Year: 1886

page_text: I ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication from
Isaac Newton Rogers of New York, United States of America, Machinist) and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to devices for opening the latches of scuttles, used for
closing the openings leading to the roofs of buildings, as well as for opening
ordinary doors, and shutters, and the object of the same is to provide a cheap and
simple device for opening the scuttle, door or shutter, with absolute certainty, and
with the greatest possible dispatch. A further object of this invention, when it is
applied to a scuttle, is to do away with the ordinary forms of fastenings which are
in common use, such as hooks, bolts etc., with which much difficulty is experienced
at times, in opening the scuttle, and to provide a more effective and efficient form
of fastening.
The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying
diagram, showing the same applied to a scuttle, in which Figures 1, 2, and 3
show the device arranged to actuate an ordinary form of bent lever latch, and
Figures 4, 5, 6, show the device arranged to actuate a bolt.
Figure 1, is a vertical section of the one form.
Figure 2, is a sectional end view of the same, and
Figure 3, a bottom view of the scuttle.
Figure 4, is a vertical section of the invention, arranged to operate a latch bolt.
Figure 5, is an end view of the same and Figure 6, a detailed view of the latch
upon the line xx, of Figure 4. Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout
the several views.
In all of the drawings, A represents the framework of the scuttle opening, door,
or window. B is the scuttle, door or shutter, which is hinged to the frame A, by
means of the hinges D, or by any other suitable contrivances.

page_text: In Figures 1, 2, and 3 E is a metallic latch, made of any kind of metal, ånd
consisting of the long arm e with the hook e', and the short arm e². This latch is
pivotted and held to the underside of the lid B, by means of the bearings et e¹
which are provided with the recesses ff, for the admission or insertion of the
trunnions gg on the latch E, upon which the said latch oscillates.
bearings ee are fastened to the lid by screws or bolts H. H: see Fig. 3.
These
The latch E, is held in position as shown in Figures 1 and 3, by means of the
weight W, attached to the arm J, as shown, where the device is used upon a
scuttle, or by means of a spring H₁ as shown in Figure 4, where the same is
attached to a door or shutter, the object of the weight or spring being to throw the
arme of the latch forward so that the device will automatically lock itself.
J is a lever, hinged at one end to the underside of the scuttle B, (or the inside
if the invention be attached to a door or shutter,) by the hinges K. The other
end of this lever, is secured to the short arm e² of the latch by a bolt L. This
lever J, may consist of a narrow strip of wood or a wide board or panel as shown
in the drawings, and may be covered upon the inside with a sheet of brass, iron or
other metal. M, is a lug or catch fastened upon the inside of the frame A., just
opposite to the long arm e of the latch. This lug is used for the hook e¹ to engage
with when the scuttle, door or shutter is closed.
Figures 4, 5, and 6 show the device arranged to operate an ordinary form of
latch bolt. In these three views, O, represents the metallic casing of the latch, o is
the latch bolt which is of any desired form, and is arranged to slide upon lugs o¹ ol
formed, or otherwise attached to the casing of the latch. The latch casing O, is
fastened to the inside of the scuttle, door or shutter, in any convenient manner.
The latch bolt o is operated by means of the bent lever T, which is pivotted in
the latch upon the stud p¹, formed in the walls of the latch case. The shorter
aim of the bent lever, which may be made in the form of a fork as shown in
Figure 6, engages with the bolt of the latch between the studs p and p formed on
either side of the bolt. To the other end of the lever 12 is attached in any
convenient manner, preferably, by means of a pivot as shown in the views, a
bolt or arm which emerges through an opening in the lower wall of the latch
case O.
J is a lever of the character shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, and hereinbefore
described, which is hinged at one end to the inner side of the scuttle or door by
means of the hinges K. The end of the lever which is not hinged is attached to
the extremity of the bolt or arm 13, by means of an articulated joint T¹, attached
to the face of the lever or in any other convenient manner. By moving the lever J,
toward the latch the longer arm 12 of the lever T, will be raised, and the bolt of
the latch withdrawn. For the purpose of affording additional security a metal
platen may be set into the surface of the framework A, provided with an
opening n¹ into which the bolt o fits.
The method of operating the device will be apparent from the foregoing
description. Where the device is applied to any form of latch or bolt upon a
scuttle, the weight of the lever J, will usually be sufficient, without any weight W,
to throw the engaging arm of the latch, or the bolt, forwards and thereby cause it
to engage in the former case with the lug M, and in the latter case, with the
opening n. Where it is desired to open the scuttle or door, pressure is exerted
upon the lever J and as the same is lifted or moved, the latch or bolt is withdrawn
and the scuttle or door released. The lever J, after actuating the latch or bolt
will resume its normal position by means of the spring H, when it is applied to a
door, and by its own weight or that of the weight W, when applied to a scuttle.
It is obvious that any form of lock, latch or bolt may be used, which contains
a pivotted bent lever or its equivalent, through the movement of which, it is
operated and which lever, is in turn operated directly by the movement of the
long hinged lever J, attached to the lever arm at one end, the gist of the invention
consisting in actuating the latch by means of the long hinged lever, attached

page_text: directly thereto, which will be caused to move by the slightest pressure. at any
point, except that at which it is hinged.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent I declare that what I claim is:-
1. In a device for opening scuttles, doors shutters etc., the combination substan-
tially as herein before set forth of a latch or bolt, attached to the inside of the
scuttle, door, etc. engaging with the framework of the opening closed by the same,
a lever arm hinged to the scuttle, door etc., at one end and attached to the lever of
the latch at the other end, whereby the movement of said lever arm may be
imparted to the latch for the purposes of opening the same.
2. In a device for opening scuttles doors, shutters etc., the combination substan-
tially as herein before set forth of a pivotted latch attached to the inner side of the
scuttle etc., composed of two arms, a short arm whereby the latch is actuated, and
a longer arm provided with a hook engaging with a bevelled lug on the face of
the opening which the scuttle etc., closes and a lever arm hinged at one end to
the scuttle etc., and attached to the short arm of said latch at the other end,
whereby the movement of said lever arm is imparted to said latch, substantially as
set forth.
3. In a device for opening scuttles, doors, shutters etc., the combination substan-
tially as herein before set forth of a pivotted latch attached to the inner side of the
scuttle etc., composed of two arms, a short arm whereby the latch is actuated, and
a longer arm provided with a hook engaging with a bevelled lug, on the face of
the opening which the scuttle etc. closes, a lever arm hinged at one end to the
scuttle etc. and connected with the short arm of said latch at the other and means
substantially as described for causing the latch to engage with the framework of
the opening when the scuttle etc., is allowed to close.
4. In a device for opening scuttles, doors, shutters etc. the combination substan-
tially as hereinbefore set forth, of a latch bolt, attached to the scuttle etc. engaging
with the framework of the opening closed thereby, a bent lever connected with the
latch bolt whereby the same is actuated, and a lever arm hinged to the scuttle etc.,
at one end and connected with said bent lever arm at the other whereby the
movement of said hinged lever arm may be imparted to the latch bolt.
5. In a device for opening scuttles doors, shutters etc., the combination substan-
tially as herein before set forth, of a latch bolt, attached to the scuttle engaging
with the framework of the opening closed thereby, a bent lever connected with
said latch bolt whereby the same is actuated, a lever arm hinged to the scuttle at
one end and connected with said bent lever at the other, whereby the movement
of said bent lever may be imparted to said latch, and means substantially as
described for causing the latch bolt to engage with the framework of the opening
when the scuttle etc. is allowed to close.