Improvements in Night Latches.
Year: 1898

page_text: Improvements in Night Latches.
I, RICHARD LING, of Lord Street Lock Works, Wolverhampton, in the County
of Stafford, Lock and Night Latch Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows;
"
"
In what are known as combination" night latches a number of plates, called
lifters," placed against one another, make up the thickness of the bolt, and
the bolt is unlatched by lifting the outer ends of the lifters to clear them from
the catch of the staple. The formation of the bolt as a number of plates makes
the latch more secure than if the bolt were formed of a single piece; as, in the
former case, if the entire bolt is to be lifted from the outside of the door by
means of an instrument passed through a hole cut into the joinery, which is
the common method of forcing such a latch from the outside, such instrument
must be passed across the entire underside of the portion of the bolt which pro-
jects beyond the fore-end of the case, whereas in the latter case it would be
sufficient for the purpose to press the instrument up underneath any part of
such projecting portion of the bolt. For additional security, notches have been
formed in the lower edges of the portions of the lifters which project beyond
the fore-end of the case, and so arranged in the different lifters that, if a hole is
cut into the joinery and a narrow instrument pushed therethrough and pressed
up against the underside of the projecting portion of the bolt, such instrument
cannot be pressed against the lower edges of the projecting ends of all the plates
at the same time, and if pressed upwards whilst against the underside of the
forward end of the bolt will move some of the lifters upwards sufficiently to clear
them from the catch of the staple and will enter a notch of one or more of the
plates and thus be prevented from moving the corresponding plate or plates
sufficiently high to unlatch the bolt. The obtainment of the above advantages,
however, has heretofore involved the employment of a lifting bolt; yet a sliding-
bolt action would usually be preferred, if it did not involve the sacrifice of such
advantages.
Now, this invention has for its object to secure, in the case of a sliding-bolt
of a night-latch, the advantages above set forth as resulting from the use of a
lifting bolt constructed in the manner above described.
According to this invention, the thickness of the bolt is made up of a number
of plates which are capable of sliding against one another endways, and the bolt
is unlatched by moving these plates inwards against the pressure of a spring or
springs. These plates project, when the bolt is latched, each a somewhat greater
distance from the fore-end of the case than the plate immediately behind it, and
the end of each plate is bevelled and the bevelled surfaces together form the
bevelled surface of the end of the bolt. The formation of the bolt in several thick-
nesses renders it more difficult to force back by means of an instrument inserted
through a hole cut in the joinery than if the bolt were formed in a single piece
of metal.
Notches are formed in the outer ends of these plates and are so arranged

page_text: in the different plates that a narrow instrument cannot be pressed against the
outer edges of the ends of all the plates at the same time, but if pressed inwards
whilst against the outer end of the bolt will move some of the plates inwards flush
with the fore-end of the case and will enter a notch of one or more of the plates
and thus be prevented from moving in the corresponding plate or plates sufficiently
to unlatch the bolt
Stumps or guides are fixed within the case immediately above and below the
bolt to prevent any plate which has a notch formed in the upper or lower corner
of the end thereof getting out of place when moved into its inward position.
The plates constituting the bolt may be moved inwards by means of a key,
from the outside of the door to which the latch is fixed, and may be moved in-
wards by means of the handle from the inside of the door. The key gatings and
follower-gatings of the plates are arranged so that the plates are brought, by
means of the key and follower of the handle, respectively, simultaneously into
their inward position with their outer ends flush with the fore-end of the case;
and the key gatings may be shaped to suit a key bit formed with nosings of
different projection.
1000
I, RICHARD LING, of Lord Street Lock Works, Wolverhampton, in the County
of Stafford, Lock and Night Latch Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be par-
ticularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
<
In what are known as 'combination" night latches a number of plates, called
"lifters," placed against one another, make up the thickness of the bolt, and
the bolt is unlatched by lifting the outer ends of the lifters to clear them from
the catch of the staple. The formation of the bolt as a number of plates makes
the latch more secure than if the bolt were formed of a single piece; as, in the
former case, if the entire bolt is to be lifted from the outside of the door by
means of an instrument passed through a hole cut into the joinery, which s
the common method of forcing such a latch from the outside, such instrument
must be passed across the entire underside of the portion of the bolt which pro-
jects beyond the fore-end of the case, whereas in the latter case it would be
sufficient for the purpose to press the instrument up underneath any part of
such projecting portion of the bolt. For additional security, notches have been
formed in the lower edges of the portions of the lifters which project beyond
the fore-end of the case, and so arranged in the different lifters that, if a hole is
cut into the joinery and a narrow instrument pushed therethrough and pressed
up against the underside of the projecting portion of the bolt, such instrument
cannot be pressed against the lower edges of the projecting ends of all the plates
at the same time, and if pressed upwards whilst against the underside of the
forward or projecting end of the bolt will move some of the lifters upwards
sufficiently to clear them from the catch of the staple and will enter a notch of
one or more of the plates and thus be prevented from moving the corresponding
plate or plates sufficiently high to unlatch the bolt. The obtainment of the
above advantages however, has heretofore involved the employment of a lifting

page_text: bolt; yet a sliding bolt action would usually be preferred, if it did not involve
the sacrifice of such advantages.
Now, this invention has for its object to secure, in the case of a sliding-bolt
of a night latch, the advantages above set forth as resulting from the use of a
lifting bolt constructed in the manner above described.
In order that the invention may be clearly understood, I will proceed to describe
the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which Figure 1 is a
back elevation of a night latch constructed according to this invention, with the
cap plate removed to shew the interior mechanism. Figure 2 is a front end view
of the latch; and Figure 3 is a sectional plan thereof taken on line * * of
Figure 1, and shews, also, by broken lines, a plan of the staple.
According to this invention, the thickness of the bolt A is made up of a number
of plates a which are capable of sliding against one another endways, or the
outer plate of any two adjacent ones against the plate immediately behind it, and
the bolt is unlatched by moving these plates inwards against the pressure of
springs b. These plates a project, when the bolt is latched, each a somewhat
greater distance from the fore-end B₁ of the case B than the plate immediately
behind it, and the forward end of each plate is bevelled, as shewn, the bevelled
surfaces forming together the bevelled surface of the striking end of the bolt.
The bevelled surface of the staple is carried back from the inner edge of the
staple sufficiently far to ensure that the bevelled ends of all the plates a will properly
strike thereagainst and be thereby moved in to allow the bolt to properly self-
latch.
The plates a may be moved inwards by means of a key from the outside of
the door to which the latch is fixed, and may be moved inwards by means of the
handle C from the inside of the door, through the medium of a follower D. In
Figure 3, the main portion of the handle C is shewn as broken away, for con-
venience of illustration. The position of the key-hole g is indicated by broken
lines Figure 1. The key gâtings d and follower gatings e of the plates a
are arranged so that all the plates are brought, by means of the key and follower,
respectively, simultaneously into their inward position with their outer ends flush
with the fore-end 11 of the case; and the key gatings & may be adapted to suit
a key-bit formed with nosings of different projection.
A fixed stumpo passes through slots of the plates a and acts as a stop to the
outward movement of such plates.
The formation of the bolt in several thicknesses renders it more difficult to force
back by means of an instrument inserted through a hole cut in the joinery than
if the bolt were formed in a single piece of metal.
Notches are formed in the outer ends of the plates a, and are so arranged in
the different plates, such as in the manner shewn most clearly by Figure 2, that
a narrow instrument cannot be pressed against the outer edges of the ends of all
the plates at the same time, but if pressed inwards whilst against the outer end
of the bolt made up of the thicknesses of the several plates a will move some
of the plates inwards flush with the fore-end B¹ of the case and will enter a notch
in the other plate, or each of the other plates, as the case may be, and thus be
prevented from moving in such other plate, or plates, sufficiently to unlatch the
bolt. The notches are made, preferably the whole depth, or nearly so, of the
portions of the corresponding plates which project from the fore-end of the case.
Stumps or guides c are fixed within the case immediately above and below
the bolt A, to prevent any plate which has a notch formed in the upper or lower
corner of the end thereof rising or dropping out of place when moved into its
inward position. In the particular bolt illustrated, only the third plate from
the front side of the case is formed with a notch in its lower or upper corner,
such plate having a notch formed in both its upper and lower corners.
The bolt made up of a number of plates a may be adapted also to be locked
as well as latched, and both from the outside and inside of the door, in which
case the night latch may be used in lieu of the ordinary front door lock.
An

page_text: adaptation of the latch to make it suitable for this purpose is illustrated by
Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings herewith, of which Figure 4 corresponds to
Figure 1 before described, but shews only the plate a of the bolt A which is the
nearest to the front plate of the case, and Figure 5 is a sectional view through
the entire night latch taken on the plane indicated by the line y y of Figure 4.
In this instance, each plate a has, besides the latching key-gating d, a locking
and unlocking key-gating, as shewn. A tumbler or lever E, pivotally connected
with the case by means of a stump or pin h, and pressed downwards by a spring p,
has a stump i which passes sideways through a slot or gating k formed in each
plate a. A nib stands up within each slot or gating k and when the bolt is in
its extreme position forwards, that is to say in its locked position, the stump i
of the tumbler is in position behind each nib, and securely prevents the plates a
from being forced back. When the plates a are in their unlocked but latched
position, as shewn, the stump i is immediately in front of each nib and the bolt
The
cannot then be moved further outwards without first raising the tumbler.
portion of each slot, however, through a plate a which is forwards of the nib
is sufficiently long to allow of the corresponding plate being moved as far back
The hinder end of each slot is formed with
as is required in unlatching the bolt.
an unward notch m into which the stump i is liable to be raised if the wrong
key is used to unlock the latch, and thus the security of the locking is increased.
The plate a nearest to the front plate of the case is thickened up at each end, as
shewn, so that such ends may be against the front plate of the case, and yet allow
room for the tumbler E.
The plates a may be moved back by a turning follower such as D previously
described, or may be drawn back by means of a straight follower n which is
rigid with the handle, and which passes through all the plates. This follower
may be fixed within the hole of the plate nearest to the front plate of the case,
but the holes in each of the other plates are slotted backwards from the part
where the follower passes therethrough, as indicated by broken lines, Figure 5,
so that it may commence to move each succeeding plate at such points of its back-
ward travel as will ensure that it will bring the outer ends of all the plates simul-
taneously flush with the fore-end B¹ of the case..
The plates of the latch illustrated by Figures 1, 2, and 3 may also be moved
back by a draw-back action, such as shewn by Figures 4 and 5, in lieu of by
means of a turning follower as shewn by Figure 1.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is―
1. A night latch having the thickness of the bolt made up of a number of
plates capable of sliding against one another endways, or the outer plate of any
two adjacent ones capable of sliding against the plate immediately behind it,
the said plates being Capable of being moved endways only to unlatch the bolt
from the staple, substantially as described.
2. A night latch having the thickness of the bolt made up of a number of plates
capable of sliding against one another endways, or the outer plate of any two
adjacent ones capable of sliding against the plate immediately behind it, and
having bevelled forward or striking ends projecting the one beyond the other,
the said plates being capable of being moved endways only to unlatch the bolt
from the staple, substantially as described.
3. A night latch having the thickness of the bolt made up of a number of
plates capable of sliding against one another endways, or the outer plate of any
two adjacent ones capable of sliding against the plate immediately behind it, the
said plates being capable of being moved endways only to unlatch the bolt from
the staple, and provided with key gatings and follower gatings whereby they may
be moved back by the key and follower, respectively, to bring all their outer ends
simultaneously flush with the fore-end of the case, substantially as described.

page_text: 4. A night latch having the thickness of the bolt made up of a number of
plates capable of sliding against one another endways, or the outer plate of any
two adjacent ones capable of sliding against the plate immediately behind it, the
said plates being capable of being moved endways only to unlatch the bolt from
the staple, and having notches formed in their outer ends for the purpose set
forth, substantially as described.
5. A night latch having the thickness of the bolt made up of a number of
plates capable of sliding against one another endways, or the outer plate of any
two adjacent ones capable of sliding against the plate immediately behind it,
the said plates being capable of being moved endways only to unlatch the bolt
from the staple, and having notches formed in their outer ends for the purpose
set forth, and any plate of such bolt having a corner thereof notched being pre-
vented from moving downwards or upwards, as the case may be, when such notch
is back within the fore-end of the case, by a guide fixed within the case, sub-
stantially as described.
6. A night latch constructed and operating substantially as described and shewn
by the drawings herewith.