A Portable Fastening Device for Doors and the like Specially Applicable for Travellers and Tourists.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Sept., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 29th June, 1899-Accepted, 29th July, 1899
A Portable Fastening Device for Doors and the like Specially
Applicable for Travellers and Tourists.
I, JOSEPH WILLIAM BIRD, of 86, Coral Street, Belgrave Road, Leicester, Com-
mission Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to fastenings for doors and the like and has for its
object to provide a portable fastening device by means of which travellers,
tourists and others who have to sleep away from home may efficiently fasten
the door of their bed-room on the inside independently of the usual lock or bolt
which is frequently either missing or is out of order.
The invention consists of a device adapted to enter the floor close against the
door and to pass partly under the door and to be fixed tightly in position pressing
against the door by means of a lever.
A fastening device constructed in accordance with this invention comprises
a leg or pillar spiked at its bottom end for insertion into the floor of the
room close against the door.
On the side of the said leg or pillar against the door is a rod or lever having
at its lower end a foot adapted to be placed underneath the door.
At the upper end of the said rod or lever there may be an enlargement or
head adapted to press against the door and at a convenient point in the length
of the said rod or lever it is pivotted to another lever fulcrummed to the upper
end of the leg or pillar and located on the other side of the latter.
By depressing this latter lever the hereinbefore mentioned foot and head are
pressed tightly in contact with and against the door and the leg into the ground
and the parts are maintained in this position so that the door cannot be opened
by means of a detent on preferably the rod or lever engaging a rack on the
tightening lever.
The various parts are arranged so that they will lie parallel and close against
one another when not in use and thus form a compact device which can be
readily and conveniently carried about.
The details of construction may be varied without departing from the
principle of the invention.
Dated this 29th day of September 1898.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: A Portable Fastening Device for Doors and the like Specially
Applicable for Travellers and Tourists.
I, JOSEPH WILLIAM BIRD, of 86, Coral Street, Belgrave Road, Leicester, Com-
mission Agent, 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;-
This invention relates to fastening for doors and the like and has for its its object
to provide a portable fastening device which is mainly though not exclusively
applicable for the use of commercial travellers, tourists and others who have to
sleep away from home and by means of which they may efficiently fasten or
secure the door of their bedroom on the inside independently of the usual lock or
bolt which is frequently either missing or is out of order.
The invention will be fully understood from the following further description
in reference to the accompanying drawings in which,
Figure 1, represents a perspective view of a portable door fastening constructed
in accordance with this invention and shown as applied to a door, but before
being fastened in position.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of the fastener shown in the position it occupies
when the door is secured against opening thereby.
Figure 3 is a view in side elevation of the fastener in its closed or collapsed
condition when not in use.
A portable door fastener constructed according to this invention comprises a
leg or pillar A furnished with a spike A' at its lower end adapted when pressure
is applied thereto to enter the floor of the room.
The said leg comprises above the point A two parallel members A between
which at the upper end is fulcrummed a lever B pivotted at its extreme end to a
vertical rod or lever C provided at its lower end with a foot C₁ having a serrated
upper edge C, for insertion under the door to be fastened, and at its upper end
with an enlargement or preferably circular shaped head C³ adapted to press against
the door D.
The upper edge of the lever B has a rack B¹ formed thereon and a detent E
pivotted at E to the lever C is arranged to gear with the said rack.
The mode of using the fastener to secure a closed door on the inside against
being opened is as follows:-
The lever B is first raised, then the foot C is inserted under the door D so that
the lever C is parallel to and the head C³ pressing thereagainst while the leg A is
placed at an angle to the lever C and the door D and allowed to rest on the
Hoor Fall as shown in Figure 1.
In order to fasten the door the lever 3 should now be depressed as far as it will
go which will cause the foot to press upwardly against the door 1) and the
resistance offered by the latter will cause the lever 13 to force the spiked end A¹ of
the leg A into the floor F and when the individual removes the pressure from
the lever B the detent E will engage one of the teeth of the rack B¹ on the
upper edge of the latter and hold the lever and the other parts of the fastener in
the position illustrated in Figure 2 in which the door is shown as secured against
opening.
To open the door the detent E is released from the rack B', the lever B raised
as in Figure 1 when the fastener can be removed.
It will be observed as shown in Figure 3 and it is an important feature of this
invention that the fastener is collapsable so that when not required for use it

page_text: occupies but little space and is therefore sufficiently portable to make it an easy
matter to take about even by travellers who have to carry a large amount of
luggage.
The three members A B C of the fastener as will be observed from Figure 3 are
constructed and arranged so that they fit the one within the other and thus are
little if any wider or more cumbersome than one member.
This is effected chiefly by constructing the leg A with two parallel members A³
with a bifurcation between into which the other two members may enter when
closed as shown in Figure 3.
The foot C which in some cases may form an integral part of the member C
is preferably pivotted at C thereto so that it will turn up and lie parallel there-
against and thus obviate what would otherwise be a projection.
The wider part 1 of the lever B is also grooved as shown by the dotted line
so that the part of the member Copposite thereto may enter therein when the
fastener is in its collapsed position as indicated in Figure 3.
If an attempt be made to open, from the outside, a door to which this inven-
tion is applied, the vertical member C will press the leg more firmly into the
boarded floor of the bedroom and thus effectually prevent the opening of the door.
If desirable a small bell might be hung from the hole B in the upper end
of the lever B and this would ring upon any attempt being made to forcibly
enter the room and thereby alarm the occupant.
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 fastener for doors and the like comprising a leg adapted to enter the
floor of the apartment, a vertical rod adapted to engage the door and a lever
connected to the said leg and vertical rod and arranged to operate in the manner
and for the purpose described.
2. A fastener for doors and the like consisting of three members A B C
constructed, arranged and operating substantially in the manner described.
3. A fastener for doors and the like consisting of three members adapted when
in their collapsed position to fit one within the other substantially as described
and illustrated with special reference to Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 28th day of June 1899.