IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKS OR FASTENINGS
Year: 1839

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MATTHEW
UZIELLI, late of Fenchurch Street, but now of King William Street, in the
City of London, Merchant, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Twenty-first day of February, in the second year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Matthew Uzilli, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said Matthew Uzilli, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Matthew Uzilli, my exors, admors, or assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during
the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exer-
cise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-weed,
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKS OR FASTENINGS," communicated
to me by a certain foreigner residing abroad; in which said Letters Patent is
contained a proviso, that I, the said Matthew Uzilli, shall cause a particular
description of the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of
Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of
the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being
thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Matthew Uzielli, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and

page_text: ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to
the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon
(that is to say):-
DESCRIPTION OF A LOCK FOR A STRONG CHEST OR CLOSET WITHOUT A KEY, AS
REPRESENTED BY PLATES 1, 2, 3, FIGURES 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, AND 11.
A is a round iron plate with five holes in it according to the Drawing (see
Figure 2), with a circle divided into degrees, and an alphabet engraved on the
outside. This plate is made to turn on its circumference B, B, B, B, gud-
geons of turned brass, each having in C a ring divided into twenty-five parts,
and an engraved alphabet; D, a large nob screwed and fixed on the axle E
without causing plate A to move; F, F, F, F, four iron washers by means of a
screw G, which keep in their places the the gudgeons B and their washers. To
make them turn, one needs only touch with two fingers the gudgeons B and their
washers F; H is a cut ring placed in one of the circular grooves made in the
axle E, which serves to keep this in its place in concert with the exterior boss.
This cut ring is encircled by another ring, entire and fastened by a pin; I is
a great brass ratcket, consisting of fifty teeth, making its rotation round the
neck of the ring I', which ring is fastened by three screws on the plate L; I",
a spring catch of the racket I; J, J, J, J, four small iron rackets containing
twenty-five teeth, fixed on the great racket 1 by the screw J¹; each of these
ratchets is supplied with a spring catch; J", J", are two levers, which serve
to fix the whole system of the ratchets when the lock is shut. These little
levers mounted on an axle in the form of a fork screwed on the ratchet I,
and supplied with a small spring have, firstly, two arms in the form of a
T, which rub against the latch of the two ratchets J; secondly, a pin at
the bottom of the T, which passes through the great ratchet I, and pene-
trates through a circle of fifty holes, shallow bored on the plate L
round the ring 1' (see Figure 11), for the profile of these little levers;
K, K, K, K, four steel nobs screwed on one of the radii of the ratchets J,
K¹,K', K', K', are four holes bored in the washers F and in the gudgeons B;
in these holes the nobs K may enter; K", K", &c. are sixty-four false shallow
holes, and serve to mislead the (feeling) of such as would be tempted to open
the lock without the word by which the lock was shut being known; La
round iron plate, which serves to support the axle E and the system of the
ratchets. This plate is fixed so as to remain immoveable against the side of
the box of the lock by a peg M. A half-turn rack bolt guided on one side by
the box, and on the other by a screw; M', a spiral spring of the half turn bolt;
N, a brass pinion containing twenty-fourth teeth, meant to put into motion the

page_text: half-turn bolt; N', two screws, serving, firstly, to fix the pinion N upon the
axle E; secondly, to make the pinion P turn when the combination is open;
O, a small iron arbor, which by means of two fixed keys turns the pinion P.
This arbor is bored through on one side, to receive the axle E and the screws
N', and carried over to the other side the nut and two fixed keys to support
the bars T; L'another round iron plate, which serves to support the great end
of the arbor O. This plate is fixed in the same manner as the above one L;
P, a brass pinion containing twenty-four teeth. This pinion serves to put into
motion in concert four bolts Q; it is placed between two washers made of thin
sheet iron, which distances the bolts and hinders from rubbing against each
other; Q, Q, Q, Q, are four bolts (racks); the form of these bolts in their
outward extremity is that of a T, and in case of need may support two or
three other bolts, according to the height of the door (see Figure 8);
R, R, R, R, four brass rollers, fixed on little iron axles R', which serve to
keep the bolts Q in their places; S, a great round iron plate, which serves as
the bottom of the lock. This plate is fixed on the box of the lock by six
screws S, and on the door to which it is affixed by wood screws; T, T,
two iron bars, bored in the centre, and mounted in the form of a cross on
the small arbor O. The bars are bent in squares at their extremity (sco
Figure 9), and lie on supporters of iron solidly fixed on the inner mouldings
of the door case of the chest when the lock is shut; U, a circular brass
box. This lock is made for a door of two inches thick, and placed in a
circle bored in the centre; V, V, an iron ring, which serves to keep in their
places their plates Land L'; W, a spring lever in the form of a key to a flute.
One of the extremities of the lever is in contact with the pinion N, the other
carries a steel steady pin, which now and then enters into the hole W', and
now and then into the hole W", according as this lock is shut or opened;
X, &c., ten false gudgeons screwed into the great ratchet I, and may enter
into the ten holes X', bored into the plate A. These ten false gudgeons serve
to deceive the tact (feeling), as also the holes K".
DIRECTIONS HOW TO OPEN OR SHUT THE LOCK.
The lock when shut by a word composed of five letters, say "Louis," it will
be sufficient in order to open it to place the little division above the letter L
of the great alphabet opposite the vertical dart, which is engraved on the
moulding of the box U. One may also use a half degree, then bring the
letter O of the gudgeon No: 1 to face its little dart, which is engraved on the
plate A, and so on, till the name is complete, by following the orderly numbers
of the gudgeons. In this position the four nobs K are facing the four

page_text: holes K¹, then by pushing the button D you drive away plate A against the
ratchets; J, a passage corresponding with the whole length of the nobs K,
which have already entered into the holes K'. In this second position the
small pinion N, no more catches, this half-turn bolt M; the steady pin of the
lever W is out of the hole W"; you then press on the button D and the
axle E to turn them round from right to left; the axle E in this case pro-
duces the effect of a screw driver, and by the means of the pinion P causes
the four bolts Q to enter into the lock. In its rotation the pinion P having
made or gone over one-eighth of a round, the bars T, which are across the
door, are then found in the diagonal of this, which then permits the chest to
be opened. To change the word by which the lock is shut, it suffices, when the
plate A is in the second position, a position in which the two levers J" do not
hinder the working of the five ratchets, then another phrase must be com-
posed with the five alphabets by proceeding in the same manner as above
mentioned; then the nobs K that are then in the holes K are dragged by
the gudgeons B in the rotation that is pressed on them, and gives a new
position to each ratchet J, as also to the great ratchet I, a position that is
only known by means of the alphabets; then the plate A is brought back to
its ordinary position, and the gudgeons B are jumbled together, and the
plate A is made to describe one portion of a circle, and the lock is shut.
DESCRIPTION OF A LOCK FOR A PRISON WITHOUT A KEY, REPRESENTED IN
PLATE No. 4, FIGURES 1, 2, 3, AND 4.
The plate A of this lock does not turn on itself when the lock is shut, as
the preceding one does; it has no alphabet engraved on the exterior front, but
it has six gudgeons B instead of four. In this model the axle E does not
turn in the plate A; on the contrary it remains fixed by a nut, the great
ratchet I is suppressed; but there are six small ones J instead of four, placed
in a large circular groove in plate L. The plate L, instead of being fixed,
turns on its circumference, and is only supported, not fastened by the ring V.
There is no balf-turn bolt in this lock as I am convinced there is no utility for it.
The little arbor O fastened by two pins to the plate Lis near it, and which I
might give the name of the chamber of the combination. The pinion P and the
bolts are conformable to the lock of the chest, they are only more isolated.
The rollers R, R, are also all alike; they are nevertheless simply screwed
on the one side of the great plate S; finally the bars T, T, are suppressed, as
are also the springs in form of the keys of a flute; in short, this lock is much
more simple than the first lock, which must be attributed to the suppression
of the half-turned bolt and that of the great ratchet. On the other hand,

page_text: in this lock some few pieces are found that were not seen in the first;
these pieces consisting, first, of the screws U³, to the number of six, which
are screwed at equal distances in the inside of the box U, that holds
fast the plate A; these six screws hinder the plate A from turning when
the lock is shut, for they enter into an equal number of holes pierced near
the circumference; next there are six great pins or bolts X, which serve to.
maintain in its place the plate S, forming the bottom of the lock, and to fix
the lock in a solid manner to the door of the prison. The heads of these
pins or bolts, which are turned and lined within by a little stopping peg,
enter by force into the holes that are perfectly round; their nuts, that are
outside of the prison, are sunk in the thickness of the box U. There are
six pegs of turned iron Y, that are screwed against the front of the
interior of the plate A; these pegs pass through the whole of the thickness
of the plate L, and come out five millimetres behind the plate, when and
after they join the nobs K with holes K'; the plate A is made to advance
against the plate L, which distance is five millimetres; these six pegs Y
serve first to join the plate A to the plate L; secondly, to render the catch of
the six rockets J immoveable when the lock is shut; in this position the
small groove, that is seen at the extremity of these pegs (look at Figure 4),
has nothing to do with the catches, and hinders them from making any
movement whatever. The way how to open this lock when it is shut by a
given word or name composed of six letters, such as Louise, to open the lock,
the letter L of the alphabet of the gudgeon No. 1 must be placed opposite
to the little dart engraved on the outside of its circumference; the same must
be done with the letter O on the gudgeon No. 2, and so on till completion
of the name or word; you then push, by means of the button D, the plate A
against the plate L; in this position the plate A is freed from the six screws...
U'; then it will turn on its circumference; you then force a rotatory motion-
on the button D¹, which takes away, in its rotation, the plate A, which in its
turn, by means of the pegs Y, removes the plate L, the arbor O, and the
pinion P; the said pinion then makes the four bolts Q enter into the lock;
in this third position the plate A has made the sixth part of a round; after
this it can be placed in its ordinary position, for the six screws U¹ are placed
with such care that the six holes corresponding with the plate A, let them
enter in the one or the other indistinctly, when inclined to change the word
or name by which the lock is shut, you must do as already explained for. the
lock of the chest. If the explanation is well attended to, the Invention - of
this lock may easily be conceived; for it is excessively simple, and it must be
remarked that it is without any springs as to the bolts only, but. be it well

page_text: understood there are some for the moving of the catches, yet they only serve
to count the letters when you compose a word, to shut the lock and have
nothing to do with the bolts. This model offers every desirable guarantee for
the service I intend it for. Finally, all the pieces of which this lock is made
are turned as they are in the preceding, the bolts and catches excepted.
DESCRIPTION OF A LOCK WITHOUT KEY, WITH A SINGLE NOB, AND WITHOUT
LETTERS, REPRESENTED BY PLATE No. 5.
Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12. Figure 1, 2, and 7,
circular brass box, containing the mechanism of the lock. These locks are
placed in the inside in the centre of the door B. Figure 1 and 2, round
steel plate, to serve as a lid to the box A; this plate is fixed to the said box
by means of eight screws B', and to the door by eight wood screws C.
Figures 1 and 10 round iron axle with an handle C¹ at each of its
ends; this axle is bored quite through to receive the small axle C", and
split in a part of its length, to admit the introduction of the box catch G,
as well as that of the fixed key C; D, Figures 1 and 3, round iron plate
bearing the four drums E; this plate crossed at its centre by the axle C, is
moveable, and passes over a distance of two lines every time that it is pushed
forwards or drawn back by means of one of the handles C¹, but it does not
turn upon itself; the axle C is held in this plate on the one side by a stud,
on the other by the washer II, and turns upon itself without letting the plate
D move; E, Figures 1, 3, 5, and 9, four iron drums, each furnished with a
ratchet containing 25 or 26 teeth. The top of these drums is pierced with a
hole F, in each of which one of the studs J can enter, and with nine false
holes F. (I reserve to myself the right of putting as many false holes as I
please.) The course of these drums is limited by movable stopping points,
as is seen in Figure 9. The play of these little moveable pieces E¹ is equal
to the space of one of the teeth of the ratchets belonging to these said drums.
These pieces, which are of steel, are let into a triangular groove made in the
plate D, and are kept in place by the caps E" of the drums, Figure 1 ; G,
Figures 1 and 5, little brass box, called box catch, mounted on the axle C,
and traversed at its centre by the small axle C. This box catch contains,
first, a small steel gudgeon G³, which gudgeon traverses the shoulder of the
axle C, and enters by turns into the 4 holes H of the washer H; secondly,
a spring catch G", destined to make the 4 drums E act alternatively, in
other terms, to count the letters of the alphabets (for the 104 teeth of these
four ratchets represent 104 letters or four alphabets). This box catch G, kept
in place upon the axle C", on one side by a small stud and a spring, which is

page_text: supported upon the key C, (which key is fixed by 4 screws to the axle C,)
on the other by the iron tube C', follows the movement that the said axle C¹¹
gives to it every time that the button C³ is pulled towards you, or that the
button C is pushed forward; H, Figures 1 and 6, steel washer fixed to the
plate D by four screws placed in the grooves H"; these four screws hold it,
without, however, depriving it of the facility of moving when the gudgeon G¹
drags it with it; H is a screw which traverses the plate D, supporting
itself against the end of a spiral spring, mounted upon the stopping gudgeon
L', and which serves to bring back constantly the washer II into its ordinary
position, when it is made to move; I, Figures 1 and 4, four brass ratchets,
with twenty-five or twenty-six teeth, making their rotation around the screws I¹
upon the fixed plate K. I", spring catches of the ratchets I, these catches
are mounted upon a single screw, and have only one spring for two;
J, Figures 1 and 4, four steel nobs screwed upon the ratchets I which
can enter into the holes F; L' and L", Figures 3 and 7, two stop gudgeons
screwed in the plate D, and serving to render the position of the ratchets I
immoveable when the combination is shut; these groves pass into the round
holes, which are seen between the catches I", Figure 4. (To understand the
use of these stopping gudgeous, refer to Figures 2 and 4 of the Plate 4.)
M, Figures 1, 3, and 11, gearing spring, having a hole at its centre, through
which passes the axle C; the ends of this have small brass tubes N, in which
the heads of the catches E are let in; these tubes N slide into two holes
bored from one part to another in the plate D; O, Figure 1, spiral spring of
the gearing apparatus M; its point of support is against the fixed key C¹¹¹;
P, Figures 1 and 2; angular iron wheel, which serves to turn the pinion P¹.
This angular wheel is rivetted firmly upon the iron plate P", which turns in a
gorge made in the iron ring V; P, Figure 7, two little iron pads, screwed
on the plate K, which serve to support the pinion P¹; Q, Figure 7, screw
bolt, whose round axle bored by a hole with six pans receives the axle
equally with six pans of the pinion P1, (Figure 8); R, Figures 1 and 10,
groove made in the axle C, in which the screw R1, which is screwed in the
axle C can move; S, Figures 1 and 10, two steel tubes, which serve to cover
again the different grooves made in the axle C; T, Figure 12, system of the
staple nuts of these locks. These staples are constructed in such a manner that
they can easily be raised or lowered at will, when the wood of the door shrinks.
There are besides fixed nuts, which are level with the doors and fixed to them ;
these nuts, as may be easily imagined, are indispensable to make the screw
bolts Q advance or draw back, and which would only turn on themselves
without entering or coming out, if they were not conducted by their nut.

page_text: There is also wanting in this plate a lever with a spring, having a stop-
ping gudgeon to fix the plate P" in an invariable manner, and consequently
the bolt Q, when the lock is shut (this lever being similar to the one
marked W, Figure 5, Plate 2, I have not judged it necessary to repeat it
in this plate). This lever is put into motion by one of the gudgeons L.
THE METHOD OF OPENING THIS LOCK.
You begin by placing the handle C¹ in the position it occupied when the
first letter of the word with which the lock was shut was composed. (The
hole, which is seen at one of the ends of the handles, serves as a mark for
this operation.) In this position, you press on the handle C¹ a slight move-
ment from right to left, (movements which are limited by the length of the
grooves H",) and you count to yourself, in describing each of these movements
by a letter of the alphabet, taking always great care to begin by the letter A,.
when you
I have reached the first letter of the word of the combination, you
draw to yourself the button C³ (or you push the button C according as the lock
is opened from within or without ;) this causes the gudgeon G₁ to come out of the
hole H', which it occupied in the washer H; this permits bringing forward the
little hole placed within the handle C₁ opposite to the second alphabet, where
it is known that the second letter of the word of the combination must be
sought (these quarters of a turn fix of themselves by means of the spring;
which being supported against the box catch G, makes the gudgeon G¹ enter
briskly into a hole H¹ every time it passes before one). In this second
position you act in the same manner as you did in the first instance; to find
the second letter, then disengaged, you pass to the third alphabet, and so
continue till the end. The word of the combination being found, you draw
towards yourself a fifth time the button C³, and without leaving loose, you
turn it a little to the right, which makes the screw Renter into the cross
part of the groove R, and prevents it from returning to its usual place; you
then draw towards you the handle C¹, as well as the plate D, and make the
double fixed key Center into the grooves made purposely in the angular
wheel P. Lastly, in this position you can make a rotary motion to the
pinion P³, and cause the screw bolt Q to enter again into the lock. The
lock being opened, if you wish to make the combination intricate, it will be
sufficient to draw towards you the button C³, the screw of which R' is then in
the second part of the groove R, that loosens the four drums E, which return-
ing to their point of departure, otherwise to the letter A, destroy the combination
formed; to change the wood, it is necessary to proceed as I have said above;
but when the plate D is against the ratchet I, or, in other words, when the

page_text: proportions and the materials at will.
PLATE 6, FIGURES 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, AND 6.
This plate represents a lock, on the same system as the preceding, only
remarking therein the following changes :-Firstly, its bolts are flat and work
by means of a pinion as in my other locks. Secondly, it is furnished with a
half turn bolt and a night one. This latter one can be rendered at will
independent of the sleeping double bolt. Thirdly, it can be placed as a
common lock in the side of a door. Fourthly, the whole system of the
mechanism is placed in the box A, in an inverse sense from the lock of the
plate No. 5. Fifthly, the screw R' being placed, as well as the large crack
of the axle C in tho inside, there is a suppression of one of the steel tubes S,
which simplifies and renders the outside axle more solid. Sixthly, the
ratchets I, as well as those of the drums E, have twenty-six teeth (which
makes them produce four hundred and fifty-six thousand nine hundred and
seventy-six combinations, instead of three hundred and ninety thousand six
hundred and twenty-five). Seventhly, each ratchets I has two nobs J, and
each drum E is bored with two holes F, disposed in two rows, as in Figure 3,
or in one row, as in Figure 4. Eighthly, the olives C' are mounted upon a stud
of eight sides placed upon the axle C and held by a nut. Ninthly, the spring
lever mentioned above as being necessary to fix the plate P", as well as the
angular wheel P in an invariable manner; when the lock is shut this lever is
suppressed; in this model they are the ends of the stopping gudgeons L' and
L", which being notched, as is seen in Figure 6, place themselves in the
grooves U and U" of the bolt axles, Figure 2. Tenthly and lastly, the
plate K is kept in its place by four gudgeons, screwed on the plate B, which
traverse the plate D and terminate against it. This replaces the ring V,
which is seen in Plate 5. I reserve to myself the right of putting to the
catches I double stop gudgeons (Figure 7) mounted upon two small buttons
placed on the box of the lock within the house, in order that the proprietor of
the lock may be compelled not to change his combination, but when he is

page_text: within, and consequently to make it impossible for him to shut himself outside
if he should make any mistake in the formation of his combinations.
DESCRIPTION OF THE SCREW BOLT REPRESENTED BY PLATE 7, FIGURES 1, 2,
3, 4, 5, 6, 7, AND 8.
A, Figures 1, 2, and 4, rectangular brass box, containing the mechanism of
the bolt. These boxes are fixed to doors wood screws placed in the little
squares a (in Figure 1 the lateral parts of the partition are wanting). B,
Figures 1 and 7, iron button turning in the thickness of the box A. This
button has a square, on which the great angular wheel C is mounted. C,
Figures 1, 2, and 5, angular brass wheel, serving by means of the button B
to make the little angular wheel E work. D, Figures 1, 2, and 8, little iron
bridge screwed into the box a, which serves to support the extremity of the
button B. D', screw with flat head screwing into the extremity of the said
button, and serves to keep it in its place, Figures 1, 2, and 7. E, Figures 1,
2, and 5, little angular brass wheel, which serves to make the screw bolt F
turn. This wheel is mounted on the square part of the axle of the screw bolt.
F, Figures 1, 2, and 6, iron screw bolt, screwing into a tap made in the
partition of the box A, which is level with the door, the screw with flat head
fixed at the extremity of its axle serves to stop its course. G, Figures 1, 2,
and 3, great iron bridge, which serves, firstly, to partition the angular wheels;
secondly, to hold in concert with the little bridge G₁ the small angular
wheel E. Thirdly, to support the axle of the screw bolt F. This great bridge
is fixed at the bottom of the box A by four screws. The staples of these bolts
are similar to those of the universal locks with screw bolts, represented in
plate 5, Figure 12; to open or shut this bolt it suffices to turn the button B two
times and a half from left to right, or from right to left. The angular wheel C
being fastened to the said button makes the little angular wheel E turn,
which on its part causes the square angle of the screw bolt F also to turn, and
which in fine screws or unscrews itself in its nut.
I reserve to myself, firstly, to replace the angular wheels by side wheels and
pinions. Secondly, to make to my screw bolts triangular steps, and to vary
the velocity of them according to my fancy.
In witness whereof, I, the said Matthew Uzielli, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and thirty-nine.
M. (L.S.)
(L.S.) UZIELLI

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Thirteenth day of August, in
the year of our Lord 1839, the aforesaid Matthew Uzielli came before our
said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according
to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.