US1967511A - Method of prison protection - Google Patents

Description

July 24, 1934. R, J. MEYER METHOD OF PRISON PROTECTION Filed March 16, 1931 NW ENTOR. /aO/LQ/Veyel' BY {yal/MM BULL Pf/V ,4 TTORNEYS vrv1Q- above stated character.

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atent'ecl July 24, 1934 METHOD F PRISON PROTECTION Ralph J. Meyer, Denver, Colo.; Judith L. Meyer administratrix of said Ralph J. Meyer, deceased Application March 16, 1931, Serial No. 522,992

1 Claim.

vThis invention relatesv to a method and apparatus for the suppression of mutinies and other disturbances among the inmates of prisonsand other penal institutions. 5v It is an object 'of the invention to provide a system of a supply-reservoir, conduits, valves and outlets for the introduction of a gas under pressure at any one of a number of points in a building or buildings of an institution of the The gas to be used in "the system is one of many that will stupefy by inhalation, with the result that when liberated in a room or other part of a prison where the prisoners are beyond control, it will rapidly A .and harmlessly quell the insurrection by render- 'ing the prisoners temporarily unconscious or otherwise incapable of destructive or malicious action.

Another object of the invention resides in providing in a system of the above stated charac- ""'ter, outlets for the discharge of noxious vapors into the rooms or passages of a building, which shall be inaccessible to the occupants thereof, whereby to prevent malicious plugging or other- 25.wise tampering with the outlets to obstruct the ""said discharge.

The present application is a continuation of my application for patent Serial No. 425,854, filed on the 4th day of February, 1930.

An embodiment of the invention has been illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in the two views of which like parts have been similarly designated and in which Figure 1 is a sectional and more or less diagrammatic plan View of a prison in which the system is installed, and

Figure 2, a section taken on the line 2--2, Figure l.

Referring further to the drawing, the numeral 406 designates an inclosure ci a prison or other penal institution, containing separated buildings, rooms, cells and other compartments such as are shown at 6, '7, 8 and 9, It is obvious that the arrangement of these buildings and vesrooms ofthe institution is not a part of the present invention.

Installed in an enclosure 1G preferably outside the main enclosure, is a supply tank l2 which contains the gas used in the operation oi 'the It is essential that this enclosure be so constructed and arranged that it can be entered only by authorized persons and is securely closed against the entrance of the inmates of the institution.

ed A compressor 13 operated by a motor 14 both within the enclosure 10, are used to subject the gas in the tank to the pressure required for its forcible emission through the outlets of the system. At the points of the institution at which it is desired to introduce the gas, are outlets 15 which may be disposed in recesses 16 below the iioor or floors of the buildings, rooms or other compartments, covered by securely fastened gratings 17. Pipes 18 separately connect the reservoir 12 with the various 5 outlets and Valves 19 in the pipes, within the enclosure 10, control the flow of gas from the reservoir to the outlets.

It is obviously necessary in order to assure of the effective functioning of the system at any time, that the outlets for the issue of the noxious vapors into the rooms or passages be inaccessible to the occupants thereof so that the convicts cannot plug the outlets or otherwise tamper with the same and thereby prevent the discharge of the vapors.

The grate-covered pits are a means toward producing this result. However, unless they are made very deep, it is still possible to reach the outlets by the use of prongs, wires or other instruments inserted through the openings of the grates, and this possibility is completely avoided by turning the end of the pipe 18, inside the pit, downwardly as shown at 21 in Figure 2, or to cover the outlet of the pipe as by a hood 22, illustrated in the same iigure. By the provision of either of these eXpedients the outlets are rendered inaccessible to the occupants of inclosures of the institution, equipped with the system. 90

It will be understood without further illustration that other means to render the outlets inaccessible or, in general, to prevent their functioning at the proper time, may be employed within the scope of the invention.

The recesses instead of being formed in the iioor of an enclosure, may be provided in a wall of the same, and the grating covering the recess, includes any apertured covering adapted for the discharge of vapor into the enclosure.

1n fact, the form, construction and placement of the outlets which are in valve-controlled connection with the source of vapor under pressure, may be varied in any desired manner in accordance with different circumstances and conditions and when the outlets are in gratecovered pits as those shown in the drawing, it is desirable to connect the pits by pipes 20 with a sewer or other conduit for the drainage of water. If no drain-openings were provided, it

would be possible to ll the pits with water and thereby obstruct the escape of the gas.

I't is preferred that all the conduits included in the system be concealed beneath the floors or in the Walls of the buildings in which the system is installed. All of these features of construction and arrangement must necessarily be varied according to the nature and construen tion of the rooms and buildings of the institution, and within the scope of the invention.`

The operation of the system will be readily understood.

In case of mutiny in any part of an institution, a guard or other attendant starts the motor of the compressor in case the gas`v in the reser Voir is not at the required pressure. He then opens the valve of the pipe leading to the outlet nearest to the point at which the mutiny is in progress and the gas escaping at said point and lling the room, stupees the mutineers and quickly quiets the disturbance. y While the Inutineers are in an unconscious or semi-conscious condition they are easily overpowered, manacled or separately conned.

It is, of course, of the utmost importance that the system be capable of immediate use, at the very beginning of any disturbance in the penal institution and with this in View, the reservoir 12 provides a constantly available supply of gas under pressure.

A gauge may be provided to indicate the pressure in the tank and by periodic observation of this gauge, any loss of pressure may be compensated by operation of the pump.

What is claimed is:

A system for the suppression of disturbance in a penal institution, comprising a source of noxious Vapor under pressure, a recess apertured for the discharge of said Vapor into an enclosure of the institution, having a Water outlet, and a pipe connected with said source and having an egress opening in the recess turned away from an aperture of the same, the Water outlet being situated at a lower elevation than the egress opening to frustrate clogging of the egress opening by flooding the recess.

RALPH J. MEYER.

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