Improvements in Locks for the Doors of Railway and other Carriages.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Sept., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 25th June, 1896-Accepted, 8th Aug., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION..
Improvements in Locks for the Doors of Railway and other
Carriages.
I, LLEWELLYN WYNN WILLIAMS, Bachelor of Science of Glasgow University,
of the Railway Appliances Works, Cathcart, in the County of Renfrewshire,
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention has for its object to improve and simplify the construction of locks
or fastenings for the doors of railway carriages and other vehicles, the improved
lock being adapted to act automatically upon the closing of the door, the bolt being
properly shot into the recess in the jamb of the door by the potential energy of a
spring inside the lock, and without the aid of a turning moment applied to the
ordinary door handle.
In this improved lock which is constructed with a casing to fit in a mortice in
the door in the usual way, there is a main latch or bolt attached to which is the
handle spindle. On the front side of the main bolt in its upright position is
attached a spring, preferably spiral, in tension, the other end of the spring being
attached to a pawl or lever of gaffing hook shape. The spring is attached to the
pawl so as to tend to force its projecting end either downwards, upwards, or
outwards, as required, and to the bolt so as to tend to turn it outwards.
The pawl is suitably fulcrumed between its two ends, one of which is pointed
so as to catch in a recess in the front or back of the main bolt, and the other is
bevelled so as to travel upwards or downwards by pressing on an inclined plane on
the striking plate. Instead of the pawl being constrained to move radially as just
explained, it may be made to travel horizontally between guides on each side or
by a pin passing through a slotted hole at or near the centre of the pawl. When
the door is slammed to, the bevelled or projecting end of the pawl is forced upwards
or downwards or inwards by coming in contact with an inclined plane on the
striking plate, thus displacing the pointed end of the pawl from the recess in the
main bolt which is then forced by the spring into a proper recess or slot in
the striking plate, and at the same time the projecting end of the pawl is forced
by the same spring into the same slot as the main bolt is. The door is unlocked
by turning the handle attached to the spindle which passes through the main bolt
which moves radially out of its slot in the striking plate and by pressing on the
pointed end of the pawl disengages its projecting end from the slot in the striking
plate. The door is then pushed open. and the pointed end of the pawl engages in
the recess in the bolt while the projecting end of the pawl is forced into position
so as to strike the inclined plane, on the door being slammed to.
In another arrangement I can use a spring, preferably spiral, in compression, in
which case the spring
so placed as to tend to turn the bolt outwards and to
force the pawl either outwards or upwards or downwards as the case may be.
By suitably placing an extra spring, preferably spiral or blade shape, so as to
tend to force the projecting end of the pawl outwards or upwards or downwards
as required, the pawl can be made to perform the functions of both an engaging
lever or pawl and a safety bolt. That is to say, should the main spring break,
then the auxiliary spring forces the pawl into its vertical slot in the striking plate,
the door is thus safely held fast and the lock can still be used till it can be
conveniently replaced or repaired.

page_text: The lock is worked by an ordinary handle outside the door but I should place
the inside handle of convenient form inside a saucer-shaped or concave shield so as
to prevent the handle being turned accidentally.
Dated this Twenty-sixth day of September 1895.
Improvements in Locks for the Doors of Railway and other
Carriages.
I, LLEWELLYN WYNN WILLIAMS, Bachelor of Science of Glasgow University,
of the Railway Appliances Works, Cathcart, in the County of Renfrewshire,
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to he particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
My invention has for its object to improve and simplify the construction and
working of locks or fastenings for the doors of railway carriages and other vehicles,
the improved lock being adapted to act automatically upon the closing of the door,
the bolt being properly shot into the recess in the jamb of the door by the
potential energy of a spring inside the lock, and without the aid of a turning
moment applied to the ordinary door handle.
In order that my invention and the manner of carrying same into practice may
be properly understood I have hereunto appended one sheet of explanatory drawings
in which the same reference letters are used to indicate the similar parts in each
figure.
Figure 1 shows a side and face view respectively of the lock with tension
spring, the former view with its cover plate removed so as to show the internal
mechanism.
Figure 2 shows face and edge views of striking plate for lock shown in
Figure 1.
Figure 3 shows a side and face view respectively of lock with compression
spring, the former view with its cover plate removed so as to show the internal
mechanism.
Figure 4 shows face and edge views of striking plate for lock shown in
Figure 3.
Figure 5 is side view of lock. which is shown in Figure 1, and Figure 6 is side
view of lock which is shown in Figure 3, both views showing cover plates in
position.
In this improved lock which is constructed with a casing A to fit in a mortice
in the door in the usual way, there is a main, latch or bolt B attached to which is
the handle spindle passing through square hole B' of the bolt B. On the front
side of the main bolt B in its upright position is attached a spring C preferably
spiral, in tension, the other end of the spring C being attached to a pawl or
lever D of gaffing hook shape. The spring C is attached to the pawl D so as to
tend to force its projecting end D' radially as required, and to the bolt B so as to
tend to turn it radially cutwards. The pawl D is suitably fulcrumed at D"
between its two ends, one of which D is pointed so as to catch in a recess in the
front or back of the main bolt B and the other end D' is bevelled so as to travel
upwards or downwards or inwards by pressing on an inclined plane F on the
striking plate F. When the door is slammed to, the bevelled or projecting end D'
of the pawl D is forced upwards or downwards or inwards by coming in contact
with an inclined plane on the striking plate, thus displacing the pointed end D
of the pawl D from the recess B" in the main bolt B which is then forced by the

page_text: spring C into a proper recess or slot F" in the striking plate F, and at the same
time the projecting end D1 of the pawl D of lock shown in Figure 1 is forced by
the same spring C into the same slot F" as the main bolt B is. The door is
unlocked by turning the handle attached to the spindle which passes through the
square hole B' in the main bolt B which moves radially out of its slot F in the
striking plate F and by pressing on the pointed end Du of the pawl D, disengages
its projecting end D1 from the slot F in the striking plate F. The door is then
pushed open and the pointed end D1 of the pawl D engages in the recess B" in
the bolt while the projecting end D' of the pawl D is forced into position so as
In another.
to strike the inclined plane F¹, on the door being slammed to.
arrangement I can or will use a spring C preferably spiral, in compression, and
capable of being withdrawn from the lock through the face plate A¹ in which case
the spring C is so placed as to push the end E of link E, which is connected to
bolt B at E", backwards and thus to travel radially the bolt B and the pawl D
as before described, but in this case as here shown I prefer the projecting end D¹
of the pawl D to be forced and kept inwards by the incline on its striking plate
shown in Figure 4 instead of being shot into the slot of the striking plate F
shown in Figure 2. By suitably placing an extra spring C₁ shown in Figure 1,.
preferably spiral in shape, so as to tend to force the projecting end D₁ of the
pawl D radially as required, the pawl D can be made to perform the functions of
both an engaging lever or pawl and a safety bolt. That is to say should the main
spring C break, then the auxiliary spring C¹ forces the end D₁ of the pawl D
into its vertical slot F" in the striking plate F, the door is thus safely held fast
and the lock can thus be used till it can be conveniently replaced or repaired.
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 connection with the locks of railway carriage doors the construction and
use of the various operating mechanisms for automatically locking and safety
catching, or for automatically locking only, substantially as herein shown in
Figures 1 and 3 of the accompanying drawings and described in the specification.
Dated this Twenty-fourth day of June 1896.
LLEWELLYN WYNN WILLIAMS.