IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SATES OF DEPOSITORIES INTENDED TO CONTAIN VALUABLE PROPERTY
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Cook, of Coburg Road, Old Kent Road, in
the County of Surrey, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Cook, of Coburg Road, Old Kent Road, in
the County of Surrey, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF SATES OF DEPOSITORIES INTENDED TO CONTAIN VALUABLE
PROPERTY."
Sealed the 22nd September 1865, and dated the 81st March 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Cook at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
31st March 1865.
I, THOMAS COOK, of Coburg Road, Old Kent Road, in the County of
Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SAFES OR DEPOSITORIES INTENDED TO
CONTAIN VALUABLE PROPERTY," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to an improved method of connecting the door of
a safe to the body or case thereof, and consists in forming the door of a
circular plate of metal with a circular fillet or projection at the back thereof,
about one or two inches, more or less, in diameter than the diameter of the
door. Around this fillet I propose to cut a strong quick-threaded screw or
portion of a screw to fit into a corresponding screwed hole formed in the front

page_text: of the body or case of the safe; or I form two screws or portions of screws,
both on the door and case of the safe, that is to say, I form a male and
female screw on each, one inside the hole into which the door fits, and the
other outside of said hole. I also form a screwed hole through the centre of
the door, and fit therein a screw, the outer screwed end whereof passes through
a screwed hole formed in one end of an iron arm, the other end of said arm
being hinged to the outside of the body of the safe, so that as said door is
turned round by means of a suitable handle for the purpose of opening the
door, for example, the screw aforesaid passes along the screwed hole in the
aforesaid hinged arm, and thus allows the screw on the door to move parallel
to the hinge until the door is open, when it may be turned on its hinged arm;
The door of the safe is intended to
a reverse movement will close the door.
be fastened by any approved kind of lock.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Cook in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 30th
September 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
Cook, of Coburg Road, Old Kent Road, in the County of Surrey, Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Thomas Cook, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas
Cook, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Thomas Cook, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SAFES OR DEPOSITORIES INTENDED TO CONTAIN
VALUABLE PROPERTY," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Thomas Cook, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, 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

page_text: Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Cook, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, that is to say:―
This Invention relates to an improved method of connecting the door of a
safe to the body or case thereof, and consists in forming the door of a circular
plate of metal with a circular fillet or projection at the back thereof, about
one or two inches, more or less, in diameter than the diameter of the door.
Around this fillet I propose to cut a strong quick-threaded screw or portion of
a screw to fit into a corresponding screwed hole formed in the front of the
body or case of the safe; or I form two screws or portions of screws, both on
the door and case of the safe, that is to say, I form a male and female screw
on each, one inside the hole into which the door fits, and the other outside of
said hole. I also form a screwed hole through the center of the door, and
fit therein a screw, the outer screwed end whereof passes through a screwed
hole formed in one end of an iron arm, the other end of said arm being hinged
to the outside of the body of the safe, so that as the said door is turned round
by means of a suitable handle for the purpose of opening the door (for example),
the screw aforesaid passes along the screwed hole in the aforesaid hinged arm,
and thus allows the screw on the door to move parallel to the hinge until the
door is open, when it may be turned on its binged arm; a reverse movement
will close the door. The door of the safe is intended to be fastened by any.
approved kind of lock.
And in order to explain my said Invention as completely as possible, I now
proceed to describe the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the
same into practical effect, reference being had to the illustrative Sheet of
Drawings accompanying these Presents, and to the numerical figures and
letters of reference marked thereon respectively, as follows:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 represents a side elevation of my improved safe; Figure 2, a front
elevation thereof; Figure 3, a top plan view of the safe; and Figure 4, a
horizontal section through the line A, B, at Figures 1 and 2; Figure 5, a
At each
detached portion, herein-after particularly described and referred to.
of the foregoing Figures I employ similar letters of reference to denote cor-
responding parts in so far as such parts appear, or can be seen at each of such
said Figures respectively. A, A, marks the body of the safe of metal lined

page_text: with fireproof clay or other known fireproof material at B, C, the door thereof
formed circular and with a coarse thread or screw at c, there being a
corresponding thread or screw formed in the front of the body A of the safe; the
door C is formed with a flange at D, the inner face whereof should be turned
true in a lathe, as also the face d of the safe, against which the aforesaid flanges
intended to fit closely to prevent the introduction of a lever, wedge, or other
instrument; E is a false back securely fixed by screws to the rim 6 of the
door C, the space at being filled with any suitable fireproof composition or
material, a spout being employed to prevent contact of the composition with the
sliding bolt N; G is a quick threaded left-handed screw; one end of this screw
is securely fixed in the boss a, and the other end passes through a screwed
hole formed in the boss e of a strong wrought-iron arm H, whose opposite
ends are hinged to lugs I, I, fixed to or formed on the body of the safe, said
lugs having each a hole formed therein to receive strong pins f, f, fitted into the
parts 12 of the arm H, which swings thereon as a hinge; K is a handle fixed
into the front of the door; and L, L', are stop pins, also fixed into the door, for
governing the distance which the door is to move for opening and closing the
same; M marks the keyhole of the lock, which lock may be of any approved con-
struction; N is the bolt of the lock, the point whereof is formed cylindrical and
passes through a hole formed through the rim 6 of the door, the said bolt taking
into a corresponding shaped hole made in the body A of the safe, as at Figure 2.
Figure 5 shews the method of connecting the locking bolt N with the lock of
the safe and handle K; O marking the position of the said lock. It will be
seen upon referring to Figure 5 that the part 3 of the bolt N is formed with
three notches marked 4, 5, 6, into which the bolts of the lock take, as presently
described. 7, 8, are slots, in which pins 9, 10, take; the pin 9 is intended to guide
the bolt N in a straight line, and the pin 10 is fixed on to one end of a short
crank, the other end of this crank being fixed to the handle K at the inside
of the door C, so that supposing the bolts of the lock to be withdrawn from
the notches 4, 5, or 5, 6, as the case may be, upon turning the handle K partly
round, the pin 10 taking into the slot 8 will either pull back or shoot forward
the bolt N, and thereby fasten or unfasten the door of the safe as may be
required, and the use of the lock at O is to lock the bolt N securely by means
of the bolts of the lock taking into the notches 4, 5, when the bolt N is shot
out by these means I am enabled to have a very small keyhole. The
operations of the foregoing mechanical arrangements are as follows:-Suppose
the door to be closed, as exhibited by the Drawing, in order to open the door
the lock at O must be unlocked, and the handle K be afterwards moved in
the direction denoted by the arrow's flight at Figure 2, the effect of which is

page_text: to draw back the bolt N and advance the screw G along the screwed hole in
the boss e of the hinged arm H, thereby enabling the door to be unscrewed
and supported during such time in a perfectly horizontal plane; the stop pin L
coming into contact with the arm H arrests the further movement of the door
upon its screwed axis G; the door C being now detached from the body of the
safe may be swung back on its hinges, and free access had to the inside of the
safe. A reverse direction of movement of the handle K will effect the closing
of the door of the safe, the stop pin L' being so arranged as to stop the further
circular movement of the door when the bolt N of the lock comes opposite to
the recess intended to receive it, when the bolt is shot out in the act of locking
the lock.
Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of my said
Invention for Improvements in the Construction of Safes or Depositories in-
tended to contain Valuable Property," together with the best means I am
acquainted with for carrying the same into practical effect, I would remark in
conclusion that what I claim as my Invention intended to be secured to me
by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is as follows:-
I claim the general arrangement and construction of the parts above
described with reference to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, and especially
I claim the binged arm H and screwed axis G for supporting the weight of
the door C, and guiding the same in a true horizontal plane during the opening
and closing of the said door, as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Cook, hath hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.