US104073A - William spear - Google Patents

Description

duit-ril gisten @getest @tina WIhlrIAliIl SPEAR, OF CAPE ELIZABETH, MAINE.-

Lettcfrs Patent Nc. 104,073, dated June 7, 1870.

rar'saovancmvr IN'ALARMS son sarna.

The Schedule referred t ifi-these Lettera Patent and making'part of the seme Ving the tube andiwatch-room.

-Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of the apartment, with safe inclosed.

Figure 3 is a top view of the diaphragm of the safeapartment. The purpose of my invention is to provide ameth'od of protecting safes and other vaults /and apartments from intrusion and burglary, by means of a Amethod of communicating intelligence to any desired or arranged point, if the conditions under which my invention places the same are disturbed or deranged, and also to indicate if fire is aifecting the said conditions. The purpose is, also, to provide a system or series of regularly or irregularly recurring signals or indications, by which the safety-of the vault, Sto., is from time to time made known.

My invention consists of an air-tight. chamber or compartment, with an air-tube or tubes leading away therefi'oui to some watch-room, where a watchman is to be placed. In this chamber the safe is placed, or the chamber itself may constitute the safe. The air in the chamber `is condensed by an air-forcer, or by any knownV process.

The principle of communicating is that, by opening Ior forcing the chamber wheufthus charged with air, and the consequent change and movement of the air to restore equilibrium with the atmosphere, an effect is produced in, and communicated through the tubes to thevroom or place, where, by means of a. gauge or signal of 'any kind, the fact is made known to the Watchman.

' When affected by fire, the -expansion of the? air in the chamber'consequent thereupon, b'y its increase of pressure in the tubes and chamber, will also convey intelligence the same as when the condensed air is permitted to escape. f=

My method of communicating intelligence to headl or watch office, may thus be explained.

The safe or chamber is first-charged with air at a density greater than that ofthe natural atmosphere. The same, or nearly the same conditions, exist in the tube leading away from said chamber.

Where the tube terminates, or at the watch-room or oice, the undisturbed condition of the safe is shown' by an air-gauge standing cntinually at a given.

degree, but, when the safe is opened, and the pressure is reduced, a corresponding change in the gauge will showthe change in the pressure. The fact may be communicated by some device to produce sound, placed at the. end cf the tube, or in any other convenient ryhe method of producing regularly recurring signals toindicate the safety ofthe chamber is by means of certain mechanicaldevices,as, for instance, a clockwork, which, at regularA intervals opens the ends of the tubes entering the chambers, (the same being first closed,)v and thus allows a signal to be made through .the tube, and heard or seen in the watch-room.

In order that the execution of a number of these signals may be provided for, as, for instance, during. the course of an entire night, without so reducing the pressure in the chamber-that it would nally have-uo eiect on the indicator in the watch-room, I furnish two additional features to my invention. I first provide my 'chamber with an air-tight, but movable top, which may be so weighted as to keep up a pressure of any, desired amount,- by its weight ou the contained airof the chamber. rlhus, as the air-.is slightly reduced in density by one of the clock signals, the slight descent of the top will maintain or restore the original density.

The other feature is, charging the communicating tubes with air to a point nearly up to .the Vcondition of the air in the chamber, 'and thus requiring a less expenditure of air from the chamberv to make the signal, or, in otherwords, arranging at lthe watch-room end of the tube a valve, which will be of sufficient stiffness to remain closed'at a pressure littleless than the pressure of the safe or chamber, but which will -be opened when that .pressure is let ou to it.

The manner in` 4which the tubei's openedby the clock-work, is as follows:

The movement of the clock slowly moves a rotating disk with sprockets or teeth projecting from 'its vperiphery.

'lhe-safe-end of the tube is closed by a valve having an'l arm, which is `reached and moved by the said sprockets.

When this arm is thus moved, the valve is opened and the signal made, and the tooththen dropping off from the arm,'the valve is closed, and the wheelf revolves without reference to the valve till the next tooth reaches the arm.

These regularly, or irregularly recurring signals show that the safe is undisturbed, and they may be changed from night to night, by altering the relative positions of the sprockets, which are, for this end., maderem'ovable by the hand. Y

By this arrangement, -anumber of safes, banks, or other depositarios of valuables and property, may communicate with one head room or otlice, to be occupiedby a watchman who is continually informed of the safety of the depositaries, by the tubes and s/ignals before described, and of the fact of their insecurity or danger, as also hereinbefore set forth.

A communication can be kept up with police, or other ollicer's of a city or town, by means of `signals at given periods, to be made by the watchman, which signals would serve the double purpose of showing that the said Watchman is not remiss in his duty, nor incapacitated from the same, and of conveying' intelligence of the safety or otherwise of any of such depositaries, to the said police or other oliieers.

In case of an attempted burglary at anyy point, the locality of the same is made known to the police, either by the character of the signals themselves, or by inquiry at the watch-office.

In the accompanying drawing--` a shows the safe, or the apartment to containv the same.

b shows a safe placed therein.

c shows the movable top.

d, the tube for forcing in the air.

c, the entrance, or door.

f, the connecting-tube.

g, the watch-room.

h, an illustration of the signal, which is to be hereafter described'.

t', the sprocket-wheel.

tube.

7c is a xed diaphragm, having a valve, l, which is to be more particularly described.A

m n is a pawl and teeth `on the post o, rising lfrom the top of the movable top c, which will also be here after described.

p shows a valve which is used to open and close the aperture q, by which the signal in the watch-room is operated. When the sprocket-wheel in the safe apartment opens the valve, the pressure of the air in the safe apartment, being communicated througlithe tube j, forces the valve p bythe aperture, which, being thus opened, operates the signal.

The movement of the valve, however, compresses the air in the cylinder in which it is, and the pressure from the safe being withdrawn, this compressed air in the cylinder forces back the valve, closes the aperture, and the signal ceases to operate.

In order thatbut little loss of the compressed air may be made at the time of opening the safe, it may be connected at the bottom, sides, and top, of the front side thereof, with the interior surface of the airchamber, by air-tight divisions.v

In some most convenient part of said divisions, I make an opening, so constructed that it shall be opened and closed at such periods as may be desired, by clock-work, so that only the small amount of air contained between the door of the air-chamber and j, the lever and valve which closes the connectingthe door of the safe will have to be exhausted on opening the vault and safe, The valve l is intended to illustrate this, though, in the drawing, it is placed in the center of the fixed diaphragm; but in case oftheuse of the divisions above described, the division that extends from the top edge of the front side of the safe, will take the place of the diaphragm, rendering the use of the diaphragm, as a whole, unnecessary.

The use ofthe ratchet and pawl fm n is more partieularly applicable in case of lire, when, by reason of the heat,` the air contained in the chamber will have a tendency to expand.

If the movable top were lett free to rise, no signal of danger would be given at the watch-room; but, by the arrangement shown, it is prevented from rising, and the increased pressure will be shown by the fixed gauge.

The clock-work that moves the sprocket-wheel is not shown, it being as common.

The use of atmospheric air alone is not intended to be claimed, but it is evident that any other gas or uid thought desirable may be used. I do not claim broadly the use of compressed air for giving alarm-signals.

What I claim as my invention, and desire t0 secure by Letters Patent, isp 1. lhe use of compressed air, or other gases or uids, in a compartment having a movable top, which is capable of being held at any point'bya ratchet and pawl, to regulate, by its weight, the density of the air within said chamber, the said chamber being intended to contain a safe, or articles of value, as described.

2. The sprocket-wheel i, the valve j, the commu; nicating tube f, and the signalizing device atV the watch-room to produce the regularly or irregularly recurring signals, as lde seribed.

3. 'lhe diaphragm k, with the valve l, or the described equivalent therefor, to prevent the escape of condensed air when the chamber is open, as described.

4. The movable top c, and the p'awl and teeth m n, in combination with the tubes fand valve p, as a tirealarm, substantially as described.

5. The improved safe, or safe-containing apartment, as described,vha\ing the top c, the sprocket-wheel t', the valve j, and the communicating tube f, and the signalizing device at the watch-room, by means of which one or more safe or safes are placed in communication with a head oiiiee er watch-room, to which place intelligence is intermittngly conveyed of their safety, and information tothe contrary, the moment' that any or all are in danger, substantially as herein described.

. WILLIAM SPEAR.

Witnesses WM. HENRY CLIFFORD, HENRY C, HOUSTON.

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