Doors, Drawers, and other Furniture Requiring to be Opened and Closed (Especially Valuable for Sea Use.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Oct., 1887°
Complete Specification Left, 8th June, 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 7th Sept., 1888
Doors, Drawers, and other Furniture Requiring to be Opened and
Closed (Especially Valuable for Sea Use.)
I, CHARLES RETTIE of 29, Alder Street, Toxteth Park, in the City of Liverpool,
Ship's Carpenter, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
-
This invention has for its principal object; a simple form of spring catch, that shall
not shake loose.
I form a sloping wedge, wedge bolt or latch which projects from one side of a
button stem, the heel of the wedge bolt lying preferably at right angles to said stem,
and being adapted to catch upon or bear against the door frame or its equivalent
when the door, lid, or drawer is closed, so as to prevent the said door, lid, or drawer
from being pulled open until the bolt is withdrawn. The button stem lies in a plane
approximately parallel to the edge of the door, lid, or drawer with the point of the
wedge looking inwards. The stem is pivoted on a bracket, so as to be capable of being
turned on its pivot in a plane at right angles to the edge of the door, lid or drawer.
The bracket is let into and secured to the edge of the door, lid, or drawer, it being
only necessary that the wedge or heel of the bolt should appear beyond the edge line
of the said door or its equivalent. A spring is provided in the bracket to keep
the wedge bolt out, and a stop, preferably projecting from the button shank, and
resting against the top or end of the bracket, keeps the heel of the wedge from being
pressed too far beyond the edge of the door, lid, or drawer, by the spring. I prefer
for the latter, an ordinary lock spring held in place by a pin or rivet in the curl
thereof, though other forms of spring might be used advantageously. Two catches
or fastenings, such as herein described, when placed on the drawer, door, or lid, can
serve as handles and catches combined. To open the fastening, the button, (or its
equivalent, a ring or handle) is pushed towards the edge of the door, drawer, or lid.
This causes the button stem to turn upon its pivot, whereby the heel of the wedge
Pain Q1

page_text: is thrown aside clear of the striking plate. The door, drawer, or similar article can
now be opened.
In closing the door, lid, or drawer, the inclined part of the wedge catches against
the striking plate, and is forced aside thereby. The door, lid, or drawer being closed,
the wedge assumes its normal position by means of the spring aforesaid, and the heel
of the wedge catches or bears against the door frame or its equivalent, or against the
inner edge of the striking plate, or the heel may bear or catch against the edge of a
slot or depression in the striking plate or door frame.
Dated this 15th day of October 1887

page_text: Improvements in Catches, Fasteners, or Spring Buttons for Cupboard
Doors, Drawers, and other Furniture Requiring to be Opened and
Closed (Especially Valuable for Sea Use).
I, CHARLES RETTIE, of 29, Alder Street, Toxteth Park, in the City of Liverpool,
Ship's Carpenter, 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 has for its principal object, a simple form of spring catch, that shall
not shake loose.
Figure 1 is a sectional plan of the spring catch, and,
Figure 2 is an elevation of same.
I form a sloping wedge hasp A which has a slot or depression a formed in that part
or side of it which lies against the surface on which the hasp abuts. The hasp A
projects from the button stem B, and the button stem is pivoted at 6 on a bracket C,
which is let into, and secured to the edge of the door D or other similar article, tho
triangular hasp A and button B' alone appearing beyond the edge line of the said
door. A spring E is provided in the bracket C to keep the hasp A out, and a stop F,
preferably projecting from the button shank B, and resting against the top from one
end of the bracket C keeps the hasp from being pressed too far forward by the spring.
I prefer, for the latter, an ordinary spiral spring held in place by a pin or rivet e in
the button stem, and by a similar pin e¹ on the bracket C. Two catches or fasteners
on the drawer or door can serve as handles and catches combined. To open the
fastening, the button (or its equivalent, a ring or handle), is pushed forwards towards
the edge of the door or drawer, and the sloping wedge hasp A is thrown back clear of
the striking plate. The front edge or end of the striking plate, when the fastener is
closed, catches or projects into the slot or depression a, and so a perfectly secure
fastening is effected which would not be so, if the fastening depended for its security
merely on a perfectly level surface of the hasp resting on the striking plate. The
door, drawer or similar article can now be opened.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
A spring catch or fastener consisting of a pivoted button or handle stem such as B,
a suitably shaped hasp such as A on the inner end of said stem, a spring behind the
said stem for keeping it in its normal position, and a stop such as F for controlling
the action of said spring, substantially as and for the purpose described.
Dated this 7th day of June 1888