US2039018A - Safe or money chest - Google Patents

Description

W. MEME@ SAFE OR MONEY CHEST l 32 5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed June 6,

W. 6;. MELLEH SAFE 0R MONEY CHEST SAFE OR MONEY CHEST Filed June 6, 1932 5 Sheets-Shes?.

Watentedl Apr. 2%, i936 SllFlE R MUNEY CHEST William C. Miller, lllanton, Uhio, assigner to Diebold Salte d; lLock iompany, a corporation of @hilo Application .lune 6, 1932, Serial No. 615,698

2 lDlaims.

The invention relates to safe or money-chests, and particularly to a safe or money-chest in which the daily receipts of stores, theaters, etc., may be placed temporarily for safe keeping.

A safe or money-chest of this type is shown in the co-pending application, Serial No. 511,893, led January 28, 1931, now Patent No. 1,965,296, issued July 3, 1934-..

One form of the present invention is embodied in a safe or money-chest of the type described which comprises a heavy walled container or housing preferably formed from cast metal, the container being embedded in a block of concrete formed in a sheet metal shell. In this form of the invention, access is had to the interior of the container through the open top thereof which ,is provided with a heavy door rotatably mounted in a plate pivoted to the container. The container is divided into upper and lower compartments, the lower compartment being provided with a Separate door or closure member having a lock which requires two keys for its operation. The door for the lower compartment carries auxiliary locking means so that if the lock on it is forced out of place, an auxiliary locking bolt will lock the door to the housing. The container is provided with an integral ring or ange from which a money bag may be suspended in the lowercompartment. The upper compartment is adapted to hold funds over night to provide change for doing business the next day. The lower compartment is adapted to hold the major portion of the receipts which may be passed into it through a slot formed in the heavy wall of the container and extending between the compartments.

Other advantages will become apparent as the following detailed description progresses, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure l is a vertical section taken through a device which embodies the invention, the moneychest or container proper being shown in elevation.

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the device shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a plan View of the container or moneychest proper, the outer door being omitted to illustrate other details of construction.

Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged section taken on line 6 6 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a bottom View of the outer door or closure member.

(Cl. llllSl-ll) Fig. 8 is a fragmentary section taken on the same line as Fig. 6, the outer door or closure member being omitted to illustrate certain details of construction.

Fig. 9 is a bottom view of the inner door or closure member for the lower compartment.

Fig. 10 is a section taken on line lll-lll of Fig. 9, a portion of the wall of the container being shown.

Fig. 1l is a section taken on the same line as Fig. 16, but showing certain parts in changed positions, and

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary plan View of the lock for the inner door or closure member.

Referring to the drawings wherein a moneychest which embodies a preferred form of the invention is shown, A designates a block of concrete; B, a sheet metal shell which houses the block A; C, the money-chest proper; D, an upper compartment in the money-chest adapted to hold money over night and accessible to the owner of the store, or the like, in which the money-chest is placed; E, a lower compartment in which money in excess of what is needed to conduct the business is placed for safe keeping; F, a door or closure member for the door opening in the money-chest proper; G, a door or closure member for the lower compartment E, which door G serves as a partition wall between the two compartments; and H, a bag adapted to be suspended in the lower compartment E to hold the money which is deposited in the lower compartment.

The concrete block A is preferably formed in a sheet metal shell B at the place the improved device is to be installed. In some instances, however, the device will be completely fabricated before it is shipped to the store, or the equivalent, in which it is to be installed. The sheet metal shell B may be of any suitable size and shape.

The money-chest C preferably comprises an integral heavy walled container ll which is preferably a steel casting. The container lll is embedded in the concrete block A and it will be noted that it is of such shape that it cannot be removed therefrom without cutting or breaking away a large portion of the block.

The container lll comprises an annular ange ll at its upper end, which ange rests upon the upper wall of the sheet metal shell B. The container lil is open at its top and is provided with a frustro-conical surface l2 which is engageable by a similar surface formed on the door or closure member F. Projecting inwardly from the frustro-conical surface l2 are a plurality of lugs i3 which provide bayonet slots for lugs formed upon the door F. As best shown in Figs. 4 and 6, the wall of the container IG is provided with a recess I5 which is engageable by a bolt or a lock provided on the door F. The container Il) is provided with relatively narrow integral anges i6 and I'I intermediate the upper and lower compartments D and E, respectively, which flanges I6 and I'I provide an annular groove i3 engageable by locking bolts of the door or closure member G. An annular bead or flange 26 formed integral with the container I@ below the anges I6 and l'I is adapted to support the bag H which is suspended therefrom.

A slot 22 is formed in the wall of the container IE) and extends from the compartment D to the compartment E, the slot 22 being of such shape and size that one cannot reach therethrough with instruments to extract money from the bag H. It will be noted that the lower end of the slot 22 opens into the compartment E just above the mouth of the bag H. The upper end o-f the slot 22 is not accessible when the closure member F is in its closed position.

The closure member F preferably comprises a body portion 25 formed from cast steel. As stated above, it has a frustro-conical surface which engages the frustro-conical surface l2 when it is in its closed position. The lower end of the closure member F is of reduced diameter and. is also provided with a frustro-conical surface which is identified by the reference character 26. Projecting from the frustro-conical surface 26 and formed integral with the body portion 25 are a plurality of lugs 2l' which, when the closure member is being brought into its closed position, pass through the spaces between the lugs I3 into positions from which they may be angularly displaced to lie beneath the lugs I3. When the lugs 2 are disposed beneath the lugs I3 it is, of course, impossible to withdraw the closure member F from the container until the closure member has been angularly displaced to aline the lugs 26 with the spaces between the lugs I3. A pin 25a limits such angular displacement of the closure member F, the pin 25a being adapted to engage two of the lugs I3. (See Figs. 5 and '7.)

The closure member F is provided with an upwardly extending integral boss 28 which is journaled in a plate 29 pivoted on a pin 30, the ends of the pin 30 being mounted in blocks 32 which are secured to the body portion 25 by bolts 33, or the equivalent. This construction permits the closure member F to be swung from its closed position to the position wherein it is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6.

Secured to the top surface of the closure member F by a bolt is a handle member 36 which one may use to angularly displace the closure member in the plate 29 to bring the lugs 2l into and out of their locking positions beneath the lugs I3. Such angular displacement of the closure member F is limited by a bolt 38 which is screw threaded into the closure member and rides in an arcuate slot 39 formed in the bolt 29. The length of the slot is such that when the bolt 33 is at one end thereof, the lugs 2l will be in registry with the lugs I3 and when the bolt is at the other end of the slot, the lugs 2'I will be in registry with the slots or spaces between the lugs I3.

Any suitable lock may be provided for the closure member F, but I preferably provide a combination lock 46 disposed in a recess 4I formed in the bottom surface of the body portion 25. The lock 4D is provided with a spindle 42 which extends to the usual knob and dial 43. Interposed between the bottom of the body portion 25 and the lock 40 are a plurality of layers 44 of chromium steel or any other drill-proof metal, the layers 44 being provided with apertures through which the spindle 42 passes. The drillproof layers 44 prevent unauthorized persons from gaining access to the compartment D by drilling through the body portion 25 into the lock 45.

The lock 4U is secured to the body portion 25 by screws 4l, or the equivalent. A back plate or dished pan 4S secured to the bottom surface of the body portion 25 serves as a closure member for the recess 4I in which the lock 40 is disposed. As best shown in Fig. 6, the bolt 46 comprises a bolt 50 which is engageable with the recess I5. The construction is such that the bolt 5B is in registry with the recess I5 when the lugs 2'I are in their locking positions. Obviously, when the bolt 50 engages the recess I5, the body portion 25 cannot be angularly displaced and access cannot be had to the compartment D until the combination lock 4E] has been manipulated to retract the bolt 5I).

The closure member G preferably comprises a disc 52 having an annular flange 53 adapted t0 rest upon the upper surface of the flange I6. A pair of pins 54 which project from the periphery of the disc 52 extend into the groove I8 when the closure member G is in its closed position.

A lock 56 secured to the bottom surface of the disc 52 by screws 5'I comprises a bolt 58. A pin 53 projecting upwardly from the bolt 58 rides in a slot 66 formed in the disc 52 and. engages a bolt 62 slidably journaled in a bore 63 formed in the disc 52. When the lock 56 is in its locked condition, the bolts 58 and 62 occupy the positions wherein they are shown in Fig. 3 so that the bolt 62 extends into the groove I8. Obviously, when the bolt 62 extends into the groove I8, it co-operates with the pins 54 and locks the closure member G to the ange I6. When the lock 56 is unlocked, the bolt 58 is retracted and it, in turn, retracts the bolt 62 from the groove I8 so that one may tilt the closure member G around the point at which the pins 54 project from the disc 25 and then disengage the pins 54 from the groove I8. The closure member G may then be removed from the container. A handle 52a is provided for this purpose.

The lock 56 is preferably of the type which must be manipulated by two keys. Thus, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the lock 56 is provided with key barrels or plugs 65 and 66 which extend through the disc 52. In practice, one of the keys is retained by one who is generally on the premises and the other key is retained by one who comes to collect funds deposited in compartment D. Thus, the latter key may be in the possession of a company which has its agents collect these funds at a certain time each day and then deposits the money in a bank.

Referring now to Figs. 9 to l2, inclusive, it will be noted that the disc 52 is provided with a bore l0 in which an auxiliary locking bolt TI is slidably journaled, the bolt II being alined with the groove I3 when the closure member G is in its closed position. The bolt II is provided with an annular groove 'I3 into which a pin 14 projects, the pin 'I4 being secured to the lock 56. mediate the inner end of the bolt 'II and the bottom surface of the bore 'I6 is a compression spring I5 which is normally under tension. If an attempt is made to gain access to the compartment E by driving the lock 56 olf the bottom surface Inter- ,osaors of the disc 52 as illustrated in Fig. ll, the pin 'M will be withdrawn from the annular groove i3 so that the spring l5 will drive the auxiliary bolt 'lll into the groove i8. This will relock the closure member G. It may be mentioned that such displacement of the lock 56 relative to the disc 52 is generally obtained by driving in the key barrels or plugs 65 and IE6.

The upper end of the bag I-I is preferably secured to a ring 'll adapted to rest upon the bead or iiange 2U as illustrated in Fig. 3. In this instance, the bag H is provided with a closure portion T18 which may be folded back as shown in Fig. 3. When the bag is removed from the container I U the closure member may be drawn over the top of the bag and a seal (not shown) may be inserted through the eyelets 'i9 provided in the closure portion I3.

The size and weight of the block A are preferably such that it can be readily removed from the premises in which it is placed. The dimensions of the container l0 are such that the slot 22 and the inner compartment E are within hand-reach from the top of the container.

While I have shown and described certain embodiments of my invention, it 1s to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed in the appended claims, in which it is my intention to claim all novelty inherent in my inven tion as broadly as possible, in view of the prior art.

I claim:

1. A deposit-safe comprising: an anchor block; a heavy-walled container embedded in said block and having a change-cash compartment therein and a surplus-cash compartment accessible through said change-cash compartment, said container being provided with an annular inwardly extending rib in said surplus-cash compartment for holding a money-bag, the wall of said container being provided with a slot extending from said change-cash compartment to said surpluscash compartment above said annular rib.

2. A deposit-safe comprising, an anchor block, a heavy-walled container imbedded in said block and providing an upper change-cash compartment and a lower surplus-cash compartment, a removable closure for said lower compartment and forming the bottom of said upper compartment, a small curved passage extending through the wall of the container from the upper portion of the change-cash compartment and opening into the upper portion of the surplus-cash compartment.

WIILIAM C. M.

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