US1451360A - Shield for bank windows - Google Patents

Description

Apr. 10, 1923. 3,451,366

W. CLEARY SHIELD FOR BANK WINDOWS Filed Mar. 1, 1919 2 sheets-sheet 1 l' r H as-0 Apr. 10, 1923 1,4513% J. W. CLEARY SHIELD FOB BANK WINDOWS Filed Mar. 1, 1919 2 sheets-sheet? Patented Apr. 10, 1923.

JOHN-W. GLEARY, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

SHIELD FOR BANK wINnows.

Application filed March 1, 1919. Serial No. 280,181.

I and like places.

The object of my invention is to provide an automatic shield for a bank window or a window for a cash booth that may be automatically closed when manually released,

but which normally stands open while the business of taking and exchanging money or other valuables is in progress. In case of danger, however theshield may be instantly released and will automatically close there by preventing the threatened'danger or loss through robbery.

Afurther object: of my invention is to provide such a shield at a moderate cost, and one simple in construction.

A further object is to provide a shield which will be inconspicuous when installed so that it will not be noticed. by persons transacting business at the place where it is installed.

A further object is to provide 'means' whereby the shield may be released with certainty so that it will instantly automatically close.

And a still further object is to provide a form of shield, that may be disposed in in series. one at each of a number of windows, all of the shields being adapted to be released and automatically closed by one person by a single movement either by manually controlled mechanical means or by electrical means, whereby the danger of failure to close the shield may be reduced to a minimum.

These and other objects, I accomplish by the means devices and combinations, described inthis specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig., 1, is a perspective view of the shield in open position ready to be released for closing;

Fig, 6, is a detail view shown insection,

showing means for preventing the shield from being opened from without after once being closed; and

Fig, 7, is a detail view showing in a. general way the means for releasing the shield fromthe catch by which it is retained in open position, when it is desired to release same by electrical means.

Similar characters refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

Referring to the drawings: 10 designates the supporting frame for the shield, comprising the stiles, 11, and 12, the plate 13 and the bar lit. Guides in the form of grooves, 15, 16, and 17 are provided in the inner surface of each of the stiles, and at the bottom of each is'a stop, as 18, 19 and 20, designed to reduce the jar incident to suddenly closing the shield. These stops may be of any yielding material but are .preferably of rubber or rubberized fabric.

The necessity of these will be more fully ex plained hereinafter.

The frame 11 may be secured in position by any suitable means, as by clips 21 secured to. the table T, or counter or by clips, 22, 23, as shown in Figs, 2, 3 and 4 by which the frame is anchored to the guardrails G, or the frame of the booth in which it is installed.

The. shield 24, is preferably made ofa plurality of sections, as in the drawings in which it is shown as comprising three sections. 25, 26 and 27. Each section of the shield is slidably disposed in a separate groove or guide, and when open is suspended -at the top portion of the frame, upon a catch or trip device which will be hereafter explained, and by which all of the sections may be automatically released so as to close by gravity.

As a means for retaining the shield in an open position, the angle 28, is provided at the bottom of the edge of the section 25 and it extends outwardly beneath the bottom edges of sections 26 and 27 as shown in Fig, 3, whereby the sections 26 and 27 are supported upon the said angle on a plane with section 25 when section is elevated to the top of the frame.

' To support section 25 in this elevated position, or open position, the spring catch 29 is secured thereto substantially centrally of the roof for balancing the weight of the shield sections, and it extend at its upper end through a clip 30, by which it is held from contacting with the bar 14 when the shield is elevated.

The catch 29, engages the latch nose 32 of the latch 31, more clearly shown in Fig, 7 of drawings.

The latch nosing here shown is of the type ordinarily used for releasing a door latch by electrical means controlledby a switch or push-button.

By. this artifice the catch 29 of the shield may be released either by electrical means or by mechanical means.

The latch 31. is inserted in a mortise in the bar 14, so as toengage the catch '29. ires 33 and 34 are connected with the latch and with the push buttons and 36, and alsowith the poles of the battery 13, indicated at the bottom of the drawing, Fig. 1.

One button only is necessary. but for con-- venience, one is provit ed at both the right and the left hand side of the frame, so that if either hand is engaged, the free hand may be used to touch the but-ton to release the latch. v

The'wires 33 and 34 may be extended as at 33 and 34 to connect with asimilar re lease mechanism of another shield or series of shields, any or all of which may be released and instantaneously closed by the pushing of but one button.

-A button and switch maybe provided at any place in a bank so that an officer of the bank, a watchman or guard or any person may close the shield or any number of shields by touching the. button when there is sign of danger.

In case the electrical current should not be available or if it should fail to operate.

so as to actuate the releasing mechanism a.

further means for releasing the shield is provided as follows: 5 r t On the bar 14, the rod 37, is mounted in bearings 38, 39 and 40, and adjacent the catch 29 the eccentric cam-member 41is disposed upon the rod 37 and held against movement relative thereto by the set-screw 42. The cam-member 41 is formed with an angular extension as 43, which"contacts with the bearing 39 and prevents the cam-member 41, from moving upwardly beyond a certain point, so that it must be at all times held in close proximity to the upper extension of the catch-member 29.

A shoulder 44 is provided for engaging the bearing 39, and this serves to prevent the cam-member 41, from movement beyond the point necessary to insure the release of the catch-member 29, from the latch member 31.

By rotation of the shaft 37, the cam-member 41 depresses the extended upper end of the catch 29 and the catch is thereby disengaged from the nose 32, of the latch 31, in cases where the latch is not released by the electrical means provided, by manually operating the mechanical device described.

To provide for rotating the shaft 37 levers 45 and 46, are mounted thereon andsecured against rotation thereon, by the setscrews 47 and 48. One lever is disposed at theright and one at the left hand side of the frame to ali'ord greater certainty of tripping the releasing catch. Each lever has an extended arm so that it may be reached with slight eifort and by either hand of a person.

Rods 49 and 50 are provided connecting respectively with the said levers 45 and 46. These rods are disposed downwardly through bearings 51 and 52. Springs 53 and 54 are provided upon the rods and above the bear ings which serve to hold the said levers in the horizontal position so that the cam member 41 may beheld in the proper position relative to the catch 29 to engage the same when the lever is manually actuated for this purpose. i

To provide a. still further means of releasing the shield,"the rods 49 and, 50 are extended downwardly to a point below the table or counter and near the floor and there connected, the rod 49 with a foot-lever, as 55 and the rod 50 with a corresponding footlever not shown, whereby either foot may be employed to release the shield.

The shaft 37 is shown as extended at 37 to indicate that it may be continued and connected with the releasing mechanism of another shield in an adjacent window, so that by the movement of a hand or foot-lever, a series of shields may be released simultaneously and instantly by any person who first perceives danger.

lVhen the shield is released it will instantly fall by.- force of gravity. In order to prevent theshield from being raised after it has dropped into closed position, by any person outside the window, a catch is provided as 56', which engages the upper edge of the section 25 of the shield.

One form of the catch usedfor this purpose I have illustrated in Fig. 7 of the drawing, in which figure the stile is shown as of wood. and the guide 15 is of metal formed by bending a metal plate .and securing it to the wooden stile. An opening 15, is provided through the metal of the guide, and a corresponding mortise is provided in the wooden stile, 11. The spring clip 56 is secured to the metal guide preferably by riveting and being bent as at 57, forms a catch to engage the section 25 ofthe shield. The extended arm 58 affords means for releasing thecatch for raising the' shield.

To prevent either section 26 or 27 .ofthe shield from being raised when section 25' is held down by the catch 56, the sections are provided with angles or flanges, as 58 at the top of section 25, 59 at the bottom of section 26 for engaging the'flange 58, so that section 26 cannot be raised while. section 25 is lowered or closed and held down by the catch 56. .The flange 60 is provided at the top of section 26 and extends outwardly and overlaps theflange 61 of section 27 of the shield, so that section 27 cannot be raised while sections 25 and 26 are down or in closed position.

By the means 'hereinbefore described, if a robbershould enter a bank and stand before the window of the cashier and level a re volver at his head and command him to put up his hands or hand over money, it told to throw up his hands he can in the movement touch one of the buttons to release the electrical catch or touch one of the levers and release the spring catchmechanism operated by the'cam-member 41. But if the robber should command him simply to hand over money, the cashier in that case can simulate the movement of handing out the money and with either foot touch a foot lever and release the shield without giving any notice by movement to the robber that he is not complying with his demands.

The shield members 25. 26 and 27 are of steel and thick enough to stop any ordinary bullet, so as soon as the shield has dropped into closed position the danger to the cashier from a bullet is in a-great measure passed. and the alarm has been given, and the rob- ,bers will'feel their danger and endeavor to escape.

To give warning of danger when it is necessary toclose the shield, I provide a circuit closing device which will operate so as to give alarm as soon as the lower section of the shield has dropped to a closed position.

This is accomplished by inserting in one of the grooves as 15, a contact switch as62, below the locking device 56. in such a manner that it will be actuated by the shield member 25 when it is in closed position and so remain until disconnected. The circuit closing device may be constructed according to the manner usually followed in the practice as I claim nothing new in the construction of the circuit closing device or the means employed for giving the alarm further than as a feature in combination with my shield.

The numeral 63 indicates a percussion cap or other detonating explosive device which may be placed in any preferred manner in one of the guides, preferably at the base thereof so that when the shield is closed, the impact of the shield members on the explosive device will cause it to explode and thereby give an alarm which will startle but not harm a person not familiar with the operation of the shield.

The weight of the metallic shield members is sufiicient to insure instantaneous action of the shield for the protection of the person at the window when the releasing mechanism is actuated.

The means described in the specification and shown in the drawings I wish to be understood merely as showing an operative form of the invention set forth. and I do not limit myself to the specific form of construction and operation shown in the drawings and described in the specifications, but

claim as my invention any variations that may be made in the construction of the device in accordance with the practice in the arts and trades to which the particular element, feature, or the entire construction may belong, and reserve therefore the right to depart from the form of construction herein specified as may seem expedient and therefore it is to be understood that that which I claim as my invention is l. Ina shield for bank windows, in combination; a detachable frame adapted to be installed in any bank, comprising two vertical supports connected by horizontal members at their upper ends and having a series of vertical guides on their inner surfaces; a plurality of vertically slidable shield members disposed in a horizontal position with their opposite ends in said guides. a bracket provided upon one of the shield members for lifting and supporting the other shield members at the upper portion of the frame. and a spring catch on the same shield member adapted for securing it in its elevated position in the frame; means for releasing the spring catch by manually controlled mechanism by the hand or foot. or by electrically controlled means in the alternative and means for checking the several shield members in their downward movement when released, whereby they will be extensibly disposed so as to close the entire extent of the opening, and alarm means adapted to give a signal when the shield is closed.

2. In a shield for bank windows. in combination with a detachable frame comprising two upright supports and transverse connecting members, guide members of proportioned length on the inner surface of the upright supports, a corresponding number of shield members slidable vertically upon the guide members, said shield members having over-lapping flanges to permit of extending the shield a limited distance so as-to close the entire opening of the window; a bracket upon one shiei d member adapted for engaging the lower part of the other shield members and elevating them when it is desired to open the shield spring catches, adapted for engaging and retaining the shield in an open position, manually controlled means that can be operated by the hand or foot to release the catches "when itis desired to close the shield, whereby the shield will drop by force of gravitation and extensibly close the window opening, and in the alternative, means for electrically releasing the shield to close the same substantially as shown and described.

\Vhereunto I set my hand in the presence of two witnesses this 28th day of February,

of Kings State of New York.

JOHN W. CLEARY.

Vitnesses:

EDWARD J. GA NQR, SAMUEL E. BRooKs.

1919. Done in the city of New York, county

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