IMPROVE- MENTS IN LOCKS AND THEIR KEYS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexis Pigé, of Greek Street, Soho, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN LOCKS AND THEIR KEYS."--A communication.
Sealed the 18th February 1854, and dated the 18th August 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexis Pigé at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
18th August 1853.
I, ALEXIS PIGE, of Greek Street, Soho, in the County of Middlesex,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN LOCKS AND THEIR KEYS," communicated to me, to be as follows:-
This Invention of improvements in locks and their keys consists in
constructing the lever arm, or that part of the key which enters the
lock to throw the bolt, so that it will fold up and be received within
the barrel of the key, in order that it may enter the lock by a small
round opening only capable of receiving the barrel. A spring is used
to throw out the lever, which maintains it permanently extended,
unless otherwise affected, by a contrivance used for the purpose of
folding it down when desired. The lock is made with a bolt or sliding
plug, which is constantly pressed forwards by a spring, and advances or
S

page_text: recedes as the key enters or is withdrawn; this closes the opening.
to the lock. I also construct the lock with fixed wards and tumbers
in combination, which, according to this construction of the key and
aperture, may be advantageously applied.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alexis Pigé in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 18th February 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
ALEXIS PIGE, of Greek Street. Soho, in the County of Middlesex, Gen-
tleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent-Majesty Queen - Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
seventeenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her Heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Alexis Pigé, Her special
licence that I, the said Alexis Pigé, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Alexis Pigé, 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 LOCKS AND THEIR KEYS," communicated to me, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Alexis Pigé, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, 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 Alexis Pigé, 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, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawing

page_text: hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, the
same letters of reference being used to denote like parts where they
recur in the several Figures (that is to say):
The Invention of improvements in locks and their keys, communi-
cated to me, consists in so constructing locks and their keys that the
ward or lever part of the key may be collapsed within the dimensions
of the barrel, whereby it may be introduced within the lock by a
small round hole, which is further protected by a bolt shooting
forwards and closing the opening when the key is withdrawn, as
herein-after described.
Fig. 1, of the annexed Sheet of Drawings represents a side view of a
latch lock complete constructed according to this Invention. Fig. 2,
a front view of the same. Fig. 3, a transverse vertical section; and
Fig. 4, a front view, with the front plate removed; while Figs. 5, and 6,
show some of the parts detached. Fig. 7. represents the key complete ;
Fig. 8, a section of the same; Fig. 9, a section, with the lever or ward
piece collapsed; and Fig. 10, a view of the key at right angles to that
shown at Fig. 7. Figs. 11, and 12, show the lever or ward piece
detached Fig. 11, being an end view. and Fig. 12, a side view
thereof.
These improvements in locks and keys are applicable to tumbler and
other locks, and may be used as an additional safeguard to the several
tumblers used in good locks, from it rendering locks less easily
accessible, and offering less opportunity to picklocks.
The bolt, together with the tumblers, guards, and springs b, c, d,
are similar to an ordinary lock, and will therefore not require any par-
ticular description. The lock is entered by the key hole e, which is
simply a round hole in the barrel f, adapted to receive the barrel of
the key. On the opposite side of the lock another barrel or tube g,
is placed, having a bolt h, fitted so as to slide therein. This bolt h,
is projected forwards by a spring i, which spring is received within
the bolt h, and sustained in the rear by a central pin k. The
pressure of this spring keeps the nose of the bolt up to the inside of
the key hole as seen in Fig. 5, unless pushed back by the key.
In connection with the bolt barrel y, a circular chamber 1, is formed

page_text: on the back part of the lock to receive and permit the proper action of
the key. The key, as will be seen by reference to Figs. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11,
and 12, is formed with the lever or ward part m, so that it will collapse
and fold within a slot n, cut in the barrel p, for its reception, and it is
mounted on a joint pin q, for that purpose. The form of part m, is cut
according to the wards and tumblers of the lock, so as to move round
and act thereon in the ordinary manner when it is expanded, as seen at
Fig. 7. It is sustained in the expanded form by means of a small rod r,
passing through the centre of barrel, and pressed upwards by a small
springs; the piece m, coming against a stop t, which keeps it in correct
position. Two projections on the rod », take on two horns u, u, of m,
and controul its position according to the position of rod r. Thus, when it
is desired to collapse the lever piece m, the button head of rod r, is
pressed with the thumb, when it assumes the position shown at Fig. 9,
and may be inserted at the key hole c, as represented at Fig. 5. By
the insertion of the key the bolt h, is forced back from its position
seen at Fig. 3, to the position, Fig. 5; and in order to keep the key in
a central position the apex of bolt h, enters a recess in the barrel
of key for the purpose. The key having been thrust so far into the
lock, the pressure on the ward r, is now removed, when the piece m,
will be free to expand, and does so, in the chamber 1, as represented
by dotted lines in Fig. 5, and being free to turn round in that
chamber. The constant pressure of the spring i, presses the key
outwards, and the part m, against the back plate v, of the lock.
A slot w, is cut in the back plate, as seen at Fig. 4, which permits
the key to be thrust back into the interior of the lock in its expanded
position, where it is free to act upon the bolt a, as an ordinary key.
Fig. 6, represents the back of the front plate, to which, it will be
seen, part of the ward is attached, in which a recess a, is cut opposite
the slot w, in order to allow the key to return from the back, and
take its proper position in the lock; this it does in the expanded state,
and so takes effect on the bolt a, for the purpose of locking or un-
locking as may be required On withdrawing the key from the lock
the part m, is turned to position, so as to coincide with the slot w,
when the rod, is again depressed, and the key forced backwards into

page_text: the chamber l. The part m, is thus collapsed, and the key may be
freely withdrawn from the barrel e. It will be obvious that any instru-
ment to open this lock must be in the form of a straight rod while
being inserted through the barrel f, and that at the same time the
bolt h, must be forced back; it will therefore be almost impossible to
insert any instrument to hold back the bolt h, and at the same time
others to act upon the lock through so small an opening as is thus
provided for the proper key, which will render this improved lock
inviolable, even though the interior works of the lock be far less com-
plicated than locks which now succumb to the art of the lock-picker.
A sheath is provided to insert the end of the key barrel to keep the
part m, collapse while carried in the pocket.
Having described the nature of the Invention communicated to me
and the manner of carrying the same into effect, I would have it
understood that what I claim is the construction of keys with col-
lapsible wards or levers m, in combination with locks having sliding
bolts h, which close the small round opening or key hole by which the
key in its collapsed state is introduced, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexis Pigé, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness, W. CLABK,
Patent Agent.
53, Chancery Lane,
London.
ALEXIS PIGE. (L.S.)