IMPROVEMENTS IN ATTACHING KNOBS TO DOORS AND THE SURFACES OF OTHER ARTICLES, AND TO LOCK AND LATCH SPINDLES, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS MAY ALSO BE APPLIED TO FASTENING FINGER PLATES TO DOORS
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Lester Hinks, of Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, Manufacturer, and John Hinks, of Birmingham aforesaid,
Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ATTACHING KNOBS
TO DOORS AND THE SURFACES OF OTHER ARTICLES, AND TO LOCK AND LATCH
SPINDLES, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS MAY ALSO BE APPLIED TO FASTENING
FINGER PLATES TO DOORS."
Sealed the 8th August 1864, and dated the 23rd May 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Lester Hinks
and John Hinks at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 23rd May 1864.
We, JOSEPH LESTER HINKS, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Manufacturer, and JOHN HINKS, of Birmingham, aforesaid, Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
ATTACHING KNOBS TO DOORS AND THE SURFACES OF OTHER ARTICLES, AND TO LOCK
AND LATOH SPINDLES, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS MAY ALSO BE APPLIED TO
FASTENING FINGER PLATES TO DOORS," to be as follows:-
Our Invention consists of the improvements herein-after explained in attach-
ing door knobs to doors and the surfaces of other articles, and to spindles, the
object of our improvements being so to construct the parts of the knob by
which it is attached to the door or surface, or its spindle, as to permit of the
EP-813

page_text: convenient use of the knob with doors or articles of any thickness, or spindles
of any length. Part of our improvements may also be applied to fastening
door plates to doors.
In one of our improvements we connect the knob with the part called the
rose so that the knob can turn freely on the rose. On the under side of the
rose, and fixed thereto, are two ears or projections, and on the door or surface
through which the spindle of the knob passes is fixed a circular hollow disc or
plate having in it recesses into which the ears or projections under the rose
enter and engage. By placing the rose upon the said hollow disc or plate
and making the ears enter the recesses' in the said hollow disc or plate, and
giving a motion of partial rotation to the rose, the said rose and with it the
knob are attached to the door or other surface. The knob has in it a square
hole in which the square spindle enters..
In another of our improvements we attach the rose to the knob by means
of a slit tube having a flange at one end. The said slit tube carries a loose
plate or disc, which is screwed to the door or surface to which the knob is to
be attached, and over the said plate the rose is placed. A thin washer is next
placed on the slit tube for the neck of the knob to work against; and lastly,
the knob is put on the slit end of the slit tube. By forcing a tool down the
slit tube its slit end is expanded in the knob and the knob fixed thereto. The
holes in the slit tube and knob are square, and when the knob is fixed to the
door or surface by the plate under the rose, the spindle enters the slit tube
and the turning of the knob effects the turning of the spindle.
In this and the last-described improvement the knob at both ends of the
spindle may be secured in a similar way, or at one end of the spindle a knob
fixed to the spindle may be employed. In this case any of the well-known
means must be resorted to to prevent the spindle from being withdrawn,
from the door or lock or latch through which it passes, as the knob fixed
to the door or surface in either of the ways described. does not prevent the
withdrawal of the spindle.
Another of our improvements is as follows:-We make a screw thread on.
the angles of one end of the spindle, and we make a screw nut or collar capable
of working on the said screw. The knob has a square hole, and is capable
of sliding but not of turning on the square spindle. We connect the said
screw, nut, or collar to the knob, so that the said nut or collar can rotate with-
out causing the rotation of the knob. The rose is fixed to the said screw, nut,
or collar. In connecting the knob to the spindle, the spindle with a fixed
knob at its unscrewed end is passed through the door, lock, or latch, and

page_text: the screw collar of the moveable knob is made to advance upon the screw
thread of the spindle by turning the rose until it is brought in contact with
the door or lock or latch case. As the hole in the moveable knob into
which the spindle enters is square the turning of the knob effects the turning
of the spindle
the screw collar of the moveable knob is made to advance upon the screw
thread of the spindle by turning the rose until it is brought in contact with
the door or lock or latch case. As the hole in the moveable knob into
which the spindle enters is square the turning of the knob effects the turning
of the spindle
The improvement herein-first described may be applied to the fastening
of door plates to doors. In this case we make the parts on a much smaller
scale than when they are made for fastening knobs.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed, by the said Joseph Lester Hinks and John Hinks in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 22nd November 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOSEPH
LESTER HINKS, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer,
and JOHN HINKS, of Birmingham aforesaid, Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Joseph Lester Hinks and John Hinks, Her special licence that we, the
said Joseph Lester Hinks and John Hinks, our executors, 'administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said Joseph Lester Hinks and John Hinks,
our 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 ATTACHING
KNOBS TO DOORS, AND THE SURFACES OF OTHER ARTICLES, AND TO LOCK AND
LATCH SPINDLES, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS MAY ALSO BE APPLIED TO FASTENING
FINGER PLATES TO DOORS, "upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said
Joseph Lester Hinks and John Hinks, our executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under our or their hands and seals, or under the hand
and seal of one of us or them, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, andin what manner the same was to be performed
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Officewithin six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent,

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Joseph Lester Hinks and John
Hinks, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
Our Invention consists of the improvements herein-after explained in
attaching door knobs to doors and the surfaces of other articles, and to
spindles, the object of our improvements being so to construct the parts of
the knob by which it is attached to the door or surface, or its spindle, as to
permit of the convenient use of the knob with doors or articles of any
thickness or spindles of any length. Part of our improvements may also
be applied to fastening door or finger plates to doors.
In one of our improvements we connect the knob with the part called
the rose, so that the knob can turn freely on the rose. On the under side
of the rose and fixed thereto are two ears or projections, and on the door
or surface through which the spindle of the knob passes is fixed a
circular hollow disc or plate, having in it recesses into which the ears or
projections under the rose enter and engage. By placing the rose upon the
said hollow disc or plate, and giving a motion of partial rotation to the rose,
the said rose and with it the knob are attached to the door or other surface.
The knob has in it a square hole in which the square spindle enters.
In another of our improvements we attach the rose to the knob by means
of a slit tube having a flange at one end. The said slit tube carries a loose
plate or disc which is screwed to the door or surface to which the knob is to
be attached, and over the said plate the rose is placed; a thin washer is
next placed on the slit tube for the neck of the knob to work against; and
lastly, the knob is put on the slit end of the slit tube. By forcing a tool
down the slit tube, its slit end is expanded in the knob, and the knob fixed
thereto. The holes in the slit tube and knob are square, and when the knob
is fixed to the door or surface by the plate under the rose, the spindle enters
the slit tube, and the turning of the knob effects the turning of the spindle.
In this and the last-described improvement, the knob at both ends of the
spindle may be secured in a similar way, or at one end of the spindle a knob
fixed to the spindle may be employed. In this case any of the well-known
means must be resorted to to prevent the spindle from being withdrawn
from the door, or lock, or latch, through which it passes, as the knob fixed
to the door or surface in either of the ways described does not prevent the
withdrawal of the spindle.
Another of our improvements is as follows:-We make a screw thread on

page_text: he angles of one end of the spindle, and we make a screw nut or collar
capable of working on the said screw. The knob has a square hole, and is
capable of sliding but not of turning on the square spindle. We connect the
said screw nut or collar to the knob, so that the said nut or collar can rotate
without causing the rotation of the knob. The rose is fixed to the said screw
nut or collar.
In connecting the knob to the spindle, the spindle with a
fixed knob at its unscrewed end is passed through the door, lock, or latch, and
the screw collar of the moveable knob is made to advance upon the screw of
the spindle by turning the rose until it is brought in contact with the door or
lock or latch case. As the hole in the moveable knob into which the spindle
enters is square, the turning of the knob effects the turning of the spindle.
The improvement herein first described may be applied to the fastening
of door or finger plates to doors. In this case we make the parts on a much
smaller scale than when they are made for fastening knobs.
Having explained the nature of our Invention, we will proceed to describe
with reference to the accompanying Drawings the manner in which the same
is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents partly in section and partly in elevation a knob
attached to a door according to one of our improvements; Figures 2 and 3
represent the knob and its rose separately, Figure 2 representing an end
elevation of the rose and knob, and Figure 3 an elevation of the knob and
section of the rose; Figures 4 and 5 represent a portion of this part of our
Invention as herein-after explained. The same letters indicate the same parts
in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.
a is the knob, and 6 the rose of the said knob. The said rose 6 has a circular
recess 63 in frout, in which the shoulder a2 of the knob works. The knob a
can thereby turn freely on the rose. On the inner side of the rose b are two
ears or projections c, c, (the shape of which is best seen in Figure 2), the
said ears or projections being situated in the recess d in the rose.
The ears
or projections c are carried by a tube e fixed in the rose b. On the door or
other surface to which the knob is to be attached is fixed a circular hollow
disc or plate f, which is situated when the knob and rose are in their places
on the door in the recess d at the back of the rose, as seen in Figure 1.
This hollow disc or platef is shown separately in Figures 4 and 5, Figure 4
representing the upper side and edge view of the said disc, and Figure 5 the
under side and transverse section of the same. The said disc or plate f
has recesses g, g, at opposite sides, corresponding in shape with the ears or
projections c, c, on the rose, with which recesses g the said ears or projections

page_text: are made to engage. The inner side of the disc or plate carries two elastic
plates or springs h, the free end of each spring being situated near one edge
of each recess g, as represented in Figure 5. Inside the knob is a tube i
(shown in elevation in Figures 1 and 3), having a flange 12 at its outer end,
which flange works in a circular recess in front of the tube e, carrying the
ears or projections c, c, and thus connects the rose 6 to the knob a, the knob
being at the same time capable of turning freely upon the rose.
The knob a
and rose b being connected together in the manner represented in Figure 3
the rose b is placed upon the fixed hollow disc or plate f, the ears or projections
c being made to enter and pass through the recesses g in the said disc or
plate f. By then giving a partial rotation to the rose b, the ears c are moved
from the recesses g, and passed under the springs or elastic plates h, the said
springs or plates holding the ears or projections c firmly between themselves
and the disc or plate f, and thus prevent all shaking in the rose by the motion
of the door. The rose and knob are thereby attached to the door or other
surface. The manner in which the ears c engage with the springs or plates h
will be readily understood by an examination of Figures 1 and 5, in which
Figure 5 the ears or projections are indicated in dotted lines. The inner
tube i of the knob a has a square hole in its axis, in which the spindle k
(when a spindle is used) is inserted, whereby the motion of the said knob
is transmitted to the said spindle, the rose b being unaffected by the motion
of the said knob. The end of the tube i is slit, and the tube is fixed in the
knob by expanding its slit end in the manner herein-after explained.
Figure 6 represents in section a knob attached to a door or other surface
according to another part of our Invention, and Figures 7, 8, and 9 represent
portions of the same as herein-after explained. The same letters indicate the
same parts in Figures 6, 7, 8, and 9.
In this part of our Invention the rose is attached to the nob in by means
of a slit tube n having a flange n2 at its outer end. The said slit tube n is
shown separately in side elevation, front elevation, and section in Figure 9.
The slit tube n carries a loose plate or disc p (shown separately in plan and
edge view in Figure 7), which plate or disc is screwed to the door or other
surface g to which the knob is to be attached, and over the said plate p the
rose is placed, a recess 12 being made in the inner side of the rose for the
reception of the said plate. The shape of the recess 12 in the rose is best seen
in the elevation of the inner side of the rose, Figure 8. The knob m is next
placed on the slit tube n, its shoulder engaging in a recess ³ in the front of the
Or the shoulder of the knob may work against a plate or disc in the
rose.

page_text: recess in the rose.
The knob m, rose l, and plate p being placed together in
the positions represented in Figure 6, a tool is forced down the slit tuben, and
its slit end expanded, so as to make the projections on the said slit end
engage in a circular recess simade in the interior of the knob. By uow
screwing the plate p to the door or surface the knob.and rose are securely
attached to the door or surface, as represented in Figure 6, the knob being
also capable of turning freely on the rose. The hole in the axis of the slit
tube n is square, and when the knob has been fixed to the door or surface in
the manner before described the spindle is inserted in the square hole in tho
slit tube and the turning of the knob effects the turning of the spindle. In
this and the previously described arrangement the knob at both ends of the
spindle may be secured in a similar way, or at one end of the spindle a fixed
knob may be employed. In this case any of the well-known means must be
resorted to to prevent the spindle from being withdrawn from the door or lock
or latch through which it passes, as the knob fixed to the door or surface
in either of the ways described does not prevent the withdrawal of: the
spindle. Although we have described knobs attached to doors in the ways
before explained as being provided with spindles, yet knobs may be attached
to doors, cupboards, drawers, and other surfaces, according to our Invention,
which are not required. to have spindles.
The
Figures 10 and 11 represent in elevation and section respectively the
moveable knob of a pair of knobs attached to its spindle according to our
Invention, and Figures 12, 13, and 14 represent parts of the same.
same letters indicate the same parts in Figures 10, 11, 12, 13, and: 14.
a is the fixed knob secured to one end of: the screwed spindle b, and c is the
rose of the knob.; d'is the moveable knob capable of being fixed and adjusted'
on the said spindle b in the manner herein-after explained; e is the rose of
the moveable knob d. In the axis of the knob d is.arslit tube f. (shewn
separately in Figure 13) fixed in the knob in the manner before explained:
with reference to Figures 6; 7; 8; and 9. The hole in the tube f is square,
andi the said knob.is: capable of sliding but not of rotating upon the screwed
spindle b. On the said:spindle b is a screw.nut or collar. g.(shown separately
in Figure 14) which works upon the screw of the said spindle. The screw nut
or collar gis connected to the knob d by the front edge of the flange f2 ofislit
tube fbeing burnished or turned over the flange g² of the screw nut or collarg,
as illustrated in Figure 11. By this means the screw nut g is incapable of being
separated from the knob, but is capable of rotation in the said flange f.
Upon the outside of the screw. nut or collar.g the rose er of the knobid is

page_text: situated, the said rose being fixed thereon by being placed upon the square or
angular sides of the said screw nut, the flange f2 fitting into a recess in the
front of the rose. By the rotation of the rose e the screw nut or collar g is
made to travel upon the screwed spindle b, and the knob d thereby made to
slide upon the said spindle. In connecting the knob d to the spindle b the
said spindle with the fixed knob a and rose c is passed through the door lock or
latch, and the screw nut or collar g is made to advance upon the protruding
end of the spindle by turning the rose e, the rose being turned until it is
brought in contact with the door or lock or latch case. The knob is thereby
fixed on the spindle and the spindle adjusted to the thickness of the door or
lock or latch case. As the hole in the knob d into which the spindle b enters is
square the turning of the said knob effects the turning of the spindle. A lock
nut may be screwed on the spindle b before the knob c, the said nut being
screwed into a recess in the door. When the rose has been brought nearly
against the door the screw collar g bears against the lock nut, and the further
rotation of the rose on the spindle is prevented. This lock nut is represented
in the recess in the door in Figure 11 and is marked g³. Instead of fastening
the screw nut or collar 9 to the knob by turning over the flange f2 of the slit
tube f upon the flange g2 of the said screw nut, as already described, the aid
flange may be turned over a plain collar within which the flange g² of the
screw nut works.
This modification is represented in Figure 14 A of the Drawings, in which
said Figure 14 A, g is the screw box, the flange g2 of which works in the
collar h; the screw box g and collar h being put together are placed in the
hollow flange of the slit tube f, and the front edge of the said hollow
flange f is burnished or turned over the front of the collar h, as seen in the
section of the said parts. By this arrangement the screw nut 7 has more
freedom of motion within the fixed collar h than it has when the flange f2
is turned directly upon the said screw nut.
The improvements herein-before described and illustrated in the accompany-
ing Drawings are specially applicable to knobs made of china, wood, or other
non-metallic substance, but may also be applied to knobs made of metal.
Figure 15 represents in section a finger plate attached to a door accord-
ing to our Invention, and Figures 16 and 17 represent in plan and section
respectively the finger plate separately; Figures 15, 19, and 20 represent
parts of the same. The same letters indicate the same parts in Figures 15,
16, 17, 18, 19, and 20. The method represented in the said Figures 15, 16,
17,18,19, and 20 of fastening finger plates to doors resembles that represented

page_text: in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, for attaching knobs to doors and other surfaces, the
parts being modified in the following manner:-In the finger plate h two
countersunk holes i are made into which a portion of the buttons or studs k
are fitted.
The said buttons or studs are provided with stems, each of the
said stems having a flange or plate at its end. One of the buttons / is
shewn separately in plan of underside in Figure 19, and elevation in Figure 20.
In the door m to which the finger plate h is to be attached, two recesses n
are made and over each recess a plate p is screwed flush with the surface of
the door. In the middle of the plate p an opening q is cut, the said opening
being of the shape and somewhat larger in size than the flange or plate / on
the end of the stem or axis of the button k. The plate p is shown separately
in plan and elevation in Figure 18. In attaching the finger plate h to the
door m, the buttons & are inserted into the recesses i, the tongue or plate
on the buttons being situated in such a position that it will pass through the
opening in the plate p into the recess in the door. By now giving a
partial rotation to the button, the flange is made to cross the opening 9 and
engage behind the plate p, as represented in the section, Figure 15. The
finger plate is thereby securely fastened to the door. By moving the button
so that the flanges or plates / coincide with the openings q in the plates p the
said flanges can be withdrawn through the openings q and the finger plate
disconnected from the door.
2
Having now described the nature of our Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, we wish it to be understood that we do
not limit ourselves to the precise details herein described and represented
in the Drawings, as the same may be varied without departing from the nature
of our Invention, but we claim as our Invention,―
Firstly, the improvements in attaching knobs to doors and the surfaces
of other articles herein-before described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4,
and 5 of the accompanying Drawings, that is to say, by means of ears or
projections fixed to the rose engaging with a hollow disc or plate fixed to
to the door or other surface, the several parts being arranged or combined
substantially in the manner described and illustrated.
Secondly, the improvements in attaching knobs to doors and the surfaces
of other articles herein-before described and illustrated in Figures 6, 7, 8,
and 9 of the accompanying Drawings, that is to say, by means of a loose
plate or disc carried by the rose, the said loose plate or disc being screwed
to the door or other surface and secured to the knob by means of a slit tube,
substantially in the manner described and illustrated.

page_text: Thirdly, the arrangement or combination of parts marked e, f, g, g², g³,
and in Figures 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 14A, of the accompanying Drawings
for attaching knobs to lock and latch spindles and for adjusting the knobs
on the spindles.
Lastly, the improvements in fastening finger plates to doors herein-
before described, and illustrated in Figures 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, and 20
of the accompanying Drawings, that is to say, by means of a button or
buttons on the said finger plates being made to engage with a plate or
plates fixed on the door, substantially in the manner described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, we, the said Joseph Lester Hinks, and John Hinks,
have hereunto set cur hands and seals, this Eighteenth day of
November, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-four.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
JOSEPH LESTER HINKS. (L.s.)
JOHN HINKS.
(L.S.)