IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKS AND LATCHES
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Young, of Wolverhampton, in the County of
Stafford, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKS AND
LATCHES."
Sealed the 31st October 1854, and dated the 12th June 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Young at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 12th
June 1854.
I, JOHN YOUNG, of Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford, Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN LOCKS AND LATCHES " to be as follows:-
My Invention consists of an improved detector lock, and a latch to be
applied to the same and other locks. Figure 1 represents my improved lock
in plan. a, a, a, are tumblers, which differ from ordinary tumblers in having
teeth on their ends, by which the picking of the lock, by forcing back the
bolt so as to feel the tumblers, is prevented; the end c' of the slide c, on the
tumbler d, which is fixed on the bolt, engaging in such case in the teeth b, and
frustrating the attempt. The tumbler d is in two parts, the part carrying the
slide c turning upon a joint e, shown in dotted lines upon the other part.
When the bolt is shot, the spring f, pressing upon the part g, causes the end h
of the tumbler d to rise, and until it is brought down again by the action of
the key into a horizontal position the bolt cannot be withdrawn. If a false
.

page_text: key be introduced, and it brings the tumbler & past the horizontal position, the
point-g of the said tumbler passes to the side f of the spring f, which no
longer tends to bring back the tumbler d, but to keep it in its displaced
condition. The introduction of the true key detects the displacement of the
tumbler d, and corrects it in a way which I do not consider it necessary here
to describe. My improved latch to be used with my improved or other lock
is shown in the horizontal section, Figure 2. i is the latch, urged forward by
the spring; the said latch is withdrawn by a lever 7, turning upon the point o.
The knobs m, n, are moved by a sliding motion, instead of the usual rotatory
motion.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Young in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 9th
December 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
YOUNG, of Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford, Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Young, Her special licence that I, the said John Young,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Young, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKS AND
LATCHES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Young,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 John Young, 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
thereof (that is to say):-

page_text: My Invention consists of a new or improved detector lock, and a latch to
be used with the same or other locks. Figure 1 represents a plan of one of
my improved locks. a, a, are tumblers, one of which is shewn separately in
Figure 2; the said tumblers differ from ordinary tumblers in having teeth b
on their ends; the said teeth prevent the picking of the lock by forcing back
the bolt so as to feel the tumblers. c is a tumbler, jointed to the bolt dat e
f is a slide on the tumbler c. When the bolt d is shot, the tumbler c and
slide fassume the positions indicated by the dotted lines c', f'; and when the
bolt d is forced back, in order to feel the slot in the tumblers a, a, and to
make the slide f enter the said sloth, the end of the slide f engages in the teeth
b, and frustrates the attempt. The tumbler c is shewn separately in Figure 3.
The bolt d is represented separately in Figure 4, and the several parts
are placed in the said bolt in the following order: First, the tumbler,
Figure 5, which, together with the other tumblers, work upon the pin or
axis i on the lock case, which said pin or axis i passes through a slot k in
the bolt next the tumbler c, shown separately in Figure 3. The said tuni-
bler turns upon the pin e of the bolt, and moves with the said bolt, in its
sliding motion, next the tumbler, Figure 2; afterwards the tumblers, Figures
5 and 6; and, finally, the tumbler represented uppermost in Figure 1. The
key is represented in Figure 7. is a spring, fixed to the bolt, and moving
with it. The said spring bears upon the projection m of the tumbler c.
After the bolt has been shot the tumblers a, a, descend, and the pin n, which has
arrived at the positions n', being capable of descending, the spring / pressing
upon m, raises the tumbler c into the position indicated at c'. In with-
drawing the bolt, the key acts upon the several tumblers a, a, so as to bring
the several slots h into such positions that the slide f may enter the said slots.
The tumbler c is at the same time brought into a horizontal position by the
elevation of the pin n', and the slide f is brought opposite to the slot h; the
key now acts upon the bolt and withdraws it. If a false key be introduced
and act upon the tumbler, Figure 6, so as to raise the pin n',.Figure 1, too
high, then the tumbler c is too far depressed, and the spring engages on the
side m' of the projection m. The true key will not now withdraw the bolt
until it has been turned in a direction proper to shoot the bolt. When acting
upon the part o of the tumbler, Figure 3, the tumbler c is brought again into
the position represented in Figure 1, and the spring is made to engage on
the side m of the projection m. Figure 8 represents in elevation a lock, to
which my improved latch is applied; and Figure 9 represents the same in
horizontal section, together with a portion of the door, to which the same is
applied. p is the latch, urged in the ordinary manner by a spring; 9 is a lever,

page_text: turning horizontally upon a joint r in the door s. By moving either of the
handles t, t, in the direction indicated by arrows drawn near the said handles,
the latch p may be withdrawn from its staple. The lower ends u, u, of the
handles t, t; are made of a hemispherical figure, and fit in the hemispherical
cavities in the roses v, v.. The joint' may be made on the case of the lock
instead of in the door, and the lever q may be made double-acting, that is to
say, may be so constructed, that when the handles t, t, are moved in either
direction from their position of equilibrium, they effect the withdrawing of the
latch. I do not think it necessary to represent the two last-described modifi-
cations, as the alterations to be made are trifling, and such as an ordinary
workman is competent to make. The said latch, Figures 8 and 9, may be
used in combination with the lock, Figure 1, or any other lock; but I have
represented it separately for convenience.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit
myself to the precise methods herein described, as the same may be varied
without departing from the nature of my said Invention; but I claim as my
Invention,-
Firstly, making the edges of the tumblers of locks serrated, for the purpose
of preventing the picking of locks by forcing back the bolt of the saine, as
herein described, and represented in the accompanying Drawing.
Secondly, constructing locks, in which one of the tumblers has a rising
motion, while the others have a falling motion, as herein described, and repre-
sented in the accompanying Drawing.
Thirdly, the method herein described, and represented in the accompanying
Drawing, of constructing a detector for locks...
Lastly, withdrawing the latches of locks by a lever motion, as herein
described, and represented in the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Young, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fourth day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thausend eight hundred and fifty-four.