IMPROVED MECHANICAL ARRANGEMENTS CONSTITUTING A SECRET AND INVISIBLE SAFETY LOCK APPLI- CABLE TO IRON SAPES AND OTHER DEPOSITORIES."
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to François Joseph Lalmand Lefort, of Bothey, in the
Kingdom of Belgium, for the Invention of "IMPROVED MECHANICAL
ARRANGEMENTS CONSTITUTING A SECRET AND INVISIBLE SAFETY LOCK APPLI-
CABLE TO IRON SAPES AND OTHER DEPOSITORIES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said François Joseph Lalmand
Lefort at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 25th January 1862. .
I, FRANÇOIS JOSEPH LALMAND LEFORT, of Bothey, in the Kingdom of
Belgium, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED
MECHANICAL ARRANGEMENTS CONSTITUTING A SECRET AND INVISIBLE SAFETY LOCK
APPLICABLE TO IRON SAFES AND OTHER DEPOSITORIES," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in adapting the well known letter lock, or two or
more of such locks to the side of a safe, for example, said locks are indented
by notched wheels to hold certain rods or levers immovable when the safe is
locked, and also by means thereof and by an invisible sliding panel connected
therewith, to cover the keyhole of the lock of the safe, so that unless a person
knows how to set the letter lock to open same, he cannot uncover the keyhole
of the lock of the safe. To render the uncovering more difficult it is proposed
for the action of the letter lock to release an ornament attached to the safe,
for example, one of a series of "dentils," such as are used'in architecture, that

page_text: particular one being known to the proprietor of the safe, he pushes it on one
side and by so doing enables the sliding panel which covers the keyhole of the
lock of the safe to be moved, and thereby uncover the said keyhole; a reverse
movement of the several parts places them in their original locked position.
The above combination of mechanism may be differently arranged to suit
the article to which it is intended to be applied.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said François Joseph Lalmand Lefort in the Great Seal Patent.
Office on the 25th July 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANÇOIS
JOSEPH LALMAND LEFORT, of Bothey, in the Kingdom of Belgium, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said François Joseph Lalmand Lefort, Her special license that I, the said
François Joseph Lalmand Lefort, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said François Joseph Lalmand Lefort, my 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 "IMPROVED MECHANICAL ARRANGEMENTS CONSTI-
TUTING A SECRET AND INVISIBLE SAFETY LOCK APPLICABLE TO IRON SAFES AND OTHER
DEPOSITORIES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said François
Joseph Lalmand Lefort, my executors or administrators, by an instrument 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 François Joseph Lalmand Lefort, 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, that is to say :-

page_text: lever by a descending rod communicates an ascending movement to a sliding
pannel in the door, and discloses the entrance to the main lock or fastening
which gives access to the inside of the safe or other depository.
Figure 2 represents the depository with the entrances to the locks disclosed,
the parts are lettered the same as in Figure 1, with the addition to each of
the mark "1"
The arrangement or combination of the eight Figures may be varied at
pleasure by simply causing another figure of the dial to correspond with the
notch of the wheel placed in the inside.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention for
"Improved Mechanical Arrangements constituting a Secret and Invisible
Safety Lock applicable to Iron Safes and other Depositories," together with
the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the same into practical
effect, I hereby declare my Invention to consist in and I claim the mechanical
arrangements above described in combination with an ordinary letter lock.
In witness whereof, I, the said François Joseph Lalmand Lefort, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of July, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
FRANCOIS JOSEPH LALMAND LEFORT.
(L.S.)