A New or Improved Burglar Alarm.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Oct., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 29th July, 1893-Accepted, 2nd Sept., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Burglar Alarm.
I, WILLIAM HIGGS, of 10 Acacia Place, St. John's Wood, London, N.W.
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows :-
-
The object of this invention is to provide a burglar alarm for windows and doors
that will combine efficiency with simplicity and cheapness, and consists essentially
of a straight hammer of brass, iron or any other suitable material, pivoted at one
end, the extreme ends of said pivot being held in position by two upright blocks or
bearings which bearings are part of a bed-plate; being cast thereon; or the
bearings may be formed seperately. At the opposite end of the hammer (the end
opposite the pivoted portion) is provided a small conical pin of steel, iron or other
suitable metal at right angles to the plane of the hammer, which pin is for exploding
a small cartridge of gun-powder or other suitable explosive, the said cartridge
being held in position and contained in a suitable cartridge chamber cast in the
bed-plate afore mentioned.
The hammer oscillates upon the pivot forming an arc of about 180°. Upon the
afore mentioned pivot a spiral spring is provided suitably arranged so that when
the hammer is moved from its normal position upon the cartridge it tightens up the
said spring and upon its release it flys back to its former position upon the cartridge
and the momentum imparted to the hammer by the spring explodes the cartridge,
thereby alarming the inmates of the house.
The alarm is nfixed to the sash-bar of a window so that the extreme end of the
hammer which holds the pin is held down by the ordinary window catch any
movement of said catch releases the hammer. Or a small suitable catch may be
provided so that the alarm may be afixed to any part of the window or sash; any
movement of the window releases the hammer and the cartridge is exploded in the
manner aforesaid.
In afixing to a door a small catch is also provided either on the door itself or
the jamb of same as may be found most convenient when the door is slightly
opened the hammer is released as before described thereby exploding the cartridge.
During the day the cartridge may be removed from the cartridge chamber &
replaced before retiring or it may be left, as found most suitable.
Dated this 29th day of October 1892.
WILLIAM HIGGS.
:
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Burglar Alarm.
WILLIAM HIGGS, of 10 Acacia Place, St. John's Wood, London, County of
Middlesex, Gentleman 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:-
This invention relates to a "new or improved burglar alarm," and has for its
object to provide an alarm that will be simple in construction, durable; easy to
manipulate, and at the same time combining all the advantages of the most
expensive alarms.

page_text: Fig. 7. 18 a top view of the catch.
Fig. 8. a side view of same.
Fig. 9. represents another form of my invention.
Fig. 10. a top view of the same.
Fig. 11. shews the form of cartridge that may be used with my invention and
Fig. 12. shews a form of fulminating or percussion paper cap; in which k is a
side & a top view thereof.
My invention consists essentially of a straight hammer or lever a of brass, iron or
any other suitable material pivoted at one end a¹ by the pivot b.. The hammer
oscillates upon the said pivot forming an arc of about 180°. The extreme ends of
the pivot being held in position by the two upright blocks or bearings c' which
bearings are part of a bed-plate c being cast thereon, or the bearings c¹ may be
formed seperately and held down and in position by suitable screws passing through
the bed-plate c. The opposite end of the hammer a (the end opposite the pivoted
portion) is enlarged or swells out so as to form a circle a; as shewn in the
accompanying drawing; the object of which is to give the hammer or lever more
weight and also a neater appearance; a slight projection a³ is formed on the side of
this circular portion the object of same being to provide a bearing for the catch;
shewn in Figs. 7 & 8. In the centre of this circular portion I also provide a small
conical pin d formed integrally or seperately with the hammer a, and at right angles
to the hammer which pin is for striking the cape of a small cartridge of gun-
powder or other suitable explosive. The cartridge being shewn seperately in
Fig. 11. The said cartridge is held in position & contained in a suitable cartridge
chamber cast in or on the bed-plate c or may be otherwise suitably formed.
Upon the aforementioned pivot & I provide a spiral spring b¹ or any other suitable
form of spring arranged so that when the hammer or lever a is moved from its
normal position upon the cartridge e or cartridge chamber the said hammer
engages with the cranked portion 63 of the spiral spring 61 at * & tightens up the
said spring & upon the hammer being released the action of the spring causes the
hammer to resume its former position. Figs. 5 & 6. shews how the alarm is fixed
to a window. The alarm being screwed down by the screws & running through
screw holes provided for them, to the sash-bar A of the window, the hammer being
held down by the catch f. Fig. 7 & 8 shews the catch more clearly. It is obvious.
that any movement of the window causes the hammer to disengage from the catch
& the momentum imparted to the said hammer by the aforementioned spring &
causes the pin d to strike the cape of the cartridge with sufficient force to detonate
same, thereby alarming the inmates of the house, in which the alarm is fixed.
attaching to a door the alarm is screwed either to the door itself or the jamb of
saine, the hammer being held down in the same manner by a suitable catch, so that
any movement of the door releases the hammer & gives the necessary alarm. In
alarms used for doors I provide a side g as shewn in Figs. 9 & 10. so that when the
alarm is screwed to a door it still retains its horizontal position. Figs. 9 & 10
shews the form of alarm to be used when employing a fulminating or percussion
cap or any other form of explosive in place of a cartridge; h being a hollow or
concave receptacle for the reception of the cap & in place of the detonating pin I
provide a convex or raised portion ' cast on the hammer or otherwise suitably
formed. In another modification of my invention, I provide; in place of the
hollow or concave receptacle; a nipple similar to those used in muzzle loading guns,
& in place of either pin or raised convex portion a plane surface-the ordinary
In

page_text: metallic gun-cap could be used & placed on the nipple, said gun-cap being made of
sufficient size to arouse anyone using the alarm in their sleeping apartment.
Having now particularly described & ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, & in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is―
1st. An improved burglar alarm consisting of the bed-plate c the hammer a the
cartridge chamber in combination with the spring 61 & detonating pin d
substantially as described.
2nd. The concave receptacle the hammer a in combination with the raised
portion & the spiral spring 6' substantially as set forth.
3rd. The complete burglar alarm & its modifications substantially as described &
ascertained in & by the accompanying drawing & Specification.
Dated this 29th day of July 1893.
WILLIAM HIGGS.