US656341A - Lock-controlling device. - Google Patents

Description

No. 656,34I. Patented Aug. 2|, |900. H. G. CARLETUN.

LUCK YGIIIITROLLING DEVICE.

(Application filed Nov. 9, 1899.)

my@ @is "NITE'D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRXT GUY CARLETON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE CARLETON ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF- SAME PLACE.

LCK-CONTROLLING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION' forming part of Letters Patent No. 656,341, dated. August 21, 1900.

Application tiled November 9l 1899. Serial No.'736.367. (No model.) A

To @ZZ wiz/0m it may concern,.-

Beit known that I, HENRY GUY CARLETON, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, county of New York, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lock-Controlling Devices, f ully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

This invention relates to certain improvements in lock-controlling devices, and is intended more particularly for use in connection with a series of locks which control the means of access to flre-escapes in hotels and apartment-houses. The invention is, however, adapted for use in relations other than that indicated 'and is not therefore to be limited to the particular use. stated.

In hotels, apartment houses, and other similar buildings as now usually constructed the ire-escapes are accessible'on the different floors through a room or rooms which are intended to be occupied by guests or resident-s. The doors are provided with the usual locks, of which the occupants of the rooms hold the keys, and in case of fire the doors are supposed to be opened by a hall attendant who has the pass-key or by the occupants themselves. It often happens, however, that an occupant of a room is out or, if in, fails to notice the sounding of a lire-alarm or goes down the tire-escape withouthaving opened the door, or that the ire breaks out in such a place as to render the door inaccessible to the attendant, or inthe alarm and confusion caused by the ire the attendant fails to perform his duty and unlock the doors, so that the fire-escapes when needed are not accessible.

It is one of the objects of this invention to provide a series of locks, which are preferably, though not necessarily, electrically operated, with a common controlling means by which all the locks may be opened simultaneously, and at the same time to so constructthe locks that each lock may be independently operated without interfering with the operation of the other locks.

A further object of the :invention is to so arrange a system of electrically-controlled locks that all the locks may beuopcrated sinals or alarms which may, when all the' locks are simultaneously operated, notify the occupant of eacn room that his lock has been operated and which may also, if desired," act as a general alarm for the rooms in the vicinity of the one inwhioh the lock is located.

Vith these and other objects in view the invention consists in certain constructions and in certain parts, improvements, and cornbinations,which will be hereinafter described, and fully pointed out in the claims hereunto appended. A

In the accom panyiu g drawings,which form part of this specification, and in which like characters of reference indicate like parts, Figure l is a view, partly in section, illustrating a portion of a building equipped with a flreescape and showing the preferred inanner of protecting the circuits. Fig. 2 is adetail sectional view of a form of electric lock which may be employed. Fig. 3-is a detail view illustratinga form of circuit-controller for each lock which may be employed. Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view illustrating an arrangement of circuits which may be employed. l

Referring to the drawings, l indicates a building the several floors of which are provided with ire-escap'e landings 2 of any usual or approved construction. These landings are or may be connected in any suitable way, as by-ladders 3. The fire-escapes are shown, as is usual in such cases,as accessible through windo\vs,which may be located in one or more of the apartments of the building. Each of the doors of the apartments will be provided, as is usual, with a lock. lVhile the lock e1n- 'ployed may be of any suitable form or description, it will preferably be of the construction shown in my United States Patent IOO No. 508,321, grant-ed August 2, 1898-, the lock being generally of the construction shown in Fig. 2. Reference is made to the said patent for a full description of the lock. For the purposes of this application it is sufficient to say that the lock consists of a sliding bolt 4,- held to its duty by a suitable spring 5. The lock is provided with la suitable cross-bar 8, to which are connected rods 9, the rods being in turn connected by a cross-bar 10,which lies in the path of and is operated by a suitable cam 1l, fixed on the shaft 12 of the doorknob. 4To the bar 8- are fixed movable polepieces 13, extending through stationary magnet-coils 14 and resting against the armature 7, before referred to. It will be understood that when the magnets 14 are energized by' closing the circuit through them the pole-pieces 14 will attract the armature 7. If now the pole-pieces be drawn back by rotating the shaft 12 and causing the cam 11 to operate against the cross-bar 10, the bolt 4 will be drawn backward and the door can be opened. If, however, the knob be turned when the magnets are'denergized, the polepieces 13 will be drawn back without attracting their armature,and the locking-bolt 4 will y remain in position.

Any suitable form ofcircuit-controller for the circuit for the magnets may be provided by which the persons entitled to access to the room may close the circuit, so that the bolt may be slid and the door opened. Preferably, however, the circuit-controller will be of the form and construction shown in my cepending application, Serial No. 731,391, led Sep` tember 23, 1899. A detaileddescription of this"circuit-controller is not necessary, and for the purposes of this application it is sufficient to say that the circuit-controller consists of a key-operated revolving barrel 15, carrying a circuit-closing projection 16. This circuit-closing projection'when the barrel 15 is rotated strikes a pair of terminals 17 18, forcing them together, and thus closing a circuit, which is preferably an alarm -circuit. Mounted in the revolving barrel 15 is another barrel 19, which is preferably locked to the barrel 15 by a series of'pins, (not shown,) the lock being in 'this respect of the ordinary pin-lock type. Thisbarrel 19 is provided with a circuit-closing projection 20, which when the barrel is rotated strikes a terminal 21, the circuits being so arranged that'the projection 2O is one terminal of the lock-circuit and the projection 21 is the other terminal of the lock-circuit. The lock-circuit also includes a terminal 22, which, as shown, is a spring-terminal, and a projection 23 on the barrel 15.` From this description it will be seen that when the barrels 15 and 19 are rotated together, as they will be in case any attempt is made to open the lock by inserting in the keyhole 24 (shown in Vthe key escutcheon 25, Fig. 2) a key which does not release the pin connection between the two barrels, the lock-circuit will be broken by the .disturbing the rest of the locks.

kcircuit includes the contact 20.

The circuits employed are preferably arranged as generally indicated in the diagram in Fig. 4. B indicates any suitable source of electric energy-as, for instance, an ordinary battery. From the battery is led a wire 30, and from the wire 30 are led branch wires 31, said wires leading to the lock-magnets 14 controlling the bolts 4. From the other side of the magnets 14 are led wires 32,'said wires leading to the barrel -19 of theV controller before described. From the contact 21 is led a wire33, said wire joining a wire 34, which in turn joins a wire 35, leading to the battery. The wire 35 runs from the battery to acontactpoint 36 in a suitable switch 37, this switch beinglocated in any suitable position,as in the hotel-office 26. Leading from the arm 38 of the switch is another wire 39. From this wire are led a series of wires 40, which wires communicate with any suitable alarm-as,for instance, bells 41. From the other side of the bells 41 are led Wires 42, which communicate with the wires 31, which, as has been before said, are connected to the wire 34. Wires 43 connect the wire 32 with the wire 39. With the circuits arranged as described it will be seen that when any one 'of the cylinders 19 is operated by the proper key the circuit will be closed from the battery through the wires 30 3l to the lock-magnets, from the lock-magnets through the wires 32, the cylinder 19, the contact 20, the contact 21, and the wires 33, 34, and 35 to the battery. It is apparent, therefore, that each of the locks can be independently operated by persons holding the keys or other means of opening the locks without In case of fire, however, when it is desired to render `the {ire-escapes accessible through the rooms, the clerk in the hotel-office or any other person at any other suitable point turns the switcharm 38. Acircuit is now established fromthe battery through the wire 35, switch 35 38, the Wire 39, and the wires 43 and 32 to the lockmagnets. From these magnets the current goes through the wires 3l and 30 back to the battery. At the same time the circuit :is also established through the branch wires 42, the bell-magnets, and the'wires 40 to the wire 39, and thence through the various connections described to the battery. W'hen this circuit is established, all the locks in the several apartments are placed in condition to be operated, and at the same time the bells are sounded. This notifies the occupants of the several rooms that their locks have been placed in condition to be operated, and if the IIO 'ing to the fire-escapes are unlocked.

bells also 'act as agene'ral alarm the occu-V pants of the adjoining rooms are notified that fire has broken out and that the doors lead- If the bells 41 do not act as a general alarm, a general alarm will of course be sounded from the office or in any other suitable manner and the occupants of the several rooms arenotified of the fire and from a previous understanding will be aware that the doors leading to the fire-escapes are unlocked.

It is of course important that the circuitwires controlling the several locks be protected from iire as far as possible. In order to effect this, the wires are led either from the office or from Ithe central operating` point through a protected conduit 50, the protection for which may consist of asbestos or any other suitable material. This conduit 50 is led outside the building at any suitable point, preferably as near a point as possible to the oflice or other central controlling-point. It then joins an iron or other suitable conduit 51, which, if desired and as shown, may be a part of the supporting structure for the fireescape. From this conduit 5l are led short conduits 52, these conduits running to the several rooms in which the locks are located. By thus running the wires through a protectedconduit in the building and locating them outside the building in an iron or other suitable conduit they are protected as far as possible from the action of the fire and the circuits therefore remain'undisturbed, so that they are operable for as long a period of time as possible after the fire breaks out. It will be further seen that by the arrangement of circuits and alarms shown should any attempt be made to'operate any of the locks by short-circuiting them through the main connections the alarms which are in circuit with the locks will be sounded and the occupants of the rooms notified that an attempt is made to open the locks. l

It is to be understood that the system which has been before described, while particularly applicable to hotels or apartmenthouses, can be used in any place where it is desired to control a series of locks from a central point and at the same time to have the locks independently operable.

It is to be further understood that the various connections and constructions by which the invention is carried into eifect may be widely varied. Any suitable form of lock may be used and any suitable form of circuitcontrollers for the locks may be used.V 'lhe invention is not, therefore, to be limited to the specific constructions and connections which have been shown and described.

What I claim isi l. The combination with a series of electrically-operated locks,of suitable circuit connections,a circuit-controlling device by which all the locks may be operated simultaneously,

'suitable circuit connections and a circuitcontrolling device located near each lock whereby any lock may be operated independently of the other locks, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a series of locks, of an electrically-operated controlling 4mechanism for each lock, circuit connections including all the controlling mechanisms, a circuit-controller for said circuit connections, whereby all the locks may be operatedlsimultaneously, independent circuit connections for each lock, and a circuitcontroller for each of said connections located near each lock whereby it may be operated independently, substantially as described.

The combination with a series of locking-bolts, of a series of lock-controlling mag-- nets, one for each holt, means controlled from a common point for energizing all the magnets simultaneously, and means located near eachmagnet for energizing it separately, substantially as described.

4. The combination with a series of locks, of means whereby all the locks may be operated simultaneously, means whereby any lock may be operated independently of the other locks,aseries of alarm mechanisms,and means whereby the alarm mechanisms are operated when all the locks are operated simultaneously, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a series of electrically-operated locks,of suitable circuit connections and devices whereby all the locks may be operated simultaneously, a series of alarm mechanisms in said circuit, and suitable circuit connections and devices whereby any lock may be operated independently of the other locks, substantially as described.

6. The combination with a series of locks, of an electrically-operated controlling mechanism for each lock, circuit connections including all the controlling mechanisms, a series of alarms in said circuit connections, a circuit-controller for said circuit connections, whereby all the locks may be operated simultaneously, independent circuit connections for the controlling mechanism of each lock, and a circuit-controller for said connections whereby each lock may be operated independently, substantially as described.

7. The combination with a series of bolts, of a series of controlling-magnets one for each bolt, said magnets operating to place the bolts in condition for movement when energized, a circuit connection for energizing all the magnets simultaneously, a series of alarm mechanisms in said circuit connections, and circuit connections for controlling each magnet independently of the other magnets, substantially as described.

S. The combination with a series of electric locks, of suitable circuit connections,whereby all the locks may be simultaneously operated, and a series of alarm mechanisms located in said connections, substantially as described.

9. The combination with a series of locks, each lock including a controlling-magnet, cir--l IOO IIO

cuit connections including magnets of all the locks, a common controlling'circuit device for these circuit connections, circuit connections for each of the locks, and a. key-operated circuit-controlling device for each of these connections, substantially as described.

lO'. In a hotel or other similar building having avire-escape accessible from different rooms thereof, the combination with vthe doors of the rooms, of a series of locks, one for each door, electric controlling devices for the locks, suitable circuits and a circuit-closing device whereby all the controlling devices may be operated from a common point, and a suit-able circuit; and a circuit-closing device near each lock whereby each of the controlling devices may be separately operated, substantially as described.

11. In a hotel or other similar building having a tire-escape accessible through different rooms thereof, the combination with the doors of the rooms, of a series of electric locks, circuit connections including all the locks, means for controlling the circuit connections from a common point, alarm mechanisms in said circuit connections whereby the locks may be all operated and the alarms sounded from a common point, and means for operatalarm mechanisms in the circuit connections, v

circuit connections for each of the locks, and a key-operated controlling device for each of said circuit connections, substantiallyr as described. A

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY GUY CARLETON. Witnesses:

A. A. V. BOURKE, BENJ. C. VAN GOTT.

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