Improvements in Hand Cuns
Year: 1899

page_text: A communication by LYMAN H. COBB, of South Portland, in the State of Maine,
United States of America.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester,
both in the County of Lancaster, 118, New Street, Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, and 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention consists in the improvement and simplification of hand-cuffs,
whereby they will be made more satisfactory than at present.
The
My improved hand-cuff has a ratchet member and a socket member.
latter is provided with a lateral opening and recessed block bearing a locking
mechanism, and adapted to be inserted into and removed from the aforesaid
opening when the hand-cuff is open and held against removal therefrom when
the hand-cuff is closed by the passage of the ratchet through the recess.
Dated the 8th day of May 1899
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Hand Cuns,
A communication by LYMAN H. COBB, of South Portland, Maine, United States
of America.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester,
both in the County of Lancaster, 118, New Street, Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, and 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer,
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:—
- This invention relates to handcuffs of that class which are composed of two
members hinged or pivoted together, one member having a socket and the other
a ratchet fitting said socket. In these ratchet handcuffs the ratchet is held in
the socket by a spring pawl controlled or unlocked by a key.
As these handcuffs have hitherto been made, the locking mechanism, in order

page_text: Fig. 8 is a detail of the binding key.
A represents the socket member and B is the ratchet member of the handcuff,
these parts being joined by a hinge in the usual manner.
The socket member
contains an elongated socket a, which receives the ratchet b.
The locking mechanism, which is the subject of the present invention, is
located at the end of the socket member, which is enlarged for the purpose of
receiving it.
The locking mechanism is contained in a block C, here shown as cylindrical
in its general shape, with a recess c¹ extending through it at right angles to
the axis of the cylinder and leaving a small solid portion at the top to hold the
two sides formed by the recess together. The lower portion of the recess
through which the ratchet passes is somewhat wider than the upper portion
which holds the locking mechanism. The block is inserted in an opening in
the socket member. This opening is here shown extending laterally through
the enlarged end of the socket member, and it is the same size of the block, so
that when the latter is in place it fills the opening from one face to the other,
giving the end of the handcuff a smooth finish. When the block is in position,
it is held in two ways-first, by a screwg, passing through the solid portion,
and second and chiefly, by the passage of the ratchet 6 through the enlarged
lower portion of the recess c¹ when the handcuff is closed. Thus taking out of
account the screw 9, which can be easily removed at any time, the block can be
slipped freely out of and into the opening when the handcuff is open and the
ratchet is drawn out of the socket, while it cannot be removed when the ratchet
is in the socket.
The locking mechanism is located in the upper portion of the recess c¹ and
it may be of any suitable construction. As here shown it consists of two pawls D,
which also act as tumblers of the lock, a lock spindle e, longitudinally slotted
at e¹ to receive the key and on which the so-called "tumbler-pawls." are journaled,
a sliding catch O for holding the tumbler-pawls in an unlocked position away
from the ratchet, and the bifurcated key H, which holds all the parts together.
The lock spindle e extends entirely through the block from one side to the
other, and the key k can be inserted at either side of the handcuff. The tumbler-
pawls D are pivoted on the lock-spindle e, and they are pressed down onto the
ratchet by springs f, the ends of which fit in recesses d¹ in the tumbler-pawls.
The sliding catch O for holding the tumbler-pawls unlocked is retained in open-
ings in the block and it extends across the block adjacent to the outer ends of
the tumbler-pawls, Figs. 1 and 4. The catch has two projections o¹ which over-
lap the outer ends of the tumbler-pawls and are pressed laterally against them

page_text: by the coiled spring s contained in a recess in the end of the catch. Notches d
are formed in the sides of the tumbler-pawls adjacent to the edge and in position
where the projections o' will snap into them as the tumbler-pawls are lifted.
The outer end of the catch O projects slightly beyond the face of the block,
so that it may be manipulated by the thumb.
The various parts are held in place in the block by means of the binding key H,
which is a plate inserted between the tumbler-pawls and bifurcated by a slot h,
the rear end of which fits into an annular slot e in the lock-spindle, thus prevent-
ing the latter from slipping out endwise. A recess h¹ is formed
at the inner end of the slot for the passage of the key. The lower forward
limb of the binding-key is in close contact with the flat face of the catch O,
so that the latter is prevented from turning in its bearings, and finally the
rear end of the key is flush with the surface of the block, so that it is held in
place by the walls of the opening in which the block is retained. By pulling
out the key all the parts may be removed from the block.
The operation of this handcuff will be easily understood, as it is similar to
others of the same class. The tumbler-pawls are lifted and the ratchet released
by turning the key, as in locks of similar construction, and as the tumbler-
pawls are lifted they are held in a raised position by the catch O, the projections
of which snap into the notches d.
To lock the handcuff after the ratchet is pushed into the socket, it is only
necessary to press the outer end of the catch O, and the projections o¹ are dis-
engaged from the notches d, and the tumbler-pawls are forced by their springs
down onto the ratchet.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention & in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is: -
1. The herein described ratchet handcuff having a ratchet member and a
socket member, the latter being provided with an opening, a recessed block bear-
ing the locking mechanism and adapted to be freely inserted into and removed
from said opening when the handcuff is open, and held against removal by the
passage of the ratchet through the recess when the handcuff is closed.
2. The herein described handcuff having a ratchet member and a socket
member, the latter being provided with a lateral opening, a recessed block bear-
ing the locking mechanism and adapted to be freely inserted into and removed
from said opening when the handcuff is open and held against removal there-
from by the passage of the ratchet through the recess when the handcuff is
closed.
3. The herein described ratchet handcuff having a ratchet member and a
socket member, the latter being provided with a lateral opening, extending
through it from one side to the other, a recessed block bearing the locking
mechanism and adapted to be freely inserted into and removed from said open-
ing when the handcuff is open and held against removal therefrom by the passage
of the ratchet through the recess when the handcuff is closed.
TL: 011.
STL
1000