AN IMPROVED COMBINED DOOR FASTENING AND INDICATOR
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Angier Arthur St. Vincent Rich, of. Hampton, in the
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED COMBINED DOOR
FASTENING AND INDICATOR."
Sealed the 9th May 1879, and dated the 13th November 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Angier Arthur St. Vincent
Rich at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th November
1878.
ANGIER ARTHUR ST. VINCENT RICH, of Hampton, in the County of Middlesex.
AN IMPROVED COMBINED DOOR FASTENING AND INDICATOR."
This Invention consists in the construction of a combined door fastening, or bolt
and indicator whereby the fastening or closing of the bolt on the inside shall operate
a device and uncover or exhibit to view the word "engaged" (or any equivalent
word or indication), thereby shewing that the room or chamber is occupied, and I
may here remark that my Invention is specially applicable to the doors of water
closets, but is also applicable to other doors, as will be readily understood.
In carrying out my Invention I provide a spindle which passes through and
turns in a hole in the door; the inner end of this spindle carries a latch, which
latch when unfastened hangs down vertically by its own weight, and when raised
into a horizontal position its outer end passes into a hasp or staple, and is secured
by a pin or otherwise. The other or outer end of the spindle carries an arm or lever
at right angles to the herein before described latch, so that when the latch is vertical
the said arm or lever is horizontal. On the front of the door, and behind the said
arm or lever (when in its horizontal position), is the word "engaged" (or any
equivalent word or indication), such word being either painted on the door, or
printed, engraved, or otherwise on a plate fixed on the door.

page_text: By this arrangement, if a person enters a water closet or other chamber or room,
and raises the said latch and fastens it, the spindle will be moved, and will move
with it the herein before described arm or lever, which will be lowered into a vertical
position so as to uncover the word "engaged," and shew that the chamber is
occupied. On unfastening the latch it will drop into its vertical position, and thereby
raise the arm so as to cover the word "engaged," and thus shew that the
chamber is unoccupied.
In some cases, in place of employing a rotating lever or arm and latch, I may
employ a slide operated by a sliding bolt, the slide and bolt being connected through
a horizontal slot in the door

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Angier Arthur, St. Vincent Rich in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 13th May 1879.
ANGIER ARTHUR ST. VINCENT RICH, of Hampton, in the County of Middlesex.
"AN IMPROVED COMBINED DOOR FASTENING AND INDICATOR."
This Invention consists in the construction of a combined door fastening, or bolt
and indicator whereby the fastening or closing of the bolt on the inside shall
operate a device, and uncover or exhibit to view the word "engaged" (or any
equivalent word or indication), thereby shewing that the room or chamber is
occupied, and I may here remark that my Invention is specially applicable to the
doors of water closets, but is also applicable to other doors, as will be readily
understood.
In carrying out my Invention, I provide a spindle which passes through and turns
in a hole in the door. The inner end of this spindle carries a latch, which latch
when unfastened hangs down vertically by its own weight, and when raised into a
horizontal position its outer end passes into a hasp or staple, and is secured by a
pin or otherwise. The other or outer end of the spindle carries an arm or lever at
right angles to the herein before described latch, so that when the latch is vertical
the said arm or lever is horizontal, and vice versa. On the front of the door, and
behind the said arm or lever (when in its horizontal position) is the word "engaged
(or any equivalent word or indication), such word being either painted on the door,
or printed, engraved, or otherwise on a plate fixed on the door.
ور
But to make my Invention better understood I will proceed to describe the same
by reference to the accompanying Drawing, in which Figure 1 is an outside view;
Figure 2, an inside view; and Figure 3, a section of part of a door provided with
my improved combined door fastening and indicator, the fastening or bolt being
open; Figures 4, 5, and 6, similar views, shewing the fastening closed or fastened;
Figures 7 to 12 are similar views to Figures 1 to 6, but shewing the combined
fastening and indicator, provided with a disc instead of an arm or lever. Similar
letters in all the Figures represent similar or corresponding parts.
a is the spindle passing through and turning in a hole in the door b; c is the
latch on the inner end of the spindle a, and formed heaviest at its outer end, so that
when unfastened it hangs down vertically by its own weight as shewn; d is the
hasp or staple into which the outer end of the latch c is passed when the fastening
is closed, and is then secured by the pin e, which is passed into the hole f; g is the
chain for holding the pin e, but any other suitable method of fastening the latch c
may be employed; h is the arm or lever on the outer end of the spindle a, such arm
or lever h being fixed at right angles to the latch c, so that when one is in a vertical
position, the other is in a horizontal position. Behind the said arm or lever /
(when in its horizontal position) is the word "engaged" (or any equivalent word
or indication), such word being either painted on the door or printed, engraved, or
otherwise, on a plate fixed on the door.
By this arrangement, if a person enters the water closet or other chamber or
room, the door of which is provided with the improved combined fastening or
indicator, and raises the said latch c, and fastens it as hereinbefore described, the
spindle a will be moved through a quarter of a revolution, and will move with it
the herein before described arm or lever h, which will be lowered into a vertical
position, as shewn in Figures 4 and 6, so as to uncover the word "engaged," and
shew that the chamber is occupied. On unfastening the latch c the latch will drop
automatically into its vertical position by its own weight, and will thereby raise the
arm h so as to cover the word "engaged," as shewn in Figure 1, and thus show that
the chamber is unoccupied.
The fastening shewn in Figures 7 to 12 is identical with the one hereinbefore
described and shewn in Figures 1 to 6, except that instead of the arm or lever / I

page_text: employ a disc or plate h³, with two openings i, j, therein, and on the door, in addi-
tion to the word "engaged," I place the word "open." When the latch is not
fastened the word "open" will be exhibited through the opening j, as shewn in
Figure 7, and will shew that the room or other chamber is disengaged. When
however the fastening is closed the disc will be partly rotated, and the opening i of
the disc will be brought over the word "engaged," as shewn in Figure 10, and
indicate that the room is occupied. Or the disc may have only the opening i
therein, and the word "open on the door may be dispensed with.
Having thus described my said Invention, and the best means I am acquainted
with for carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise details herein laid down and shewn in the Drawing,
as the same may be varied without departing from the peculiar character of my
Invention; but what I do claim is,
The construction and employment of the improved combined door fastening and
indicator, arranged and operating substantially as hereinbefore described and repre-
sented in the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Angier Arthur St. Vincent Rich, have hereto
set my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
ANGIER ARTHUR ST. VINCENT RICH. (L.S.)