Improvements in Door Fasteners and Burglar Alarms
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Feb., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Door Fasteners and Burglar Alarms,
I, LOUIS SALADIN, of 269, Sixth Street, New York, State of New York, United
States of America, Mechanic, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
My invention relates to means of fastening from the inside a door that cannot
otherwise be fastened, and for giving an alarm when an attempt is made from
the outside to force the door open.
For this purpose I provide a fastener and automatic burglar alarm of the
following description. From the two lower corners of a rectangular frame
spikes project downwards and from one of the upper corners a spike projects
upwards, these three spikes being immovable relatively to the frame.
From
the other upper corner a spike projects upward, but this spike can slide a little
lengthwise, being pressed outwards by a spring.
In the frame there is a kind of clockwork having a spring which is wound up
by hand, an escapement wheel driven by gear from the spring and an anchor
carrying a hammer for a bell or gong mounted on the frame.
The spring
being wound up and the escapement being held by a detent the frame is placed
in an inclined position against the door, its two lower spikes bearing on the
Hoor and its two upper spikes against a moulding or other part of the door.
When an attempt is made to open the door, the three immovable spikes are
merely driven into the floor and wood of the door holding the door fast, but the
movable spike being driven backwards in opposition to its spring releases the
detent and thereupon the clockwork causes the escapement wheel to revolve,
and its anchor to reciprocate, the hammer thereon repeatedly striking the bell.
Dated this 20th day of February 1899,
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Door Fasteners and Burglar Alarms.
I, LOUIS SALADIN, of 269, Sixth Street, New York, State of New York, United
States of America, Mechanic, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained, in and by the following statement:―
My invention relates to a portable appliance for fastening from the inside a

page_text: door that cannot otherwise be fastened, and for giving an alarm when an
attempt is made from the outside to force the door open.
For this purpose I provide a fastener and automatic burglar alarm of the
following description. From the two lower corners of a rectangular frame
spikeś project downwards and from one of the upper corners a spike projects
upwards, these three spikes being immovable relatively to the frame.
From
the other upper corner a spike projects upward, but this spike can slide a little
lengthwise, being pressed outwards by a spring.
In the frame there is a kind of clockwork having a spring which is wound up
by hand, an escapement wheel driven by gear from the spring and an anchor
carrying a hammer for a bell or gong mounted on the frame.
The spring
being wound up and the escapement being held by a detent the frame is placed
in an inclined position against the door, its two lower spikes bearing on the
floor and its two upper spikes against a moulding or other part of the door.
When an attempt is made to open the door, the three immovable spikes are
merely driven into the floor and wood of the door holding the door fast, but the
movable spike being driven backwards in opposition to its spring releases the
detent and thereupon the clockwork causes the escapement wheel to revolve,
and its anchor to reciprocate, the hammer thereon repeatedly striking the bell.
The construction of the said portable appliance is shewn on the accompany-
ing drawings in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation thereof, the upper plate of the
casing being removed to disclose the alarm operating mechanism.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, Figs. 3 and 4 are part rear views,
and Figs. 5 and 6 are part side views similar to Fig. 2, shewing the sliding
prong L and the mechanism connected therewith for starting the movement
of the alarm bell.
Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a door with my appliance set in position.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all views of the
drawings.
The component parts of my invention are the base plate P provided with
prongs M, N, O, the bell B mounted on stud S, secured in the base-plate; a
spring clockwork mechanism for ringing the bell, the sliding prong L moving
longitudinally in lugs E and F, secured in the base plate, spring d slid on the
stem of the prong Land bearing respectively against the lug and the pin G
set transversely in the stem, and the mechanism for setting and starting the
mechanism of the bell.
Base plate with its prongs M, N, O, is designed to serve as a door fasten-
ing device when set up in slanting position against the door, as shown
in Fig. 7. In this position prongs M and N rest against the flooring whereas
prong rests upon the frame of the door. Any force exerted upon the door
to open it, will tend to drive the prongs M and N into the flooring, and prong
into the door, thus securing them more firmly in position.
0
Prong L is devised to yield to the pressure upon the door and thereby start
the mechanism of the bell B. This mechanism which is set between plates R
and R secured to the base plate P by any suitable method, consists of the
coiled spring fastened by one end to the pin V and its other end to spindle U
mounted between the plates R and R of the frame. This spring is wound up
by means of the ring handle X screwed on spindle U, and when coiled is held
by ratchet d and click or pawl e pivotted to the toothed wheel g rigidly
secured to spindle U. This wheel is actuated by spring when the same is
released, and operates the escapement wheel e mounted on spindle h also
mounted in the plates R and R' of the frame. The teeth of the escapement
wheel e are caught by the pallets j, k. of the anchor p, secured to the oscillating
arbor a, journalled in bearings in the plates R and R1 of the frame. To the
arbor is secured the rod i carrying on its end the hammer H, striking the
bell.
This bell ringing mechanism is in its main features and operation similar to

page_text: that usually used in clocks. The teeth of the escapement wheel e engage
alternately the pallets j, k of the anchor causing it to oscillate and move the
hammer H, which strikes the bell.
The action of the bell ringing mechanism is normally suspended by a rod q
secured in the arbor a in position to engage point 2 of spring as at Fig. 5.
This spring is secured to the outside of the frame R and its point projects
into the space within the frame through aperture 2². The spring is set so as to
tend to draw outwardly but its free end engages with link which is bent in
the shape of a cam corresponding to cam w which is integral therewith and is in
turn engaged by finger n. When these parts of the mechanism are in position
shown in Figs. 3 and 5, the point of the spring is pressed inwardly; trigger
or rod then catches thereon, and prevents arbor a from moving. The anchor p
then holds escapement wheel e from turning and thus the mechanism of the
bell is held arrested.
The releasing mechanism is arranged on spindle and is operated by the
sliding prong L in following manner:
The spindle is provided with a fixed collar a set near the outer end of the
spindle but within the frame-plate R, and with a pin set transversely in the
spindle outside of the frame. Knobset on the projecting end of spindler
beyond the pin serves as a handle for turning spindle in its bearings.
Between the collar and the frame-plate R spring s is set, pressing against
the collar and the frame-plate R respectively, and thus acting as a brake
against rotary motion of the spindle. The other end of spindle is pillowed
in the frame-plate R and projects beyond it. On the end of the spindle is set
a collar w integral with link or secured thereto, and beyond that is a disc m
with finger n engaging, as described above, the edge of the collar. The
thickness of collar w corresponds approximately to the distance between disk m
and the rear plate R¹ of the frame leaving, however, a clearance for the spring =
pressing against it.
In the edge of the collar w is cut a notch w¹ into which the finger n of the
disk m may slip when the collar w is turned in such position that the notch
stands opposite it. One side of the notch is shaped into a spiral slanting
way to facilitate the shifting of the finger from the notch to the edge of the
collar by turning spindle oppositely to the sloped side of the notch.
Notch is sufficiently deep to permit collar wo to yield to the pressure of the
spring sufficiently to disengage point from the trigger or rod q. It will
thus be seen that the mechanism of the bell, which is normally arrested by
the engagement of the rod g with the point of the spring z can be started
either by turning the spindler until finger n stands oppositely to the notch w¹,
or by turning the collar to the right, as seen in Figs. 3 and 5, when the
spindle is set in the position shewn therein.
This turning of collar c is accomplished through link and pin y¹ by moving
the shiftable prong L downwardly. Link is slotted and in the slot y engages
the pin y set transversely in the stem of the prong L. When prong Lis pressed
against, as for instance, when the device being placed in position, as shown in
Fig. 7, an attempt is made to open the door, pin y moves link to the right as
at Fig. 4, and thus brings the notch w into the position opposite finger .
Collar then slides upon disk m, allowing the spring z to react. Point of
the spring thus recedes and rod or trigger q becoming thereby, disengaged,
the mechanism of the bell is started.
The alarm device is set by turning spindle until fingern stands immediately
adjoining the vertical side of the notch w¹. When set in this position only a
slight motion of the prong L suffices to release the movement of the bell.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. A combined door fastener and burglar alarm consisting of the combina-

page_text: tion of a plate provided with prongs projecting at opposite ends, a bell and bell
sounding clockwork mechanism mounted on the said plate, a device for arrest-
ing and releasing the said bell mechanism and a prong or spike moveably
secured to the plate and so arranged that on being forced inwards it actuates
the said arresting device so as to release the bell mechanism the said parts being
constructed and operating substantially as described with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
2. In a combined door fastner and burglar alarm such as is referred to in the
first claim, a device for arresting and releasing the bell mechanism consisting
of a trigger set in the oscillating arbor of the said mechanism a spring secured
to the frame plate and having its pointed end bent to engage with the trigger,
al spindle carrying a loose collar and a slotted link engaged with a pin on the
said sliding prong or spike which collar has a notch with which is adapted to
engage a finger fixed on the said spindle, so that when the collar, which bears
against the said spring, is turned somewhat by the motion imparted to the
slotted link by the sliding prong, the finger allows the collar to move outward
and thus release the spring which in its turn releases the trigger of the bell
mechanism, substantially as described.
Dated this 13th day of November 1899.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.