Year: 1885

page_text: I, WILLIAM WHITE of N° 30ª Wimpole Street, in the county of Middlesex,
Architect, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows:-
.
My invention relates to improvements in the construction of locks or latches
which are provided with weights or weighted levers in place of springs to operate
or secure the parts.
In constructing a latch lock according to my invention, I form the latch as a
balanced lever, the said lever is pivotted at the upper front part of the lock and
consists of a long and a short arm.
The long arm extends backwards nearly the whole length of the lock and the
short arm extends downwards and is provided with a bevelled nose which projects
through an aperture in the front plate and forms the latch.
The long arm is so proportioned that its weight is just sufficient to effectually
return the latch when pushed in by closing the door.
For withdrawing the latch, I pivot at the back, and lower part of the lock a
weighted lever which can be raised by a follower on an ordinary square spindle
having knobs or handles at the ends, and upon the said weighted lever, the long
arm of the balanced lever latch rests, so that when raised by the follower, it raises
the said long arm and withdraws the latch. The weighted lever resting on the
follower is of sufficient weight to return the follower to its normal position, and
the arms of the follower are so proportioned as to cause the resistance to be as
nearly equal as possible, whichever way the spindle is rotated.
As a modification of this arrangement for withdrawing the latch, I may pivot
transversely in the lock a kind of weighted bell crank lever, one arm of which
hangs downwards outside the door and is formed of any convenient shape and the
other arm is horizontal or nearly so and has the long arm of the balanced lever
latch resting upon it. The end of the said horizontal arm extends through the
door and is also formed of any convenient shape. To open the door from the one
side it is only necessary to press the hanging handle towards the door, when the
latch will be withdrawn and the door pushed open by one and the same action.
To open the door from the other side, the lever is raised, thereby withdrawing the
latch, when the door can be pulled open. A latch similar to an ordinary thumb
latch may be used in combination with my said bell crank lever if desired and
such combination may then be fitly described as a "thumbless lever latch." The

page_text: said bell crank lever is so proportioned that the weight of the horizontal arm is
sufficient to return the lever to its normal position without the assistance of the
weight of the latch.
The key bolt of the lock I secure by one or more tumblers or levers in the
ordinary way, but in place of actuating such tumblers or levers by springs, I employ
weighted levers to press upon them, or I provide the said tumblers or levers with
weighted arms affixed to, or made in one piece therewith.
My improved arrangements I also employ in constructing various other forms of
locks in which latches may or may not be required, as for instance ordinary
stock locks, cupboard locks, cupboard latches, drawer locks, drawer latches, desk
locks or desk latches &c modifying the shape of the levers, tumblers and other
parts as may be required.
The bevelled nose on my balanced lever latch is so attached that it can be readily
reversed to suit a right or left hand position.
The great advantage of a latch lock constructed according to my invention is
that two weighted levers are employed, one to work the latch and the other the
handle, entirely detached from each other, so that when a door is closed, only
sufficient weight is brought into play to return the latch, the weighted lever-
actuating the handle remaining unaffected and thus the blow and noise, which has
been the chief objection to weighted latches and locks as hitherto constructed is
obviated.
To entirely remove all chance of objection on this point, I may also, if desired,
provide small buffers of Indian rubber or other suitable material, to act as stops
for the weighted levers to strike or fall upon.
Dated this eleventh day of November 1885.
Improvements in Locks and Latches.
I, WILLIAM WHITE of 30 Wimpole Street, in the county of Middlesex, 30
Architect, do hereby declare the nature of this invention 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 improvements in the construction of locks and latches,
which are provided with weights or weighted levers in place of springs to operate 35

page_text: The accompanying two sheets of drawings, which I will now proceed to describe,
illustrate various modes of putting my invention into practice.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the interior of a mortice lock and latch.
The latch consists of a balanced lever A A¹, pivotted at the upper front part of
the lock at A3, and having a long arm A and a short arm A'. The long arm A
extends backwards nearly the whole length of the lock and the short arm A¹
extends downwards and is provided with a bevelled nose B, which projects through
an aperture in the front plate and forms the latch. The said nose B is so attached
to the arm A¹ as to be reversible to suit either right or left hand positions, as shewn
clearly in Figure 5.
The long arm A is so proportioned that its weight is just sufficient to effectually
return the latch when pushed in by closing the door.
For withdrawing the latch, I pivot at E, at the back and lower part of the lock,
a weighted lever E, which can be raised by a follower D on an ordinary square
spindle O, having knobs or handles at the ends. Upon this lever E, the long arm A
of the balanced lever latch rests, so that when E is raised by the follower D, it
raises A and withdraws the nose B of the latch.
The lever E is of sufficient weight to return D to its normal position, and the
arms of the said follower are so proportioned as to cause the resistance to be
practically equal whichever way the spindle C is rotated.
F is a lock bolt, of which the tumbler G is a lever acting by its own weight,
without requiring any spring.
More than one such tumbler may be employed if desired.
In Figure 2 a side elevation of a morticed balanced lever latch is shewn, without
any lock.
"
The description of the latch in Figure 1 will apply equally hereto, the action
being the same, though the form of the parts is somewhat different.
Figure 3 is an elevation and Figure 4 a cross-section of a mortice lever latch of
a modified form. The lever A, A, B, is the same, as in Figures 1 and 2, but for
withdrawing the said lever I pivot transversely at J a kind of weighted bell crank
lever H H. The arm H' of the said lever hangs downwards outside the door and
is formed of any convenient shape, the other arm H is horizontal or nearly so, and
has the long arm A of the balanced lever latch resting upon it. The said arm H
extends through the door and is of any convenient shape, as shewn. It will be
seen from the construction of the lever H H¹, that the arm H will always fall of
its own accord, irrespectively of the weight of the lever A resting upon it.
To open the door from the one side it is only necessary to press the hanging
arm H, when the latch B will be withdrawn and the door pushed open by one
and the same action.
To open the door from the other side, the lever is pulled, thereby withdrawing
the latch and opening the door as in a common thumb-latch.
Figures 6 and 7 represent in elevation, and cross-section respectively, an ordinary
latch K in combination with my said bell-crank lever H H. Such combination
may fitly be described as a "thumbless-lever-latch."
In the lock shewn in Figure 1, weighted arms may if desired be affixed to the
tumbler G in addition to the weight of the lever itself.
Figure 8 is a "stock-lock" having an ordinary bolt F, the tumbler being a
weighted lever G pivotted at L. More than one such tumbler as at N may be
employed.
Figure 9 is a reversible cup-board lock, the parts and the action being similar to
Figure 8.
Figure 10 is a reversible locking cupboard latch. The latch bolt F can be turned
over to suit right or left hand positions.
A weighted lever A, pivotted at A³, controls the latch action of the bolt F, and
a weighted tumbler or tumblers G control the locking action of the same bolt.
Figure 11 represents a locking drawer latch, the action being the same as in
Figure 10.

page_text: F is the latch bolt, A. the lever controlling the latch action, and G the lever
tumbler controlling the lock action.
Figure 12 represents a drawer lock; F is the bolt supported by the weighted
lever M, and G is the lever tumbler.
It will be understood that the various illustrations given in these drawings, do
not include all possible modifications of my invention and that the details of
construction. therein shewn may be varied within certain limits without departing
from the essential principles of my.invention.
The great advantage of a latch or latch-look constructed according to that part
of my invention as shown in Figures 1 and 2, is that two weighted levers are
employed, one to work the latch and the other the handle, entirely detached from
each other, so that when a door is closed by being pushed to, only sufficient weight
is brought into play to return the latch, the weighted lever actuating the handle
remaining stationary and unaffected, and thus the blow and noise which has
been the chief objection to weighted latches and locks as hitherto constructed is
obviated.
To entirely remove all chance of objection on this point, I may also, if desired,
provide small buffers of Indian rubber or other suitable elastic substance to act as
stops for the weighted levers and tumblers to strike or fall upon.
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 a latch-lock or latch the employment of two weighted levers, the one to
control the latch, and the other to control the handle spindle, substantially as
herein shewn and described.
(2.) In a latch the employment of the peculiar form of bell-crank lever to raise
the latch, substantially as herein described and shewn.
(3.) In a lock or locking latch the employment of one or more weighted lever
tumblers to control the bolt, substantially as herein described and shewn.
Dated this 6th day of August 1886.