Security enhancement apparatus

An apparatus for providing enhanced security and the deterrence of unauthorized or illegal entry into residential or commercial premises by the creation of the perception of occupancy in an outside observer, by passing differing patterns of light and shadow across the surfaces of translucent window coverings in a seemingly random sequence and at varying speed and frequency while also causing the illumination and extinguishment of a secondary llight source in another part of the structure at irregular intervals for variable periods of time.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
It has long been recognized in the commercial and industrial communities 
and generally accepted in the insurance, security and property protection 
industries that losses by theft and vandalism may be greatly reduced 
through the employment of sophisticated electronic surveillance systems 
and the physical presence of security personnel. These security measures 
however, come only at considerable expense, not only for their initial 
installation and maintenance, but also for the ongoing cost of manning and 
monitoring them. Unfortunately, the community of thieves, burglars and 
assorted miscreants who are responsible for the requirement for such 
systems have become adept in dealing with these electronic devices and 
have devised a number of means for by-passing or circumventing the 
systems, resulting in the requirement for increased numbers of security 
personnel and a consequent further increase in security expense. In the 
commercial and industrial areas the costs associated with security are 
passed on to the consumer and are contributory to economic inflation. 
In the residential sector many different means of deterrence to 
unauthorized intrusion are available to supplement regular police patrols, 
ranging from complex electronic audio and visual surveillance, with window 
and door sensors, motion detectors, central monitoring and private 
drive-by security patrols, which are beyond the economic means of most 
homeowners, to the most simple electric timers which turn lights on at 
dusk and off at bedtime to give a residence the appearance of occupancy. 
There appears to be a statistically provable consensus in the 
loss-prevention industry, that while electronic protection is infinitely 
more desirable than none at all, the greatest deterrent to unauthorized 
intrusion is the physical presence or human occupancy. This consensus 
would appear to be validated by the fact that large numbers of residential 
burglaries are perpetrated during the hours of daylight when the occupants 
of those residences are at their places of work or education. The average, 
if indeed there be such, house burglar apparently fears confrontation and 
possible identification and meticulously avoids invasion of occupied 
premises. Fearing apprehension, the burglar is generally unarmed as he 
goes about his work, for he does not anticipate challenge and will face a 
lesser charge than if apprehended while in possession of a weapon. 
Communications devices, such as the telephone and the answering machine 
associated therewith tend to serve the miscreant in the pursuit of likely 
targets for his craft. A telephone that goes unanswered following ten 
continuous minutes of ringing, which may be audible from outside a 
targeted residence, is a reasonably good indication that no one is at 
home, as is the telephone which is answered by a machine several times 
over the course of a few minutes. The simple expedient of a telephone bell 
switch to disconnect the ringer of the telephone at times when the 
residence is unoccupied negates the possibility of determining occupancy 
by this method, as the miscreant, unable to hear the telephone ringing 
from outside the residence, cannot be certain that the number which he has 
dialed is, in fact, the number of the targeted residence, thus causing him 
to seek another target. 
The hours of darkness present yet another set of clues as to the status of 
occupancy of a residence or place of business. A residence, or a place of 
business, which is unlighted during at least the early hours of darkness 
is a ready indication of the lack of human occupancy and is thus an open 
invitation to burglary. As a corrective measure, a number of adjustable, 
electric timers having the ability to energize and de-energize electric 
circuitry to illuminating devices at pre-selected times have become 
commercially available. While these timer switches do indeed give the 
impression that someone who is operating these lighting devices is present 
within the structure, the very precision with which these timers activate 
and deactivate the lights diminishes their value as a deterrent to illegal 
entry and theft, i.e., the clock-like precision imparted to these devices 
by the synchronous motors which power them, cause the lights to be 
energized and de-energized at exactly the same time each day. It is highly 
unlikely that any individual is so precise in his daily routine that he 
would illuminate and extinguish lights at the exact same second each and 
every day, an action not likely to be overlooked by a professionally 
meticulous thief in searching for a likely target upon which to practice 
his nefarious craft. 
The prior art fails to reveal development of invention for the purpose of 
deterrence of unauthorized entry by this means and only five examples of 
radial light projecting devices were discovered. Palmieri, in U.S. Pat. 
No. 2,611,071 disclosed an "Electric Lamp Having a Revolvable Shade 
Structure;" Ream in U.S. Pat. No. 3,393,310 an "Ornamental Display 
Device;" Steam, et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 3,885,865 an "Automatic 
Kaleidoscope;" Ohashi in U.S. Pat. No. 4,858,079 a "Light Projecting Toy 
Musical Box;" and Stotler, et al., a "System for Stimulating the 
Appearance of the Night Sky Inside a Room." The first three of these 
inventions rely upon the heat generated by an electric lamp for their 
activation, the fourth upon spring-powered clock work, while the fifth 
simply projects star-like images upon a ceiling and imparts no movement. 
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION 
It is the object of the present invention to provide enhanced security in 
the residential environment through the provision of an apparatus which 
gives the perception of activity, movement or occupancy within a house, 
apartment or place of business, when viewed from the exterior during the 
hours of darkness, by causing the seemingly random passage of light and 
shadow upon the inner translucent surfaces of window coverings and causing 
the periodic illumination and extinguishment of a secondary, remotely 
located, light source, said apparatus being effective, simple, practical, 
easy to operate and of a cost which is well within the financial means of 
the average individual. 
While electronic security measures are extremely beneficial in detecting 
intrusion, recording the activities of the intruder(s) and notifying 
security personnel of the incursion, it is necessary that entry be gained, 
or at least attempted, for such systems to activate. Additionally, 
considerable damage may occur to this type of security equipment as the 
miscreants attempt to either circumvent the systems, (which may or may not 
be possible) and destroy video and still cameras to prevent a recording of 
their activities and their possible identification. Response time, the 
time which elapses between the receipt of alarm and the on-scene arrival 
of security or police personnel, may be sufficient to allow the intruder 
to enter, acquire goods or merchandise, exit and depart the scene. 
As statistics indicate that occupancy is the best means of deterrence of 
illegal entry it becomes apparent that the perception of occupancy of a 
residence or place of business provides an excellent means to discourage 
entry for the purpose of clandestine burglary. The present invention 
addresses and solves the problem of providing this perception by providing 
an apparatus which causes the appearance of irregular motion behind closed 
shades, blinds, draperies or other translucent window coverings, by 
causing shadows to be cast upon these window coverings by causing opaque 
objects to pass between them and a principal interior light source on a 
credibly irregular schedule and by causing a secondary light source to be 
periodically illuminated and extinguished on a random basis.

THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION 
Referring now to the Figures of the Drawings, which illustrate the 
preferred embodiment of the present invention, will reveal the 
construction and operation of the apparatus and will cause it to be more 
readily understood. FIG. 1 illustrates the external appearance of the 
complete apparatus which comprises a base member 11 of a cylindrical, 
square, octagonal or other configuration, constructed of metal, wood or a 
suitable plastic, having vertical walls and a round flanged opening at the 
upper end thereof, said opening being sized to loosely accommodate a 
transparent, powered, cylindrical rotating element 12, said element being 
constructed of glass or of a suitable transparent plastic, said element 
being suitably supported internally and adapted for centralized powered 
rotation about a central axis and within the flanged upper end of said 
base 11, said transparent, powered, cylindrical rotating element having 
random, opaque designs 43 on and about approximately 40 percent of the 
vertical cylindrical and horizontal top surfaces thereof, said element 
being open at the lower end thereof and closed at the upper end 13 and 
having a centrally located bore which passes over a stud-like axis and is 
provided with a retaining nut means 14. Said closed end 13 comprising a 
plurality of spaced apart, radially situate, ventilating holes 15 to aid 
in the dissipation of heat generated by a clear (unfrosted) incandescent 
lamp 16, (preferably having a straight vertical filament), enclosed within 
said transparent rotating element 12. Base member 11 also serves as a 
location for the fixed attachment of a randomly switched electrical 
receptacle 17 and as an anchor point for an electrical supply cord 18 
which passes therethrough into the interior of said base member. Also 
depicted in this Figure are two rotatable centralizing rollers 19 which 
are fixedly attached to the lower surface of the flanged portion of base 
member 11 by riveting or any other suitable means, said rollers being 
adapted to maintain said rotating cylindrical element in the center of the 
flanged opening of said base 11 and allow the entry and passage of cooling 
air, said passage being convectively induced by the heat generated by 
incandescent lamp 16. Upon absorption of a portion of the heat generated 
by said lamp, said heated air, being thus lightened, rises to exit the 
chimney-like cylindrical element by way of ventilating holes 15 provided 
for that purpose. In FIG. 2 the apparatus is illustrated in an inverted 
position depicting the base member 11, the transparent, powered, 
cylindrical rotating element 12, a randomly switched electrical receptacle 
17, the entry of the electrical supply cord 18 and additionally depicts 
the two fixed centralizing rollers 19, spaced about the inner periphery of 
the flanged opening of base member 11, separated by an angle of 
120.degree., a switch mounting bracket 20, a switch actuating roller 21, 
in spring loaded engagement with the lower peripheral edge of rotating 
element 12 and a cam portion 22 of said rotating element configured to 
actuate roller 21 of switch 23. Also illustrated in this Figure is the 
lamp socket and rotating element support bracket mounting platform 24, a 
pivotally mounted 25 drive motor support arm 26 and a synchronous electric 
drive motor 27 with reduction gearing 28 which causes a rotational speed 
on the order of one revolution per minute of reduction gear output shaft 
29 and an extension spring 30 attached between the distal end of drive 
motor support arm 26 and spring bracket 31 which urges the drive motor and 
it's appurtenant gearcase 28, vertically extending reduction gear output 
shaft 29 and drive cam 32 (FIG. 3) toward the center of the apparatus and 
brings to and maintains said drive cam 32 in driving engagement with the 
lower external peripheral surface of rotating element 12 while causing 
said rotating element to engage and bear against the two centralizing 
rollers 19 thus maintaining said rotating element in the center of the 
opening of the flanged portion of base member 11. The wiring of the 
various electrical components is illustrated in pictorial form. In a 
cut-away overhead view of the apparatus FIG. 3 depicts the base 11, as 
viewed from above, showing transparent cylindrical rotating element 12, 
closed end 13 of said element, centrally situate retaining nut means 14, 
heat dissipating holes 15 and additionally depicts the upper end of 
reduction gear output shaft 29, transparent cylindrical element drive cam 
32 and two centralizing rollers 19 which are rotatably mounted on said 
base member 11. The partially sectionalized view of FIG. 4 shows to 
advantage the internal structure of the apparatus wherein a rotating 
element support bracket 33 of a substantially rectangular configuration, 
having outwardly turned portions, to facilitate attachment by any 
conventional means at the lower ends thereof and lamp socket 34 are 
suitably attached to lamp socket and rotating element support bracket 
platform 24 which diametrically traverses the interior of base 11 to which 
it is fixedly attached thereto by conventional means. A short stud-like 
bolt 35, having threads at both ends thereof, extends upwardly from a 
threaded bore situate the mid-point of the upper horizontal portion of 
rotating element support bracket 33 where it is retained and prevented 
from departure or rotation by the provision of a machine nut 38 in locking 
engagement with the lower surface of said support bracket 33. Note: Said 
bolt 35 may also be retained in fixed engagement with said rotating 
element support bracket 33 by any other conventional and suitable means, 
such as peening or riveting, but is here illustrated only as has it's 
attachment thereto been realized in the prototypical reduction-to-practice 
of the present invention. Said bolt 35, extends upwardly from said support 
bracket 33 and passes through washers or spacers 36 provided to prevent 
interference and allow adjustment between said support bracket and the 
interior surface of the upper closed end 13 of said rotating element 12 
and continues upwardly through a slightly oversized bore 37 at the 
diametric center of the upper closed end 13 of transparent, cylindrical 
rotating element 12. The upper-most threaded end of said stud-like bolt 35 
accommodates the installation of a correspondingly threaded, knurled, 
fluted or otherwise ornamental nut 14 provided for the purpose of 
retaining said rotating element and counter-acting and discouraging any 
tendency toward upward departure which may be imparted by the 
spring-loading of roller 21 of switch 23. Also depicted in this Figure (as 
in FIG. 2) is the pivotal attachment 25 provided for a synchronous 
electric drive motor 27 and appurtenant motor output speed reduction 
gearing 28 the output shaft 29 of which is caused to rotate at a speed on 
the order of one revolution per minute, wherein said motor is fixedly 
attached to drive motor support arm 26 which has at one end thereof a 
fixedly attached, downwardly extending pivot pin 25 which is journaled in 
a vertically disposed tubular bushing 39 which is fixedly attached to the 
interior vertical wall of base 11 by clamp 40 (FIGS. 2 and 4) or other 
suitable means. Pivotally attached in this manner the synchronous drive 
motor 27, speed reduction gearing 28 (not shown in this Figure) and 
upwardly extending output shaft 29 are urged toward the center of the 
diameter of the apparatus by virtue of a tension spring 30 attached 
between the distal end of motor support arm 26 and spring bracket 31 
causing drive cam 32 (FIG. 2), having a thickness approximating 1/4 inch 
(not shown), which is fixedly attached to the upper end of output shaft 
29, to be dram into frictional driving engagement with the circumferential 
periphery of the transparent rotating element proximate the lower end 
thereof, causing said rotating element to bear against centralizing 
rollers 19 as it slowly and irregularly rotates in response to the 
frictional engagement of rotating drive cam 32. Said pivotal mounting 
adapts said unitary drive motor, reduction gear and output shaft to 
reciprocate in a slightly arcuate path in response to the contour of said 
cam in engagement with said rotating element. Note: The frictional 
engagement of the drive cam with the lower periphery of the rotating 
element may be enhanced by the application of a layer of a semi-soft vinyl 
tape on the peripheral face of the drive cam. Electrical tape was employed 
in the prototypical reduction-to-practice of the present invention. It 
will readily be understood that the rotating transparent element, thus 
driven by a cam, operates at variable and irregular rotational speeds, 
seldom casting a similar shadow at a similar speed across the window 
coverings. A roller 21 actuated switch 23, mounted upon a bracket 20 
(shown to advantage in FIG. 2) which is fixedly attached to the interior 
vertical wall of base 11 by any suitable means is in rolling engagement 
with the lower edge of rotating element 12 which has one, or a plurality 
of, cam-like lobe(s) 22 situate thereupon for the purpose of depressing 
and releasing said roller 21 and actuating said switch 23 as cylindrical 
element 12 rotates, to cause the intermittent completion and interruption 
of an electrical circuit to electrical receptacle 17 into which an 
auxiliary remote light source may be connected by way of plug 17a. (As 
previously indicated, the period of illumination of said secondary light 
source is also predicated upon the irregular motion imparted by the drive 
cam, thus further enhancing the perception of a physical presence.) FIG. 5 
is a detailed illustration of the manner in which the cam-like lobe(s) 22 
on the lower edge of rotating element 12 alternately depress(es) and/or 
release(s) roller 21 causing the actuation of switch 23 in response to the 
rotation of element 12, thereby completing or interrupting the electrical 
circuit to receptacle 17. FIG. 6 is a simple schematic diagram of the 
electrical circuitry of the present invention indicating that the motor 27 
and lamp 16 are constantly energized and the circuit to receptacle 17 is 
switched on and off by the action of cam 22 and roller 21. In practice the 
115 Volt circuit which energizes the apparatus is switched on and off by a 
programmable timer 41 which may also operate in conjunction with a 
photo-electric cell 42 and relay, to assure that lights are operational 
prior to the onset of the hours of darkness and are extinguished at 
daybreak, or after a period of time pre-selected and programmed into the 
timer 41. The conjunctive operation of the timer with the photo-electric 
cell and relay in this manner, causes the apparatus to be energized in 
response to failing light conditions, rather than at a specific time, 
further enhancing the perception of occupancy of the premises. 
The presently preferred embodiment of the current invention is a security 
enhancement apparatus which causes a nocturnal observer on the exterior of 
a residence or place of business to perceive movement and activity within 
the enclosing structure and to receive the impression that the structure 
is occupied by a human presence. This impression is created by the 
irregular and seemingly random passage of shadows and light across 
translucent window coverings as may be caused by normal activity within 
the structure and by the intermittent illumination and extinguishment of a 
secondary light source, e.g., in a water closet or kitchen of the 
structure such as may occur when the occupants pass to the water closet 
for relief or to the kitchen to procure snacks or beverages. 
To operate the apparatus it is only necessary to place it upon a table or 
other suitable support in such a position that it will illuminate and 
randomly cast moving shadows upon drawn or closed translucent window 
coverings of windows which are prominently visible to the public view, 
i.e., from the street, and insert the power plug into the receptacle of a 
commercially available, electrically operated time switch which is plugged 
into an unswitched receptacle. A secondary light source, in another room, 
is connected by means of an extension cord which is plugged into the 
receptacle provided for that purpose on the base member of the apparatus. 
The timer switch is set for the desired hours of operation of the 
apparatus and the occupant may vacate the premises secure in the knowledge 
that the premises will be perceived as being occupied by a human presence. 
While there has herein been described and illustrated the presently 
preferred form of the present invention, it should be understood that 
certain alterations, modifications, additions and deletions may be made 
thereto within the scope of the appended claims.