GB885245A - Theft deterrent for paper securities - Google Patents

Abstract

885,245. Safes. STEVENS, D. C. Jan. 6, 1960, No. 435/60. Class 44. A theft deterrent in co-operation with a safe or strongroom for paper securities comprises means for applying a distinctive marking to at least a part of paper securities within the safe or strongroom, and means for initiating the application of the marking when an attempt is made to steal the securities. As shown, as applied to a safe 1, spray nozzles 6 are located above shelves 4 for trays 3 of banknotes and are connected to a reservoir 8 containing an indelible dye and a capsule 10 of gas under pressure. Inner and outer walls 13, 14 of the safe and of its door define volumes 12 and 17 which are connected to a compressed air cylinder and a pressure actuated relay 22. An initiation device 24 comprising an electrically ignitable explosively actuated plunger 23 is operated by a battery 26 to drive the plunger -into a frangible seal 11 of the capsule 10 whenever the pressure or the volumes 12 and 17 falls below a value determined by the pressure actuated relay 22 during a time interval determined by a time and delay switch 25. In operation, compressed air is released from the cylinder 21 to the volumes 12 and 17 immediately prior to the safe door being closed, the switch 22 is set to correspond to the period during which the deterrent is required to be effective and the predetermined delay set for about 15 minutes. Any successful attempt to thereafter open the safe would reduce the pressure in volumes 12 and 17 thereby to actuate the switch 22 and fire the plunger 23. The invention is applicable to portable money bags, cash boxes and strong rooms and the initiating device may be responsive to vibrations, breaking of wires, obstructing beams of electromagnetic radiation or alteration in properties of resonant circuits.