Tranquilizer ejector for disabling robbers

A system for disabling robbers has an ejector arranged for projecting needle-like discrete articles across a passageway which a robber must traverse during flight, and toward a receptor disposed opposite of and spaced from the ejector across the passageway. Articles which do not strike the body of the robber will be received by the receptor. A tranquilizer is provided on the articles for rendering the robber unconscious in seconds. Personnel inside the building subjected to robbery can activate the system, either directly as the robber attempts to leave the building, or indirectly by actuating a sensor system when the robbery is first instigated.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates generally to systems for apprending bank robbers, 
and the like, and particularly to such a system which will disable, and 
preferably render unconscious, robbers as same attempt to flee from a 
building in which they have perpetrated, or attempted to perpetrate, a 
robbery. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
A never-ending problem encountered by banks and similar institutions is 
protecting the personnel and assets of the institution from robbers. In 
practice, most systems and techniques adapted involve actuation of a 
burglar alarm and protection of the tellers, or other appropriate 
personnel, behind bullet-resistant screens, and the like. 
U.S. Pat. No. 1,522,218, issued Jan. 6, 1925, to H. Neiverth et al., 
discloses a burglar alarm which includes a mechanism for sequentially 
firing blank cartridges upon actuation of the alarm in an effort to 
frighten a burglar and cause him to flee the premises, thus aborting the 
robbery attempt. Further, U.S. Pat. No. 1,445,237, issued Feb. 13, 1923, 
to V. J. Price, discloses a safety device for banks wherein protecting 
screens are actuated upon an attempt to rob the bank, with the doors being 
simultaneously locked and an alarm sounded so as to trap the robbers 
within the bank while the bank personnel is protected by the screens. 
While this latter mentioned device would undoubtedly be very effective, it 
is very expensive to install in view of the extensive special construction 
required. 
U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,890,670, issued Dec. 13, 1932, to F. J. Bridgeman, and 
2,072,941, issued Mar. 9, 1937, to A. E. Burch, Jr., et al., disclose 
robbery protection systems which employ devices which dispense an 
appropriate gaseous substance upon actuation in order to abort the robbery 
attempt. Such devices have not found general use in banks and similar 
institutions, apparently because they easily can be neutralized by the use 
of gas masks. 
It is generally known to propel discreet articles in the form of needles, 
and the like, carrying a quantity of a suitable drug for various purposes. 
Examples of such devices can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 993,023, issued 
May 23, 1911, to K. Burgsmuller, and 2,966,904, issued Jan. 3, 1961, to J. 
A. Crockford et al. These devices are generally employed for narcotizing 
animals in order to permit a person or persons to approach the animal in 
safety for whatever purpose, or to calm a rampaging animal without killing 
a possibly quite valuable property. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is an object of the present invention to provide a system which will 
disable robbers in a simple yet efficient and reliable manner. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a system which 
will disable a robber as same attempts to flee from the scene of the crime 
so as to permit apprehension of the robber at the scene. 
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a system 
for disabling operators which can be installed in an existing building 
without substantial modification to the structure of the building. 
These and other objects are achieved according to the present invention by 
providing a system having: an ejector arranged for projecting discrete 
articles across a passageway; and a receptor disposed opposite the ejector 
and spaced therefrom across the passageway for receiving articles 
projected from the ejector. 
The ejector preferably includes a housing in which a guide arrangement is 
disposed for directing discrete articles from the housing and toward the 
receptor. A compressed fluid assembly is connected to the guide 
arrangement for propelling the discrete articles out of the housing. The 
guide arrangement includes a gravity-feed magazine arranged for holding a 
plurality of discrete articles and feeding the articles one at a time to 
an outlet bore extending from a lower portion of the magazine. The 
compressed fluid assembly communicates with the bore for propelling an 
article arranged therein from the housing of the ejector. Advantageously, 
there are a plurality of guide arrangements disposed side-by-side within 
the housing, with the latter having a side wall facing the receptor and 
provided with a plurality of apertures, each registering with the bore of 
a respective one of the guide arrangements. 
The receptor preferably includes a housing having an open side facing the 
ejector, with a penetrable material being disposed in the housing of the 
receptor and arranged for retaining discrete articles impinging on the 
receptor. 
These together with other objects and advantages which will become 
subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation 
as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to 
the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals 
refer to like parts throughout.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PEFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring now more particularly to FIGS. 1 through 3 of the drawings, a 
system 10 according to the present invention for disabling robbers, and 
the like, includes an ejector 12 arranged for projecting discrete articles 
across a passageway 14 and a receptor 16 disposed opposite of and spaced 
from ejector 12 across passageway 14 for receiving articles projected from 
ejector 12. 
System 10 is advantageously disposed, as illustrated, in the entranceway to 
a bank or similar institution, with such entranceway including spaced, 
substantially parallel side walls 18 and 18' leading to a lobby 20 from a 
doorway including doors 22 and 22'. As will be appreciated, such a 
structural arrangement is generally found at the entrance to buildings 
used as banks and similar establishments. 
Ejector 12 and receptor 16 each include a respective housing 24 and 26 of 
substantially rectangular cross section and arrangeable so as to extend 
longitudinally along the passageway 14. Housing 24 is provided with a side 
wall 28 facing receptor 16 and provided with a plurality of apertures 30, 
each of which apertures 30 registers with the bore of a respective one of 
guide arrangements to be described below, which guide arrangements are 
disposed within housing 24. Housing 26 has an open side 32 disposed facing 
the ejector 12, with a penetratable material 34, which may be cork, or a 
suitable foam synthetic material known per se, being disposed in housing 
26 and arranged for retaining discrete articles propelled from the 
apertures 30 of ejector 12 toward the open side 32 of receptor 16. 
Referring now more particularly to FIGS. 4 through 6 of the drawings, as 
mentioned above, ejector 12 also includes a plurality of guide 
arrangements 36 mounted in housing 24 sequentially directing discrete 
articles 38 through an associated one of the apertures 30 provided in side 
wall 28. A compressed fluid assembly 40 is connected to the guide 
arrangements 36 for propelling articles 38 from housing 24. 
Each of the guide arrangements 36 includes a vertically disposed magazine 
42 having a lower portion 44 and arranged for holding a plurality of 
articles 38. A removable cap 46 disposed on the upper inlet portion of 
magazine 42 permits replenishing of articles 38. The lower portion 44 of 
magazine 42 is placed in communication with compressed fluid assembly 40 
as by a suitable elbow fitting 48. 
An outlet bore 30', which forms an extension of and is aligned with an 
associated one of the apertures 30, is also included in each of the guide 
arrangements 36 so as to be in communication with the lower portion 44 of 
the associated magazine 42 and permit an exit path for articles 38 from 
housing 24. 
Compressed fluid assembly 40 includes a plurality of hoses 50 arranged in 
parallel extending from a regulatory module 52 which includes a suitable 
manifold, to which module 52 is connected a conventional compressed bottle 
54 as by a hose 56. Carbon dioxide or other suitable gas can be used as 
the medium for projecting articles 38 from ejector 12. 
Regulatory module 52 also acts to control operation of ejector 12. A 
plurality of, for example, electrically operated switches (not shown) are 
associated with the hoses 50 within module 52 so as to selectively permit 
gas from bottle 54 to pass through a particular guide arrangement 36. 
Although not critical to carrying out the invention, it is desirable that 
the guide arrangements 36 be fired in a predetermined sequence, such as, 
for example, one half second intervals from the first aperture 30 through 
the last for a period of, say, one to five minutes. A suitable timer (not 
shown) of conventional construction can be employed within module 52 to 
achieve this desired result in a known manner. 
Wires 58, forming a cable 60, attach module 52 to, for example, tellers' 
cages, and the like, for actuation upon instigation of a robbery within 
the building provided with system 10. Conventionally, normally-open 
switches 62 are disposed at the end of each of the wires 58 to facilitate 
actuation of the system. 
In order to prevent a robber from putting all of the tellers and other 
employees of the establishment being robbed into a vault, closet, or back 
room, so that no one will be able to actuate the device as the robber or 
robbers flee the building, a sensor assembly 64 is advantageously provided 
to detect movement through passage 14 at the lobby 20 side of walls 18 and 
18'. See FIG. 1. Once the sensor assembly 64, which can be a conventional 
photoelectric device known per se, is actuated at initiation of a robbery 
or attempted robbery within the building associated with system 10, such 
actuation being made by the same switches 62 as used for direct actuation 
of jector 12, anyone who passes into passageway 14 from lobby 20 will 
start firing of the articles 38. Sensor assembly 64 is connected to module 
52 in a known manner. 
Articles 38 are advantageously in the form of an elongated, or needle-like 
element 66 as shown in some detail in FIG. 7 of the drawings. As can be 
seen, element 66 has the shape of a dart or similar projectile and 
terminates in a dart-like pointed tip 68. It is this tip which is to be 
provided with a suitable tranquilizer or other drug which will temporarily 
disable the robber in some manner, permitting his easy apprehension. 
The specific tranquilizer or other drug employed in conjunction with the 
invention does not form part of the invention, and any suitable known 
tranquilizer or member of another class of drugs which will induce 
unconsciousness in a person within a relatively short period of time, such 
as 20 seconds, when fed into the person's bloodstream by intermuscle 
injection can be employed. An example of a fast-acting tranquilizer is 
hydroxyzene HCL. 
As can be readily understood from the above description and from the 
drawings, robbers can be disabled by arranging ejector 12 and receptor 16 
along opposite sides of passageway 14 which the robber or robbers must 
traverse during flight, and projecting discrete articles 38 from ejector 
12 toward receptor 16 and striking the robber or robbers with at least 
some of the articles 38. The tranquilizing drug applied to the tip 68 of 
each article 38 will rapidly enter the bloodstream of the robber and 
disable same within seconds. The articles 38 which do not strike the 
robber or robbers will safely embed themselves in the penetratable 
material 34 disposed in housing 26 of receptor 16. 
Although the height of ejector 12 and receptor 16 above the floor of 
passageway 14 is not critical, it is contemplated that this height will be 
such that the needle-like articles 38 will strike the robber or robbers in 
the legs. A height of approximately one foot from the floor of passageway 
14 would be satisfactory. 
The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the 
invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily 
occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the 
invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and 
accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, 
falling within the scope of the invention.