IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF CARRIAGE DOOR FASTENERS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Scourfield, of Mostyn Road, Bow, in the County
of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OF CARRIAGE DOOR FASTENERS."
ealed the 2nd March 1880, and dated the 6th September 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Scourfield at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th September 1879.
THOMAS SCOURFIELD, of Mostyn Road, Bow, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF CARRIAGE DOOR FASTENERS."
The object of this Invention is to provide a simple construction of spring latch
fastening suitable for railway and other carriages, which fastening will admit of
ready adjustment to prevent the rattling of the door to which it is applied when
either the latch or the staple has become worn.
To this end I provide a metal box for the reception of the latch consisting of side
and front plates which are screwed together. To the bottom of this box I attach a
tail piece or shank which forms a guide for a horizontal rod that is notched into
the inner end of the latch. Surrounding this rod, and retained upon it between a
fixed collar and the turned up end of the tail piece is a coiled spring which serves
to press the rod against the rear end of the latch and hold the latch down in its
locking position. This latch is formed with bosses which have their bearing in the
sides of the box, and a central square hole is formed through them to receive the
squared spindle of the door handle.
The latch is rounded and bevilled at its lower edge to enable it to run up the
staple plate easily. The coiled spring is covered by an india rubber tube to preserve
it from dirt and rust. It also serves as an auxiliary spring and in cold weather
to prevent it breaking. Should the coiled spring from any cause break, it has this
advantage over all.other kinds of springs, viz., that from its confinement and acting
when compressed it still retains some of its elastic force, and so keeps the door
fastened.

page_text: A door fitted with this fastening admits of being fastened either by the handle,
the pressing in of the door, or by the passenger pulling it when inside the carriage.
For the purpose of fastening the door I fix a metal staple plate to the standing
pillar or door jamb, which plate is cast with a hub, over which the staple or
catch is adjustably fitted to admit of its adjustment when it or the latch is worn.
A hole is drilled horizontally through the staple and the hub to receive a screw
for connecting the two parts together. The hub is tapped to receive the screw
which passes freely through the holes in the staple, and to prevent the disengage-
ment of the screw a nut is fitted to its extremity and may be rivetted or firmly
secured thereto when the screw is in place. As the head of the screw presses against
the staple or catch the latter will be held firmly to the staple plate, and for adjusting
it thereon the simple turning of the screw will suffice.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Scourfield in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 6th March
1880.
THOMAS SCOURFIELD, of Mostyn Road, Bow, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF CARRIAGE DOOR FASTENERS."
The object of this Invention is to provide a simple construction of spring latch
fastening suitable for railway and other carriages, which fastening will admit of
ready adjustment to prevent the rattling of the door, to which it is applied when
either the latch or the staple has become worn.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 shews in side view a mortice latch lock
constructed according to my Invention; and Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.
In these Figures A is the latch mounted in a metal box composed of two side
plates B, C. This latch is formed with bosses which have their bearing in the side
plates B, C, and a central square hole is formed through the bosses to receive the
squared spindle of the door handle D.
The side plate B is shewn at Figures 3, which represent it as cast with a flange
B' that constitutes the front face of the box. Similarly the side plate C is shewn
detached at Figures 4, with a piece C projecting at right angles therefrom to form
the top of the box. The latch A projects through the front B¹ of the box, and it
is rounded and bevilled at the lower edge of its projecting end to enable it to run
(as shewn in the three detached views, Figures 5) easily up the staple plate E,
which is secured as usual to the door jamb.
In Figures 1 and 2 a staple plate of an ordinary construction is shewn in con-
nection with my improved door fastener; and at Figures 6 I have shewn this
staple plate detached in order to explain how it may be adjusted when worn, or
when the latch is worn to prevent the door from rattling. This explanation it
will however be convenient to defer until my improved staple plate has been
described.
The bottom of the box is formed by a tail piece or shank F shewn detached in
three views at Figures 7. This tail piece is forked at its extremity to form a guide
for a horizontal rod G that is notched into the upper edge or back of the latch A.
This rod G is shewn detached at Figures 8 which represent it as fitted with a
collar G¹ for the purpose to be presently explained. Surrounding the rod G and
retained upon it between the fixed collar G and the turned up forked end of the
tail piece is a coiled spring H which serves to press the rod against the latch A and
hold the latch down in its locking position; I is an india rubber tube which
serves to cover the spring H and preserve it from dirt and rust.
It also serves as
an auxiliary spring, and in cold weather to prevent the coiled spring from breaking.
Should the coiled spring from any cause break it will still possess this advantage
over all other kinds of springs, viz., that from its confinement and acting when
compressed it still retains some of its elastic force and so keeps the door fastened.
A door fitted with this fastening admits of being fastened either by the handle
by the pushing-to of the door, or by the passenger pulling it to when inside the
carriage.
The parts composing the box are secured together by means of three transverse
screws inserted at the holes a, and the fixing of the box in the mortice of the door
is effected by wood screws entering at the holes b of the flange B'.
I will now explain my improvement in the construction of staple plates for
receiving the latch of the door, and providing against the rattling of the door from
wear of the contact parts of the fastening.
Figures 9 shew in front and edge view my improved staple plate K which is cast
with a hub K' over which a staple or catch K² is adjustably fitted to admit of its
adjustment when it or the latch is worn.

page_text: t
A hole is drilled horizontally through the staple and the hub to receive a screw k
for connecting the two parts together. The hub is tapped to receive the screw
which passes freely through the holes in the staple, and to prevent the disengage-
'ment of the screw a nut ¹ is fitted to its inner extremity and may be rivetted or
firmly secured thereto when the screw is in place. As the head of the screw presses
against the staple or catch K³ the latter will be held firmly to the staple plate K,
and for adjusting it thereon the simple turning of the screw k will suffice.
When this part of my Invention is not used the wear of the contact parts may
be compensated for by brazing to the ordinary staple plate a strip or strips of sheet
.brass as indicated by the dotted lines at e, Figures 6.
''
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "Improvements in the
Construction of Carriage Door Fasteners," and explained the manner of carrying
the same into.effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited
Letters Patent I claim,-
First. The latch lock above described in which the latch is held in its locking
position by a propelling rod or its equivalent, actuated by a coiled spring enclosed
within a tube of india rubber compound.
Secondly. The adjustable staple, as and for the purpose above described.
'
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Scourfield, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Fifth day of March, in the year of our Lord, One thousand
eight hundred and eighty.