US1558366A - Protecting device - Google Patents

Description

' Oct. 20, 1925 L. R. JOHNSON PROTECTING DEVICE Filed Jan. 31. 1925 a Sheets-Shel 1 auucuhw A 66 Fay/ohm;

Oct. 20 1925.

L. R. JOHNSON PROTECTING DEVICE Filed Jan. 31. 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 20, 1925.

' L. R. JOHNSON PROTECTING bEvIcE 5 Sheqjis-Sheet 3 ivvuentoz zae/ia whzsm aim/14 dzalra Filed Jan. 31. 1925 Patented a. 20, 1925,

UNITED \STATES 3 PATENT"OFFICE.

Application filed January 31, 1925. Serial- No. 8,098.

To all whom it may conccm:

Be it known that I, Lnn Ror JOHNSON, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Brenham, in the county of. Washington and State of vTexas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Protecting Devices, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to protecting devices foll'lgstoflices, railway mail or express cars, ba

' an object the provision of means whereby one or more guns may be fired from a point remote from the gun and without the use of the hands of the person firing, so that the hands may be held above the head to disarm sus icion and the or guns discharged wit out attracting attention of the robbers or hold-up men until the actual firin occurs.

To this end, the invention provi es electrically' controlled means for dischar g one or more guns with the latter place at a point remote from the controllin means and hidden or camouflaged so that t ey will not be apparent to persons unfamiliar with the same. a

With the above and other objects in view,

, the invention further includes the following novel features and details of construction, to be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings -and pointed out in the appended claims. In the drawings Figure 1 is a perspectlve view illustrating the invention arranged for use.

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the'line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section taken substantially on the line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure-4 is'a fragmentary elevationlooking at the breech ends of the guns with the hammer shaft and hammers removed.

Figure 5 is a detail section on the line 55 of Figure I Referring to the drawings in detail where in like characters of reference denote corre-- spon parts, the guns whose barrels are indicate at are designed to be supported in a frame 11' contained within a housmg 12,

the guns being horizontally arranged at a height approximately equal to the height of the stomach of an average man- The base 13 of the housing 12 is supported by a panel 14 and the latter is .hmgedly secured as shown at 15 to a wallror suitable support 16. ,Thepanel leis hinged at one end and and similar places and has fortudinally to uncover the inner ends of the relatively wide bases so as to proyide oppositely extending flanges to which'the hinges y its opposite end may be locked or otherwise anel bem swung horlzontally outward. e end of t e housmg abutting the support 16 is open, while the outer end of the said housing comprises a frame 17 which carries a paper or other covering 18 upon which maybe printed suitable indicia or information. .For examplc the closure 18 may contain post oflice so that thehousing would not be of a suspicious character.

The inner ends of the adapted toreceive a she or cartridge 19 which is held in place b means of a breech bar 20. This bar is sli 1y secured as indicated at 21 to the framell and carries notched extensions or breech blocks 22 which engage behind the shells or'cartridges 19 to,- hold the latter within thefiring chamber at the inner end of the gun barrel. The shells or cartridges are inserted or removed from the barrel by moving the breech bar longibarrels.

Hingedl mounted upon the base 13 adjacent eac a guide bracket 24. These brackets have 23 are secured and which are engaged pivotally movable latches 25 mounted upon the bases and by means of which the guide. brackets 24 are held in position. Shdmgly the notch of the breech blocks 22 to engage the shell or cartridges 19. The firing'pins are provided with heads 27 between whlch and the brackets 24 are positioned springs 28 which serve tov yieldingl force the pinsin a direction away fromt e shells or cartridges 19.

' Rotatably mounted in brackets 29 sup- 100 firing pins 26. Movement. of the hammers 5 in one direction is limited by a stop 33 which extends transversely of the hammers and is supported by arms 34 which are carried by the brackets 29. Mounted upon one end of the shaft is a fast loose pul-- 110 ley 35 and 36 respectively.

' Mounted upon the support 16 above the barrels 10 are Y barrel 10 as indicated at 23 is mounted in the brackets 24 are firing pins .26 which are adapted to operate through housing 12 is a shaft 37 which is rotatable in bearings provided at the outer ends of bearing brackets 38. The shaft 37 has secured thereon a pulley 39 over which passes a belt 40, the latter being adapted to engage either the pulley 35 or 36. The belt operates through a stationary guide 41 and a laterally movable-slidingly mounted guide 42, the latter. operating in a guide 43 mounted upon the support 16and being adapted to shift the belt 40 so as to cause the latter to operate eitherthe fast or loose pulley 35 or 36. The belt passes through a slot 44 provided in the housing 12.

Secured to the slidingly mounted guide 42 is one end of'a wire or cable 45, the op posite end of which extends into a cabinet 46 which is located at some suitable point remote from the housing 12. The end of the cable 45 which enters the cabinet 46 is secured to one end of an L-shaped lever 47. This lever is pivotally mounted as shown at 48 within the cabinet and has pivotally connected thereto one end of a foot pedal 49 which extends through the top of the cabinet 46. A spring 50 secured to the lever 47 serves to yieldingly resist pivotal movement of the latter in one direction. A spring 51 which is secured to the slidingly mounted guide 42 also serves to resist movement of the slide in one direction and to hold the said slide in position to guide the belt over the loose pulley 36.

The shaft 37 is driven from an electric motor 52 by any suitable means, the means shown consisting of grooved pulleys 53 and 54 and a belt 55. Current for the operation of the pulley 52 may be received from any suitable source, while connected in circuit with the motor and controlling the operation of the same is a switch 56. The switch 56 includes pivotally mounted blades 57 to which is connected a link 58, the latter being pivotally secured to a hingedly mounted panel S provided in. the top of the cabinet 46. The switch 56 may be connected with a source of current by means of conductor wires 59, while wires 60 connect the switch with the motor 52.

Also pivotally mounted within the cabinet 46 as shown at 61 is a bell crank lever 62, one arm of which is positioned beneath and engaged by the panel S. The other arm of the leve 62 is connected to one end of a cable 63 w ich passes over guide pulleys 64' and is connected to the inner end of a plunger 65. The plunger 65-is guided .through the top of the cabinet 46 and through a guide bracket 55 within the cabinet, a sprlng 67 which surrounds the plunger acts to yieldingly force the-latter inward. The outer end of the plunger is provided with a pedal 68.

It 1s of course apparent that one or more of the devices may be positioned at advantageous points with the. cabinets preferably hidden in conveniently f accessible/places. In the event of a hold up, a clerk or other person will press downward with his footupon the panel S so as to close the switch 56, downward movement of the panel rocking the bell crank lever 62 upon its pivot so as to move the plunger 65 outward. hen the switch 56 is closed a circuit will be completed through the motor 52 todrive the shaft 37, the belt 40 operating over the loose pulley 36. IWh'en the hold up. men are 'in'the line of fireof the guns, the'pedal 49 is depressed so that the cableconnection heads of the firing pins-'26 and explode the cartridges or shells 19. "By pressing upon the pedal 68, the 1 bell crank 62 is operated through the'cable 63 to raise the panel S and open the switch 56 and stop the operationof the motor 52.

In loading the guns, the panel 14 is unlocked and swung outward upon the hinges 15. r The breech slide 20 is moved laterally to uncover the breech ends. of the gun barrels 10. The cartridges are then slipped in place and the breech slide operated to move the breech blocks in proper position. In order to insert the cartridges, the guide brackets 24 of the firing pins are swung laterally downward to the position shown in Figure 4, the latches 25 being moved pivotally to release the brackets. After the cartridges are inserted the brackets are returned to their normal position and the latches operated to hold the brackets in place.

The invention is susceptible of various changes in its form, proportions and minor details of construction and right is herein reserved to make such changes as properly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention what is claimed is a 1. A device of the character described comprising a gun, normally disengaged means for operating thehamme'r of the gun to discharge the latter, electrically operated means for actuating the hammer operating means and means remote fromthe gun forengaging the hammer operating means with the hammer.

2. A device of the character described comprising a housing, gunspositioned with in the housing, a hammer shaft common to all of the guns and rotatable to discharge the latter, a normally disengagedhammer shaft operating mechanism, means remote from the housing for controlling the operatlon of the hammer operating mechanism and means also remote from-the shaft where- I all of the shaft operating mechanism, means remote from the housing for controlling the operation of the hammer operating mechanism and means remote from the shaft and operable simultaneously with the mechanism controlling means for engaging the operating mechanism with the hammer shaft.

comprising a housing, guns positioned within the housing, a hammer shaft common to guns and rotatable to discharge the latter, a normally disengaged hammer shaft operating mechanism, means where- 4. A device of the character described by said mechanism may be engaged with v the shaft, means for controlling the operation of the mechanism and means associating the shaft engaging means and. the

mechanism controlling means to provide for simultaneous operation.

5. A device of the character described; comprising a housing, guns disposed within Y the housing, Bnor'mally inactive means common to all of the guns and disengagedtherefrom, whereby the latter may be simultaneously discharged, means remote from the housing for rendering the gun dischargmg means active and means 0 erable' sub sequently to the operation of t e last mentioned means for engagingthe gun discharging means with the guns.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature. LEE ROY JOHNSON. I

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