28 adapted to be held up by a solenoid 29 which is in circuit with the` 26, expecting thereby to disable the devicev by breaking the electric circuit, the circuit is broken through the solenoid 29, thereby dropping the switch contact 28, closing the 'bell and battery circuit,and thereby causing the bell to sound an alarm. In the event that the burglar cuts the loop indicated at 11n in Figure 1, he will disable the device provided the circuit closer 12c is in the position shown in Figure 1, but if such circuit closer is in contact with the terminal 11c of the conductor 11, and if the connections 11X and 12X are reversed or interchanged when the loop 11n is cut, this results in breaking the 110 volt circuit, deenergizing the solenoid 29, closing the switch 27, and thereby energizing the battery circuitl which includes a conductor 33 connected to the switch 27-28- The switch 12c is positioned at any convenient place within the casing 5, and protected from view by the casing, at the same time protected against manipulation, by the apron or screen 10, so unauthorized persons will not know whether the current is passing through the loops 11a or the loops 12a, so they will not know which conducting wire or chain can be cut with safety with respect to the alarm-bell 19. In this connection, it should be understood that any well known and proper form of interchangeable connections 11X and 12X may be used, so either conductor 11 or 12 can be normally in circuit with the relay 29, according to the position of the switch 12C, -or the latter being placed according to the relative positions of the conductors 11 ,and 12 with respect to the connections 11X and 12X.

In order that the authorized persons may have access to the dial D without sounding the alarm and without receiving a shock, a key-lock is provided where I have indicated at 34, and the same is preferably of the sixlever type or of any highly effective type in which the key (not shown) turns a tumbler to which the switch 21 is secured so as to turn therewith. By this means, the authorized person can insert the key, turn the switch 21 to the open position shown in Figure'1, and then raise or push aside the loops 112L and 12a with safety.

For the purpose of frustrating a burglar in any attempt to cut or saw the casing 5 so as to remove the apron or screen 10 bodily, the conducting wires 12 and 26 extend from front tov rear, along the upper and lower parts of the casing 5, as indicated at 12d, 12 and 26e, so these parts would be cut by such an attempt, and this would result in opening the circuit through the effective solenoid 29 or 31, thereby closing the battery circuit, thus causing the bell 19 to sound the alarm.

Although I have described this embodiment of my invention very specifically, I have no intention of limiting my patent protection to these exact details of description, but am entitled to make 'changes within the scope of the inventive ideas, as implied and' claimed.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. The combination with a safe which includes a lock-dial, of a means for guarding said lock-dial, said means including two Sets of flexible electric conducting loops hanging in front of said dial, the loops of one set eX- tending through the loops of the other set, ulstantially as shown, for the purpose speci- 2. The combination with a safe which includes a locl-dial, of a casing surrounding said lock-dial, and an electric system including two flexible conductors, one of which conductors includes loops which hang in front of the said lock-dial, and the other of said electric conductors including loops which hang in front of the lock-dial and in alternate relation with respect to the lirst said loops.

In testimony whereof I afx my signature.

SOLOMON PASMAN.

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