Improvements relating to Door Bolts and Indicators.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Door Bolts and Indicators.
I, JOHN NEVIL MASKELYNE, of The Egyptian Hall, Piccadilly, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
The use of indicators in combination with the bolts of water-closet and other
doors is now common, but in public lavatories it is often found that the bolt is not
properly shot, so that the indicator does not give the desired information, or that
the bolt, becoming partially shot, is banged against the catch, and bent, so that
it will not work.
Now the object of the present invention is to overcome these difficulties, by so
arranging the bolt that, unless it is properly shot, the door will remain unbolted,
and the indicator will show that the apartment is vacant, and the partial shooting
of the bolt will be impossible.
The invention is applicable to bolts which move in a circular path, or to sliding
bolts, and the invention consists in adapting to the bolt a spring of suitable
character, by which the bolt will normally be withdrawn out of action, and by
adapting in the catch a spring locking bolt of any convenient form, by which the
bolt will be held sufficiently firmly to overcome the pressure or tension of the spring
on the bolt, but not to prevent the free movement of the bolt by hand, either from
the inside, or by the attendant with a key from the outside, in case of need.
For the latter purpose, the stem or spindle of the indicator will be provided with
a square hole longitudinally to receive the key.
1
2
i
,
1007
Improvements relating to Door Bolts and indicators.
I, JOHN NEVIL MASKELYNE, of The Egyptian Hall, Piccadilly, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, 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:-
--
The use of indicators in combination with the bolts of water-closet and other

page_text: doors is now common, but in public lavatories it is often found that the bolt is not
properly shot, so that the indicator does not give the desired information, or that
the bolt, becoming partially shot while the door is being shut to, is banged against
the catch and bent, so that it will not work properly.
Now the object of the present invention is to overcome these difficulties, by so
arranging the bolt, that, unless it is properly shot, the door will remain unbolted,
and the indicator will shew that the apartment is vacant, and the partial shooting
of the bolt will be impossible.
14...
The invention is applicable to bolts which move in a circular path, or to sliding
bolts, and the invention consists in adapting to the bolt proper, a spring of suitable
character, by which the bolt will be normally held out of action, and in adapting
in the catch a spring-retaining device of any convenient form, by which the bolt
proper will be held sufficiently firmly to overcome the pressure or tension of the
spring on the bolt, but not to prevent the free movement of the bolt by hand,
either from the inside, or by the attendant with a key from the outside, in case
of need.
For the latter purpose, the stem or spindle of the indicator will be provided with
a square or other shaped hole longitudinally to receive the key.
In the accompanying drawing:
Fig. 1 shows the arrangement of the bolt on the inside of the door.
Fig. 2 represents the outside of the door, with the indicator.
Fig. 3 is a horizontal section, and
Fig. 4 is a section of the retaining device.
A is the door, and B the door jamb. C is the bolt proper, which moves in_a
circular path, and is mounted on a spindle C¹, arranged to turn loosely in a plate D,
which is fixed to the door.
This bolt is controlled by a spring E, coiled on the spindle C₁, one end of the
spring being secured to the bolt, and the other end to a pin E¹ rivetted to the
plate D.
F is a cap which covers the mechanism on the inside of the door, and is formed
with a slot in which the bolt moves.
The rear end of the spindle C¹ is made square to fit a square sleeve or hollow
stem or spindle G fitted to the indicator plate G₁, which is placed on the outside
of the door and covered with a plate H, having a window H¹ therein.
Jis the catch, which is preferably cast in one with the recessed plate J. In
the bottom of the recess, at a point that will be above the bolt, is formed a counter-
sunk hole to receive a spring retaining device. In the drawing, this device consists
of a steel ball K, which will project slightly beyond the face of the plate J¹, so
as. to overlie the bolt. This ball is kept up to its position by a spring L, suitably
secured in the recess, the tension of such spring being greater than that of the
spring on the spindle of the bolt, so that the bolt will be kept down by the spring
retaining device when the door is bolted.
In applying the invention to a horizontally-moving indicating bolt,, the con-
struction of which is now well known, the spring may be adapted to the spindle
of the indicator pinion; or to the bolt itself, the spring retaining device of the catch
engaging in a notch formed in the back of the bolt.
To unlock the door from the outside, the attendant will be provided with a key
to fit the square or other shaped hole M in the indicator sleeve stem or spindle.
I may here remark that by the terms "indicating door bolt" or indicating
bolt," I mean to include the, catch, as well as the bolt proper.
«
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. In an indicating door bolt, the combination of a spring controlled bolt with
a spring controlled retaining device in the catch, as and for the purpose set forth.

page_text: 2. An indicating bolt for water closet and other doors, constructed, arranged,
and operating as herein shown and described.
Dated this 20th day of June 1898
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.