US1580458A - Safe and vault door protector - Google Patents

Description

April 13,1926. v 1,580,458

A. C. TOWNSEND SAFE AD`VAULT D'OCR PROTECTOR Fiyed oct, 1 4, 1924 sheets-Sheet 1V O n g .2f-i371.

f1 ,l I j ,f A i 50 [3 37g mtg@ ' April 13 1926.

. A. C. TOWNSEND heats-Sheet 3 Patented Apr. 13, 1926.

ALBERT c; ToWNsnND, oFBURL'ING'romxAN's'As.

'SAFE 4AND VULT D'OOR'-PROTEUIOR.

Application ville'd October 14,*'1-95114. fserialwNo. 743,585.

To all 'whom z't'may comer/n:

Beit knownth'at AI, ALBERT C. ToWNsEND, a citizen of the United States,;residing at Burlington, in the. county ofGoey, State of Kansas, have invented ycertain new and useful Improvementslin Safe and Vault Door yProtectors; and I dohereby declare the followingto be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art towhich it appertains to make and use -the'same This invention relates to new and useful improvements in appliances for safe and vault doors, andthe like, and particularly to means for protecting the same from being broken open f by burglars.`

The principal Aobject Vof the'invention is to provide'a novel and eicient'means for discharginga poisonous gas, such as carbon monoxide, or other odorless gas, into the room' sothat the'burgllar will be overcome or killed by such gas.

Another Objectis to vprovide a device of this lcharacter which is arrangedto discharge poisonous gas wheny thev combination l1s moved inw-ardly or outwardly, after the burglar has boredl outy andzremoved they portion of the doorA surrounding the combination mechanism. y v

Another object'is'to provide a mechanism whichlis arranged to discharge the poisonous gas when an attempt is inadeto burn out the -portion of thedoor by means of an arc or` Hame.-

A further object isvto provide a=protecting y device ofthischaracter wherein-fthe gasis discharged at such a point that the effect-s of theigas will be'practically' instantaneous, and wherein it will be diflicult for the burglarftoascertain from whence'the gas-flows.

Other objects and advantages will be` appare-ntfromthe following description when taken inl connection with the .accompanying drawings.

iIn the drawings: l

Figure 1 is 'arear elevation of a portion offav safe door, equipped with/'the present invention. Y

Figure-2 is an lenlarged vertical sectional View ontheline 2 2 'of Figure 1.

lFigure 3 is aver-tical sectional view: on the line 3-3 of Figure'2.

Figure 4 isan enlarged vertical sectional view vthrough the'lower portion ofthe' door and the gas outlet means, on theline 4 4 of .Figure 1.

Figure isa vertical-transverse sectional view through the gas .outlet device,-on'the line 5-5 of Figure 4-.

Figure (i is a vertical sectionalview on the Figure 7. is a vertical sectional view through. 'the gas tank. o 'l Referring particularly: Vto the accompanying drawings, 10 represents a portionof a. safe door, having the opening 11, inwhich is mounted the combination -mechanism 12; Secured to the rear face of the door 10, in covering relation tolthe inner endl of said opening-11, is a casing 10, said casinghaving a central opening 11', withinfwhich is disposed theic'ylinder 13. The combination mechanism ismounted in the. .doorin front ofthe cylinder 13, andi surrounding f this cylinder, and threaded thereon, is a sleeve 14. Th-isysleeve is snugly'tted withinrthe vso opening 11,.and has a circumferential slot 15, into which projects-.apin i16 carried by the wall of the opening, for the vpurpose of limiting the rotary movement of' the sleeve. EFormed longitudinally and centrally through the-cylinder 13,. isa cylindrical wall 17, `having i ae single opening :18 in upper side, andl slidable withinthe Abore of the smaller inner cylinder 17, is a pipe section 19,. having a pair of longitudinallyv spaced openings 20 and 21, in its :upper side for alternate' registry wit-h the single opening 18, `as said pipesection is slippedinwardly or outwardly. The inner end ofthe pipe section 19-is disposed within the opening 11', and is closed and secured to the inner end ofthe combination mechanism -1-2, whereby as the said combination' mechanism ismoved inwardly vor outwardly, the pipe 19 will be moved within the wall 17 to register one or the other of itsopenings 20-21 with the opening 18.'- Screwed .into the outer end of the bore of the wall 17 ische-branch of a pipe elbow 22, the other branch being connected withthe-upper ende of the pipe 23,

whichextends downwardly toa point adjacent'thebottom of the door/10,. where it is connected with the inner end ofthe bolt 24. This boltY24`eXtends-through the lower porticnlof they door, andhas ajhead25, on :its'outer end, which has-its inner `face spaced; fro1n..the outerface of the door.10, v

to a degree approximately the thickness of a dime. Formed longitudinally and centrally in the bolt 24, from the outer end, is an opening 26, said opening terminating short of the inner end of the bolt, whereby to give the appearance oi' an opening or bore extending throughout the length of the bolt, and which will be plugged up by a burglar, who might suspect the presence of poisonous gas. Formed longitudinally through the shank of the bolt 24, and in a circular series surrounding the central bore, are the longitudinal passages 27, such passages extending through the inner end of the bolt, in communication with the pipe 23, and having lateral out-lets, at their forward ends, inwardly of thehead of the bolt, as shown at 28, whereby the gas will low out between the outer face of the safe door 10, and the inner face o the head of the bolt. The burglar, after having plugged up the central opening of the bolt 24, will think that he has eliectively prevented the escape of any possible The space between the head of the bolt, and theface of the door is, so small as to be practically unnoticed.

The outer wall of the cylinder is formed with an opening 29, while the wall of the opening 11', and the sleeve 14, are provided with similar openings 30 and 31, respectively, all of which are adapted for registry, to permit escape of gas into the interior of the cylinder 13, and to the pipe 23, when the section 19 is moved to register one of its openings with the opening 18.

Mounted on the inner face of the door 10, above the opening 11, is a tank 32, which is divided into an upper smaller compartment 33, for containing a foul smelling gas, such as hydrogen sulphide, or the like, and the lower larger compartment 33', which contains a deadly gas, such as carbon monoxide.- In the horizontal wall 34, which separates the upper and lower compartments.I there is disposed a check valve 35,V which opens toward the lower compartment. The gas in the larger compartment is under high pressure, whereby to maintain the check valve 35 in closed position, and thereby prevent. escape of the hydrogen sulphide gas, but when the pressure in the lower compartment is reduced to that of the gas of the upper compartment, the valve will open, permitting the foul smelling gas to flow into the lower compartment.

Connected to the bottom of the lower compartment of the tank 32, is a downwardly extending pipe 36, which is connected to the upper end of the vertical passage 38, in the casing 10. Formed in the casing 10 and surrounding the opening 11', ar-e the horizontal passages 37 and the vertical passages 39, the latter being connected at their ends to the ends of the passages 37, to form a continuous passage. The lower end of the vertical passage 38 is connected with the intermediate portion oli' the upper horizontal passage 37, as clearly seen in Figure 3. The opening 30, is continued upwardly and then horizontally inward, as shown at 31', and communicates with the vertical passage 38. Formed in the casing 10', adjacent the periphery thereof, is a circular passage 42, which communicates with the passages 37 and 39, by means of thepassages 38, 33. /ldlditional radially extending passages 40 extend inwardly from the circular passage 42, to a passage or space 42, which is formed outwardly of the passages 37 and 39. At the outer angles of intersection of the passages 37 and 39 there are formed openings 37 which establish communication between said passages and the passage or space 42. In each of the passages 41, as well as in the passages 37 and 39, there are disposed the `t'usible plugs 43, which normally prevent passage of gas from the passages 40 to the passages 37 and 39, but which will readily melt, upon heat being applied to the outer wall oi'I the case 10', or that wall which lies against the rear face of the door 10, as when a burglar attempts to burn out a portion ot' the door to remove the combination mechanism.

ln the normal position oi` the device, the openings 2O and 21 are both out of registry with the opening 18, while the fusible plugs are intact, whereby the gas will be conned to the passages 40, and the cylinder 13.

Formed in the casing 10', and surrounding the opening 11'., is a circular passage 44 which has communication with the passages 37 and 39, by means of passages 46, which lead from the before-mentioned openings 37. From the lower side oi' the passage 44, to the pipe 23, there extends a passage 45, which carries gas from the passages 40, and 37-39, when any ot the plugs 43 melt.

1t will be noted that the wall of the casing 10 next to the door 10 is thinner than that portion remote from the door, to permit the quicker transmission of heat to the plugs. Burglars often bore a series of holes in the door of a safe, surrounding the combination mechanism, and then remove this part of the door, together with the combination mechanism, thus permitting access to the bolts oi the door, thro-ugh the opening thus formed. Sometimes this portion of the door is removed by means of a hot flame, such as an acetylene torch. In the former method, when applied to a door equipped with the present invention, the burglar grasps the combination mechanism and either pushes same inwardly, into the safe, or pulls same outwardly. In the lirst instance, the pipe section 19 will be pushed inwardly, within the wall 17, so that the opening 2l will register with the opening 18, whereupon gas like to flow out through will flow from they cylinder 13, through the pipe 23, and out of the openings 27, of the bolt Q4, behind the head thereof. vThe gasL glar, however, be frightened E before completely opening the safe, the poisonous gas will continue to escape, thus filling the room therewith, which would endanger the lives of authorized persons who might enter the room. To avoid this, it is provided, as hcreinbefore stated, that when the pressure of the poisonous gas has been reduced to the pressure of the foul smelling gas, the check valve will open, permitting this second gas the same path through which the poisonous gas flows, with the result that the person entering the room will instanly detect the odor of the gas' and be properly warned to retreat from the room, as well as to be notified of the fact that an attempt has been made on the safe, to open same.

In the event that the burglar attempts to remove a portion of the door by means of a torch, the great heatof the flame will be transmitted tothe metal of the casing causing the plugs 43 to melt, thereby freeing the gas from the passages 40, so that such gas will pass into the pipes 37, 39, into the passages 44, and thence into the pipe 23, from whence its escapes from the passages of the bolt 24.

It is sometimes necessary for a. properly authorized person to remove the combination mechanism, for the purpose of repairing, or changing the combination. To protect the workman, or other authorized person, from danger of the poisonous gas, it. is only necessary to rotate the sleeve 14 until the same is stopped by the pin 16, whereby the openings 29 and 31 are moved out of register with the opening 30. The cylinder 13 may then be unscrewed from the sleeve, without danger of gas escaping, to endanger the life of the workman.

Particular attention-is called to the fact that the passages 40, with their fusible plugs 43, are arranged in close proximity to the rear face of the door 10, so that before the flame has penetrated the metal of the casing 10', such metal will have become sov highly heated as to cause the plugs to melt, and thereby permit the gas to escape, before the burglar can complete his work. Of course, should the burglar continue his operations,

torpenetrate the door, with lthe ame, more of the plugs Will be melted, and the volume of gas greatly increased.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with the door of a safe and its combination mechanism, of a protector including a container for poisonous gas, and means for releasing the gas upon movement of said combination mechanism in either direction transversely through the door, and means for conveying the gas into close proximity to the front of said door. Y.

2. The combination with ythe door of a safe and its combination mechanism, cfa

protector including a container for poisonous gas, of a valve means connected with said combination mechanism and operable upon movement thereof in either direction through the door, for releasing the gas'from the container, and a conduit for conveying the gas to a point in front of said door.

The combination with the door of a safe and its combination mechanism, of a protector including a container for poisonous gas, a conduit for the gas leading from the container through the face ofthe door, and a valve means connected with said combination mechanism and operable upon movement thereof for releasing the gas from the container into the said conduit.

4. The combination with the door of a safe and its combination mechanism, of a protector including a container for poisonous gas, a conduit leading from the container to a point adjacent the bottom of the door, a member disposed through the door adjacent the bottom and having a falseA passage therein and a series of longitudinal passages opening through the inner end thereof and through the side thereof adjacent the other end, and a head on the last-named end of said member spaced a slight distance from the face of the door, and means in said conduit and operable upon movement of the combination mechanism for releasing the gas from the container. l

5. The combination with the doorl of a safe and its combination mechanism, of a protector including a container for poisonous gas, the door having an opening therethrough adjacent the bottom, a member disposed in said opening and having a bore terminating adjacent the inner end and opening through the outer end, an enlarged head on the outer end of said member through the center of which said opening passes, the inner face of the head being spaced a small distance from the face of the door, the body of said member having longitudinal openings therethrough the inner ends of whichv extend through the inner end of the member while the outer ends extend laterally through the sides of the member inwardly of said head, a conduit between lao the container and saidpassages, and a valve means connected with said combination mechanism for releasing the gas upon movement o' the combination mechanism.

6. The combination with the door of a safe and its combination mechanism, of a protector including a container Jfor poisonous gas, a chamber carried by the door, a conduit between the chamber and the container, a cylinder within the chamber, a sleeve between the cylinder and the wall of the chamber, the wall ot the chamber, the sleeve, and the cylinder having rcgistrable openings, a conduit through the cylinder having an opening in its wall, and a slidable and aperturcd member in said bore connected with said combination mechanism and movable thereby.

7. The combination with the door of a safe, of a protector including a container for poisonous gas, a chamber carried by the door, a conduit between the chamber and the container, the door having gas containing passages communicating with the said conduit, a passage connecting` the iii-st passages, a conduit for delivering gas exteriorly of the door, fusible closures in the passages adapted to release gas to the second passage, and a third passage comn'uinicating with the second passage and second conduit.

8. rlhe combination with a safe door of concentric passages on the door7 gas containing passages beta een the concentric passages, fusible closures in the gas containing passages Vior retaining such gas, and a conduit communicating with the inner of the concentric passages and having `an outlet through a portion of the door, whereby to discharge gas to the conduit upon fusing o1All the plugs. Y

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

u ALBERT G. TOl/VN SEND.

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