Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Mar., 1887
Complete Left, 19th Dec., 1887
Complete Accepted, 20th Jan., 1888
1, JAMES ENRIGHT Electrician of 202 Holland Road Kensington do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to give to houses a more efficient protection from
burglars than the means employed for the purpose at present afford.
The novelty of my system consists mainly in causing the breaking of an electric
circuit to give the alarm. The windows, doors etc. through which an intruder may
enter are connected with a galvanic battery in such manner that when these are closed
the circuit is closed and any attempt to open one of them breaks the circuit.
This system permits a very complete protection to buildings or enclosures in as much
as that the circuit may be extended to suspected gates, passages, skylights, etc., and a
slender and brittle wire used in such places to maintain the circuit may by its fracture
give warning of an attempt to enter the protected area or building. A slender brittle
wire fixed across a passage or alley may serve to protect a suite of warehouses,-fixed
across a sky-light or other such possible entrance to a building to warn the inmates
of an attack. Sometimes it is convenient to break the circuit by means of a piece of
cord or wire not in the circuit. For such a purpose the circuit is closed at a suitable
place by a pivoted piece of metal, which pressure on the string or wire aforesaid causes
to move and so break the circuit.
One of the advantages of this system is that when the various doors, windows, etc,
of a house are closed for the night, the head of the establishment or other individual
in the house or elsewhere may have the fact indicated by a galvanometer or other
indicator placed in the circuit and at a suitable place for observation. An omission
as to the closing of a window or door is thus made apparent. In order that the break
of the circuit may cause the alarm to be given a second circuit which I shall call the
alarm circuit is used in connexion with the first which I shall call the protecting circuit.
Both circuits are worked by the same battery which is by preference a Daniel.
When the protecting circuit is closed it keeps the alarm circuit open by its effect on a
galvanometer or on an electro-magnet or otherwise. When on the contrary the
protecting circuit is open it allows the alarm circuit to operate and so it happens that
any break in the protecting circuit whether by opening window, door or by breaking

page_text: a wire set across a gate or passage directly or indirectly causes the alarm to be given
to the inmates or to a policeman. By having separate circuits the locality of the
intruder may be indicated."
According to the arrangements just described when the protecting circuit is open as
it normally is during the day the alarm will be operated. This however is prevented
by specially closing the alarm circuit after shutting up for the night and opening it in
the morning. It may conveniently be automatically closed by the door which is closed
last at night or it may be closed by a clock at a definite time every night and opened
again at a definite hour in the morning.
The alarm may be given by a bell or by a visual signal and in many cases it may
be desirable to fire a charge of gun-powder or other explosive outside the building or
enclosure and so scare a burglar or other intruder as well as to attract the attention
of a watchman or policeman in the neighbourhood. A special battery should be
inserted in the alarm circuit for this latter purpose. The system is as effective in
detecting the escape of a prisoner as the intrusion of a Burglar.
1 1007

page_text: I, JAMES ENRIGHT Electrician of 202 Holland Road Kensington, do hereby declare
the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN BURGLAR AND LIKE ALARMS and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object of my invention is to give to houses a more efficient protection from
burglars than the means employed for the purpose at present affords.
The novelty of my system consists mainly in causing the breaking of an Electric
circuit to give the alarm. The windows doors etc. through which an intruder
may enter are connected with a galvanic battery in such manner that when they
are closed the circuit is closed and any attempt to open one of them breaks the
circuit.
This system permits a very complete protection to any building or enclosure in as
much as that the circuit may be extended to suspected gates, passages, sky-lights etc.,
and a slender and brittle wire used in such places to maintain the circuit may by its
fracture give warning of an attempt to enter the protected area or building. A slender
brittle wire fixed across a passage or alley may serve to protect a suite of warehouses,
fixed across a sky light or other such possible entrance to a building to warn the
inmates of an attack. Sometimes it is convenient to break the circuit by means of a
piece of cord or wire not in the circuit. For such a purpose the circuit is closed at a
suitable place by a pivoted piece of metal which pressure on the string or wire aforesaid
causes to move and so break the circuit.
One of the advantages of the system is that when the various doors windows etc.
of a building are closed for the night the head of the establishment or other individual
in the house or elsewhere may have the fact indicated by a galvanometer or other
indicator placed in the circuit and at a suitable place for observation. An omission as
to the closing of a window or door is thus made apparent. In order that the break
of the circuit may cause the alarm to be given a second circuit which I shall call
the alarm circuit is used in connexion with the first which shall call the
protecting circuit. Both circuits are worked by the same battery which is by preference
a Daniel. When the protecting circuit is closed it keeps the alarm circuit open by its
effect on a galvanometer or on an Electro-magnet or otherwise. When on the contrary
the protecting circuit is open it allows the alarm circuit to operate and so it happens
that any break in the protecting circuit whether by opening window door or by
breaking a wire set across a gate or passage directly or indirectly causes the alarm to
be given to the inmates or to a policeman. By having separate circuits the locality of
the intruder may be indicated.
According to the arrangements just described when the protecting circuit is open
as it normally is during the day, the alarm will be operated. This however is prevented
by especially closing the alarm circuit after shutting up for the night and opening it

page_text: in the morning. It may conveniently be automatically closed by the door which is
closed last at night, or it may be closed by the clock at a definite time every night
and opened again in the morning.
The alarm may be given by a bell or by a visual signal and in many cases it may
be desirable to fire a charge of powder or other explosive outside the building or
enclosure and so scare a burglar or other intruder as well as to attract the attention
of a watchman or policeman in the neighbourhood. A special battery should be
inserted in the alarm circuit for this latter purpose. The system is as effective in
detecting the exit of a prisoner as the intrusion of a burglar.
In order that my said invention may be most fully understood and readily carried
into effect I will proceed to describe the drawing hereunto annexed.
17 EDCATION
Figure I shows the double circuit arrangement with certain parts of the apparatus.
A vertical section parallel to the plane of the coils of the galvanometer brings into
view the parts about to be described. is the galvanometer needle attached to its
axis e which is pivoted on the forked upright w attached to the base of the instrument.
d is a light iron bridge connected to c by insulating material. The ends of d dip into
mercury cups e, e, cut in a wooden tray fixed to the frame of the instrument. From
the mercury cups e, e conducting wires proceed-one direct to the pole t of the
battery B the other to the Electric alarm bell A-thence to the other pole v of the
battery through a metallic plug which is inserted at when the apparatus is intended
to act. The circuit which operates the alarm is then closed when the galvanometer
needle is not deflected and when the plug is inserted at u. If however the
galvanometer needle b. be deflected the alarm circuit is broken at e, e; because the
little bridge d is lifted out of the mercury cups. The doors, windows, gates etc. are
provided with contact boxes a longitudinal section of which exposes to view the
metallic springs m and n screwed to the wood work k. The window or door pressing
on m depresses it until it meets n. The lower surface of m and the upper surface
platinized." One terminal of the galvanometer coils is connected to m so
that the contact of m and n connects the conductor h to p. All the contact boxes are
in this way brought into circuit when the doors, windows, etc. to which they are attached
are securely closed. Closing the last door closes the protecting circuit and opens
the alarm circuit. The fact that the house is securely shut up is indicated by the
deflection of the needle b. and such indication constitutes one of the advantages of this
system of protection. The galvanometer may be placed anywhere most convenient for
this purpose..
of n are
"
When it is required to protect a passage or more extended space a conducting
wire ys Fig. I is stretched across it and placed in circuit by means of binding screws
at q and s. The part is clutched by the prongs rr and so makes a contact which is
easily broken by a person pushing against it. g is a loose india-rubber covering to
prevent the action of the atmosphere on the enclosed metallic parts.
In order to protect a window which may be entered by cutting the glass clean out a
shutter is made which mainly consists of a network of conductors each containing a
joint consisting of the parts r,r, 9, 2, (Fig. 1).
The protecting circuit miny be traced out from one pole t of the battery B through
the galvanometer coils, through the contact boxes, through such conductors as q. s for
the special protection of outlying places back to the other pole v of the battery. When
the house etc. is securely closed for the night and that this is duly indicated by the
galvanometer needle b, the plug is inserted at u. Instead of operating an Electric bell
by the rupture of the protecting circuit I may although I do not prefer it operate a
mechanical alarm.
When I wish to maintain the action of the alarm after the door or window whose
opening caused its action, is again closed. Fig. II shows the arrangement for
The
the purpose. The bridge d is attached to a tumbler which carries a tooth m.

page_text: tumbler is represented resting against the pin p, keeping the bridge out of the mercury
cups e, e, and so keeping the alarm circuit of which the conductors n, n form portion,
open. The tumbler is placed in this position when the house is closed for the night
and the plug inserted at u Fig. II. If the protecting circuit be now broken a pin
carried by the needle Fig. I strikes m moving the tumbler on the pivot p¹ and
carrying the bridge d into the mercury cups and so permanently closing the alarm
circuit.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
First. The improved method substantially as herein described for protecting houses
from Burglars by causing the completion of an Electric circuit to indicate that a house
is securely closed and the interruption of the same circuit to operate an alarm.
Second. The improved method substantially as herein described for protecting
houses from Burglars by causing the completion of an Electric circuit to indicate
that a house is securely closed and the interruption of the same circuit to complete
second circuit which latter operates an alarm.
AL