An Improved Electro-mechanical System for Providing Additional Security for Safes, Vaults, and similar Receptacles for the Storing of Valuables.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Jan., 1899-Accepted, 26th Aug., 1899
An Improved Electro-mechanical System for Providing Additional
Security for Safes, Vaults, and similar Receptacles for the Storing
of Valuables.
We, HENRY F. FREED, Electrician, 103, Colder Street, ISAAC FREED, Merchant,
1337, West Front Street, both of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, DAVID KEY CLINK,
of 65, Dearborn Street, Chicago, Illinois, Secretary, and GEORGE JUDD REED,
of 65, Dearborn Street, Chicago, Illinois, Merchant and Manufacturer, all of
United States of America, 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 an improved electro-mechanical protection system for
providing additional security for safes, vaults and similar receptacles for the
storing of valuables; and the object is to provide a certain infallible means for
giving warning, upon an improper attempt being made to gain access to the
protected property.
To these ends, the invention consists in the construction, combination and/
arrangement of the several elements comprising the auxiliary protection system
independent of the security afforded by the receptacle itself, as will be herein-
after more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
In the accompanying drawings, the same reference characters indicate the
same parts of the invention.
Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan of my improved auxiliary safe protection
system.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the auxiliary bolt lock.
Figure 3 is a plan view of the bolt operating mechanism.
1 denotes the safe, 2 its hinged door, and 3 the alarm box, which is also
provided with a door 4, and which may be located at any convenient point
within or outside of the building in which the safe is located, and of course
where it will be under the supervision of a trusted employe. 5 denotes the
combination lock of the safe, which is controled in the usual manner by the
knob dial, not shown, and 6 denotes the lock bolt, which is arranged to be
projected into and withdrawn from the path of the tumbler 7, fixed on the shaft 8
and provided with a vertical arm 9 entering a notch' 10 in the bar 12 connected
to the bolt bar 13, to which the lock bolts 14-14 are fixed. Of course it will
be understood that in order to withdraw the bolts 14, the combination lock
bolt 6 must first be retracted in the usual manner, so that the tumbler may be
moved by its shaft 8 in the direction of the arrow.
The end of this shaft 8 carries an insulated electrical contact finger 15, which
is adapted to make connection with a fixed contact plate 16 when the bolts 14
are withdrawn, and a similar insulated contact finger 17 is carried by the bolt
bar 13, and which will also make connection with the plate 16 when the bolts 14
are withdrawn, as in the first instance.
The fingers 15 and 17 are connected by a wire 18 in electrical communication

page_text: with a conductor 19, and the plate 16 is also provided with a conductor 20, for
a purpose to be presently set forth..
The tumbler shaft 8 forms a continuation of a cylindrical lock barrel 21
journaled in the handle or knob 22 fixed in the safe door and controlled by a
removable key 23, the operation being such that in a legitimate way the lock
bolt 6 must first be withdrawn through the medium of the combination knob
dial, before the key 23 can be used to turn the lock barrel 21, shaft 8 and
tumbler 7 to withdraw the bolts 14, and if the key be carried by one person and
the combination by another, it will require the presence of both to open the safe.
The conductor 36 leads to an insulated contact finger 24 carried by a lock
barrel 25 mounted in the safe door and controlled by a removable key 26,
and 27-28 denote insulated contact plates fixed to the inside of the safe door
and in the path of the contact finger 24, which normally rests on the plate 27
when the safe door is locked, and from the plate 27 a conductor 29 leads to a
contact spring 30, fixed in the path of a spring-actuated plunger 31, which is
held out of contact with the finger 30 when the door is closed, but which is
released by the door, so as to make contact with said finger, when the safe door
is opened.
From the plunger 31 a conductor 32 extends to an inverted relay 33 mounted
in the alarm box 3, and from said relay a conductor 34 extends to the battery 35,
from which the conductor 36 extends to the contact finger 24.
From the armature lever 37 of the relay 33 a conductor 38 extends to a second
inverted relay 39, and from said relay a conductor 40 extends to a spring actuated
plunger 41 fixed in the path of the safe door 2, and in electrical communication
with a contact finger 42 from which a conductor 43 extends to the battery 44,
and branch wires 40-45 and 43-46 extend from the plunger 41 and con-
ductor 43 to the contact finger 24 and plate 28, respectively.
52
A conductor 47 extends from the battery 44 to an insulated contact finger 48
fixed in the back of the box, and a conductor 49 extends from a similar opposed
contact finger 50 to the back contact screw 51 of the armature lever 37.
denotes an alarm gong rigidly fixed on the post 53 mounted in the box door 4
and formed with an integral extension 54, which, when said door is closed,
extends between the contact fingers 48-50, to close the circuit between them.
The armature lever 55 of the relay 39 is provided with a conductor 56, which
extends to one pole of a battery 57, and from the other pole a conductor 58
extends to the vibrating bell magnet 59, the armature of which coacts with
the gong 52 to produce the alarm.
A conductor 60 extends from the magnet 59 to the back contact screw 61 of
the armature lever 55, and a branch conductor 62. extends from the conductor 56
to the plunger 31, the current extending through the contact spring finger 30
to the contact plate 27 and finger 24 and thence over the conductor 63 to the
alarm circuit conductor 60.
The safe door is thus protected by the closed circuit 40-47, and the two open
circuits 32-36 and 62-63; and if the closed circuit 40-47 be interrupted, the
magnet 39 is demagnetized, and its armature being released, falls by gravity,
and coming in contact with the screw 61, closes the local alarm circuit 56-60,
which sounds an alarm on the gong 52, and if the open circuit 32-36 be closed,
it energizes the magnet 33, which raises its armature 37, and thereby opens the
normally closed circuit 40--47 at the contact screw 51, thereby demagnetizing
the magnet 39 and sounding the alarm as in the first instance, and if the
circuit 62-63 be closed, it closes the local alarm circuit 56-60 and sounds the
alarm.
The various conductors extending between the safe and the alarm box are
twisted to form a cable, as shown, and as all of said conductors are identical in
appearance, it is practically impossible to tamper with them without causing
an alarm to be sounded.
When it is desired to open the safe legitimately, the switch-key 20 is inserted

page_text: in the switch-lock 25, and the contact finger 24 moved from the contact plate 27
to the contact plate 28, which cuts out the contact plunger 41 and makes a
second opening or break in the circuit of which the plunger 31 forms a part.
The bolt-key 23 is then inserted to retract the bolts 14-14; at the same time
the contact spring 17 closes the conductors 19 and 20 through the medium of
the conductor 18 and contact 19, and thus closes the circuit 40-43, and thereby
permits the safe door to be opened without changing the status of either of the
circuits or sounding an alarm.
It will of course be understood that various changes in the form, proportion,
and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from
the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim
is:-
1. In a safe protection system, the combination with the safe, its hinged door
and locking bolts, of a tubular knob shank fixed to said door, a locking device
mounted within said spindle and controlled by a removable key, a stem carried
by said locking device and operatively connected to the locking bolts, substan-
tially as described.
2. The combination with the fixed safe door knob, the lock mounted therein, the
shaft forming a continuation of said lock, and the tumbler carried by said shaft,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
3. In a safe protection systeni, a safe, a normally open and a normally closed
electric circuit having their respective terminals located within the safe and in
the path of the safe door, and means for audibly indicating an abnormal con-
dition of either or both of said circuits, substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.
4. In a safe protection system, an electric circuit comprising an inverted
relay, the armature of which is adapted to be retracted by the force of gravity,
in combination with an alarm circuit, the terminals of which are arranged in
the path of said armature, substantially as specified.
5. The combination with the fixed safe door knob, a lock mounted in said knob,
and a tubular operating shaft carried by said lock, of an electrical alarm circuit
having one of its terminals connected to an insulated contact finger carried by
said shaft, and the other terminal connected to a contact plate fixed in the
path of said contact finger, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
6. In an electrical safe protection system, the combination with the safe, its
hinged door and locking bolts, of an electrical alarm circuit having its terminals
extending within the safe and in the path of said door, a knob spindle fixed to
the door, a key operated lock contained within said knob spindle and operatively
connected to said locking bolts, and an electrical conductor carried by said lock
and adapted to control that portion of said circuit within said safe, substantially
as specified..
7. In a safe protection system, comprising a safe, its hinged door and locking
bolts, a fixed door knob, a cylindrical lock encased within said knob and operatively
connected to the bolts and adapted to be controlled by a removable key, sub-
stantially as set forth.
8. In an electrical safe protection system comprising a safe and its hinged
door, in combination with an alarm containing box also provided with a hinged
door, an electrically controlled alarm contained within said electric circuit
connecting said alarm and safe, a gong post fixed to said box door and having
its free end forming a part of said electric circuit, substantially as shown and
described.
9. The combination with the safe, of the plunger 41 mounted in the path of
the safe door, the contact finger 42, of a normally closed relay circuit comprising
the maguet 39, battery 44, conductors 40-43 and 47, the lock 25, the insulated

page_text: finger 24 carried thereby, the contact plate 27 fixed in the path of said finger,
the branch conductors 45 and 46 connecting said plunger and finger and con-
ductor 43 and plate 27, respectively, and a local alarm circuit adapted to be
energized upon the interruption of the normally closed relay circuit, substan-
tially as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 9th day of January 1899..
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.