IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SAPES, STRONG ROOMS,IMILAR DEPOSITORIES IN THE LOCKSRE
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Antoine Grivel, the younger, of No. 63, Rue de
Grenelle, Saint Germain, in the City of Paris, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SAPES, STRONG ROOMS,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Antoine Grivel at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 7th
June 1866.
I. ANTOINE GRIVEL, the younger, of No. 63, Rue de Grenelle, Saint Germain,
in the City of Paris, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SAPES, STRONG ROOMB,
AND OTHER SIMILAR DEPOSITORIES, AND IN THE LOCKS THEREOF," to be as
follows:--
This Invention consists essentially, first, in a new or improved construction
of safes, strong boxes, and other similar depositories, so as to ensure all
possible security; secondly, in improved locking devices applicable to such
said safes, strong boxes, and other similar depositories, to render the same
proof against any attempts to open them.
My improved locking devices are divided into two distinct sorts, one sort
opening without a key and the other opening with a key.

page_text: The first-mentioned class are combination locks, and are provided with either
straight or curved bolts, which projecting out of the lock will lock up the
staple and enter the body of the said lock and be themselves locked up.
The key locks are likewise combination locks, and are divided into two
classes, one class I call the anchor ones, applied to curved or hook staples,
and the other class the plate or disc ones, which are applied to straight
staples.
The above locking devices may be applied not only, as aforesaid, to safes,
strong boxes, and other similar depositories, but may also be made applicable
to doors, furniture, padlocks, and generally to all purposes where security is
required.
The following are examples of the means by which I propose to effect the
above-mentioned objects, first, as regards the mode of securing the doors to
the surrounding sides, frames, or cases of the safe or depository.
The same
may be effected according to this Invention as follows; and I would here
remark that the description of lock 1 propose to employ in combination with
the mechanism which I shall presently describe is a lock without a key, and
for which Letters Patent, bearing date the 7th day of February, A.D. 1863,
numbered 347, were granted to me the said Antoine Grivel and Claude
Pariget I employ a lock of the above construction in combination with the
following mechanism, that is to say, according to the present Invention I
employ four or more bolts, cach taking into one of the four sides of the case
or frame of the safe, strong room, or other depository; these bolts are put in
motion simultaneously by an excentric mounted on a rod which occupies the
position that a key would; upon this said rod tubes of metal are placed, one
over the other, and to the under part of each such said tubes three discs of
metal are fixed, two of which are serrated on their edges in opposite directions,
the third of the aforesaid discs, which is situated between the two other discs,
is loose and has a groove or slot in which takes a projecting piece fixed on
each of the bolts each time the door of the depository is opened, there being
as many of such said projecting pieces as there are discs in the lock. Upon
the outer ends of the aforesaid tubes which carry the discs are placed index
hands pointing to a circular line of numerals, as described in the former
Specification of the Patent of the 7th February, 1863, aforesaid. By the
above means the sides of the case or frame of the safe, strong room, or other
depository, are securely connected to the door thereof in such a manner as to
prevent the sides being separated from the door by levers or wedges, the bolts
being so formed as to take or hook either into holes in the inside of the case
of the safe or into projecting pieces of metal joined or otherwise connected

page_text: thereto; or instead of the foregoing arrangement projecting pieces of metal
may be fixed inside the door, and as the door closes the said pieces be made
to enter holes made in the inside of the safe crosswise of the bolts.
Another method consists in fixing catches or studs in the holes or to the
sides of the safe, so that as the bolts of the lock are shot out. in the act of
locking, the said bolts coming into contact with the said catches or studs will
securely connect such said pieces to the several bolts of the lock, and thus
prevent the sides being separated from the door.
I now proceed to describe the means by which I propose to prevent the
perforation of the doors of safes, strong rooms, or other like depositories, as
follows: I propose to adapt, either between the inner and outer plates.
of metal, of which the door is formed, or on the outside thereof, a plate of
tempered steel cut similar to a file, the effect of which is to destroy the
edge of any tool which comes into contact therewith, and thereby to effectually.
prevent perforation of the metal of which the door of the safe is composed,
and this applies to every portion of safes, whether constructed according
to this Invention or otherwise.
Another feature in this Invention relates to locks constructed with and
without keys, and consists in constructing such said locks with a few kind of:
bolt formed with two prongs, somewhat similar to the escapement used in
"time picces," the bent ends thereof taking alternately into notches formed in
the edges of the discs before mentioned at opposite points thereof or otherwise,..
the axis of motion of the aforesaid bolt being upon a pin suitably placed; thus
it will be seen that by employing one of such said bolts to each of the several:
discs employed a very. extensive combination may be produced; and further;
by having two, three, or more keys differently formed one key may be used to
disengage some of the aforesaid bolts from their respective discs and the other.
keys from their respective discs, thus requiring, if necessary, several keys to
open the lock, or one key only may be made to operate upon all the bolts and
discs as may be desired, the security of this lock consisting in the nicety of.
movement of the aforesaid bolts to keep the hooked ends thereof out of the
notches of the discs at the same time, without which the lock cannot bo
opened.
Another feature in this Invention consists in employing one or more curved
hooked bolts mounted on the same axis as that on which the discs are
mounted; these bolts may be actuated either by the arrangements previously
described with reference to the keyless lock above mentioned or by means of a
key, the mechanism operating so as to throw the hooked .ends of the aforesaid
curved bolts into curved grooves formed in the edges of the case of the safe,

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Antoine Grivel in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 6th
December 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I. ANTOINE
GRIVEL, the younger, of No. 63, Rue de Grenelle, St. Germain, in the City of
Paris, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Antoine Grivel, the younger, Her special licence that I, the said Antoine
Grivel, the younger, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Antoine Grivel, the younger, 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 THE CONSTRUCTION OF SAFE3. STRONG ROOMS, AND OTHER SIMILAR
DEPOSITORIES, AND IN THE LOCKS THEREOF," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Antoine Grivel, the younger, 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 Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same
to be filed in the Great Scal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Antoine Grivel, the younger, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the fol-
lowing statement, reference being had to the four Sheets of Drawings hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
My Invention, which is divided into three parts, relates, 1st, to im-
provements in the construction of safes, strong rooms, and other similar
depositories for containing valuable articles; 2ndly, in the mode of securing
the said safes and others by means of combination discs, enabling them to be

page_text: opened or closed without a key; 3rdly, in an improved mode of constructing
key combination locks, which are not only applicable for safes and strong
rooms, but also to doors and other uses.
The first part of my Invention is intended to ensure increased security in
safes and strong rooms, 1st, to prevent one or other of the sides of the door
from being bulged open; 2ndly, to prevent the safe from being entered by
drilling. By means of the following arrangement of the door and frame the
opening of the safe at that point is rendered impossible. I provide the inside
of the door with auxiliary projecting bolts taking into catches at right angles
to the bolts of the lock. The interior of the safe is further provided with
hooks or cramps actuated by the bolts of the lock, and serve as a substitute
for the auxiliary bolts above mentioned. Lastly, the door is provided on the
inside with projecting rebates fitting into spaces made in the inside of the
safe. In order to prevent a safe from being drilled I employ the following
simple method:-I produce a surface similar to that of a file on a plate of
hardened steel, with which I line the inside of a safe, or I may employ a
hardened plate having a file surface in the construction of the safe, which may
be simply covered with a sheet-iron plate. The application of such a hardened
plate with a roughened or file surface suffices to ensure the breakage of any
tool employed in drilling a safe.
The second part of my Invention relates to keyless combination locks for
safes and similar purposes, and in the means of rendering the picking of such
locks impossible. For this purpose I use a combination lock throwing four
or a greater number of bolts working either in a circular or rectilinear direc-
tion, and either parallel with or at right angles to the sides of the safe. The
bolts, which work together, are set in motion by an eccentric mounted on a
pin forming a substitute for the key. This pin or stem carries ratchet discs
which together with their pawls serve to produce the combination for locking
the safe. The locking bolts are direct-acting in opposite directions, or they
may move laterally and parallel with the sides of the safe and take into
mortises made in the double inner frame fixed to the safe body.
According to another arrangement in combination with the bolts which
shoot into the catches made in the sides of the safe I employ a system of
segmental bolts actuated by the combination lock; these bolts are operated
by bell-crank levers, which also serve to hold them in position and prevent
their getting out of the catches.
Sheets 1 and 4 of the Drawings annexed illustrate the first part of my
Invention relating to improvements in safes to which are applied the keyless
combination locks. Figure 1, Sheet 1, shows an elevation of a safe provided

page_text: with its framing, bolts, and counterbolts, whereby to render it impossible to
operate between the door. and frame for the purpose of breaking into the
safe; Figure 2, Shect 1, is a horizontal section of the same on the line A, B.
In these two Figures I have only. shown. the eccentric for actuating the bolts,
the ratchet discs and pawls being omitted in order to render the construction
of the safe better understood.
Figure 3, Sheet 1, shows another arrangement of safe in which the bolts,
instead of working at right angles to the sides of the safe take laterally into
catches made in the sides for the purpose. Figure 4 shows a section of a
safe door with a combination lock. Figures 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, Sheet 1, also
show details of a disc and part serving to permit or prevent the lock from
being opened. The same letters apply to all the Figures.
a, body of the safe. of metal or other material, provided on the inside
with a metal frame b having mortises c through which the bolts pass; d, door
of the safe pivotted at 7, and also provided with a metal frame similar to
that b of the safe; h, bolts, four in number, fitted to the door d and taking
into mortises c. In Figure 3 the bolts, instead of being shot at right angles
to the sides of the safe, work laterally and parallel therewith; i, additional
bolts taking into the mortices j of the safe a; k, hook or cramp hooking on to
a part of the door d and actuated by the bolts h; I, axis or spindle of the lock
provided at the end with a knob or handle m; n, plate having eccentric slots
keyed on the spindle serving to actuate the bolts h; o, stud pins fixed to the
bolts and running in slots p in the plate n; q, q, q, three discs, each composed
of three parts, two of which, 1 and 3, are provided with ratchet teeth, the teeth
of 1 being intended to turn it from left to right, and number 3 from right to
left, the two discs being fixed together by screws r. Between these two
ratchet discs is placed the part 2, it being fitted to turn freely. In this part 2
there is a space s for the reception of a part t, see Figures 8 and 9, which is
provided with as many prongs as there are discs in the lock; u, catches or
pawls acting independently of each other, both mounted on the same pin v
and taking into the ratchet disc 1; u', pawls similar to the above, also mounted
on the same pin v₁ and gearing in a reverse direction to the former with
ratchet disc 3; below these pawls u', and on the same pin v¹, is fixed a double
escapement piece w, on which is fixed a projection for acting on the three
pawls u. This part w serves; by the aid of the projection x, to throw the
It
pawls out of gear at the time the lock is being opened or the bolts shot.
is set in motion when fastening the lock by the enlargement y on the upper
bolt, and in unfastening it by the enlargement y' on the lateral bolt acting on
the second prong of t. In order to clearly explain the action of the pawls ¹
.

page_text: it should be understood that when the lock is fastened, that is, when the bolts
are shot to their full extent, there is a space left between the part t and the
collar 2 of each of the discs, by occupying this space the projection on the
upper bolt releases the part w which thus holds the pawls u¹ in gear with
the ratchet discs 1 of each series, and by this means prevent all motion
thereof, that is to say, being held in position by the pawls u, u', acting in
contrary directions it is impossible to turn them either one way or the other.
If in this position the spaces of the collar 2 of each disc q be opposite the
part the lock may be opened by continuing to throw the bolts forward, the
part lodging in the grooves s; but should all three spaces s not be exactly
opposite the parts t it will be impossible to open the lock; and further, the
position of the spaces s cannot be ascertained, seeing that the three series of
discs cannot be turned one way or the other, hence it is the combination of
these ratchet discs that serves as the security against my locks being picked.
It should be understood that the pawls u are free to act either when the lock
is completely fastened or completely unfastened. To each of the discs q are
fixed tubes z projecting outside the lock, their ends being fitted with index
hands and dial plate z" for forming the combinations for fastening the
lock.
Figure 27, Sheet 4, represents an arrangement of safe A and combination
lock B for actuating the levers C of the segmental locking parts D, which are
set in motion by the crank pin E and levers F. A simple examination of the
Drawing will serve to render the action of this lock readily understood without
any further description.
The third part of my Invention relates to improvements in combination
key locks applicable to safe doors and other uses. These combination key
locks are of two kinds, the first having a double anchor escapement, which
may, however, be multiplied according to the degree of security to be given
to the lock. The lock is provided with a series of tumblers or fallers placed
one on the other and oscillating on an axis common to all; each of these
fallers is provided with two teeth or projections, one on each side, taking into
spaces made in a series of superposed discs connected to the bolt. The discs
are of the same number as the fallers and are of different sizes.
lock is fastened all the projections on the right side, for example, of the fallers
take into the corresponding spaces in the discs, while those on the left will
be out of the spaces on the left a distance equal to the length of the pro-
jections on the right. Instead of the fallers being of a dovetailed form, as
shown, they may have straight arms of equal length, in which case the pro-
jections are made of varying lengths. The fallers may be, further, placed in
When the

page_text: a reverse position to that shown, or may be placed at the side or in other
position in the lock. In order to open the lock the key should be made with
a number of levers of unequal lengths for acting on an equal number of
extension parts forming the tail ends of the fallers. The whole is combined
in such manner that the key in acting on the fallers causes them to describe
an arc of a circle of varying extent and just sufficient for freeing each pro-
.jection on the right from its corresponding space; from this it results that the
projections on the left will be placed close opposite their corresponding spaces,
the two projections of each faller being in a tangential position with regard to
the discs; on this taking place the discs may be readily rotated, and the bolt
with which they are connected thrown as required.
This improved lock is represented in Sheet 2 of the Drawings. Figure 10
shows an inside view of the lock, the covering plate being removed; Figure 11.
.shows another view of the lock with the discs removed for indicating more
clearly the action of the bolt; Figure 12 is a side view of the lock, the spring
of the bolt being removed; Figure 13 shows the escapement action of one of
the discs, the blue lines indicating the direction of motion of the faller on
turning the key; Figure 14 shows the same disc in the position it occupies
when the lock is unfastened; Figure 15 shows an edge view of the lock with
key; lastly, Figure 15 shows another arrangement of lock with a bolt of
modified form.
a, lock plate; b, series of circular discs rotating on the axis c of the bolt d;
these discs are fixed to the bolt by two pins e in the centre part f of the bolt;
g, fallers of different sizes corresponding respectively to each of the discs, and
all oscillating on the same centre h; 1, 2, projections, one on each side of the
fallers; 3, 4, spaces made on each side of the discs b; 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, tail pieces
of the fallers g, all of them being at a greater or less distance from the centre
of oscillation i of the key i; 5, 6, 71, 81, 9¹, spaces cut in the key acting
respectively on the tail pieces 5, 6, 7, 8, 9; j, faller springs tending to
.introduce the projections 1, 2, into the spaces 3, when the latter are in the
proper position therefor; k, spring of bolt; l, m, n, hollows made on the
periphery of the central portion of the bolt in which the head o of the spring
takes at each turn of the key.
From the foregoing it will be seen that the picking of the lock is rendered
impossible as the key requires to be exactly made in order that each part shall
act on the respective part of the faller so as to cause it to describe an arc of a
If the motion is
circle for disengaging the projection 1 from the space 3.
insufficient the projection will not be disengaged, and even should all the rest
be so the bolt would not move; on the contrary, if the motion be too great

page_text: the projection 2 will enter the space 4 and the bolt will still be prevented
from moving. A great number of combinations may be obtained in this lock
by varying the arrangement of the discs.
A further improvement in tumbler locks is also based on the same principle,
the chief feature being the combination in connection with parts for preventing
picking or tampering with the lock. The lock action is composed of slotted
tumbler plates, forming, with the aid of a key, a combination permitting of
the bolt being withdrawn in order to open the lock. These plates or tumblers,
which are liberated when the lock is fastened, are displaced by the aid of
springs, and while destroying the combination become reunited and form a
solid piece without any projection which might assist picking or tampering
with the lock. In order to render this impossible I notch the peripheries of
the discs or plates, the bolt being caused to engage with the teeth in such
manner as to prevent its moving absolutely without the aid of the proper key
for releasing the bolt and opening the lock. In order to fasten the lock with
one or two turns I make slots o, o³, shown in red lines in Figure 25, in two,
three, or more discs 1, into which takes a part of the bolt, as shown by the
sectional red lines. An important point in this lock is that the order of the
oscillating plates may be changed, but it should be understood that in order
to effect the combination, that is, for all the slots in each of the plates to be
brought into the same plane and form but one opening in which the projection
on the bolt must enter, it is necessary to have a fresh key for each change or
interposition formed so as to oscillate the discs to the desired extent in order
that all the superposed discs shall be juxtaposed in the same plane. These
improvements are represented in Sheet 3 of the Drawings, Figure 16 showing
a lock with the bolt shot to the full extent and provided with plain tumbler
plates closed one on the other; Figure 17 shows another view of the same.
lock with the plates opened out by the key with the projection on the bolt on
the point of entering the slots of the said plates; Figure 18 shows a section of
the lock with the series of plates closed one on the other and the combination
destroyed; Figure 19, another section of the lock showing the plates as acted
on by the key and forming the combination, that is to say, with all the slots
of the plates one over the other.
Figures 20, 21, 22, and 23, show elevations and sections of another
arrangement of lock and key with notched tumbler plates, it being further
furnished with a small bolt for locking the main bolt, while Figures 24, 25,
and 26 show a further arrangement of lock, the peculiarity being that the
combination may be produced and the plates operated on by the key from
either side of the lock. The letters apply to all the Figures of Sheet 3.

page_text: a, box or case of the lock, provided with stays b and spring catch c to be
operated by hand; d, bolt; f,, rib or projection formed on the bolt d entering
the slots in the plates 1; g, spring fixed on the lock case and operated on by
the key; this spring fixes the bolt by means of a projection h taking into one
of the notches i; i, key spindle; k, pin for limiting the motion of the tumbler
plates, which may be of any desired number, and of the same or different.
thicknesses. These plates are pivoted on an axis m and close on each other
against the pin or stop. k by the action of the spring n; o, slots made in
different positions in the several plates in such manner that all the slots o
shall be brought into the same plane and form but one opening in which the
rib or projection of the bolt d may enter in order to render it impossible
to open the lock; q, lever jointed to the bolt d for unfastening the small
bolt e.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as my Invention to be protected by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First, the construction and arrangement of a safe or strong room, in the
manner described, in combination with the bolts, as and for the purpose
herein-before described..
1
Secondly, I claim the application of plates of hardened steel, toothed in the
manner described, to safes or strong rooms with the object of causing the
breakage of any tool used for drilling purposes.
Thirdly, I claim the improved mode of locking safes by means of multiple
bolts actuated by a disc having eccentric grooves, and by means of a com-
bination of discs without the aid of a key, in the manner herein-before
described.
Fourthly, I claim the arrangement of curved or segmental bolts, as. also
placing them so as to lock at the sides or at right angles to the sides of the
safe and securing them by means of catch bolts, all as before described.
Fifthly, I claim the construction and arrangement of tumbler lock provided
with a double escapement, as and for the purpose specified.
Sixthly, I claim the construction and arrangement of lock, the tumblers of
which are provided with slots and forming a combination which is destroyed
as soon as the key is withdrawn from the lock, all as before described.
Seventhly, I claim the arrangement and application of a small locking bolt
to such locks for the purpose of securing the bolt, in the manner described.
Eighthly, I claim the peculiar arrangement of tumbler plates, as represented
in Figures 24, 25, and 26, of the Drawings annexed, which are operated by
the key from either side of the lock.

page_text: Ninthly, I claim the application of these locks herein described to safes,
strong rooms, and other depositories, doors, trunks, and other like purposes.
In witness whereof, I, the said Antoine Grivel, the younger, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
ANTOINE GRIVEL, JEUNE. (L.S.)