US925878A - Initiation device. - Google Patents

Description

E. DE MOULIN.

INITIATION DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JANJ), 1909.

Patented June 22, 1909.

2 741220, .M/ZZ? I I r I Q/Vi 1'" on ERASTUS DE MOULIN, OF GREENVILLE, ILLINOIS.

INITIATION DE VICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 22, 1909.

Application filed January 8, 1909. Serial No. 471,355.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, Enasrns DE MoULIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Greenville, in the county of Bond and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Initiation Device, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to initiation devices and its object is to provide an altar for use by secret organizations and the like and in which is mounted a skeleton, grotesque figure or the like, designed to be automatically shifted so as to appear above the altar.

Another object is to provide mechanism for discharging a detonator during the movement of said figure and for illuminating a portion of the figure as it reaches the limit of its movement out of the altar.

A further object is to provide means whereby a jet of liquid, powder or the like may be forced from the figure and in the direction of the initiate when said figure reaches the limit of its movement.

A further object is to provide means whereby a current of electricity may be directed through the initiate during the operation of the mechanism referred to.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings :Figure 1 is a vertical 1 transverse section through the altar and showing the mechanism therein in elevation, the contact plates and the connections between them and the magneto being shown diagrammatically. F 2 is a section taken from front to rear of the upper portion of the altar and showing the interior mechanism in elevation. Fig. 3 is a section on line AB Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a section on line O-'D Fig. 1.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates a casing in the form of an altar and having hinged closures 2 at the top thereof and designed to swing upwardly in opposite directions, but which, when closed, lie flush with the surrounding portion of the top of the casing. Extending vertically within opposite side portions of the casing 1 are pairs of guide cleats 8 having a carriage E slidably mounted therebetween, there being guide strips 1 mounted between the cleats of each pair and connecting the upper and lower shelves 5 and 6 respectively of the carriage. A figure simulating a skeleton may be secured upon the upper shelf 5 as indicated at 7, the eyesockets being provided with small incandescent lamps 8, and a nozzle 9 being arranged between the teeth as indicated particularly in Fig. 2. Arranged upon the bottom of the upper shelf 5 is a forked bracket 10 engaging a tube 11 extending from a bulb 12, said tube projecting upwardly through the figure 7 and being connected at its upper end to the nozzle 9. A bulb-compressing lever 13 is pivotally mounted upon a bracket extending from the lower face of the upper shelf 5, and is held normally drawn toward the bracket 10 by means of a spring 14, the ends of which are secured to said lever and the shelf respectively. One end of this lever 13 is arranged in the path of a hammer lever 15 fulcrumed upon a bracket 16 extending downwardly from the shelf 5 and having a suitable spring 17 for holding said hammer lever normally in contact with a block 18 designed to support a blank cartridge or other form of detonator. A bell crank lever 19 is fulcrumed upon a bracket 20 extending downwardly from shelf 5 and has a head 21 designed to engage one end of the lever 15 and lock the two levers 15 and 13 out of normal position, there being a spring- 19 for holding the two levers 19 and 15 111 engagement with each other. One arm of the lever 19 extends beyond one side of the shelf 5 and past one of the guide cleats 3, there being a cam 22 upon the upper portion of said cleat whereby the lever 19 will be actuated when the carriage E rises to a predetermined point. Spring rollers are journaled in the upper portion of the casing 1 at opposite sides "thereof and have tapes 21 normally wound thereon, said tapes being connected to the strips 4 of the carriage E.

A battery 25 may be mounted on the shelf 6, the same being electrically connected to the lamps S, as indicated in Fig. 1. One of the wires of the lighting circuit is donnected to contact plates 26 extending beyond the shelf 5 and designed, when the carriage E reaches the limit of its upward movement, to come in contact with a bracket 27 constituting a circuit-closer, said bracket being secured to one of the cleats 3.

A hanger 28 extends downwardly from the lower shelf 6 of the carriage and has a head 29 at its lower end, the tip of which is preferably conical and enlarged, as inclicated at 30, this tip being designed, when the carriage is lowered, to move against a locking lever 31 journaled upon a support 31 on the bottom of the casing 1 and having a notch 32 for the reception of the hanger, there being a spring 33 for holding the lever normally in engagement with the hanger. Obviously while these two parts are in engagement it becomes impossible for the carriage to move upwardly. One end of lever 31 may extend through a slot 3 1 in the cas ing 1 so as to permit the same to be readily actuated manually.

If desired, and as shown in Fig. 1, a

' magneto generator 35 may be mounted in the lower portion of the casing 1, said generator being preferably of the type disclosed in my co-pending application No. 4E51, 118, and having a gear 36 revoluble therewith and carrying a stock pin 37. A lever 38 is mounted to swing into the path of the pin, the same being held in such position by the lower shelf 6 of the carriage when the said carriage is in its lower or locked position. A. spring 39 is utilized for shifting the lever 38 out of the path of the pin 37 as soon as the carriage E begins to move upwardly. This magneto is connected electrically to contact plates 10 shown diagramatically in Fig. 1, and said plates are designed to be placed in front of the altar where the knees of the kneeling initiate can rest upon them.

I11 using the device herein described the carriage E is pushed downwardly after a blank cartridge or other form of detonator has been placed in the holder 18 and after a charge of powder or water has been placed within the nozzle 9 and tube 11. hen the carriage reaches a predetermined point during its downward movement the head 29 of the hanger 28 will automatically engage the lever 31 and be locked against further movement. The closures 2 are then swung into position over the figure 7, and after the plates 40 have been properly arranged in front of the casing the device is ready for use. The initiate is placed in kneeling posture in front of the altar with one knee resting on each of the plates 40, it being understood of course that the magneto 35 is first wound, the lever 38 operating to hold it against movementwhile the carriage is lowered. At the proper time du'ing the initiation the lever 31 is pressed laterally so as to release the hanger 28. The springs within the rollers 23 will promptly operate to wind the tapes 24 on the rollers and the carriage E will therefore be elevated, forcing the head of the figure 7 against. the doors or closures 2 so as to open them, and said figure will therefore quickly assume a position directly on top of casing 1. During the beginning of the upward movement of the carriage the lever 38 is released and spring draws it out of the path of pin 37. The magneto is thus free to operate and will direct a current of electricity through the plates 40 and into the initiate. This current will continue until the magneto has run down. When the figure 7 reaches the limit of its upward movement the contact plates 26 come into position upon the lower face of the bracket or circuit-closer 27 and a circuit is thus established from the battery 25 to the lamps 8, which are therefore illuminated. During the upward movement of the carriage the bell crank lever 19 rides along the adjoining cleats 3 until just before the carriage reaches the limit of its upward movement, whereupon said lever rides upon the cam 22 and is shifted laterally so as to release the hammer lever 15. The lever 15 will be shifted by the spring 17 against the holder 18 and therefore explode the detonator contained within the holder, and, at the same time, the compressing lever will be released, and its spring 14 will draw it against the bulb 12 so as to compress it and direct the contents of tube 11 and nozale 9 in the direction of the initiate.

It is of course to be understood that if preferred the magneto 35 may be omitted. It preferred, a dry battery and an induction coil may be used in lieu of the generator heretofore referred to. Also, if desired, various changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the advantages of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A device of the class described comprising a casing, a figure for movement therein and normally concealed thereby, means for securing the figure against movement, means for moving the figure from the casing when unlocked, and means for illuminating a por tion of the figure upon reaching a predetermined position.

2. A device of the class described comprising a casing, a figure normally concealed therein, means for locking said figure in concealed position, means for automatically moving the figure beyond the casing when unlocked, a detonator-holder, and means controlled by the movement of the figure for exploding a detonator within the holder.

3. In a device of the class described a casing, a figure normally concealed therein, means for locking the figure against movement, means for automatically moving said figure beyond the casing when unlocked, and means controlled by the movement of the said figure for projecting a jet of liquid or powder from the figure after leaving the casing.

1. In a device of the class described a casing, a figure normally concealed therein,

means for locking the figure against movement, means for automatically moving the figure beyond the casing when unlocked, a motor-actuated generator Within the casing, contacts outside the casing and electrically connected to the generator, means controlled by the figure for locking the generator against operation while the figure is concealed within the casing, and means for automatically releasing the generator during the movement of the figure from the casing.

In a device of the class described a casing, a carriage movably mounted therein, a figure mounted upon and movable with the carriage, means Within the casing for looking the carriage against movement, means for automatically moving the carriage When unlocked, detonator-exploding mechanism upon the carriage, and means within the casing and in the path of said mechanism for actuating the mechanism upon the arrival of the carriage at a predetermined point Within the casing.

6. In a device of the class described a casing, a carriage movably mounted therein, means forlocking the carriage against movement, means for automatically moving the carriage when unlocked, mechanism upon the carriage for startling an initiate, and means Within the casing and in the path of said mechanism for releasing the mechanism upon the arrival of the carriage at a predetermined point within the casing.

7. In a device of the class described a casing, a carriage movably mounted therein, means for locking the carriage against movement, means for automatically moving the carriage when unlocked, electric lighting apparatus movable with the carriage and including an incandescent lamp, the circuit through said apparatus being normally broken, and means for closing the circuit upon the arrival of the carriage at a predetermined point Within the casing.

8. In a device of the class described a casing, a figure normally concealed therein, means for locking the figure against movement, means for automatically moving the figure beyond the casing when unlocked, a generator Within the casing, contacts outside the casing and electrically connected to the generator, means controlled by the figure for preventing the transmission of a current of electricity from the generator to the contacts While the figure is concealed within the cas ing, and means actuated during the move ment of the figure from the casing for permitting the passage of a current of elec tricity from the generator to the contacts.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

ERASTUS DE MOULIN.

WVitnesses CLARENCE I'I. DAVIS, NEWTON V. F INK.

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