US463549A - Bank-protector - Google Patents

Description

(NoModeL) ,3 Sheets-Sheet 1; J. A. SAXON.

BANK PROTEGTOR.

Patented Nov. 17, 1891.

o L WITNESSES.

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(No Model.) 3 SheetsSheet 2.

J. A. SAXON.

V BANK PROTECTOR. No. 463,549. Patented Nov. 17, 1891.

(No'ModeL) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

J. A SA-XON. BANK PROTECTOR.

Patented Nov. 17, 1891.

@Hiovn @1 14 NrrE JAMES A. SAXO-N, or LEONARD, TEXAS.

BAN K-PROTECTOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 463,549, dated November 17, 1891. Application filed JannaryZQ, 1891. Serial No. 379,528. tNomndel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES A. SAXON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Leonard,

in the county of Fannin and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bank-Protectors; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,

vand exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

My invention consists in a new and improved bank-protector, which consists,broadly, in vertically-moving shields, which are ar ranged just within the cashiers and tellers windows and within the outer door of the bank, and in connecting mechanism whereby the cashier can by a simple movement of his foot cause all the said shields to drop and cause an alarm-bell to be sounded, thereby not only protecting the cashier and other bank officials, but also trapping the bank-robber within the bank building, preventing his escape, and rendering his capture certain. Moreover, my protector can be so arranged or set at night that should a robber endeavor to open the door leading into the bank the mechanism will be automatically operated by the movement of the said door and the several shields dropped to protect the valuables within the building and to trap the burglar and prevent his escape, while at the same time .the alarm is sounded both in the bank and at any distant point desired, such as a neighboring police-station.

My invention will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top perspective view of the interior of a bank provided with my invention. Fig. 2 illustrates the mechanism which supports and operates the shield at the front door. Fig. 3 illustrates the mechanism which supports and operates one of the windowshields. Fig. at illustrates the supporting and operating mechanism for the other windowshield. Fig. 5 illustrates the mechanism and connections of the alarm-bell. trates the device by means of which the bankprotector is set at night on closing the bank so that it will operate automatically. Fig. 7

is a detail perspective view of a portion of the operating mechanism. Fig. 8 is a top per- Fig. 6 illus-' spective view of the operating mechanism minus the mechanism by which the operating mechanism is connected to the main door of the bank.

The same numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Referring to the several parts by their designating-numerals, 1 indicates the main entrance of the bank, and 2 2 indicate the two barred windows of the partition behind which the cashier and tellers stand.

3 indicates the main connecting-rod, which is suitably arranged, so that'it is free to slide back and forth. To the forward end of this rod is coupled a bolt 4, which is pressed forward by a spring 5.

6 indicates the metal shield for the front door, which slides in vertical grooves 7, and has a rope 8 attached to its upper end and running through eyes 9, by means of which the shield is drawn up into its elevated position. When thus drawn up to leave the front doorway clear, the front end of the bolt 4 engages under a lug 10 on the shield and holds it raised until the bolt is drawn back.

The window 2 is protected by a metal shield 11, sliding in vertical grooves inside of the grating at the window, which is likewise raised by a rope 12, and when this shield is raised vit is held by a spring-actuated bolt 13, enga ing under a lug It on the shield. The shouldered forward end of this belt passes through the bifurcated lower end of a pivoted lever 15, which is pivotally connected at its upper end by. a'link 16 with the outer end of a lever 17, which is pivotally mounted at its middle and has its inner end pivotally connected to the connecting-rod 3, as better shown in Fig. 8 of the drawings. The window 2 is .protected by a metal shield 18, which slides in vertical grooves and is raised by a rope 19. When this shield is raised, a lug 20 on its side engages with the hooked lower end of a centrally-pivoted spring-actuated bolt or le ver 21, the upper end of which is connected by a link 22 with the connectingrod 3, as shown. The rear end 34.- of the connectingrod is bent at right angles and fits in the slotted upper end of a centrally-pivoted lever23, the said end being pressed forward by a spring 2%. The lower end of this lever is connected by a wire or light rod 25 with one arm of a ICQ r of a lug 38 on said rod.

bell-crank lever 26, and from the other arm of this lever a cord 27 extends down to footlevers 28, of which two are preferably employed, one running beneath each window, as shown. It will now be seen that, when the several shields are raised and caught by their respective bolts, on a bank robber entering the bank the cashier can by simply pressing down the foot-lever 28 with his foot draw the connecting-rod 3 back against the pressure of its spring, thus through the connections above described drawing back the several spring-actuated bolts and freeing the metal shields, which will then instantly fall by theirown weight, thus in an instant shielding the cashier from injury and trapping the robbers within the bank building, so that they can be readily captured.

29 indicates a clock mechanism, the escapemovement of which is connected by a wire 30 with a pivoted rod 31. The clock mechanism is wound up, and the free end of the rod 31 is then caught on the notched plate 32, thus holding the escapement so that the clockspring cannot unwind. On the lower part of the lever 23 is secured an angular arm 33, which extends under the free end of the rod 31, and when the lower end of the lever 23 is drawn forward, on pressing down the foot-lever 28, the arm 33 will raise the free end of the rod 31 clear of the notched stop-plate 32, leaving the clock mechanism free to unwind, when the hammer 3i will ring the alarm-bell 35 at the same time that the several shields are dropped. Electrical connection can be made between this bell and an alarm-bell at the cashiers home to be connected at night, or with an alarm-bell at the nearest policestation.

In order to set the bank-protector so that it will operate automatically at night on a bu rglar entering the bank, I employ the following device: 36 indicates avertical rod mounted in bearings over the front door of the bank, so that it can turn in said bearings. The upper end of this rod has an arm 37 extending at right angles over the connecting-rod 3 in front The lower end of the rod has a similar arm 39, 011 which is pivotally mounted a notched plate 40, which is pressed downward by a spring 41, connected at one end to the arm 39,adjacent to the vertical rod 36. To the upper end of the door 42, at the entrance of the bank, is secured a fixed bolt 43. The notched plate 40 is normally held raised out of the way of the bolt 43 by a cord i l, running to the cashiers desk. At night, or at any time that the cashier desires, this cord is slacked to lower the plate 40 after the door 42 is closed. The bolt 43 then engages with the notched plate, so that should a robber force the door open the lower arm 39 will be swung inward, thus turning the rod 36, and, through its upper arm 37, pressing the connecting-rod 3 back, releasing all the shields, so as to capture the burglar within the bank building, and at the same time sounding the alarm.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-- 1. The combination of the vertically-slidin g shields arranged to close the cashiers and the other inner windows of a bank and the door of the bank, the sliding spring-actuated connecting-rod 3, the spring-actuated bolts supporting the shields in their raised positions and connected with the rod 3, and the footlever 28, connected with the connecting-rod, so as to slide the same when depressed, substantially as set'forth.

2. The combination of the vertically-slidin g shields 6 11 18, the spring-actuated bolts supporting the same in their raised position and connected with the rod 3, the sliding springactuated connecting-rod 3, having the lug 33, the rod 36, having the upper and lower arms 37 39 and the notched plate &0, pivoted on said lower arm, and. the foot-lever 28, connected with the connecting-rod so as to slide the same, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of the vertically-slidin g shields 6 11 18, the spring-actuated bolts supporting the same in their raised position and connected with the rod 3, the sliding springactuated connecting-rod 3-, having the lug 38, the rod 36, having the upper and lower arms 37 39 and the notched plate 40, pivoted on said lower arm, the alar m-belhand the clock mechanism adapted to be released on the backward movement of the connecting-rod 3, and the foot-lever 28, connected with the connectingrod so as to slide the same, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES A. SAXON.

\Vitnesses:

J. K. Conn, II. R. WALES.

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