US1267911A - Distress-signal. - Google Patents

Description

. SCHOLDER.

DISTRESS SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED on. 13. 1916 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Patented May 28,1918.

Suva wot IVI. SCHOLDER. DISTRESS SIGNAL.

APPLICATION mm OCT. 13. I916.

1 ,Q"6%9 1 1L 0 I Patented May 28; 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

; \L\ M y t;- 70' O O 0 0 g 3; -5a (W/O8 o 8? c1 Roi A101 QM [Moos MAURICE SCHOLDER, OF NEW YORK, N. "Y.

DISTRESS-SIGNAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 2%, ll td.

Application filed October 13, 1916. Serial No. 125,432.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that l[, MAURICE SCHOLDER, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the-county of New York and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Distress-Signals, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to alarms, and more particularly to distress signals and fire alarms for use in all kinds of buildings.

It has for an object to provide a system including a signal for help and police, and also for fire, using part of the wiring system for both services.

A further object is the provision of a composite system of closed and open circuits, having the closed circuit actuate the external open circuit.

A further object is the provision of a closed actuating circuit having actuating apparatus in each room or apartment of a building, which controls an open circuit in which an audible and visual signal operating means is placed. 1

A further object is the provision of a signaling system having an audible and visual slgnal placed upon the outside of a building to attract the attention of outside help, actuating means laced in each room or apartment of a buil ing, and an annunciator placed near the entrance of a building to advise the outside help of the distressed quarters in the building.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an alarm which may be placed in an apartment, dwelling, store or factory, having an audible signal for use when conditions permit, and. a visual si al to assist the audible signal in attractlng attention of outside hel A further oliject of this invention is the provision of a signalin system having two actuating means, of w ich one controlsa normally closed circuit, which through a relay gives a distress si al on the outside of the building, or in a actory where desired,

and the second actuating means directlycontrols a normally 0 en circuit to actuate both the distress and re signal.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a system having a normally closed circuit to actuate a normally open circuit and to have a number of actuating means in theclosed circuit placed at desired points in a building such as in each room or apartment, on each window or door, or

pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, has been illustrated, a single and preferred form of the invention, it being, however, understood that no limitations are necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited, but that changes, alterations and modifications within the scope of the claims.

may be resorted to when desired.

Further objects will be apparent from the following specification, appended claims, and drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of portions of a building showing this invention applied thereto.

lFig. 2 is a diagrammatic View of the wiring and apparatus.

Fig. 3 shows the alarm as used in factories and the like.

Fig. 4: is a vertical sectional view through the alarm.

Fig. 5 is a similar view through the closed circuit push button.

Fig. 6 is a similar view through the open circuit push button, and

Fig. 7 is a similar view through a closure release alarm.

In this invention, l have devised a system having certain characteristics. which renders this system especially applicable to dwellings, apartments, schools, churches. meeting places, factories. and stores of all kinds, and in each application, the same principles will be used in having an actuating circuit with actuating apparatus therein, having this apparatus so placed as to be convenient to a person needing help in seeking exit from the room in which the assistance is needed. A normally closed circuit is used so as to render the system always operative; inasmuch as the system will operate as soon as anything becomes wrong with the operating circuit. such as the batteries becoming exhausted, the wiring being broken, or the actuators becoming faulty; This actuating circuit controls a working circuit in which the alarms are placed, and the alarms will be positioned as to be most readilyseen and heard when in operation, such as in a conspicuous place on the outside wall of the building or 011 a column in a factory. With the actuating means and the signal, it is necessary in most cases to provide an indication so that outside help may quickly locate the cene of distress, so I provide an annuncialor at or near the entrance of the building, store or factory, which has drops, or other indicating units electrically connected with the actuators to identify the particular locations.

- Referring to the drawings, in which a conventional showing of this invention is had, (A) indicatesihe actuators, (B) the signal in its entirety, and (C) the indicating or annunciating unit in its entirety. These units are electrically connected so that they coeperate simultaneously in establishing the call for assistance and indicating the immediate location where needed. e

In Fig. 2, 10 indicates a battery such as a gravity cell battery which is eflicient in a continuously closed master circuit. This battery has a conductor 11, leading therefrom to a closed circuit push button 12, which has the other conductor 13, leading to the push button 14, and from this button,

the conductor 15, leads to the button 16, from which the conductor 17, leads to the windings 18, of a relay, and then, as by the conductor 19, back to the other terminal of the battery 10. In this master circuit, it is seen that the windings 18, energize the electro-magnets of the relay to maintain the armature 20, in raised position.

When the circuit through any of the push buttons 12, 14, or 16 is broken or should the circuit be opened by any break in the wires, the windings 18, in being deenergized allow the armature 20, to fall so that this armature contacts with the pin 21, to complete a normally open working circuit through the battery 22, conductors 23, 24 and 25, to the light 26, and bell 27. The conductor 23, leads from one terminal of the battery 22, to the i armature 20, and the pin 21, forms the terminal of the conductor 25. A trip 26, is provided so that as soon as the armature falls, it becomes locked in its lower position until manually released by an authorized person knowing the locationof the relay. The light 26, and bell 27, are shown as placed in a housing 29, which has theopenings 30, formed therein to permit the sound from the bell or gong being heard from a distance. The light will preferably be placed in a reflector 31, and will have a lens 32, over it to increase its eliiciency, and this lens will preferably be green to identify this light.

conductors 40, lead to a common conductor 42, which is connected to one side of a light socket 43, in which a light 44, is placed, and

from the opposite side of this socket, a conductor 45, leads to the conductor 24, which becomes a common return to the storage battery 22. The conductors 41, lead to the common conductor 46, which is connected to the wire 25, below the branches to the bell 27, and light 26, so that when the actuators close the circuit through the conductors 40 and 41, the lights 26 and 44, become lighted and the bell 27, rings to give the two signals. The light 44, is placed in a reflector 47, and has a lens 48, over it to increase and concentrate to rays for observation, and

this lens 48, will preferably be red to indicate a call for the fire apparatus.

,.The push button 12, may be of any desired form such as shown in Fig. 5, in which a base 49, has the terminals 50 and 51 secured thereto, to which the conductors 11, and 13, are attached, and one of these terminals has a spring leaf 52, formed thereon which contacts with the overturned end 53, of the other terminal, and a button or knob 54, is carried by the removable cap 55, to bear on the leaf 52. Pushing the knob opens the circuit through the unit 12, and actuates the relay. The actuator 37, comprises a base 55 on which the terminals 38 and 39, are attached, and a common central terminal 56, has a spring leaf 57, formed thereon which, when depressed by the button or knob 58, connects the central terminal with the terminals 38 and 39. To maintain the knob in depressed position, a shackle 59, is hingedly attached to the actuator as at 60, and this shackle has a stud 61, which enters the lock 62, where it is held, until released by an authorized person.

The annunciator comprises a number of drops 63, which are pivotally mounted as at 64, and held in raised or obscure position by trips 65 formed on the armaturcs 66, and these armatures are pivotally mounted as at 67. Each armature 66, is placed near the core 68, of an electro-magnet hav- -'ing the windings 69 and 70, and these windlngs are electrically connected with the actuating apparatus so that manipulation of the actuating apparatus will be indicated in the annunciator. The drops 63, and trips 65, are included in the circuits through the windings 69, and this is accomplished by having wires 71, and 72, bridged across the conductors 11, and 13, of each push button 12, the wire 71, leading to the pivotal support for the armature 66, and the wire 72 tracts the armature 66, and thereby raise the trip 65, permitting the drop 63, of that set to fall and thereby open the normally closed circuit.

When one ofthe. actuators 37, for example, the one shown at the left of the drawing, is operated by the closing of the shackle 59, there-over, the current flows from the battery 22, through the conductors 33, 34

and 74, through the winding 70, of the uppermost annunciator through the conductor 73, to the commonscentral terminal 56, of the actuator. At this point the current 'divides, a part passes to the contactj38, through the member 57, and is conveyed by the conductor 41 and the, common conductor 46, to the lamp 26, and bell 27, from whence it passes through the conductor 24, to com-' plete the circuit through the battery 22. The remainder of the current flowing through the member 57, from the common central terminal 56, passes to the contact 39,

and is conveyed there-from by the conductor 40, and the common conductor 42, to the lamp 44, from 'whence it is conducted through the conductors 45, and 24 respectively to the battery 22. It will thus be seen that both of the lamps 26' and 44, as well as the bell 27 and the corresponding annunciator drop 63, are operated, to give visual andaudible distress signals and to indicate at the same time the location of the point at which assistance is desired.

When the push button 12, is operated the circuit is broken at this point but the winding 69, of the corresponding annunciator,

which is normally shunted by the circuit breaker when it is in normal closed position, will be energized by the current flowing from the battery 10, through the relay windings 18, conductors 17, circuit breaker 16, conductor 15, circuit breaker 14,- conductors 13 and 72, winding 69, drop 63, trip 65, conductors 71 and 11,'and back through the battery 10. This action will result in the attraction of the armature 66, thus allowing the drop 63, to fall and thereforeindicate the particular push button which has been operated, in order to locate the point at which assistance is desired. It will be further noted that when the drop 63, falls, contact between the tri 65, and the drop 63, is broken, thus breaklng'the circuit from the battery 10, and energizing the relay windings 18, thus allowing the arinature 20, to close the working circuit containing the battery 22, thereby deenergizing the bell 27, and the lamp 26. When the armature 20, drops, it is retained in contact with the contact member 21, by means of the catch 26, thus causing the signals to be continued in operation until the device is manually re-set.

In Fig. 3, the indicator or alarm is shown as mounted on a column in a building and in this figure, 75, indicates the joists for the flooring 76, which may be braced by the stringer 77, and the column 78. A box or housing 79, is attached to the column at the desired height, and on opposite sides of this housing are the reflectors 80, and 81, in which the lights and colored lenses are placed. The lights may be controlled by the actuators heretofore described and from desired points throughout the building.

It is also desirable to use the system for protection against burglary in an automatic way so each closure for a room or building may be provided with a circuit breaker as shown in Fig. -7, in which, 82, indicates a movable closure which moves against or on the edge of the stationary part 83, in which a housing 84, is inserted. This housing has a guide 85, formed therein for the'pin 86, which has the stems 87, sliding in the ways 88, in the guide. The inner end of the pin is in bearing relation with a spring contact member'89, mounted upon the insulating block 90. This spring member 89, has its upper end contacting with the spring member 91, when depressed by the pin 86, and the spring member 91, is also mounted upon the block 90. Screws 92, serve to connect the terminals of the wiring of the system to the spring contacts 89 and 91. This circult breaker may be placed at each door, window, closet, or in any drawer or cabinet.

It is further possible to equip stores of any class or banking institutions with circuit breaking means by placing apparatus similar in construction to the push buttons 12, in the flooring, along the washboards, or at any desired points, so that the alarm may be operated as by the feet of a person acquainted with the system, without any outward movement of the body in an emergency. 4 I

What is claimed as new is 1. In a building protective system, a normally closed master circuit, a relay in said master circuit, a plurality of circuit breakers connected in .series in said master circuit, a plurality of annunciators each having a magnet, a winding for each magnet shunted across a respective circuit breaker, signal means controlled by said relay, armatures for said magnets, and normally closed contacts connected to said windings and adapted to be actuated by said armatures to open said master circuit.

2. Tn a building protective system, a normally closed master circuit, a relay in said across a respective circuit breaker, signal means controlled by said relay, armatures for said magnets, normally closed contacts connected to said windings and adapted to be actuated by said armatures to open said master circuit, a second Winding for each magnet, a circuit for each of said second windings, an actuator in each of the last mentioned circuits, and a signal device in each of the last mentioned circuits.

3. In a building protective system, a normally closed master circuit, a relay in said master circuit, a plurality of circuit breakers connected in series in said master circuit, a plurality of annunciators each having a magnet, a winding for each magnet shunted across a respective circuit breaker, signal means controlled by said relay, armatures for said magnets, normally closed contacts connected to said windings and adapted to be actuated by said armatures to open said master circuit, a second windin for each magnet, a circuit for each of sald second windings, an actuator in each of the last men tioned circuits, a signal device in the last mentioned circuits, and means whereby said signal means are controlled by said actuators independently of said relay.

4. In a building protective system, a plurality of normally closed circuit breakers arranged in series, a plurality of normally open actuators, a plurality of signal devices controlled by said actuators, means whereby certain signals of said plurality are controlled by said circuit breakers, and a plurality of annunciators each adapted for operation by a respective circuit breaker and by a respective actuator independently.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

MAURICE SCHOLDER.

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