IMPROVEMENTS IN LATCHES OR FASTENINGS FOR GATES, DOORS, AND OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES."
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Long, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LATCHES OR
FASTENINGS FOR GATES, DOORS, AND OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES."
1
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Long
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 12th September 1871.
I, RICHARD LONG, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, do
5 hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN LATCHES OR FASTENINGS FOR GATES, DOORS, AND OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES," to
be as follows:-
This Invention for improvements in latches or fastenings for gates,
doors, and other similar purposes relates to constructing a latch or fas-

page_text: tening in such a manner that it is self-acting, and will fasten or catch
itself as the gate or door swings to or closes; also the gate can be
conveniently opened and closed by equestrians without having to dis-
mount, and the latch is equally applicable to gates or doors that swing
on each side of the post, or open either way.
A latch constructed according to this Invention consists of a short
horizontal round bar, which has at one end a double tumbler or catch
piece, and at the other end a short vertical pendant with balance weight.
This pendant is fitted with finger pieces or hooks. The horizontal bar
is suspended parallel to the bars of the gate and in the place where the
latch of the gate is ordinarily attached, with the double tumbler or catch
piece just outside of the upright or gate frame, and in a vertical position
when in its normal state. The horizontal bar rests upon the first
upright of the gate and is supported at the other end by a short hanging
bracket in such a manner that the pendant and balance weight will
swing on either side of the gate, turning the bar. The gate post or
upright to which the gate fastens is fitted with a double lug, provision, or
stop piece, one part of which is placed just below the centre of the double
tumbler or catch piece, and the other part just above the double tumbler
or catch piece. The lower lug, provision, or stop piece runs right across
the gate post and has its edges rounded off and in its centre a semi-
circular or concave groove of such a size as to admit the lower half of
the double tumbler or catch piece. The upper part of the double lug,
provision, or stop piece is placed just above the centre of the double
tumbler or catch picce, and does not extend so far across the gate post
as its under counterpart but is placed in the centre of the post. It is
also fitted with a similar semicircular or concave groove to the under
lug, provision, or stop piece so as to take the upper part of the double
tumbler or catch piece.
The action of the latch is thus:-When the gate is fastened the double
tumbler or catch piece is in a vertical position with its upper and lower
half in the semicircular or concave grooves of the provisions, lugs, or
stop pieces on the gate post respectively. When the gate is to be opened
the pendant and balance weight attached to the other end of the hori
zontal round bar are raised, thus turning the horizontal bar and bringing
dal nooition and allowing

page_text: the gate to swing open, the double tumbler or catch piece passing
between the two lugs or provisions on the gate post. Upon the pendant
and balance weight being released they, swing down and bring the
double tumbler or catch piece into a vertical position. When the gate
is closed the under part of the double tumbler or catch piece comes into.
contact with the rounded edge of the under lug, provision, or stop piece,
and thereby takes a horizontal position allowing it to pass between the
lugs or provisions, and the balance weight brings it into a vertical
position between the semicircular or concave grooves of the upper and
lower lugs, provisions, or stop pieces respectively, and it is thus caught
or locked. The pendant and balance weight may be lifted by the hand
and the finger piece or hook for that purpose; or an equestrian can lift it
by using the look of his riding whip or stick.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Richard Long in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 11th March 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
LONG, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of September, in the year.
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto mic, the said Richard Long; Her special licence
that I, the said Richard Long, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Richard Long, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN

page_text: "
OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES,'
LATCHES, OR FASTENINGS FOR GATES, DOORS, AND
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Richard Long,
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 Scal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
F
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Richard Long, do hereby declare
the nature of my said 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 for improvements in latches or fastening for gates,
doors, and other similar purposes relates to constructing a latch or
fastening in such a manner that it is self-acting, and will fasten or catch
itself as the gate or door swings to or closes, also the gate .can be
conveniently opened and closed by equestrians without having to dis-
mount, and the latch is especially applicable to gates or doors that swing
on each side of the post or open either way.
A latch constructed according to this Invention consists of a short
horizontal bar, which has at one end a double tumbler or catch piece,
and at the other end a short vertical pendant with balance weight. This
The horizontal bar is
pendant is fitted with finger pieces or hooks.
suspended parallel to the bars of the gate and in the place where the
latch of the gate is ordinarily attached, with the double tumbler or catch
piece just outside of the upright or gate frame, and in a vertical position
when in its normal state. The horizontal bar rests upon the first upright|
of the gate, and is supported at the other end by a short hanging bracket
in such a manner that the pendant and balance weight will swing on
either side of the gate, turning the bar and catch picce. The gate post or
upright to which the gate fastens is fitted with a double lug, provision, or
stop picce, one part of which is placed just below the centre of the double
tumbler or catch picce, and the other part just above the double tumbler
or catch piece. The lower lug, provision, or stop picce runs right
across the gate post and has its edges rounded. off, and in its centre a
semicircular or concave groove of such a size as to admit the lower half

page_text: or stop piece. The action of the latch is thus :-When the gate is fastened
the double tumbler or catch piece D is in a vertical position, between
the semicircular grooves in the double lug, provision, or stop piece L on
the gate post. When the gate is opened the pendant E and balance
weight F attached to the bar C are raised by means of the hook G, thus
turning the horizontal bar and bringing the double tumbler or catch
picce D into a horizontal position, and thus allowing the gate to swing
open as the catch piece D passes between the lugs L. This will be
understood on reference to Figures 3 and 6, where the action is shown in
dotted lines. Upon the pendant E and balance weight F being released,
they swing down to a vertical position by their gravity and bring the
tumbler or catch piece D again into a vertical position. As the gate
swings to the under part of the double tumbler or catch piece D comes
into contact with the rounded edge of the under lug, provision, or
stop piece L, and thereby the catch piece D turns to a horizontal position
and passes between the lugs or provisions L, and the balance weight F
brings the catch piece D into a vertical position between the semicircular
or concave grooves of the upper and lower lugs respectively, and the
gate is thus caught or locked. The pendant E and balance weight F
may be lifted by the hand, using the finger picce or hook G for that
purpose; or the pendant and balancċ weight can be lifted by an eques-
trian by using the hook of a riding whip or stick..
The latch is particularly adapted for park and field gates, and although
the Drawings illustrate it as applied to a double swing gate it is equally
applicable to single swinging gates or gates that open only one way. It a
is also applicable to doors, windows, and other like
purposes, and may bc
altered considerably without deviating from my Invention, as will be
readily understood by those acquainted with the manufacture, for
instance the lug, provision, or stop piece may be attached to the gate
post by other mechanical means than that shown, or the whole. latch 3
may be reversed, that is the horizontal bar, catch piece, and pendant.may
be fitted to the gate post, and the double lug, provision, or stop piece
may be fitted to the gate as will be readily understood.
Having now described the nature and object of this my Invention, and
the manner in which the same may be carried into practical effect, what 3
I claim as secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid is, a latch or

page_text: !
fastening for gates, doors, and other similar purposes made and con-
structed substantially in the manner and for the purposes hercin-beforc
described and set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Long, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-two.
1
Witness,
FREDERICK J. CHEESBROUGH,
of 15; Water Street,
Liverpool.
RICHARD (L.S.). LONG.