Improvements in Keys for Locks.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Mar., 1897-Accepted, 3rd Apr., 1897
Improvements in Keys for Locks.
We, EDWARD L. WETZ, 1349 W. 1st Street, and GARY P. COMBS,
352 W. Monument Street. Mechanics, and DAVID E. BEEGHLEY, 84 E. Vincent
Street, and JACOB H. BILLMAN, 60 E. Vincent Street, Salesmen, all of Dayton,
Ohio, United States of America, 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 our invention is to make the ordinary locks that are now found in
general use, practically burglar-proof, by means herein-after described.
In order that our invention may be fully understood, reference is made to the
accompanying drawings, and to the letters and marks thereon.
Figure 1, is a side elevation of an ordinary door lock of the mortise type, the
cover being removed to show the internal mechanism.
Figure 2, is a longitudinal elevation of the key.
Figure 3, is a side elevation of an end of the key, the pilot end being in section.
A designates the side plate of the lock, upon which the bolts and other devices
are supported, and in which the main bolt B is retained in a sliding position by a
lug a bis a dog that has a lug a¹ fitting in a slot 6' in said bolt. "The dog 6 is
moved against the tension of a spring c by the flange d of the key f. g designates
a metallic plate which is secured to a lug g' that projects from the inner face of the
lock. This plate has a resilient nature and yields under sufficient pressure of the
key, but which is stout enough to maintain the key in the position shown in Fig. 1,
after the bolt has been thrown to lock the door. The key, therefore, cannot be
gotten into a position from without, to be removed from the lock. The invention
pertains to the key f and embodies means for preventing the turning of the key
from without; this consists in constructing the pilot end with an elliptical shape
and providing a groove at the inner terminal of the reduced portion.
metallic cap that incloses the end of the key, and is secured thereto by having its
inner end pressed or crimped into the groove it. When the cap is placed
on the end of the key in this manner it may freely turn without binding, and
without the possibility of coming off. The removal of said cap cannot be effected
by any of the tools commonly employed by burglars. All efforts at turning the
key from without, through the use of pinchers or other tools, will be futile.
A lock having this cap on the end of its key, cannot be turned to a position to
be pushed out of the lock to admit of a skeleton key being inserted.
is a
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:
A key having the pilot end reduced in size, and an annular groove formed at the
inner terminal of said. reduced portion, an oblong cap inclosing said reduced portion,
and having its inner end pressed into said annular groove, whereby means are
provided for preventing the key from being turned from without.
Dated this 1st day of March 1807
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
18 Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C.,
Agents to the Applicants.