IMPROVEMENTS IN DOOR FASTENINGS EMPLOYED FOR RAILWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES OR VEHICLES
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION loft by Philip Middleton Justice at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th October 1882.
Communicated to him from abroad by James W Krepps of the City County
and State of New York United States of America
PHILIP MIDDLETON JUSTICE of Southampton Buildings in the County of
Middlesex Patent Agent IMPROVEMENTS IN DOOR FASTENINGS EMPLOYED FOR
RAILWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES OR VEHICLES A communication to me from
abroad by James W Krepps of the City County and State of New York United.
States of America
This Invention relates to that kind of door fasteners employed for railway and
other carriages or vehicles consisting of a pair of hooked catches in the door which
are opened self actingly to receive the bolt on the sliding door by the bevilled point
of the bolt, and close into notches in the sides of the head of the bolt to secure the
same by the gravitation of one of the catches and of a bar employed for opening
the catches and also for fastening them The said invention consists of an improved
construction of such door fasteners whereby less care and skill is required in the
application of the fasteners to the carriages or vehicles, and the operation is
rendered more certain and the fasteners more permanent and durable than has
heretofore been made all as hereinafter more fully described and set forth A cleat
or batten of wood is attached to the side of the carriage for connecting the parts
of the fastener that are mounted on it to the door jamb a second cleat or batten of
wood being attached to the side of the door for connecting the parts of the fastener
mounted on it to the door said part of the fastener being a pointed and double
notched bolt The parts of the fastener which are attached to the door jamb by
the cleat, consist of double catches and a bar together with a pivot inserted under
the lower catch The object of said pivot is to afford pivotal support to the lower
catch allowing it to fall when the weight of the upper catch and the bar is lifted
off from it to permit the bolt to be withdrawn for opening the door Said catch
will swing up and engage with the notches of the bolt to fasten the door, when the
upper catch and the bar are let fall upon it again This door fastening device has
an especial merit over others in its extreme simplicity, but its successful operation
is dependent upon the location of the pivot in the exact position relatively to the

page_text: bolt to cause the lower catch to bear properly in the under side of the notches of
said bolt, when the upper catch rests in the notches of the upper side of the bolt
As the bolt is attached to one cleat and the rest of the fastener to a second cleat it
generally requires great care to adjust the two parts exactly right, but although
this can be done it is highly desirable to contrive for the most ready application of
these locks by unskilled bands The main difficulty has been caused by the
unsubstantial support of the pivot bolt as heretofore fitted in the wood of the cleat,
besides the difficulties of adjusting it in case the hole was not properly bored in
the first instance or of the setting or crowding of the bolt out of place after being
put in or of becoming slack by shrinkage of the wood To remedy all these
difficulties I have contrived a pivot in connection with a base plate to be fitted on
the shoulder of the recess cut in the side of the cleat to provide the required space
for the catch the said base plate being for the purpose of greater stability made
part of a box or case fitting the bottom and sides of the recess, so as to set in and
be retained without any fastening other than being confined between the cleat and
the side of the carriage or vehicle when the cleat is attached This plate will of
course afford the most substantial support to the pivot and being set in the recess
with the case as part of the fastener saves the boring and fitting of the pivot it
also avoids external exposure The base plate is constructed with a depression
between the pivot and the end of said plate to allow the head of the lower catch
space in which to drop and at the bottom of this depression I make an outlet
passage through which water may drip away and air may circulate to blow away
the dust and prevent it from settling therein and obstructing the action of the
catch By means of any known point or guage on the front of this base plate
against which the door closes, the bolt may be attached to the door after the catches
have been attached to the carriage with certainty of proper adjustment with
relation to the pivot The face of the cleat enclosing the recess may be part of the
case if desired but I prefer to apply it separately I also propose to arrange the
surface of the base plate behind the bar level with-the-surface-of-the-pivot, so that
part of the service of supporting the weight of upper catch and the bar will be
sustained by it thus affording greater steadiness, especially to prevent shaking
and rattling when the carriage or vehicle is in motion In order to allow the bar to
work up and down in this base plate it is provided with a notch or notches For
attaching the hasp of a padlock to the lower end of the bar for locking the door
fastening I attach a staple to the bar below a plate attached to the lower end of
cleat through which plate the bar works in a slot, a second slot is provided for the
staple and near the projecting part of the bar I arrange a button, slide or other
device to shift under the bar when it is lifted to unlock the fastening and hold
said bar up to enable the operator to use both hands to slide the door back if
required This button also has a hole for the insertion of a seal through it and
through the bar, said bar having a hole also for that purpose