Improvement in Indicating Fasteners for Lavatories, Waterclosets and Private Rooms and the like.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvement in Indicating Fasteners for Lavatories, Waterclosets
and Private Rooms and the like.
FREDERICK HOWARD COLLINS, 26, Cumberland Street, Birmingham, Brass
founder, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My improved fastener consists of a short moveable bar fixed on the door frame
and a catch fixed on the inside of the door and an indicator fixed on the outside
of the door. The bar is any convenient size & shape & falls into & engages
with the catch when the door is fastened. The catch is pivotted on the plate in
such a manner that when the door is unfastened it lies closer to the door than
the thickness of the bar; attached to the catch is a lever long enough to go
through the door & operating the tablet of the indicator on the outside of the
door.
"
Then when the door is closed the person inside brings the bar between the
catch & the plate, then the catch moves slightly on its pivot & the lever raises
the tablet & exhibits the word "Engaged or similar word. On unfastening the
door the catch resumes its normal position the lever falls & the tablet exhibits
Vacant or similar word.
6.
"
Dated this 10th day of March 1898.
Improvement in Indicating Fasteners for Lavatories, Waterclosets,
and Private Rooms and the like.
FREDERICK HOWARD COLLINS, 26, Cumberland Street, Birmingham, Brass-
founder, 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:-
66
"
My improved fastener consists of a falling hook "C" of suitable size and any
required shape fixed on the door jamb operating a catch " A as shewn on draw-
ing 1&2 pivoted to a plate "B" fixed on the inside of the door & having a
lever which moves the indicating tablet this catch is controlled by a
spring which in its normal state presses the catch A" against the plate "B"
as shown on drawing No. 1, but when the hook "C" is brought down to fasten
the door it passes between the catch "A" & the plate "B" & causes the
lever "D" to raise the indicating tablet & exhibit "Engaged" as on drawing
No. 2 or the catch "A" may be in the form shown in drawings No. 3 & 4 in
which case the the normal position of the catch is at an angle to the falling hook
Price Q1

page_text: "
and the indicating tablet is moved by a short lever on the end of a spindle going
through the door (the same letters apply to similar parts in all the drawings).
The tablet is contained in a frame of suitable size & lettered "Vacant
"Engaged or other equivalent words. The relative positions of the hook,
and the catch & indicator may be reversed the hook being placed on the door
and the catch & indicator on the jamb. The manner of using is as follows.
The person inside the apartment presses the falling hook into or onto the
catch "A" & thus fastens the door & causes the word "Engaged
exhibited outside simultaneously, then when leaving the hook is raised &
When the door is
the catch by the action of the spring indicates "Vacant."
closed but without an occupant in the apartment "Vacant" remains exhibited.
to be
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
An indicator worked in the manner described & operated by a fastening hook
moving the catch and indicating only when the door is fastened or unfastened,
but which does not indicate by the mere opening or closing of the door.
Dated this 10th day of December 1898.
FREDERICK HOWARD COLLINS.