Improvements in Locks.
Year: 1896

page_text: Improvements in Locks.
I, JAMES CHARLES RALLS, of 22, Old Church Road, Clevedon, Somersetshire,
Watchmaker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows;-
My invention relates to improvements in locks, and has for its object to combine
an absolutely unpickable lock with the utmost simplicity of construction, being free
from the friction and noise that are inseparable from locks that are actuated by the
usual tumblers, springs, and the like.
My invention consists in constructing a lock with a series of sliding plates, made
in pairs or sets, one, two, or more pairs or sets being provided, the different plates
being actuated in opposite directions by the key, which has a separate nib or follower
projecting from the stem for each of the sliding plates, and so arranged that one
slide will be turned forward while the adjacent one will be turned back; slots or
openings are made in each slide in such a manner that when the key is turned
in one direction all the slots will be open to permit a catch or staple to be withdrawn,
and on the key being turned in the opposite direction, the whole series of slides will
have been shifted, some forward and some backward, thus presenting a solid barrier
to the withdrawal of the catch.
In carrying this invention into effect, the plates are made either to slide in grooves
which keep them tightly one on the other without any washers or the like between
them, or are pivotted in some convenient position, so that they can be operated
by the key and turned in opposite directions; the key is made with the nibs or
followers projecting from the stem directly opposite each other, and the key hole in
the frame of the lock has the stem hole in the centre with slots above and below for
the insertion of the key and followers; these followers are of different lengths, so as to
throw the slides on which they operate into different positions in the frame, in which
positions a slot or opening is made in them, and when this slot is made it is
practically impossible for the slot in one plate to coincide with all the others, unless
so placed by the key; the slides are made with a rectangular aperture to receive the
key, the sides of the rectangle being slightly concave to ensure the followers acting
on them with accuracy.
The slides being made and arranged with their openings to coincide when the key
has operated them, any kind of catch or bow may be inserted to be held by the slides
when turned by the key.in the reverse direction, and if the slides are pivotted, they
will be furnished with hooks opening in opposite ways, which will retain or liberate
a staple, or actuate a catch which allows a bolt to be withdrawn.
Locks constructed in the manner described will be much lighter than those in
ordinary use, as the plates will lie flat one on the other, and as the length of the
followers on the key can be altered, the number of changes possible in the
construction of the locks and keys is practically illimitable.
Dated this 27th day of November 1896
J. G. WESTLAKE,
Applicant's Agent, 2, John Street, Bristol.

page_text: I, JAMES CHARLES RALLS, of 22 Old Church Road, Clevedon, Somersetshire,
Watchmaker, do hereby declare the nature of this 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 relates to improvements in locks and has for its object to combine
an absolutely unpickable lock with the utmost simplicity of construction, and free
from the frictional noise, that is inseparable from locks when tumblers, springs, and
the like are used.
My invention consists in the construction of locks with a series of sliding plates,
conveniently arranged in pairs or sets, each plate having an aperture or key hole
to be actuated by a corresponding nib on the key in either direction, with a narrow
slot in each plate to receive a tongue attached to the bolt or locking plate when the
slots in all the plates have been made coincident, which is effected by turning the
key in one direction, while by turning the key in the reverse direction, the slots
will be distributed, consequently the bolt can only be thrown when the key has
re-arranged the slots in a coincident position.
These slides may be used for nearly every variety of locks, from the cominon
drawer, box, or padlock, to the most elaborate kind for safes and the like; in the
accompanying sheet of drawings only the simplest forms of slides are shown, but
the combination of the sliding with the pivotted plates will furnish a great variety
of absolutely unpickable locks, in all of these, however, the essential feature is the
arrangement of plates in the body of the lock, held friction tight, and the adjacent
plates operated in opposite directions at the same time by the key.
In the sheet of drawings,
Figs. 1 to 7 show the construction and action of the slides and their arrangement
in a simple drawer lock;
Figs. 8 and 9 show a box lock with a staple plate, secured by the throw of the
hooks on the slides in the staples ;
Fig. 10 is a padlock, with a similar action of the slides in the staple at the end
of the how;
Figs. 11 and 12 show a drawer or safe lock, with the slides working on pins;
Fis. 13 and 14 show the slides pivotted, to be turned by the key to the right and
left as shown, and
Fig. 15 represents a key with four nibs to actuate the slides, and one for the bolt
plate.
To enable the construction of the locks to be fully understood, a detailed
description of the drawer lock, figs. 1 to 7, is given; as the other figures refer to
locks which are very similar in their movements, they will be understood without
much repetition. Fig. 1 shows a number of superposed plates with all their external
edges coincident, with rectangular keyholes; in nearly all the drawings, only two
plates are shown, but any number may be used; in fig. 2 a pair of plates have been
turned by the key or its equivalent in reverse directions, and while in this position,
a slot c is cut across the plates as shown in fig. 2, which will permit a tongue
attached to the bolt or lever to pass into the slots; the key or equivalent then
reverses the position of the plates, and the slots instead of being coincident, are at
the greatest possible distance from each other, this distance being regulated by the
width of the aperture in the plates, and the length of the nibs on the key, whien
are constantly varied, so as to prevent the keys being interchangeable; Figs. 4 to 7
represent a lock with a series of four plates inserted, which have been prepared as
described, the bolt and plate d are first placed in the frame, with a lever e which

page_text: is pivotted at one end and fitted at the other end with a circular lug g which
engages in in a recess in the plate d, a shaped opening f is made in the bolt lever
plate, in which the key operates and moves the bolt d when the sliding plates have
been arranged in the prescribed position: the four plates a are placed in the frame,
in fig. 4 all the plates coincide at their external edges, but the slots are distributed
to half their distances; in fig. 5, the key has been turned in one direction, and
distributed the slots to their utmost extent; fig. 6 shows in section the position
of the plates and slots when so distributed: Fig. 7 shows the slides when the key
has been turned in the reverse direction and made all the slots to coincide, and then
thrown the bolt by the operation of the key in the opening of the lever; a
tongue h on the bolt plate passing into the coincident slots as the bolt is thrown.
From this description it will be seen that the bolt can only be withdrawn when the
key acting on the sides b of the apertures in the plates has arranged all the slots c
in position for the tongue h to enter. The key is made to fit on a cone shaped pin,
which holds the key firmly in position, the hole in the stem being also made
conical; or it may be made with a pivot on the end of the stem to fit into a pivot
hole in the back plate. Figs. 8 and 9 show a box lock with a staple plate ready for
insertion in the lock; two horizontal slots are made in the plates i, and vertical
apertures are made in these, which form openings for the staples or catches to
pass through; the slots and apertures form hooks & to engage in the staples when
inserted in the lock; these plates are also made in pairs or sets, but alternately
reversed, the action of the key will therefore first throw the slides into position for
the apertures to coincide and permit the staples to enter, and then by reversing, will
make the hooks pass through the staples from opposite directions, and thus form
a compound fastening for the staples and plate. If more than two plates are used,
additional variety in the throw of the hooks, and greater security are obtained.
Fig. 10 shows a padlock with a pair of sliding plates, but formed with only one pair
of hooks to meet and engage in the staple of the bow; the action of these plates is
identical with that of the box lock, figs. 8 and 9.
Figs. 11 and 12 are plan and section of a drawer or safe lock, in which any number
of sliding plates may he placed to move to the right and left on studs or pins m,
the plates a are fitted with rectangular apertures b and horizontal slots to enable
them to slide to and fro on the pins m, the slots c are shown distributed, so that it
is impossible for the tongue à to be drawn in the slots until the key has arranged
them; instead of a lever, as shown in figs. 4 to 7, the key engages in a rectangular
opening p in the bolt plate, and throws it direct after the slots have been made to
coincide. Figs. 13 and 14 show a similar lock, but with the plates pivotted on a
pin n, the bolt plate is slotted at the lower end, and the pin serves as a guide to
keep it in position; instead of the keyhole r being made rectangular as in the other
figures, it is preferred to make it curved and irregular, as shown in fig, 13; fig. 14
shows the plates rotated and the slots placed coincident, and the bolt drawn into the
lock by the action of the key on the opening p.
As before stared, the sliding and pivotted plates may be combined in a variety of
ways, but the essential element in my invention is contained in the locks herein
described, vis., placing a number of plates one on the other, which are held firmly
in position, and yet may be easily moved by the action of the nibs of the key against
the edges of the key holes or apertures, the frictional attraction of the touching
surfaces allowing them to be moved only so far as the key places them; and in any
attempt to pick the lock, the disturbing of any one slide will carry the adjacent
slides with it, and thus render it practically impossible for the slots to be made to
coincide except by the action of the key specially provided.
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:
The construction of locks with superposed plates held friction tight by any suitable
means, making slots in the plates to receive tongues attached to the bolts or other

page_text: movable parts, making the plates to slide in a straight or rotary direction, and
arranging the keys to fit in apertures in the plates in such a manner that the slots
in the plates will be placed coineident, preparatory to the withdrawal of the bolt,
either by the action of the key or by any external means, substantially as and for the
purposes herein described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 27th day of September 1897
J. G. WESTLAKE,
Applicant's Agent, 2, John Street, Bristol.