Improvements in the Means of Attaching Sliding Keyhole Cover Plates to Padlock and other Lock Cases and to Keyhole Escutcheons.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Oct., 1893-Accepted, 11th Nov., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Means of Attaching Sliding Keyhole Cover
Plates to Padlock and other Lock Cases and to Keyhole
Escutcheons.
We, THOMAS BAILEY, JOHN LOWE and THOMAS ALBERT EDWARD
FLETCHER, trading together in copartnership as Bailey, Lowe and Fletcher, of
23 Hall Street, Willenhall in the County of Stafford, Lock Manufacturers, 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 :-
Sliding keyhole cover plates are usually formed to slide upon a guide of dovetail
section which projects from the face of the lock case, or it might project from the
face of a keyhole escutcheon and in some cases the cover plate is fitted to slide
inside a dovetail guide. Filing out the undercut side faces of the cover plate and
guide, or the undercut side faces of the guide only as the case may be is, however,
an expensive operation compared with filing up such faces at right angles to the
other faces, or face; and the object of this invention is a simple method of pre-
venting the cover plate being moved outwards from the case or escutcheon, which
shall be independent of any provision for such purpose along the sides of the guide
and cover plate, and which will permit the cover plate to be slid vertically,
whereby no undercutting of the sides of the guide or of the side faces of the cover
plate will be required and considerable expense be thus saved in fitting the parts
together.
The cover plate is held back, according to this invention, by means of a headed
stud of which the stalk is formed with or otherwise secured to the cover plate and
passes through the slot formed by the keyhole and a short upward extension
thereof, and of which the head passes across the slot and bears on each side thereof
against the inner face of the front plate of the case or against the face of a sinking
in the inner face of the front plate, or in the case of an escutcheon against the back
face of the escutcheon.
A practical application of the invention, given by way of example, as applied in
the case of a sliding keyhole cover plate of a padlock, is illustrated by the drawings
herewith, of which
Figure 1 is a front view of the lock case with the cover plate applied thereto
and shewn as raised up for the insertion of the key;
Figure 2 is a vertical section taken on line x x of Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a back elevation of the lock case with the back plate removed and
with the cover plate raised up for the insertion of the key;
Figure 4 is a corresponding view to Figure 3 except that the cover plate is down
covering the key hole; and
Figure 5 is a horizontal section taken through a portion of the front plate of the
case and through the keyhole, cover plate, guide and headed stud.
The guide A is formed with its sides a a at right angles with its front face b,
and the keyhole cover plate B is of course made, as shewn, to correspond. The
key hole C is formed with an upward extension c corresponding to, but somewhat
longer than, the notch usually formed to receive the stop pin ordinarily fixed to a
sliding keyhole cover plate. "A T-headed stud D has the stalk d riveted to the
cover plate B, and the head e thereof bears on each side against the inner face of
the front plate E of the case. In order, however, to avoid any projection of the
head within the space which would otherwise form the interior of the lock case, a
vertical recess is sunk in the inner face of the plate E within which the
T-head e slides as the cover plate B is raised and lowered. The T-headed stud

page_text: forms also the stop pin which fixes the points to which the cover plate can be
moved upwards and downwards. In lieu of riveting the stalk of the stud to the
cover plate, it may be cast therewith and the head be riveted on the outer end.
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. A sliding keyhole cover plate attached to a lock case or keyhole escutcheon
by the aid of a headed stud of which the stalk is secured to the cover plate and
passes through a slot formed by the key hole and a short upward extension thereof
and of which the head prevents the cover plate from being moved outwards from
the case or escutcheon, substantially as described.
2. The means of attaching a sliding keyhole cover plate to a lock case, sub-
stantially as described and shewn by the drawings herewith.
Dad thin 5th day of Oatshar 1802
STEPHEN WATKINS;
Wolverhampton, Agent for the Applicants.
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton, Agent for the Applicants.