IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKS AND KEYS FOR THE SAME
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKS AND KEYS FOR THE SAME."—A
communication from abroad by Edrick Francis Young, of Chatham, and
Joshua Granville Nickerson, of Boston, both in the State of Massa-
chusetts, United States of America.
Sealed the 25th May 1866, and dated the 30th December 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 30th December 1865.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKS AND KEYS FOR THE SAME," to
be as follows:-
This Invention consists in constructing the key of the lock with a sliding or
an extension bit arranged in connection with parts within the lock, so that as
the key is turned the bit will be extended and. be of a proper length to act
upon the tumblers and the bolt of the lock. The keyhole of the lock is of
such a length as only to admit the bit of the key when not extended, and
consequently the lock cannot be opened by a key having a rigid or fixed bit
which can enter the keyhole, as such. a bit. would be too short to reach the
bolt or the tumblers thereof. This. Invention is applicable to all forms of
locks.
The case of a padlock may be of the usual form and provided with

page_text: the ordinary bow or shackle. The bolt of the lock is composed of a
series of sliding tumblers slotted longitudinally, and fitted between stumps
or guides and the top of the case. The tumblers have springs bearing
against their back ends, and these springs have a tendency to keep the
front ends of the tumblers in the notch of the bolt or shackle so that
the latter will be retained within the case and the lock kept in a locked
state. A pin or pintle is secured within the case in such a relative
position with the keyhole of the lock as to receive the tube of the key when
the latter is inserted in the case. This pin or pintle is not of cylindrical
form throughout its entire length, but is hollowed at one side. The key is
provided with an extension bit formed of two parts, one of which is perma-
nently attached to or cast with the tube of the key, and the other is provided
with a shank which is fitted in the other part of the key and is allowed to
slide freely therein, and has a spiral spring connected with it so as to have a
tendency to keep the moveable part drawn in or in contact with the other
part. The keyhole is made of such a length that it will admit of the bit
passing through it only when the moveable part is drawn back, and when the
tube of the key passes on the pin or pintle the side of the latter, which is the
side that is cut or hollowed out, will receive the inner end of the shank of
the sliding part of the bit, which shank projects within the tube. When,
however, the key is turned to act upon or throw-back the tumblers the
sliding part of the bit will be forced out, owing to the inner end of the shank
being acted upon by the prominent parts or edges of the pin or pintle, and the
sliding part of the bit is thereby thrown out sufficiently far to act upon the
tumblers and throw them back out of the notch of the bolt or shackle. This
résult could not be obtained if the sliding part were not forced out. A key
therefore provided with a rigid or fixed bit that will enter the keyhole cannot
act upon the tumblers. The sliding part of the bit is notched or serrated so
as to correspond with shoulders on the bits.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 80th June 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of December, in the year of our Lord

page_text: One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Edward Newton, Her special licence that I, the said William
Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said William Edward Newton, 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 LOCKS AND KEYS FOR THE SAME," a communi-
cation to him from abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said William Edward Newton, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment 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 Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say): -
This Invention consists in constructing the key of the lock with a sliding
or an extension bit arranged in connection with parts within the lock, so that as
the key is turned the bit will be extended and be of a proper length to act
upon the tumblers and the bolt of the lock. The keyhole of the lock is of
such a length as only to admit the bit of the key when not extended, and con-
sequently the lock cannot be opened by a key having a rigid or fixed bit
which can enter the keyhole, as such a bit would be too short to reach the
bolt or the tumblers thereof. This Invention is applicable to all forms of
locks.
In the accompanying Drawings, Fig. 1 represents an interior view of a
padlock; Fig. 2 is a section of the same taken in the line x, x; Fig. 3 is a
view of a "rim" lock with a portion of the side of the case broken away to
show a part of the interior; Fig. 4 is a section of Fig. 3 taken in the line y, y;
Fig. 5 is a view of a "mortise" lock with a portion of the side of the case
broken away in order to show the interior; Fig. 6 is a section of Fig. 5 taken
in the line =, z.
A, Figs. 1 and 2, represents the case of a padlock which may be of the usual

page_text: form, and provided with the ordinary bow or shackle B; O represents the bolt
of the lock, which is composed of a series of sliding tumblers a slotted longi-
tudinally, as shown at 6, and fitted between stumps or guides c, c, and the
top of the case, as shown in Fig. 1. The tumblers a have springs & bearing
against their back ends, and these springs have a tendency to keep the front
ends e of the tumblers in the notch f of the bolt or shackle, so that the latter
will be retained within the case and the lock kept in a locked state, as will be
fully understood by referring to Fig. 1. D represents a pin or pintle which
is secured within the case A, and in such a relative position with the key-
hole g of the lock as to receive the tube h of the key E when the latter is
inserted in the case. This pin or pintle D is not of cylindrical form through+
out its entire length, but is hollowed at one side, as shown at a¹. The key E
is provided with an extension bit F formed of "two" parts i, j, the part i being
permanently attached to or cast with the tube h of the key, and the other
part being provided with a shank k which is fitted in the part i, and is
allowed to slide freely therein, and has a spiral spring 1 connected with it so
as to have a tendency to keep the part j drawn in or in contact with the
other part i. The keyhole g is made of such a length that it will admit of
the bit F passing through it only when the moveable part; is in contact with
the part i, and when the tube h of the key passes on the pin or pintle D the
side a' of the latter, which is the side that is cut or hollowed out, will receive
the inner end of the shank k of the sliding part j of the bit F, which shank
projects within the tube; when, however, the key is turned to act upon or
throw back the tumblers a, the part of the bit will be forced out, owing to
the inner end of the shank k being acted upon by the prominent parts or
edges a" of the pin or pintle, and this part j of the bit is thereby thrown out
sufficiently far to act upon the tumblers and throw them back out of the
notch of the bolt or shackle; this result could not be obtained if the move-
able part; were not forced out; a key therefore provided with a rigid or fixed
bit that will enter the keyhole 9 cannot act upon the tumblers a. The
sliding part of the bit F is notched or serrated so as to correspond with
shoulders on the bits a, which shoulders are at different heights; this
arrangement increases the difficulty of picking the lock, and the Invention is
applicable to all kinds of locks.
In Figs. 3 and 4 substantially the same arrangement is shown applied to a
rin luck, D¹ being the pin or pintle, and a* the hollowed out or concave side;
in this instance the concave side a* does not extend entirely out to the end of
the pin or pintle, and a slot 6* is made in the outer end of the pin or pintle to
admit of the inner end of the shank k passing through..

page_text: In Figs. 4 and 5 the part j of the bit is shoved out by means of circular
ledges m, m, at the inner surfaces of the two sides of the case, such ledges
coinciding with each other in position, and having an eccentric position with
the pin or pintle D". The part j of the bit is notched at each edge so that it
may work over the ledges m, m, and cause the latter to throw out the part j
as the key is turned; the key E in this instance is not tubular, and hence no
pin or pintle is placed within the lock.
Having now described the Invention which has been communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I claim as the Invention secured to me by
Letters Patent as aforesaid constructing a lock and key in such a manner
that the key is provided with an extension bit and used in connection with
any suitable parts or fixtures within the lock, so arranged that the bit when
inserted in the lock and turned in a direction either to lock or unlock the
same will be extended and made of a requisite length to operate upon the
tumblers, bolt, and other moveable parts of the lock, as herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
o Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)