US372027A - Electro-magnetic safe-lock - Google Patents

Description

4 Sheets Sheety 1.

(No Model.)

Patented Oct. 25

No.f372

N. PETERS. Phmu-Lnhugmpher. washingmn. D. C.

(No Mdel.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2. C. J. KINTNER.

ELECTRO MAGNETIC SAFEV LOCK. No. 372,027. Patented 0013.25, 1887.

m/ di' w22-EE. .a

N. PETERS. PhumLinwgmplmr. Wuhmon. D. C.

(No Model.) 4 sheets-.sheen 3.

C. J. KINTNER.

l BLEGTRO MAGNETIC SAFE LOUK. Na-372,027. Patented 0013.25, 1887.

F-IIIIWI (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet C. J. KINTNEB..

ELECTRO MAGNETIC SAFE LOCK.

N0. 3721,02?. Patented Oct. 25, 1887.

Bank 0177;: e/s Rea/'dense'.

N. PETERS. Pnuxo-Lnhugmpher. wnshmgmn. D. C

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES J. KTNTNER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRO-MAGNETIC SAFE-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.' 372.027. dated October 25, 1887;

Application filed May 1G, 1887. SerialrNo. 238,489. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.-

y Be it known that I, CHARLES J. KINTNER, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have made a new and useful invention in ElectroMagnetic Combination -Locks for Safes and Vaults, of which the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, constitutes a full and exact description.

My invention relates particularly to a new form of combinationv-lockfoontrolling apparatus; such that all the bolts, bolt-drawing and bolt controlling apparatus are located inf cated at the police-station or bank oliicers residence, whereby, on tampering with the circuits either at the bank ofcers residence, the safe or vault, or any intermediate portion of the circuit, an alarm will be given at the police-station. It also relates to certain details, hereiuafte noted, and particularly pointed out in the claims which follow this specification.

Referring now to the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the interior of safe or vault door, showing the bolts in locked position and Y its immediate connections.

also the electro-magnets and apparatus which control the circuits for releasing or drawing said bolts. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectionof Fig. 1 through the door on a broken or zig-zag line, showing the bolt-drawing weight and Fig. Bis a similar cross-section through the door, displaying the top of the circuit-controlling magnets and cir cuit=controlling springs and the insulated couductors embedded in the door, with their exterior contact-points. Fig. 4 is a detail showing the contacts on the exterior of the safe andthe circuitcontrolliug armtherefor. Fig. 5 is a cross-section o'f Fig. 4, showing two of the contacts and the pivoted oontactarm for controlling the circuits. Fig.'6 is a detail of a portion of the edge of the door, showing the bolt-guiding rollers; and Fig. 7, a cross section of Fig. 6, showing similar parts. Fig. 8 is a general diagram showing the circuits, connec-` tions, lock-controlling magnets, and weight for drawing the bolts, all that portion shown insolid lines being located within the safe, while all that portion shown in dotted lines is located on the exterior of the safe. Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the safe, showing the door closed, with the controlling-battery attached.

Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic View of my system,

designed to evade time-locks and detect burglars, showing a repetition of Fig. 8 at the bottom ofthe sheet and a conductingconduit containing a series of conductors in a cable connecting the bank with the policestation and ultimately with the cashier or bank oicers residence, where the combination-controllingl dial, such as shown in Fig. 4, is located.

I will now refer to the drawings in detail, then describe the mode of operation of the complete apparatus, after which I will describe, brieliy, theexisting state of the art in electrical combination-locks, pointing out the advantages which I claim for my system, and finally set forth the features which l propose to claim as of my invention.

A represents the safedoor. Attached toits inner side, as seen in Fig. 1, are shown sliding bolts BO of the usual pat-tern, but adapted in this instance to slide bythe action of gravity into position when released and freed as much as possible from friction by rollers B B at top and bottom. (Better seen in Figs. 6 and 7.) These rollers are merely guidingrollers, and are so arranged as to allow the heavy strain upon the bolts to come against the bearingframe, and are held iu place by screw-bolts N N, which pass through a boltsustaining strip, V, and extend into the door, aided in their sustaining function by bolts N N. Ou a pair of eye-bars, C C, are located additional rollers B" B, and both bolts are rigidly attached together by a bolt-frame, B', which has nearits middle a projecting lug, B", having a hole near its outer end of sufficient size to receive a spring-pressed pin, Pf", (see Figs. 1 and 2,) when the door opens, thereby holding the bolts from sliding down u til said pin is released Yor pressed out of pos tion-a roo condition which takes place only when the door is closed, and an. additional pin, Pa', (see Fig. 2,) attached to the inner face of the safe, is forced into opening and' P forced back, as seen', 'when the bolts' are released and allowed to run forward by their own weight, the `pin TFH playing in the slot Pil". The bolteframe B nas near its center a camshaped opening, K, which has thejoint function, with the` weight W, bell-crank lever L, and roller r, ot' drawing the `bolts and permitting them, when pin Pa is released, to run into place and betirmly locked by the pivoted click-piece L, pivoted at Z", and having a retaining-spring, S.

The full lines show the bolts, locking parts,

and weights in vproper position when the safe is locked, andthe dotted lines show them in position when the safe is open.

M is the locking-magnet, Whose armaturelever A is attached to the door by a screw- -mounted stand, E', and rests normally on an adjustable back-stop, cl. It has near its lefthand end an opening, H, adapted to receive the lower end of locking armature lever A when repelled.

o is a permanent magnet attached to the armaturelever Aff and held normally by its attraction against thepoles ofthe electro-magnet M, thus locking the armature lever A down, as shown.

S is a retractile spring attached to Ai", but so adjusted as not to draw said lever away from the poles of magnet M under ordinary circumstances. sent in the proper direction through magnet M", its poles being polarized similarly to the lrespective ends ot' the magnetic keeper or armature 0, it is repelled, and hence allows spring S to withdraw it. At the same time armature o' is energized and drawn up, the lower end of armature lever Aiv now passing through the opening H. This action releases the bolt-drawing lever L and permits the weight W to leave.- its back stop 'I and fall freely. The opposite or short'arm-raisingroller1- passes along the curve ofslot I but has n'o appreciable effect upon t-he bolt-frame until the weight has obtained sufficient momentum to cause it to strike near the upper inclined end ot' said slot with a heavy blow, which causes the bolts to be quickly and surely drawn, and the weight W and bolts 13v to assume the position shown in dotted lines, the pin P slipping `into place when the door is opened and holding them until the door is again closed,the weightWhaviug in the meantime been lifted by hand into locking position, the ari'nature-lever having been so manipu` lated by hand as to admit thereof'.

M, M., M", and S are the combination controlling and safety magnets, all of which are identical in their general details and func-` tions, except that S performs the4 duty of a safety controlling-magnet, as will be hereinafter described.

'Ihe magnets M, M', and S have solenoidor suction cores c c c, to thelower ends of which Vhen, however,a current is' are attached dashers or pistons D2, sliding in dash-pots fixed, as shown, to the door, and having vent-holes o o c to allow the air inthe upper part of said dash-pots to escape freely when the cores are drawn up. In the lower part of said dash-potsare puppet-valves c", one or more in each dashpot, and air-vents m or @with vent screws m m m, adapted to regulate the flow of'air into and out of the several dash-pots. These dash-pots are so arranged and adjusted that when the magnets are energized the .cores are drawn up very quickly, but run back very slowly on demagnetization under the inuence of spring- .pressed levers z, z', and z acting ou push-rods e e eare adjustable nuts for regulating the throw of the parts fff, and hence the circuit-controlling springs KK K.

The levers z zfz are pivoted at q q'q to parts attached to the door, and rest normally upon backstops b b b n nder the inliuenceof adj listing-springs s s 8.- The relations ofthese parts will 'be fully describedin yconnection with the description of a diagram shown in Fig. 8,which Iwill now describe at length. In this ligure all the parts shown in solidlines are located entirely withiny the safe, the bolt mechanism operated by W L L not being shown, but also located similarly as shown in Fig. l. The parts shown in dotted lines are located entirely outside ofthe safe, as seen'als'O. inFig. 9, side elevation, in full lines outside the door.

sa is whatI call a safety-ring,7 of conducting material,attached to thedoor,bntinsulated therefrom. From the outside of the; door leading through it to this ring is a series of conductors, l 2 3 4,8m., to 20,`all east into said door in' zigzag shape, as shown in Fig. 3, so as to prevent attacks upon the door by drills or tools. All of these conductors are insulated -with asbestus, glass, or some good insulating material which will withstand the high heat resulting during the process of casting the door-plate. face a circular sequence, as shown in Fig. 4,

rand all except the numbers designed for operating the combinations (in this instance 6, 11, and 16) are electricallyconnected to the sal'etyring sa, which latter is insulated from the door. Nos. 6, 1l, and 16V are insulated from the ring, as yshown in Fig. S, by inserting rubber washers under the contact-nuts, and each of these conductors is afterward connected with its particular combination-cin cuit, as will be described.4

The safety-ring sa is connected by a con-- ductor or wire,y, to bindingpost b,and thence through said wire to the safety-magnet S,con ductors ywl" x" baci: to battery, and its function will be fully described hereinafter.`

Each of the'combination-magnets M M Ml has' an independent circuit fr Z d', each of which, except x, 'is normally open at the points dando/,but also normally closed through shunt-routesabout thesaid magnets M and IOO They have on their exterior sure IIS I i y M' to the safety-magnet S by wires y andi from levers z' z, respectively.

T1 is a well-known form of trembler-bell lo catedinside the safe,having an actuating-magnet, B, equal in resistance to a shunt-resistance, R, in a derived circuit around said bellmagnet. The function of this bell and resistance is twofold-viz., to make a noise inside the safe while working the circuits,aud also to automatically vary the'resistance so rapidly that galvanoineter tests cannot be made from a point on the outside of the safe for the purpose of picking the lock.

B A is the battery connected from binding-post n by wires and w* to the circuitclosing or dial arm I. (Seen in Figs. 4, 5, 8, and 9.)

In place of battery B A it may be desirable to substitute a magneto-machine attached directly to the door and adapted to be rotated by hand. In fact, I prefer such a machine as being more constant and less liable to get out of order, it being understood of course that such a machine must generate director straight currents,such as will actuate neutral electro-magnets like those shown and described.

H A (seen in Fig. 9) is a handle having a shouldered button adapted to take into the face ofthe door like a cani when rotated to the right, and thereby insure the action of the pin P" upon the spring-pressed pin P, Fig. 2, so as to' certainly release the bolts and allow them to run securely into locked position.

I will now proceed to describe as briefly as possible the mode ofoperation of my improved lock, havingspecial reference in such description to Figs. 1 and 8. In the drawings the numbers 6, 11, and 16, in sequence, constitute the combinations necessary to open the safe, and the circuit running from the battery B A must be closed through these numbers in their order before the bolts can be drawn. Sup pose the safe is locked as shown, and the weight NV held in the position shown in the drawings. Proceeding to operate the combinations, turn the handle or dial I in either di rection until the spring I" is over the number 6. (See Figs. 5 and 8.) Press the knob K0. A current is then sent from battery B A by wire x3 to bindingpost n, wire fr", handle I, spring I", contact 6, through its insulated wire to wire x", magnet M', binding-post x", wire Z to point q," lever z", bindingpostom, wire x' to binding post t, where it divides, one half going by spring t' to armaturelever t, wire magnet B, wire 01:"to binding-post xvi, the other half going by wire xiv to resistance It and to the same binding-post, where both currentsjoin and go thence by wire a to the opposite pole of the battery B A. This energizes magnets'M' and B, and causes the core C' (see Figs. 1 and 8) to be drawn up, thus causing the pushrod P to rise and lift the lever z', turning it about point q' against the retractileforce of spring s', allowing the spring K to come into firm and continuing contact with the contactscrew c', thus making a new circuit from the second contact-point, 11, as will be described. The magnet B causes the bell T' to ring as long as this circuit is closed. In rising the cores of the magnets M, M',and S are drawn quickly.up,the plungers attached to said cores, as seen at DZin magnet S, Fig. l, b eing allowed to ascend quickly by reason of the air-vents e, e, and e', together with the tappetvalves seen in the bottom of the dash-pot, but on returning these valves '0" are closed; hence the plunger will return comparatively slowly, as desired, the speed with which they return being regulated solely by the stress upon the retractile springs s s' s" and the regulation of the vent-valves t fo' 00" by set or valve screws m m' m". It will thus be seen that after having energized magnet M', if the hand or dial I is swung quickly to the next number of the combination, as 11, before the core C'has had time to resume its normal condition, and thus break contact between c' and spring K', and knob KO is again depressed, a new circuit will be closed from battery B A as follows: by wire to bindingpost a, thence by wire m, arm I, spring I", Fig. 5, to con tact 11,th rough the insulated wire embedded in the door to wire Z, thence tog by z',to springs s and K', by contact-screws c' to wire Z and magnet M,b v wires Z" Z' to g" by z", and finally to contact 0"', and back by the same route as before to the battery. This energizes magnet M and causes its core and dasher or plunger and push-rod P to be forced up, and lever z to be tilted about its pivot q, causing spring K to be brought into a firm and continuing electrical contact with the point c, thus closing a new circuit to the unlocking-magnet or last combination circuit. The arm I should be then turned quickly to the point 16 and knob K" depressed as before, and a new circuit is made from the battery, as before, through arm I, spring I", Contact point 16, through the embedded insulated wire to wire d', and thence to pivot q, lever z, spring s and K, contact c, wire d, unlocking magnet M', wire d, pivot g", lever z" to contact 0"', and back to battery by the divided circuit, as in both previous instances. This energizes magnet M'" and causes its poles to be so magnetized as to repel the permanent magnet o, attached to the locking-lever Ai", and at the same time draw up the armature-lever A', the end of the locking armature-lever Aiv passing through the opening H in armature-lever A. This releases the weighted lever L and allows IV to fall. Y

By examining Fig. 1 it will be seen that no effect is had by the short arm L and roller i' upon the bolt-frame until the weight WV has fallen some distancesay half the space it passes through,a s shown in broken linesthus giving said weight a heavy striking force to quickly draw the bolts, which it does, the weight assuming the position shown in dotted lines. As the bolts are drawn to their eX- treme baekstroke and the door opened, the head of the spring-pressed pin Pa slips into IOO IIO

ISO

` common route to battery.

place and locks them in this position, so that when the weight NV is lifted by hand to again lock it in the position shown in Fig. 1 the bolts cannotrun down until the door is closed, which action releases pin P and allows them to run into place, as before disclosed, the click-spring catch L" springing into position behind the roller r, as seen in Fig. l.

It will be noted that the vent-screws m m', Fig. 1, may be adjusted so as to allow the dashers to run back at any rate of speed desired, and I prefer that not more than five seconds should elapse between the time of leaving one contact and making another, so as to leave as little time as possible for finding the succeeding numbers.` Of course the bank officer who is familiar with the combination can pass from one number to the others quite rapidly, so that he may make his combination rapidly; but if he delays unnecessarilylong between any two numbers he must go back to the starting-point and begin over, for the dashers will run down and break the circuits.

I will now describe the function and opera tion ofthe safety-magnet S. All ofthe contacts from 1 to 20, inclusive, except those forming the combination-in this instance 6, 1l, and 16-run to what I call a safety-ring7 Sa,and from thence by a common conductor, y, to post b', by wire y to the safety-magnet S, wire y to point t", where the current splits, as hereto fore described, and passes by two paths to post and back to battery, so that it' arm I and spring I" is pressed upon any contact except a combination-contact in its proper sequence the safety-magnet is energized and core C" drawn up, and with it dasher D2 and plunger-rod P, tilting lever z" about its pivot q" and breaking the common outlet to all the combination4 circuits at the point 0"', but making at the same instant of time a new circuit at the point c for said combination-circuits around their respective magnets, shuntiug all of them, so that after S is once energized all the twenty circuits become safety-circuits until the dasher Il returns to its normal position and all of said circuits will be closed through the magnet S, as follows: For number 6, by wire 4v", contact c", spring K, wire y, magnet S, back by the For circuit 11, by wire Z, lever z', contact b', wire y, magnet S, as before, to battery. For circuit 16, by wire d', lever z, post b, wire t', wire y, magnet S, back to battery. It will thus be seen that after once having operated magnet S the operator must wait for its core and dasher to assume a normal position before he can act ou any combination-number, and that he can only do by actuating the numbers 6, 11, and 16, in their regular order. It will also be noted that the circuits from 11 and '16 to their proper magnets M M"l are normally open atcand c, but are also closed through shunts to the posts b' and b by wires t and y to the safetymagnet S and back to battery, so that all the circuits, save that of number 6, are safety-circuits until 6 is rst closed, and then the others sucl'cessively, which successive action breaks the shunts at b' and b. By this arrangement I effectually guard against testing for the numbers consecutively, as it will be seen that it will be absolutely necessary to close the circuits in their proper sequence to open the safe, and if this is once deviated from the operator must await till the safety-magnet runs down and begin again with the original number-as 6, in this instancev before he can proceed to unlock the safe. Each closure of the circuit actuates the trembler-bell Tl by its magnet B and creates a disturbance such that no sounds can be detected in the operation of the mechanism, and also automatically varies the resistance at'each break of the circuit -between t'and t', so that no galvanometer tests can be reached as to the relative resistance of the safety and combination circuits.

I will now describe that portion of my invention designed to avoid time-locks and de tect burglars in their attempt to burglarize the sate. I

Fig. 10 shows a diagrammatic view of the whole apparatus. The safe or vault is located within the bank or store, as shown at the bottoni of the ligure. On the inner side of the door is arranged the lockcontrolling mechanism, similar in every respect to that already disclosed, except that the arm I is located at the bank oiiicers house instead of on the safedoor. The conducting-wires, however, numberingin this instance twenty, and one returnwire, are all so intermingled before being cast into the door or carried outside as to lose their identity, which is known only to the builder of the safe, who keeps a correct secret record Iot" every safe built and the order which the wires assume as they emerge from the door. After leaving the door they are either carried to a switchboard having a binding-post for cach wire with a characteristic number or mark, also recorded in the makers secret keybook, or they areat once twisted up into a IOO IIO

cable or carried from the switch-board to such cable, and inclosed in a metal or other watertight conduit, and carried thence underground, if desired, to the police-station, where the return-wire 2l is looped off, as shown, and made to include directly in its circuit a trembler-bell, T', with a shunted resistance similar in every respect to the bell T' at the safe. The wire 2l is then again carried to the conduit, and with the other twentylwires to the cashiers or bank officcrs house where the order of the wires is restored by the builder, running from 1 to 20, and 21 is carried through an additional trembler-bell, T', to switch Sw', to battery B A and arm I, which is normally in contact with some one of contacts 1 to 20. It will thus be seen that the cashier or bank oicer-may open the safe from his house and from no other point by simply making the combination-contacts in sequence, as before, and closing key or switch Sw', when the magnets M', M, and M' at the safe will be actuated successively, the wire 21 being a common return-wire for all of the circuits 1 to 20, inclusive. It will also be seen that each closure of the circuit by the switch Sw will ring all three bells as long as the circuit remains closed, and thus give warning at the safe, the police-station, and the'cashiers house that the circuit is being tampered with.

g is a spring-pressed lever located in the return-circuit 2l, and so situated that when the last magnet, M", of the combination is energized the weight YV which draws the bolts will strike it and break the return-circuit at the point g, and thus cause al1 the bells to stop ringing and warn the cashier that he has found his combination'and his safe is unlocked. The wires entering the safe may be taken in between the door and its jamb, or in any desired manner. To apply this mechanism to existing safes it would of course be necessary to construct them in this manner.

Iwill now describe the burglar-alarm apparatus.

At the police station or at the cashiers house, or both, if desired, is located a differential galvanometer, Dz', having a delicate needle, N, located in the magnetic meridian, pivoted, as shown, to the yoke ofthe magnet, and having its free end resting in the middle of one of three notches, but adapted to remain in either of the three notches shown, when forced .in one direction or the other by the coils of the galvanometer. From t-he earth a wire, 22, is taken through asmall battery, B A2, to a point, 02, where it is divided into two circuits, 23 and 24, 24 passing around one coil of the differential galvanometer, and joining direct to the common return-wire, 21, and passing thence to a point, a, of said wire 21, located inside the safe and going through magnet B and resistance R to another branch, a", to ground, making an independent earth-circuit. Theother branch, 23, passes around the other coil of the differential galvanometer and thence through a rheostat, Rh, by switch Sw to ground. The rheostat Rh is so adjusted that when the safe is closed, and hence lever g resting on its contact y, the needle N will remain in its central position when placed there, as shown. In other words, both coils of Dz' balance and no effect is had upon the needle N by battery B A2 as long as the resistances are equal. It will be observed that the bells T '1" at the safe and police-station and cashiers house have adjustable springs ff, which are so adjusted that they will not operate for a small battery-current, and only when current enough is sent to energize any one of the magnets M, M', or h but the galvanometer Di will respond on the slightest variation of the exterior circuit and cause the needle Nf to sway in one direction or the other and close a local circuit from battery B A of sufficient power to work tnc bell at the policestation, through the circuit pp, magnet B, and cause said bell to continue ringing until the balance is restored and the needle N placed in its central position, as shown. XVhen the Safe is open during the day, the switch. Sw

should be opened to prevent the hell from ringing continually. As soon as the safe is closed, the needle will cause the bell to sound an alarm, when the switch should be turned on and the needle again centered, after which the bell will stop ringing, so that the differential galvanometer Di and its circuits form a complete check on the operation of the safe-lock and indicate to the police or the cashier at his house when itis closed or open..

Y I do notlimit myselfto the use ofthe specific details herein described, as it is obvious that many of the details might be modified in various ways. I have disclosed what I consider the best apparatus designed by me to accomplish the results sought, and I desire it understood that the apparatus herein described is ofa generic nature and embraces a wide departure in the art of controlling and regulating bank and safe locks. Prior to my invention in this art safe-locks had been controlled through the agency of electricity through the use ot' double spindles passing through the door. Time mechanisms have been devised for closing electrical circuits at predetermined times and thereby placing the lock in condition to be opened; but so far as I am aware no one has controlled a lock solely by electrical agencies without some mechanical connection passing through the door, nor has any one to my knowledge operated safe-locks from a distance, thereby leaving the safe intact and inapproachable by burglars. I

I will now state some of the advantages of my improved system.

First. The bolts and all mechanical connection being entirely within the safe, it leaves no point of attack for burglars.

Second. Safe and vault doors may be made of any thickness desired, and the conductors cast or built therein, and hence avoid the attack of burglars and the use of dynamite.

Third. The lock is absolutely noiseless in its action and cannot be picked.

Fourth. Any number of combinations maybe made with twenty wires, and a lock with four or five combinations can be unlocked in as many seconds, while with the old style of tumbler-lock a four-combination lock often takes as many minutes, and it is very annoying to have to remember how many times to turn to the right or left successively. Titti my lock I go direct to the number and close the circuit-s successively.

Fifth. I can control my lock from three or more different positions, ifdesired--as from the cashiers house, the presidents house, or the policestation-by taking off derived circuits from the police-station in multiple arc, one set running to each ofiicers house, and a battery and dial located at each house adapted to ring the bell at the police-station.

Sixth. Burglars and a bank officer cannot by collusion rob a safe without also forming a collusion with the police.

Seventh. If one starts wrong in seeking the combination, he can never hope to tind it, for

IOO

IIO

IZO

having once operated the safety-magnet, his future actions are of no avail, as Will be understood from the foregoing description.

Eighth. The burglar-alarm at the police-station is an effectual check upon the cashier, and itlhe fails to close the safe at the usual hour the police are warned, inasmuch as the bell does not ring. They are also warned it he does close it and the bolts fail to go squarely into place, forthe reason that the bell will not ring, as lever g will not go into operative connection, and hence the bell will not ring at the usual hour. If it is closed all right and locked, then the galvanometer rings the bell, and the police must balance up the galvanomcter and cause it to stop ringing by rheostat Rh and switch Sw, so that there can be no such thing as failure to lock the safe Without warning the police except by gross carelessness.

Ninth. Another and important advantage is that by locating the combination-dial at the cashiers house I am enabled to open the safe at any time ofthe day or nigh t-a feature which renders my apparatus much more desirable than time-locks, which cannot be opened after they are once closed until the predetermined time has elapsed. Of course any tampering with the circuit alarms the police, and it' the cashier wished to open the safe at any time other than stated hours he would be required to notify the police and go with them and the president or authorized officer to the bank or safe. This is a very important advantage, and particularly so when we remember how much annoyance is caused by time mechanism getting out of order and delaying banks in their regular business'.

Tenth. The combination can be changed in a moments time by disconnecting the combination-wires from. their particular contactscrews and removing the insulating-Washers shown in Figs. 1 and 3, then inserting these washers under any desired sequence of numbers and substituting for the former the safetycircuits by screwing the metal nuts directly down on the safety-ring.

My invent-ion also possesses an advantage over existing combination-locks in that it can be operated in the dark as well as by day, inasmuch as the combinations can be set by the sense of touch.

I donot claim, broadly, in this application a series of electrical circuits running from the exterior to the interior of the sate and means for controlling the action of the bolts if a prearranged sequence be observed in the closure of such circuits and additional means for preventing the operation of the bolts unless such order be observed; nor do I claim the broad method based upon such apparatus, although shown and described in this application. I reserve such features for a separate application bearing serial number 237,803, filed May l1, 1887, where I have made such claims.

I do not claim, broadly, in this application a series of electrical circuits running from the exterior to the interior of the sal'e with electromagnetsandautomaticbolt-withdrawingmechanism for controlling the bolts; nor do I claim in this application either the apparatus for or the method of controlling an electrical lock by causing a proper 'sequ ence of electrical circuits to close successive circuits at normally open points within the safe, and preventing such operation unless the proper sequence of circuits be closed,all ot'such matters being claimed in another application tiled by me on the 6th day of July, 1887, and bearing serial number 243,598.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a sate or analogous device, the combination ofa sliding bolt or bolts free to slide by their own weight into locking position when the safe-door is closed, with a weighted boltdrawing lever and an electro-magnet having a locking-armature for such bolt-drawing lever, all so arranged that when the magnet is energized the bolts are drawn automatically, substantially as described.

2. In a safe or analogous device, a bolt'or bolts resting at an inclination and normally tending to slide into locking position when the safe-door is closed, in combination with a bolt-drawing lever and an electro-magnet having a lockingarmature for such bolt-drawing lever, substantially as described.

3. The combination, in an electric combination-lock, ot' a series of electrical circuits leading to the interior of the safe, and all except one passing normally through a safety device, with circuit-changers for successively changing the path of the current, if the circuit be properly closed, so as to control the bolts, substantially as described.

4. In an electro-magneticsafelock,the combination of a series of circuit-changing devices located inside the safe, and means, substantially as described, for causing said circuitchanging devices to be actuated successively, substantially as described.

5. In a safe-lock, the combination of bolts adapted to slide into place when the door is closed by the action of their own weight,with means for automatically withdrawing said bolts when desired, and additional means consisting of an electro-magnet and connections, substantially as described, for controlling or releasing said bolt-withdrawing means, substantially'as described.

6. The combination, in a lock, of a series of electro-magnets or solenoids having circuitconnections, as described, and a series of retarding devices, each adapted to hold a circuit closed for a predetermined time only, substantially as described.

7. The withindescribed method of operating the bolt mechanism of a safe from a point outside the building containing such safe, which consists in setting up a prearranged order of electrical currents at such outlying point and causing the same to actuate boltcontrolling mechanism located Within the safe,

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whereby the bolts Vare automatically with drawn, substantially as described.

8. In a system for the protection of safes or vaults against burglaries, the combination of a series of electrical circuits running from a point located outside the building to the inside of the safe, and including electromagnets also located Within the safe, which electromagnets control the bolt mechanism, all of said electrical circuits having a common rcturn-circuit, substantially as described.

9. In a system for the protection of safes or vaults, the combination of a series of electromagnets located inside the safe for controlling the operation of the bolts, with a series of electrical circuits leading from the said electromagnets toa distant point from which it is desired to operate the bolts and circuit-counections, such that the operation of the bolts may be had from said distant stations, substantially as described.

10. In a system for the protection of safes and Vaults, a series of bolt-controlling electromagnets located within the safe, and a series of electrical circuits running from said electromagnets to a distant station from which it is desired to operate the bolts, said circuits being arranged in sequence inside the safe, but hav ing a disorganized order as they pass outside the safe and again rearranged at the distant station in the saine sequence as inside the safe,

in combination with suitable circuit-connections and means for operating the bolts, substantially as described.

11. In a system for protecting safes and vaults from burglary, a series of bolt-controlling electromagnets located inside the safe,iu combination with aseries ofelectrical conductors running from said electromagnets to the outside of the safe and to one or more outlying stations, and alarm-bells and connections, as described, for operating the bolts and sounding an alarm at the same time, substantially as described.

l2. In a system for the protection of safes and Vaults from burglaries, the combination of a series of circuits and a balanced returncircuit all leading from within the safe to a distant station, the latter including a differential electro-magnet and connections for 0perating an alarm, substantially as described.

13. The combination, in a system for the protection of safes and vaults, of means for controlling the operation of the bolts from a distant station, and means Within the safe for indicating to the operator at the distant station when the bolts are withdrawn, substantially as described.

CHARLES J. KINTNER. Witnesses:

JOHN A. WIEDERSHEIM, Jas. F. KELLY.

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