IMPROVE- MENTS IN LOCKS to be as follows:-
Year: 1884

page_text: I, GEORGE HENRY CROMWELL ROBERTSON, of Wykeham Lodge, Ryde, Isle of
Wight, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN LOCKS to be as follows:-
"
My Invention has for its object to provide a secure lock which cannot be
unfastened by any means but the proper key, and which further on any attempt
being made to unlock it by any means but the proper key can be caused to become
fixed in its locked position so that the said attempt is denoted by the fact that
after the attempt the proper key will not open the lock until the parts have been
specially released as hereinafter indicated.
According to my Invention I provide a number of discs capable of rotating upon
a central spindle and confined between plates or properly separated so as to be
capable of moving independently the said discs being provided with projections
which pass through curved slots in the plates and discs that may be above them or
between them and the part where the key operates and the said projections are in
a position to be acted upon by a key formed specially to come against the said
projections one after the other so that the discs are partially rotated one after the
other until finally the disc which carries the bolt is operated to withdraw the bolt.
Each disc is maintained in the position in which the bolt is shot by a catch piece
or catch pieces in connection with the discs which catch-pieces may be arranged
conveniently so that there is one for each disc the said catch pieces being released
one after the other from the discs as the said discs are moved one after the other
to eventually withdraw the bolt by operating the last disc. To effect this releasing
of the catch-pieces I mount a barrel or spindle in proximity to the series of discs
and catches the said spindle being operated by the disc first moved so as to place a
projection on the spindle opposite another disc in a position to be operated upon
by a projection from the last named disc when it in its turn is rotated and at the
same time to release the catch piece which was engaged with the disc next to be
turned. The disc first moved has projections or teeth engaging with a pinion on
the spindle to effect the first turning of the spindle and then a blank space to allow
of the independent movement of the said diso and spindle and following this there
are teeth or projections to engage with the pinion for returning the parts to their
position; or each disc in turn as it rotates forward to the locked position may

page_text: be arranged to perform part of the movement of the cylinder back to its place.
The foregoing is the arrangement for a spring lock. In other than spring locks the
aforesaid parts will be duplicated by a similar arrangement on the other side of the
axis on which the discs turn. The mechanism by which the parts are fixed in
position when an attempt is made to unfasten the lock by other means than by the
use of the proper key consists of a disc or discs with projections which escape the
proper key but which will be operated by a picking instrument or improper key
so as to operate the said discs and turn a stop piece into position to obstruct the
bolt disc and prevent its being turned even by the proper key until the said catch
is released by a special key provided for the purpose to act upon releasing
mechanism which may be another arrangement of discs analogous to those herein-
before described.

page_text: I GEORGE HENRY CROMWELL ROBERTSON of Wykeham Lodge Ryde Isle of
Wight Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN LOCKS" and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
My Invention has for its object to provide a secure lock which cannot be
unfastened by any means but the proper key and which further on any attempt
being made to unlock it by any means but the proper key can be caused to become
fixed in its locked position so that the said attempt is denoted by the fact that
after the attempt the proper key will not open the lock until the parts have been
rearranged as hereinafter indicated.
According to my Invention I provide a number of discs capable of rotating upon
a stud or spindle and confined between plates or otherwise separated so as to be
capable of moving independently the said discs being provided with projections
which pass through slots in the plates and in discs that may be above them or
between them and the part where the key operates and the said projections are in
a position to be acted upon by a key specially formed to come against the said
projections so that the discs are partially rotated one in advance of the others until
finally the disc which carries the bolt is operated to withdraw the bolt. The discs
are maintained in the position in which the bolt is shot by a catch piece engaging
a notch in the disc which carries the bolt of the lock or catch pieces in connection
with the discs may be arranged conveniently so that there is one for each disc the
said catch pieces being released one after the other as the said discs are moved one
after the other to eventually withdraw the bolt by operating the last disc. To effect
the releasing of the catch piece I mount a Cam on a spindle in proximity to the
series of discs the said spindle being operated by the discs so as to cause the cam
to withdraw the catch piece from the notch in the disc which carries the bolt and
thus admit of the bolt being moved. The disc first moved has a projection or tooth
engaging with a tooth or projection on the adjacent spindle to effect the first
turning of the said Spindle and then a blank space to allow of the independent
movement of the said disc and spindle and each disc in turn as it rotates forward
to the locked position may be arranged to perform part of the movement of the
adjacent spindle back to its place. The parts are fixed in position when an
attempt is made to unfasten the lock otherwise than by the use of the proper key
by reason of the discs not being moved in their proper order and moving the
projection on the adjacent spindle out of range of the tooth or projection on the
first operating disc and thus prevent the adjacent spindle being turned for
the purpose of unlocking the bolt even by the proper key until the parts are
replaced in their proper position which may be effected in some cases by the proper
key but in other cases the replacing of the parts must be effected by a special key
provided for the purpose and which may be made to act upon a rearranging disc
or other re-arranging mechanism which may be another arrangement of discs
analogous to those hereinbefore described. The operating end of the key may be
passed through the discs for the purpose of operating the bolt of the lock and the

page_text: discs may be so arranged that the key cannot be removed from the lock except
when the bolt is shot or is in its locked position.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to
the several figures on the annexed sheet of drawings, the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 of my drawings is a front elevation and Figure 2 a longitudinal section
of a safety lock constructed according to my Invention and the remaining figures
are views of parts of the lock detached and in the positions they occupy when the
lock is fastened and unfastened. The back plate A of the lock is provided with a
projecting stud or pin B upon which are fitted to turn the bolt carrying disc C
and three operating or lever discs a b c and also a toothed segment or disc D.
Between these several discs plates E are interposed so as to admit of the said discs
moving independently of each other. I have shewn in my drawing a lock provided
with three operating or lever discs but it is obvious that two only or more than
three may be employed. In proximity to the edge of these discs two square or
other suitably shaped spindles F and F are fitted to turn in bearings in the top
and bottom plates of the lock and on each of these spindles are fitted respectively
plates or discs def and g h i corresponding in number to the operating or lever
disc. The lever discs ab and c are each provided with two projections a¹ b' c'
a² b² c³ against which the key acts for the purpose of operating the bolt G of the
lock. The projections a' a² on the disc a (which is the lower one) passes through
slots in the lever discs bc above it and in the intervening plates E. The lever
disc a is provided on its periphery with a tooth or projection a³ and the discs b
and care respectively provided with two teeth or projections b³ 64 and c³ c²
Similar teeth or projections are also provided on the discs d e f and g h i which
will be hereinafter referred to.
Figures 3, 4 and 5 are detached views shewing the relative positions of the three
operating or lever discs a b and c when the bolt of the lock is shot and Figures 6, 7
and 8 are similar views shewing the positions of the said lever discs when the bolt
is withdrawn into the lock.
Figure 9 is a view of the three lever discs combined shewing the positions they
occupy when the key has commenced to operate on them in the act of locking and
Figure 10 is a similar view shewing the position of the lever discs when the key
has commenced the unlocking of the bolt. Figure 11 is a combined view of the
lever discs in their position when the bolt is locked and Figure 12 is a similar
view shewing the position of the said discs when the bolt is unlocked. Figures 13
and 14 represent respectively the locked and unlocked positions of the gearing
wheels D D D and Figure 15 is a view of the back plate A of the lock with the
bolt disc C and catch or retaining lever H engaged in the notch K in the said disc
and also the cam M for releasing the lever H from the slot or notch K for unlocking
the bolt.
The parts of the lock are arranged in the following order the slotted or notched
bolt carrying disc C is first placed on the stud B and the catch piece or lever H
placed on the pin or stud I with the free end of the said lever engaging the notch
or slot in the disc C in which slot it is retained by a light spring L.
The square
spindles F F are then placed in their bearings in the plate A and on the spindle F
is placed the cam M for withdrawing the end of the lever H from the slot as
hereinafter described and over these parts is placed a separating plate E. The
operating or lever disc a is next placed on the stud B in the position indicated in
Figure 3 and the discs d and g are respectively placed on the square spindles F F
with their projections or teeth dd and g² in the position shown in Figure 3 and
over these discs another separating plate E¹ is placed.
The second operating or lever disc b is then placed on the stud B and the discs e
and h are placed on the spindles F and F with their teeth or projections e' h² in
the positions indicated in Figure 4 another separating plate E' being then placed
over these discs and on top thereof the third operating or lever disc c is placed on

page_text: the stud B and the discs f and i are placed on the spindles F F with their pro-
jections on teeth f1 in the positions shewn in Figure 5. These discs are covered
by another separating plate E and on top of this plate is placed the segmental
toothed wheel or disc D a corresponding toothed wheel or disc D¹ being placed on
the spindle F to gear with the disc D and a correspondingly toothed wheel D*
placed on the spindle F¹. The bolt G shewn detached in Figure 16 is then placed
in position and secured to the disc C by a pink passed through openings in the
discs abc and the separating plates E E E E into the cheeks g¹ of the bolt.
The top plate P of the lock is then placed in position and the whole secured by
screws passing through the top plate and the separating plates and screwed into
the bottom plate A or they may be connected together by any other suitable
means.
The lock is now ready to be fixed in position on the article to which it is to be
applied.
In order to unlock or draw the bolt into the lock the proper key Figure 17 is
inserted into the keyhole in the lock plate and turned towards the right hand (or
towards the left hand if the arrangement of the bolt be reversed) The projection
on the end of the key first acts on the projection a¹ on the operating or lever
disc a imparting to the said disc a partial rotary motion causing the projection or
tooth as on its periphery to gear with the tooth d¹ on the disc d and imparting a
partial rotary motion to the spindle F so as to bring the projection or tooth e¹ on
the disc e into position to gear with the tooth b³ on the disc 6 whilst at the same
time the tooth wheel D' mounted on the upper end of the spindle F and gearing
with the tooth wheel D' on the spindle F assisted by the tooth d² gearing with the
tooth g will impart to the said spindle F¹ a partial rotary motion.
By a further movement of the key the projections a¹ & ³ on the end thereof
will by acting on the projections b¹ & c¹ impart a partial rotary motion to the lever
discs b&o causing the projection or tooth 63 on the disc b to gear with the tooth e¹
on the disc e a further motion being thus imparted to the spindle F bringing the
tooth f¹ on the disc finto position to gear with the projection or tooth on the
lever disc c when the said disc is rotated by a further movement of the key. The
cam M on the lower end of the spindle F is simultaneously caused to act upon
the lever H so as to disengage its end from the notch K in the bolt disc O when
the projection c³ on the disc c disengages the projection f¹ on the disc f and at the
same time the end y of the slot Y in the disc a b c are caused to bear against the
pin k of the bolt G when by a further rotation of the key the three discs a b c aro
moved together and the bolt drawn into the lock the spindles F F¹ being simul-
taneously rotated by the gearing D D' D' whereby the parts are brought into the
position shewn in Figures 6, 7, 8.
To effect the shooting or locking of the bolt the key is turned in the opposite
direction viz towards the left hand whereupon the projection a³ on the disc a is
first acted upon by the key until it is flush with the two projections b³ c² on the
lever discs bo as shewn in Figure 10, and the end of the segmental piece w on the
disc a is brought against the end of the slot W in the toothed segment or
disc D.
The three lever discs a b and c are then simultaneously operated upon by the
key so as to impart motion to the said discs and the disc 1) which motion is
transmitted through the gearing D' D³ to the spindles F F' and the cain M so that
the retaining lever H is free to enter the notch K in the bolt disc C when brought
into position for the purpose. A further motion of the key causes the ends y¹ of
the slots Y in the said discs a b c by bearing against the pink and imparting
motion to the disc C forces the bolt G out from the lock into its locked position,
the gearing D D' D' returning the teeth on the spindles F F into the position
shown in Figures 3 4, 5 and 9 in readiness to be operated upon in the manner
hereinbefore described for unlocking the bolt.
Should the lever discs a bo be operated out of their proper order which would
be the case should an attempt be made to unlock the bolt by other means than

page_text: the proper key the bolt would not be moved; for example suppose that the lever
disc b be first moved the tooth 6 will gear with the tooth h¹ on the disc h and
rotate the spindle F1 in the wrong direction and by means of the tooth g² and the
wheels D¹ D' impart motion to the spindle F in the direction indicated by the
arrow in Figure 3 whereby the tooth d' on the disc d will be moved out of range
of the tooth as on the disc a which may then be rotated without producing any
result. A similar effect will be produced should the disc c be first moved in which
case motion will be imparted to the spindle F in the wrong direction by the tooth c
on the disc o gearing with the tooth on the disc i causing the tooth d on the
disc d to be moved out of range of the tooth a³ as in the first example.
In order to rearrange the parts in their proper positions the proper key, Figure 17
is first inserted in the lock and turned towards the left hand so as to bring the
discs abc into their proper relative positions by acting upon the projections
a b c. This key is then withdrawn and the special key illustrated by Figure 18
is inserted and turned to the right hand so as to cause the projection 23 on the key
to act upon the projection b¹ on the disc b and cause the segmental piece w¹ thereon
to bear against the end w³ of the slot W in the disc or wheel D thereby imparting
rotary motion to the said wheel and through the wheels D1 D2 to the spindles F F¹
thus restoring the projection d on the disc d to its proper position to be operated
on by the projection a³ on the disc a when the said disc is operated by the proper
key as herein before described.
Should the disc a be moved first and afterwards the disc c the movement of the
disc o will cause the tooth c³ thereon to move past the tooth f¹ on the disc finstead
of gearing with it as it should do for the purpose of rotating the spindle F to
withdraw the retaining bolt H from the notch K. in the bolt disc C consequently
the bolt disc remains locked and cannot be moved even by the proper key until
the parts are rearranged which rearrangement may in this case be effected by tho
proper key Figure 17 by turning it in the direction for locking or if desired the
lock may be provided with a special disc for the special key to act upon for
the purpose of rearranging the parts as provided.
The projections a¹ a³ bi b² c¹ c on the lever discs a b and c are formed on
segmental pieces 20 w¹ w³ respectively fixed onto the faces of the said discs and are
of such a height above the said faces to enter and work in seginental slots t t' t'
in the front plate of the lock but not to project above the outer surface thereof.
These segmental slots are sufficiently long to admit of the requisite traverse of the
projection for effecting the locking and unlocking of the bolt.
The segmental pieces which also work in slots or recesses u u¹ u³ formed in the
back surface of the front plate and shewn in dotted lines in Figure 1 are of
sufficient length to cover the slots t t t in whatever position the projections may
be and thus exclude dust from and prevent the insertion of any instrument to the
interior of the lock through the said slots t t¹t for the purpose of picking the
lock.
If desired the lock may be provided with an additional bolt to operate
simultaneously with the bolt G but arranged at the opposite end of the lock the
additional bolt being connected to the diametrically opposite side of the disc C
by a pin passing through slots in the several discs and separating plates and
operated upon in a similar manner to the pin k of the bolt G.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
First. Providing locks with apparatus or means substantially as hereinbefore
described whereby they cannot be unlocked except by means of the proper key and
which when attempts are made to unlock them by other means than the proper
key become so deranged that the proper key will not unlock them until the parts
are rearranged by means of the proper key or by means of a special key provided
for the purpose as hereinbefore described.

page_text: Second. In a safety lock the combination of two or more operating lever discs
having projections or teeth on their peripheries and two spindles provided with
teeth or projections to gear with the teeth on the lever discs the said spindles being
geared together and to a toothed wheel or segment mounted on the stud on which
the lever discs are fitted to turn the whole being so arranged that should the lever
discs be operated out of their proper order the parts will become so deranged that
the proper key will not effect the unlocking until the parts are rearranged
substantially as herein before described.
Third. The combination in a safety lock of the lever discs a b c spindles F F¹
teeth or projections & d² e¹ f¹ g³ h¹¹ fitted or formed on the spindles F F and the
gearing D D¹ D' the whole being arranged substantially in the manner and for the
purpose herein before described and illustrated by my drawings.
Fourth. The combination of the lever discs a b c spindles F F toothed discs de
fghi gearing D D' D' bolt disc C bolt G retaining lever H and cam M the whole
being arranged to operate substantially in the manner hereinbefore described and
illustrated by my drawings.
Fifth. In combination with the segmental slots in the lock plate for the pro-
jections a¹ a b b c c³ on the lever discs a bo to work in, means for maintaining
the said slots closed in whatever position the projections may be substantially as
and for the purpose hereinbefore described and illustrated by my drawings.
Sixth. The general construction combination and arrangement of parts con-
stituting a safety lock substantially as herein before described and illustrated by
my drawings,
DAL! GALL 1