Improvements in and in connection with Door Indicators.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 17th June, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 17th Mar., 1892-Accepted, 21st May, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and in connection with Door Indicators.
We, ROWLAND HODGES, of 12 Frederick Street, Manufacturer and Brass-
founder, and FRANCIS JONATHAN HARLOW LILLEY, of 22 Shakespeare Road,
Brass Finisher, both in the City of Birmingham, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the manner in which we construct and arrange indicators
for attachment to doors of buildings, closets, offices and like rooms whereby the
occupant of the room can be prevented from interruption, or any other notice can
be displayed that may be necessary when bolting the door, or when leaving the
room or building for any length of time.
In carrying our invention into effect we construct a door fastener and indicator in
one piece of apparatus to be controlled by the simple movement of the bult knob or
handle, in the following manner. We screw or otherwise mount upon the outside
of the door a metal plate, having a central projecting pivot; and having a slot or
groove formed within the plate to serve as a guiding path for a projecting striking
pin, which we cause to project and work within it. This striking pin we cast,
attach to or form upon a sliding bolt which we arrange and place upon the inside of the
door, and we provide it with a suitable staple frame or case for screwing to the door,
and having a slot or groove for receiving a projecting handle or knob which stands
freely away from the door for convenience of manipulation. We mount the striking
pin slightly above the centre of the front or outside plate in such a position that it
works freely within the slot of the plate while projecting through it.
Upon the spindle or pivot of the front plate we place a disc having a boss or lole
to fit upon the pin freely, and provided with two inclined cam projecting paths or
surfaces against which the striking pin from the sliding bolt may work, in such a
manner that when the pin is caused to come in contact with one cam surface it causes
the disc to oscillate or move in one direction, and when striking or being pressed.
against the other cam or inclined path, it causes a movement in the opposite
direction; the disc in each case moving upon the central pivot as an axis. Thus
when the bolt is moved from the inside of the door into one position the outer disc
is caused to move also into a corresponding position, and when moved back in an
opposite direction the outer disc is also moved in a similar direction. To cause the
contrary and definite movements of the front disc to indicate words such as
"vacant" and "engaged," "in" or "out," or other notices, we place a ring or disc
upon our outer disc or plate, having the necessary words painted impressed, cast or
otherwise displayed thereon in such positions that when the bolt is shot forward,
one word shall be uppermost, and when shot back the companion word shall occupy
that position. We prefer to employ a detachable indicating ring or disc which we
secure to the main outer disc or plate by a washer and screw so that the words can be
set to suit any "hand" of door movement without requiring special patterns to be
provided. We do not limit the application of our invention to detachable notice
rings or plates, but sometimes display the words direct from the surface of the
outer disc and thus dispense with the use of the washer and screw. The
inclined surfaces or cams we sometimes cast or form upon the outer plate direct, or
we rivet thereto two separate strips of metal or a separate quadrant having two
inner striking surfaces provided thereon for the striking pin to work against.
To cover and protect the notice plate and front outer disc we place a cap or case
over the outer disc and vibrating plate, which cover or case we cut away or form
with an opening so that but one word or notice upon the indicator shall be
displayed at a time. We screw this protecting cap or cover to the outside of the

page_text: "
door and we sometimes cause the end of the centre pin or pivot to be carried or
supported by the cap; or we cause the spindle or pivot to be carried entirely by.
this cap instead of being placed upon the under slotted plate.
We do not always provide sliding bolts or fasteners to work with our indicating
tablets, but sometimes construct our indicators with a central thumb and finger
turning catch, providing a striking bolt or pin with a suitably curved slot or path
and plate for its reception, instead of the plain groove and sliding bolt as herein
before described. In like manner we vary the arrangement of the notices upon the
plate, by leaving a blank space for the insertion of a card or for permitting of any
words being written thereon when so desired and we sometimes glaze the outer
case or cap when it is desired to further prevent the notice from being interfered
with while maintaining a clear view of the displayed words.
Dated this 16th day of June 1891.
MARKS & CLERK,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicants..
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and in connection with Door Indicators.
We, ROWLAND HODGES, of 12, Frederick Street, Manufacturer and Brass-
founder, and FRANCIS JONATHAN HARLOW LILLEY, of 22 Shakespeare Road,
Brass Finisher, both in the City of Birmingham, 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 the manner in which we construct and arrange indicators
for attachment to doors of buildings, closets, offices and like rooms whereby the
occupant of the room can be prevented from interruption, or any other notice can
be displayed that may be necessary when bolting the door, or when leaving the
room or building for any length of time.
In carrying our invention into effect we construct a door fastener and indicator in
one piece of apparatus to be controlled by the simple movement of the bolt knob or
handle as illustrated on Sheet 1 of the accompanying drawings.
On Sheet 1,
Figure 1 is a front elevation showing the indicator in position.
Figure 2 is a side or end elevation of the same.
Figure 3 is an elevation showing the indicator bolt viewed from inside the
door.
Figure 4 is a sectional side elevation of the arrangement.
Figures 5, 6, and 7 are detail views of the disc or indicating plate.
On Sheet 2, Figure 8 shews another modification of our invention, and Figure 9
a plan of the same.
We screw or otherwise mount upon the outside of the door a metal plate A,
having a central projecting pivot B; and having a slot or groove a formed within
the plate to serve as a guiding path for a projecting striking pin C, which we cause
to project into and work within it. This striking pin C we cast, attach to or form
upon a sliding bolt D which we arrange and place upon the inside of the door, and
we provide it with a suitable staple frame or case E for screwing to the door, and
having a slot or groove e for receiving a projecting handle F or knob which stands
freely away from the door for convenience of manipulation. We mount the
striking pin C slightly above the centre of the front or outside plate A in such a
position that it works freely within the slot a of the plate while projecting
through it.
Upon the spindle or pivot B of the front plate we place a disc G having a boss g
and hole to fit upon the pin B freely and provided with two inclined cam projecting
paths or surfaces G against which the striking pin C from the sliding bolt

page_text: "
"
may work, in such a manner that when the pin C is caused to come in contact with
one cam surface G' it causes the disc to oscillate or move in one direction, and when
striking or being pressed against the other cam or inclined path G². it causes a
movement in the opposite direction; the disc in each case moving upon the central
pivot B as an axis. Thus when the bolt is moved from the inside of the door
into one position the outer disc G is caused to move also into a corresponding
position, and when moved back in an opposite direction the outer disc is also moved
in a similar direction. To cause the contrary and definite movements of the front
disc to indicate words such as
" vacant and " engaged," "in or out," or other
notices, we place a plate ring or disc H upon our outer disc or plate G having the
necessary words painted, impressed, cast or otherwise displayed thereon in such
positions that when the bolt D is shot forward, one word shall be uppermost, and
when shot back the companion word shall occupy that position. We prefer to
employ a detachable indicating ring or disc H which we secure to the main outer
disc or plate G by a washer K and screw k so that the words can be set to suit any
"hand
of door movement without requiring special patterns to be provided. We
do not limit the application of our invention to detachable notice rings or plates,
but sometimes display the words direct from the surface of the outer disc G and
thus dispense with the use of the washer and screw. The inclined surfaces or
cams G¹, G² we sometimes cast or form upon the outer plate G direct, or we rivet
thereto two separate strips of metal or a separate quadrant having two inner
striking surfaces provided thereon for the striking pin C to work against.
To cover and protect the notice plate and front outer disc we place a cap or
case Lover the outer disc and vibrating plate, which cover or case we cut away or
form with an opening / so that but one word or notice upon the indicator shall be
displayed at a time. We screw this protecting cap or cover to the outside of the
door and we sometimes cause the end of the centre pin or pivot B to be carried or
supported by the cap as shown in Figure 4; or we cause the spindle or pivot B to be
carried entirely by this cap instead of being placed upon the under slotted plate.
We do not always provide sliding bolts or fasteners to work with our indi-
cating tablets, but sometimes construct our indicators as shown on Sheet 2 of the
accompanying drawings, Figure 8 being a front elevation in one position and
Figure 9-a plan of our arrangement in another position.
We employ a central thumb and finger turning catch M, providing a striking
bolt or pin N with a suitably curved slot or path m and plate O for its reception,
instead of the plain groove and sliding bolt as hereinbefore described. We
weight the dial plate at P to ensure that it will always display the word "vacant
In like manner
or like word when in its open position as shown at Figure 8.
""
we vary the arrangement of the notices upon the plate, by leaving a blank
space for the insertion of a card or for permitting of any words being written
thereon when so desired; and we sometimes glaze the outer case or cap when
it is desired to further prevent the notice from being interfered with while main-
taining a clear view of the displayed words.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
(1.) The construction of combined fastening appliances and indicators for doors
substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated on Sheet 1 of the accom-
panying drawings.
(2.) In door indicating and fastening appliances, the arrangement of a vibrating
disc or segment plates having inclined paths or cams arranged upon the back of the
disc or plate for receiving a thrust movement from a projecting pin or bar
substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and as illustrated in
the accompanying drawings.
(3.) The construction and arrangement of door fastening and combined indi-
cators, having the dial plate or notice plate operated by a central knob or button

page_text: substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and as illustrated on
Sheet 2 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 16th day of March 1892.
MARKS & CLERK,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicants.