IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO KEY-HOLES TO FACILITATE THE INSERTION OF KEYS INTO PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Herbert Champion Roberts, of the East India United
Service Club, St. James's Square, in the County of Middlesex, Major on the
Retired List, Indian Army, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR
APPLICABLE TO KEY-HOLES TO FACILITATE THE INSERTION OF KEYS INTO
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Herbert Champion Roberts
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th November
1880.
HERBERT CHAMPION ROBERTS, of the East India United Service Club, Saint
James's Square, in the County of Middlesex, Major on the Retired List, Indian
Army. "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO KEY-HOLES TO FACILITATE THE
INSERTION OF KEYS INTO LOCKS."
My Invention is designed to facilitate the finding of key-holes and the insertion
of keys into locks, for which purpose I provide or construct the keyhole with a
key director, which constitutes an enlarged extension of the key-hole, and projects
outward from the front of the lock or of the door or other article to which the lock
is applied. This key director I make with a cavity or recess having inclined sides
or walls so shaped that when a key is inserted into any part of the cavity or recess
and pressed it will be, by the peculiarly inclined form of the sides or walls
aforesaid, guided into its proper place to act in locking or unlocking, as
required.
I find it convenient to construct key directors, as described, separately from the
locks themselves, and with flanges, whereby such key directors can be readily
secured in place to serve for guiding keys into locks, as aforesaid.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Herbert Champion Roberts in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 21st May 1881.
HERBERT CHAMPION ROBERTS, of the East India United Service Club, Saint
James's Square, in the County of Middlesex, Major on the Retired List, Indian
Army. IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE, TO KEY-HOLES TO FACILITATE THE
INSERTION OF KEYS INTO Locks."
"
My Invention is designed to facilitate the finding of key holes and the insertion
of keys into locks, for which purpose I provide or construct the key hole with a
key director, which constitutes an enlarged extension of the key hole, and projects
outward from the front of the lock or of the door or other article to which the
lock is applied. This key director I make with a cavity or recess having inclined
sides or walls so shaped that when a key is inserted into any part of the cavity or
recess and pressed it will be, by the peculiarly inclined form of the sides or
walls aforesaid, guided into its proper place to act in locking or unlocking as
required.
I find it convenient to construct key directors as described separately from the
locks themselves, and with flanges, whereby such key directors can be readily
secured in place to serve for guiding keys into locks as aforesaid.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying Sheet of Drawings is a front elevation of one of
my key directors, which may be constructed of metal, wood, or other hard substance,
and Fig. 2 is a cross section thereof.
a is the body of the key director, formed with a cavity or recess having inclined
sides b, and also with a flange c, by means of which it is secured to the door or
other article to which the lock is applied. A bole d is formed at the back of the
cavity or recess of a size and shape most convenient for the key to pass through
for locking or unlocking the lock, and which hole in this case is formed for a key
without wards, as a railway key.
Fig. 3 shews the hole d, formed with a single notch e in it for receiving a key
constructed with a single small projection on it.
Fig. 4 shews a front elevation of a key director formed with a hole d of the
shape and size of an ordinary door key, and Fig. 5 is a cross section of the same.
In this case the body a is formed of an oval shape instead of round as in the
previous arrangements. The key being inserted in the cavity or recess and pressed
forwards is guided towards the hole. d by the inclined sides b and so enters the lock
with facility.
Having described the nature of my said Invention, and explained the manner of
carrying the same into practical effect, I would have it understood that what I
consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as secured to me by the
hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is,-
Providing key holes with key directors having cavities or recesses with inclined
sides or walls so shaped as to guide keys into locks, substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated by the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Herbert Champion Roberts, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of May, in the year of our 4
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
H. C. ROBERTS. (L.S.)