AN IMPROVED BURGLAR-PROOF LOCK
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to. William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for
the Invention of "AN IMPROVED BURGLAR-PROOF LOCK."-A communica-
tion from abroad by Charles Cushing Dickerman, of Boston, and Gilbert
Smith, of Springfield; both in the State of Massachusetts, United States
of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 12th August 1865.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED BURGLAR-PROOP Lock," to be as
follows:-
The object of this Invention is to obtain a lock of simple and economical
construction, which will be burglar-proof in consequence of the internal parts
or tumblers being capable of being changed in position, or so adjusted that
.a different key or a different adjustment of the bits of the same key, will be
required to open the lock.

page_text: The Invention consists in forming the tumblers of the lock of two parts,
which are arranged in such a manner that they may with the greatest facility
be changed in position relatively with each other. The tumblers are simply
frames in which moving parts are fitted or placed between guides, so that
they or rather the frame of the tumbler may be moved or adjusted to any
position required, each part having a spring at one side, which bears against
one of the guides to prevent the casual movement of the parts. The space
within the frame is of such a size as to admit of the requisite degree of
adjustment or movement of the internal parts. The key is provided with
moveable bits, the position of which may be changed when it is desired to
alter the combination of the tumblers.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 12th February 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
"of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her, heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Edward Newton, Her special licence that I, the said William
Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said William Edward Newton, 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 "AN IMPROVED BURGLAR-PROOF LOCK," being a communication:
from abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Edward Newton, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Newton, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say.):―
The object of this Invention is to obtain a lock of simple and economical
construction which will be burglar-proof and capable of being changed by
having its tumblers so adjusted that different keys will be required to open it,
or a different adjustment of the bits of the same key.
The Invention consists in forming the tumblers of the lock of two parts,
which are arranged in such a manner that they may with the greatest facility
be changed in position relatively with each other in order to effect the changes
above alluded to.
In the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1 is an internal view of the lock, the
side of the case of the lock being removed; Fig. 2 is a section of the same
taken in the line x, x, of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a detached view of one of the
tumblers pertaining to the same; Fig. 4 is a detached view of another tumbler
pertaining to the same.
A represents the case of the lock, which may be of rectangular or of
other suitable form; and B is the bolt which is fitted within the case and
is allowed to slide freely in and out between suitable stumps or guides; C is
a tumbler which is placed against the bolt B, and is arranged so as to slide
in a direction at right angles therewith. This tumbler is formed of. a single
piece or plate, and is slotted as shewn at a, Fig. 3, to receive a projection a*
on the bolt B. D represents a series of tumblers, which are placed. one
ngainst the other and in front of tumbler C. The tumblers work between
suitable stumps or guides 6 and one side of the case A, and each of the
tumblers D is composed of two parts c, d. The parts c of the tumblers D are
simply frames in which the parts & are fitted or placed between guides 6*, bt,
so that they or rather the frames C of the tumblers may be moved or adjusted
in any position required, each part d having a spring e* at one side, which
bears against one of the guides 6* to prevent the casual movement of the
parts d (see Figures 1 and 3); The space. within the frames. c is of such a
size as to admit of the requisite degree of adjustment of the parts c. The
parts & are each provided with a T-shaped slot e, as shewn in Figures 1 and 8.
By this arrrangement it will be seen that the parts d of the tumblers D may
be varied in position relatively with each other, and the projection a* on the
bolt B.

page_text: unlocking of the lock is. concerned, is the same as usual. The horizontal
parts of the slots e in the parts d of the tumblers D, and the corresponding
part in the slot a of the tumbler C, require to be brought in line with each
other and the projection a* on the bolt B, in order to admit of the bolt being
shot back within the case A. The moving of the tumblers to effect this result
is accomplished by means of the bits h of the key E.
These bits act upon or
against the under sides of the frames c, and when the slots are all brought in
line with each other a bit i of the key will move the bolt. The bits h of the
key E are adjustable, each bit being formed of a straight bar and all fitted in
.a slot in the shank of the key, and secured therein by a screw j, which passes
into the end of the shank, see Figure 4. By this arrangement it will be seen
that when the parts .d of the tumblers Daré adjusted the bits h may be
adjusted accordingly, and the bits may be graduated so as to admit of the
sáme being nicely adjusted in the key, and admit of a duplicate key, having its
bits properly adjusted to suit the lock. In order to effect the changes the bits
in. the key should first be set and the bolt B. shoved back, so that the pro-
jection a will hold all the parts d stationary. Then by inserting the key
into the lock and turning the former, the bits h will. move the frames ca
distance corresponding to their length. The frames c have two springs k, k¹,
bearing against them, one at each end, the upper spring k of one frame being
the strongest, and the corresponding spring of the adjoining frame the weakest
:so as to throw the frames c in opposite directions and increase the difficulty of
picking. By means of the two springs applied to each frame an easy
movement is allowed the frames c, and all unnecessary play and rattling
⚫ avoided.
Having now described the Invention that has been communicated to me as
aforesaid, and having explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I
claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid, the
use of the tumblers D, composed of two parts arranged as shewn, or in any
equivalent way to operate in connection with a bolt B, and admit of the
changes being made substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Twelfth day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)