Improvements in Locks or Locking Bolts.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Feb., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 13th Nov., 1890-Accepted, 13th Dec., 1890
Improvements in Locks or Locking Bolts.
Communicated from abroad by ARCHIBALD KEIR LEITCH, of Great Valley Estate,
Deltotte, Ceylon, Planter.
I, WILLIAM RICHARD MIDDLEMORE THOMSON, of 96 Buchanan Street, Glasgow, in
the County of Lanark, Engineer, and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of
said invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to and comprises a new or improved simple construction
of locking bolt and its actuating mechanism suitable for being secured either on the
inside of doors as a tower bolt which locks the bolt in its outward and inward position
and cannot be tampered with from the outside by the insertion of a knife in the joint
between the lock and the door post, or otherwise made in a box form that can be
inserted into a mortise in the wood of the door, as the locking bolts of railway
carriages are used in addition to the usual opening handle, and which can only be
actuated from the outside with a key by the railway guards or officials; and which
can also be used for the securing of the doors of closets and of window shutters
and sashes. And which will be more convenient than the slide and swivel bolts
heretofore used for these safety locking purposes.
The nature and novelty of the invention consist as follows:-In mounting a simple
longitudinal slide holt, preferably parallel and rectangular in cross section, to
reciprocate on edge in end guides within a box case or lock, and in mounting at
right angles to this bolt, a spindle rotating through the sides of the case, and
preferably through a longitudinal slot in the bolt, the width of the diameter of the
spindle; which spindle would have a lever or flat handle on the inside of the lock
case, or inside of the door when the lock was inserted in a mortise, the position of
which handle would indicate when the bolt was locked or unlocked in the same
manner as the handle of a railway carriage or the handles of gas or water taps. This
spindle would have an eccentric or à cam mounted on it, close up to the bolt, and in
its simplest form work hetween two cross projections on the bolt, and so throw or
push the bolt out or in according to the side to which the eccentric or cam was
turned by the spindle and handle.
By another arrangement an eccentric rod might be mounted on the eccentric,
having its rear end jointed by a pin to the bolt so as to reciprocate it in like manner
when the eccentric was turned by the handle or spindle. When the slot in the bolt
was used at the back end of the bolt it might form the guide for that end of the bolt;
and a pin might be inserted in the eccentric which when turned half of a revolution
to throw the bolt out, would come against a stop either on the side of the case of the
lock, or on the bolt itself; and when turned back one half revolution in the other
direction to draw in the bolt, the pin in the eccentric would come against another
stop at the opposite end of the slot of the bolt, so that the spindle and eccentric
would only require to turn half a revolution to lock and unlock the bolt, so that the
box case would not require to be so broad, or the space required so great for fitting.
and working it in the upper or lower edge of an ordinary lock when this was desired,
as many ordinary sliding bolts are at present fitted, and as this locking bolt might
be. The case might also be fitted with the back flange made large enough for
screwing to the inside of doors or windows as a separate self contained latch bar.
Another but rather more complicated arrangement of eccentric action and
mechanism for so oscillating and locking the bolt in its outward and inward
positions, would consist in making a vertical or transverse parallel slot in the bar
and atting a crank or eccentric pin either with or without a bush on it reciprocating.
in the slot secured on the spindle to rotate through or within this slot and bush when

page_text: that is used, so that when the spindle and eccentric pin are turned a half revolution
in one direction it reciprocates the bolt outwards and when turned back a half
revolution in the other direction it reciprocates the bolt inwards. In this arrange-
ment the bottom of the vertical slot would form the stop for the turning of the
spindle in the opposite directions and indicate to the person turning the handle when
the bolt was locked or unlocked.
In some cases as for the arrangement of lock bolt for railway carriage doors or
outer gate locks the spindle might be made hollow with a square or polygonal eye
through it, and work in bearings on the two sides of the lock so that a plain square
or polygonal check key could be inserted in the eye of the spindle to turn it and the
eccentric instead of having a fixed handle on the spindle as herein described; and
this arrangement may also be used for mortise locks and enable them to be opened
from either side as desired by a key; or a polygonal acting arbor or solid spindle
might be passed through the eye of the hollow spindle and have a handle fixed on it
both on the outside and inside of the door and so be able to use this bolt instead of
the ordinary spring sneck or bolt.
Dated th 19th . 1000
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Locks or Locking Bolts.
Communicated from abroad by ARCHIBALD KEIR LEITCH, of Great Valley Estate,
Deltotte, Ceylon, Planter.
I, WILLIAM RICHARD MIDDLEMORE Thomson, of 96 Buchanan Street, Glasgow, in
the County of Lanark, Engineer, and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of
any invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement in writing reference
being had to the accompanying sheet of drawings, and to the letters and figures
marked thereon, that is to say :-
:-
This invention has reference to and comprises a new or improved simple construction
of locking bolt and its actuating mechanism suitable for being secured either on the.
inside of doors as a tower bolt which locks the bolt in its outward and inward position
and cannot be tampered with from the outside by the insertion of a knife or other
such instrument in the joint between the lock and the door post, or otherwise made in
a form that can be inserted into a mortice in the wood of the door in the same
manner as the locking bolts of railway carriages are, and used in addition to the
usual opening handle and lock, and which can only be actuated from the outside with
a key by the railway guards or officials; and which can also be used for the
securing of the doors of closets and of window shutters and sashes. And which will
be more convenient than the slide and swivel bolts heretofore used for these safety
locking purposes.
And in order that my said invention, and the manner of performing or carrying
the same into effect or practice may be properly understood, I have hereunto appended
an explanatory sheet of drawings, in which the same reference letters are used to
indicate corresponding parts in all the figures where shown. One modification of
this invention illustrated by Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings, Figure 1
being a sectional side view of a box or rim lock showing the mechanism, and Figure 2
being a longitudinal sectional view at right angles to Figure 1, consists in mounting
a simple longitudinal slide bolt A, preferably parallel and rectangular in cross section,
-to reciprocate on edge in end guides B within a box case or lock Cand in mounting
at right angles to this bolt A, a spindle D rotating through the sides of the case C,
and preferably through a longitudinal slot A¹ in the bolt A, the width of the diameter
of the spindle, which spindle would have an ordinary knob handle D' secured to it by
a pin or otherwise. Or it might be fitted with a lever or flat handle such as shown

page_text: at D in Figures 3 and 4, on the inside of the lock case, or inside of the door when
the lock was inserted in a mortice, the position of which handle would indicate when
the bolt was locked or unlocked in the same manner as the handle of a railway
carriage or the handles of gas or water taps. This spindle D would have an
eccentric E or a suitably shaped cam mounted on it, close up to the bolt A, and in its
simplest form work between two cross projections A2 and A3 on the inner end of the
bolt A, and so throw or push the bolt out or in, according to the side to which the
eccentric E or cam was turned by the spindle D and handle D', a spring S being
preferably fitted, engaging with slight notches e² in the cam. E to steady it and
prevent it being shaken out of its locked or unlocked position, the strength of the
spring not being so great as to interfere with the turning of the cam E. A projecting
part A, of the bolt A would preferably form a stop to prevent the cam E from
making more than a half revolution when locking or unlocking the bolt and a guide B
might be used to steady the bolt further.
By another arrangement illustrated by Figures 3 and 4, Figure 3 being a side
view of a box lock with the back or covering plate C Figure 4, removed to show the
mechanism, and Figure 4 a longitudinal sectional view at right angles to Figure 3, a'
short eccentric rod E¹ might be mounted on the eccentric E, by a ring E2, having its
rear end jointed by a pin a to the holt A, so as to reciprocate it in like minner when
the eccentric E was turned by the handle D' and spindle D.
When the slot A¹ in the
bolt A was used at the back end of the bolt it might form the guide for that end, of
the bolt; and a lateral pin e might be inserted in the eccentric E preferably within
the slot A' which when the eccentric was turned half of a revolution to throw the boit
out, after passing through a groove a' in the side of the bolt would reenter the slot A
by another groove a" and coming against the bolt A would stop the eccentric from
turning beyond a half revolution in either direction. In this arrangement a spring Si
is preferably fitted under the bolt A, its free end engaging in notches e to steady and
hold the bolt in its locked and unlocked positions, so that the spindle and eccentric
would only require to turn half a revolution to lock and unlock the bolt, or the box
case could be made narrower as indicated by dotted lines at U2, and so that the side
of the lock case would form the stop for the eccentric thus reducing the space required
for fitting and working it in the upper or lower edge of an ordinary lock when this
was desired, as many ordinary sliding bolts are at present fitted, and as this locking
bolt might be. The case might also be fitted with the back flange (made large
enough for screwing to the inside of doors or windows as a separate self contained
latch bar.
Another but rather more complicated arrangement of eccentric action and
mechanism for so oscillating and locking the bolt in its outward an inward positions,
and illustrated by Figures 5 and 6; Figure 5 being a side view of a mortice lock
with the covering plate C, Figure 6, removed to show the mechanism, and Figure 6
a longitudinal sectional view at right angles to Figure 5, consists in making a vertical
or transverse parallel slotted frame A in the bolt A and fitting an eccentric E or
cam to rotate on a hollow spindle or boss D in the sides of the case U, to work either
with or without a square block or bush F on it, reciprocating in the slotted frame A",
and secured on the spindle to rotate through or within this slotted frame A" and
bush F, when that is used, so that when the spindle D and eccentric E are turned a
balf revolution in one direction it reciprocates the bolt A outwards and when turned
back a half revolution in the other direction it reciprocates the bolt inwards. In this
arrangement the bottom of the vertical slot might be made to form the stop for the
turning of the spindle in the opposite directions and indicate to the person turning
the handle when the bolt was locked or unlocked, as indicated in dotted lines at A³,
in which case the screw nails a² used for securing the covering plate C₁ would be
placed outside of the slot. In some cases as for the arrangement of lock bolts for
railway carriages, doors, or outer gate locks the spindle D might be made hollow with.
a square or polygonal eye d' through it, and work in hearings d², on the two sides of
the lock so that a plain square or polygonal check key D as shown by Figure 7, or
other shaped key could be inserted in the eye d' of the spindle to turn it and the

page_text: eccentric E instead of having a fixed handle D₁ on the spindle D as hereinbefore
described; and this arrangement may be used for mortice locks and enable them to
be opened from one side or from either side as desired by a key. A polygonal
acting arbor or solid spindle might if desired be passed through the eye d¹ of the
hollow spindle and have a handle fixed on it both on the outside and inside of the
door and so be able to use this bolt instead of the ordinary spring sneck or bolt.
Though the illustrative drawings in Figures 1 to 4, show two forms of box or
rim locks and Figures 5 and 6 a mortice lock it is to be understood that the several
modifications described in reference to these figures are not confined to the form
of lock as illustrated, but are capable of being applied to many forms of locks either
box or mortice locks, and as locking bolts for window shutters, sashes and other
purposes, and they may be constructed wholly or partly of iron, brass, or any other
suitable metal or material.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. The general construction and arrangement of the parts of box or mortice
locks or locking bolts having the bolt reciprocated to and from its locking position by
an eccentric or cam either directly, or by employing an eccentric ring and rod, or a
bush or block, all substantially as and for the advantages herein described in reference
to and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Second. The general construction and arrangement of the parts of box or mortice
locks or locking bolts having the bolt reciprocated to and from its locking position by
an eccentric or cam acting directly upon the bolt all substantially as and for the
advantages herein described in reference to and illustrated by Figures 1 and 2 of the
accompanying drawings.
Third. The general construction and arrangement of the parts of box or mortice
locks or locking bolts having the bolt reciprocated to and from its locking position by
an eccentric or cam connected to it by an eccentric ring and rod all substantially as
and for the advantages herein described in reference to and illustrated particularly in
Figures 3 and of the accompanying drawings.
Fourth. The construction and general arrangement of the parts of box or mortice
locks or locking bolts having the bolt reciprocated to and from its locking position by
an eccentric or cam working within a slot in the bolt either with or without a bush or
block, all substantially as and for the advantages herein described in reference to and
illustrated particularly in Figures 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated the 12th November 1890.