The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-01-26
KEEP OUT BURGLARS.
State Savings Banks Remarkable
System Which Makes Thefts Inn
possible.

The most remarkable protection
against bank robbery is the American
Bank Protection company's electric
system. lust installed in the vault Of
the State Savings bank The makers
give bond that no burglar can defeat
the system and enter the vault after
the door is closed. It is a construc-
ton that the word wonderful mad
equately fits.
The scheme in a nutshell is that no
entrance can be attempted into the
vault after the door is shut but that
it sets into ringing series OF bells
of various sizes and sound, from he
small shrieking shell to a large boom
ing metal sounder. These bells are
inside the vault, over the door and
outside of the building. At night
their com bined noise can be heard
mile, and before a burglar could pos
siblv even finish unpacking his kit of
tools would bring to the bank any
number of officers.
The technical plan is compare
lively simple, but it bears out the old
adage that most great things are
simple The vault proper is double
lining of steel, the armor plates being
one-0uarter of an inch in thickness
Each plate has its several sections
riveted together in the most exactlng
manner.
through the vault, he would find
that as soon as his instrument has
pierced one lining and touches the
second one every bell would start up
the most incessant clamor imaginable.
Should he attempt to pry loose the
strips by which the different sections
of lining are riveted together, again
would the bells be set into action.
The reason for this can be summed
up in the statement that all of the
steel plates are charged, the outside
lining with one current and the inside
one with another. The touching of
the two with an instrument connects
the currents The same is true of the
plates and the strips. They are
charged with opposite currents and
their joining with an instrument sets
up the necessary conjunction by
which the bells are rung.
No matter where the attempt to
break into the vault is made, the
same condition OF electric currents
obtains In fact the entire vault is
charged with electricity. The safe
I deposit boxes are made in the same
manner. So is the safe. Not a part of
the big vault can be touched but that
the electricity must be dealt with.
Outside of the building is a big bell.
over the vault door are two more
Inside Of the vault are myriad Of
saunders. The suggestion is made
that the bells outside could be filed
with sand or water and deadened.
But that is not the case. They are
fitted with scale which when
touched sets the bell into motion.
To show how sensitive the con-
struction is, the experience might be
mentioned of the carpenter who laid
a wooden floor inside of the vault over
the steel floor. He was instructed not
to drive any nails on account of the
steel which they contained. But he
forgot his instructions and drove a
nail through two boards so that it
touched the steel floor With ter
rife racket the entire system of bells
began to ring and they would not
/ silence until the nail was withdrawn.
The system has almost human quail
ties.
The burglar is warned by big
! sign above the door which reads: