The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1895-06-26
THE MODERN SAFE.
AN UP TO DATE FlREPROOF AN0
BURGLAR PROOF DEPOSITORY.

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~ You Don't Know U5w.
The latest BURGLAR proof safes and
vaults are magnificent specimens Oi
skillful workmanship. Although the
doors often weigh tons. they swing ~
easily on their hinges us window shut.
ter. After the first great door is thrown
back and displays its glittering array Of
bright locks. its glass incascd clocks
and its smooth steel bolts there is AN
other door almost as strong, with bolts
and locks Of its own. When this is open
it reveals three other doors. Tho upper
two are of thin steel and have no locks.
Only papers and books are to be kept in
the little pockets or pigeonholes which
they inclose.
Under them and shutting in the cash
drawer there is the third door with its
own lock and bolts. In this safe tho
size of the cash repository hears about
the same relation to the size of the
whole safe as pumpkin seed does to
the pumpkin. And it isnot only burglar
proof but reproof-warranted, in fact,
to stand for at least IS hours the great
est amount of heat that any burning
building could give it.
The making of safe Of this kind Is
complicated and expensive operation.
All the steel used comes in the form Of
plates from the works After having
the necessary screw holes bored in them
they are heated to high temperature
and then tempered by suddenly immers-
ing them in water When they come out
they are often little twisted and
warped, and have 20 be rolled cold and
sometimes polished clean by swiftly
moving emery wheel The noise Of this
operation is car splitting and 80 rasping
that man with ordinary nerves can
hardly endure IT, Whom the plate is per-
fectly level il is transferred TO another
machine. where IL is clampcd tight, and
an emery wheel shaves off the edges
The plates arc now put together, first
one Of hard steel, then one of wrought
iron or soft steel, and so on until the
necessary thickness is obtained. From
the iron the safe receives its tenacious
Qualities-it cannot 10 cracked or bro
ken MS easily as steel and the steel i'm.
parts hardrcss that dcfies the burglars
drill. The screws are also made of com
bined steel and iron Each of them is
only long enough to reach through two
plates, and the screws which Join the
third, fourth and fifth plates to the first
are never directly under any other
screws, so that there is no chance for
burglar to bore down through row Of
screws The plates are also drawn very
close together, for if any space was left
between them safe blower might sue.
ceed in getting his dynamite into it.
Between the interior and exterior
walls of the safe largo amount Of by
draulic cement, combined with other in
gradients, usually according to n secret
recipe, is packed solidly. In case of fire
the theory is that the water in the ce-
ment-about 43 per ccnt-will, owing
to the heat of the outside covering, be-
come steam, partially, at least, and be
driven close to the inner wall Here it
will remain and furnish blanket inn
pervious to heat. All the bolts are cylin-
drical and from an inch up to two inches
in diameter.
Combination locks are now used ex-
clusively The mechanism Of most Of
them is extremely simple In one lock
there are number Of round brass disks
or "tumblers, " each pivoted at the cen.
ter on small shaft which runs through
the safe door and connects with the lock
knob. Each tumbler has a slit in it just
the size Of the steel arm which controls
the bolts and reaching nearly back 20
the center. When all these Sits are to-
gether and pointing in exactly the same
direction the arm slips into them and
the bolts can be thrown. But if the slit
in single one Of the tpmblers is even
thousandth Of an inch out of limo tho
arm will rot slip back. The disks arc
set a short distance apart and small
screws with big heads are fastened al
random over them. AS these strike to-
gether in turning the tUlnblors whirl,
and man might turn the lock knob q
thousand years without once getting the
slits in all tho tumblers together. Bat
the man who knows just how far tc
turn one way and then how far bach
again according to the combination mum.
bers has no trouble at all
The combination and numbers are cas-
lily changed by changing the screws in
the disk. Many of the best safes and
vaults are now being provided with
time locks. Two and sometimes three
clocks are inclosed in glass cases just in
side of the safe door. When the door il
locked, no one can open it again unit
the clock hands have travelled the sci
distance around the dial and touched 9
little trigger which releases the bolts
More than one clock is used, 50 that il
one runs down the others will go on and
perform their duty. In the big bank
the vaults are closed about 8 O'Clock il
the evening and set to open little be
fore O'Clock in the morning. II is {
general impression that an expert bur
glar can open combination lock by lis
tening to the clicking sounds, but deal
ers say it is not possible for any one Il
do it. If safe owner forgets his com
bination. the safe has to be bored into
There is no other way Of opening it. =