Improvements in Combined Electric Switches and Door Locks.
Year: 1893

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Combined Electric Switches and Door Locks.
I, JOHN HITE LEE HOLCOMBE, a Lieutenant in the United States Navy,
stationed at the Washington Navy Yard, Washington, D.C., United States of
America, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN COMBINED ELECTRIC CUT-OUTS AND DOOR LOCKS," 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 certain improvements in combined electric switches and
door locks, intended for use in connection with an electric light plant; and it consists
essentially of an electric switch so connected to the door lock that when the door is
locked from the outside the electric current is cut off from one or all of the lights in
the room, while if the door be locked from the inside, the electric current passing
through the lamps is not disturbed.
It also consists of certain novel parts and combinations thereof hereinafter
described and claimed.
Reference is had to the accompanying drawings, wherein corresponding parts are
indicated by similar letters and numerals throughout the several views.
Fig. 1 represents a longitudinal section through a door lock, and the parts of the
door and door-frame adjacent thereto, together with a diagrammatic view of the
arrangement of the electric lights in the room.
Fig. 2 represents an interior view of the door and lock, parts being broken away,
together with a diagrammatic view of the lamps, and represents another method of
cutting out the lights according to my invention.
Fig. 3 represents a longitudinal section of the door lock where only one bolt
is used, and illustrates a method of cutting out the lights when the key is turned
from the outside, but of allowing them to remain in circuit when the key is turned
from the inside, together with a diagrammatic view of the electric connections.
Fig. 4 represents a section of the lock along the line
upward in the direction of the arrows.
of Fig. 3, looking
Fig. 5 represents a side elevation of the key adapted for use with the device
shown in Figs. 3 and 4.
In the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2, two separate bolts are shown, the bolt F
being actuated by a key from the outside, and the bolt H being actuated by the
same key from the inside of the door, there being being the two separate key-
holes cand c. This form of lock with various modifications thereof, is most
commonly in use in the large hotels, and other places where the locks are likely to
be tampered with.
In the device shown in Fig. 3 but one bolt is used, which is fitted with a
tumbler operated from either side of the lock in the usual way. This form of
lock, with various modifications thereof, is generally in use upon doors of every
description.
To enter into the details, A represents the lock-style of the door, and B repre-
sents the door-frame, to which the lock and its keeper are secured in the
usual way.
C represents the lock. D represents the spindle for the door knob, and E repre-
sents the latch, which parts not being a part of my invention will not be further
described.
Frepresents the locking-bolt which is operated from the outside of the door, by
a key inserted through the keyhole c, and H represents a second locking-bolt
which is operated by the same key inserted through the keyhole c¹, shown in
Fig 2

page_text: Each of the said bolts has guide lugs, f, one or more tumblers fi pivoted to the
side of the lock at 4, and having a lug 1 adapted to engage in one or the other
of the grooves 2 and 3 on the upper side of the bolts. A spring 6 attached to the
lug 7, normally presses the said tumbler down in place, until the said tumbler is
raised by the key passing up into the recess 8 on the lower side of the said bolt.
A guard-lug 5 as shown in Fig. 1, is sometimes provided to prevent the tumbler
from being thrown too far out of position, as might happen in case of accident to
the spring 6.
The key moves in the dotted circles 9 and 10, as shown in Fig. 1.
In the device shown in Fig. 1, a switch M is pivoted at m' and is provided with
a slot me through which a stud connected to the bolt, passes. When the bolt F
is unlocked, the switch M bears against a spring n², connected at the binding post n'
to the wire N which leads to one pole of the dynamo.
The wire N is connected to the switch N at m', and the said wires are insulated
as shown at n.
It will be seen that when the bolt F is turned to the left, as shown in dotted
lines, that the switch M will be removed from contact with the spring n³, and
the electric lamps L will be cut out of circuit. The binding-post n¹ should be made
of insulating material, and insulation may be applied between the switch M and the
bolt F, and the pivot m¹ and the side of the lock, if that be desired, but for ordinary
purposes it will be sufficient that only one of the wires be insulated from the conduction
parts of the lock.
In the device shown in Fig. 2 a plunger P is normally pressed forward by a
spring p, the said plunger and spring being placed in the door jamb in the wake of
the bolt F. To this plunger the wire N' is connected as at p³, and the inner end of
the said plunger is bent as at p₁ to normally press against a contact piece p²
electrically connected to the wire N. As long as the bolt F is unlocked, the circuit
through the lamps will be closed, but as soon as the bolt is locked it will press the
said plunger clear of the said contact piece, and will break the circuit, cutting out
the lights.
It will be seen from an inspection of Figs. 1 and 2, that the bolt H may be
turned from the inside without affecting the electric circuit in any way.
In the device shown in Figs. 3 and 4, but one bolt F' is used, which is provided
with a tumbler f³ capable of being raised by inserting the key from either the
inside or outside of the door. In order to prevent the lights froin being extin-
guished when the lock is turned from the inside, I make use of the hereinafter
described device.
To the insulated posts n' the wire N' and springs n³ are connected, and to suitable
lugs on the lock, springs n' and n are attached, either or both of which are
electrically connected to the wire N. The switch M' is in the form of a double
bell-crank lever pivoted at me, and having arms m³, m³, m³, and m³.
The said springs n³, n³, and n' are bent as indicated at 11, to allow the arms m²
and m³ to pass, and over the points of the spring, and to hold the same against any
ordinary jars, such as slamming the door, &c.
The key K has its part k cut away as at k¹ and k³, as in Fig. 5, so that when
inserted from the inside of the lock, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, the
surface will pass over the arms m* and m' of the switch, but when inserted from
the outside of the door the part k will strike the said arms m* and m³ of the said
switch M', and will break the circuit as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3,
immediately before the bolt is locked. The curved portion 11 of the spring n will
hold the said switch in the position shown in the dotted lines until the key is
re-inserted and the bolt unlocked.
In this way it will be seen that the electric lights will be turned off when the
bolt is locked from the outside, and will not be disturbed when the bolt is locked
from the inside.
Thus it will be seen that it will be impossible to leave the room and lock the
door from the outside without turning out all the electric lights operated through

page_text: the switch attached to the lock, and hence the great waste of electricity
caused by the neglect of the occupants of the room to turn out the lights, will be
obviated.
It will be evident that auxiliary switches in the room, may be used to make
and break the circuit, but all or nearly all the lamps in the room should preferably
be attached to the automatic lock switch, so that it would be impossible to leave the
lights burning when the room is unoccupied and locked.
It will be evident that should it not be desired to pass all the current through
the automatic lock-switch, that a shunt circuit through the lock may be arranged
to make and break the main circuit through the lamps.
It will also be obvious that only a certain proportion of the lamps in each room
may be connected to the automatic lock switch, and that consequently the remaining
lights not so connected will not be affected by its operation.
Although the circuit is represented as closed by unlocking the door from the
outside, and broken by locking from the outside, it will be evident that by a simple
transposition of parts the reverse might be made to take place, as would be prefer-
able in banks, jewelry stores and other places where it is desired to keep one or
more lamps burning all night.
Again by another simple transposition of parts, the circuit might be operated
entirely from the inside, or from the inside as well as from the outside.
In the drawings some of the simplest forms of locks now in use are shown, but
the mechanical details of the lock and of the switch, may be varied at will.
Moreover, the insulation, and other mechanical details which can be readily
supplied by any skilled mechanic have been omitted for the sake of clearness in
the drawings.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner th same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination with an electric circuit and electric contact making and
breaking devices, of a door lock which by being unlocked from one side switches
on an electric current, and by being locked from the same side switches the current
off, substantially as and for the purposes described;
2. The combination with an electric circuit and electric contact making and
breaking devices, of a door lock so arranged that when locked or unlocked from
one side an electric circuit is broken or closed, and when locked or unlocked from
the opposite side said electric circuit is not disturbed, substantially as and for the
purposes described;
3. The herein described circuit making and breaking device attached to a door
lock, reference being had to Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings hereunto annexed;
4. In a device of the character described, the combination with an electric light
circuit and electric lights therein, of a door lock having an electric switch therein,
with keyholes on either side of said lock, and a key adapted to move said switch
when inserted in the keyhole at one side of said lock, substantially as and for the
purposes described;
5. In a device of the character described, the combination with an electric light
circuit and electric lights therein, of a door lock having an electric switch
therein, with keyholes on either side of said lock, and a key adapted to move
said switch when inserted in the keyhole at one side of said lock, and not to move
said switch when inserted in the keyhole at the other side of said lock, substantially
as and for the purposes described.
מ
1
1000
FREDERIC PRINCE,
1, Quality Court, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agent for Applicant.