Improved Means and Apparatus for Indicating the Occupation of Rooms, Closets and the like.
Year: 1885

page_text: Improved Means and Apparatus for Indicating the Occupation
of Rooms, Closets, and the like.
I SAMUEL MEACOCK of Doncaster in the county of York, Music Seller do
hereby declare the nature of my said invention for "IMPROVED MEANS AND
APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE OCCUPATION. OF ROOMS, CLOSETS AND THE LIKE"
to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is certain improved means and apparatus for
indicating the occupation of rooms, closets and the like.
According to my invention I fit on the outside of a door a square or other shaped
panel either in Mahogany or painted to match the door. This panel need not
exceed three quarters, of an inch in thickness and is simply screwed to the middle
style of the door. Hidden within this panel lies the signal which is a glass disc of
red or any other convenient colour of from 2 to 3 inches in diameter and is in
connection with the bolt of the door.
}
On bolting the door inside, the disc rises above the panel and indicates that the
roon is engaged. This rising of the disc is accomplished by a small brass rod
fastened to the bolt which communicates with a small spindle which goes through
the door and rises the disc on the top of the panel outside the door.
No disfiguration of the door occurs but on the other hand the raised panel may
assume an ornamental shape.
The invention is specially applicable to the doors of water closets, bath rooms,
solicitors and other private offices, the room when engaged being indicated on the
outer side.

page_text: Improved Means and Apparatus for Indicating the Occupation
of Rooms, Closets, and the like.
I SAMUEL MEACOCK of Doncaster in the county of York, Music Seller, 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:
The object of my invention is certain improved means and apparatus for
indicating the occupation of rooms, closets and the like.
According to my invention I fit on the outside of a door a square or other shaped
panel either in mahogany or painted to match the door. This panel need not
exceed three quarters of an inch in thickness and is simply screwed to the Lock
rail of the door. Hidden within this panel lies the signal which is a disc of any
suitable material painted a red or any other convenient color of from 2 to 3 inches
in diameter and may or may not be covered by glass the disc being in connection
with the bolt of the door.
On bolting the door inside the disc rises above or within and exposed in the
panel and indicates that the room is engaged.
This rising of the disc is accomplished by a small brass rod fastened to the bolt
which communicates with a small spindle which goes through the door and rises
the disc on the top of or within the panel outside the door. No disfiguration of
the door occurs but on the other hand the raised panel may assume an ornamental
shape.
The invention is specially applicable to the doors of water closets, bath rooms,
Solicitors and other private offices the room when engaged being indicated on the
outer side.
My invention will be understood by reference to the annexed sheet of drawings
in which at Figure 1 I show the inside of the door A and the style or jamb B with
the bolt C and socket D of the ordinary construction.
The stem of the bolt G is of greater length than usual and extends to about the
middle of the door or beyond it where it rides in a socket E as a guide when
moved to and fro by the thumb piece F. The additional length of stem G is
provided with a connection H having a slot in it for an arm or lever I to-be turned
about on its centre or pivot pin J whose opposite end passes through to the front
of the door or behind a panel and carries a disc or plate K which can be raised
above the level of an ornamental piece of square or other shape as a screen and
be presented to view to show that the apartment is engaged.
The disc or plate K is also shown in dotted lines in Figure 1 and instead of being
exposed above the level of the screen it may come opposite an opening M in the
panel of the door and by its brilliancy such as that from a vermillion or other
bright color or from silvered glass or other reflecting medium would indicate to the
person approaching the door that the apartment is occupied.
At Figure 2 I show a similar bolt shot home with a quadrant shaped plate
attached directly to the bolt connection H and the color exposed through the
opening M.

page_text: Figure 3 shows a similar apparatus but with three quadrant or segmental plates K
working from the same centre for exposing three highly colored or reflective
surfaces through M when the bolt is shot home.
I have referred to bright colors and to reflective surfaces as being readily
discernible to any person approaching the door but any means of drawing the
attention of an intended visitor may be utilized for the purpose and the outside of
the door may have a portion of its panel removed and a plate N as at Figures 4
and 5 affixed thereto this having an opening in the centre for exposing the reflective
medium or other indicator through the aperture.
At Figure 4 the apartment is supposed to be unoccupied the disc being then of
the same color as the door or of the plate which may correspond to the painting or
embellishing of the door whilst at Figure 5 the reflective medium is exposed which
would indicate that the bolt is shot home and the apartment engaged.
The indicator when exposed in the plate N or it may be from the panel of the
door may be painted red or with some other prominent color directly opposite to
that of the door itself in order to draw the attention of a person approaching it
that the apartment is occupied.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
The improved means for indicating the occupation of rooms, closets and the like
by the apparatus hereinbefore described and fitted to a door substantially in the
manner represented by the drawings.