US3131669A - Alarm device - Google Patents

Description

y 5, 1964 M. c. STEBBINS 3,131,669

ALARM DEVICE Filed April 9, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 4 INVENTOR.

' MARK C. Srsaems .ATTORNEY5 May 5, 1964 M. c. STEBBINS ALARM DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 9, 1962 INVENTOR. MARK C Sreesms BY M fwd ATTORNEYS y 5, 1964 M. c. STEBBINS 3,131,669

ALARM DEVICE Filed April 9, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG 6 $2 98 FIG. I0

94 y FIG. II

V I I00 110 @HLH INVENTOR. MARK C. Srsssm M, KM 9- ATTORNEYS 3,131,669 ALARM DEVICE Mari: C. Stehhins, Detroit, Mich, assignor to Mm'k C. tehhins and Sons, Inc, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Filed Apr. 9, 1962, Ser. No. 186,184 11 Claims. (Cl. 116-91) The alarm device of this invention is particularly adapted for use on doors in buildings which are frequented by the public such as large stores, theaters, and public institutions. Most exterior doors in such buildings are provided with latches which are operated by depressopen the door.

A device of this general type is disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 15,945 filed March 18, 1960, and entitled Alarm Device, now US. Patent No. 3,038,436. A characteristic of that device is that it can be set selectively by means of a key-operated lock at an Off or non-operating position and an On position. Once the alarm is actuated, it cannot be turned off or reset except by removing the device from its mount to gain access to the works contained in the outer housing. Accordingly, the lock has a third position in which the device can be removed from its mount. These devices have proven effective and commercially successful.

The object of the present invention is to provide a structure of this general type which is relatively inexpensive and which has improved, simpler operation. More specifically, the alarm mechanism is improved so that it is set or reset by the mere act of positioning the outer housing in place on the door and operating the lock to its On position.

Generally the invention is carried out by providing two brakes which restrain operation of the alarm device. The first brake is simply a leaf spring which frictionally engages a shaft on the alarm device and which is released by one end of a lever when the lock is turned to On position. The second brake is both a lever and a spring with its opposite ends positioned for engaging the alarm shaft and a plunger on the panic bar latch. In the alarm Off and unlocked positions, the second brake member is loosely contained so that when the housing is removed to set or reset the alarm, the second brake drops gravitationally into a position where its lower end engages the latch plunger.

When the lock is turned to On position, the brake lever, while releasing the first brake, distorts a lower portion of the second brake element so that its lower end is spring urged against the plunger and its upper end is levered into frictional engagement with the alarm shaft. Then upon operation of the latch and consequent retract ing of the plunger, the second brake element springs to a released position freeing the alarm for operation.

One form of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a door having a latch operated by a panic bar with an alarm according to this invention mounted above the latch.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view on line 22 of FIG. 1 with parts broken away and shown in phantom.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged elevational view of the lower end of the alarm housing.

United States Patent motor shaft for winding the spring motor.

FIG. 4 is a view on line 44 of FIG. 2 illustrating the contents of the alarm housing and portions of the panic bar latch mechanism.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the tailpiece on the housing lock.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary right-hand side View of FIG. 4 with parts broken away and showing the alarm device locked on the door but in condition for actuation.

FIGS. 7, 8, and 9 are fragmentary views similar to FIG. 4 showing the tailpiece in different positions.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary partially sectional view illustrating the condition of the parts after the alarm has been released for operation.

FIG. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary view illustrating the alarm Off position of the parts.

Shown in FIG. 1 is a door 26 hinged for swinging in a door frame 22 and having a conventional latch mechanism 24 operated by depressing a conventional panic bar 26. An alarm device 23 according to this invention is mounted in conjunction with latch mechanism 24. The latch mechanism is modified by providing an opening in the top of its outer casing 30 and by projecting a plunger 32 through the opening. The plunger is operably connected to the latch mechanism by suitable means including a link 34 which is pulled downwardly when the panic bar is depressed, this link being connected to a collar 36 anchored on plunger 32. When the panic bar is released, a spring 38 compressed against the collar returns the plunger upwardly.

Plunger 32 passes slidably through a hollow stud 40 threaded into the casing opening and its upper end 42 projects above a head 44 on the stud. Head 4-4 is utilized as an anchor to secure the alarm mechanism on the door as will appear more in detail below.

Alarm device 28 includes an outer housing 46 within which is mounted an alarm-transmitting mechanism such as a bell or siren generally indicated at 48 which is driven by a spring-type motor 5% through gearing (FIG. 2) operably connected to a shaft 52 on the siren having a head 54 exposed within the housing. A key represented at 56 is provided for engaging a slot 58 in the spring Key 56 is held at stored position within housing 46 by a leaf spring 60.

The doorward side 62 of housing 46 is open to expose the parts contained therein when the housing is removed from the door. An anchor plate 64 is fastened to the upper rearward or doorward side of the housing. The anchor plate has a pair of slots 66 slidably engageable over headed screws 68 or the like on the door for securing the upper end of the housing in place. A key-operated lock 70 is provided adjacent the bottom of housing 46. This lock has a tailpiece '72 which is rotatable in a hollow interior portion 74 of casing as for setting the alarm device at an On position and an Off position and for cooperating with stud 4% to releasably anchor the lower end of housing 6 in position on the door.

The bottom wall 76 of housing 46 is provided with a slot 78 which extends from the doorward side 62 of the housing toward the front wall 36. This slot is positioned and oriented so that when anchor slots 66 are engaged over screws 68 the lower end of the housing can be moved against the door with slot 78 passing over stud 4d.

Tailpiece '72 is hollow and has an axial slot 32 which can be passed over stud 40 when the tailpiece is in unlocked position. Slot 82 opens into two circumferential branches 84 and he facilitating rotation of the tailpiece respectively to an alarm Off and an alarm On or set position. The tailpiece also has a planar end face 88 with a protuberance 9G for a purpose to be described.

Mounted on siren housing 92 (FIG. 10) is a leaf spring 94 having an end portion 96 positioned for engaging 69 the under face 98 of shaft head 54. This provides a frictional brake preventing operation of the siren in the Off position of the alarm device. A U-shaped bracket 1430 is also mounted on siren housing 92 such means as a rivet 192 passing through its base 104 (FIG. 10). This rivet can also be used for anchoring leaf spring 94 in place as shown. The bracket has two legs 1% and 108 supporting a pin 110 which provides a pivot passing through the legs 113 of a U-shaped brake operating lever 112. The lever has an upper end portion 114 engaged with leaf spring 24 and a lower end portion 116 engaged with tailpiece face 853 and protuberance 90 respectively in Off and On positions of the alarm.

A second brake is provided for restraining operation of the alarm when tailpiece '72 is in the alarm-On position with brake spring 94 released. This second brake comprises a strap 118 of resiliently fiexible metal having an upper end portion 126 engageable against the outer face 122 of siren shaft 54 and a lower end portion 124 which projects into the hollow interior of tailpiece 72. This end portion is provided with a finger 126 which projects toward the rearward or doorward side of the alarm for engagement against a side 128 of plunger 42 (FIG. 6).

Strap 118 has an intermediate portion 136 which is loosely contained beneath pivot 11% and between legs 113 of U-shaped lever 112. A part 132 of this intermediate portion is sloped for camming engagement with pivot pin 110 so that when the strap moves vertically downwardly it is shifted to the right as FIGS. 6 and 10 are viewed to bring upper end 126 into contact with shaft face 122. The strap has another sloped intermediate portion 134 for engagement by lower end portion 116 of lever 112 for a purpose to be described.

In use it may be assumed that spring motor 58 has been wound up by the use of key 56 and key 56 is stored under spring retainer 6%. Lock 7%) is operated by a key K to open position (FIG. 3). In this position slot 82 in tailpiece 72 is aligned with housing slot 73. Projection on the tailpiece is displaced from lever end 116 (FIG. 8) and lever end 116 engages flat face 88 of the tailpiece permitting upper end 96 of brake spring 94 to engage face 98 of shaft head 54 for frictionally restraining operation of siren 48 (FIG. 11). Spring 94 holds lower end 116 of lever 112 in a counterclockwise retracted position relative to spring 118 so that the latter remains freely movable.

To mount the alarm device, slots 66 in the upper anchor plate 64 are hooked over screws 63. The lower end of the alarm device is held outwardly to the dotted line position of FIG. 2 during this procedure so that slots 73 and 82 will clear stud head 44. Since brake strap 18 is loosely contained, it drops gravitationally downwardly. At this time upper end 1211 of the brake strap is lightly en aged against shaft face 122.

The lower end of the siren housing is then swung toward the door so that its rearward side is engaged against the door. Durin this step, housing slot 73 and tailpiece slot 32 pass around stud 40 with head 44 on the stud entering the hollow interior of the tailpiece; finger 126 is brought to a position adjacent side 1128 of plunger end 42 as represented in broken lines in FIG. and may lightly engage the plunger.

The key is now turned either to the alarm Off position or the alarm On position as desired, and in either case tailpiece slot 82 rotates out of alignment with housing slot 78 thereby anchoring tie alarm device against movement away from the door and against movement upwardly away from latch housing 30. In the Off position illustrated in FIG. 9, protuberance 90 is disengaged from lower end 116 of the brake lever so that upper end 96 of brake spring 94 restrains operation of the siren. In this position latch mechanism 24 can be operated repeatedly without disturbing any of the parts in housing Finger 126 on brake spring 118 remains in the dotted line position of FIG. 10 while plunger 40 moves up and down incidental to operation of the latch.

To set the alarm for actuation, key K is turned to the On position (FIG. 3) which rotates protuberance 90 on the tailpiece to connect lower end 116 of the brake release lever 112. The lever is thereby rocked clockwise as FIG. 10 is viewed and upper end 114 of the lever forces spring end 96 away from brake surface 98. At the same time lower end 116 of the lever engages cam portion 134 of brake spring 118. Lower end 124 of the brake spring is restrained against outward movement by engagement of finger 126 with side 128 of plunger end 42. However, portions of the spring between pivot 110 and finger 126 are flexed to the left as FIG. 10 is viewed and pin 11% acts as a fulcrum about which upper end 120 of the spring is swung clockwise into braking engagement against shaft surface 122. Thus the alarm device is restrained against operation even though brake spring 94 is released from shaft head 54. The parts are now in the position illustrated in FIG. 6.

If latch 24 is now operated by depressing bar 26, plunger 42 disengages finger 126 and spring 118 snaps to its unstressed condition releasing upper end 120 from brake surface 122. This frees siren 48 for operation. When the panic bar is released and plunger 42 returns upwardly, it merely engages finger 126 and shifts the entire brake spring upwardly since the brake spring is again loosely contained by pin 110 and lever sides 113. The alarm continues to operate.

The alarm cannot be turned off except by a person having a key which will operate lock 70 for turning tailpiece 72 to disengage protuberance 90 from lever end 116. When this is done lever 112 is freed for rocking and spring end 96 returns to braking engagement with shaft face 98. Strap 113 is also freed so that it can drop down for reengagement of finger 126 with plunger 42.

To reset the alarm, lock 70 is operated by key K to manipulate tailpiece 72 to the FIG. 8 position in which tailpiece slot 82 is aligned with housing slot 78. The bottom end of the alarm device can then be swung to the dotted line position of FIG. 2 and slots 66 disengaged upwardly from screws 68. The alarm can then be rewound and reinstalled in position in the manner described. In reinstalling the alarm, brake spring 1118 again drops downwardly so that it automatically becomes positioned for reengaging plunger end 42 as illustrated in dotted lines in FIG. 10. The alarm can then be manipulated to the Off or On position as desired in the manner described.

I claim:

1. An alarm adapted for use in conjunction with a door or the like and an associated latch having a latchoperated plunger, said alarm comprising, an alarm-transmitting device in a housing adapted to be mounted on a door, lock means releasably locking said housing in place and in locked condition being manipulable selectively to Off and On positions, means forming a first brake in said housing spring biased to provide first restraint to operation of said device in Off position of said lock means, means forming a second brake having a brake element and another element positioned for engagement with a latch plunger in said housing, brake-operated means operable responsive to manipulation of said lock means to said On position to release said first brake and actuate said second brake, said brake element being operative in actuated condition of said second brake to provide second restraint to operation of said device and said other element in said actuated condition, by engagement with the latch plunger, providing a reaction for said second restraint, said second restraint being releasable responsive to disengagement of said plunger and other element incidental to operation of the latch whereby to free said device for operation, said other element being operably free of the influence of return movement of said plunger so that said second restraint remains released, said first brake being re-engageable responsive to manipulation of said lock means from said On position,

2. The combination defined in claim 1 characterized in that said elements are loosely supported by means within said housing to facilitate return thereof to their respective positions for providing said second restraint and engaging said plunger.

3. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said brake-operating means and first brake are returned by said spring-bias to provide said first restraint responsive to said manipulation of lock means from said On position.

4. An alarm adapted for use in conjunction with a door or the like and an associated latch having a latchoperated plunger, said alarm comprising, an alarm-transmitting device in a housing adapted to be mounted on a door, lock means releasably locking said housing in place and in locked condition being manipulable selectively to Oh and On positions, means forming a first brake in said housing spring biased to provide first restraint to operation of said device in Off position of said lock means, means including a resiliently distortable mem ber forming a second brake, said member having end portions which provide respectively a brake element and another element positioned for engagement with a latch plunger in said housing, means providing a fulcrum engaging an intermediate portion of said member, brakeoperating means operable responsive to manipulation of said lock means to said On position to release said first brake and engage said member between said fulcrum and one of said end portions to stress said member, said brake element being operative under the influence of said stress to provide second restraint to operation of said device and said other element by engagement with the latch plunger providing a reaction thereto, said second restraint being releasable responsive to disengagement of said plunger and other element incidental to operation of the latch whereby to free said device for operation, said member being operably free of the influence of return movement of said plunger so that said second restraint remains released, said first brake being re-engageable responsive to manipulation of said lock means from said On position.

5. The combination defined in claim 4 wherein said resiliently distortable member is loosely contained in a generally vertical attitude in said housing, said member having a sloped intermediate portion providing a cam interengageable with said fulcrum for returning said elements to their respective positions gravitationally when said element is freed from the influence of said plunger.

6. The combination defined in claim 4 wherein said brake-operating means comprises a lever having one end portion operable under the influence of said lock means to release said first brake, the other end portion of said lever being operable under the influence of said lock means to engage said member.

7. The combination defined in claim 6 wherein said brake-operating lever has a pivot, said pivot providing said fulcrum for said brake member.

8. An alarm adapted for use in conjunction with a door or the like and an associated latch having a latchoperated plunger, said alarm compris ng, an alarm-transmitting device in a housing adapted to be mounted on a door, lock means releasably locking said housing in place and in locked condition being manipulable selectively to Off and On positions, a leaf spring in said housing providing a first brake biased to restrain operation of said device, a brake operating lever in said housing which with its fulcrum loosely supports a resiliently distortable element in a vertical direction, one end of said member in downward position thereof being positioned for engaging a plunger in said housing and the other end of said member being positioned for applying second restraint to operation of said device, said lever being rockable responsive to manipulation of said lock means to said On position, one end of said lever responsive to said rocking engaging said leaf spring for freeing said restraint and the other end of said lever simultaneously engaging said region between said fulcrum and one end to lever said other end for applying said second restraint and stressing said member so that said one end provides a reaction against said second restraint, said second restraint being releasable responsive to disengagement of said one end of said member and said plunger whereby to free said device for operation, said member being operably free of the influence of return movement of said plunger whereby said second restraint remains free, said lever being rockable in a return direction under the action of said leaf spring responsive to manipulation of said lock means from said On position whereby to re-apply said first restraint, said member having a sloped portion providing a cam interengagea'ole with said fulcrum to return said end portions thereof gravitationally to their respective operative positions when said member is free of the influence of said lever and plunger.

9. The combination defined in claim 8 wherein said lock means includes a tailpiece rotatable within said housing, said tailpiece having a face engaged by said other end of said operating lever in Off positions of said alarm, said face having a protuberance which engages said other end portion of said lever to rock the same for operating said first and second brakes in the manner described.

10. An alarm adapted for use in conjunction with a door or the like and an associated latch having a latchoperated plunger, said alarm comprising, an alarm-transmitting device in a housing adapted to be mounted on a door, a lock having a tailpiece rotatable within said housing for releasably locking said housing in place, said tailpiece in locked condition being rotatable selectively to Off and On positions of said alarm, said tailpiece having a hollow interior adapted to receive said plunger, means forming a first brake in said housing spring biased to provide first restraint to operation of said device in Off position of said lock means, means forming a second brake having a brake element and another element projecting into said tailpiece interior for engagement with a latch plunger therein, brake-operating means operable responsive to rotation of said lock means to said On position to release said first brake and actuate said second brake, said brake element being operative in actuated condition of said second brake to provide second restraint to operation of said device and said other element in said actuated condition, by engagement with the latch plunger, providing a reaction for said second restraint, said second restraint being releasable responsive to disengagement of said plunger and other element incidental to operation of the latch whereby to free said device for operation, said other element being operably free of the influence of return movement of said plunger so that said second restraint remains released, said first brake being re-engageable responsive to rotation of said tailpiece from said On position.

11. The combination defined in claim 10 wherein said housing has a slot extending away from the door for re ceiving an anchor means associated with the door, said tailpiece having an axial slot which in said unlocked position is generally parallel with said housing slot for receiving a plunger, said tailpiece slot having circumferential branches facilitating turning of said tailpiece selectively to said On and Off positions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,038,436 Stebbins June 12, 1962

Claims (1)

1. AN ALARM ADAPTED FOR USE IN CONJUNCTION WITH A DOOR OR THE LIKE AND AN ASSOCIATED LATCH HAVING A LATCHOPERATED PLUNGER, SAID ALARM COMPRISING, AN ALARM-TRANSMITTING DEVICE IN A HOUSING ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED ON A DOOR, LOCK MEANS RELEASABLY LOCKING SAID HOUSING IN PLACE AND IN LOCKED CONDITION BEING MANIPULABLE SELECTIVELY TO OFF AND ON POSITIONS, MEANS FORMING A FIRST BRAKE IN SAID HOUSING SPRING BIASED TO PROVIDE FIRST RESTRAINT TO OPERATION OF SAID DEVICE IN OFF POSITION OF SAID LOCK MEANS, MEANS FORMING A SECOND BRAKE HAVING A BRAKE ELEMENT AND ANOTHER ELEMENT POSITIONED FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH A LATCH PLUNGER IN SAID HOUSING, BRAKE-OPERATED MEANS OPERABLE RESPONSIVE TO MANIPULATION OF SAID LOCK MEANS TO SAID ON POSITION TO RELEASE SAID FIRST BRAKE AND ACTUATE

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