New or Improved Lock or Fastening.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Sept., 1894-Accepted, 17th Nov., 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
New or Improved Lock or Fastening.
1, CASTLE SMITH, of 54 Fleet Street, in the City and County of London,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, as communicated to me from abroad by James Miller
Mushet, Locomotive Storekeeper, Indian State Railways, attached at present to
the Bombay Baroda and Central India Railway at Ajmere in the Empire of
India, and Neville George de Bretton Priestley, District Traffic Superintendent,
Indian State Railways, attached at present to the Bombay Baroda and Central
India Railway at Bandikui in the Empire of India, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
The locks and fastening heretofore generally used for boxes, trunks and other
similar purposes have been of such construction as to necessitate the parts to be
secured being forced into the position they ultimately occupy when connected,
before the lock or fastening can be utilized. This is often found difficult to
accomplish, as for instance when a trunk or box has been packed to its utmost
capacity.
Our invention has for its object a lock or fastening which may be utilized for
drawing together the parts to be connected as well as for securing them when they
have been brought to the proper position.
The lock or fastening constructed according to our invention consists in a simple
form, of a disc or circular frame constructed in one or more parts and capable of
being revolved by a suitable handle or key; to this are hinged at or near the
periphery thereof at diametrically opposite points two arms 80 curved and
arranged that when their free ends are connected to the parts to be secured and
the disc revolved in the proper direction, these arms fold on to the disc and finally
assume such a position that the ends of one overlap the ends of the other and
consequently any force tending to draw the free ends away from one another
would also tend to revolve the disc farther in the same direction as that originally
given to it.
And in order that our invention may be more fully understood and carried into
practice we will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accom-
panying drawings, of which Fig. 1 is a front elevation; and Figs. 2 and 3 side
elevations of a simple form of lock or fastening constructed according to our
invention in a closed position, Figs. 4, 5 and 6 corresponding views of the same
in an open position, Fig. 7 front and side elevation of key or handle for turning
lock or fastening; and Figs. 8 and 10, 9 and 11 front elevations and side sectional
elevations on lines x- and y-y of modified forms of lock or fastening.
Like letters refer to like parts in all cases.
The lock or fastening shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 consist of a circular
frame a formed of two discs connected together and the arms b hinged to them
at diametrically opposite points by bolts c.
These arms bare so curved and arranged that when the frame a is revolved
by means of a key or handle such as d (Fig. 7) fitting into a central opening e
in it the arms are caused to fold on to said frame thereby drawing the parts
connected to their free ends together until they finally occupy a position in which
their ends overlap and as a result any force tending to draw their free ends farther
from one another would also tend to turn the frame a in a direction to cause the
arms to fold more tightly on it.
.
The free end of one of the arms has a hole formed through it or is otherwise so
shaped that it may be permanently hinged to one of the parts to be connected by

page_text: the lock or fastening whilst the free end of the second arm has a hook or the like
formed thereon or attached thereto by means of which it may be connected to
a projection or the like, on the second of the two parts to be secured.
.
When found desirable the disc or circular frame may be arranged to revolve
and slide in a case containing wards, spring actuated bolts or the like, necessitating
the use of a specially shaped key.
Such an arrangement of the disc or frame in a case is shown in Figs. 8 and 9.
The disc or frame a, and arms bare here arranged in a case. f to the bottom of
which the free end of one of the arms bis hinged. An oblong opening is formed
in the case and over this moves a slide 9 formed of plates held together by screws
or bolts and distance pieces, or this may be of any other suitable construction.
Through this slide is formed the key hole h and into the eye of this extends the
free end of a pin projecting from the centre of the disc or frame a. The disc or
frame a is connected to the slide y by pins k projecting into curved slots therein so
that said frame a is free to partly revolve independently of the slide but during any
upward or downward movement thereof said slide moves with it thus allowing the
key to move with the frame a. A lug or the like projects from the surface of
the disc or frame a by means of which said disc may be revolved by a suitable
key shaped to escape or operate wards spring actuated bolts or the like arranged
in any suitable manner within the case f.
9.
In the modification shown in Figs. 10 and 11 only one curved arm b is provided,
the disc or frame a being mounted to revolve on a spindle suitably supported in a
case m in the front of which a key hole n is formed for the insertion of a key
shaped to revolve the disc by means of a projection o thereon but to escape or
operate wards, spring actuated bolts or the like arranged within the case in any
convenient manner. A stop p (Fig. 10) is provided on the disc to prevent this
being revolved beyond a given point in the direction to cause the arm to fold on,
to it.
It will be obvious that in all cases the part a need not necessarily be in the
form of a disc or circular frame, but we find this shape most suitable.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
(1.) A lock or fastening formed of two curved arms hinged to a disc, plate,
frame, bar or the like at opposite points and arranged that they may be caused to
fold on to said disc, plate, frame or the like, and assume a position in which their
ends overlap one another, substantially as and for the purpose described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
(2.) A lock or fastening, formed of two curved arms hinged to a disc, plate,
frame, bar or the like at opposite points arranged in a frame or case containing
wards, spring actuated bolts or the like, substantially as and for the purpose
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
(3.) A lock or fastening formed of a curved arm hinged to a disc, plate, frame,
bar or the like mounted to revolve in a case or frame, substantially as described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
(4.) A lock or fastening and modifications thereof constructed and operated
substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 14th day of September 1894.
CASTLE SMITH,
Invention" Office, 54, Fleet Street, London, E.C.,