US3027212A - Teller's window - Google Patents

Description

March 27, 1962 1, J. PEARSON TELLER'S WINDOW Filed Jan. 20, 1960 INVENTOR. lRA J. PEARSON BY /4M a w AGE/VT United States Patent "cc 3,027,212 TELLERS WINDOW Ira J. Pearson, 3680 Chicago Ave., Riverside, Calif. Filed Jan. 20, 1960, Ser. No. 3,611 1 Claim. (Cl. 312-1401) The present invention relates to tellers windows for use in banks or other institutions, wherein tellers or clerks transact their business with the public over a counter having a low partition thereon which is provided at intervals with openings that constitute the tellers windows.

Heretofore, the countertop partitions have usually been constructed with permanent openings at regularly spaced intervals. Hinged doors were provided in the openings which could be closed when the teller was away from the window or when he was not on duty for transacting business with the public. The chief drawback of this conventional arrangement is that the placement of the tellers windows is fixedly established at the time the partition is constructed, and any change in the window location, due to rearrangement of the tellers cages or ofiice equipment, necessitates removing the partition and rebuilding the same, which is a costly and inconvenient procedure. Another disadvantage is that the hinged doors are relatively expensive to build and install, and when open, they present an unsightly appearance due to the exposed hinges and back edges of the doors. Further, when the doors are swung 90 inwardly for the open position, the width of the opening is reduced by the thickness of the doors and by the width of the hinge barrels.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved tellers window, which is attractive in appearance, flexible in function, simple and inexpensive in construction, and convenient to use. The principal advantage of the present invention is that it provides a countertop partition which is so constructed and arranged as to permit tellers windows to be opened at any point along the length thereof, as required. At the same time, these windows can also be closed in a manner such that the countertop partition presents an unbroken facade, as though it had been constructed permanently with only whatever windows are open at the time.

Another advantage of the invention is that when open, the full width of the tellers window is available for use, without being reduced by the thickness of the open doors.

Other objects and inventions of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of the preferr d embodiment thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a tellers window embodying the principles of the invention, showing three sections of the same, all of which are closed;

FIGURE 2 is a similar view of the same, showing the center section open;

FIGURE 3 is a transverse sectional view, taken thru the countertop partition;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of one of the front corners of the partition; and

FIGURE 5 is a similar enlarged fragmentary perspective view of one of the back corners of the partition.

In the drawings, the reference numeral designates a counter top, such as is used in banks and the like, and mounted thereon is a low partition structure 11 which extends the length of the counter. The partition 11 is made up of a plurality of uniformly spaced apart panels 12 that divide the structure into separate compartments, each of which can be opened up, as shown in FIGURE 2, to form a tellers window. The dividing panels 12 are 3,627,212 Patented Mar. 27, 1962 attached at their bottom edges to the counter top 1E and rise perpendicularly therefrom, normal to the front edge of the counter top. The spacing between adjacent pairs of dividing panels 12 may be any desired dimension, and a typical example would be sixteen inches on centers.

The front edge 13 of each of the panels 12 is inclined outwardly at a slight angle, and formed in opposite sides of the panel closely adjacent the front edge i3 and parallel thereto are narrow slots 14, which receive the side edges of front panels 15. The front panel 15 is preferably formed by bonding two sheets of hard-surfaced plastic laminate together back-to-back, giving a very thin panel which is stiff, dimensionally stable, and pleasing in appearance as seen from both sides.

Mounted on top of the dividing panels 12 and front panels 15 are top panels 16, which abut against one another to form a continuous top surface for the partition structure 11, broken only by the inconspicuous separation lines between panels. FIGURE 1 shows the partition structure with continuous top panels. Each of the top panels 16 overlies half the width of the top edge of its associated dividing panels 12, and the ends of one panel 16 abut against the ends of the adjoining panels 16.

Each of the top panels 16 includes a. strip 17 which is attached integrally to the underside of the panel along the front edge thereof. The primary purpose of the strip 17 is to increase the apparent thickness of the top panel 16 as seen from in front, and to give it an appearance of solidity without appreciably increasing the weight of the panel. The strip 17 is slotted lengthwise at 1% on its underside to receive the top edge of the front panel 15. Each of the dividing panels 12 has a notch 2h formed in the corner thereof at the junction of the top edge with the front edge 13, and the ends of the strips 37 are seated in this notch, as best shown in FIGURE 4. A second strip 19 is attached to the bottom of the top panel 16 along the rear edge thereof, and the ends of the strip 19 are cut off at 21, so as to abut against the adjacent side of the dividing panel 12. Thus, the strip 19 serves to locate the top panel 16 between its respective pair of dividing panels 12, while the slot 18 engaging the top edge of the front panel 15 positions the top panel 16 with respect to the front and rear edges of the partition structure 11.

In use, the panels 15 and 16 are normally inserted in place, as shown in FIGURE 1, when there is to be no tellers window open to the public. When it is desired to open the window, the teller merely lifts the top panel 16 olf the dividing panels 12, slips the front panel 15 up out of the slots 14-, and places the panels 15 and 16 on a shelf under the counter top 10. The partition 11 is then as shown in FIGURE 2, with an unobstructed opening between two adjacent dividing panels 12, which serves as the tellers window. The space between the side walls is completely clear, and there are no hinged doors or other obstructions to interfere with the transaction of business through the window. The partition 11 presents an attractive appearance to the public, both when open and closed, and the effect created is one of permanent construction, with open windows provided only at whatever locations are open at the time. Normally the panels 12 and 16 would be formed of plywood, finished on all exposed surfaces with hard-surfaced plastic laminate, so that all exposed surfaces have a finished appearance.

While I have shown and described in considerable detail what I believe to be the preferred form of my invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in. the shape and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the scope of the following claim.

I claim:

For use on an elongated counter top having a front 3 edge and a back edge, a normally continuous sectional partition extending the length of said counter top and having portions that are quickly removable to form tellers window openings, said partition comprising a plurality of parallel divider panels fixed at their bottom edges to said counter top and rising perpendicularly therefrom normal to said front edge, said divider panels having narrow slots formed therein parallel to and closely adjacent the front edges thereof, a front panel disposed between each adjoining pair of divider panels, said front panel having side edges slidably received within said slots, a horizontal top panel resting along its side edges on the top edges of two adjoining divider panels, said top panel overlying the top edges of each of said divider panels approximately half the thickness of said divider panel, said top panel also overlying the top edge of said front panel and having a narrow slot formed in the underside thereof extending parallel to its front edge in the same plane as said front panel, the top edge of said front panel being received within said slot so as to position said top panel with respect to the front panel, and means on the underside of said top panel adjacent the back edge thereof and abutting against each of the two divider panels supporting the top panel, for locating the top panel centrally with respect to said divider panels, said top and front panels being quickly removable to provide an unobstructed opening between adjoining pairs of divider panels which serves as a tellers window.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 419,295 Sutton Jan. 14, 1890 1,810,618 Nelson June 16, 1931 2,462,330 Mueller Feb. 22, 1949 2,688,525 Lindstrom Sept. 7, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,179,782 France May 28, 1959

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