IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKS AND KEYS
Year: 1858

page_text: This Invention receivca
application for Letters Patent was not given within the time prescribed by
the Act.)
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by George Hamilton and William
Henry Nash at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 24th May 1858.
We, GEORGE HAMILTON, of St. Martin's-le-Grand, and WILLIAM HENRY
NASI, of Poplar, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKS AND KEYS," to be as follows:-
According to one part of this Invention a lock is constructed of two or
more discs which turn around the drill pin, and a portion of the circumference
of each of the discs projects beyond the frame or case of the lock, and serves
as a bolt. A portion of the circumference of each of the discs is cut away, so
that the discs may all be turned round into such a position that no portion of
them projects beyond the frame, and when they are in such a position the
lock would be unlocked. The discs are placed at a distance apart from each
other, so that the portion of each of the discs which projects beyond the frame.
when the lock is locked may fit into slots cut in the striking plate or piece:
into which a bolt is ordinarily shot. A portion of each of the discs is cut.
away around the hole in its centre, and projections on a key enter the spaces
so formed, which projections act on the discs and move them round into such
a position that no portion of their circumference projects beyond the frame
when the key is turned into a certain position. The keys I prefer to construct
of a tube, on one end of which there is a handle, and partly around the other.

page_text: end of which a thin plate is attached, which is cut away in notches or steps, each
notch or step being for the purpose of acting on a separate disc. Or in place
of attaching a thin notched plate around one end of the tube, the end of the
tube itself may be cut away in steps or notches; or rings having projections
formed on them may be attached to the end of the tube, the projections being
in different positions around the tube in place of in a straight line, as in keys
for tumbler locks.
In that description of lock where a projection or projections on a link plate
enters and is retained within the lock, the lock..is formed, according to this
Invention, of two or more discs turning round the drill pin, each of which
discs has a flange around its circumference, which flange takes into projections
on the link plate, and prevents it being withdrawn. A portion of the flange
on each of the discs is cut away, so that the discs may be turned round into
such a position that the link plate will not be retained by the flanges on the
disc, and may be withdrawn from the lock; the discs are formed as in the
former lock, so that they may be acted on by a key.
In that description of lock where a hasp or a shackle enters the lock, the
lock is formed, according to this Invention, of two or more discs, a portion of
the circumferences of each of which is cut away, and which turn around the
drill pin; but in this description of, lock the discs are formed of different
diameters, and the hasp or shackle is formed with steps or notches, so that
when the lock is locked a portion of the circumference of each of the discs
projects beyond a step or notch on the hasp or shackle, and so prevents the
hasp or shackle being withdrawn. The discs in this lock are also arranged to
be acted on by a key, in a similar manner to the locks above described.
For desk and other locks where a spring catch or bolt is employed, which
is pushed back by the pressure of the thumb on a piece exterior of the case of
the lock which acts on the bolt, the bolt is prevented being pushed back
by discs which turn around the drill pin, but there is a small portion cut away
from the periphery of each disc,, so that the bolt may be pushed back when the
discs are in a certain position. The discs are made of different diameters, and
there is a piece attached to the back of the bolt which is cut in steps, each
step resting against a separate disc, and the dises are constructed so that they'
may be acted on by a key, as in the locks above described.
In each of the locks above described, in place of the discs being all brought
at the same time by a key into such a position that the lock is unlocked, the
discs and key may be arranged so that when the first disc is moved by the key
into the position which it assumes when the lock is unlocked, the other disc or
discs are not moved into position for the lock to be unlocked, so that in order

page_text: to unlock the lock each disc must be brought separately into its proper
position. For this purpose a small hole is formed in each disc, and the holes
are formed in the discs in such positions that when the first disc is turned by
the key into the proper position for the lock to be unlocked, the other discs are
not in position for the lock to be unlocked. For a lock of this description, the
key is formed so that the piece which passes through the holes in the discs
may be slid up and down on the tube of the key. To unlock the lock, the
sliding piece of the key is passed through the holes in each of the discs, and
the key is turned round into such a position as to bring the first disc into.
the position it assumes when the lock is unlocked; the sliding piece of the
key is then slid up a distance, so that it does not pass through the hole in the
first disc; the key is then turned, so as to bring the next disc into its proper
position, and so on for as many discs as there may be in the lock.
In order to know into what positions the key is to be successively turned,
the key is attached to and turns within a circular ring, on which there are
marks to which the handle of the key is to be turned in succession, and there
is also a mark on the exterior of the case of the lock, so that the ring can
always be placed in the same position on the lock. The key is formed so as
to turn in a tubular piece, which is attached to an axis which turns in pieces
fixed to the circular ring, so that the key may be made to lie parallel with the
ring when it is not being used.
In place of forming a lock with rotating discs which serve in place of a
sliding bolt, a sliding bolt may be employed having a projection, which, when
the lock is unlocked, enters slots formed in dises which turn around the drill pin,
and which are made, as in the other locks, so that they may be acted on by a
key so as to be brought into position for the bolt to be withdrawn by one turn
of the key, or so that each disc may be brought into position separately. The
bolt is constantly pressed in one direction by a spring, and is moved in the
other direction when the discs are in a suitable position by turning a bandle,
having on its axis a projection which acts on the bolt, or by any other suitable
means.
The rotating dises are formed with notches around their circumference,
so that if in attempting to pick the lock any pressure is applied to the bolt,
the projection on the bolt enters a notch or notches in one or more of the
dises, and prevents them from rotating.