IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LOCKS AND OTHER FASTENINGS
Year: 1846

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
PALNÉR DE LA Foxs, of Carlton Hill, Saint John's Wood, in the County of
Middlesex, Esquire, send giceting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Sixth day of July.
in the tenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successois,
give and grant unto me, the said John Palmer De la Fons, my exois,
adiñois, and assigns, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and autho-
ty, that I, the said John Palmer De la Fons, my exors, adññors, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said John Palmer De la Fons, my exois,
adiñors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and
the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF LOCKS AND OTHER FASTENINGS;" in which said Letters Patent
is cóntained a proviso that I, the said John Palmer De la Fons, should cause'
a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, to be inrolled in Iler said Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being there-
unto bad, will more fully and at large appear

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Palmer De la Fons, do hereby declare that the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully
described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference
being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and the figures and letters
maiked thereon, that is to say :-
One of my
"Improvements in Locks and other Fastenings," consists in
substituting a piece of a circular figure, which I term a rotatory bolt, in
lieu of the bolts hitherto in general use, examples of which are given at
Figures 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22; but such is the variety of articles for which
fastenings are required that it would be hopeless to attempt to give every
variation that might be required to adapt them to the various purposes for
which they might be needed; but the above Figures are quite sufficient
to exemplify the new principle, aided by the following description_and
Drawings
Figure 18 is one of these rotatory bolts, Figure 17 shewing the under, that
is to say, the inner, side of it.
Figure 3 represents the main plate of a lock, having a circular plate A
fixed on it for the rotating bolt Figures 17, 18, to traverse on the inner circle.
Figure 17 must fit on the plate A, Figure 3, easy but not loose B, the stem
on which the key turns at Figures 4, 12, 13. The rotating bolt, Figures 17, 18,
is represented in its place.
Figure 9 is a section of Figure 18, through the centre of the keyhole
from C to D E, E, is the rotating bolt, and described by the yellow, the
part so colored being a section of Figures 17, 18. A, the circular plate, see
Figure 3, and B the stem on which the key turns. As the rotating bolt in this
case for locking or unlocking is to turn about three fourths of a circle (more
or less), the double keyhole is made that the key may return to the same
external keyhole at which it entered. By this contrivance the key goes an
entire round, although the rotating bolt has only moved about three parts of
a circle.
To lock it, for example, the key is inserted at the keyhole F,
Figure 12, and when it reaches G, it strikes against the projecting piece II, H,
Figures 9 and 17, on the inner side of the rotating bolt, and dives it round
in the direction of the arrow, Figure 4, where it is represented as partly
locked, the rotatory bolt having entered the stinking plate Figure 11, of which
striking plate Figure 10 is an edge view, which view is also given at
Figures 4, 12, and 18, and distinguished by the letters I, I. The key thus
drives the rotatory bolt round until it stops against the striking plate at K.
The stop L, which is fastened on to the rotatory bolt, is distinguished by the

page_text: dark bronze color, and is also separately shewn at Figure 6. To unlock it, the
action just described is merely reversed; the rotating bolt is then turned till
it is stopped against the staking plate at M, Figure 12.
Figure 2, of which Figure 1 is the sectional view, is the upper plate or cap
that fixes on the main plate at N, N, Figure 13, to keep the rotatory bolt in
its place, as well as to conceal the double keyhole. The cuive represented
in the section acts as a spring on the rotatory bolt, and keeps it firmly down
in its place
Figure 15 is another variety of rotating bolt, being divested of the outer
circle, the hole in the striking plate Figure 14 giving an edge view of it,
and describes its form without needing a section, the bronze colored projec-
tion L being the stop This also shews that the two keyholes may be made
into one, in which case the stop II, II, Figures 9 and 17, can be dispensed
with, the key acting against the edge of the hole to drive the rotatory bolt
round in locking or unlocking.
I here abstain from giving any description of wards, tumblers, or other
internal work, they forming no part of my patented Invention
Figure 8, the section of Figure 3, excepting that the Figure 3 has not addi-
tional security offered by the parts O, P, is only intended as an additional secu-
rity for these locks with rotating bolts; but for drawer locks of the usual
description it renders it next to impossible to wrench the lock from the stuking
plate, and by that means to open the drawer without unlocking, a serious defect
to which drawer locks in particular, however good the lock may be, are subject
Figure 7 is the section of the striking plate Figure 11, the entire length of
which is formed into a hook O, a ledge being made at the back of the main
plate to receive it. The main plate of the lock is also bent over, so as to
make a hooked form P, which hooks, when the drawer is closed, hold the lock
and striking plate so securely together that they cannot be separated without
first shooting the bolt. At Figure 5 is a sectional view of them as they would
be when locked, the bolt being through both, the hook O might be omitted,
the hook P being quite sufficient protection.
Figure 22 is a padlock, having a rotating bolt, the section of which bolt is
shewn in the section of the lock at Figure 24* from E to E. Figure 22
shews the padlock divested of its upper plate to shew the internal keyhole,
which does not extend so far as at Figures 17 and 18. As the rotatory bolt in
this case turns nearly an entire circle, the distance the key has to turn
before it moves the bolt may generally be thus described. At Figure 13 the
rotatory bolt has to turn about three fourths of a circle, consequently, the
distance from the centre of the keyhole F to the centre of the keyhole G

page_text: would be about one fourth; and where it turns, suppose it seven eighths, then
the distance from F to G would be one eighth.
Figure 24 is the case of the padlock having the plate A, as at Figure 8, for
the rotatory bolt to traverse on, and B the stem on which the key turns.
R, R, R, is the outer cucle of the lock case. L, Figure 22, is the stop which
strikes against the nose Q of the bow S, of which Figure 23 is a side view,
shewing the opening to acceive the rotatory bolt.
Figure 27 shews an adaptation of the rotatory bolts to locks having a hasp,
the rotatory bolt is in this case varied, see Figure 16, a view of the under side.
This Figure is shown to lock the reverse way of Fig. 13. Figure 31 is a section
through the centre of both the lock and the hasp as it would be when partly
locked, the part colored yellow being a section of the bolt Figure 16. b, b, is
the main plate. A, the circular plate, as at A, Figure 3. B, the stem for the
key to tuin on T; T, the hasp. V, a piece that is kept from rising by the
bolt keeping it down when locked. L, the stop which stops against the piece
V in locking or unlocking. The stop, though shewn at Figure 22, would not
be visible, being on the under side, as at L in the sectional view, Figure 31.
Figure 28 is the cap similar to that described at Figures 1 and 2 (to le
screwed on at N, N), but with a notch a for the hook V to pass into the lock.
Figure 21 is another kind of rotating bolt, making a very superior fastening
for windows or other purposes, the plate, Figure 21, supposing it for a
window, to be screwed to one sash, and the plate Z, Z, to the other The
notating bolt has an edge round it from W to X, see Figure 26, the sectional
view taken across at the dotted line. Y is a hook or catch fixed on the
under side of the plate Z, Z At Figure 25 is the stem C, C, to which
the handle or knob is to be attached to tuin it by, which stem is round till
after it passes the neck d, which is also 1ound, and turns in a hole in the
plate ff Figure 26, which hole is represented by the dotted cncle at
Figure 21, as it cannot be seen through the rotatory bolt; the part e of the
stem is square. A thin plate of haid metal, Figure 30, curved to make it act
as a spiing, sec 9, 9, Figures 25 and 26, is next put on, then the rotating bolt,
and lastly the washer, Figure 29, which is to be screwed or rivetted down
firmly, so as to make the sping 9. g, bear against the said rotatory bolt to
keep it from shifting To fasten it the rotatory bolt is to be tuned in the
direction of the arrow, when the point at W passes behind the hook
or catch Y, and is turned till the two plates are drawn firmly together, which
most effectually prevents the unpleasant 1attle of the sashes.
Figure 20 is an example of the rotatory bolt, being applicable, as a great
improvement, in securing doors, carriage doors, and for other fastenings.

page_text: Figure 19 is a section of it, as shewn at Figure 20, the bolt being repiesented in
Jellow. The arbor by which it tuins, similar to the one described in the preceding
case, is to be put through the hole in the plate, then the 1otatory bolt, then the
curved plate, or spring it may be called, and lastly the washer, Figure 29,
screwed or rivetted securely, so as to make the spring bear firmly on it.
Having described the principle of the rotatory bolts and fastenings, the
following desciption will serve to shew the great degree of security and
perfection attainable in these locks Figure 34 is the main plate. Figure 32,
a circular ring for the 1otatory bolt to traverse on, serving the purpose of the
plate A, Figure 3, I have consequently marked it A, which ing is to bo
screwed down at 1, i. Figure 34, see Figure 37; the piece Figure 44, of
which Figure 43 is the section, having the stem B through its centre for the key
to turn on, is a case for receiving the key and keeping it steady, the screwed
end of which stem is to be put through the hole 7 in the centre of the plate,
Figure 34, when it will appear as at 37, but divested of tho keyhole plate p, p,
Figures 44 and 46, to show how it fits into the cucular plate A; it is also
shewn without the plate p, p, at Figures 33, 37, 41, and 45. Figure 39 is a
thin plate of hard metal, curved, as described by its section Figure 40, which
serves as a spring that it may tuin steadily on its centre, then the sciewed
washer m, m, put on and securely rivetted; see Figure 42, a section of the
lock Figure 45, to which section I have added the keyhole plate or upper
plate of the rotating bolt, which is removed from Figures 41 and 45 for the
purpose of shewing the interior of the lock. This section is taken diagonally
from C to D, for the purpose of shewing the cncular piece n, n, n, which
circle or rather part of a circle, together with the inner one o, o, round the
centre of the keyhole, is intended as an effectual security against picklocks, as,
before the key has reached the position shewn at Figure 38, the entire key-
hole will be covered, see F, Figure 35, and consequently the picklock must be
withdrawn, or the bolt could not traverse. The plate that thus covers the key-
hole is shewn at p, p, Figure 44, and the section Figure 43 at Figure 36.
This plate p, p, is divested of the rest of the case for receiving the key for the
purpose of shewing how it covers the keyhole. When the key reaches G this
plate comes in contact with the stud q, and drives the rotatory bolt round till it
Is unlocked. r, Figures 41 and 45, is a piece I term a protector, acting on the
pinciple of a tumbler, s, the pin on which it turns. At the notch t is stationed
a piece which I call a sentinel; it must fit tight on the pin w, as it must never
move unless an attempt be made to open it improperly. is a spring attached
to the protector for the purpose of forcing the tail of it into the notch u.
The action of the key in unlocking may be thus described -When it reaches

page_text: G the part p comes in contact with the stud q. and forces the rotating bolt
onward, and when it reaches the protectors (of which there should be several,
the security of the lock increasing with every additional one), they will be
raised just sufficiently to clear the point u, but not more, for the slightest
deviation either too much or too little would inevitably arrest its progress; if
too much, then the point of the sentinal would be forced into the notch t in
the inner circle of the rotating bolt, or if too little, the tail of the protector
not being sufficiently raised, by catching in the notch at u would also stop
the bolt in its course, and consequently in proportion to the number, (each
varying in form and variety of thicknesses, may also be introduced,) so would
be the degree of security afforded. Figure 49 is a section of the piece
Figure 44 with the key in; it is given to explain its action on the protectors,
four of which are represented in the section Figure 50, taken across them
from y to z, Figure 41.
Figure 47 will elucidate the addition of a tell-tale that may be made by
extending the sentinal Figure 38 to the-end of the spring a*, Fig. 47, where
the point of the sentinal being passed under, it would keep it up unless an
attempt were made with a false key, when the spring, being released by
moving the sentinal, it would drop, and the stud 6* would be visible on the
inside of the lock, see Figure 42, for which purpose a hole, when this con-
trivance is added, is to be made, as at c, Figure 34.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Palmer de la Fons, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-six
JN° PALMER (LS) DE LA FONS.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Thirty-first day of December, in
the year of our Lord 1846, the aforesaid John Palmer de la Fons came before
our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according
to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Sixth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-coran