Improvements in Latches.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Feb., 1889
Complete Specification Left. 20th May, 1:89-Accepted, 6th July, 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Latches.
I WILLIAM KNEEN of 3 Horseley Fields in the County of Stafford Joiner and
Builder do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows :-
T
My Invention relates to latches the bolt of which is maintained in its protruded
position by means of a weight. The said bolt is preferably provided with a wheel
which runs on an inclined plane as described in the Specification of Patent No. 6256
granted to me as of the 29th April 1887. I operate the bolt to withdraw it by means
of a handle turned in the ordinary manner its spindle passing through a piece carrying
a lever which acts upon the bolt to withdraw it. The weight may be applied as part
of the bolt itself but I prefer to make it of a lever centered to the latch casing so that
when the bolt is in its normal or protruded position the said weighted lever keeps it in
that position by exerting some pressure on it. The pressure with which this weighted.
lever acts on the bolt increases as the bolt is withdrawn. The said weighted lever is
connected to the bolt by a centre pin. The lever which is operated by the handle is
preferably duplicated one part acting on the bolt as aforesaid and the other part acting
on the aforesaid weighted lever so that the latch bolt is withdrawn in whichever
direction the handle is turned.
Dated this 15th day of Johan 1000
J. H. JOHNSON & Co:,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Latches.
I WILLIAM KNEEN of 3 Horseley Fields Wolverhampton in the County of Stafford
Joiner and Builder 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 :-
My Invention relates to latches the bolt of which is maintained in its protruded
position by means of a weight or under the action of gravity.
I will describe my invention with reference to the accompanying drawings which
illustrate two arrangements of latches according to my invention. That shewn in
Figure 2 is a combined lock and latch, the outer plate being removed. It is to be
understood however that the lock portion forms no part of this Invention. The said
lock portion is shewn as having levers or tumblers arranged to be operated by weights
as described in the Specification of my application for Patent No. 147 of 1889, but if
a lock be used with the latch, the lock portion may be constructed or arranged in any
preferred manner. The latch bolt I is preferably provided with a wheel a which runs
on an inclined plane after the manner described in the Specification of Letters Patent
No. 6256 granted to me as of the 29th April 1887.
In Figure 1 I have shewn an arrangement wherein the latch bolt I itself is made of
sufficient weight to cause its projection into the shot position. The said bolt has in it
a slot a through which passes the spindle j to which the handles are fixed the said
spindle having fixed to it a double lever J³ which (in whichever direction the handles
are turned) acts on the projection a' on. the latch bolt I to withdraw it, the weight of
the latch bolt returning to its shot position when the handle is released.
In Figure 2 I have shewn a modification wherein I operate the latch bolt I to
withdraw it by means of a handle also turned in the ordinary manner, its spindle j
passing through the squared hole in a piece J carrying a lever J' which acts upon the

page_text: projection of the latch bolt to withdraw it. The weight may be applied as part of
the latch bolt itself or of a lever centered to the latch casing or of both combined so
that when the latch bolt is in its normal or protruded position the said weight keeps
it in that position by exerting some pressure on it.
In Figure. 2 I have shewn the weight as being provided by a lever K centered
at k to the latch case and pinned at k to the latch bolt and provided with a
projection against which the lever J2 acts so that the latch bolt is withdrawn
in whichever direction the handle is turned, the lever J' when the handle is turned
in one direction acting on the projection to withdraw the latch bolt and the said
lever J when the handle is turned in the other direction acting on the projection k³
to likewise withdraw the latch bolt through the lever K. The pressure with which
the weighted lever K acts on the latch bolt increases as the said bolt is withdrawn.
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 combination with latch bolts protruded by gravity or by running down an
inclined plane the slot at and lever J³ carried by a spindle j operated by a handle or
handles in the manner described and illustrated in Figure 1 of the accompanying
drawings whether a lock bolt be used therewith or not.
2. In combination with latch bolts protruded by gravity or by running down an
inclined plane the projection on the latch bolt acted upon by the lever J2 substantially
as hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.
3. In combination with latch bolts protruded by gravity or by running down an
inclined plane, the lever K acted upon by. the lever J and connected to the latch bolt
substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figure 2 of the accompanying
drawings.
4. The arrangement and combination of parts constituting the latch hereinbefore
described and illustrated in Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings whether a lock
bolt be used therewith or not:
Dated this 16th day of M 1880
WILLIAM KNEEN.