Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1893-04-08
HOW SAFES ARE MADE.
FIREPRooF MATERIAL IS PLACED BE-
TWEEN IRON SHEETS.
jaime. Conner. Type Founder, Made
the First Iron one In is29-Many Kinds
of Mixture. Are Used for FIIiing-BurE-
lar Proof safes.

of Mixtures Are Used for Filting-BurR-
Las Proof safes.
The earliest style pf safe known was |
made ia heavy eak or other hardwood |
paxes or chests. They were bound on the
,orncrs aud across the top and front with
ron bands studded with nails Iron plates
we're eventually made to cover the outside
" the chest and uaiied to the wood The
foundation of the plan upon which fire
proof safes are still constructed was laid
by a Richard scott tn isll The improve
ment previous 10 iSl5 was to make the
chest of soft wood in thicker body, soaked
In brine. After thoroughly soaking both
the inside aud oui side shells sheets Of iron
were fastened inside and outside with
large nails or spikes
The idra aud principle was that the
moisture in the wood upon the application
of heat would produce steam and prevent
the interior and itS contents reaching a
temperature of 2i2 degs. Below that point
paper of every description will bc preserved
from damage either tn the fiber OF the ma
terial or To- the writing which may he upon
it, surface. These principles Of the steam
producing quality aud the reliance upon
this quality Is the principal element In the
manufacture Of all safes of the present day,
though different materials may he used 20
produce the same result,
James Conner, type founder Of this
city, about isasl;s2 invented an iron strong
box with "A double shell, having as a filling
plaster Of Paris mixed with water. Later the
shells were lined with sheets of mica past
ed on paper and filled with burned clay or
sawdust and charcoal. Plaster retained
the moisture successfully, but was so de
structive to the thin iron shells that In
use was abandoned. Connor allowed his
invention to lapse, and a man named Fitz.
gerald In 1913 obtained new letters patent
on the same kind of safe,
SOME OLD SAFES.
William Marr, Of London, In 1884, was
the first to patent method OF construction
for safes In lSls Charles Chubb, OF the
same city, used concentric Innings OF iron
plates filed in between with wood ashes
or other slow conducting materials OF a
nature to returd the transmission Of heat.
In ls43 letters paten; were granted To the
Messrs Tam for the use of pounded alum
and gypsum, previously heated and cooled.
as .i.e resisting medium. In is40 Thorn
a. Milner had patented plan TO hll the
Jacket, formed by the double plates, with
sawdust in which were packed n number
OF small tubes filled with an alkaline solu-
tion and Theoretically sealed, or crystals of
alum or soda combining from 10 to 90 per
cent. water crystalilation.
In case of fire the safe heating tubes
woald burst or the crystals would melt
and saturate with water the sawdust
Steam thus produced by the heat would
pass into the inner safe and protect its con
tents il intiammable, for "A long time.
George Price, Of fWolverhampton, England,
In 1855, tried the plan of coating metal sur.
| faces exposed to the filling with a compost
1 ton to preyen corroSion, and then used
| powdered alum and sawdust as filler
/ Previous TO this. in 1919, dry plaster and 4
/ common grade Of alum or potash alum WA
/ found TO he of value rs non-conductor o
heat. Plaster was used for il non con
ductor quality and alum for the larU pro
portion OF water IL contains In crystalixa
ton The same heat which produced stean
also fused or disintegrated alum, releasing
the moisture and producing the reqnisit,
steam qualities
| The principal argument that might b,
| used against this combination would bs
| that alum In fusing almost entirely disap
pears. Thus vacuum IS left, To take the
| place Of which there is nothing TO support
the outer frame OF the safe. The outei
/ frame must remain intact in order to retair
the steam.
MODERN SAFES.
In another mixture of similar character
/ at this time was included marble dust and
the refuse OF soda manufactures. Wher
this material was heated IL was supposed
to produce carhonic acid gas The gas WA
to subdue or extingnish fire or flames IN
the immediate vicinity by reducing tn,
temperature. still another material uset
as n filler was pulverized hydraulic cement
which embraced he several qualities Of tn,
plaster and alum.
This material IS a non-conductor OF heal
and contains water In large quantities
Unlike the dry plaster and alum Ii Is I
solid, having crushing strength in itsel
OF several hundred pounds To the squar,
inch. The extraction of the moisture bl
any degree of heat that can possibly b
| produced In an accidental fire leaves th,
/ filling solid aud intact. The volume Ii
neither increased nor decreased. so there L
no strain on the frame which covers it.
Most Of the iireproof safes Of the present
day are made OF wrought iron plates ant
angles on the outer and inner frames. Th'
usual thickness OF the walls IL from fiy,
and bali 10 six inches Combination lock-
are used almost universally; yet locks ar
the exception. The number OF safes pro
duccd hy the manufacturers has largely
increased in later years
Burglar proof safes are distinct fron
iircproof safes In material, construction
aud the object for which they are built
| The walls are composed OF high and lov
grades of steel which, when tempered
will resist the most powerful drill Blu
IL Is an error Ia suppose that a safe whicl
provides security from the burglars drill
Is for that reason sufficiently protectes
from burglars who arr properly lifted 10
an attack upon bank safe or vault
Recent experience has demonstrated tha
other methods are more expeditions IN
volving less risk for the operators, and ar
frequently more certain of success Wedge
inserted across one edge of a door an.
driven home by repeated blows Of a ham
mer retain on each wedge the combines
strength Of each blow struck. The In
clined plane of the wedge, being the foun
dation principle of all mechanical powes
has proved In numerous successful banl
burglaries to be a most potent factor In tn
art OF safe breaking.
Wedges are frequently used also Il
breaking and removing the spindle whic
connects the combination knob and tn
lock. Thus is left an opening for an es
plosion OF powder, which makes short wor
In demolishing the door Sometimes th
body OF the safe or the door may be tor
apart by other methods, such as strippin
the plate ani lifting the door from I.
socket by screw iaeks.-Saturday Globe