Improved Automatic Apparatus for taking Photographs of Burglars.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Feb., 1897-Accepted, 3rd July, 1897
Improved Automatic Apparatus for taking Photographs of Burglars.
I, CORRADINO PARODI, of Via Vente Settembre No. 3 Genoa, in the Kingdom of
Italy, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
My apparatus is based upon electricity and photography and its object is to
automatically obtain, by the aid of an instantaneous and bright light, the photographic
images of burglars who had broken in the night into a dwelling house, an office, a
bank, a shop and the like, and it is accordingly intended to prevent burglaries and
other similar criminal attempts.
This is effected with the unconscious help of the miscreants by means of suitable
contacts closing electric circuits, whereby an illuminating substance is forthwith
ignited and instantaneous photographs of the evil doers are taken.
consists of three parts A B C, which are shown diagrammatically and generally in
The apparatus
Figure 1. The part A serves to set up the circuits, the part B causes the production
of the instantaneous light and the part C is designed for the photographic
reproduction.
The relative arrangement of the three parts of the apparatus cannot be decided
beforehand; it must be selected in such a manner as to render it most probable that
the burglars will step on the part A and show their face to the luminous rays of
the part B so as to be in the most suitable position relatively to the object glasses of the
photographic apparatus.
The apparatus A is shown in plan in Figure 2 and in section, on line X X of the
latter figure, in Figure 3. It consists of a board comprising the frame c and the
metallic ground plate f. In this frame is encased another frame d furnished at its
upper part with a number of thin metal strips a and b arranged at intervals of about
3 m.m. from the surface of the ground plate f of the board C. The plates a are
connected together by a metal strip a' and the strips b, which are insulated from the
latter, are connected together by the metal strip b¹. The two strips a¹ 61 communicate
with a battery P and with the two other parts B and C of the apparatus (Figure 1).
If the two frames c and d or one of the two were metallic, it would be necessary to
insulate the plates a and the strip a¹ from the strips 6 and 61 by means of suitable
insulating material.
The part A of the apparatus may be arranged upon the threshold of the door
through which the burglars must or are likely to enter and is concealed from view by
a small carpet or mat. However, its position may be varied according to local
circumstances so long as all the circuits can be automatically closed. These
plates a and b which are very thin and in close proximity to the ground plate, yield
sufficiently under the weight of a man to come into contact with the said plate f. To
make sure of this result, springs may be arranged at their extremities so as to increase
or assist their mobility. It is obvious that the connection between the plates of the
same kind with the frames, the metal ground plate and the conducting wires may be
carried out in various manners without departing from the nature of this invention.
It is also obvious that the location and the details of the battery and of the circuits

page_text: are such as are generally used in electric installations, although it would be
advantageous to conceal them as much as possible.
A short cord
The part B of the apparatus is shown in front view in Figure 4 and consists of an
electro-magnet D provided with an armature 7 carrying one tooth.
which passes over the two pulleys e carries a ring fixed to a hook at one of its
extremities and at the other a weight or bar Z provided with a hole wherein the
tooth y can enter. When the electro-magnet is excited the bar drops inside a tube K
serving as a guide and strikes the part h. The latter, which pointed, strikes upon
a fulminating substance surrounded by inflammable matter capable of producing an
intense flash of light. These substances are placed on the tray I. The reflector g
increases the diffusion of the light. When the apparatus is not required for use it is
preferable that the bar or weight should not bear on the tooth y of the armature r,
which object is attained by having it supported by the cord which is fixed to the hook
aforesaid by the ring. The luminous matter used may be chlorate of potash mixed
with pure magnesium or any other substance capable of producing the same result.
The part C is shown in front view in Figure 5 and in section on line Y Y of the
latter figure in Figure 6. It consists of an electro-magnet D' having an armature l
furnished with a tooth y¹ engaging within the teeth of the gear wheel l. The axis m¹
of the latter carries two small drums m upon which are wound the cords m² supporting
the sliding board or door p, the descent of which is guided and regulated by the
rods p2 upon which are passed the eyes or hooks p¹ secured to the said board. The
gear wheel meshes with the pinion n, the axis n¹ of which carries the fly or
regulator n² designed to break the fall of the sliding board p. Within the thickness
of the wall is formed a niche or recess F wherein the photographic apparatus and its
accessories are located, as will be hereinafter set forth. If this niche extends through
to the surface V₁ it may be hidden from view on that side by a door or cover G. On
the other surface V of the same wall are placed the openings O corresponding to the
object glasses of the photographic apparatus. A knob (not shown in the drawings)
is used to raise the door when the room is in darkness and set the apparatus in the
proper position for operating; whereas when the apparatus is not required for use the
door may remain down so as to cover the openings O and prevent the photographic
plates from being exposed to the light.
The sliding door p strikes as it drops down upon two springs qq which form
contacts with the supports q¹ furnished with spiral springs having for their objects
to deaden the shocks. With these contacts two circuits are formed as shown
diagrammatically in Figure 5. One of these circuits, which is supplied by the
battery P¹ sounds a gong S placed in any suitable part of the building or in the room
containing the apparatus; the other circuit is supplied by the battery P2 excites the
electro-magnet D2 located in the niche F (Figure 6). The batteries P1 and P2 may
be dispensed with, all the parts of the apparatus being operated by the battery P
(Figure 1) by means of suitable circuits and conductors.
The armature ² of the electric-magnet D² (Figure 6) is provided with several teeth
capable of entering the slots of the tongue whereby the photographic plates are
suspended. Below each plate is arranged a shoot, lined with a sheath H H¹ of sheet
zinc or other metal having a rectangular section and consisting of two parts, the
uppermost of which H is two or three times longer than the lower part H¹ and fits
loosely therein. The part H¹ extends to any suitable part of the wall surface V¹ but
so as not to be within easy reach of the burglars; its mouth is closed by a shutter H*
concealed by the hangings or by any other means.
As soon as the sliding door p has reached the end of its travel, the openings or
discs O remain closed, the photographic impressions having been taken and as the
armature has just been attracted, the photographic plates 3 fall in the shoot H H¹
and are stopped by the shutter H2, and hence if the burglars were aware of the
existence of the photographic apparatus and of the shoot for the passage of the
negatives and were trying to seize hold of them, they could perhaps raise the upper
part H of the sheath but could never gain access to the lower part H2, more especially
if the shoot J and its sheath H¹ had been prolonged into another room in a lower

page_text: storey or into the basement of the house. It should also be taken into consideration
that the burglars astounded by the sudden flash of light and the electric bell will lose
their senses and will endeavour to escape promptly before the arrival of the neighbours,
of the watchman and of the police.
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. An automatic apparatus for preventing burglaries, characterized by the use
of three different apparatus actuated by electricity, the first being designed to close
the circuits with the unconscious co-operation of the burglars, the second being
destined to produce a bright and instantaneous flash of light, while the third apparatus
serves to take, by means of Photography, the portrait of the burglars and to sound an
alarm in the case of the house being broken in during the night, the whole as herein
described and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Second. In the apparatus for preventing burglaries such as above claimed, a
double frame provided with small plates and a metallic ground plate insulated one
from the other and so arranged that the burglars stepping thereon close the circuits
destined to operate the apparatus serving to illuminate the enclosure for taking the
photographic impression of the burglars and to sound an alarm, the whole substantially
as herein described and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Third. In the apparatus above claimed the use of a bar or weight supported by a
cord and kept in position by a tooth of the armature of the electro-magnet, this weight
igniting by its fall, explosive and illuminating substances placed inside a reflector, the
whole substantially as herein described and shown in the drawings.
Fourth. In the apparatus above claimed the use of a sliding door held in position
by a tooth of the arinature of an electro-magnet the fall of which is regulated by clock
work and which has for its object to cover the object glasses of the photographic
apparatus placed in niches formed in the thickness of the wall; this door closing by
falling, two electric circuits one of which sounds a bell while the other releases the
photographic negatives taken, the whole as above described and shown in the
drawings.
Fifth. In the apparatus above claimed the use within the thickness of the wall
of shoots having a rectangular cross-section and the upper ends of which lead to the
photographic negatives, while their lower ends lead to a neighbouring room or to the
basement of the house, their openings or mouths being concealed by the hanging
and these shoots being lined with a metallic sheath consisting of two parts the upper
part being the longest one of the two and entering the lower part the whole
substantially as and for the purposed described.
Dated this 23rd day of February 1897.