Within a very recent period the doors of several vaults and safes have been built by this company with what is termed " automatic bolt-work' or " bolt-actuating de vices." The "automatic device" aims at a solid door without any lock or bolt-work spindles piercing it. The operation of locking is accomplished automatically, in closing the door, by means of the tripping lever, located on the outer edge of the bolt frame, which impinges against the jamb of the vault or safe when the door is closed releasing the locking springs, which thereupon shoot the bolts behind the jamb and lock the door. The door will then remain locked for the number of hours for which the time-lock is set. When the proper time arrives the hand of the time-lock will remove the hook which connects with the compound levers, and the unlocking springs will thereupon be released and the bolts retracted. All " automatic bolt-work " and their kindred devices are, as yet, in the experimental stage, and it is not claimed that they have been fully perfected.
Among the more notable bank and safe-deposit vaults are those built in the manner above described by the Marvin Safe Co. for Messrs. Drexel. Morgan & Co., and the Garfield Safe-Deposit Co., cf New York City. Other important vaults are those constructed by Messrs, Herring & Co., of New York, for the Lincoln Safe-Deposit Co., and the Chemical National Bank. The entrance to the great vault of the Lincoln Safe-Deposit Co. is represented in Fig. 4.
This is constructed of iron, steel and iron welded, homogeneous plates of hard and soft steel and Frank Unite. The vault is entered through the largest and strongest safe doors ever made. There are four sets of double doors, having a combined weight of 48 tons, and yet they are easily opened and closed by means of patent-lever hinges. Nassive and highly polished bolts secure the doors on both sides, top and bottom. These bolts are checked by Dexter double bank locks and improved time-locks. Ornate doors of open wrought-iron work are provided for use during business hours. The vault of the Chemical National Bank of New York City is illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6. The vault occupies two floors, and weighs, exclu sive of the masonry, almost 2(30,000 lbs. Both upper and lower vaults are pro vided with two inner or burglar-proof doors. These are 8 in. in thick ness, and each door weighs a little less than 22,000 lbs. Inside of these doors in turn are iron gates for use during business hours. The massive doors just referred to have tongues and grooves which inter lock with corresponding tongues and grooves in each jamb, so that when closed the doors are firmly keyed to the body of the structure.
There are 20 steel bolts in each door, which secure it on all sides. These doors are made fast by two Dexter bank locks, which may be unlocked by either of two dials. They are safe against a lockout, or they may be arranged to require the presence of two persons, each one controlling a dial with a distinct combination. Besides this, each one of the outer strong doors has a time lock attached. This, however, is not the only pro tection against burglars. Inside the vaults are 12 Herring's safes, in which the many securities and different funds of the bank are kept separate, fixing individual responsibility to the last degree. Referring again to the upper vault, the fire-proof easing tends back of it to the wall, pro viding a space in which the books of the bank are stored for safety against fire. Referring to the cut, the door shown at the right in the upper vault louts to the book re ceptacle just described. It would seem that the precautions taken against loss by robbery or by fire in this bank are as great as may be. in the first place, there is the fire-proof building already de scribed: next the tire-proof casing of the vault, inside of which is the vault proper, and then, in turn, inside of this are safes of the most thorough construction. In view of the fact that the bank has resources amounting to some $30,000,000, the need of these precautions will be appreciated.
Type of vault, constructed of plate steel and railroad rails, is represented in Fig. 7. Burglarproof safes are constructed in the seine manner and in the same materials as vaults, being in fact little more than miniature re productions of the latter. Fig. 8 rep resents a new form of Marvin safe, made of steel and provided with an inner chest. Fig. 9 is a solid door bankers' safe. made by Messrs. Herring & Co., w h ich has the novel feature of a solid outer door, with a smooth steel surface, un penetrated by spindle or arbor. When the look has unlocked at the time set, the bolts may be oper ated by a mechan ical attachment on the inside of the safe door. A lock ing bar is moved so that the door has a slight play. It is then given an in-and-out move ment by means of a cam leverage on the outside of the door. This works the attachment and unlocks the strong bolts. It is arbitrary in its action, not depending upon springs or weights.