IMPROVEMENTS IN LATCH LOCKS
Year: 1884

page_text: We, GEORGE HAYTER CHUBB and HARRY WITHERS CHUBB both of 128 Queen
Victoria Street in the City of London Lock and Safe Manufacturers do hereby
declare the nature of our Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LATCH LOCKS". to be
as follows:-
:
In an ordinary latch lock for doors the bolt is made to slide endwise to and fro
and its end is bevilled or inclined so that when the door is closed the inclined end.
of the bolt coming against the striking plate may be forced inwards and the door
so allowed to close-considerable resistance is however offered to the forcing back
of the bolt in this way owing to the friction between the end of the bolt and the
striking plate and between the bolt and casing of the lock.
To remedy this we so make the bolt of a latch lock that when pressure is applied
to either one or other side of that end of it which protrudes from the lock case
the bolt will turn inwards on a pivot the pivot on which it then turns being
approximately at a point where that side of the bolt passes into the case.
We press the bolt outwards by the end of a rod which we make to bear against
the back of the bolt centrally between the two side pivots or somewhat in advance
of them. The rod we press forwards by a spiral or other spring. The end of the
rod may be jointed to the bolt by a pin joint or it may simply bear against it.
Two separate springs might be used one to bring back the bolt when turned in
one direction the other to bring back the bolt when turned in the opposite
direction, we however prefer to employ a single rod as above described.
To lock the bolt when shot we employ a lever or other spring catch which unless
withdrawn prevents the bolt from being pressed back or from turning in the
direction in which it would have to turn to allow of the door being opened but
which does not prevent the bolt from turning in the opposite direction so that the
door may at any time be closed by pushing it to.
The spring catch to lock the bolt and prevent it from turning may be applied in
a variety of ways and a variety of means may be adopted for withdrawing the
catch whenever it is required to open the door. When the catch has been
withdrawn the door can be opened with a very slight push or pull.
Preferably we make the catch of a lever which at one of its ends lies in the path
of the bolt and prevents its being turned inwards to allow of the door being opened
but allows the bolt to turn in the opposite direction. The other end of the lever

page_text: we form with an incline for a collar on the knob spindle to be drawn against so
that when either one or other of the knobs is pulled or pushed the lever may be
turned sufficiently to withdraw its opposite end out of the path of the bolt and so
allow the bolt to turn. The lever catch when set free might be brought back to
its original position by the same spring as is employed to press the bolt forwards.
In place of the collar on the knob spindle being made to act upon an incline on
the catch lever the knob spindle might be formed with an incline to act upon a rod
interposed between the spindle and the catch lever.
Or in place of the catch being moved by the knob spindle being drawn endwise
it might be by the turning of the knobs or by sliding the knobs endwise at right
angles to the spindle or in other suitable ways. Or the catch might be the bolt of
a lock shot into place by the turning of a key.
Preferably we make the bolt with shoulders on either side of it to come behind
the end plate of the lock through which the bolt protrudes.
These shoulders then serve as the pivots for the bolt to turn upon when turned
inwards as above described.
Or pins might be made to project from the top and bottom of the bolt to work
in curved slots in the case.
1004

page_text: We, GEORGE HAYTER CHUBB and HARRY WITHERS CHUBB both of 128 Queen
Victoria Street in the City of London Lock and Safe Manufacturers do hereby
declare the nature of our Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LATCH LOCKS" and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
:-
In an ordinary latch lock for doors the bolt is made to slide endwise to and fro
and its end is bevelled or inclined so that it may be forced inwards at the time
when the door is being closed by this inclined end coming against the edge of the
striking plate considerable resistance is however offered to the forcing back of
the bolt in this way owing to the friction between the end of the bolt and the
striking plate and between the bolt and casing of the lock.
To remedy this we so make the bolt of a latch lock that when pressure is applied
to either one or other side of that end of it which protrudes from the lock case
it will turn inwards around the point where that side of the bolt passes into
the case.
We press the bolt outwards by the end of a rod which we make to bear against
the back of the bolt midway between the two centres of movement or somewhat in
advance of them.-The rod we press forwards by a spiral or other spring. The
end of the rod may be jointed to the bolt by a pin joint or it may simply bear
against it. Two separate springs might be used one to bring back the bolt when
turned in one direction the other to bring back the bolt when turned in the
opposite direction, we however prefer to employ a single rod as above described.
Preferably we make the bolt with shoulders on either side of it to come behind
the end plate of the lock through which the bolt protrudes.
These shoulders then serve as the fulcra for the bolt to turn upon when turned
inwards as above described.
Or pins might be made to project from the top and bottom of the bolt to work in
curved slots in the case.
To lock the bolt when shot we employ a lever or other spring catch which unless
withdrawn prevents the bolt from being pressed back or from turning in the
direction in which it would have to turn to allow of the door being opened but
which does not prevent the bolt from turning in the opposite direction so that the
door may at any time be closed by pushing it to.
The spring catch to lock the bolt and prevent it from turning may be applied in
a variety of ways and a variety of means may be adopted for withdrawing the
catch whenever it is required to open the door. When the catch has been
withdrawn the door can be opened with a very slight push or pull.
In the Drawings hereunto annexed we have shewn examples of latch locks
constructed as above described.
In the lock shewn at Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 the
latch bolt is worked by a push and pull action.
and 6 it is worked by turning the handle and in
worked by drawing the handle back.
spring catch used for locking the
In the lock shewn at Figures 5
the lock shewn at Figure 7 it is
Figure 1 is a face view of the lock with the cover plate removed. Figure 2 an
edge view partly in section shewing the latch bolt protruding from the end of the
case and locked by the spring catch. Figure 3 is a similar view shewing the spring
catch moved out of the way of the latch bolt and the latch turned inwards as it
would be by the striking plate if the door by which the lock was carried were then

page_text: pushed or pulled in the direction of the arrow to open the door. Figure 4 is a
similar view shewing the latch bolt turned inwards in the opposite direction as it
would be when brought against the striking plate in closing the door.
Figure 5 is a face view with the cover plate removed and Figure 6 an edge
view in section of the lock in which the spring catch is worked by turning the
handle.
Figure 7 is a face view with the cover plate removed of another lock in which
the drawing back of the handle is made to act on the spring catch.
Each of the locks shown in the Drawings is provided as is usual with a lock bolt
to be shot by a key but if desired the latch lock might be used alone without such
key lock.
In Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4-A is the lock case, B is the latch bolt formed with a
recess at the back and with shoulders B¹ which come at the back of the front end
plate of the lock through which the bolt protrudes.-C is a rod pressed forward
into this recess by a coiled spring which surrounds it, and which serves to press
forwards the latch bolt and keep its shoulders B¹ bearing against the back of the end
plate. The forward end of the spring bears against a shoulder near the head of the
rod whilst its rear end bears against a stump A' through which the rear end of the
rod passes.
D is a circular rod which passes through the stump A¹ and through the rear end
of the lock case-at its front end it has a finger E protruding sidewise from it-
the end of this finger comes behind one of the shoulders B¹ of the bolt B and forms
a stop or catch to prevent this side of the bolt from being turned or pressed back
inwards into the case. At its rear end it has a sbort arm D' projecting upwards
from it which is kept bearing constantly against a collar F on the knob spindle by
a coiled spring G one end of which is secured to the lock case and the other to
the rod.
When the lock spindle is moved in the direction of the arrow in Figure 3 by a
push or pull upon one or other of the knobs which are as usual secured to its ends
the rod D is turned upon its axis and the catch or finger E is thereby moved away
from the shoulder B' at the back end of the latch bolt.
By continuing the push or pull upon the knob so as to move the door itself in
the direction of the arrow the bolt B is made to bear against the striking plate and
is thereby turned into the position shown at Figure 3 and no longer offers any
impediment to the door being opened.
So soon as the door is opened the bolt is pressed back by the action of the
spring C into the position shown at Figure 2.
When the door is moved in the opposite direction to close it and the bolt is again
brought against the striking plate the bolt turns into the position shewn in Figure
and allows the door to close and so soon as it has fully closed the bolt springs back
to its former position and retains the door securely until one or other of the knobs
is again pushed or pulled in the direction of the arrow in Figure 3.
In Figures 5 and 6 the parts which are similar to those shown at Figures 1, 2, 3
and 4 are marked with the same letters of reference and the lock only differs from
the lock shewn in these Figures in that the arm D¹ at the rear end of the rod D
enters a slot in the end of an arin projecting from the knob spindle so that the
rod D has a partial turn given to it whenever the knob is turned.
In Figure 7 the parts are also marked with the same letters of reference; the
stop or catch is drawn away from the shoulder B¹ by drawing back the handle.
The handle as it is drawn back turns a lever H and the lever turns the rod D and
so withdraws the stop or catch E.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:-
First. The construction of a latch lock in such manner that its bolt is pressed
forwards by a spring or springs and can also turn inwards in either direction about

page_text: fulcra at its sides in proximity to where it enters the lock case substantially as
described.
Second. The construction of a latch lock in such manner that its bolt is pressed
forwards by a spring or springs and can also turn inwards in either direction about
fulcra at its sides in proximity to where it enters the lock case and can also be
locked by a spring catch or stop coming behind the bolt to prevent its turning in
one direction substantially as described.
Third. The construction of latch locks substantially in the manner herein before
described and illustrated at Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4.
Fourth. The construction of latch locks substantially in the manner herein
before described and illustrated at Figures 5 and 6.
Fifth. The construction of latch locks substantially in the manner herein before
described and illustrated at Figure 7.