Nov. 20, 1956
2,771,042
c. u. DEATON
VAULT DOORS FOR BANKS AND BUSINESS INSTITUTIONS
2 Sheets-Sheet 1;
Filed March 19, 1953
FIG. 2..
‘
INVENTOR.
CHARLES
BY
‘
U. DEATGN
'
, ‘ ‘. '1 a Q3
Nov. 20, 1956
c. u. DEATON
2,771,042
VAULT DOORS FOR BANKS AND BUSINESS INSTITUTIONS
Filed March 19, 1953
8
.
2 Sheets-Sheet 2
8
9
INVEN TOR.
‘CHARLES
BY
U. DE-AToN
-
United States Patent'O ice
1
2,771,042
Patented Nov. 20,1956
2
highly polished and machined to present a desirable
appearance.
It. is, therefore, the primary object of the present in
2,771,042
vention to provide a vault door which is mounted on
VAULT DOORS FOR BANKS AND BUSINESS
unique and novel hinge means, so that the door may be
swung into and out of closed position with unusual case
and a minimum of manual effort.
Charles U. Deaton, Crestwood, Mo., assignor to Diebold,
It is another object of the present invention to pro
Incorporated, Canton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio
vide a vault door which is so mounted that it will swing
Application March 19, 1953, Serial No."343,368
10 open through an arc of movement, requiring much less
INSTITUTIONS
,
8 Claims. (c1. 109-64)
?oor space and clearance than conventional doors.
It is an additional object of the present invention to
provide a vault door which is uniquely mounted for swing
'
ing movement in such a manner that the face of the door,
This invention relates in general to certain new and use 15 which is presented outwardly when the door is closed,
ful improvements in vault doors for banks and business
will at all times remain in outwardly presented position
as the door is being swung open and as it reaches its fully
At the present time, banks and business institutions
opened position, so that only the ?nished outer face of
commonly employ large vaults in which money, valuables,
the door is ever exposed to public view.
records, and locked safe deposit boxes are placed for 20 With the above and other objects in view, my inven
safekeeping. The vaults of this type are ordinarily quite
tion resides in the novel features of form, construction,
institutions.
7
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p
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large and during the day-time employees and other users
walk in and out of the vault freely through the doorways
thereto. Such vaults are provided with heavy massive steel
arrangement, and combination of parts presently de
scribed and pointed out in the claims.
doors which can be swung into closurewis'e position across 25
In the accompanying drawings (two sheets)——
Figure 1 is a fragmentary front elevational view of a
‘the doorway and locked by combination-controlled lock
vault doorway having a vault door constructed in ac
ing means, carefully constructed to be burglar-proof,
cordance with and embodying the present invention and
tamper-proof, and ?re-proof. These doorways and door
showing the vault door in closed position;
structures, generally, are made of alloy steel designed to
Figure 2 is a fragmentary front elevational view of a
resist the attack of drills, acetylene torches, and various 30 vault doorwayhaving a vault door constructed in accord
other implements used by criminals in endeavoring to break into the closed safe or vault and, accordingly, are
veryheavy and cumbersome. Consequently, it is nec
ance with and embodying the present invention and
showing the vaultdoor in fully opened position;
_
essary to provide such doors with relatively rugged hinge
taken along lines 3—3, 4—4, and 5-5, respectively, of
35
structures and the doors, as ‘such, are'usually approxi
mately as thick as the walls of the vault itself and are
f-requentlym-arginally bevelled to provide greater securf
ity when closed.
.
‘
' All of these structural and safety problems make it
necessary to provide a relatively wide arc of SWing'fOI' 40
the vault door, thereby consuming an unnecessarily large
Figures 3, 4, and 5 are fragmentary sectional views
Figure l;
'
Figure 6 is a horizontal sectional view of the vault
wall showing the vault door of the present invention
in fully opened position;
Figure 7 is a fragmentary front elevational view of a
vault wall having a modi?ed form of vault door con
structed in accordance with and embodying the present
amount of floor space in front of the doorway which must
invention; and
be left free and unencumbered. Furthermore, conven
Figures 8, 9, and 10 are fragmentary horizontal sec
tional vault door hinges are pivoted at a relatively great
tional
views of the vault wall and vault door construc
45
distance from the center of gravity of the heavy
tion of Figure 7, respectively showing the vault door in
mass or bulk of the door, so that when it is necessary to
fully closed, ‘partially opened, and fully opened posi
swing the door closed or swing it open, a greatamount
tions. '
of manual force and elfort is required to start the door
Referring now in more detail and by reference charac
in motion and, once the door is in motion, a similarly
large amount of effort is required to stop it when it reaches 50 ters to the drawings, which illustrate practical embodi
ments of the present invention, A designates a conven
or nears the limit of its travel and such energy must be
tional
vault wall of heavy reinforced steel, concrete and
exerted, because otherwise the door will slam shut with
masonry construction having a door opening 1 bounded
tremendous force, making a great deal of noise and'even
or framed by ‘a conventional steel frame 2 having a series
sometimes damaging the delicate mechanism of the corn
55 of lateral recesses 3 for conventionally receiving the slid
ing bolts 4. Inasmuch as the locking mechanism of the
Finally, most vault doors 'of the large heavy type are
safe which actuates the bolts 4 and operatively connects
found in banks and, as is particularly true of safety de
them
with the combination are conventional and do not
posit departments, the public can see the vault door when
constitute a part of the present invention, such mecha
it is open. Since all vault doors presently in use SWing open
about a laterally. positioned hinged point, the interior ‘or 60 nism is not speci?cally shown or described in detail here
in, it being merely su?icient to say that the vault door
back face of the door swings out and is exposed to view
5 is locked thereby when in closed position and contains
when the door is open. Consequently, it is necessary for
a conventional combination knob 6 by which the bolts
manufacturers of vault doors to expend a considerable
4
may be locked in place when the vault door 5 is closed.
amount of time and expense in polishing the various parts
of the vault door mechanism which are exposed on the 65 The vault door 5 is also provided with a conventional
lock operating handle 7 by which the bolts 4 are slid
rear or inside face of the door, so that, when the door is
into
and out of locked position when the combination
swung open and such parts come into view, the appear
6 is off.
~
bination.
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Y
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ance of the structure will be attractive in the sense that
Bolted or otherwise suitably mounted upon the rear or
‘it presents a ?nished and highly polishedappearance. , All
inwardly presented face 8 of the vault door 5 is a hinge
70
of the gears which constitute the components of thevtimel
bracket 9 having two laterally spaced vertical hinge pins
lo‘clcv combination and‘ detent- setting mechanism inustbe
10, 11, and similarly mounted upon the interior face of
227%.???
3
4
l,
worm 20, the vault door 5’ is free to be manually swung
i ,
the vault wall A, adjacent ‘to the vertical margin of the
door opening 1, is a second hinge-bracket 12 also having
into fully opened position.
laterally spaced vertical hinge pins 13, 14. Swingably
mounted at its opposite ends upon and extendingtrans
vers'ely between the hinge ‘pius'10, 13, is ‘a large hinge
The worm 20 and tongue 19 make it possible to pull
the vault door 5' into ‘and out of tightly sealed position
without the use of complicated camming mechanisms
commonly found at the present time in conventional
link 15 having somewhat bshaped horizontalc'rossfse'c
tions‘conforming to the horizontal cross-section ‘of ‘the
vault door structures.
edge of the vault door' and wall, as shown in Figure 6.
Similarly'mounted vat its opposite ‘ends and extending ‘
Itshould bev understood that changes and modifications
in the form, construction, arrangement, and combination
‘
horizontally between‘ the hinge pins “11, 14, .is a ‘main
10 of the several parts of the vault door may be made and
hinge plate 16 also of ' somewhat L-shaped horizontal
substituted for those herein shown and ‘described without
cross-sectional shape and adapted likewise to ?t snugly
departing from the nature and principle of my invention.
Having thus described‘my invention, what I claim and
against‘ the contour of the edge of the doorway'l, as ,
desire to secure by Letters Patent is:
shown in Figure 6. It should be’ noted in this ‘connec‘
tion that the main hinge plate 16 is of relatively long 15 :1. A safety and protective doorway ‘for vaults, safes,
heavy construction and supports the entire weight of the
doorS,’ the link '15 serving merely as a‘stabilizing'm'echa
and the like comprising a wall having exterior and in
terior faces and a door~opening therein, the front and
nism to‘maintain the door‘ parallel to the plane of the
rear peripheral margins of the door-opening ‘lying in
parallel planes, a substantially flat door sized and shaped
for“ ‘snug-?tting closure-forming engagement within the
door opening throughout all positions of swinging move
ment, substantially as shown in'Figures 4, 5, and 6.‘
"
door-opening, said door havingan interior and an exterior
When the vault is closed, ‘the vault door ‘5 (will be po
sitioned in the Opening, substantially as shown in Figure
face; a'link‘pivotally secured at one end to the interior
face‘ of the door and pivotally secured at its other end
1, with the combination 6 and lock operating handle ‘7
in forwardly presented position. ‘The vault door‘ '5' is 25 to the interior face of the wall whereby the door can be
swung into'ian'd out of closure-forming position, said link
preferably provided with a conventional pull handle ‘17,
integrally comprising a long ,leg and a short leg ‘trans,
which is located'upon the forward face of the vault ‘door
vers'wely‘connecte‘d‘in spaced parallel relationship by an
5 preferably in line with the hinge pin 11. ‘ When the
intermediate member, said link being so shaped as ‘to
vault door 5 is: unlocked, it may be pulled straight‘out
wardly‘by grasping the handle 17 and, as outwardipulling 30 ?t cdniorrnably around'the edges of the doorway when
the‘ldoon'is ‘open, another link‘ also shaped so as to ?t
movement is’ continued, will swing ‘clear of‘th‘e door
conformably laroundthe edges of the doorway when the
opening 1 and move laterally across and in front of‘the
door is ’open and being pivotally connected at its ends
outwardly presented face of the vault wall A‘ ‘along ‘a
respectively ‘to the interior faces of the door and wall
?at arc of comparatively short radius, as shown in [dotted
lines in Figu'res4 and 6, and will assume a position con'il 35 at‘points which are laterally ‘spaced in relation to the
hinge 'points’of the ?rst-named link to hold thedoor sub
pletely‘to one side of the door opening ?atwise ‘against
stantially‘f parallel ‘to_ its initial position throughout its
arc'of swin'gpo‘iie of ‘said links being providedlwith a
the outer face of the vault wall A, as shown in‘ Figure
6.‘ When it is necessary to close the vault, thevault door
5 ‘may 'be swung back’into initial position'by ‘reversing >
this sequence ,ofmovements.
‘
If desired, it is possible to provide a modified form,‘ of
40
projecting ‘tooth, a shaft ‘rotatably‘mounted ,in the door,
and‘pr'ojecting‘ at its rear end‘ from‘ the interior face of
the door adjacent to‘said, projecting tooth, and means
vault ‘door 5’, which‘ is substantially similar‘ inalli’rei
spects to the previously described vault‘ door 5,‘ having
rigidly mounted‘ on the projecting end of the shaft for
optionally engaging the tooth as the door approaches
forming laterally‘ projecting tongue 19 for‘ optional en}
rear peripheral margins of the door-‘opening lying in
parallel planes, a‘ v?at door sized and ‘shaped for snug.
?ttin'g closure-forming ‘engagement ‘within ‘the, door
opening, said door "having ‘an interior and an exterior
face‘, a‘linhpivotally‘secured at one‘ end to the interior
face of the door ‘and pivotally securedyat its other end
whereby'to' draw ‘the-door tightly into
hinge-brackets 9'>,:12’, hinge pins 10', 11',‘ 13’, ‘14’, a ‘ closed'position‘
po‘sitioh.
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hinge link 15’, and a hinge plate 16', all substantially 45 such‘clo‘sed
ZL‘A 1‘safety and protective’ doorway for vaults, safes‘,
similar to the corresponding elements of the previously
and'thelike‘ comprising a wall having exterior and, in~
described vault door 5. The main hinge plate 16',‘ho'w-'
terior faces andj‘a door-opening therein, the front ‘and
ever, ‘is recessed, as at‘ 18, ‘and is provided with a' tooth
gagement within ‘thethreads of a short relatively‘heavy,‘
50
worm ‘20 pinned upon the inner end ‘of a handle shaft
21 journalled in and extending through the vaultdo‘or
5," and’provided on its external end witha handle ‘22.
As will be seen in Figure 7, the‘ handle 22 preferablyiri-e
to the interior face'of the waltwhereby the door can be
eludes three radial spokes 23 arranged'at 120° intervals‘ 55 swung into and out of closure~forining position, said link
around its periphery,‘ one of the spokes ‘23 being "adapted,
integrally‘ comprising a long leg andy'a short leg trans
to assume a downwardly extending vertical position'wh'e‘ri
versely connected in spaced parallel‘relationship by ‘an
the ‘in-leading‘ end of the worm 20 is set to‘, ‘clear'th‘e
intermediate member, 'saidlink being so shaped as‘ to
tongue’ 19. Thus, when thevault doors’. is open‘; the‘ ‘ ?t conformably around the edges of‘ the doorway when
worm'20 andj'tongue 19 will be completely, disengaged,
as shown in‘ Figure 10.‘ When, howeverfthe vaulthdkoor
60 the door is open, another link also shaped so as to'?t
conformably‘around‘th‘e edges, of the doorway when ‘the
5" ‘is swung into closed position, as shown in Figureiji,
door is open and being pivotally connected at its ends
respectively to thewinterior faces of the door and wall at
the in-leading ‘end of‘ the ‘worm,’ 20, the latter being ‘po 65 points‘ which are laterallyspaced in relation to the hinge
points‘of ‘the ?rst-named {link to‘ hold the door substan
sitioned so that it will readily receive the tongue 19 by,
tially-parallel to its initial positionjthroughout its arc of
positioning the handle 22 in the manner above described.
the tongue 19 will swing down into engagement within
Thereupon, the handle 22 may be rotated so as to draw
swing; one ‘of said links being provided with a projecting
tooth, a shaft rotatably mounted in the door and project
the tongue 19 down into the worm, pulling‘the vault "doon
its rear end from the ‘interior face‘ of the door
5"tightly into fully seated ‘closed position, as‘ ‘shown in 70“ in-g‘hat
adjacent to said projecting tooth, and screw means rigidly
Figure 8.:
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When the vault door 5' is opened, the handle 22‘, is
rotated in the reverse direction, swinging the vaultindoor
outwardly through an initial forward portion of its move,
ment and as the tongue 19 becomes disengaged‘xfrom the, 75
mounted on the projecting end of the shaft for optionally
engaging the ‘teeth. as thedoor approaches closed-posi
tion whereby ,to ,drawJth‘e ,door tightly into, such closed
position.‘
a
‘
‘
and protective, doorway for vaults, safes,‘
2,771,042:
5
and the like comprising a wall having exterior and in
terior faces and a door-opening therein,‘ the front and
rear peripheral vmargins of the door-opening lying in
parallel planes, a flat door sized and shaped for snug
?tting closure-forming engagement within the door
opening, said door having .an interior and \an exterior
face, a link pivotally secured :at one end to the interior
face of the door and pivotally secured at its other end
to the interior face of the 'wall whereby the door can be
swung into and out of closure-forming position, ‘said link
integrally comprising a long leg and a short leg trans
conformably around'the edges of the doorway when the
door is open and being pivotally connected at its ends
respectively to the interior faces of the door and wall at
points which are laterally spaced in relation to the hinge
points of the ?rst~narned link to hold the door substan
tially parallel to its initial posit-ion throughout its arc of
swing, one of said links being provided with .a projecting
tooth which swings along ‘an arc concentric with its pivot
point on the door, a shaft rotatably mounted in and ex
tending through the door, and a worm [?xed upon the
versely connected in spaced parallel relationship by an
inner end of the shaft and having an inwardly presented
open-ended thread, the open end of which lies in the
intermediate member, said link being so shaped as to
path of arcuate movement of the tooth as the link with
?t conformably around the edges of the doorway when
which it is associated pivots during opening and closing
the door is open, another link also shaped so as to ?t 15 movement of the door for optionally engaging the tooth
as the door approaches closed position so that the door
conformably around the edges of the doorway when the
can be drawn tightly into such closed position by rota
door is open and being pivotally connected [at its ends
tion of the shaft.
respectively to the interior faces of the door and wall at
‘6. A safety and protective doorway for vaults, safes,
points which are laterally spaced in relation to the hinge
points of the ?rst-named link to hold the door substan 20 and the like comprising a wall of substantial thickness
having exterior and interior faces and a door-opening,
tially parallel to its initial position throughout its arc of
said door-opening having at least one substantially ver
swing, one of said links being provided with ‘a projecting
tical margin, the front and rear peripheral margins of
tooth, a shaft rotatably mounted in the door and project
the door~opening lying in parallel planes so that the
ing at its rear end from the interior face of the door
adjacent to said projecting tooth, and a worm rigidly 25 door-opening is bounded by an inter-wall face of sub
mounted on the projecting end of the shaft for optionally
stantial width, said exterior, interior, and inter-wall faces
conjointly conforming to a selected horizontal cross
engaging the tooth ‘as the door approaches closed posi
sectional con-tour along said vertical margin of the door
tion whereby to draw the door tightly into such closed
opening, a door sized and shaped for snug-?tting closure
position.
4. A safety and protective doorway for vaults, safes, 30 forming engagement within the door-opening, said door
having an interior and an exterior face, a ?rst substan
and the like comprising a wall having exterior and in
tially 1L-shaped link having a long leg and a short leg
terior faces and a dooreopening therein, the front and
connected by a transverse bight and conforming in shape
rear peripheral margins of the door-opening lying in
to the horizontal cross-sectional contour of the door
parallel planes, a ?at door sized and shaped for snug
opening, said link being pivotally secured at one end to
?tting closure-forming engagement within the door
the interior face of the door and pivotally secured at its
opening, said door having an interior and an exterior
other end to the interior face of the Wall whereby the
face, a link pivotally secured at one end to the interior
door can be swung into and out of closure-‘forming posi
face of the door ‘and pivotally secured at its other end
tion, and a second L-shaped link having a long leg and
to the interior face of the wall whereby the door can be
a short leg connected by a transverse bight and conform
swung into and out of closureaforming position, said link
ing in shape to the horizontal cross-sectional contour of
integrally comprising a long leg and a short leg trans
the door-opening, the long and short legs of said second
versely connected in spaced parallel relationship by an
link being respectively longer than [the long and short
intermediate member, said link being so shaped as to
legs of the ?rst link, said second link also being pivotally
?t conformably around the edges of the doorway when
connected at its ends respectively to the interior faces of
the door is open, another link also shaped so as to fit
the door and wall at points which are laterally spaced
conformably around the edges of the doorway when the
in rrelation to the hinge points of the ?rst-named link,
door is open and ‘being pivotally connected at its ends
said hinge points .all lying in a single plane which is
respectively to the interior faces of the door and wall at
parallel to the interior faces of the wall and door when
points which are laterally spaced in relation to the hinge
points of the ?rst-named link to hold the door rsubstan- ' the door is in closed position to hold the door substan
tially parallel to its initial position throughout its arc
tially parallel to its initial position throughout its arc of
of swing.
swing, one of said vlinks being provided with a projecting
7. A safety and protective doorway for vaults, safes,
tooth, a shaft rotatably mounted in the door and project
and the like comprising a wall of substantial thickness
ing at its rear end from the interior ‘face of the door
adjacent to said projecting tooth, and an ‘open-ended in having exterior and interior faces and a door-opening,
said door-opening having at least one substantially ver
worm rigidly mounted on the projecting "end of the shaft
tical margin, the front and rear peripheral margins of the
for optionally engaging the tooth as the door approaches
door-opening lying in parallel planes so that the door
closed position whereby to draw the door tightly into
opening is bounded by an inter-wall face of substantial
such closed position.
5. A safety and protective doorway for vaults, safes, 60 width, said exterior, interior, and inter-wall faces con
jointly conforming to a selected horizontal cross-sectional
and the like comprising a wall having exterior and in
contour along said vertical margin of the door-opening,
terior 1faces ‘and a door-opening therein, the front and
a door sized and shaped for snug-?tting closure-forming
rear peripheral margins of the door-opening lying in
engagement within the door-opening, said door having
parallel planes, a ?at door sized and shaped for snug
an interior and an exterior face, a ?rst link having a long
?t-ting closure-forming engagement within the door
and a short leg connected by a transverse bight and being
opening, said door having an interior and anexterior
pivotally secured at one end to the interior face of the
face, a link pivotally secured at one end to the interior
door and pivotally secured at its other end to the interior
face of the door and pivotally secured at its other end
face of the wall whereby the door can be swung into and
to the interior face of the wall whereby the door can be
swung into and out of closure-forming position, said 70 out of closure-forming position, said link having a pro?le
geometrically conformable to the transverse cross-sec—
link integrally comprising a long leg and a short leg
tional shape of the wall across the edge of the doorway,
transversely connected in spaced parallel relationship by
and a second link having a long leg and a short leg
an intermediate member, said link being so shaped as to
connected by a transverse bight, the long and short legs
?t conformably around the edges of the doorway when
the door is open, another
also ‘shaped so as to lit 75 of said second link being respectively longer than the cor
2,771,042
8
responding, legs- o? the ?rst link, said. secondlink being
leg transversely connected in‘ spaced- parallel relationship‘
also, geometrically‘ conformable to~ the transverse cross‘
sectional shapeof» thevwallxacrossithe edge of. the door
way and‘being .pivotally connected atiits endsirespectively
to ?t conformably around'the edgesofthe-doorwaywhen
to the interior faces of the door and wall at points which
are laterally‘ and vertically spaced ‘in relation to the hinge
?t conformablyriaround the edges of the doorway when
the door is open and including a4lo'ng leg and a short‘ leg
pointsofwthe ?rst-named link, the hinge points of the two
transversely connected in space-parallel ‘ relationship‘ by
by an intermediate member, said‘li‘nk being so shaped as
the door is open, and a‘ second link also shaped so as to
links‘ on theinterior face of the ‘wall being at, all times
an intermediate member, the long and short legs of said
located in ausingle planewhich is parallel to such in
second link being respectively longer'than the‘correspond4
terionface of‘ the»wall, the hinge points on1 thev‘doori 10 ing legs of'ther?rst link, said‘ second‘ link also being piv0t~
similarly flying in. a single, plane which is at all times
ally connected at its ends'respectiv'ely to the interior faces
parallel to the, interior face of the ,door- wherebyito hold
of ‘the door andv‘vallat points (which are laterally and ver
the, door substantially parallel‘ ‘to ‘its initial position
tically spaced in‘ relation'to the‘ hinge points of the ?rst,
throughout its arc of swingrand the ?rst and secondalinks
named link sovthat when the dooris closed,“the ?rst'and'
are» nested :in close-?tting relationship around‘ the interiorv
wallface of: the door-openingtandxin vertically aligne
second links ‘will be one above ‘theother and the‘long
leg of the second link will cross the bight of the-?rst‘ link;
8. A safety and protective doorway for vaults, safes,
whereby to hold=the door substantially parallel to its
initial position throughout its ‘arc of swing, the hinge
andtthe like comprising a Wall of substantial thickness
haviug‘exterior and interior faces; and a door~opening,
points on the door‘being co-planar withrespect to‘ each
other and the hinge points on the wall similarly being co-i
said door-opening having at least one substantially vertical
margin, the front and rear peripheral margins of the door
planar with respect to eachother.
position ‘with respectto each other.‘
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opening lying in parallel planes. so that the door-opening
isrboundedby an inter~wall face oflsubstantial width, said
exterior, interior, and inter-Wall faces conjointly conform
ingtto ,a selected horizontalacross-sectional contour along
said'vertical margin of the door-opening, a door sized and‘
shaped for snug‘?tting closure-forming engagement with
in the door-opening, said ldOOI' having‘an interior and an
exteriorface, a ?rst link pivotally secured at one end to 30
the, interior, face ,of the door and pivotally secured at its
other end to the interior face, of the Wall whereby the
door can be swung into and out of-closure~forming posi
tion, said link integrally comprising a long leg and a short
'
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References Cited in the ?le of this patent.
' UNITED STATES" PATENTS
712,797
810,861
1,145,519
1,407,790
2,161,323
Holtzmann ____ -s. ____ __ Nov. 4, 1902
Hedges __c ____________ -Jan. 23, 1906
Singers _______________ __ July 6,1915
2,564,988
Muller, ______________ __ Aug. 21,, 19,51
Evans ______________ __ Feb. 28, 1,922
Stephenson ___________ __ June 6,1939
FOREIGN PATENTS
452,679
Great Britain _,___‘ ____ __ Aug; 27, ‘119,36
17 w