US549612A - Bank oashieb protector - Google Patents

Description

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BANK OASHi RRRRRR RRRRR v No. 549,612. I Patented Nov. 12,1895. 1

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N. B. REES. BANK CASHIER PROTECTOR- NO. 549,612. Patented NOV. 12, 1895.

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ANDREW BJBRMIAM. FHUTWUMOWASNINGTONJYC.

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N. REES, BANK GASHIER PROTECTOR. No. 549,612. Patented Nov. 12, 1895.

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I 40 41 HI l1 V I E 33 UNITED "STAT- Es PATENT OFFICE.

NAPOLEON REES," OF LINCOLN, KANSAS, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF TO I FRANK PETREE, or SAME PLACE.

BAN K-CVASHIYE'R PROTECTOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 549,612, dated November 12,1895. I Application filed March 12, 1895. Serial No. 541,498. (No model.)

clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure I is a front View of my bank-cashier protector. Fig. II is a transverse vertical section at the line 00, Fig. I. Fig. III is an under side View of the floor and attachments. Figs. IV and V represent details.

This invention relates to means for protecting the cashier and other officers and employs of banks from (as it is generally termed) being held up while about their duty in the bank; and its object is, primarily, to enable any such person to instantly surround himself and the treasures under his keeping with a bullet-proof shield in case of such danger, and, secondarily, to entrap the would-be robber.

To this end my invention consists in the construction and combination of parts forming a bank-cashier protector hereinafter described and claimed.

10 represents the stationary wall of a bankoffice, usually located within a room of a house at a little distance away from the sides thereof. This wall should be of bullet-proof material and rise to the base 11 of the cashiers window 12. Above the wall may extend the usual grating 13 of iron bars.

14 is the shield, which is a principal feature of this invention. It is preferably made of sheet-steel in the form of a box the full size of the interior of the office and is fitted to slide vertically in corner-grooves 15.

16 represents a wire, rope, chain, or cord attached to the top of the shield and passing over pulleys 17 18 and down the rear side of the office, where it is provided with a catcheye 19. 20 is a fixed catch-pin, upon which the said eye may be hooked when the rope is drawn down to hold the shield raised.

21 is the tripper-bolt extending around the office at the four sides thereof beneath the floor 22 and provided with trip- pins 23, 24,

and 25. A spring 26 impels this bolt outward, and a catch-pin 27 on a spring 28, which is connected with the bolt, engages a hasp 29 to hold the bolt set when retracted, A series of levers 30 are pivoted beneath the floor and extend to various points near the sides of the room, where they communicate with triggers 31 that extend up through the floor within easy reach of the cashiers toe, or the toe of any officer or employ standing at the counters 32; but these triggers are not located in the open floor space where they would be accidentally hit. A cage 33 of iron bars or steampipes extend in front of the office, leaving a passage between, at the ends of which are doors 34 35, preferably fitted to slide into the office-casing, as shown in Fig. IV, where they are held each bya catch 36 against the action of a push-spring 39 while the bank is open. A lever 37 communicates between each catch 36 and one of the trip-bolt pins 24: or 25.

The, office-door 38 may be closed and locked.

in office hours, or it may be left open and provided with a closing-spring and catch like the doors 34 and 35,as shown in Fig. IV. Each of the said spring-impelled doors is provided with a rack 40 of teeth and a detent 41 to hold the door at any point of advance against being pushed back. This rack is preferably located at the top of the door; but if it should be more convenient or effectual it-inay be at the middle or bottom of the door.

The operation is described as follows: The shield 11 may be raised by pulling down on the cord 16, or by any usual means, and the eye 19 be caught on the pin 20 after pushing back the tripper-bolt 21 to its catch 27. Now raise the detents 41 and slide the doors 31 and 35 back until they are held by catches 36, and this portion of the bank is ready for business. Then if a robber makes a hostile movement the shield may be instantly dropped to protect the inmates by any one of them pressing a trigger 31, which will actuate a lever 30 to release the catch-pin 27 of the tripper-bolt 21, leaving the latter free to be impelled forward by the spring 26, which releases the eye 19 from the pin 20, whereby the cord 16 and the shield attached are set free for the latter to drop. The same movement of the tripper-bolt 21 actuates the lever 37 to release the catches 36, setting the doors free to be closed by their springs 39, thereby entrapping the robber in the cage 33. If he should be part way out and in the path of the door when it is sprung, he will be caught there by and the detent 4:1 and rack 40 will hold the door againstany effort of his to open it again. For further defense the wall 10 or the shield 14 may be perforated with portholes 42 at suitable points, with doors 43 to close them operated from the inside.

The walls, the shield, and the cage may be made in sections convenient to be sepa rated for transportation and for being quickly set up anywhere. The shield enters a groove when down, so that its edge cannot be reached and even a crowbar cannot be inserted to pry it up. If it should happen that robbers did lay siege to a bank thus protected, the selfimprisoned attendants could communicate with police-headquarters by the usual wires entering the office.

I do not limit myself to the exact construction herein described in any respect. The triggers may all be connected by a rail 44, extending around the room inside, or triggers of similar operation may be located within reach of the operators hand. Neither is it necessary to this invention that the shield should surround the office, for frequently the construction of the bank building presents a single front to customers, so that a shield in the form of a partition crossing the room only would meet the requirement. Furthermore, the application of this invention to the protection of ticket-sellers at theaters, depots, &c., and for the protection of the cashier or money-handler in a great variety of offices would require the shield over a single window only. In the latter case it is evident that a shield to slide like my cage-doors would meet the requirement. Sliding doors are common and doors hinged as usual or pivoted to swing in their own plane maybe substituted for those described.

The shield and walls referred to may be made of any suitable material, such as Bessemer steel.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I believe to be new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is the following:

1. In bank cashier protectors,a bulletproof shield; ways for the same to slide in, a rope or chain connected with the shield and passing over pulleys and down at the side of the shield and provided with an eye at its end; a fixed pin hook for the said eye, a trigger bolt located below the shield to engage the said eye and provided with a spring catch pin and an impellin g spring; levers pivoted to fixtures and extending from the said spring catch to various points beneath the shield, and triggers at these points, substantially as described.

2. In bank cashier protectors, a reciprocating bullet proof shield; means for holding the shield open, releasing mechanism and means for suddenly closing the shield, a cage beside the shield, one or more doors for the cage, springs for closing the doors, a ratchet and detent for each door whereby it will be firmly held at anypoint of closing, a catch for each door and means communicating between each catch and the said releasing mechanism substantially as described, whereby the shield and doors will be simultaneously set free to be suddenly closed.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' NAPOLEON n. REES.

\Vitnesses:

DEXTER L. RUceLEs, GEORGE L. WEBB.

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