IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR LOCKING OR FASTENING THE DOORS OF SAFES, STRONG ROOMS, OR OTHER SIMILAR DEPOSITORIES
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Daniel Rowlinson Ratcliff, of Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR LOCKING OR FASTENING THE DOORS OF SAFES, STRONG
ROOMS, OR OTHER SIMILAR DEPOSITORIES."
Sealed the 31st October 1871, and dated the 5th May 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Daniel Rowlinson
Ratcliff at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 5th May 1871.
I, DANIEL ROWLINSON RATCLIFF, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR LOCKING OR FASTENING THE DOORS OF SAFES,
STRONG ROOMS, OR OTHER SIMILAR DEPOSITORIES," to be as follows:-
This Invention is intended to afford an additional security to the
locking or fastening arrangement of safes or other similar depositories,
and consists principally in the use of a series of compound bolts, each
formed by a combination of a hooked bolt with an ordinary straight
bolt, both bolts being actuated (one following the other) by one con-

page_text: '
tinued movement of the handle or key, the latter bolts locking the
former, and both locking together into the frame of the safe. Each
series of bolts (that is to say, the hook bolts and the straight bolts)
is attached to a separate plate, the said plates being so arranged
that they can move independently of each other in one direction (say i
horizontally) but they both move together in the reverse direction
.(say vertically).
The action of this arrangement is as follows:-The hook bolts are
first thrown out by the first plate being moved separately in a horizontal
direction, these bolts are then hooked into the frame by both plates:
moving together vertically; this movement brings the straight bolts
opposite to the spaces left by the vertical movement of the hooked
bolts; the second plate is then moved horizontally, throwing the straight
bolts forward into these spaces, and thus preventing the possibility of
the hooked bolts being thrown back. The plates work upon pins or
stumps fixed in the back or front plate of the door, and passing through
■ shaped slots or gatings in the said plates, and are moved in the
required directions by means of two talons or projections on the axis
of the handle or key, working in suitably shaped openings or ways cut
or formed in the plates, or, if preferred, each plate may be moved by a
separate handle or other action.
The following is a description of the accompanying Drawing:-
a, a, is the plate to which the series of hooked bolts b, b, is attached ;
c, c, is the plate carrying the scries of straight bolts d, d; e, e, are the
pins or stumps, and f,f, are the L shaped slots or "gratings;” g, g, talons
or projections on axis h, h; of handle or key; h, h, openings or ways in
which the talons g, g, work.
The black lines in Figure 1 show the compound bolt unlocked.
The red lines in Figure 1 show the hooked bolts thrown forward.
The black lines in Figure 2 show both series of bolts drawn down
together.
The red lines in Figure 2 show straight bolts shot to hold hooked bolts
and prevent them from being raised.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Daniel Rowlinson Ratcliff in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 4th November 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DANIEL.
ROWLINSON RATCLIFF, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, send.
greeting.
"
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-fourth
year of Her reign, did for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Daniel Rowlinson Ratcliff, Her special license
that I, the said Daniel Rowlinson Ratcliff, my executors, administrators,,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Daniel Rowlinson Ratcliff,
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 APPARATUS FOR LOCKING OR FASTENING THE DOORS OF SAFES, STRONG ROOMS,.
OR OTHER SIMILAR DEPOSITORIES," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I. the said Daniel Rowlinson Ratcliff my exccutors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
scals, 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 Daniel Rowlinson Ratcliff,. 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 and accompanying Drawings (that
is to say) :-
This Invention is intended to afford an additional security to the
locking or fastening arrangement of safes or other similar depositories,.
and consists principally in the use of a series of compound bolts, each
formed by a combination of a hooked bolt with an ordinary straight.
bolt, both bolts being actuated (one following the other) by one con-
tinued movement of the handle or key, the latter locking the former,

page_text: and both locking together into the frame of the safe. Each scries of
bolts (that is to say, the hooked bolts and the straight bolts) is attached
to a separate plate, the said plates being so arranged that they can move
independently of each other in one direction (say horizontally), but
they both move together in the reverse direction (say vertically).
The action of this arrangement is as follows:-The hooked bolts are
first thrown out by the first plate being moved separately in a horizontal
direction; these bolts are then hooked into the frame by both plates
moving together vertically; this movement brings the straight bolts
opposite to the spaces left by the vertical movement of the hooked bolts;
the second plate is then moved horizontally, throwing the straight bolts
forward into these spaces, and thus preventing the possibility of the
hooked bolts being raised and thrown back. The plates work upon pins
or stumps fixed in the back or front plate of the door, and passing
through shaped slots or "gatings" in the said plates, and are moved
in the required directions by means of two talons or projections on the
axis of the handle or key working in suitably shaped openings or ways
cut or formed in the plates, or, if preferred, cach plate may be moved by
a separate handle or other action.
L
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention for " Improve-
ments in Apparatus for Locking or Fastening the Doors of Safes, Strong
Rooms, or other similar Depositories," I will now proceed to describe
more in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be per-
formed or carried into practical effect, and in order that the same may
be clearly understood I have annexed hereunto a Sheet of Drawings
illustrative thereof, and have marked the same with figures and letters
of reference corresponding with those in the following explanation
thereof: :-
Fig. 1 in the annexed Drawing represents an elevation of my
improved locking apparatus, the black lines representing the first or
unlocked position, and the red lines showing the first movement, vizt.,
that of throwing forward the front plate with its hooked bolts.
Fig. 2 in the Drawing is a similar view in which the black lines show
the second movement, that is, the vertical movement downwards of the
two plates simultaneously, and the red lines indicate the third or locked
position in which the back plate carrying the straight bolts is moved
forward and shoots the latter forward above the hooked bolts of the
front plate.

page_text: b,
a, a, represents the front plate carrying a series of hooked bolts b,
and c, c is the back plate carrying the series of straight bolts d, d, the
plate c, c, being shaded in order to distinguish it more clearly from the
plate a, a; e, e, are the pins or stumps, and f,f, are the L shaped slots
or "gatings" in the plates which work thereon; g, g, are the talons or
projections fixed on an axis h, h, to which the key, handle, or lever for
working the apparatus may be attached directly or connected by spur
or other gearing; h, h, are openings or ways in the plates a, a,
and d, d, in which the talons or projections g, g, work; i, i, arc spring
levers having friction rollers at their extremities for supporting the
plates a, a, and d, d, and assisting them to rise in the unlocking
movement; k, k, is the casing of the lock.
I would here observe that although for the sake of illustration I have
only shown one pair of plates locking in one direction it will be evident
that the same movement of the key, lever, or handle may be caused to
work two or more pairs of plates so as to throw out compound bolts on
two (or on all four) sides of the door, and that if preferred the hooked
bolts may be turned in the reverse direction so as to lock by an upward
instead of a downward movement.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention,
together with the manner in which the same is to be or may be per-
formed or carried into practical effect, I wish it to be understood that I
claim as my Invention, the compound locking arrangement constructed
as herein-before described and illustrated by the Drawings annexed, or
any mere imitation or modification thercof constructed and. operating
in substantially the same or a similar manner.
In witness whereof, I, the said Daniel Rowlinson Ratcliff, have
hereunto set my hand and scal, this Second day of November,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
ABA
5
Witnessed by
DANIEL ROWLINSON RATCLIFF. (L.S.)
GEORGE DAVIES, C.E.,
Patent Agent,
Manchester.