US2079242A - Cashier's shield - Google Patents

Description

May 4, 1937.

w; CAIN, SR

' CASHIER S SHIELD Filed Jan; 18, 1934 2 Sheets-Shet 1 N m M x 9 invenifor M'ZZiam 'Cain 5r.

' AZE% May 4,1937. w. CAIN, SR

CASHIER SHIELD Sheets-Sheet 2 William vColin 6r:

Patented May 4, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CASHIERS SHIELD William Cain, Sr., Newburg, W. Va.

Application January 18, 1934, Serial No. 107,181

, 4 Claims. (01. 1.01) 7 This invention relates to cashiers shields, and

more particularly to an apparatus which can be readily installed in front of cashiers cages for protection against hold-ups and it consists in 5 the constructions, arrangements and combination herein described and claimed. I

, It is'a particular objectof the invention to provide spring actuated closure means for the windowswith latch means for normally holding the closure in open position, and treadle means operable by the tellers or other persons for releasing the latch mean to permit the closure to close the window opening and thus prevent the burglars from having access to the money within the tellers cage.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a novel means for positively locking the closure means in its operative position before the tellers moved,

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the cage, the end panel having been removed, Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the cage, illustrating the treadle operating means, the rear panel having been removed,

Fig. 5 is a cross section on the line 55 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section on the line 6--6 of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the refer- 1 ence character It represents the partition which separates the tellers of a bank or the like from the patrons, and as customary, includes window openings II through which business transactions are conducted. Ordinarily, when a hold-up is attempted, it is through these windows, and it is therefore a purpose of my invention to provide a spring-projected.slidable steel plate before the tellers cage, thereby fully protecting the money and the teller from the hold-up men.

The partition Ill is suit-ably built into a frame structure, generally indicated at I2, which includes hollow end) posts I3 connected by spaced panel members I4 and Ma atthe base of the frame.

The posts I3 at their top portions are "tween the side walls 3| connected by a box member I5 as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 6. The box I5 provides a channel I6 for housing a portion of the operating mechanism, as will be described.

Any suitable base I! may be provided for the framework and connects the panel members I4- I la and corner posts I3 thereby affording rigidity to the structure. It will be noted that the panels I4I4a stop approximately midway of the height of the frame structure and the upper edge portions support a counter I8. The counter I8 in the present instance is shown as formed of two separate members I8a and H312, their adjacent parallel edges being spaced as at I9, providing a passageway for thesliding closure 20. v

The inner vertical side members 2I of the corner posts I3 are slotted as at 22, of a length to accommodate sliding movements of the shutter 2|] as will be more clearly apparent as the description proceeds. Guide strips 23 are secured to the side members 2I, arranged upon opposite sides of respective slots 22. The guide strips 23 therefore define a channel-way 24 through which the closure 20 may slide during its operative movements. 7

Attention is now directed to Figs. 2, 3, and 6 for a discussion of the operating means for the shutter 2|]. Within the channel I6, at the center thereof, a shaft 25 is suitably journaled, one end of which projects through the boxing I5 upon one side thereof, and upon the projecting portion of the shaft there is secured a hand lever 26, whereby rotary movement may be imparted to the shaft 25. Disposed within the channel I6 and keyed to the shaft 25 there is a drum generally indicated at 21, which comprises a pair of integrally connected drum members 28 and 29.

Immediately above each corner post I3 and positioned and secured within the channel I6, there is a frame 30 comprising side walls 3I. The frames 30 maybe secured to the corner posts I3 and the base of the boxing I5, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3. The frame members 30 have an open end 32 disposed toward the drum 2'! and bethere are revolubly mounted upon a shaft 33, pulleys 34'-34 and 34'. and 35 respectively.

Upon the base I'I there are secured respective pulleys 36 and 31, these pulleys being positioned within the hollow corner posts I3, as clearly seen in Fig. 5, and are aligned with respective slots 22.

A cable 38 is provided, one end thereof being secured to the pulley 28, from whence it passes around the pulley 34, thence downwardly through one corner post I3, guided by an eyelet 39, passes partially around the pulley 36 and then secured to the eyelet 4U fixed to the lower edge of the closure (see Fig. 5). A helical spring 4| is also anchored by the eyelet 4|], and extends from its anchorage upwardly over the pulley 35, and is finally made secure to the frame at the opposite side of the main frame l2, as indicated at 42. A similar cable 43 is secured, at one end to the pulley 29, the opposite end of the cable being passed around the pulley and thence through the eyelet 39', partly around the pulley 31 and finally secured to the eyelet 40' carried by the lower portion of the closure 28. A helical spring 44 is also anchored to the eyelet 40' and extends upwardly over the pulley 34 and is finally anchored as at 42 to the frame 3| disposed at the opposite side of the main frame l2.

The cables 38 and 43 are wound upon the drums 28 and 29 in the same direction, so that upon rotation of the shaft 25, by manipulation of the handle 26, the closure 20 will be moved downwardly to position the same below the counter I8.

The closure 20 is normally retained in its lowermost position, as indicated in Fig. 6, and in such position it will be apparent that the springs 4| and 44 are under tension, tending to draw the closure 20 to its closed (raised) position, but the closure is held against such movement until it is desired to release the same, by a trigger 45. The trigger 45 comprises a body portion 45 of a length stopping slightly below the counter l8 and terminates in a bill member 41 adapted to engage within an opening 48 formed in the closure 20, adjacent its upper edge. An elongated slot 49 is formed in the body portion 46 adjacent its lower edge, the slot being disposed at a slightv angle with respect to the lower edge of the trigger and within this slot there is positioned a crank portion 50 of a foot treadle 5|. In order that the trigger 45 shall always be in a position to cause engagement of the bill 41 within the opening 48, a suitable leaf spring 52 is secured between the base I! and the trigger body 46, in such position to cause the trigger to swing inwardly toward the closure.

In the present instance, I have illustrated a cage structure embodying four cashiers windows, and a single closure 20 is employed operable to close all windows simultaneously, by any one of the cashiers. This is brought about byprovision of a single foot treadle 5|, previously referred to. The treadle is suitably mounted upon the base I! by bearings 53 and includes four pedal members 54, one positioned adjacent or directly beneath each cashier's window.

The operation will be readily understood from the following discussion.

It will be assumed that the closure 20 is in its lowered or set position, placing the springs 4|44 under tension. If a burglar should appear before any of the windows ll, any of the cashiers or tellers would simply depress his pedal 54 with his foot. Such movement of the pedal would swing the trigger 45 backwardly away from the closure 26, against the tension of the spring 52, with consequent withdrawal of the bill 41 from the opening 48. The springs 4|44 would then immediately function to quickly project the closure 20 upwardly before the windows ll, thus separating the burglar from the tellers, and since the closures 28, in practice will be steel, the possibility of shooting through the closure is not possible.

As soon as the closure 20 is sprung upwardly, the spring 52 will swing the trigger to its normal position, as soon as the operator's foot is removed from the treadle, placing the bill 4! beneath the closure, thus preventing downward movement of the closure. In order to return the closure to its set position, one of the foot pedals 54 is depressed so as to swing the trigger outwardly and the hand lever 26 is then rotated. Such rotation of the handle and its associated shaft will cause rotation of the pulleys 28 and 29 causing the cables 38 and 43 to be wound up thereon. The shortening of the cables in this manner, it will be seen, draws downwardly upon the closure 20. After the closure 20 has passed slightly downwardly into the slot IS, the pedal may be released, and as soon as the bill 41 aligns with the opening 48, it will spring thereinto, securing the closure in readiness for its next operation.

Obviously, an electrical alarm system may be readily installed in' the cage, the circuit of which is completed upon closing of the closure 20, to sound an alarm exteriorly of the building.

While I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be understood that I do not confine myself to the exact construction set forth, and reserve as my own all such modifications as fairly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A cashiers cage having tellers windows and a trough, hollow corner posts in communication with the trough, a pair of drum members revolubly mounted within the trough, crank means for revolving the drum members, dual pulley members mounted within the trough immediately above each corner post, a guide pulley mounted within each corner post aligned with respective dual pulley members, each corner post having a vertically disposed guide-way and slot positioned in opposed relationship to one another, a closure positioned within the opposed guide-ways, an eyelet formed on the vertical edges of the closure and extending through respective slots, a cable member connected to each respective eyelet, each cable being passed partially around respective guide pulleys and thence around one of the dual pulleys and wound in the same direction upon respective drum members, a pair of retracting springs within the trough, the end of one spring being anchored to one end of the trough and one end of the other spring being anchored at the opposite end of the trough, and being trained around the other of the respective dual pulleys, the other end of the spring members being secured to respective eyelets, trigger means for holding said closure against retraction by said springs and treadle means for releasing th trigger. 2. A cashiers cage having one or more windows, a closure slidable behind said windows, a trough above said windows, hollow corner posts in communication with the trough, a pair of drum members revolubly mounted within the trough, crank means for revolving the drum, dual pulley members mounted within the trough immediately above each corner post, a guide pulley mounted within each corner post in line with the dual pulley members, each corner post having a vertically disposed guide-way and slot positioned rearwardly of the windows, a closure positioned within the opposed guide-ways, an eyelet formed on the vertical edges of the closure and extending through respective slots, a cable member connected to each respective eyelet, each cable being passed partially around respective guide pulleys and thence around one of the dual pulleys 15 and wound in the same direction upon respectime drum members, a pair of retracting springs within the trough the end of one spring being anchored to one end of the troughand one end of the other spring being anchored at the opposite end of the trough, each spring further being trained around the other of the respective dual pulleys, the other end of the spring members be- 7 ing secured to respective eyelets, a treadle mounted on the floor of the cage, said treadle having a crank member, a trigger mounted upon the crank, said trigger having a bill member engageable with the closure to hold the same against the tension of the retracting springs, and spring means normally urging the trigger toward the closure. v

3. A cashiers cage having a window, a foot I treadle behind the window, a closure slidable behind the window, retracting springs to raise the treadle of a length stopping slightly below the base of the window, said closure having an aperture adjacent its upper horizontal edge, and said trigger having a bill projectable into the aperture in one position of the closure and into the path of downward movement of, the closure.

4. A cashiers cage having a window, a foot treadle behind the window, a closure slidable behind the window, retracting springs to raise the closure, a trigger operably associated with the treadle of a length stopping slightly'below the base of the window, said closure having an aperture adjacent its upper edge, the trigger having a bill projectableinto the aperture in one position of the closure and into the path of downward movement of the closure after release of the bill from the aperture, and means for lowering said closure to normal set position after retraction of said trigger.

WILLIAM CAIN, SR.

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