John D. Brush Co., Inc.

Patrick J Beattie

Richard J Sylvester

John D Brush, Jr

Andrew L Oliveri

David O Chase

R David Pallo

Douglas E Shaffer

Nathan A Harvey

James Masseth

James E Masseth

A fire-resistant container having a full gasket at the interface between hinged top and bottom mating elements. The elements are insulated and are formed with matable labyrinthine edges. One of the edges is provided with a smooth, soft gasket disposed in a groove in the labyrinth which forms a seal against a corresponding rib in the opposing edge. The elements are joined along common sides by a hinge, the rotational axis of which is positioned in space relative to the gasket and rib such that, in closing of the container, the gasket engages the rib at all points substantially simultaneously. The hinged elements are secured by an over-center latching latch such that when the container is fully closed the rib exerts a small and substantially uniform force against the gasket to form a seal against fire and water. Upon being exposed to fire, the hinges and/or the latch may be destroyed without causing the seal between to be broken, thus maintaining the fire- and water-resistance of the container, the weight of the top element further compressing the gasket onto the rib and thereby enhancing the seal.

Fire and water-resistant container

A combination lock assembly for safes in which the combination can be easily reset without dismantling the assembly or changing its original adjustment for smoothness and consistency of tumbler wheel motion. The tumbler wheel and spacing washer components of the assembly are all mounted on a bushing that also includes an end cap. The tumblers and spacers are spring biased by a wave washer so that the drive tumbler, which includes a plurality of angularly spaced holes, presses against the end cap. One of the holes is aligned with a drive stud on the drive cam that is used to position the tumblers. In the event the drive tumbler should receive uneven pressure from the drive studs (e.g., due to improper alignment of the safe's drive spindle), the tumbler wheels and washers are all held together by the bias of the wave washer and are maintained with their engagement surfaces parallel with each other, permitting proper operation without undesirable wear. To reset the combination, manual pressure of the drive tumbler is sufficient to overcome the bias of the wave washer to move the tumblers and washers axially away from the end cap. This movement allows the drive tumbler to be rotated relative to the drive cam so that another of said angularly spaced holes is aligned with the drive stud. This simple procedure changes the combination required to open the safe.

Combination lock assembly

A universal lock mount for use with a variety of different types of safe locks. It includes an integral resin structure having a bushing portion and a mounting plate portion. The bushing portion supports lock components, and the mount also includes a retaining cap which is fused to the outer end of the bushing portion to hold the components as an independent assembly. Resin spacing washers minimize wear and provide for smoothness and consistency in the movement of the lock assembly components. Use of the mount permits the lock components to be preassembled, tested and adjusted prior to installation so that the resulting assembly functions as an independent lock element. The universal mount also facilitates security of the safe. Because the assembly is independent of the spindle/driver mechanism used to position its components, removal or destruction of the spindle/driver mechanism does not affect the components supported on the universal mount, and the safe remains locked.

Universal lock mount

A generally rectangular, double-walled box 10 is blow molded in a pair of separately formed diagonal halves 10a and 10b, each including adjoining side walls 11 and 12 subtending a diagonal half of the bottom 15 of box 10. Walls 11 and 12 of each diagonal half are oriented obliquely to the parting plane 43 of a mold 40 that has a cavity 42 and core 41 for forming the inner and outer walls of each box half 10a and 10b. The halves are assembled together along a junction region 13 and 14, preferably so as to trap a hinged cover 20. By filling the interwall cavities of the box with a suitable insulation material, the box can be used for fire resistant storage or cold storage.

Blow molding of double-walled box in diagonal halves

A bushing 10 for a safe door combination lock supports a spindle 20 extending through inner and outer door walls 13 and 12 separated by a space filled with insulation. A stub 15 secured in a hole 17 in the inner wall 13 by a rotational rivet 16 has an axial bore hole and a machined periphery for receiving components of the combination lock. A thin walled tube 11 extends through the bore hole in stub 15 and through the space between the inner and outer walls. An outer end of tube 11 is flared against an outer surface of outer wall 12 and an inner end of tube 11 is flared against an inner end of stub 15. Tube 11 then receives spindle 20 for the combination lock without providing a large heat conductor through the interior of the safe. Also, if tube 11 and spindle 20 are driven into the interior of the safe with a punch, stub 15 retains the tumbler wheels of the combination lock to keep the lock secure.

Safe door bushing

A vapor-sealed insulation system 10 for a fire resistant safe with a steel outer body 11 and door cover 12 uses several resin molds 15-17 that receive and hold the safe's insulation material and are shaped to fit within door 12 and body 11 for lining the safe's interior. The molds 15-17 not only preform the insulation but seal in its moisture. When the insulation molds are installed in the safe, their inner walls form interior safe surfaces.

Vapor-sealed insulation system for fire resistant safe

My safe door live bolt assembly 10 is operated by a handle spindle 38 and uses a pair of identical castings 15 that each include a pair of live bolts 16 interconnected by a bracket 17. Each casting 15 has a single connecting rod 30 extending from bracket 17, and the inner ends of connecting rods 30 connect to a T-bar 35 that overlies the inward facing sides of connecting rods 30 and is secured to handle spindle 38 for operating live bolts 16. Slide brackets 12 secured to inner safe wall 13 guide live bolts 16 in their sliding motion and afford bracing for live bolt connecting brackets 17. Although each bracket 17 has a lock projection 20, only one of these interacts with a combination lock 25.

Live bolt assembly for safe door

A media protection system 10 uses a media storage box 20 arranged within a fire resistant safe 11 so that the media box door 25 and the safe door 12 cooperate to seal media box 20 closed and hold it spaced from interior walls of safe 11. Media box door 25 has a roller 30 arranged on a pivot axis 26 spaced forward and below its hinge axis 24 at the lower front of media box 20. The weight of media box 20 and its door 25 resting on door roller 30, which can roll along a horizontal surface of the interior 14 of safe 11, automatically biases safe door 12 to either a fully closed position or a fully open position. An abutment 35 on the inside of safe door 12 presses media box door 25 fully closed and sealed.

Media protection system

A portable fire resistant case 10 is made with a molded, double-walled resin body 11 and cover 12 hinged and locked together and filled with insulation in the spaces between the double walls. Spring latches 30 mounted on body 11 engage interlock surfaces 33 on cover 12 to hold cover 12 to body 11 independently of the hinge and are assisted in this by a lock element 27 engaging and holding projections on the inside of body 11. Body 11 and cover 12 are formed with molded filling projections 19 and 20 forming passageways into cavities 11c and 12c that are filled with insulation through filling projections 19 and 20. Projections 19 and 20 and overfilled insulation material that they contain are cut away after the insulation has set to leave insulation stubs 23 and 24 over which escutcheons 25 and 26 are mounted on the lock side of case 10.

Portable fire resistant case

A live bolt lock mechanism for a safe door uses a rotatable idler 15 in a middle region of the door. A plurality of live bolts 20 spaced around the door each has a connecting rod 19 joined to the idler 15 at crank locations for operating the live bolts. A handle 25 is mounted between the idler and the opening edge of the door, and a combination lock 30 is mounted beside the idler. An actuator 27 rotated by the handle moves an actuator link 31 connected to the idler for rotating the idler when the handle turns. A lock link 50 mounted on the idler and extending toward the combination lock 30 has a projection disposed adjacent the combination lock to block the lock link and idler from movement unless a combination for the lock is fulfilled.

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West Henrietta, NY, United States of America

Patrick J Beattie