IMPROVE- MENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO LATCHES AND IN SECURING KNOBS OR HANDLES TO THE SPINDLES OF LOCKS AND LATCHES "
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Burrow Shorland of Barton-on-Irwell, and
Manchester, in the County of Lancaster for an Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO LATCHES AND IN SECURING KNOBS OR HANDLES
TO THE SPINDLES OF LOCKS AND LATCHES
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Burrow Shorland
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th February 1883.
WILLIAM BURROW SHORLAND of Barton-on-Irwell, and Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, * IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO LATCHES AND IN SECURING
KNOBS OR HANDLES TO THE SPINDLES OF LOCKS AND LATCHES,"
Firstly, In ordinary latches the latch should slide easily up the incline of the
hook when the door is shut, and then drop into the hook, but owing to rust, dirt,
friction or bad adjustment the latch is frequently out of order and will not rise up
the incline of the hook and consequently does not take hold of the hook and the
door is thus left unsecured.
My invention consists in dispensing wholly or partly with the ordinary incline
upon the hook for the catch and arranging so that when the latch is lifted or with-
drawn from the hook in opening the door or gate, the latch will be held and will
remain in the position into which it is lifted, while the door is open, the latch being
released so as to enter the hook again when the door is shut close.
I carry my invention into effect by applying a spring or catch to come against
the side of the latch, so that when it is lifted or moved to release the latch from the
hook it is pressed upon by the elasticity of the spring or the weight of, or acting
upon the catch, and held in the position into which it is moved out of the hook, by
the pressure and friction of the spring, or by the action of the catch,-this spring
or catch, or a part from the spring or catch comes against the plate of the hook or
some part of the door frame when the door is shut close, so that the spring or catch
....מ

page_text: is forced back and thus releases the latch and allows it to enter the hook and secure
the door.
I do not confine myself to any particular arrangement of spring or catch, as the
spring, catch, latch and hook may be arranged in a variety of ways to act according
to my invention as hereinbefore described.
Secondly, My invention relates to an improvement upon the mode of securing
knobs or handles to spindles for locks and latches described in the specification of
Letters Patent granted to me on the 24th day of June AD 1880 and Numbered 2570.
In my said specification the spindles are formed in two pieces, and one piece is
forked and a screw with a cone head passes through the boss of the handle and
passes through the fork of one part of the spindle and expands the fork against the
interior of the boss of the handle.
My invention and improvement consists in forming a cavity in the metal boss of
the handle so as to give space for the cone headed screw to expand and bend the
forked part of the spindle into the cavity to some extent.
This gives the handle much firmer hold of the spindle, as the forked part becomes,
as it were, by the action of the cone headed screw "dove-tailed" into the boss of
the handle.
23
"
Thirdly, My invention consists in an improved mode of connecting knobs or
handles with a latch, by first inserting a
"
rose or boss of metal in the door, which
forms a bearing for the handle or knob to turn in, the eye or fulcrum part of the
latch also fits the "rose or boss as a bearing and the boss of the knob or handle is
formed or has a part cut out to fit the latch so as to oscillate it when the knob or
handle is turned; and the latch is secured when the knobs are screwed upon the
spindle.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Burrow Shorland in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 10th August 1883.
WILLIAM BURROW SHORLAND, of Barton-on-Irwell, and Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO LATCHES AND IN
SECURING KNOBS OR HANDLES TO THE SPINDLES OF LOCKS AND LATCHES."
Firstly. In ordinary latches, the latch should slide easily up the incline of the
hook, when the door is shut, and then drop into the hook,-but owing to rust, dirt,
friction or bad adjustment, the latch is frequently out of order and will not rise up
the incline of the hook and consequently does not take hold of the hook and the
door is thus left unsecured.
My invention consists in dispensing wholly or partly with the ordinary incline
upon the hook for the catch (though it may be used along with my improvements
if desired) and arranging so that when the latch is lifted or withdrawn from the
hook in opening the door or gate, the latch will be held and will remain in the
position into which it is lifted, while the door is open, the latch being released so as
to enter the hook again when the door is shut close.
I carry my invention into effect by applying a spring or catch to come against
the side of the latch, so that when it is lifted or moved to release the latch from the
hook it is pressed upon by the elasticity of the spring or the weight of, or acting
upon the catch, and held in the position into which it is moved out of the hook by
the pressure and friction of the spring or by the action of the catch-this spring or
catch, or a part from the spring or catch, comes against the plate of the hook, or
some part of the door frame, when the door is shut close, so that the spring or catch
is forced back and thus releases the latch and allows it to enter the hook and secure
the door.
I do not confine myself to any particular arrangement of spring or catch as the
spring, catch, latch and book may be arranged in a variety of ways to act according
to my invention as herein before described.
Secondly, My invention relates to an improvement upon the mode of securing knobs
or handles to spindles for locks and latches, described in the specification of Letters
Patent granted to me on the 24th day of June AD 1880 and Numbered 2570.
In my said specification the spindles are formed in two pieces and one piece is
forked and a screw with a cone head passes through the boss of the handle and
passes through the fork of one part of the spindle and expands the fork against the
interior of the boss of the handle.
My invention and improvement consists in forming a cavity in the metal boss of
the handle so as to give space for the cone headed screw to expand and bend the
forked part of the spindle into the cavity to some extent.
This gives the handle much firmer hold of the spindle, as the forked part becomes,
as it were, by the action of the cone headed screw, "dove-tailed" into the boss of
the handle.
"rose
Thirdly. My invention consists in an improved mode of connecting knobs or
handles with a latch and spindle by first inserting a
or boss of metal or
other material in the door which forms a bearing for the handle or knob to turn
in, the eye or fulcrum part of the latch also fits the "rose or boss as a bearing,
and the boss of the knob or handle is formed or has a part cut out to fit the latch
"

page_text: "
so as to oscillate it when the knob or handle is turned and the latch is secured
when the knobs are screwed upon the spindle.
Fig 1 is a front and fig 2 an edge view of a latch arrangement in its position
with the door closed, and the latch down according to the first part of my
invention.
Fig 3 is an edge view of the bracket in which the latch is guided and works
shown detached, and fig 4 is a view of that side of the same part which comes
against the door.
Figs 5 and 6 are views corresponding to figs 1 and 2 and of the same parts but
shown in the position they occupy when the latch is lifted and the door slightly
open.
Figs 7 and 8 are views corresponding to figs 1 and 2 and of similar parts except
that an ordinary incline hook for the latch is shown.
Fig 9 is an edge view of the hook plate detached and modified.
Figs 10 and 11 are views corresponding to figs 1 and 2 but showing a modifica-
tion, and partly illustrating the third part of my invention.
Fig 12 is an edge view of the bracket in which the latch is guided and works,
looking at the left side of it as shown in fig 10.
Fig 13 is a front and fig 14 an edge view of a modification of the bracket part.
Figs 15 and 16 are sections taken at right angles one to the other illustrating the
second part of my invention, and Fig 17 is a sectional view illustrating together
with fig 10 the third part of my invention.
a is the latch which oscillates on a screw or fulcrum at a' secured in the door-
The latch is lifted by the ordinary thumb lever, the end of which is represented
by a or by any other usual means.
b is a bracket secured to the door which holds and guides the latch when it
oscillatos up and down.
c is the hook or part on the door frame or cheek upon which the end of the latch
takes hold.
In figs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8; d is a bent loop of wire which forms a spring lever
frame.
Holes are formed in the bracket b for those parts d¹ of the wire to oscillate in
one part of the wire being taken diagonally as shown in figs 1, 3 and 4; this
gives torsion to the wire sufficient to cause it to press that part of the bar ds of the
wire towards the latch a with force enough to hold it against the door when lifted
as shown in figs 5 and 6.
But when the door is shut the bar d³ of the wire has come against the hook
part c for the latch as shown in fig 2, and the latch is then free to drop into the
hook in the part c.
This release of the latch by the bar d³ does not take place until the door is
almost shut close so that should the latch drop at that moment, it will be sure to
fall upon the top of the hook a ready to enter it, when the door is fully closed.
The latch a has or may have a projection as at the end on one side for the part d³
to press against when the latch is lifted and the door closed.
Figs 7 and 8 show a similar arrangement to figs 1 and 2 except that the hook
for the latch a is made with the ordinary incline c¹ so that should the latch fall
from any cause before the door is shut it will be lifted and will latch upon the
hook c in the ordinary manner.
The hook plate may be formed as in fig 9 with an inclined projection c² against
which the upper edge of the latch will come when the door shuts and this will
strike down the latch into the hook c¹.
In figs 10, 11 and 12 a rigid lever frame d is binged to the bracket part b by a
wire d' which is bent and secured in the bracket at one end (as at d) and being
bent at a right angle at the other end to come under a ledge formed on the end of
the frame d so that torsion put upon the wire extending between the two ends of
the frame, springs the frame bar d³, towards the side of the latch a.

page_text: Figs 13 and 14 show a similar arrangement to that represented by figs 10,11
and 12, except that an helical spring d³ in a socket part 6 cast with the bracket b
is made to act on a short arm dx from the lever frame at a right angle to the part d,
and force the bar part d³ towards the side of the latch.
The helical spring may first act upon a piston or disc arranged to come against
the short arm d*.
In place of a spring a bell crank weight lever de is or may be jointed to the
bracket bat be its short arm acting against another short arm dx from the axis of
the lever frame and at a right angle to the part d (as shown in dotted line in fig 10)
pressing the bar ds of the lever frame towards the side of the latch.
Figs 15 and 16 show my improved mode of securing knobs to spindles ; e is one
part of the spindle, e' is the forked part.
The cone formed screw e² passes through the boss of the knob ƒ through the fork
of one part e' of the spindle and hole in the other part e and screws into the boss f¹.
The cone of the screw e expands and separates the two legs of the forked part of
the spindle e¹ as shown in fig 10, the interior of the boss f¹ of the handle being
enlarged, as shown, to allow of this being done.
Figs 10 and 17 illustrate the third part of my invention.
"
g (fig 17) part of a door in section; h the metal or other " roses or bushes which
are made with bosses having projecting fins or webs so that when driven in the
hole in the door they will fit tightly and will not be rotated by the motion of the
handle.
The boss f' of the handle f fits into the interior of the boss of the "rose" which
thus forms a steady bearing for it and the spindle (e) is thus prevented from coming
in contact with and wearing the wood of the door.
In figs 17 and 10 the handles f and spindle e are shown as used for actuating
one of my improved latches.
The latch a in this case is secured on a screw or fulcrum in the door or is jointed
at a¹ on a lever latch or arm a actuated by the handle f.
The boss of the arm or lever a fits into the rose h and the boss f¹ of the handle f
comes over the boss of the arm a, a notch being cut out of one side of the boss of
the handle to give space for the arm a to pass through, and give the boss of tho
handle hold upon the arm at to oscillate it when the handle is turned.
The latch a can play freely in the part a³ at the end of the arm a³ which will
lift the latch a but will allow it to be held up by the bar d³ of the lever frame
when the arm a is allowed to fall by its own weight or the action of a spring not
shown but arranged in any ordinary manner.
The face of the bar d³ coming against the latch, and the surface of the latch
against which it comes aro or may be in some cases toothed with fine teeth or
serrations, so that the latch will be held by the bar d³ more securely.
I have now particularly described the nature of my said invention and the manner
of carrying the same into effect and wish it to be understood that I do not confine
myself to the details described for carrying out the first part of my invention, but
claim as my invention.
Firstly. The system or mode of holding the latch when lifted from the hook
while the door or gate is open and releasing it so as to enter the hook when the
door or gate is fully closed substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated
by the drawings.
Secondly. The several combinations and arrangements substantially as herein-
before described under the first head of my invention and as illustrated by the
drawings.
Thirdly. The improved mode of securing door knobs or handles to their spindles
as hereinbefore described under the second head of my invention, and illustrated by
figs 15 and 16 of the drawings.
Fourthly. The combination of roses (h) with doors and the bosses of door knobs

page_text: or handles, connected by spindles, for actuating locks, bolts or latches, where this is
done by handles on each side of a door and a spindle between them, substantially as
herein before described and illustrated by figs 17 and 10 of the drawings.
In Witness whereof, I the said William Burrow Shorland have hereunto set my
hand and seal this seventh day of August in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty three.