US1804677A - Protective structure for cashier and teller windows - Google Patents

Description

May 12, 1931. F. DAVIS 1,804,677

PROTECTIVE STRUCTURE FOR CASHIER AND TELLER WINDOWS Filed Jan. 28, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. Frm/f fla /J May 12, 1931.

F. DAVIS PROTECTIVE STRUCTURE'FOR CASHIER AND TELLER WINDOWS Filed Jan. 28, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

v A 7/ 7 mm lll h INVENTQR. F/v/M' flaw/s ATTORNEY.

Patented May 12, 1931 uNiTEn stares PATENT QFFICE FRANK Davis, or BROOKLYN, new YORK PROTECTIVE STRUCTURE FOR CASHIER AND'TELLEE WINDOWS Application'filed January 28, 1930'. Serial No. 424,093.

, This invention relates, generally, to means means to control the closing ofthe latter according to I need. i

This invention therefor has for its prin cipal object to provide a novel means to guard and protect cashiers, tellers and other F attendants against hold-up or other forms [of banditry; and, to this end, the invention comprises, in combination with a partition impervious to bullets and having a window opening, a movable bullet-proof window closure; slidably related to the Window open- 7 ing, and means for moving the window to closed position, together with a detent means -for releasing the window for closing movement, said. latter-means being operable by exerted by the knee of the operator.

Other objects of this invention, not at this time more particularlyrenumerated, will be understood, from the following, detailed description of the same. p

An illustrative embodiment ofthis lnvention is shown in the accompanying draW-. V p

, v1ded w 1th a hand grip loop 14 by means of whlch the samemay be, slid downward to ings, in which Fig. I is a perspective view showing the a w) protective structure, made according tothe principles of this invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section I through the same, with the window closure in detained openpositionyand Fig. ,3 is also a vertical longitudinal section showing the detent released andthe window closure moved to closed position.

Similar characters of reference I are employed in the above described views, to"

indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to, the drawings, the reference character 5 indicates a partition'or'proted,

tive panel, having"therein a suitably disposed window opening '6." Said partit on or 59 protectivepanel 5 may consist n .an armor bodyrpressure, as, for example, pressure,

;.Pm' Pl9 i alt et e Panel so. as to platemade entirely ofsteel', or the same may be of any other suitable construction suitably reenforced with metal or other material calculated to render the same impervious to bullets.

Secured upon the inside face of the partition or protectivepanel 5 are grooved j amb members 't", one adjacent to each side of the window opening6, the same being adapted to provide a slideway for a vertically movable window. closure plateS. Said window closure plate preferably comprises a steel plate .or other similar body impervious to bullets. Extending between the upper ends of said jamb members 7 is a lintel bar 9, and in like manner extending between the lower endsof said jainb members 7 is a sill barlO.

Connected with the lower end of the window closure plate sis a cross-bar 11, the extremities of which overlap and extend beyond the jamb members 7 Secured by their upper ends to anchor. studs 12, which are'fixed to the partition or protective panel 5, respectively on opposite sides ofrthe amb 75 men'ibers 7, arewindow closure plate actuating springs 13. The lower extremities of said springs 13 are respectively attached to ,the laterally projecting endsof saidcross- "bar 11. Saidispringsl? bias the window so closure plate to closed position.

Said window closure plate is also pronormally loweredposition so as to leave 5 the window opening 6 normally unobinner-side of the partition or protective panel 5,.and in alignment with the lowerend ofthe window opening 6 is counter or [shelf 15 Secured to the upper end of the window closure plate 8 is a transverse ledge member 16, arranged, when the closure plate is lowered, tobe aligned in the plane of the counter or shelf 15, so as to provide an uninterruptedv surface extending to and through the window openingfi.

tenured upon the exterior face of the iii) bound the window opening 6, is a frame 17 to carry any desired form of grille 18 for disposition across the window opening 6. Also secured to the exterior side of the partition or protective panel is a counter or shelf 19 to project outwardly from the window opening in. theplane ofithecounter or shelf V A manipulatable detent means is provided for normally holding the windowclosure plate in lowered position against the tension of the closing springs 'zl3, :whereby the with a chan fere'd nosing 23, which normally sprin engages over the cross-bar 11 sons to hold the window closure plate against upward sliding movement. Said detent'lever 22 is also provided with a depending arm Connected with the free end portions of said bearing bracket membersQO are upwardly projecting extensions25. Secured to and extending between said extensions 25 is an angle bar Secured to and supported by said angle bar 26, and. aligned opposite said detent lever 22, is a fixed housing means 27. Formed in the upper end of sai'd housing means 27 is a bore 281 in which "is mounted a springactuate'd inwardlyprojected plun 'er rod 29adapted to yieldingly' bear against the upper end of the 'detent lever 22 to normally turn the same intowindow closure plate, engaging position. Formed in the lower end of said'housing means 27 is a bore 30 in which is mounted a (r actuated outwardly projected plunger rod 31,'i"or the purposes to be subsequently set forth.

Pivotally connected with the bearing I bracket members 20 is depending yoke member 32 to which 18 secured apresser board" "3, also depending therefrom. Carried on said yoke is a push-piece 34 which extends nwardly beneath the housing means 27 toward the depending larm'2 1 of-said detent lever. Said push-p1ece is provided withan upwardly projecting lug 35 which receives the'thrust of said spring actuated plunger rod 31, whereby the yoke member and con-' necte'dfpresser board33 1s n'ormallyswung out-ward to hold the push-piece '34 in normal initial inactive position.

Mounted'above the lintel bar' 9 :of the window closure plate slidewayiare"onejormore k ,s qqkabs be "devices These "d ice m y e' .Q'i anyrsii .abl form operativ to l'cli'eck the closing movement oft'he win-"' doW closure plate so as to prevent undue noise and shock. Illustrative of one form of check or shock absorber adapted to serve the purposes mentioned, I have shown the same to comprise a cylinder 36, having at its upper end an air escape opening (not shown), and 'reciprocable in said cylinder '36 is a piston'37, the stem 38 of which slidingly projects through the lower end of the cylinder. The stem 38extends downwardly past the lintel bar 9 and terminates in a foot-piece 39, whichsmay,- if-desired,='have. facing of rubber, leather, felt or other similar material calculated todeazd'ensound. A compression spring 40 engaged around said stem 38 between the foot-piece 89 and cylinder 36 I normally holds said piston, stem and foot-piece in initial downwardly I moved position. In the use and operation of themechanism, the window closure plate 8 occupies lowered position, being normally held therein against -'the-tension ofthe closingsprings l3, h-y the detent mechanism, alias shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings.- *Inthe-eventthatan attendentat the window; opening is 1 threatened by force of arms in criminal attack'by apersonorpersons outside of thewindow opening, and at-the point of apistol or gun itisdemanded that cash Orother valuables be handed out, =the attendant, with hands free to go through'i the' motions of gathering up the oashor other valuables in apparent compliance with v the criminal demand, may bya slight and unnoticeahle: movement of a leg, biting -a*knee to bear with' in'wardly swinging pressureon the presse'r board 33, to thereby releasethe detent a-ndwvith result ant suddeness freeing the window closure plate"8, whereby thelatterwill in an instant move to closed position, thereby interposing, V at the winding opening,*a secure bullet proof protection between himself and the'c'riminal, so that the latters criminalnttempt-fis at "once foiled'. Under such circumstances the detent, mechanism functions as follows Inward swinging movement of the yoke 'memberandpre'sser board carries the pushpiece34 into inwardl swinging engagement with thearm 24 of tie detent lever 22, thus -=swinging the latter outwardly against the tension of the 'spring actuated plungerrod -29,-=whereby the gnosing 23 is removed from restrammgengagement wl'th'the cross bar 11 6f the 'window closure plate8l The-winf'dowclosure plate -8- now being unrestrained, -the sprin-g's l3 quickly slides the same-11pward across the window opening 6; Asthe wii'idowclosure plate approaehesf the upper 1 end of i the -slide'way, the ledge member 16 'contactswith the foot-pieces of'the' des'cribed checks orshock{absorbers, whereby the comilp t losingof .s' idlclqisurei plate is retarded .jgsp.as :.w;avofdeunduemisegand hock.

in is idesittble in), sound Lan alarm j on 1 the occasion of 'c'riininarattaek" such as mentioned above. This may be automatically accomplished, as incidental to the closing of the window opening, by providing a switch 8 to control an electric alarm circuit (not shown), said switch being normally open but so disposed in the path ofmovement of an end of the closure plate cross-bar 11, as to be engaged and moved thereby to circuit closing position, as the cross bar 11 is car'- ried past the switch. A switch such as shown in my U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,657,459, dated J an. 31, 1928 may be employed, since this type of switch is yieldably held in normal open position in such manner as to obviate likelihood of accidental or untimely closure, with resultant untimely sounding oi'- an alarm.

To reset the window closure plate to normal open position, the same is manually lowered by means of the handle grip, until the cross-bar 11 snaps past the chamt'ered nosing oi? the detent lever 22.

The spring actuated plunger rod 31 returns the yoke member and presser board to normal outwardly swung position, when inward pressure upon the latter is released. Another function of said spring actuated plunger rod 31 is to hold the presser board outwardly swung under tension sufficient to guard against accidental release of the detent. To this end it will be noted that the push-piece 34: is normally spaced from the arm 2% of the detent lever 22, and consequently pressure must be exerted upon the presser board 38 sufficient to overcome the tension of spring actuated plunger rod 81,

before the push-piece 34 engages and exerts tripping or releasing pressure on the detent.

lever.

It will be obvious from the above description that the mechanism of this invention provides a very efiicient and easily controlled device for interposing bullet proof protection between a cashier, telleror other atten dant, handling and distributingmoney or other valuables, and threatening criminals The mechanism is especially adapted for use in connection with bank tellers cages, cashiers and ticket-vendors booths, and for similar uses.

As many changes could be made in the above described structure and mechanism, and many widely different embodiments of this invention. could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying closure in normal open position, comprising a pivoted detent lever, means on said closure engageable by said detent lever, a fixed housing adjacent to said detent lever, a spring-pressed plungerfmounted in said housing to yieldably thrust said detent lever.

housing to yieldably thrust said detent lever in closure engaging position, a swingable means having a laterally extending presser board engageable by the leg of a person positioned behind the window, and means carried by said swingableimeans to engage and turn said detent lever to closure releasing position, andfa second spring-pressed plunger mounted in said housing to tensionally hold said swingable means in normal initial position.

' 3. In means to control a self-closing pro-, tective closure for. pay windows, a pivoted detent means toretain said closure in normal open position, a swingable means having a laterally extending presser board engageable by the leg of a person positioned behind the window, means carried by said swingablc means to engage and turn said detent means to closure releasing position, a fixed housing, and a spring-pressed plunger mounted in said housing to tensionally thrust said swingable means to normal outswung position; i

In testimony, that I claim the invention set forth above I have hereunto set my hand this24 day of January, 1930.

FRANK DAVIS.

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