Improvements in Latch Bolts.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd
Mar,
4000
Complete Specification Left. 22nd Dec. 1899-Accented. 10th Feb
1800
Complete Specification Left. 22nd Dec. 1899-Accented. 10th Feb
1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Latch Bolts.
We, CLARENCE ROBERT HECKFORD, trading as Joseph Spink and Son, of 111,
Stafford Street, Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford, Lock Manufacturer,
and HERBERT BAGNALL, of the same address, Tool Maker, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
-
In lieu of forming the bolt in one piece of metal, as has usually heretofore
been the case, either as a casting or forging, which generally requires some con-
siderable amount of truing up to adapt it for its purpose, the rear portion of the
bolt tail, that is to say, the part with which the follower is intended to engage,
is according to a preferred form of this invention, formed separately from the
main portion or stem of the bolt tail, by pressing it out of a piece of sheet metal,
and is subsequently riveted to the stem. This rear portion of the bolt tail is
formed with a vertical flange at its hinder end, against the inner face of which
the follower horns bear, with a flange or car at its forward end through which
the hinder end of the stem of the bolt is passed, and with a slotted opening
through the flat or main part thereof through which the boss of the follower
passes, the opening being slotted to allow of the endway movement of the bolt.
When the hinder end of the stem of the bolt has been passed through the hole
to receive it in the boss or forward flange of the rear portion of the bolt such end
is riveted over at the inner face of such boss or flange to securely fix the stem
and rear portion of the bolt together. The stem may be formed in the same piece
of metal with the head; but, if the head is required to be of brass or other ex-
pensive metal, the stem may be formed of iron, or steel and the head be cast there-
on or otherwise fixed thereto. The spring by which the bolt is normally pressed
forwards may conveniently be a spiral spring surrounding the stem, in which case
a loose washer, placed around the stem, receives the thrust of the inner end of the
spring, being itself prevented from moving backwards under the pressure of the
spring by an abutment fixed within the case. The bolt is readily reversed by
first removing the cap or back plate of the case, and the follower, and then simply
removing the bolt from the case, turning it a half revolution, and replacing it,
so turned, within the case.
A bolt constructed in this manner is very light and strong, and being formed
with a sheet metal rear portion connected with the head by a plain stem, there
is really no fitting required, except as regards the head itself, apart from the mere
fixing the parts together.
When a flange is formed along both the hinder and forward ends of the rear
portion of the bolt, no independent provision needs to be made for stopping the
inward movement of the bolt, as, if the rear portion is made of a proper width
therefor between the flanges, the horns of the follower will come against the
opposite flanges, and thus prevent the follower being further turned in the same
direction, just at the moment when the bolt has reached its proper inward posi-
tion and the invention comprises, as a special feature, the employment of flanges
on the bolt placed in such relation to one another as to stop the further turning
:

page_text: of the follower in a direction to draw back the bolt at the moment when the bolt
has reached its proper inward position. The flanges for this purpose may be
formed with a cast or forged bolt, or may be fixed to the hinder end of a bolt, in
lieu of forming them in one piece of sheet metal with the rear end of the bolt
as above described.
According to a modification of the invention, the entire bolt except for the
head, may be made in a single piece of sheet metal by forming the rear portion
thereof in sheet metal in the manner above described, with a strip extending from
the edge of the lug, or from the middle of the edge of the flange which is the
nearer to the bolt head, which strip is formed to a channel or trough shape in
transverse section from near its connection with the lug or flange to its outer
end, and forms the stem of the bolt. This stem may be connected with the head
by casting, or in any convenient manner.
Dated this 21st day of March 1899.
STEPHEN WATKINS & GROVES,
Wolverhampton, Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements in Latch Bolts.
We, CLARENCE ROBERT HECKFORD, trading as Joseph Spink and Son, of 111,
Stafford Street, Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford, Lock Manufacturer,
and HERBERT BAGNALL, of the same address, Tool Maker, 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:-
In lieu of forming a bolt in one piece of metal, as has usually heretofore
been the case, either as a casting or forging, which generally requires some con-
siderable amount of truing up to adapt it for its purpose, the rear portion of the
bolt tail, that is to say, the part with which the follower is intended to engage,
is according to a preferred form of this invention, formed separately from the
main portion or stem of the bolt tail, by pressing it out of a piece of sheet metal,
and is subsequently fixed to the stem. This rear portion of the bolt tail is
formed with a vertical flange at its hinder end, against the inner face of which
the follower horns bear, with a flange or ear at its forward end to which the hinder
end of the stem of the bolt is fixed, and with a slotted opening through the flat
or main portion thereof through which the boss of the follower passes, the opening
being slotted to allow of the endway movement of the bolt.
A bolt constructed in this manner is very light and strong, and being formed
with a sheet metal rear portion connected with the head by a plain stem, there is
really no fitting required, except as regards the head itself, apart from the mere
fixing the parts together.
When a flange is formed along both the hinder and forward ends of the rear
portion of the bolt, no independent provision needs to be made for stopping the
inward movement of the bolt, as, if the rear portion is made of a proper width
therefor between the flanges, the horns of the follower will come against the
opposite flanges, and thus prevent the follower being further turned in the same
direction, just at the moment when the bolt has reached its proper inward
position and the invention comprises, as a special feature, the employment of
flanges on the bolt placed in such relation to one another as to stop the further
turning of the follower, in a direction to draw back the bolt, at the moment when
the bolt has reached its proper inward position. The flanges for this purpose
may be formed with a cast or forged bolt, or may be fixed to the hinder end of a
:

page_text: bolt, in lieu of forming them in one piece of sheet metal with the rear end of
the bolt as above described.
According to a modification of the invention, the entire bolt, except for the
head, may be made in a single piece of sheet metal, by forming the rear portion
thereof in sheet metal in the manner above described, with a strip extending from
the edge of the ear, or from the middle of the edge of the flange which is the
nearer to the bolt head, which strip is formed to a channel, trough, or other
hollow shape in transverse section, from near its connection with the ear or flange
to its outer end, and forms the stem of the bolt. This stem may be connected with
the head by casting, or in any convenient manner.
In order that the invention may be clearly understood, we will now proceed
to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which
Figure 1 shews the interior of a latch which is fitted with a latch bolt constructed
according to the preferred form of this invention, the latch bolt being shewn in
its outward position. Figure 2 is a corresponding view to Figure 1, but shews
the latch bolt as drawn back. Figure 3 is a detached edge or top view of the
bolt shewn by Figures 1 and 2. The remaining figures shew the modified con-
struction of bolt in which the stem is formed also of sheet metal. Referring first
to Figures 1, 2 and 3, the latch bolt A is shewn as having a head a of the usual
character, and a stem 6 formed as a short length of rod which is fixed to the
head a by casting or screwing. The hinder end B of the bolt is formed as a
piece of sheet metal, having a flat portion c which slides against the plate D,
and turned up edges at the forward. and rear sides thereof, respectively.
The rear end of the stem 6 is fixed to the turned up portion d of the sheet metal,
conveniently by passing a reduced end thereof through such part and riveting it
over at the inner face thereof. A slotted hole e is formed through the flat part c
of the sheet metal, which allows of the passage therethrough of the boss of the
follower C, and allows, also, of the endway movement of the bolt in relation to
the follower. The follower horns fare, when the bolt is in its outward or latched
position, immediately alongide the inner face of the flange . Upon turning
the handle in either direction, the bolt is, of course, moved back by the follower,
as in ordinary latch mechanism. The width between the two flanges may
be such, as shown by the drawings, that when the bolt has been moved fully in-
wards, the follower C will be stopped from further movement in the direction in
which it has been turned to draw back the bolt, by the two horns bearing, re-
spectively, against the opposite flanges dd, as shewn by Figure 2. The bolt
is drawn inwards against the elasticity of a spring, which may consist, con-
veniently, of a spiral spring 9 around the stem b, which bears at its forward end
against the head of the bolt and at its hinder end against a loose washer h
around such stem and which is supported by an abutment i fixed within the case.
In lieu of the flange d extending the whole depth of the hinder end B of the
bolt, the turned-up portion at the forward edge of the part B may be simply an
ear; but in such case, of course, the follower cannot act as the stop to the inward
movement of the bolt in the manner shewn by Figure 2.
The stem of the bolt may be formed in the same piece of metal with the head,
such as by casting or forging, if desired; but in some cases it may be desirable to
form the head of brass or other expensive metal and to fix an iron or steel stem
thereto by casting or otherwise.
The bolt is readily reversed by first removing the cap or back plate of the case,
and the follower, and then simply removing the bolt from the case, turning it a
half revolution, and replacing it so turned within the case.
Referring now to the remaining drawings, Figure 4 is a detached elevation of a
bolt of which the hinder end and stem are made in a single piece of sheet metal.
Figure 5 is a top edge view of such bolt; and Figure 6 is a transverse section,
taken on line of Figure 4, looking in the direction of the arrow. The only
difference between this bolt and that already described is that the stem b is formed
of a strip of sheet metal which originally projects from the forward edge of the

page_text: blank for the hinder end B of the bolt. This strip is bent to the trough (or other
hollow) shape shewn by Figure 6, for a considerable distance from its outer
towards its inner end, and gradually changes from such shape towards its junction
with the turned-up portion d of the hinder end B of the bolt. If the bolt is to
be set forwards by other than a spiral spring around the stem, the head may be
fixed to the stem by casting; but if a spiral spring is to be used around the stem,
the head is not cast to the stem, but is fixed thereto, in other manner, such, for
instance, as by inserting the end of the stem within a nole of the head, and then
somewhat closing up the hole, to tighten the head upon the stem, by means of
a blow, the head being, in such case, formed with a swell which, when forced in,
leaves it of the required exterior shape.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is;-
1. A latch bolt having the hinder end formed of sheet metal separately from the
stem and subsequently fixed to the stem by riveting or in other convenient
manner, substantially as described.
2. A latch bolt having the hinder end and stem formed in a single piece of
sheet metal, substantially as described.
3. A latch bolt having the hinder end and stem formed in a single piece of sheet
metal of which the stem is of a trough or other hollow shape in transverse section
for the greater or a considerable portion of its length, substantially as described.
4. A latch bolt having the hinder end formed in sheet metal of which a
portion is formed as a flange against which the follower operates to draw back the
bolt and of which a portion is formed as a flange or ear for connection with the
stem, substantially as described.
5. A latch bolt having the hinder end and stem formed in a single piece of
sheet metal of which the hinder end is formed of a trough shape as seen in a
section thereof taken through the middle on the longitudinal axis of the bolt
and of which the stem is of a trough or other hollow shape in transverse section
for the greater or a considerable portion of its length, substantially as described.
6. A latch bolt having its hinder end formed or provided with two flanges or
projections at opposite sides, respectively, of the follower, and against which, re-
spectively, the outer ends of the opposite horns of the follower will bear when
the bolt has been drawn into its inward position, substantially as described.
Dated this 21st day of December 1899.
STEPHEN WATKINS & GROVES,
Wolverhampton, Agents for the Applicants.