Improvements in or relating to Locks and Latches.
Year: 1897

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Locks and Latches.
I, HARRY DORNING BAILEY, Norbury Grove Park Gardens, Chiswick, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My invention relates to locks and latches and comprises the improvements
hereinafter indicated.
One object of my invention is to improve the construction of ordinary latches
by simplifying the mechanism and substituting spiral springs in place of the
ordinary leaf or V-springs commonly used in these devices. Another object of
my invention is to construct a lock or latch the operation of which shall be con-
trolled by the insertion of a coin in the mechanism.
According to my invention I provide a bar sliding in bearings secured to the
base plate of the lock, and adapted to be moved from the exterior by means of a
sliding or rotatable handle. The latch or bolt of the lock is adapted to slide in
bearings in the ordinary way, and is secured either directly or through the medium
of a pivoted lever to the above-mentioned sliding bar in such a manner that when
said bar is moved in one direction against the pressure of a spiral or other spring
the said latch or bolt is retracted. within the box of the lock, and withdrawn from
engagement with the striking plate.
When I desire to make the operation of the lock dependent upon the inser-
tion of a coin in a slot provided for the purpose I construct the sliding bar, which
is operated by the handle, in two parts capable of independent movement; one of
said parts is connected to the operating handle, and the other to the bolt or latch
of the lock. Each said part is provided with a controlling spring, which springs
are arranged so as to maintain the bolt or latch in engagement with the striking
plate, and also the greatest possible distance between the two parts of the bar. I
furthermore provide a coin shoot having a suitable aperture on the outside of the
lock for the insertion of a coin. Said shoot is so located relatively to the two parts
of the sliding bar before mentioned that a coin inserted therein will take up a
position between said parts and act as a connecting link between them whereby
the movement of one of the parts by means of the operating handle will be trans-
mitted to the other of said parts thereby retracting the bolt or latch. The release
of the coin from this position beween the two parts of the sliding bar is accom-
plished when the bolt or latch, and the part of the bar connected therewith is
moved independently of the other portion of the bar by closing the door for
example, or by a handle attached to one of these portions of the mechanism. Such
an independent movement of the latch increases the distance between the two
parts of the sliding bar and thereby permits the coin to drop into the receiver.
I sometimes provide means whereby a key of suitable form may be introduced
between the two parts of the bar above mentioned in place of a coin, so that an
attendant provided with such a key can operate the lock when desired. .

page_text: My improved latches are applicable for use with drawers as well as doors, and in
general with slight modifications in detail can replace ordinary locks and latches
in every situation.
The coin shoot and parts of the sliding bar may be designed for use with any
desired coin.
'
Improvements in or relating to Locks and Latches.
I, HARRY DORNING BAILEY, Norbury Grove Park Gardens, Chiswick, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer, 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:→
My invention relates to locks and latches and has for its object to construct a
lock or latch the operation of which shall be controlled by the insertion of a coin
in the mechanism. Part of my improvements are furthermore applicable
to ordinary latches the mechanism of which is thereby simplified, spiral springs
being used in place of the ordinary leaf of V-springs commonly employed in
these devices.
According to my invention I provide a bar sliding in bearings secured to the
base plate of the lock, and adapted to be moved from the exterior by means of a
rotatable handle through a lever having two or more arms secured to the spindle.
The latch or bolt of the lock is adapted to slide in bearings in the ordinary way
being connected to the first mentioned bar through the medium of a coin when this
is inserted in the mechanism between the parts projecting from each bar. Each
bar is provided with a controlling spring or springs which are arranged so as to
maintain the bolt or latch in engagement with the striking plate and also such a
distance between the projecting parts of each bar, as will permit a coin to fall
between said parts and operatively connect the bars.
In applying my invention to ordinary latches the two bars are firmly connected
together.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood I will proceed to describe
the same with reference to the accompanying drawings which shows elevations of
the interior of one form of a coin-freed latch constructed according to my inven-
tion.
Figure 1 shows the latch in its normal position.
Figure 2 shows the same when, a coin having been inserted, the bolt is retracted
by the operation of the handle.
Figure 3 shows the parts in position to permit the release of the coin.
Figure shows, a view of the key.
1.
A-is-the bolt sliding in bearings A secured to the base plate B of the latch and
controlled by a spring A which maintains it in engagenient with the striking
plate. Said spring is confined between one of the bearings A¹ and a collar A³
secured to the bolt. A is a projecting part secured to the bolt having a rounded
recess A5 adapted to fit a coin intended to govern the operation of the latch. The
handle of the latch is shewn in dotted lines at Cand is secured to a spindle C
rotating in suitable bar provided. Said spindle has secured to it a two armed
lever C provided with antifriction rollers C at the ends. C is a stop to prevent
> 121
17.4

page_text: the handle being rotated too far in either direction. D is a bar sliding in bear-
ings D¹ secured to the base B and provided with a controlling spring D³ interposed
between the rear bearing and the pin D3 on the bar. The spring D³ thereby con-
tinually presses the bar in the direction of the arrow. D' is a plate secured at the
end of the bar D, with which plate one of the ends of the lever C² is adapted to
engage when the handle C is rotated. Said plate D' has a projection D³ of such
a length that the distance between the end of said projection and the curved
surface A5, when the parts of the latch are in their normal position as shewn in
Figure 1, is equal to the diameter of the coin the insertion of which it is desired
shall enable the latch to be operated. The coin shoot consists of two plates E
maintained at a distance apart a little greater than the thickness of the coin by
means of the sides E¹. The sides E extend from the top as far as the parts A+ D
which are made of a suitable thickness to enter between the front and back
plates E of the shoot. The coin F is shown by a dot and dash line throughout the
drawing, and it will be readily understood from the above description taken in
conjunction with the drawing that the bolt A is only in operative connection with
the bar D when the coin is in position between the parts A and D5, as shown in
Figures 1 and 2 for example.
The operation of my improved latch is very simple and is as follows:-the parts
are shown in their normal position in Figure 1. If the handle C be rotated in
either direction one of the ends of the lever C will engage through the rollers C³
with the plate D and cause the bar D to slide in its bearings against the pressure
of the spring D2. If no coin had been inserted in the mechanism the bar A would
not be effected by such a movement of the bar D. If however when the parts are
in their normal position as shewn in Figure 1 a coin is inserted in the shoot such
coin will drop until its descent is arrested by the curved surface A5 so that the coin
lies between the parts D5 and A. The movement of the bar D will then as shewn
in Figure 2 he transmitted through the coin to the bar A, and the bolt withdrawn
from engagement with the striking plate the spring A³ being compressed. If the
handle C be released the pressure of the two springs A2 and D³ operating through
the lever C will rotate the handle in the reverse direction the parts rotating to
their normal position as shewn in Figure 1, the coin still remaining between the
parts A and D³. In order to permit the coin to escape from this position the
bolt A is pressed back independently of the bar D by closing the door for example,
or by means of a handle attached to said bolt, said handle being however on the
opposite side of the lock C thereby increasing the distance between the parts A+
and D as shewn in Figure 3 so that the coin F being no longer retained by the
curved surface A will drop as shewn in said Figure into the receiver which is
formed by the bottom portion of the latch-case. Access to the receiver for the
removal of the coin is obtained through the door B¹.
In order to permit the latch to be operated by an authorized person without
the insertion of a coin I may provide on the bar A a rack G which can be operated
from the exterior by means of a key G¹ provided with a pinion G and capable of
being introduced through the hole G³ in the base plate of the latch; or a key suit-
ably formed may be introduced between the two parts A and D in lieu of a coin
through a suitable slot in the base plate.
In constructing an ordinary latch according to my invention I connect the bar D
to the bolt A by a suitable connecting piece, an extension from the plate D' for
example, or the parts A' and D5 may be connected by a rod the coin shoot E being
removed. By this means I am enabled to construct an ordinary latch and a coin-
freed latch with substantially the same parts and the manufacture is thereby
cheapened. The lever is shewn with two arms only but I do not restrict myself
in this respect as a lever having three or more arms may be employed if desired.
The coin shoot and parts A and Do may of course be designed for use with any
desired coin. My improved latch whether coin-freed or not may be employed with
drawers as well as doors and in general with slight modifications in detail can
replace the ordinary locks and latches in every situation.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. A lock or latch in which the rotary movement of the handle is transmitted to
a sliding bar by means of a lever having two or more arms secured to the spindle,
said sliding bar being operatively connected to the bolt either directly or through
the medium of a coin inserted in the lock or latch.
2. A coin-freed lock or latch in which the coin is moved bodily with the bolt
in the direction of its diameter when the latch is operated.
3. Locks or latches constructed substantially as described with reference to the
accompanying drawing.
100%
COT
TO
Date HS Cay
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Patent Agents for the Applicant,
Of London, Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham.