US2534576A

US2534576A - Window display protector

Info

Publication number: US2534576A
Application number: US124969A
Authority: US
Inventors: Continenza Joseph
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1949-11-02
Filing date: 1949-11-02
Publication date: 1950-12-19
Anticipated expiration: 1967-12-19

Description

Dec. 19, 1950 J. CONTINENZA 2,534,576

WINDOW DISPLAY PROTECTOR Filed Nov. 2, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I ll 1' y /'t' A! i /4 i II ljsepk (Zarziirzenza INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Dec. 19,1950

Filed Nov. 2, 1949 J. CQNTINENZA WINDOW DISPLAY PROTECTOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 T08epk c'antinenza INVENTOR ATTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 19, 1950 UNITED (STATES PATENT OFFICE WINDOW DISPLAY PROTECTOR Joseph C'ontinenza, Stuart, Fla.

Application. November 2, 1949, Serial No..124,969

2 Claims.

The invention relates to a protective device adapted to be mounted in a store window and so designed as to protect articles displayed in the window against theft in the event of. accidental or intentional breaking of the glass pane of said window.

An important object of the. present invention is to provide a device of the type stated comprising a drop panel which normally is held in elevated position directly to the rear of the conventional glass pane utilized in a store window, but which will automatically, on breaking. of the store window, fall instantaneously into position across the window aperture so as to protect against theft of articles displayed in the window.

Another important object is to provide a device as described which, after it has dropped into position, cannot be lifted except by the proprietor.

Summarized briefly, the invention includes a pair of upstanding guides that are mounted within the window directly to the rear of the conventional glass pane thereof, said guides having slidably mounted thereon sleeves rigidly con- .nected to a drop. panel extending fully across the window aperture. The drop panel is normally held in elevated position by connection to the shaft of an electric motor. However, by reason of a particular electrical circuit, the breaking of the store window energizes the motor and upon rotation of the motor shaft, the drop panel is disconnected and drops instantaneously into position across the window aperture so as to protect against, theft of the articles. Latch devices carried by the drop panel engage the guides in the dropped position of the panel so as to prevent; elevation of the panel.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts, hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Referring to the drawings Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a store window, portions being broken away, the device constituting the subject of the invention being shown in front elevation.

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section through said store window-and protective device.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of" one of the latch devices.

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4--4 ofiFig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a vertical section through the connection of the drop panel to the actuating motor.

Fig. 6 is a diagram of the electrical circuit embodied in the invention.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the reference numeral 5 designates an ordinary store window, such as the window of a jewelry store or similar establishment, said store window being equipped with the conventional glass pane E and display stands or shelving i.

In accordance with the present invention, there are mounted on the floor of the window, adjacent opposite sides of the window aperture, feet in which there are positioned the lower ends of vertically extending guides 23 the upper ends of which are positioned in sockets is secured to the ceiling of the store window, so that said guides 9 in effect comprise a vertically disposed slideway on which the drop panel is mounted for vertical sliding movement. Said drop panel comprises a rectangular frame H extending around and secured to the solid panel [2, the opposite sides of the frame I! being rigidly secured to sleeves l3 by welds I4 or similar means, said sleeves l3 being mounted for sliding movement upon the guide rods 9 and being equipped at their lower ends with the rubber bumpers 15 whereby on dropping of the drop panel, the shock of falling will be absorbed.

To the upper edge of the drop panel, intermediate the ends of said panel, there is rigidly secured the slotted bracket 55, which is secured to the drop panel by means of rivets i! or the like, said slotted bracket is being integral or otherwise rigid with the upwardly extending stud I'8 threaded so as to be received in the depending threaded socket I it having the reduced upper extension 20 connected by a set screw 2| to the shaft 22 of an electric motor 2-3 bolted to the ceiling of the store window.

Thus, assuming that the motor 23 is suddenly energized, said motor will rotate the threaded socket is at high speed so as to causeseparation 'of said socket from the threaded stud it! of the drop. panel and the drop panelwill immediately fall into position across the window aperture.

Assuming that the drop panel fallen into position across the Window aperture so as to protect against theft of the articles displayed within the window. it is held against elevation from its drop position by reason of a latcharrangement which includes the longitudinal series of teeth '24 formed on each of the guide rods 9 intermediate the ends of said guide rods. Engageable with any of the teeth 24 is the beveled inner the motor 23.

edge 25 of a yoke 26 rigid with the arm 21 formed integral with a transversely extended sleeve pivoted on pin 23, said arm 21 having the extension 29 adapted to be engaged under a keeper 30 pivoted at 3| to the frame i i of the drop panel. The pivot pin 28, it may be noted, is mounted upon a bracket 32 rigidly secured in any suitable manner to each corner of the drop panel.

When the drop panel is in its elevated position, and the device is positioned ready for use in the event of breaking of the glass pane 6, the keeper an is moved to the full line position illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 so as to be out of engagement with the extension 29 of the pivoted latch. As a result, assuming that the motor 23 is energized so as to cause instantaneous dropping of the drop panel 12, the dropping of the panel [2 to its lowermost position causes the latch 21 to be positioned where it will engage any of the teeth 24 should anyone attempt to elevate the drop panel from the lowered position thereof. As a result, the latch 21 will be positioned as in the full lines illustrated in Fig. 3, and anyone atgempting to elevate said panel will be unable to However, at such time as the store owner again elevates the drop panel. it is necessary only that he adjust the pivoted latch to the dotted line position illustrated in Fig. 3 and engage it under the keepers whereupon the drop panel can be elevated to the position illustrated in Fig. 1 after which the keepers 3!! are again adjusted away from the extensions 29 so as to again position the drop p nel ready for use.

It will be understood that the pivoted latches 21 will be so located as to be inaccessible to someone outside the window.

In Fig. 6 I have illustrated an electrical circuit well adapted to serve the purposes of the present invention. An end ess electrically conductive tape 33 extends throughout the marginal portion of and is adhesively secured to the glass pane 6, as best seen in Fig. 1. This endless electrically conductive tape 33 is in circuit with a relay 34 and with an electrical transformer 35, and said circuit is powered through leads 6 extending from the ordinary house supply. Thus. the electrically conductive tape 33 is continuously energized so as to hold the relay 34 energized.

As long as the relay 34 is energized, it attracts and holds open a switch 31 th t is in circuit with Thus, the motor 23 is normally not energized and by reason of its threaded connection with the drop panel (see Fig. the drop panel is held elevated under normal conditions. However, assuming that a burglar breaks the glass pane for the p rpose of removing articles displayed within the store window, the breaking of the glass pane 6 severs the tape 33 breaking the circuit to the rela 34. As a result, switch 31 instantaneously closes, closing a c rcuit to and including the house supply and the motor 23. The motor upon going into operation rotates the shaft 22 at high speed so as to instantaneously break the three ded connection between the socket I9 and the stud Ill. The panel l2 drops 'into position across the window aperture, so as to protect against theft of the articles displayed. within the window. All this takes place, of course, within the space of so short a time as to prevent the person breaking the window from removing any of the articles di played.

The relay 34 and the electrical transformer 35 can be suitably housed within a box 38 secured to the ceiling of the store window. It may be noted, in this connection, that it is of course possible for the electrical circuit illustrated in Fig, 6 to also include a visible or audible burglar alarm of the conventional type, and it is believed that this is so obvious as not to require special illustration, since it is well within the skill of those experienced in the art to include such an alarm mechanism with the device illustrated and described herein.

I believe the advantages of a device constructed as illustrated and described will be readily apparent. For example, jewelry stores are continuously faced with the problem of thievery caused by someone breaking the window of the store and stealing all or a valuable part of the jewelry displayed within the window. In most cases, jewelry store windows and other windows in which valuable material is displayed are equipped with alarm devices, many of which include tapes such as illustrated at 33 herein. However, these alarm devices serve solely to advise protective agencies of the fact that the window has been broken, or cause sounding of a burglar alarm on the premises, but in no case do they prevent the thief from stealing the articles themselves and disappearing before the arrival of the police. In the present instance the possibility of theft is fully eliminated, since the breaking of the window itself electrically connects the motor with the source of electricity, and the drop panel instantaneously, to all intents and purposes, drops into position across the window aperture so as to prevent theft of any article within the window. The latch device is illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, engaging the teeth 2 4 in the dropped position of the panel to prevent elevation of the panel.

It is to be unrerstood that different types of store windows, diiferent ceilin elevations, and other factors might require different methods of mounting the motor 23, hous ng 33. and upper brackets ii] of the guide rods 9. For example, most store ceilings are too high to permit a motor to be mounted as shown in Fig. 1, and this illustration is purely for the purpose of showing that a motor is fixedly mounted above the drop panel. In mostcases, this reason, and also the desirability of preventing vibration and insuring proper operation of the panel, would undoubtedly make it more advisable to provide a bracket which will serve as a mounting for the motor, energizer unit or relay housing, and also as a means to which can be attached the upper ends of the guide rods ii. The formation and location of this bracket would, of course, depend upon the particular w ndow formation, and it is mainly important that the upper ends of the guide rods, the motor cisposed between said guide rods, and the energizer unit all be stationarily mounted in a proper position in a manner to insure proper operation of the device and to meet any special conditions d ctated by the particular window structure and by the store owner.

What is claimed is:

1. A window display protective device including a pair of upstanding spaced guides mounted within a window. a roe pan l ext nding between said guides and slidably mounted thereon, a motor mounted above said drop pan l, a threaded connection between the motor and drop panel and normally engaging the panel so as to hold the panel elevated, means actuated by breaking of a window and a"apted to energize the motor so as to break the threaded connection for dropping of the panel, and latch devices inter-engaging between the panel and guide rods for prevent ing elevation of the panel from its dropped position.

2. A window display protection device including a pair of upstanding spaced guides adapted for mounting in a store window adjacent the glass pane thereof, sleeves mounted for sliding movement upon said guides, a solid panel extending between and rigidly connected to the sleeves, a motor mounted above the drop panel, a threaded socket rotatable with the shaft of said motor, a threaded stud carried by the upper end of the drop panel and normally engaged in the socket, whereby on rotation of the motor shaft the socket will disengage from the stud to permit dropping of the panel, an electrically conductive tape mounted upon the window, means in circuit with the tape and normally preventing energizing of the motor, whereby on breaking of the pane and tape the motor will be energized, and

latch devices inter-engaging between the panel and guide rods in the dropped position of the panel to prevent elevation thereof from said dropped position.

JOSEPH CONTINENZA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 535,100 Gill Mar. 5, 1895 1,985,732 Jauch et a1 Dec. 25, 1934 2,000,479 Cook et al May 7, 1935 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 296,144 Great Britain Aug. 30, 1928 392,935 Great Britain May 25, 1933