US2001137A - Alarm switch - Google Patents

Description

May 14, 1935. R. M. HOPKINS ALARM SWITCH Filed NOV. 30, 1929 XWN Patented May 14, 1935 UNITED PATENT OFFICE I ALARM SWITCH Richard Hopkins, New York, N. Y., assignor to Ailieiican District Telegraph company, New York, N. Y., 'a'. corporation of New Jersey Application November 30, 1929, Serial N; 410,718 10 Clainis. (oi. 2 00 167j This invention relates toele'ctric switches for bandit alaiinsfor banks and other places and more particularly to means for setting off such alarms, though it is noted that the invention is not limited to electrical means nor in some respects even to alarms.

One object of the invention is to provide switch or device of this kind which may be easily and conveniently operated, but which is not liable to cause accidental operation of the alarm or signal.

Another object of the invention is to provide a switch'or device of this kind whichoperates a signal each time the device is operated, and to provide a signal device which can be reset only by the use or a'key.

Another object of the invention is to provide switches of this kind which operate on closed or open circuits.

Other objects of the invention are to improve generally the simplicity and efficiency of such switches and to provide a switch of this kind which is durable and reliable in operation, and economical to manufacture.

Still other objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds; and while herein details of the invention are described and claimed, the invention is not limited to these, since many and various changes and omissions may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as claimed in the broader claims. For instance the signal means or the key control may be omitted, without destroying the function of the switches and only one switch member may be used, if desired.

The inventive features for the accomplishment of these and other objects are shown herein in connection with an improved switch device which, briefly. stated, includes a, pair oi'switehes; and electric ci rcuit means controlledby said switches where bye signal is operated only when said switches are both operated; Means are provided wherebythe signal is changed fromnormal' to alarmeonditicn by the operation oisaid-switclies; keyrcontrolled means are provided for restoring the signal tonorma'l condition.

While in this specification and claims I speak of a single alarm device and a singie'swi-tcii staman, and mention key control and one signal device, it is understood that I may use these Words for designation" and that they are to be construed broadly enoughto cover translating dam other than alarms and signals, and that number or'anyertnem may used; and in general the terms are to be given broad interpretation for the purposes of protection.

In the accompanying drawing showing, by way of example, two of many possible embodiments of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a plan of the device in its casing.

Fig. 2 is a front end elevation-of the device showing a wall or desk, in dot and dash lines, to which the device is affixed.

Fig. 3 is a plan View of the contact mechanism, the casing being removed.

Fig. 4=is a fragmentary sectional View showing a side elevation of the mechanism of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan of the contact and inner spring plates showing them before being pressed inward by the buttons.

Fig. 6' is a similar view, showing the plates curved inward from the pressure of the buttons.

Fig. 7 is another fragmentary view, showing the buttons returned to their outward position, leaving the two inner spring members in locked position and the target plate held downward.

Fig. 8 is an end elevation of the target plate shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the target plate in its downward position, exposing the red signal through the window of the casing.

; Fig. 10 is a modification of Figs. 5,- 6, 7 showing the contact being made with the center plates.

The contactmechanism is carried in a casing l comprising a base 2, side walls 3'and 4, an end wall 5 having an outlet 6 for the wires Al and 43, a front end wall 8, and a cover plate 9. The front end wall 8 is provided with a rectangular window or sight opening it, and a keyhole slot H. Pins 13 located on the inside of the front end wall 8 form stops for the key I4 shown in dotted lines, Fig. 1.

The front end Wall 8 is also provided with rivets i5 (Fig. 4) suitably located, above and below the opening I0, received in slots 49, 50 (Fig. 8) of a signal or target plate IT for slidably holding said plate against the inside of the said end wall. The side walls 3 and 4 are provided, near the front end, with holes I8, l9 adapted to slidably 1101s 4 and guide push buttons and 2|.

A rectangular block 22, secured by screws 23 to the inner face of the casing serves as an anch'orage or support for a plurality or set of fiat spring members generally indicated by 28 (Fig. 4), and attached to the block 22 by bolts 26, and separated from one another by' an insulating material a's (Fig. 4) The set of flat spring members' includes a coacting pair of outer and inner contact springs or members 21, 2s on one side of the block, a similar pair 29, 30, on the other side of the block, and detent or positioning plates 3| engaging against the inner face of the members 21 and 29 respectively.

Ears or lugs 32, 33, 34 and 35 (Fig. 3) formed on the edges of the contact springs, serve as terminals for the wires 40, 4|, 42 and 43. The inner contact members 28 and 30 are extended and engage the inner end faces of the push buttons 20 and 2|, exerting an outward pressure pushing the buttons outwardly and maintaining contact between contact lugs A, carried on the members 23 and 30, and contact lugs C on the outer contact members 21 and 29. The push buttons 20-2|, are provided with stop pins 45, which limit their outward motion.

Another pair of spring plates 36, 31 mounted on the block 22 extend to the signal or target plate l1 and engage under ledges 51 provided thereon. The spring plate members 36, 31 are also insulated from the contact plates 28 and 30 by an insulated material as 46, 46.

Attached to the upper side of the block 22, is a bent spring plate 41 (Fig. 4) extending forward and exerting a downward pressure on the recessed portion 48 (Fig. 8) of the target plate H.

The target plate H has also a cutout portion 5| at each lower corner, the upper edge 52 of one of which cutouts is engaged by the key M when the target I1 is being reset to its normal position. The target |1 also has two sight panels 54 and 55, of different colors, impressed or otherwise, upon its front indicating face 53 and so located, as to show the white panel 55, through the aperture l when the target is in normal or up position, and to show the red panel 54 when the target plate I1 is in its actuated or down position. The rear surface 56 (Fig. 4) of the target plate I1 is provided with the horizontal ledges 51 which serve as a stop normally engageable with the spring plates 36, 31 for normally preventing the downward movement of the spring member 41. A cutout portion 58 between the ledges 51 permits the target plate H to drop, as the spring members 36 and 31 are bent inward by the buttons 20 and 2|.

It is understood that many contacts or circuits, like the particular ones shown, may be used in this device without departing from the spirit of the invention, in which, in this instance, I have shown a closed circuit. In other words, many of these devices may be used connected in series or otherwise with automatic alarm signals like the one shown at E.

Fig. 3 shows the wire connections for a normally closed circuit, wherein, the wire 43 attached to the terminal 35 extends to one pole of the source of current as B, the other pole being connected through the conductor 60 to an automatic alarm E which is normally silent on a closed circuit and which is connected between the terminals 6|, 62. The wires 4|, 42 connect both lugs 33, 34 to the terminal 62 connected to one side of the automatic alarm. Wires 40, 43 extend from terminals 32, 35 and connect with the source B, thereby completing the circuit through the alarm if either spring plate 28 or 30 is in the nonnal position shown in Fig. 3, thereby holding the alarm silent.

Figs. 5, 6 and '7 show the progressive action of the switch mechanism when the push buttons 20 and 2| have been simultaneously pushed. In Fig. 5 the contacts A and C are shown contacting so that the circuit is unbroken, and the target plate I1 is held in its upper, normal position by the plates 36, 31 under the ledges 51, showing the white panel 55 through the window Hi. In Fig. 6 both buttons 20 and 2| are shown pushed inward, separating both pairs of contacts A and C, which causes the alarm to be given. As soon as the buttons and the plates 36, 31 are pressed inward, the plates or detents 36, 31 move into the cut-out portion 58 and the target plate moves to its downward position, showing the red panel 54 through the window H), as shown in Fig. 9.

Fig. 7 shows the push buttons 20 and 2| returned to their normal position; but the plates 36 and 31 have remained in the recess 58 and the target has been held in its downward position, showing the red panel 54 through the window ID. The key I4 can now be inserted in the slot II and turned to the position of the dotted lines M of Fig. 1, thereby to return the target plate to its normal position.

The operation of the device of Figs. 1 to 9 may be as follows:

When it is desired to sound the alarm, a person at one of the switches presses both buttons, thus breaking the circuit at both contacts A and C, whereupon the alarm is sounded. As this is done, the plates 36, 31 must move into the space 58 (Fig. 6), permitting the spring 41 to snap the plate H to position to expose the red panel, which must remain exposed until a proper oilicer with a key'inspects the switches to see which was operated, and restores the plate to normal position. It is understood that a large number of switch devices, like the one shown, may be inserted in a normally closed circuit.

One method of fastening the device to a desk or wall D is shown in Fig. 2, wherein the cover plate 9 is provided with extensions 9 which fit between brackets 1, attached to the said desk or wall.

Another form of switch means, is shown in Fig. 10 wherein only the plates 36, 31 and the push buttons are necessary and the contact points A and C, which are placed on the inner faces respectively of the spring plate members 36 and 31, are pressed inward for closing a circuit and causing an alarm to be sounded until the target plate I1 is raised to its normal position as above explained; but in this case the members 36, 31 should not be electrically connected with each other through ledges 51. For instance, the plate IT or ledges 51 or both could be of insulating material. In this form of the invention pressure on both push buttons is necessary in order to make the contacts A and C meet and sound the alarm.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination, a pair of normally closed switches changeable from closed to open position; a movable indicating means; and means for mounting and guiding the indicating means; said indicating means being engaged by the switches and thereby held against movement from normal to indicating position when either switch is in normal condition, and being released to move to indicating position whenever both switches are open.

2. In combination, a pair of switches changeable from normal to abnormal position; a movable indicating member tending to move from normal to abnormal position; means for mounting and guiding the indicating member; said indicating member being held by said switches against change from normal to abnormal condition when either switch is in normal position, said member being yieldably moved from normal to abnormal condition when both of said switches are in abnormal condition.

'3. In combination, a pair of switches changeable from normal to abnormal position; a movable indicating member; -means mounting and guiding the indicating member; the indicating member being engaged by said switches and held by at least one of said switches against change from normal to abnormal condition when either switch is in normal condition; and spring means whereby the signal means is moved from normal to abnormal condition only after both of said switches .are in abnormal condition.

4. In combination, a pair of switches changeable from normal to abnormal position; a pair of detent means respectively changeably by the switches from normal to abnormal position; a movable indicatingmeans tending to move from normal to abnormal position; means mounting and guiding the indicating means; said indicating means being held against change from normal to abnormal condition when either detent means is in normal condition and changed from normal to abnormal condition when both of said detent means are in abnormal condition; means controlled by the indicating means for holding the detent means in abnormal position when the indicating means is in abnormal condition while the switches are normal; and key-controlled means for restoring the indicating means to normal position.

5. In combination, a casing having a window; a pair of push buttons; 9. pair of sets of insulated spring members; means for mounting the members in the casing; each set comprising an outer contact member, an inner contact member normally yieldable engaging the outer member and adapted to be pressed inwardly toward the other set and engaged by one of said buttons, and a detent member adapted to be moved inwardly by the inward movement of said inner member; a plate slidably mounted on an inner face of the casing and provided with a normal panel and a second panel of different colors either of which is adapted to register with said window; a pair of separated alined ledges on the inner face of said plate and engaged by said detent members to hold the plate with the normal panel exposed at the window; said ledges being positioned to be both released by the detent members to release the plate only when both detent members are pressed inward; and means yieldably pressing against the plate to cause it to show said second panel when said plate is thus released, whereupon the ledges move to position .to hold the detent members inward.

6. In combination, a switch; a movable plate; means for yieldably pressing the plate from normal to operated position; a detent member normally holding the plate in normal position and movable by the switch when operated whereby the plate is changed from normal to operated position by the operation of said switch; and key controlled means for moving the.plate to normal condition while the switch is stationary.

'7. In combination, a casing; a pair of switches therein; means mounting the switches in the casing; a plate; means movably mounting the plate in the casing; detent members controlled by the switches and tending to move to abnormal position, means whereby the plate is changed from normal to abnormal condition by the simultaneous operation of said detent means by said switches; means being provided on the plate to hold the detent members in said abnormal position when the plate is in abnormal position; said casing being provided with a key hole positioned to receive a key in position to engage the plate and restore it to normal position, to permit the detent members to return to normal position.

8. In combination, a casing having a window and a push button opening; a push button in said opening; mounting means in the casing; a switch set comprising an outer contact member, an inner contact member mounted on said means and normally yieldably engaging the outer member and adapted to be pressed inwardly and extending beyond the said outer member and engagedbysaid button, and a detent member mounted on the mounting means and extending beyond said inner member and adapted to be moved inwardly by the inward movement of said inner member; a movable plate registerable with said window, and means for yieldably pressing the plate from normal to abnormal position; said plate being held against movement by said detent member; said detent member being movable by the inner member when operated to permit the signal plate to change from normal to abnormal condition by the operation of said switch.

9. In combination, a casing having a window, and a pair of openings on opposite sides of the casing from each other; push buttons in said openings respectively; a block mounted in the casing; a pair of sets of insulated spring members, said sets being mounted on respectively opposite sides of said block; each set comprising an outer contact member, an inner contact member, normally yieldably engaging the outer member and adapted to be pressed inwardly toward the other set and extending beyond the said outer member and engaged by one of said buttons, and control members projecting beyond said inner member and adapted to be moved inwardly by the inward movement of said inner member; and indicator means registerable with said window and controlled by said control members.

10. In combination, a casing having a window; a pair of push buttons; a pair of sets of insulated spring members; each set comprising an outer contact member, an inner contact member normally yieldable engaging the outer member and adapted to be pressed inwardly toward the other set and engaged by one of said buttons, and a detent member adapted to be moved inwardly by the inward movement of said inner member; a slidably mounted plate provided with a normal panel and an abnormal panel either of which may register with said window; ledges on the plate engaged by said detent members to hold the plate with the normal panel exposed; said ledges being positioned to be released by the detent members when both detent members are pressed inward; means for pressing the plate to show the abnormal panel when thus released, whereupon the ledges move to a position to hold the detent members inward; key means to restore the signal plate to normal position.

RICHARD M. HOPKINS.

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