US2316856A - Door signal - Google Patents

Description

April 20, 1943.- e. s. GREEN 2,316,356

DOOR SIGNAL Filed Aug. 50, 1959 :5 Sheets-Sheet 1 .25 I SORRY 2,7 26 '32.

, 2O INVENTOR 3 2O Genrge S. Green.

ATTORN Y April 3- G. s. GREEN 2,316,856

DOOR S IGNAL MIL M I INVENTOR George SGreen. BY, mm

ATTORNEY April 1943- G. s. GREEN I 2,316,856

DOOR SIGNAL Filed Aug. 30, 1939 3 Shegts-Sheet 3 i 1 i I INVENTOR George J GreG I ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 20, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE DOOR SIGNAL George S. Green, Cape Elizabeth, Maine Application August 30, 1939, Serial No. 292,683

2 Claims.

This invention relates to signals, and more particularly to an improved absence-indicating and message-receiving device adapted to be positioned at the entrance of an office or dwelling place.

One object of this invention is to provide a door signal of the above nature which may be selectively arranged to operate as an ordinary door bell or to indicate the absence of the occupant of an ofiice or dwelling.

Another object is to provide a door signal of the above nature having a memorandum compartment and a semaphore device to indicate when said compartment has been opened.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an improved door signal device of the above nature which will be relatively inexpensive to manufacture, simple in construction, compact, ornamental in appearance, and very efficient and durable in use.

With these and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, there have been illustrated in the accompanying drawings two forms in which the invention may be conveniently embodied in practice.

In the drawings:

' Fig. 1 is a front face view of the first form of door signal device.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the same, as it appears when installed in a door frame and showing diagrammatically the electrical wiring, the switches and door bell operatively associated therewith.

Fig. 3 is a front view of the same with the cover plate removed, and with the door swung downwardly into open position.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional View taken on the broken line l-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the other side of the device.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged front view of a portion of the device with the cover partly broken away.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on the line !I of Fi 6.

Figure 7A is a perspective view of the invention;

Figure 7B is a diagrammatic electrical layout of the same.

Fig. 8 is a front view of a modified form of the invention with the door in normal closed position.

Fig. 9 is a front view of the same with the door shown in open position.

Refernce will now be made to the drawings wherein like reference numerals designate the same parts throughout the several views:

1 to 7 inclusive, the signal includes the usual door bell, whereby the presence of a visitor may be audibly indicated; a colored semaphore member to indicate the fact that a visitor has called in the absence of the occupant of the premises;

means to indicate to the visitor that the office or apartment is unoccupied; a message compartment for a memo pad and pencil; and means whereby the occupant of the ofiice or residence may selectively set the apparatus to ring the door bell or to open the message compartment, or both, upon the depression of the push button.

In the second form shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the door signal is made as a replica of a small house, has a message compartment containing a pad and pencil, and contains a modified form of automatically-operated semaphore to indicate to the occupant of the premises when he returns thereto that a visitor has called and opened the door v to the message compartment.

The first form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to '7, inclusive, comprisesa rectangular dished casing Ill, preferably of metal, having a laterally extending side flange I I about its forward perimeter, said casing being adapted to be set into the outer door frame l2 of an ofiice, apartment, or residence, with the flange ll overlying the same. Suitable means, such as screws [3, may be used to secure the casing to the door frame H. The casing is is divided by a partition l4 into upper and lower compartments l5 and I6, respectively the upper compartment I5 being closed by a small vertical cover plate ll secured thereto by screws 18 which preferably pass through the casing and engage in the apertures IQ of the casing l 1.

The lower compartment i6 is closed by a drop door 26 which is hinged at its lower edge to the casing Hi on a pin 2|, by means of which it may automatically swing downwardly to uncover the compartment 5 ii. The door 23 is provided with a rectangular flange 22 which normally extends rearwardly into the compartment [6. A small rectangular opening or slot 23 is provided near one end of the top Wall 24 of the flange 22, into which a swingable angular beveled catch finger 25 is adapted to snap to hold the drop door 20 in compartment-closing position (Figs. 1 and 2) against the tension of a horizontal leaf-spring 26 secured to the partition M by rivets 21, and acting against the edge of the flange wall 24 to urge the door 20 outwardly away from the casing ID.

The drop door 20 is connected to the lower end of a link 28 by a screw 30, and the upper end of said ling is pivotally connected by a bolt 33 which In the first form of the invention shown in Figs. '55 passes through'the sidewall 32 of the. flange 22..

and is connected to the upper end of a leaf-spring 3|, disposed to slide on the outside of a side wall 32 of the casing ||l (Figs. 3 and 7). The bolt 33 extends through and is adapted to be guided in a vertical slot 34 formed in the side wall 32 of the casing Hi. The leaf-spring 3| is adapted to engage an inclined wedge surface 35 formed on the side wall 32 adjacent the lower end thereof to act as a cushion brake for the drop door when it approaches its lower horizontal open position.

It will be understood that instead of using a spring cushion brake to check the opening of the door, it is within the scope of the invention to employ a piston or plunger operating in a. cyl-. inder against the compression of a coiled spring,

a dash pot, or any other damping device.

A memorandum pad is detachably'secured to the inside surface of the door 20 between the walls of the flange 22 by having its back Card-/ board sheet 31 slipped under a rod 38 extending 7 across the cover plate 20 from one of the side walls of the flange 22 to the other. is preferably secured to the casing by a string and is adapted to be removably held within the compartment I6 by means of a receptacle, such as a screw eye 40, mounted in a side wall of the casing |0 near the bottom thereof. The memorandum pad 36 is supported, when writing upon it, by the link 28 which holds the door 20 in horizontal position.

If desired, a clip (not shown) may be provided to receive the visitors card.

Electromagnetic catch release In order to release the catch finger 25, provision is made of an electromagnet 4| secured to the rear wall I9 of the casing Ill by a U-shaped bracket 42, and said bracket also support a movable armature 43 by means of a fiat spring 44 secured to a post 45 extending from the lower end of the bracket 42. The catch finge 25 comprises a horizontal portion secured to the armature 43 and a vertical portion extending down through the partition 14 into the lower compartment. By means of this construction it will be seen that energization of the electromagnet 4| will pull the armature 43 and raise the catch finger 25 out of the slot 23 in the top wall 24 of the door flange. 22. The door 28 will thus be released and permitted to he suddenly swung outwardly by the leaf-spring 26 and to thereafter fall by gravity to fully open position.

Door bell is at home, provision is made of an electric bell 46, one of the terminals 41 of which is connected by a conductor 48 to an electric battery 49 or other source of electrical energy, such as a transformer (not shown). The other terminal 50 of the bell 45 is connected by a conductor 5| to one terminal 52 of a selector switch 53 having a switch actuating lever 54,said selector switch preferably being of any well known type of snap switch whereby a central contact or terminal 55 may be selectively connected to either of two side contacts or terminals 52 and 56. r V

The central contact 55 is connected by a conductor 51 to one terminal 58 of a push button switch 59 of any desired usual form and which is disposed in the front portion of the upper cover plate I1, said push button switch having an operating button 5| extending forwardly A pencil 39 therefrom. The other terminal 62 of the push button switch 59 is connected by a conductor 63 to the battery 49.

The terminal '56 of the selector switch 53 is connected by a conductor 64 to one terminal 55 of the electromagnet 4|, and the other terminal 65 of the electromagnet 4| is connected by a conductor 61 to the battery 49.

Visible indicator In order to provide a visible indication whereby the occupant of the premises may ascertain at a glance that a visitor has called and possibly has left a message on the memorandum pad 36,provision is made of a swingable semaphore 68 which is mounted between the front want!) of the drop door 25 andan inner plate 10 thereon on a thumb knob 7| to the inner end of which it is rigidly secured. The knob H is rotatably mounted in the front wall 69 of the door 20 and is adapted to swing the semaphore 68 when said knob isrotated. The semaphore 68 is preferably of elongated tapered shape and extends laterally across the door 23, its larger end 12 having a pair of upper and lower segments 13 and 14 which are colored in this instance red and black respectively. Airectangular sight opening 15 is provided in the front wall 59 of the door 20 to form a window through which the two-colored end l2 of the semaphore 58' may be readily observed. The smaller end 16 of the semaphore 68 extends beyond the knob H and overlies the include any form of swingable, rotatable, or slidable arm, or any other shiftable member capable of giving a visible indication of the fact that a visitor has called and operated the push button in the absence of the occupant of the apartment.

Operation In the operation of the first form of the invention (Figs. 1-7), the casing Ill will be installed in the outer door frame I2, in place of the present electric push button, and said casing will be connected as above described with the electric bell 46 and the battery 49. When'the occupant is at home, the lever 54 of the selector switch will be located in position to connect the central terminal 55 with the terminal'52 of said switch, whereby the bell 46 will be in circuit with the push button switch 59. A visitor pressing inwardly on the push button 6| will connect said terminals 52' and 55, and cause the bell 46 to ring, thus audibly indicating to the occupant that a visitor has arrived.

When the occupant of the premises is about to leave, he will move the switch lever 54 in such a manner as to connect the central terminal55 to the terminal 56, thereby cutting the bell 46 the button 6| of the push button switch 59, the

electromagnet 4| will beenergized and will draw up its armature 43, causing the angular catch finger 25 to be drawn upwardly out of the slot 23 in the partition 24, thereby releasing the drop door 28. The leaf-spring 26 will then suddenly force the door 28 a short distance away from the casing 10, and said door 20 will complete its movement into fully open position by gravity, the final part of said movement being cushioned by the brake spring 3| and the inclined wedge surface 35,

When the door 20 opens, the lug 18 will be released from its engagement with the lug 19 and the semaphore 88 will be allowed to drop by gravity to swing the red portion 13 behind the window opening 15.

It will be seen that when the door 28 is again closed by the visitor, the red portion '13 will remain visible, indicating to the occupant upon his return that a visitor has called and possibly has left a message on the memorandum pad 36. The occupant, upon returning, will then open the door 28 by pressing the push button 6!, and when again closing it, he will rotate the thumb knob H to swing the semaphore 68 in such a manner as to dispose the black portion 14 behind the window opening 15. He will then enter the premises and operate the selector switch 53 so as to connect the bell 46 into the push button circuit and to cut out the electromagnet 4| therefrom.

If desired, both of the selector switch terminals 52 and 56 may be permanently joined to the central contact 55. With such an arrangement, both the bell 46 and the electromagnet 4| will be simultaneously energized when the button 6| is pushed.

Modification In the modified form of the invention shown in Figs. 8 and 9, a side-hinged door 88 has been substituted for the bottom-hinged drop door of the first form 20. In this modified form, provision is made of a single compartment 8| having a paper pad 82 and a pencil 83 located therein, the entire device being adapted to be hung on a wall by means of a screw 84 when the occupant leaves the premises. The door 88 is adapted to be retained in the closed position shown in Fig. 8 by a spring catch 85, and when opened by a visitor, an indicator semaphore 86 marked Look is adapted to automatically swing outwardly and downwardly on a pivot 81 by gravity to the position shown in Fig. 9 to signal that a visitor has called during the absence of the occupant. The semaphore 86 is normally retained in the concealed dotted line vertical position by means of a stud 88 located on the door 80, which stud engages a tongue 89 provided on the outer end of the semaphore 86. It will be understood that if desired the door 80 may be spring-opened, and the catch stud 88 may be released by the operation of an electromagnet as in the first form shown in Figs. 1-7, inclusive, within the spirit and scope of the invention,

In the operation of the second form shown in Figs. 8 and 9, when a visitor opens the door 80 to leave a message, the semaphore 86 will automatically swing down to indicate to the occupant upon his return that a visitor has called. When the occupant has read the message left by the visitor, he will manually raise the semaphore 86 to the vertical position indicated by the dotted lines so that the tongue 89 will engage the stud 88, which will hold the semaphore 86 in such position when the door is again closed.

With either form of the invention it will be understood that the apparatus may be made weatherproof by the use of intersecting grooves on the door and door frame, or by Weatherstripping, etc.

While there have been disclosed in this specification two forms in which the invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that these forms are shown for the purpose of illustration only, and that the invention is not to be limited to the specific disclosure, but may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit. In short, the invention includes all the modifications and embodiments coming within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new, and for which it is desired to secure Letters Patent, is:

1. In a door signal device, a casing having a hollow message-receiving compartment, a door for said compartment normally spring-urged to open position, a catch to normally hold said door in closed position, an electric circuit including a push button switch, a door bell, an electromagnet for retracting said catch to permit automatic opening of said door, a double throw switch for selectively connecting either said door bell or said electromagnet into said circuit so arranged that when the double throw switch is in on position, pressure on said push button will cause the current in said circuit to ring said door bell, and when said double throw switch is in its other position pressure on said push button will energize said electromagnet to withdraw said catch and permit said door to open.

2. In a door signal device, a casing having a hollow message-receiving compartment, a door for said compartment normally spring-urged to open position, a catch to normally hold said door in closed position, an electric circuit including a push button switch, a door bell, an electromagnet for retracting said catch to permit automatic opening of said door, a double throw switch for selectively connecting either said door bell or said electromagnet into said circuit so arranged that when the double throw switch is in one position, pressure on said push button will cause the current in said circuit to ring said door bell, and when said double throw switch is in its other position pressure on said push button will energize said electromagnet to withdraw said catch and permit said door to open, and a gravity-operated semaphore pivotally mounted on said door, said lever and said casing having alined lugs to interengage when said door is closed, to hold said semaphore lever in raised concealed position, said lugs becoming disengaged when said door is open to permit said semaphore to drop down by gravity for indicating that a visitor has called and left a message in said compartment.

GEORGE S. GREEN.

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