US2220936A - Watchman's signal and alarm system - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 12, 1940. H. MACHINIST 2,220,936

WATCHMAN'S SIGNAL AND ALARM SYSTEM Filed Dec. 13, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 f 'lii li NOV. 12, '1940. c s-r 2,220,936

WATGHMAN'S SIGNAL AND ALARM SYSTEM I Filed Dec. 15, 1938 5 Shgets-Sheet 2 INSULATION 72 H. MACHINIST WATCHMANS SIGNAL AND ALARM SYSTEM Filed Dec. 15, 1938 Nov. 12, 1940,

fiz/ezzfoz fi/aro/dficz zzzsf as 1452 Ways Patented Nov. 12, 1940 2,220,936 w 1 e WATCHMANS SIGNAL AND ALAR 'sYsfrEM Harold Machinist, Chicago, 111., assignor'to Dudlcy Lock Corporation, Chicago, 111., a. corpora tion of Illinois Application December 13, 1938, Serial No. 245,461 7 v1o Claims (01. 177-350) This invention relates to an improved construction for a watchmans signal box and operating means therefor, and to an improved arrangement of a series of such boxes in a system. One object of the invention is to provide a. series of boxes with at least one box in the series associated with a signal mechanism'arranged to record at a remote point the fact that the'boxhas been operated in accordance with the watch mans routinej the remaining boxes include features so related to the-operating handle employed by the watchman that he must necessarily Visit the Stations at whichthese boxes are located in t a certain predetermined order before he can employ the handle for operating the signal-transmitting box of the series. Another object of the invention is to provide a changeable mechanism for the handle susceptible of a wide variety of changes, and easily modified to produce changes in a different order so that the mechanism can be installed in a large number of buildings and factories without any danger that the handle employed in one systemwill operate in another system of the same general type. Another object is to provide a system in-which the means for altering the operating handle at each box of a series shall include lock and key mechanismnot easily duplicated. Other objects will appear as the description'proceeds. The invention consists of the various features and elements of construction and in their cooperative arrangement'in a system, as herein shown and described and as me dicated by the claims.

In the drawings: 1 1

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the exterior of a watchmans signal box and an operating handle therefor embodying this invention.

Figure 2 is a view of the mechanism housed in the box, as seen from the inner side of the cover and with certain parts shown in section to reveal details of construction.

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken through the interior housing for the signal winding gear at a plane just back of ithe'face plate of the box, and showing the gear and its associated pocket which receives theoperating handle.

Figure 4 is a vertical section taken substantially as indicated at line 44 on Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an end elevation of theoperating handle. Figure 6 is a side elevation of the operating handle. 1

Figure 7 is an axial section FigureB is atran verse section taken as indi cated at line8 '-8 on Figure 7. p

I Figure9 is a horizontal section taken through the signal box, as indicated at line 9-'-9 on Figure 2 and showing a portion of the operatinghandle in position to be entered in the cooperating pocketofthegear.

Figure 10 is afaceview of anintermediate box of theisystemvhaiving HOSignal mechanism asso; ciated therewith. 1

Figure 11 is. a vertical section takenas. indi-- cated at line I l| 'l on Figure 10.

,.;Figure 12 isa sectionalview similar to ll) showing a special alarm ,box employedas a supplemental element of the system.

' Figure 13 is a transverse section taken as indicated at line l3 l3 on Figure 12. v 1 t Figure 14 is a. fragmentary sectionsimiliar'to Figure. 4 butshowinga modification of" certain features. l I t a t For the purpose ofinsuring that a watchman is making his regular rounds at the proper in tervals, and is inspecting the premises thorough- 1y on each round,there have been variouslsystems devised bywhich the watchman isrequired to operate one or more signal devices which make a record or his visits to the points at which such devices are operable; and, particularlywhere the watchman isemployed by an outside agency which guarantees the efficiency of his services,

it is customary tofarrange for thefoperationof such signal devices ata remote point, such as a control office of the agency where reports are received periodically from all watchmenin the service. The present invention relateslto suchca system, and includes variousmeans and? devices intended to require and insure that thewatchman shall follow fapredetermined routine and that any deviation from his prescribedpmcedure receiving reportsfrom the system,"

l shall be promptly indicated atthe central oiiice An important elementfloi the system is the sig w nal box I, having a removable face plate 2; nor! mally secured by a 'lgey-operated lock 3 and having an openingj for-the introduction ofan'op= erating handle 5, which is car ried the we/fich 7 man on his roundsQand which is similarly em-j Figure 2; the boxl enclosesla signal-operating mechanism 6, which may be of any standard cone l t andgear train (not seen infFigure 2) iorrotating on an enlarged scale, taken as indicatedat line '|-'l on Figure 5.-

al -toothed wheel 1 through; one complete turn to electrical signals through any suitable signal circuitbyrmeans of wires (not shown) connected to said contact arms 8, 8 and leading from the box preferably in concealed fashion, as through the panel or partition wall in which the box is installed. 7

The mechanism 6 includes a winding shaft 9 having mounted thereon a segment gear l Whose teeth are'positioned to mesh with the teeth of a mutilated gear journaled for rotation within the box I and enclosed in a separateinterior casing of its own, seen at l2. The back wall l3 of the case I2 is formed with a central, inwardly projecting hub M which serves as a bearing for the gear member II and said member includes an integrally formed pocket having a cylindrical portion l with a pair of laterally extending parallel walls Hi embracing a space adjacent said cylindrical portion, as seen in Figure 3. The space enclosed by the portions l5 and I6 corresponds in cross-section substantially to the shape of the opening 4 in the face plate 2 of the box and is of substantially thecross-section of the operating handle 5, shown in perspective in Figurel. i

When the handle 5' is inserted through the opening 4 intothe pocket of the gear member H and is turned once around, it rotates the gear andjcauses it first to mesh with the teeth of the segment Ill and swing the latter through a limited arc in the direction for tensioning the spring of the mechanism 6. The mechanism then begins to operate somewhat in the manner of a clock train "at a speed controlled by a fly-ball governor seen at IT. While the'spring-wound train is operating, and actuating the electrical .contacts 8, 8,'the shaft 9 rotates in the reverse direction, swinging the segment back to its initial position.

, This is'permitted because of the mutilated nature of gear I l, which has only enough teeth to mesh with all the teeth of .the segment l0, and which, beyond that point, is of circular outline of a radius to clear the teethof segment iii, if the latter should commence its return swing while the 'single rotation 'of the gearmember H is being completed. In any event, a'single turn of the member'H terminates with its first tooth just outside the path of the teeth of segment [0, this being the position at which the handle 5 can be withdrawn through the opening 4. Thus the gear H is left out of mesh withsegment II], but in the position to pick up the segment in the initial portion of its next turn when again operated by the handle'5. V

The, operating handle 5 includes a cylindrical body portion 26 with a rectangular portion 2| extending from one side of the cylinder, and a hand-grip. 22 secured in the end of the cylinder. The opposite end of the cylinder 213 exposes the key-slot 23 of a key-operated cylinder lock, which may be of the pin tumbler type, and which is preferably of the type covered by U, S. Patent No. 2,030,836, since this look employs a key having several unrelated cam surfaces so arranged as to render. duplication of the key unusually diflicult. The cylinder 24-015- such a lock is seen in Figure '7, with the pin tumblers 25 of the-plug 2 l engaged in suitable slots or apertures of the cylinder. At the inner end the key plug carries a disk 26, shown with one tooth 21 projecting for engagementwith the teeth of a ratchet-type gear wheel 28, which is journaled in the laterally projecting portion --2| of the handle body.

This portion 2| of the handle is formed at its 9?" ed W ha ural Qf S 9 h s 29, and the cylindrical interior surface of the housing 2 is provided with arcuate ribs l8, whose leading ends l9 merge obliquely into the cylindrical surface of the housing l2. These ribs l8 are spaced apart so as to interengage with certain of the notches or recesses 29 when the handle member is inserted through the opening 4. But into each of the recesses 29 there projects from the interior of the body 2| 2. small plunger 32, normally held in projecting position by a spring 3|. And certain of said plungers are locked in projecting position by means of a cylinder 32 rotatably mounted in the body 2| in co-axial and operative engagement with the ratchet wheel 28. This cylinder 32 is formed with openings 33 dis-' tributed over its surface so that at any given adjustment of the cylinder 32 about its axis certain of said openings will be aligned with certain of the plungers 30, so as to permit them to be yieldingly depressed against the force of their respective springs 3|. In the system herein illustrated the body portion 2| of the handle member is provided with five notches 29 and the cylinder 32 is arranged with openings or recesses 33 in groups of two, so that at any position of its adjustment it is possible for two of the plungers 30 to be yieldingly depressed. Thus, in order for the handle to be rotatable in the housing I2 of the box the two plungers 30 which register with the ribs IS in said housing must be rendered yieldable by proper adjustment of the cylinder 32. When this condition is fulfilled, the handle member 5 may be inserted in the opening 4 and, as it enters the pocket of the gear member II, a fixed key 34, anchored in the boss i l of the housing I2, will register with the key-slot 23, which is exposed in the end of the handle body 20. When the handle is thrust in to its limit this key 34 will properly register with the tumblers 25 of the cylinder lock, and as the handle member is turned in the housing I2 the fixed key 34 will cause rotation of the'plug of the cylinder look through one complete turn. This will have the effect of turning the disk 26 through one turn, so that its single tooth 2'! will engage one tooth of the ratchet gear 28 and will turn that gear through an angle corresponding to one tooth, at which position it will be arrested by a detent pawl 36, urged into engagement with the Wheel 28 by a spring 31. As the handle 5 is turned in the housing I2, two of its notches 29 interengage with the ribs la, the yieldable plungers 2B in those notches being depressed as they ride over the inclined approaches IQ of the ribs l8; but these ribs extend only through the first portion of the rotation and terminate at 38, thus permitting the plungers 38 to be projected by their springs 3| and to disengage themselves from the registered openings in the cylinder 32. Thereafter, the tooth 21 sweeps into engagement with a tooth of the ratchet wheel 28 and turns the cylinder 32 through the angle of a single tooth of the ratchet wheel, thus bringing a diiferent pair of openings .33 into alignment with the plungers 30. Therefore, when the handle 5 is removed from the first box of the series, its rotation in that box cannot be repeated immediately, because the recesses '29, which register with ribs l8, are

nowblocked by plungers 30, which cannot be depressed. But the plungers which have been released by alignment with a second set of holes as seen in Figures. 10 and 11. This second box 40 need not include any signal mechanism like ling abutments 58 and 59. A ring 60 of insulating that shown in the hut box I. [is to insure that the watchman shall visit the station at which the second box is located after he' leaves thestation at which box is located.

.Thebox 56 includes a central boss 14% projecting from its back wall l3 and a key 34*, identical with the'key M, is anchored in the boss I l in position to engage the key, slot 23 of the handle member when the latter is inserted in the handle member 5 in the box' 45,.but upon the completion of that turn the plug of the cylinder lock 24 will have been rotated through one revolution, so that the tooth 21 of disk 26 willhave shifted the cylinder 32 by the amount of one tooth of the ratchet wheel 28, thus bringing into alignment with the plungers 30 a'third set" of openings '53 This action automatically blocks the plungers 36, corresponding to the ribs I8 so as to prevent further rotation of the handle member in the box l|l, but prepares a different pair of plungers 35 to yield upon being aligned with the differently placed ribs in the next sue-,- ceeding box, which may be exactly similar tothe box 46, except for the arrangement of the ward ribs therein. I A

Thus the watchman will travel from station to station, inserting the handle member 5 successively in boxes of the typeof the box 46, turning the handle through one revolution in each box and thus re-adjusting the plungers 35 for operation in the next succeeding box. After visiting every station of the series he may return to the initial station which is provided with box I, and upon inserting the handle in that box, and operating it, he will thus send a secondsignal to the central office, indicating that he has completed his rounds.

Or, if preferred-end particularly if the premises are such that the watchman can make his complete rounds in a few minutes, but is not required to repeat his inspection at once, or for a considerable period of time-asecond signaling station like that housed in the box I ,inay be located at the end of the series, so that the second report signalis turned in by the watchman upon the completion of the series, and without returning to the initial station. This will provide for a close check-up on the time occupied by the watchman in visiting the complete series of stations without adding in the time whichit takes him to return from the last to the initial station. But in many instances a. singlesignal mechanism will serve the'purpose.

Occasionally, in connection with the perpetration of a hold-up or a burglary, the watchman is forced by one member of the gang to make his regular rounds so as toturn in signals to the central ofiice at the expected intervals and avoid arousing suspicion. To meet such emergencies I provide a special alarm box 50, which is exactly like the box All in external appearance, when installed, but in which the key member34 in stead of being fixedly mounted, is securedin a central box 5| formed on the inner end wall of a pocket 52, 53, which is shaped like the pocket I 5, E6 of the box l, or like the pockets I5 l6 of the box 45, so as to receive the handle member 5. The end wall or flange 54 of the pocket in box 55 has a centering hub 55 which is journaled in a recess in the back wall 56 of box 56; and this flange 54, instead of having gear teeth like the part II,- isformed with a peripheral sector -51, which presents -'a pair of oppositely fac- Its only function sector 51.

material isrotatably mounted against the back wall 56 withits single tooth or lug'6lprojecting in thepocket 52, :53 and turned in clockwise C direction, the abutment 58 picks up thelug BI and rotates the ring 60 until the handle has completed itsfull turn so as to be removable from the box 56. The ring 60 carries on itsback face a metallic insert 62, dimensioned for con-.

.tinuous contact with the cylindrical wall of the box 50 and for engagement of its ,facewith thecontact terminal 63, set through theback wall 56, as seen in Figure 12;. The lug 6| and the abutment 58 are so related to the pocket 52, 53 that upon completion of a singleturn of thehandle member 5 therein, the insert 62 is shifted into registration and contact with the terminal it 63, closing the circuit of a burglar alarm, such as that indicated at 64.

,It is the intention that this alarm box 56 shall be installed at an intermediate position in the total series, so that it may appear tobe oneof the standard boxeslike the box 40 which the watchman, is required tojvisit regularly; thus,

even under surveillance, he can visit the box 50 and turn in the alarm without arousing suspicion. And sincethe key member 34 is fixed in the hub 5| of the pocket 52, 53 'so'as to turn with the pocket, the operation of thehandle .5 in theibox 50 will not rotate the plug 24 Iof the cylinder lock, and will not modify the adjustment of the plungers 29; hence, the. handle member 5 ismaintained in condition to operate in the next regular box 40 of the series, just as it would have operated if, the watchman had not visited box 56.

, Thus, in the emergency just described, the

' tion of the turn of the handle 5 the ring 60 will be shifted to carry the insert 62 to the. position, indicated in dotted outline in Figure 13 and out of engagement with the terminal 63, thus opening the circuit.

, To prevent operation of the winding gear otherwise than by means of the handle 5, the

, gear is normally locked against rotation by a series of spring-pressed tumblers 10 carried in suitable bores formed in a special boss ll pro jecting, from the back wall l3 of the housing l2.

Pocketed within the gear II is a set .of plungers 12, each, registering with one of the tumblers 10, i

as seen in Figure 4. The plungers 12 may be of various lengths, or may project by difierent amounts from the face of the gear H, and they are disposed inthe portion of that face which lies between the walls I6, l6 and thus formsan endwall for the pocket into which the handle 5 Wall and may be rotated by the turn of the handle 5 in the manner already described. This prevents unauthorized rotation of the winding gear H by any means other than the particular .tion of the handle member 5, and is rotatably mounted by the journaling of its back wall or flange ll on the .boss i l In this case the part 2 4i carries no teeth like the gear member II, but

it does include suitable locking bores for engagement with the tumblers it carried in the boss M on'the back wall W of the box, and it also carries aa-set of plungers l2, whichcoo-perate with,

the recesses 73 in the end of the key member 5 to release the flange ll and its connected pocket 42, 43 for rotation in the box 48. And, similarly, the alarm box 5B is provided with looking tumblers lb and plungers l2 to cooperate with the handle member when it is inserted in the alarm box. This tends to prevent tampering with the system by making it practically impossible to employ a handle borrowed from another system, since the-arrangement of the plungers l2 represents a particular combination assigned to only one system and one handle member 5 of this type. Referring to the mechanism for changing the arrangement of plungers 3G in the recesses 29 of the handle member 5, and particularly to Figure 8, which shows a single tooth 2? carried by the disk 26 for operating the gear wheel it, it may be understood that Ido not limit myself to this specific structure. For example, if the system should include only five stations instead of ten, as assumed herein, the cylinder 32 might be arranged with only five sets of holes disposed at equi-angular positions in the cylinder, and the disk 26' couldbe provided with two teeth instead of one, so that in, its single revolution it would shift the gear 28 through an angle occupied by two of its teeth, or one-fifth of a turn; and, obviously, other gear ratios may be provided between the cylinder 32 and the key-operated plug 2 3* as required by the conditions of each individual in stallation of a system.

Figure i i shows a modified construction for the ward ribs which are inter-engaged by the notches 29 of the handle 5. Instead of casting these ribs integrally in each of the boxes l 2 and is, the ribs may bemade as separate members 88* and assembled with spacer rings Bil interposed so as to position the ribs it wherever wanted for providing the various combinations by which theseveral boxes of the system differ from each other.

various modificationsand re-arrangements of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and that the same is not limited to the particular form herein shown and described, except in so far as indicated by the appended claims.

I claim: I 1. In a system including a series of stations with a watchmans .box at each station, signal this manner the gear is unlocked from the back mechanism in certain of the boxes, a removable operating handle for said mechanism, each box having ward means differing from the ward means of the other boxes of the series, tumblers carried by'the handle projecting-in positions to register with said Ward means, a control member shiftable in the handle to a series of positions each corresponding to one box of the series, said member serving ateach position to lock one or more tumblers in projected position and to release one or more tumblers for yielding encounter with the wards of the corresponding box so as to allow manipulation of the handle therein, together with a single key-operated lock secured in the handle and connected for shifting said control member from .one position to another, and similar keys mounted fixedly, one in each box of the series, for engaging the lock and causing said control member to be shifted as the handle is actuated in each box.

'2. In the combination defined in claim 1, said actuation of the handle being a rotation about an axis through the key, the tumblers projecting radially from the handle, and said ward means being spaced from the axis of rotation for engaging selected tumblers of the handle as it turns in the box.

3. In the combination defined in claim 1, the actuation of the handle being a rotation thereof about an axis through the key, the tumblers projecting radially from the handle, the ward means being spaced from the axis of rotation, and the control member in the handle comprising a cylinder rotatable therein and having variously disposed recesses in its surface arranged to register with different tumblers or groups of tumblers at different positions in the rotation of the cylinder, each tumbler having a spring normally holding it in projected position and the registration of a recess of the cylinder rendering a tumbler yieldingly depressible upon encountering a ward as the handle is turned in the box.

4. In the combination defined in claim 1, the actuation of the handle being a rotation thereof about. an axis through the key, the tumblers projecting radially from the handle, the ward means being spaced from the axis of rotation, the control member in the handle comprising a cylinder rotatable therein and having variously disposed recesses arranged to register with different tumblers or groups of tumblers at different positions in the rotation of the cylinder, and the key-operated lock comprising a rotatable part with a one-way driving connection therefrom to rotate the apertured cylinder for shifting one or more difierent recesses thereof into registration with corresponding tumblers each time said lock part is rotated in the handle;

5. In the combination definedin claim 1, the actuation of the handlebeing a rotation thereof about an axis through the key, the tumblers projecting radially from the handle, the ward means being spaced from the axis of rotation, the control member in the handle comprising a cylinder rotatable therein and having variously disposed recesses arranged to register with different tumblers or groups of tumblers at different positions in the rotation of the cylinder, and the key-operated lock being geared to rotate the recessed cylinder through a limited angle for shifting one or more different recesses thereof into registration with corresponding tumblers each timethe lock is turned through a full revolution in the handle, such full revolution being necessary to permit disengagement of the look from" the key of the box being fixed substantially at the axis of rotation and the lock in the handle being disposed for operative engagement with the key when the handle is inserted in the pocket,

together with means carried by said rotatable member for operating a signal mechanism when it is rotated whereby rotation of the handle in said signal box serves to transmit the signal and to shift the control member of said handle by rotation of the lock relatively to the fixed key.

7. In the combination defined in claim 1, an

auxiliary box closely resembling other boxes of the series and located for optional inclusion in the series by the watchman in making his rounds, said box including an alarm switch with actuating means therefor having a pocket of noncircular cross-sectionfitting the cross-section of the handle whereby upon engagement of the handle therein said means may be rotated by the handle, said alarm box having a key cooperable with the lock in the handle but mounted to rotate with said pocket of the actuating-means to avoid shifting the control member and changing the arrangement of tumblers when the handle is optionally employed to actuate the alarm switch.

8. In the combination defined in claim 1, each box including a rotatable member within the box having a pocket of non-circular cross-section fitting the cross-section of the handle to be engaged and rotated by the handle when inserted therein, together with'a locking device normally holding said member against rotation, the locking devices of all boxes of the system being alike, and lock releasing means cooperable therewith carried by the handle,'said locking device and releasing means being individual to the system and the operation thereof being assential to the actuation of thehandle in each box of the system. I

9. In the combination defined in claim 1, said operating handle including a cylindrical portion and a laterally extending portion in which the tumblers are carried and. each box including a rotatable member having a pocket comprising a circular portion to receive the cylindrical portion of the handle and a laterally extending portion to engage the lateral partof the handle so that the handle may operate to turn the rotatable member within the box; locking tumblers normally holding said rotatable member against rotation with actuatingmeans for said tumblers exposed in the lateral portion of the pocket, the laterally extending part of the handle having areas engageable with said actuating means positioned to effect the release of the tumblers when the handle is inserted in operative position in the pocket.

10. In thevcombination defined inclaim 1, said manipulation of the handle being a rotation thereof and the ward means comprising one or more ribs .in each box spaced around the axis'of rotation, said ribs being separate similar members secured in said boxes with spacers positioning them axially, therein whereby said ribs and spacers may be readily assembled in any desired arrangement ineach of the boxes of a series.

HAROLD MACI-IINIST.

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