IMPROVE- MENTS IN LOCKS LATCHES AND LOCK FURNITURE
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Feb., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 14th Dec., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 12th Feb., 1889
I EDWIN ROBERT WETHERED Lieut. Colonel of 100 Herbert Road Woolwich in
the County of Kent do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for IMPROVE-
MENTS IN LOCKS LATCHES AND LOCK FURNITURE to be as follows:-
I place within the usual form of lock case, a single flat bolt extending if necessary
from end to end of the lock case, and of any required width, I leave a portion of the
fore end and heel of this bolt about the full width to form the nose of the bolt and
provide space to construct the follower, and narrow the middle of the bolt to leave
room for ordinary locking gear.
I reduce the width of the nose at the upper edge
from the point, extending about an inch into the lock case, so that a stud is formed
at the upper surface of the bolt-at the other end of the bolt I cut a slot upwards in
the form of an uncrossed below this slot I place the spindle hole in lock case, with
a tumbler or follower having an arm in the form of an inverted (2) which will
work in the slot of bolt, and push the bolt either forward or backwards by causing the
handle to turn the required way, without depending on a spring to project it forward,
so that a crank or lever handle will by its own falling weight as hereafter described,.
keep the bolt pressed forward.
Above the bolt thus described I place a pawl or long arm, pivoted at the inner end"
of the lock case, and extending paralel with the bolt until its nose projects through
the upper part of the lock plate at the lower edge of this pawl, a short distance
within the lock plate a stud is formed corresponding inversely with the stud on fore
end of bolt, so that both studs can interlock.
When the door open the bolt is held inside the lock case by the nose end of pawl
falling and causing the two studs to interlock.
When the door is closed the projecting nose of pawl passes up an incline provided
on the striking plate, disengages the interlocking studs and allows the bolt to shoot
forward into the slot on door post.
With a lock thus constructed, if a straight common handle be used on the outside
of a Railway, or carriage door, the bolt would be withdrawn, and the door opened by
turning the handle away from the door post, and if there was a crank or lever handle
1177

page_text: on the inside, this latter would become depressed, and a very strong spring would be
required to shoot the bolt and at the same time raise the handle and if the spring
broke, the falling handle would draw the bolt back and leave the door unfastened.
To utilize the weight of falling handle and make sure of the door being kept closed,
independently of any spring, I fix on a plate or small case inside the door, two small
cog wheel circles or followers, engaging each other-through one of these I pass the
spindle of outside handle, and secure it with a nut, and to the other I affix the pivot
end of inside handle, by which means I get a reverse action, which causes the lock
bolt to be shot forward into the slot on door post, by the falling weight of inside
handle, and kept there without the aid of any spring, until the outside handle is
turned or the inside one raised to open the door.
.
I also construct a lock with a similar pawl and bolt, having corresponding retaining
interlocking studs, but to do away with the reverse cog action inside the door, and
still utilize the weight of falling handle to project the bolt, I cut away the upper
middle portion of the bolt, and cut on the remaining upper parralel surface 3 or 4 cog
teeth above these I place the lock spindle, having round the circle of spindle tumbler
or follower, corresponding cog teeth, which engage the cog teeth on paralel edge of
the lock bolt; the falling weight of the lever or drop handle will then project the bolt
by its direct action.
In the locks described I may use the ordinary spring and follower to project
the bolt and withdraw it, or may cause the projecting of the bolt and falling of the
pawl to be spring aided.
As mortise locks thus constructed have not the usual oblique handle bolt, they can
be fitted to either a right or left handed door.
To enable a rim outside lock to suit either a right or left handed door, I make the
lock case exactly alike on both sides, without any flange, so that it will fit any door
by simply turning it over-the striking plate is also provided with an incline at each
end, for the nose of pawl to pass over, making it similarly reversible.
To provide suitable lock furniture that can be more easily adjusted, and the handles
more securely fitted to the spindle without the liability of either the rose or handle
coming of, I use an ordinary handle, and spindle with the usual indents or screw
threads at the ends; over the shank of the handle 1 place a collar separate from the
rose, having a hole in the centre of the round, the shank of the handle is provided
with two screw holes, having adjusted the handle to the required part of the spindle I
pass the screw which holds the spindle through the hole in collar, into one of the
screw holes in shank of handle and secure the latter firmly to the spindle, I then turn
the collar round until the hole in collar comes opposite the other screwhole in shank, and
screw the collar firmly to the shank so that it becomes part of the handle completely
shutting in the spindle screw, I thus get a direct pull on the spindle alone, and the
roses being separate, they are first placed straight over the spindle and secured,
insuring the handles being squarely fitted without difficulty.
11
1000

page_text: I, EDWIN ROBERT WETHERED, of 21, Brewer Street, Woolwich, in the county of
Kent, Lieutenant Colonel, 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 :--
This invention relates materially to improvements in the locks or latches for which
Letters Patent were granted to me dated 5th July 1884, No. 9798 and it also relates
to lock-furniture.
In the accompanying drawing
Figure 1 is a face view of a rim or mortice lock constructed according to my
present invention the covering plate being removed and the parts shown in the
position they occupy when the bolt is drawn within the lock case.
Figure 2 is a similar view but shewing the position of the parts when the bolt
is shot.
Figure 3 is an edge view of the lock.
Figure 4 is a section on line A, B of Figure 2.
Figures 5 and 6 are face and edge views respectively of the striking plate.
Figure 7 is an elevation of an arrangement of toothed followers which I sometimes
use in combination with the lock shown in Figure 1 to 4, the covering plate of the
case of the same being removed.
Figure 8 is an edge view of this arrangement of followers.
Figure 9 is a section on line CD of Figure 7.
Figure 10 is an elevation, and,
Figure 11 is a plan of part of a chamber door shewing the said arrangement of
toothed followers applied to the lock thereof.
Figure 12 is a face view of a railway carriage door lock adapted for use with or
without the said arrangement of toothed followers the covering plate being removed.
Figure 13 is an edge view of the lock.
Figure 14 is an elevation of part of a carriage door showing the said arrangement
of toothed followers applied to the lock thereof which is of similar construction to
that shewn in Figures 12 and 13.
Figure 15 is a sectional plan of Figure 14.
Figure 16 is a similar view to Figure 1 but illustrating a modified arrangement of
the parts of the lock.
Figures 17, 18, 19 and 20 are similar views to Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 but illustrating
a further modification.

page_text: Figure 21 is a sectional elevation of a pair of door handles with their spindle
illustrating my improvements in lock furniture.
Figure 22 is a detail hereinafter described.
Similar letters in all the figures indicate similar or corresponding parts.
I will first describe my invention by reference to Figures 1 to 4.
a is the lock case in which I place a single flat bolt 6 of about the same length as
the lock case a and of suitable width. At about the middle and on the underside of
the bolt I cut recesses c, c forming teeth in which engage teeth or projections d, don
a tumbler or follower e having a square hole to receive the spindle of the handle
(not shewn in the drawing) which in this case may be of ordinary round or other
suitable form. By turning the handle in one or the other direction the follower e
moves the bolt backwards or forwards. The upper edge of the fore end of the bolt
is reduced in width so as to form a shoulder g... Above the bolt is pivotted at a
pawl with a spring to aid its fall, the study of which pawl, when the door is opened,
comes in front of the shoulder g and retains the bolt in its open position as shewn in
Figure 1.
The fore end of the pawl i projects through the lock case and is bevelled or
rounded at . The striking plate m (Figures 5 and 6) is formed with an inclined
surface n over which the fore end of the pawl rides when the door is closed so as to
raise the pawl from engagement with the bolt when the bolt will be shot into the
position shewn in Figures 2 and 4 by a spring o. Or the spring o can be dispensed
with and the bolt be moved outwards by turning the handle in the proper direction.
is a stud on the lock case a which is located in a slot q in the boltband serves to
guide the latter horizontally.
P
If it is required to lock the bolt in its closed position, especially when the bolt
shoots forward a distance of an inch and a quarter or more, I provide suitable locking
mechanism such as that shewn in Figures 1 and 2. This mechanism consists of a
vertically sliding plate or bolt r situated (when the lock is open) beneath the rear end
of the bolt-6 and adapted to be moved upwards into position behind the bolt b when
shot, by means of a spring a², as shown in Figure 2 and to be moved downwards by
means of a suitable key introduced through the key hole a. A spring tumbler s is
pivotted at t to the lock case a and its pivot pin is located in a slot in the plate
or bolt r. vis another pin located in a slot in the plate and which together
with the pin t serves to guide the plate r. is a flat spring fastened to the lock
case a and having its free end projecting therefrom so as to form a stop to prevent
the plate rising after it has been lowered by the action of the key while the bolt b
is being moved back to open the door; the bolt then presses the spring b² flat against
the lock case and keeps it in this position until the plate commences to rise
over it.
When the door has been closed and the bolt b consequently shot, the plate is
automatically raised by the spring a² into position behind the bolt as shown in
Figure 2 so as to lock the bolt which can only be released by using the said key. Or
the key can be used to raise the plate as well as to lower it in which case the
springs a² and 2 would be dispensed with.
In order to allow of a lock of this construction being operated by a weighted
lever handle I employ the arrangement of mechanism illustrated in Figures 7 to 11.
This mechanism comprises.two toothed collars or followers y and z engaged with one
another and fitted in a case a' which is let into the door A on the side opposite to the
lock as shewn in Figures 10 and 11; or placed entirely within the door. These
toothed collars or followers are provided with square holes 6 and respectively;
Through the hole 61 of the collar y is passed the square spindle d' of the round
handle e¹ the said spindle being secured by means of a nut f¹ and through the hole c
of the collar is passed the spindle g¹ of the weighted or lever handle ¹ which is
likewise secured by means of a nut i¹.
By this means I obtain a reverse action whereby the lock bolt b will be automatically
shot forward into its locking position by the falling weight of the lever handle

page_text: without requiring the action of a spring such as o in Figures 1 and 2 and the bolt will
be kept in this position until the handle e' is turned or the handle his raised to open
the door. It will be observed that by the use of the said toothed collars the action
of the weighted or lever handle is rendered exactly the opposite of the usual action
of other such handles in use the tendency of which is to withdraw the bolt and
unfasten the door by the falling action of the lever handle thereby necessitating the
employment of powerful springs to overcome the said action, besides which in the
event of such springs breaking, the locks are rendered inoperative. This is the case
especially with all railway carriage door locks having inside handles.
The locks shown in Figures 12 and 13 is somewhat similar to that shewn in
Figures 7 and 8 of my said former Specification No. 9798 of 1884 with the exception
that the cog teeth around the heel of the bolt and the weighted lever arm are removed
and the bolt b which is slightly different in form is projected by a spring o. A
pivotted pawl i is also substituted for. the falling block to engage the stud 7 on the
bolt this lock can be used with or without the inside handle cog arrangement as
adapted to the carriage lock shewn in Figures 14 and 15 which illustrate the said
arrangement of toothed collars or followers applied to a carriage door fitted with a
lock similar to that shown in Figures 12 and 13.
The operation is substantially the same as that described with reference to Figures 7
to 11 and will therefore be well understood without further description.
Figure 16 shows how the weight of the lever handles can be utilized to shoot a
sliding bolt such as that shewn in figures 1 and 2 without the employment of the
supplementary toothed collars or followers hereinbefore described and shewn in
figures 7, 8 and 9.
This I effect by forming the recesses c, c in the upper instead of the lower edge of
the boltband by placing the tumbler or follower e above the bolt. The weighted
handles (not shown) are fixed to a spindle fitted in the square hole of the follower
and always tend to fall and shoot the bolt b. The bolt is withdrawn within the
lock case by raising the said weighted handles, when it is retained by the pawl.
Figures 17 to 20 shew a lock adapted to be operated by means of a key instead of
by a handle and suitable for use as a cell lock.
In this arrangement in order to withdraw the bolt to the required extent
of 1 or 1 inches within the lock case, which would not be possible if it were
actuated directly by a key in the ordinary manner, I employ a pivotted lever j¹
bearing against a shoulder 3 on the bolt and having a tumbler & jointed thereto
at and adapted to be moved longitudinally by the key. It will be seen that,
through the medium of this lever 1, the extent of movement of the bolt is much
greater than that of the tumbler ¹. The bolt is maintained in its locked position
by its stud m' engaging in an angular slot n in two pivotted spring tumblers o¹, o¹.
The key of course raises these tumblers o¹ before moving the tumbler ¹ to slide
back the bolt . The bolt is shot by means of the spring o' when the pawl i is
raised by the door being shut in a similar manner to the bolt of the lock hereinbefore
described with reference to figures 1 to 4.
Figures 17 and 19 shew the position of the parts of the lock when open, and
Figures 18 and 20 shew the same when the door is closed.
The lock cases of the locks shewn.in figures 1 to 4 and figures 16 to 20 are
constructed exactly alike on both sides and without any flange (or with a moveable
flange) so that they can be fitted to either a right-hand or a left-hand door and the
striking plate is for this purpose provided with two inclined surfaces n as shown in
figure 6 so as to render it reversible.
Figure 19 illustrates my improvements in lock furniture whereby the same can be
more easily fitted to the door and the handles can be fixed more securely to their
spindle without liability of the rose or the handle coming off.
For this purpose I employ an ordinary handle p¹ permanently fixed to the spindle
formed with the usual indents or recesses, ¹. The shank s¹ of the other handle t¹ is
provided with two screw holes to receive the screws u¹, u² the screw u¹ entering one

page_text: of the recesses whereby the handle t¹ is attached to the spindle q¹. Over the
shanks I place a collar ¹ formed separate from the rose a¹ and having a single
hole y' in its periphery, as shewn in figure 22 which is a detached section of the said
collar drawn to an enlarged scale.
To fit a pair of handles of this description to a door, the spindle q' having been
passed through the lock, the roses al and ², (which are separate from the handles and
collar,) secured to the door and the handle t¹ with the collar adjusted to the required
part of the spindle, the hole y¹ of the collar is brought opposite the hole for the
screw which latter is then introduced through the hole y¹ and screwed into the
shank so as to secure the handle to the spindle. The collar ol is then turned until
the hole y¹ comes opposite the other screw hole in the shanks and the screw u² is
screwed into the shank and will hold the collar ¹ firmly to the shank thereby
completely shutting in the screw u¹ and rendering it practically impossible for it to
work out.
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.) A lock having a flat sliding bolt provided with recesses or teeth on its lower
edge and a tumbler or follower receiving the handle spindle and having teeth or
projections which engage in the recesses in the bolt and thereby project it from and
withdraw it within the lock case, a pawl pivotted at its inner end, and adapted to be
raised by contact with the striking plate serving to retain the bolt in its open position
and a spring serving to shoot the bolt upon the pawl being raised, substantially
as hereinbefore described and illustrated in figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying
drawings.
(2.) The self-locking arrangement hereinbefore described with reference to figures 1
and 2.
(3.) The manufacture and use of the mechanism herein before described and
illustrated in figures 7, 8, and 9 of the drawings for the purpose setforth.
(4.) The arrangement of toothed collars or followers shown in figures 7-to 9, for
projecting the bolt of any lock, whether a turn over or straight shot bolt, by giving a
reverse action to the spindle of the outside handle, by means of the falling weight of
the inside handle, the bolt being withdrawn into the lock case by raising the inside
handle.
(5.) The combination with a lock of the kind referred to in claim 1 of the arrange-
ment of toothed collars or followers, illustrated in figures 7, 8, and 9, to adapt the
lock for use with a weighted or lever handle substantially as hereinbefore described
with reference to figures 10 and 11 of the accompanying drawings.
(6.) The construction of carriage lock hereinbefore described with reference to
figures 12 and 13, having a bolt of the form shewn in combination with a spring
placed in the position indicated.
(7.) The combination of the described arrangement of toothed collars or followers
with a carriage door lock having a pivotted or turn over bolt operated by a weighted
or lever arm or handle, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to
figures 12, 13, 14, and 15 of the accompanying drawings.
(8.) The modification of the lock claimed in claim 1, which modification consists in
forming the teeth or recesses in the upper edge of the bolt and placing the follower
above the same substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described and
illustrated in figure 16 of the accompanying drawings.
(9.) The modifications illustrated in figures 17 to 20 to adapt the lock to be
operated by a key instead of a handle substantially as set forth.
(10.) The arrangement of mechanism whereby a lock bolt, which is shot to a
considerable distance, can be withdrawn within its lock-case by using a key of small
dimensions such mechanism comprising a pivotted lever acting on the bolt and
having a tumbler jointed thereto in such a position that the extent of movement of

page_text: the operating end of the lever is considerably greater than that given to the said
tumbler by the key, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to figures 17
to 20 of the accompanying drawings.
(11.) The improved locks or latches hereinbefore described with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
(12.) The improvements in lock furniture substantially as herein before described
with reference, to figures 21 and 22 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated the 14th day of December 1888.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agents for the Applicant.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agents for the Applicant.