CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS. IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF Locks
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Herbert Allman, of Bedford Row, in the County of
Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of " CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS.
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF Locks."
Sealed the 24th October 1862, and dated the 5th May 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Herbert Allman at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 5th
May 1862.
I. HERBERT ALLMAN, of Bedford Row, in the County of Middlesex,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF LOCKS," to be as follows:-
These improvements more particularly relate to the construction of the bolt
or fastener, the key, and a part which I term a "fence piece." In the
Drawing annexed a is the bolt; b, b, the fence piece. In the bolt are fixed
certain pieces of steel wire d, d, which I term strut pieces. These pieces are
elastic, and capable of being bent or sprung by the action of the key-head c.
The fence piece 6 is a fixture to the frame of lock. Now the bolt being shot,
or locked in the Drawing, when it is required to open the lock the key-head c
in its rotation around the centre f comes in contact with wires¸d, d, d,
and arranges them so that they shall pass through certain apertures e, e, e, in

page_text: fence piece, when the bolt moves back by the action of the key-head. The
key first arranges the wires exactly opposite their respective holes, and then
runs the bolt. In constructing this lock it is necessary, after the key is
finished, to place it in the lock, and by its rotation moving the wires to their
proper position to press their ends by the motion of the bolt against the fence
piece b, so as to mark where each individual wire would enter. The holes
e, e, e, are drilled from such marks. The key lifts the wires to the proper
position, then moves the wires into the holes. The wires may be fixed in the
fence piece, and the bolt head may contain the holes; three wires are shown,
but a greater or less number may be used. It is of the first importance that
the loose ends of the wires be capable of moving in any direction.
I wish it to be understood I do not confine myself to any particular arrange-
ment of parts so long as the strut pieces are so united to the bolt, fence piece,
or frame of lock as to be capable of moving in any direction. They may
be elastic or non-elastic, the key arranging them exactly opposite their
respective holes. Thus the key is required to be made first, before the
passages in fence piece. The freedom of movement in the strut pieces
increases the difficulty of the lock being picked. The motion of the bolt may
be rotatory. The form of the "strut" and fence pieces may vary, so that the
effects herein set forth be obtained. This I declare to be the nature of my
said Invention.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the, Letters Patent, filed
by the said Herbert Allman in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
1st November 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HERBERT
ALLMAN, of Bedford Row, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her beirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Herbert Allman, Her special licence that I, the said Herbert
Allman, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Herbert Allman, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter

page_text: during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF LOCKS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Herbert Allman, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals;
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same
to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Herbert Allman, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed; to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following.
statement:-
.
My Invention may be generally described as being certain improvements in
the construction of articles commonly called locks, such as safe, chamber, box,
padlocks, and other descriptions of locks now in use for various purposes.
These improvements more particular relates to the construction of the bolt or
fastener, the key, the part which I term a fence piece, and the form and
arrangements of parts which I term struts. In the Drawing annexed similar
letters refer to the same parts in the several Figures.
Figure 1 is a side view, part in section, of a safe lock; Figure 2, a cross
section of Figure 1, at 1, 1; Figure 3, a cross section of Figure 1, at 3, 3.
In Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, a, a, a, a, is the bolt; b, b, b, b, the fence piece;
c, c, c, the strut pieces; d, d, d, the key. The construction and action of the
lock may be described as follows:-In the square head of the bolt a, a, a, a,
are firmly fixed six pieces of tempered steel wire called "strut" pieces c, c,.c;
of a spring temper, so that the key d, d, when made to revolve, shall bend and
arrange them as requ ed. In the fence piece b, b, b, b, are drilled holes
e, c, e, e, e, e, as seen in Figure 3, showing back of fence plate and end of bolt
plate a, a. In the key d, d, are V-nicks cut, into which the fence pieces fall.
Now when the key d, d, is in the position as shown in Figure 1, with the
blade of key at right angles to the line of motion of bolt, the six fence pieces
or wires are resting in their respective nicks in the key,. and have their
loose ends exactly opposite their respective holes c, c, e, e, e, e, in fence plate.
It will be evident.that if then the bolt and fence piéces be forced back against
fence plate, that the struts would enter their respective holes in fence plate,
and the lock would be opened; but the key being in this position gears on to

page_text: a piece f, f, which revolves on the centre pin g, and moving with the key pro-
pells the bolt by fitting into the recess h, h, and so that when the strut pieces
are in a position, by the movement of the key to enter the fence plate, the
propeller f is beginning to propel the bolt in Figure 4; the key being turned
away from the struts, they fall down in various positions, laterally and ver-
tically. It will be thus evident that until the "struts" are properly and
accurately arranged by the key to enter their respective holes in fence plate,
that the bolt cannot return or the lock be opened. Figure 5 shows a separate
and side view of key stem and propeller. The peculiar safety of this lock
depends on the strut pieces, as described, having their loose ends capable of
moving in any direction under the influence of a pick-lock, and the great diffi-
culty of arranging the struts unless by the means of the proper key. I make
the key first before the fence plate is pierced or drilled, and placing it in the
lock and in the position to arrange the struts for centering. The ends of the
struts are forced against the surface of the fence piece, which is waxed or
otherwise prepared to receive their impression. The fence piece is then
removed and drilled in the marks of the struts.
I do not confine myself to any form herein set forth as to the shape of
lock generally. The form of bolt, the shape, position, and length of strut
picces, the form of key, the mode of propelling the bolt, all may be varied,
and still the principle of construction retained. The strut pieces may be
either elastic or non-elastic; if non-elastic, they must be held at one end
loosely, as shown in Figures 7 and 9, so as to leave the other end capable of
moving in any direction. They may also exhibit various sectional views, as in
Figures 10, 11, 12, 13, which fit the apertures drifted through the fence
plate, and may receive a rotatory as well as a lateral motion. I claim the
employment of parts which I term strut pieces, one end being slung when
non-elastic, or fixed when elastic, so that the part of strut which enters or
passes the fence plate be free to move in any direction, and shall pass the
fence plate in one position; and in the combination described I claim one or
more such strut pieces, as described, when used with a bolt having a
rectilinear movement. In bolts having a rotatory motion I make the key as
in Figure 6, with the nicks in the front gearing into the struts curved as in
Figure 14. Figure 8 shows how; when the ends of non-elastic struts be
guided in falling after leaving the key the fence plate. The other end of
the strut, in this instance, is lashed, as in Figure 7, not fixed. Figure 9 shows
how a strut may be slung, preserving the other end free to move in any
direction. I prefer making the nicks in key a V-form, as they hold the struts

page_text: with more certainty and accuracy; when circular section, if the section of
strut be other shape, the nick in key must be cut to suit other parts, such as
wards, stops, &c., &c., common to ordinary locks may be added, as circumstances
may require; but what I claim as my Invention I have herein set forth in
the Drawings and description thereunto.
In witness whereof, I, the said Herbert Allmann, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this First day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
HERBERT ALLMAN. (L.S.)