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An instrument for warning an unaware person at a start of an earthquake; the instrument including a suspended pendulum which at its lower end has an electric contact spaced from a stationary ring-shaped contact which surrounds the pendulum contact, so that during an earth tremor the stationary contact moves together with the earth, thus engaging the suspended contact and accordingly closing an electric circuit with an audible alarm.

InventorsAlfredo A. Valdez, George Spector
Current U.S. Classification340/540; 307/117
International Classification: G08B 2100

View patent at USPTO
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Citations

Cited PatentFiling dateIssue dateOriginal AssigneeTitle
US893997Nov 3, 1906Jul 21, 1908DISTURBANCE-OPERATED CIRCUIT-BREAKER
US2448597Jan 13, 1947Sep 7, 1948AUTO PROWLER ALAKM
US3962693Jul 21, 1975Jun 8, 1976Motion detection device including a pendulum switch
US4214238Mar 8, 1977Jul 22, 1980Indiana University FoundationSeismic trigger

Referenced by

Citing PatentFiling dateIssue dateOriginal AssigneeTitle
US4390922Feb 4, 1982Jun 28, 1983Vibration sensor and electrical power shut off device
US5252786Oct 23, 1992Oct 12, 1993Multi-function earthquake alerting apparatus
US5539387Mar 3, 1995Jul 23, 1996E.Q. Earthquake, Ltd.Earthquake sensor
US5596183Oct 18, 1995Jan 21, 1997Seismically activated appliance switch
US5929767Apr 4, 1997Jul 27, 1999Earthquake detector and alarm
US6121888Jun 10, 1999Sep 19, 2000Earthquake detector
US6809276Dec 8, 2003Oct 26, 2004BBC International, Ltd.Inertially activated switch
US7423228Jul 25, 2007Sep 9, 2008Apparatus for opening an electrical switch responsive to seismic or other event

Claims

1. An earthquake alert and fire prevention system comprising a pendulum-actuated switch in series with a relay controlling parallel circuits to an alarm and a house, said relay, in response to the closure of said pendulum switch, being movable from a first position wherein said alarm is inoperative and the house circuit is operative to a second position wherein the alarm circuit is operative and the house circuit inoperative, in further combination with holding circuit means in parallel with said pendulum-actuated switch wherein said switch comprises a base affixed to a rigid support having an enveloping hood, further including an electrically conducting ring electrically connected to said relay mounted on and electrically insulated from said base and further including a pendulum support affixed to said base and extending thereabove having a pendulum disc suspended by a wire conductor therefrom concentrically within said ring, said pendulum having an electrically conducting peripheral annulus electrically connected to said relay via said wire normally spaced from and disposed within said ring, including an additional mass suspended between said support and disc.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said additional mass comprises a member similar in shape to the said support and axially aligned with said support whereby the combined mass of the disc and said additional mass increase the pendular momentum.

Drawings