US1660773A - Device for protecting stores and the like against holdup men - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 28, 1928. 1,660,773

J. THURY DEV ICE FOR PROTECTING STORES AND THE LIKE AGAINST HOLD-UP MEN Filed May 12, 1927 0-4 32 Z3 Z7 2.9 t 5 Q a I a 5 7\ n79 [I l 3 1.6.: i /3 I I l I if l4 I 222 1 I6 'Ll LL41 INVENTUR BY I g. I

" ATTORNEY 5 Patented Feb. 28, 1928.

JOHN THURY, or

ev ce non rno'rno'rrne s'ron nsann TI-EE' LIKE AGAINST noLDur EN;

Application filed May 12,

The present invention relates to devices designed for protection against hold-up men. q y f In a case of daylight robberies, the parties in charge of ab'usiness place are usually covered by" a revolver orother weapon by one or more of the robbers, and commanded to hold up their hands with the intention of preventing anyone fromsoun'ding an alarm or offering resistance. It hasb ee'n proposed heretofore to equip business places witha device whereby an alarm is sounded withoutthe use of ones hands. 'Thesedevices, however, have been found to be ineffective v 5 to the extent that the hold-up man, warnedby the alarm, in most cases escape before outsiders come to the assistance of theparties in charge of thebusiness place. 7

The main object of the present invention is to provide a device, wherebyftear-gas. is adapt-ed to be liberated, without the use of ones hands, in the room in which the holdup takes place, thereby preventing escape of the hold-up men.

Another object of the invention is to produce a device of the character specified, which is simple in construction, efiicient in operation, reliable in use, and which permits the employees of a business place to walk at: around and perform their usual work, but which may be quickly actuatedv when the employees are surprised by a robber or burglar, without the latter suspecting it in the least degree. 7

lVith these and other objects in view, which will more fully appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the combination, arrange ment, and construction of parts hereinafter described, pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it being understood that many changes may be made in the size and proportion of the several parts and details of construction within thescope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

One of the many possible embodiments of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which l Figure 1 is a vertical section taken through a store, in which the improved protecting device is installed; Fig. 2 is a central vertical section taken through a housing containing a tear-gas bomb, the latter 1927; H Serial no. 190,814.

being shown; in elevation, the housing beingatta'ched't'o one of the counters in the 1 store; and Fig. 31s a similar. section takenthrough a modified housing l providedwith store. 1

the walls of a store, to which access may be had through a door 11'.v Adjacent the Walls In the drawings, the numeral '10indicates a teargas container, the said housing belug-shown as attached to the ceiling of theof the storeare provided service counters12,

only one of which'has been shown in the drawings. These elements have been 'described' forpurposes of illustration only, it

being obvious that the protecting device'is applicable to localities'of any other type. The protecting device includes a housing 13, provided with perforations 14. This housing-is attached in any suitable manner to one of the service counters. On the inner face of the bottom of the housing are provided pointed projections 15, on which rests a container 16 of fragile material, such .as glass,

saidcontainer being filled with a tear-gas. Above the containeris suspended within the housing a weight 17, provided with an eye'18 which projects above its top face, and

through the said eye is extended a horizontally disposed pin 19, which projects through a nipple 20 on the wall'of the housing. This nipple is exteriorlyscrew' threaded, as shown at 21, the said threads meshing with interior threads of a sleeve 22, the outer end of which is closed, as shown at 23. The pinextends through the said sleeve and is provided within the latter with an enlargement 24;

Against this enlargement and against the closed end of the sleeve bears a coil spring l 25, which has a tendency to project the pin 19' into the housing 13. In this manner the weight- 17 is held in suspended position above the tear-gas container 16.

A little distance above the floor26 of the j store is attached to theback of the counter 12 a horizontally disposed bar 27 which extends substantially throughout the length of the counter, as shown in Fig.1 of the drawings. This bar is carried by a plurality of arms 28, which are oscillatably mounted in bearings-29 0n the back of the counter. To

one of the arms 28 is fixed a pin 30, to the latter being attacheda wire 31, or like flexible means. guide sheaves 32 and is connected with the pin l9 above referred to. Thebar 27 isv held This wire runs over one or more in its elevated position, shown in-Fig. 1 of .gas is liberated.

the drawings, by the spring 25 in the sleeve 22. or p I I When a person behind the counter is held up by robbers, he depresses with one of his feet the bar 27, thereby disengaging the pin- 19 from the eye 18 or the weight 17. This weight drops thus onto the gas filled container l6, crushing the same so that the tear- The gas escapes through the perforations 1 1 intothe room, afieoting the persons therein so that the hold-up men are unable to' escape. NVith theinechanism herein described is usually associated an alarm, callingthe attention of persons outside of the store to the fact that-a hold up is taking place.

In addition to the device above described, there maybe mounted upon the ceiling 33 of the'store a housing 34, which is open at its bottom. WViththis housing is associated a pin 19' of the character. above'described.

I his pin :isconnected by a wire 35, or like 'flexible means, with the pin 30 above referred to. In this instance, the gas filled container'16 .isptovidedi with an eye 36, 1

through which the pin 19 i is extended. hen the bar 27 is depressed, the pin 19 is disengaged from the eye 36 of the gas filled container 16, the latter dropping to the floor of the store, whereby it isbroken and the gas liberated.

The device shown in Fig.3 may be used independently of the device shown in Fig. 2, or the said two devices may be combined, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

hat I claim is V a A device of the character described com prising a housing open at its bottom,a

spring-pressed pin extending into said hous-v ing, a fragile gas-filled container loosely mounted upon said pin within said housing,

and means for disengagingsaid pin from said JOHN .THURY.

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