US3610177A

US3610177A - Security enclosure

Info

Publication number: US3610177A
Application number: US857327A
Authority: US
Inventors: Leroy H Shapiro
Original assignee: CAMBRIDGE IRON AND METAL CO
Current assignee: CAMBRIDGE IRON AND METAL CO
Priority date: 1969-09-12
Filing date: 1969-09-12
Publication date: 1971-10-05
Anticipated expiration: 1988-10-05

Abstract

The specification discloses a security enclosure having a cylindrical wall with a base member permanently attached to close one end of the cylinder. A removable second closure member with two tabs is fitted within the other end of the cylinder with one tab extending through the opening of the wall of the cylinder and the other tab aligned with a matching lug formed by the wall of the cylinder. The tab and lug are secured together by means of a lock, padlock or other secure means.

Description

United States Patent lnventor Leroy l-l. Shapiro Baltimore, Md. App]. No. 857,327 Filed Sept. 12,1969 Patented Oct. 5, 1971 Assignee Cambridge Iron and Metal Co., Inc.

Baltimore, Md.

SECURITY ENCLOSURE 1 Claim, 4 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 109/50, 109/59, 232/4 Int. C E05g 1/00 Field of Search 109/64, 59, 50; 220/3.8, 55 MC, 55 P, 38; 232/4 R References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 11/1926 Kusel 232/4 R 1,781,920 11/1930 Fisher 232/4 R 854,045 5/1907 Paugh 220/3.8 2,656,948 10/1953 McGee... 220/38 2,677,338 5/1954 Sasetti 109/59 2,935,955 5/1960 Mann 109/50 3,183,863 5/1965 .leffres t 109/59 Primary Examiner-Reinaldo P. Machado Alt0meyBurton A. Amernick ABSTRACT: The specification discloses a security enclosure having a cylindrical wall with a base member permanently attached to close one end of the cylinder. A removable second closure member with two tabs is fitted within the other end of the cylinder with one tab extending through the opening of the wall of the cylinder and the other tab aligned with a matching lug formed by the wall of the cylinder. The tab and lug are secured together by means of a lock, padlock or other secure meansQ PATENTEU 0m 5 FIG.

FIG. 2.

INVENTOR Leroy H. Shapiro ATTORNEY SECURITY ENCLOSURE SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention discloses a new and useful improvement in the design of strong boxes and securityenclosures. It provides a simple, inexpensive and easy to manufacture container having a minimum of parts and providing a maximum degree of protection.

Such strong boxes or security enclosures in the past have often required expensive machine operations in order to conceal their hinges and the seam around the opening to prevent the entry of pry bars and other destructive items. The present invention discloses a simple and inexpensive strong box that may be formulated from tube steel and sheet steel in a manner of minutes without any expensive hinges or other fittings and providing a relatively concealed hinge, clasp, and closure seam.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a vertical elevation view of my new and improved security enclosure.

FIG. 2 is a top or plan security enclosure.

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of my security enclosure.

FIG. 4 is a isometric view of an alternate form of the security enclosure with locking means.

Referring to the drawings in detail, like characters of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the several views.

As previously stated, the security enclosiire is especially designed to provide an inexpensive, simple and secure strong box. In the preferred form of the invention, a cylindrical member 11 is pennanently closed on one end by closure member 12. This closure may be efi'ected by welding, riveting or by forming the container 11 in a mold and forming an integral one piece bottom closure member along with the sidewall 1 1. In the preferred form of the invention a steel plate 12 is welded to a steel tube 11 along the welds 13 to provide a permanent and virtually indestructible joint.

The other end of the cylindrical closure 11 is closed by closure member 14.

Referring to FIG. 3 closure member 14 is a circular disk of steel, iron or other relatively impenetrable material and in the preferred form of my invention is formed with the first and

second tab member

15 and 15a. Tab member 15 extends through an opening 16 that is defined in the wall of the container 11. This opening is better illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, said opening being defined as an elongate slot to receive closure tab 15. On the opposed wall of the container 11, lug I7 is axially aligned with the second tab means formed on closure 14. Tab member 17 may be welded or bolted onto the wall of container 1 l, or otherwise secured thereon.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, lug member 17 is formed by two vertical cuts 18 and 19 that are made in the wall of cylinder 11. The material lying between the cuts 18 and 19 is then bent outwardly to a horizontal position to form an integral one piece tab having the same strength as the wall of the container. Tab I7 may be bent inwardly or outwardly depending upon the type of locking means employed. In the preferred embodiment, a pad lock or combination lock 20 is fastened through

openings

21 and 22 by tab 15a and lug 17.

If a unitary locking means were used, tab I7 could be bent inwardly, and the locking means mounted internally as illustrated in FIG. 2. The locking means 23 would then be mounted on the closure 14 immediately inbome of container wall I1. Closure member 14 may be formed with an opening with an elongate slot opening'24 as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 or without the elongate slot opening as noted in FIG. 4. Opening 24 is for the reception of dollar bills, change, or other valuable items such as inventory lists, store receipts, cash register tapes or other items which are normally secured for safe keeping.

view of an alternate form of my It should be noted as illustrated in FIG. 3 that the seam 25 between the closure 14 and container 11 is recessed below the top of the container to provide a relatively inaccessible opening for pry bars or other instruments of destruction. This seam may'be further recessed without affecting the operation of the security enclosure by lowering slot 16 and tab I7 and leaving a larger lip than is illustrated in the preferred embodiment. If an outside cap were utilized or if the cap were even with the top of the container 11, it would be relatively simple and easy to insert a pry bar and remove the enclosure member 14 by force. When the closure member 14 is recessed as illustrated in FIG. 3, the pry bar must be forced in to deform the wall of the container 11 before closure member 14 can be pryed out. This gives the seam 25 an effective strength equal to the walls of the container 11. The same is true at the slot opening 16. As illustrated at 26, the strength of the hinge is regulated by the thickness of the tab 15 as illustrated at 26, and a thickness of wall 11 as illustrated at 27. This gives the hinge member the full strength equivalent of wall 11, and the closure member 14. Likewise, when tab 17 is formed integrally from wall 11, it and tab 16 which is formed integrally from disk 14, acquire the strength of the main wall members.

It should be noted that there are no such latch or hasp joints, seams or other weak areas that may be attacked, the tab and lug being formed integrally from the container and enclosure.

Referring to FIG. 4, the container may be equipped with a square member 29 as illustrated in FIG. 4 to provide a secure and stable base for the security closure. In the event the enclosure is knocked over, base member 29 will prevent the container from rolling or otherwise moving about. This, base member 29 provides a stable base for the container in its horizontal or vertical position. If desired, openings 30 may be formed in the base member 29 to secure the security enclosure to a wall, floor, or other stable building structure.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the container 11 has been disclosed and described as a cylindrical member, as cylindrical members generally present more wall strength per volume than square members. Also, it is generally inexpensive and easy operation to fabricate the preferred embodiment of the invention from sheet steel and tube steel. If desired, however, container 1 1 could be formulated from sheet steel wherein the container 11 itself would be rectangle, square or other polygon and closure disk 14 would then assmile a corresponding rectangular, square of polygonal shape.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention is described as being tube or sheet steel, it is obvious to one skilled in the art that the same could be formed of any type of iron, including a cast iron wherein the lower closure I2 could be integrally cast with container 11. Also, it would be possible to form container II from a high impact plastic such as polystyrene of fiberglass reinforced resins to form a relatively secure enclosure of a lightweight and portable nature. With those materials, it would also be possible to formulate

closure

12 or 29 as an integral part of container 11 to simplify the assembly and construction of my invention.

While I have shown and described the preferred construction and arrangement of the various parts, it will be understood that the device is amenable to considerable modification without departing from the essential features, or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

I claim:

l. A security enclosure comprising an openmouthed container having at least one enclosing wall and a base member, said enclosing wall defining an opening therein adjacent to the open mouth if said container, and defining an integral l'ug means formed from said wall adjacent to said open mouth, said lug extending outwardly from said exterior wall at a angle, said wall defining an opening above said lug extending from said lug to the open mouth of said container, a removable closure with first and second tab means for completely closing said open mouth, said closure normally mounted within said closing wall and below the open mouth of said container, said second tab means being axially aligned with said lug means mounted on said container wall when said first tab means extends through the opening defined in said enclosing wall, said lug means mounted on said wall opposed to the opening defined in said enclosing wall, each being on the outer extremities of said wall, said first and second tab means mounted on said removable closure opposed to each other on the outer perimeter of said removable closure, said tab means $9,133 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,610,177 Dated g g hg 5 122] Inventor(s) Leroy H. Shapiro It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 1, 12th line from the bottom, after "22" insert defined the penultimate line, delete "or" and insert therefor and Column 2, line 19, delete "closure" and insert therefor enclosure line 23, delete "such"; line 24, after "joints," insert screws, line 31, delete "This, and insert therefor Thus, line 39, after "is" insert a line 43, after "be" insert a line 45, delete "of" and insert therefor or 8th line from the bottom, delete "if and insert therefor of last line, delete "closing" and insert therefor enclosing Column 4, line 4, delete "cylin-"; line 5, delete "drical".

Signed and sealed this 18th day of April 1972.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer Commissioner of Pa tents

Claims

1. A security enclosure comprising an openmouthed container having at least one enclosing wall and a base member, said enclosing wall defining an opening therein adjacent to the open mouth if said container, and defining an integral lug means formed from said wall adjacent to said open mouth, said lug extending outwardly from said exterior wall at a 90* angle, said wall defining an opening above said lug extending from said lug to the open mouth of said container, a removable closure with first and second tab means for completely closing said open mouth, said closure normally mounted within said closing wall and below the open mouth of said container, said second tab means being axially aligned with said lug means mounted on said container wall when said first tab means extends through the opening defined in said enclosing wall, said lug means mounted on said wall opposed to the opening defined in said enclosing wall, each being on the outer extremities of said wall, said first and second tab means mounted on said removable closure opposed to each other on the outer perimeter of said removable closure, said tab means and said lug means adapted to receive a locking means to secure the closure member to said container, said base member being formed of a polygonal sheet member and completely and permanently enclosing one end of said cylindrical container, said base extending outwardly beyond said enclosing wall to provide a stable base when said container is oriented in either a vertical or horizontal position.