Improvements in Locks and Latches.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 17th May, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 17th Mar., 1896--Accepted, 16th May, 1896
Improvements in Locks and Latches.
I, FRANCIS JOSEPHI JAMES GIBBONS of St. John's Works, Church Lane,
Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford, General Brassfounder and Lock
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in locks and latches.
-
The object of the first part of it is to prevent a thumb latch inside the lock or
latch case, being broken by determined attempts to open the latch bolt, in ignorance,
it may be, of the fact that it is locked. This part of the invention is applicable to
latch bolts fitted to be shot either by a weight or by a spring, as well as to the
crank of a rim or of a mortice lock. In the latter case, the crank is treated as the
equivalent of the thumb latch above mentioned. The said part of the invention
consists in adapting the locking plate, by means of a suitable prolongation, to
embrace the normally free end of the thumb latch. There is also a second
prolongation adapted to block the unlatching motion of the latch bolt. Only one
of these prolongations is engaged at the same time. When the protruded latch
bolt is not blocked, the first mentioned prolongation is engaged with the adjacent
end of the thumb latch and provides its fulcrum. When the protruded latch bolt
is blocked, the said adjacent end is free, the fulcrum of the thumb latch being then
in its pivotal connection with the latch bolt or with some member thereof.
The second part of the invention relates to improvements in locking one bolt
latches. A dummy lever is provided, it may be, between the locking plate and the
true lever having its fulcrum in the same pin as the latter. This lever carries a
backwardly bent book adapted to engage in a correspondingly shaped notch in the
latch bolt when the latter is protruded and the dummy lever raised. This raising
of the dummy lever is effected by the engagement of a stump on the locking plate
in a serpentine slot in such lever. When the key throws the locking plate forward,
the stump engages the bend in the slot and swings the hook up into the notch.
When the locking plate is returned, the stump is returned into the higher part of
the slot and the hook is swung down out of the notch by a spring or its
equivalent. The forward part of the slot is prolonged to allow of the locking
plate being put through a second locking motion by a master key. The rear
part of the same slot is continued to the rear to allow of the latch bolt
being retracted by the key. The gating of the true lever (as many as
there may be) is also prolonged in both directions to allow of the necessary
motion in either direction of the stump on the locking plate. The book above
mentioned may be carried on the end of a bar spring fast to the case and
adapted to hold it in the notch which latter is transferred, for that purpose, to the
opposite edge of the latch bolt and both bent forwards instead of hackwards.
hook is disengaged from its notch by the push against it of an extension of
the dummy lever. The above mentioned hook and notch device may be varied
provided that its operative functions are retained.
The
The third part of the present invention relates to locks which are provided with
a device for indicating the position of the bolt. The objects of it are (a) to enable
the knob to shoot or to retract the bolt once, either before or after the key has
shot or retracted it (b) to enable the key to do the same; and (c) to enable the
key to lock the bolt in the fully retracted position against the locking power of the
knob. The bolt and the follower are toothed to each other for a distance equal to

page_text: the double locking motion of the former. The longitudinal gating of the lever has
two terminal upward extensions, each of which can drop or is forced down over the
stump on either the locking plate, or on an extension of the bolt in its terminal
positions. There is further a pivotted bar, one end of which is kept by a spring
or its equivalent within reach of the key. The opposite end of the bar is then in
position to stand in the way of the front end of the lever or of an extension of it,
thereby holding the lever with the horizontal gating aligned with the stump. The
pivotted bar presents the first mentioned end of it close to the key hole, and when
the key is pushed past it, the opposite end of it is pulled to the rear of the extension
on the lever, thereby allowing one of the upward extensions of the gating in the
lever to embrace the stump. The lever is lifted beyond the locking power of the
pivotted bar by the unlocking motion of the key.
Dated this 17th day of May 1895.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
Agents for the Applicant.
I, FRANCIS JOSEPH JAMES GIBBONS of St. John's Works, Church Lane,
Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford, General Brassfounder and Lock
Manufacturer, 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 :-
My invention relates to improvements in locks and latches.
Referring to the accompanying figures which are to be taken as a part of this
Specification and read therewith:-
Figure 1 is a side elevation, after removal of the cover plate, of a mortice
latch made according to the first part of the present invention, shewing the latch
bolt locked.
Figure 2 is a front elevation of the same latch fixed with its thumb latch.
Figure 3 is a side elevation of the same latch shewing by the full lines the latch
unlocked.
Figure 4 is a side elevation, after removal of the cover plate, of a one bolt
mortice lock made according to the second part of the present invention, shewing
it fully (ie., twice) locked.
Figure 5 is a side elevation of the same lock shewing the bolt unlocked, that is
under control of the spindle.
Figure 6 is a detached view of the bolt, locking plate and the dummy lever.
Figures 7 and 8 are detached views of the bolt, and a modified form of locking
plate and dummy lever in the unlocked and locked positions, respectively.
Figure 9 is a side elevation, after the cover plate has been removed, of a one
bolt lock made according to the third part of the present invention, shewing the
parts in the half locked position.
Figure 10 is a side elevation of the same lock shewing the parts in the retracted
position,
Figure 11 is a plan of the special lever detached.
The object of the first part of the invention is to prevent a thumb latch inside
the lock or latch case, being broken by determined attempts to make it withdraw
the latch bolt when the latter is in its locked position and consists substantially in
two alternately operative fulcra for the said thumb latch. It is illustrated in
Figures 1, 2 and 3 which shew it as applied to a latch bolt adapted to be shot by a
loose weight. It must be understood, however, that it is equally applicable to a
latch bolt adapted to be withdrawn by a spring, as well as to the crank of a rim or

page_text: of a mortice lock. In the latter case, my invention treats the crank in question as
the equivalent of the thumb latch above mentioned.
a is the latch case; b, the latch bolt; c, c' the horns of the latter; d, the
follower; d, the pivot about which the follower turns; d², d³, the horns of the
follower the former engaging with the latch bolt 6 through its top horn c and
the latter with the loose weight.
e is the locking plate; e', ², its guiding slots and studs; e³, e³, its levers pivotted
upon the back stude²; e, the locking stump and es, the projection for locking
down the loose weight; and e, the key. ',' are the guides for the latter.
g is the thumb latch inside the case a. Heretofore, one end of this latch has
been connected with the loose weight fin such a way that depressing the thumb
bit of the thumb lever g should lift the weight, the opposite end of the said latch
being pivotted upon a stud fast to the case a which stud acted as the fulcrum of
the latch in question. The connection between the first mentioned end of the
latch g is retained the figures shewing it as consisting of a pivot g². The present
invention provides that the above mentioned opposite end g³ of the latch shall be
free of restraint when the latch bolt is locked in its socket in the door frame, by
the engagement of the projection e with the loose weight. It further provides a
projection g' from the adjacent end of the locking plate e, which projection has
a cavity go in it exactly opposite the said opposite end g³ when it is down upon its
stop and of the proper size to embrace it when the said locking plate is unlocked.
The end and the cavity g' are respectively convex and concave so that when the
locking plate e is unlocked the fulerum of the latch g is in the said cavity. When
the projection is not locking down the loose weight, the cavity is acting as a
fulcrum for the latch gas indicated by both the full and the dotted lines in Figure 3.
On the other hand, when the said projection is holding down the loose weight f
the fulcrum of the latch g is on the pivot g2 and its opposite end g³ is free as
indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 1.
The second part of my invention relates to improvements in locking one bolt
locks or latches. It consists in an improved combination of follower, bolt, lccking
plate and levers, whereby the single bolt may :-
(a.) as a latch bolt, be under the control of either the spindle or of the key:
(b.) as a lock bolt, be under the control of the key and be locked or unlocked
without special protrusion or retraction of the bolt:
(c.) as a lock bolt, be under the control of the same key and be locked a
second time-such second locking being over and independent of the one
mentioned under (b.): or
(d.) in respect of the locking functions, be under the control of two keys
differing from each other-one being the key mentioned under (b.) and (c.)
and the other a master key, the (c.) locking being then only under the control
of such master key.
Referring to Figures 4, 5 and 6, 7 is the lock case; i, the combined lock and
latch bolt, the key; j, the follower, j', the knob spindle; k, the locking plate;
, its guides, k² the locking stump; 1, a dummy lever; m, m, two ordinary
levers; and n, the pivot pin of all the levers. o is a notch in the top edge of the
bolt i, and p, a locking tooth adapted to enter the said notch under the resilience
of a bar spring p₁ to the free end of which the tooth is made fast. The opposite
end of the said spring is made fast to the adjacent portion of the rim of the case h.
The attachment of the spring pl to the case rim, being the axis of the motion of
the tooth p both the latter and the notch o are, preferably, curved to the corre-
sponding arc. is an upright extension of the dummy lever I adapted to engage
and lift the tooth p out of the notch o whenever the said lever is raised by the
ey i¹.
When the different organs are in the respective positions illustrated in Figure 4,
he bolt has undergone the second locking. The locking stump & stands accordingly
n the left hand notch ³. If the key f' be turned once in the direction of unlocking,
ts web engages in the right hand notch in the locking plate, the stump passes

page_text: from the notch ³ through the gate into the middle notch k. The notches k³, k
and the gate are common to all the levers both dummy and ordinary. During
the lift of the dummy lever 1, which lift necessarily accompanied the above
mentioned passage of the stump 2, the tooth p was lifted out of the notch o but
was re-engaged therein by the spring p' after the drop of the said lever, the bolt i
not having been moved. A second turn of the key in the same direction as the
first, will engage the middle notch in the locking plate k and move the stump k²
out of the middle notch k into a gate 4 in the dummy lever and through a gate k
in the levers m whereupon the notch 10 which is common to the latter only drops over
the stump 2. The gate 48 is a longitudinal one aligned with the gate and being
without notches, holds the tooth p out of the notch o. From the right side of the
notch, the gate is reproduced in the levers m. The inner end of the locking
platek is now bearing against the inner end 2 of the bolti as illustrated in Figure 5.
The bolt has ceased to be a lock bolt and is now a latch bolt only. It may be
retracted from its socket in the door frame by a third motion of the key in the
same direction as before. The key will then engage in the third or left hand
notch in the locking plate, and move the stump further along the gate k³
cominon to all the levers dummy and ordinary; or recourse may be had to the
spindle as heretofore to retract the latch bolt.
.
I have referred to one and the same key in the foregoing description of the
operation of this second part of my invention. Whenever it is desired that the
approval of a superior or the consent of a second individual be a condition precedent
to the unlocking of the bolt i, then either the gating between the middle and left
hand notches or the left hand notch in the locking plate, is differed and a master or
second key to fit.
In the modification illustrated in Figures 7 and 8, the variations from the
construction illustrated in Figures 4, 5 and 6, are only the following. The function
of the tooth p above mentioned is discharged by one carried by the duminy
lever and is adapted to lock the bolt by standing between the shoulder 3 on the
bolt and a stump fast to the case h. The dummy lever is not raised by the
key to make the tooth stand between the shoulder and stump aforesaid, but
by the engagement of the locking stump with an inclined portion of the
serpentine gate in the said lever. There is only one notch in the latter, viz:-the
middle oue k. The engagement between the locking plate k and the bolt i is by
means of an upstanding projection and a shoulder on them, respectively.
The third part of the invention is illustrated in Figures 9, 10 and 11. It is
particularly applicable to locks whose spindles are fitted with knobs adapted by
their shape or otherwise to indicate the position of the bolts. The objects of
it are:-
(a) To enable the knob to shoot or to retract the bolt once, either before or
after the key has shot or retracted:
(b.) To enable the key to do the same and
(c.) To enable the key to lock the bolt in the fully retracted position against
the shooting power of the spindle.
9 is the lock bolt; q', a follower, and the spindle. The connection between
the bolt and the follower is by means of a rack on the former and teeth on the
latter as heretofore, such connection rendering the spindle capable of shooting or
of retracting the bolt for full or for half distance. ³ is a spring detent engaging
in a notch g in the bolt g when the latter is quite retracted or to the rear of a
shoulder when it is half retracted.
r is an extension of the bolt and fast to it. It carries the locking stump r¹. $ is
a special lever and s' the longitudinal gate in it. 2 is a notch in the top edge of
the gate s' at the right hand end of it; s³ a shoulder projecting downwards from
the same edge, and s, a second notch in the same edge at the left hand end of the
gate. is a projection from the front bottom corner of the special lever s. t is a
master lever. It is pivotted upon the stud t' which is fast to the lock case. t² is
an upward extension of the lever t. is a serpentinė edge in the side of the said

page_text: lever next to the keyhole u. The edge is kept in the unlocking path of the key,
and the extension 2 up against a fixed stop to by a spring to. The extension is
so positioned and proportioned on the lever t, that when it is standing against the
stop, it projects into the downward path of the projection sufficiently far to
prevent the notch & embracing the locking stump . Further, the said extension t²
and edge t' are so positioned and proportioned that the unlocking motion of the key
shall engage the said edge and rock the extension 2 out of the path of the
projection s³. 13, are the two gates in the bottom edge of the extension r, the
former for shooting or retracting the bolt half way and the latter for locking or
unlocking the bolt into or back from the fully locked position.
When the bolt is fully retracted, and the master lever t engaged with the
special levers by the presence of the extension in the downward path of the
projections, the bolt q may be half shot by the engagement of the key in the left
hand gate vor by the spindle q, because the gate s in all the levers is open as far
as the shoulder s³ to the travel of the locking stump r¹.
When the parts are in the position illustrated in Figure 9, the retraction of the
bolt q may be completed by the spindle q2, but the latter cannot further lock the
bolt for the reason that the locking stump is held by the shoulder s³ as well as
by the ordinary levers u', u'.
When the bolt q is in the fully retracted position, the locking stump is under
the notch. The engagement of the edge 4 by the key allows the said notch to
embrace the said stump, thereby locking the bolt in its fully retracted position
against the shooting action of the spindle.
When the parts are in the position illustrated in Figure 10, a slight engagement
of the key with the special levers suffices to lift the projections on the latter
above the extension 2, which is then rocked by the spring to under such extension.
This is the position illustrated in Figure 9. The bolt is then under the control
of the key for being either half locked or retracted.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. The combination with the thumb latch inside the case, of alternately operative
fulcra, as set forth with reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3.
2. The combination of alternately operative fulcra for the thumb latch inside
the case,
with the said thumb latch and locking plate, as set forth with reference to
Figures 1, 2 and 3.
3. The combination with the crank of a rim or of a mortice lock, of alternately
operative fulcra for the said crank, as set forth.
4. The combination of alternately operative fulcra for the crank of a rim or of a
mortice lock, with the said crank or locking plate, as set forth.
5. The combination with a bolt, of locking plate, locking stud and levers adapted
to place the bolt under the control of one key for a double locking or under the
control of two keys in succession, as set forth with reference to Figures 4 to 8.
6. The combination of follower, combined lock and latch bolt, with locking plate
and lever whereby the bolt can be unlatched by either a key or the follower, can
be locked by its own key, and locked a second time by either its own key or by a
master key, as set forth with reference to Figures 4 to 8.
7. The combination of combined lock and latch bolt, tooth and notch, dummy
lever, upward extension thereon, locking stud, locking plate and three notches in
the latter for the key, ordinary lever or levers and notches and gates therein, as
set forth with reference to Figures 4 to 6.
8. The combination of follower, combined lock and latch bolt, locking plate
adapted to engage the latter, dummy lever, ordinary lever or levers, bolt, locking
tooth carried by the dummy lever, and notches and gates in the levers as set forth
with reference to Figures 7 and 8.
9. The combination with a racked lock bolt and toothed follower, of a locking

page_text: stump carried by the bolt, a special gated lever and a master lever controlled by
the unlocking motion of the key and by a spring, as and for the purpose set forth
with reference to Figures 9, 10 and 11.
Dated this 17th day of March 1896.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
22 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.