IMPROVEMENTS IN BURGLARY ALARMS OR IN- DICATORS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Lea, of Smethwick, in the County of
Stafford, Bellhanger, and Samuel Smith, of the same Place, Bellhanger,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BURGLARY ALARMS OR IN-
DICATORS."
Sealed the 17th October 1862, and dated the 22nd April 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Lea and Samuel
Smith at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition,
on the 22nd April 1862.
We, THOMAS LEA, of Smethwick, in the County of Stafford, Bellhanger,
and SAMUEL SMITH, of the same Place, Bellhanger, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BURGLARY ALARMS OB
INDICATORS," to be as follows:-
The nature of this Invention consists in the use and adoption of the
mechanical arrangements hereafter mentioned, whereby, when (after the
mechanism has been "set" for working, or put in a position to act) upon any
door or window, or other similar movable body of or in the house, being or
attempted to be forced or opened, the same shall be notified by an indicator,
which will indicate in what room or place this has happened, the same
arrangements being in connexion with arrangements for sounding an alarum,
for causing a match to fly out, and strike against a friction lighter or striker;
also for turning on a gaslight, which will be lighted by the said match (or this
match would light a candle where the gaslight is not available). To carry
this Invention into practical effect, we now prefer to employ the following
arrangements:-We have a box or case with a number of openings in front,
according to the number of rooms, places, or things the apparatus is required
for, and in each of these openings we place an indicating card, on which is

page_text: printed the name of a room, place, or thing, and provide a spring hinged flap
or door, which can be shut to and secured by a catch, which is released by
mechanical arrangements, operated upon by the wire from the door, window,
or other similar moveable body. Also in said box or case we provide
mechanism for sounding the alarum by the same operation, the said
mechanism consisting of an upright lever working in bearings attached to the
inside of the case, said upright lever carrying projecting plates or fingers,
between which are the levers of the flap arrangement just described, said
upright lever being connected with a lever for moving a rod connected with
the lever for releasing the alarum, also releasing the match striker which
descends, and in descent strikes the end of a lever, which causes the match-
holder to fly out (the said holder having previously been properly "set" or
placed in position), the match in the match-holder being thus brought in
collision with the striker, and lighted, will light the candle or gas properly
placed near the same; this striker arrangement having in connection there-
with mechanism, whereby the cock or tap of a gaslight suitably placed can be.
turned on. A suitable scraper is also provided for cleaning the striker.
We attach to the operating wires aforesaid at the door or window, casings or
other suitable position in any moving body, a lever catch and spring held by
another small lever, the end of which is moved by a secret bolt, which upon
the door, window, or moving body, being attempted to be moved is released,
so that the lever catch aforesaid is forced down by the spring, and this pulls
the wire, and acts upon the indicating mechanism as aforesaid.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Lea and Samuel Smith in the Great Seal. Patent
Office on the 22nd October 1862.
TO. ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, 'wе, THомAS
LEA, of Smethwick, in the County of Stafford, Bellhanger, and SAMUEL SMITH,.
of the same Place, Bellhanger, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of April, 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 heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said.
Thomas Lea and Samuel Smith, Her special licence that we, the
said Thomas Lea and Samuel Smith, executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said Thomas Lea and Samuel Smith, our

page_text: executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and
no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN BURGLARY ALARMS OR
INDICATORS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Thomas Lea
and Samuel Smith, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under our, 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 we, the said Thomas Lea and Samuel Smith,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement:-
The nature of this Invention consists in adopting the mechanical arrange-
ments hereafter described and illustrated by the accompanying Drawings,
which arrangements being put ready for action, then upon a door, window, or
similar moveable body of or in a house or building being attempted to be
forced or opened, the same shall be notified by an indicator, which will at once
indicate in what room or place this has happened, the same arrangements being
in connection with arrangements for sounding an alarm or alarum, and for
causing a match to strike against a friction lighter or striker; also for turning
on a gaslight to be lighted by the said match (or for lighting a candle where
gaslight is not available).
Having thus far described the nature of the said Invention, we will now
proceed to the further exemplification thereof, as also to particularly describe
and ascertain in what manner the same is to be performed, by referring to the
accompanying Drawings, by the words, figures, and letters following, that is
to say:
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.

page_text: or things, for which these indicating and alarm arrangements are required),
in each of which openings I place an indicating card, on which is printed or
placed the name of a particular room, place, or thing, illustrated in the
Drawing by the words "Hall Door," and before each of these openings I have
(hinged to the said case A), a flap or door A¹, A2, A3, A', which flap or door
will be opened when the indications take place by the withdrawal of a simple
catch a on the back of the flap or door, which catch takes into another catch
B projecting from a spindle C, placed across the inside of the said box or case
(A), and turning in bearings b, in the sides or ends of the said box or case
(A), said spindle having at back thereof an arm C*, to the end of which a
wire is secured, which passes through the top of the case, and is twisted to
form an eye, to which another wire may be secured, and carried by proper
bell-cranks or other mechanism, if required, to a door, a window, or piece of
furniture, or other thing, as the case may be, like as hath been heretofore
practised in fixing or fitting alarums; or a cord may be used instead of wire.
Or instead of this arrangement, the wires D, D, D, D, being spirally twisted,
may be brought through the bottom of the case, and have cords, strings, or
thread secured thereto, such cords, strings, or threads to be carried over
pulleys or guides to the door, window, or thing to be subjected to the action
of the indicator and alarum, when upon the door or window being forced the
string or cord will be thereby released, and the spiral wire spring which had
been drawn out when the cord was secured to the door, or window, or thing,
will be released, and cause the catches operating upon the particular flap or
door of the indicator to open the same. E, an upright lever plate, supported
by two studs working in slots in the said lever plate, which studs are formed
on or secured to snugs or projections from one of the sides or ends of the said
box or case (A) This lever plate is notched out so as to rest upon and act
with each and every of the arms C*, which upright lever plate has a pin
placed beneath the lower arm of a crank lever (see dotted lines), the other
end of which (at) has a slot, in which is a pin on a spindle F, supported
by screws f, f, in slots therein, such screw securing the same (free to slide)
to the front of the box or case. The said lever F having a pin f secured
thereto, against which the adjusting spring 9 acts, and returns the lever back
to its proper position, after being used; p is another pin on the said lever F,
taking into a slot in the upright G, which acts upon the escapement for
actuating the alarum gong. The lever F is carried through the side or end of
the box or case, (see Figure 1,) and takes into a notch in the foot of the small
statue H, which forms the match holder, the pedestal of this small statue
being a cylindrical box, and having therein and secured to the foot of the

page_text: small statue a gas cock, which is turned by a coiled spring placed beneath
the foot of the said statue, the gas being thus let on or off from the burner I:
K is a striker for striking the match; it is composed as shewn by the
detached view of an outer shield K, and a piece of springy metal K (serrated
or grated) so as to always press against the match, held by the small statue in
a tubular orifice through the arm thereof, the match being kept in position by
a set screw. The match striker can be detached for cleaning, and may be
cleaned by a wire brush. The escapement arrangements for the gong bell L,
are in all respects the same as alarm arrangements of known character. The
same after having "run down," requiring to be wound up by the handle L'.
M is the back plate for supporting the alarum arrangement, and N the front
plate. The back plate M containing the alarum spring. It will be obvious
from the foregoing, that. upon the connecting wires or cords being applied to
the doors, windows, or things to be subjected to the action of this indicator
and alarm, and connected also with this apparatus as described, upon the gong
being wound up, and the lever F brought into the notch at the foot of the
small statue, and the indicating flaps or doors A', A2, A3, A', being shut, that
then, should any door, window, or thing be or be attempted to be forced, the
wires D will be acted upon which will act upon the spindles C, and release
the catch B attached thereto from the catches a, at the backs of the
indicating flaps or doors, and at the same time the springs m, screwed at one
of the ends of the same to the front of the box or case, which springs have
pins or projections n, which pass through orifices in the indicating cards, will
press against the backs of the flaps or doors A1, A2, A3, A', and will ensure
their being thrown open by one and the same action, at the same time the
gong arrangement will be put in action, and sound the alarum, the gas cock
be turned on, and the match caused to act against the striker, a match having
been previously inserted, thus lighting the gas, and shewing what room or
place is or hath been attempted to be forced. And also I may here observe,
that when the cord, string, twine, or thread is used, the presence of fire may
be indicated by this apparatus, as if a fire take place, the cord or string will
be burnt, and the apparatus thereby put in action. Instead of the arrange-
ment for gas lighting, I can use a somewhat similar arrangement for lighting
a candle. The striker K being the same, a similar small statue being used
5 with the spring at foot thereof, and the lever F acting in the notch in the
same way; but no gas cock is used, and the match held by the figure
is caused to ignite a short candle fixed in a sconce, placed in front thereof;
and to ensure the lighting of the candle I have a second match (a wax vesta
being preferred) secured to the sconce, and projecting against the other match.

page_text: If thought desirable I can have both the gas lighting arrangement and the
candle arrangement applied at the same time; but in this case I should
require an additional lever similar to F, but reversed end for end, the same to
be acted upon by an arm attached to F, so that both the statues may act at
the same time. In applying this burglary alarm or indicator, I affix to the
door, or other place or thing, a secret bolt or latch, which I prefer to make
by enclosing an ordinary sliding bolt or latch in a suitable case, and by
having a front plate to the same, to be let in flush with the door, window,
place, or thing, and be secured by countersunk screws, one of which shall be
left free to be turned without difficulty upon applying a suitable key or turn-
screw to the head thereof, so that upon the same having a slight turn given
to it, it will be released from the notch in a lever, that takes into a catch on
the end of a door or flap in the front plate, and there being a common spring
beneath, the door or flap of the same will fly open, when the bolt or latch can
be got at, and afterwards the same can be shut down and kept from view, and
may even be painted over to imitate part of the door, window, or thing.
evident that this lock can only be opened by those aware of this secret.
It is
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, we have to state that we do not intend
to restrict ourselves to the precise details herein-before described and illustrated
by the accompanying Drawing, what we do claim being,―
(1.) The use of the indicator doors or flaps, arranged and acting in the
manner described.
(2.) The use of the arrangements for turning on the gas, and lighting the
same, or for lighting a candle, or both, and particularly as regards the match
striker.
(3.) Also the use of the arrangements for sounding the alarm gong.
In witness whereof, we, the said Thomas Lea and Samuel Smith have
hereunto set our hands and seals, this Eighteenth day of October, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
Witness,
WILLIAM TAYLOR,
Rolf Street, Smethwick.
(L.S.)
THOMAS LEA.
SAMUEL SMITH. (L.B.)