AN IMPROVED SPRING LATCH OR FASTENER FOR DOORS
Year: 1830

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, 1, JOHN
ARNOLD, of Sheffield, in the County of York, Powder Flask Maker, send
greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth
did, by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdoni
of Great Britain and Ireland, bearing, date at Westminster, the Twenty-sixth
day of January now last past, give and grant unto me, the said John Arnold;
my exors, admors, and assigns, His said Majesty's especial licence, full power;
sole privilege and authority, that I, the said John Arnold, my exors, admors, and
assigns, by myself and themselves, and by my and their deputy or deputies,
servants or agents, or such others as I, the said John Arnold, my exors, admors;
or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter, during the term of years therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend my Invention of "AN
IMPROVED SPRING LATCH OR FASTENER FOR DOORS" within that part of His
Majesty's United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called England; His
Dominion of. Wales and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, to have, hold, exercise,
and enjoy the said license, powers, privileges; and advantages unto me, the
said John Arnold, my exors, adññors, and assigns, for and during and unto the
full end and term of fourteen years from the date of the said Letters Patent,
in which said Patent is contained a proviso that if I, the said John Arnold, should

page_text: not particularly describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, and cause the same to be enrolled in His Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within two calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent, then that the said Letters Patent,
and all liberties and advantages whatsoever thereby granted, should utterly
cease, determine, and become void, as in and by the said recited Letters
Patent, reference being thereunto had, will more fully appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Arnold, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described
and ascertained in and by the Drawing hereunto annexed, and the following
description thereof (that is to say):-
.
In the said Drawing, Figure 1, A is a vertical section of part of a door,
and B part of the door case. C, a cylindrical metal tube or case, having a
metal plate D affixed upon one of its ends, with screw holes in it to receive
wood screws, whereby the tube and plate are secured in the door, as shewn
in Figure 2, the other end of the tube C being closed by a metal plate, as is
likewise shown in Figure 2 in section. Within the tube C the cylindrical
metal bolt E of the spring latch or fastener for, a door is lodged, as shewn in
Figure 2, the external end, F, of which is sloped off, as shewn in Figures 1
and 2. Figure 3 is a section of the bolt E, shewing it to be partly composed
of a cylindrical metal tube, and partly of the solid metal parts G, H, and I,
the first of which, G, forming the exterior end of the bolt, is made solid for
the sake of strength, and the part H is likewise made solid for the same
reason. The metal plate I serves to close the inner end of the bolt. The
bolt E is continually thrust outwards by the action of the spring J, shewn in
Figure 2, and which. is lodged. at the inner end of the tube C, and presses
against the metal plate I in the bolt E. The bolt E is prevented from turning
round in the tube C by the metal cross pin K, shewn endways in Figure.2,
lengthways by dotted lines in Figure 1, and separately in Figure 4, and which
pin K slides in two grooves made in the sides of the bolt E to receive it, and
one of which is shewn at L; in Figures 2 and 3, the pin being firmly secured
in holes made in the tube C to receive it. The pin K likewise prevents the
bolt E from being pushed too far out of the external tube C by the..action of
the spring J. The sloped end F of the bolt E lodges when the door is shut
within a hole M-made in a striking plate, which is affixed. by means of wood
screws within the door case B, as. shewn in section in Figure.1, separately in
Figure 5, and endways in Figure 6, a corresponding hole or cavity. N

page_text: and one of them, U,
These escutcheons. U
being likewise made in the door case B to receive the end of the bolt.
Figure 7 is an edge view of the door A, the plate D; and the.
end of the bolt. The bolt E is pushed back or withdrawn from the
cavity in the striking plate by the knobs or handles O, P, shewn in Figure 1,
and separately in Figures 8 and 9, the spindle Q of which knobs or handles
has a squared part R formed upon it, which fits into a square hole's made
in the solid part H of the bolt E, as sliewn in Figures 2, 3, and 10: When
the spindle is inserted into the hole S, a square metal socket T, shewn in
Figure 1, and separately in a side view, Figure 11, and endways in Figure 12,
is slipped upon it to keep it from moving endways. The knobs or handles
-O, P, are affixed upon the spindle Q by screws in the usual manner. There
are two metal escutcheon plates U and V affixed' by means of screws or pins,
one on each side of the door A, as shewn in Figure 1,
in Figure 10, which is a side view of part of the door.
and V have a groove W formed in each, one of which is shewn in Figure 10,
for the spindle Q to act in. There are likewise two smaller and moveable
escutcheon plates X and Y, with a square hole in the centre. of each lodged
upon the spindle Q, as shewn edgeways in Figure 1, by a dotted circle in
Figure 10, and one of them separately in Figure 13; and the use of which
is to slide with the spindle, and to cover and hide the grooves formed in
the larger and fixed'escutcheon plates from being seen. This construction
of a spring latch or fastener for a door adapts it to answer the: purpose
of the ordinary mortise spring latches or fasteners for doors, but with the
advantage of being much more readily applied as here, all that is necessary
to be done is to bore a cylindrical hole in the edge of the door to receivé
the external tube Ċ within it, and to let in the plate D, and likewise tó
bore a corresponding cylindrical hole in the door case to admit the end F
of the bolt, and also to let in the striking plate, Figure 5, instead of having
to cut away the substance of the door in the usual manner of fitting in
mortise spring latches, and whereby a saving of labour is effected and less
injury done to the door.
.
Figure 14 is a vertical section of parts of a door A, and a door case B;
having a plate, spring, latch, or fastener affixed to the door, the construction of
which differs from the spring latch or fastener above described in several
respects as here. The external cylindrical metal tube C. is affixed to or upon
a metal plate Z, one end of which is bent at a right angle, as shewn at a in
Figure 14, holes being formed in this plate to receive wood screws whereby
the spring latch is to be affixed to the door in the usual manner, a striking

page_text: .plate, Figure 15, with a circular hole M in it similar to the above described,
being affixed in the same way to the door case: The bolt E, Figure 16, of
this spring latch is partly composed of a tube, and has its outer end F made
solid and sloped off in a similar manner to that before described, and has like-
wise a solid part H affixed within it, but the metal plate I of Figure-3 is
omitted, the spring J being lodged at the inner end of the external tube C, as
shewn in Figure 17, and acting against the end of the tube C and the solid
part H, so as to push out the bolt. This bolt having but one knob or handle
b is fitted up in a different manner to that before described. The solid part H
having a round hole made in it, into which a cylindrical stem or pin c,
Figure 19, affixed to the knob or handle 6 enters, and is secured therein by a
.screw d, Figurė 20, and as is also shewn in Figure 14, where its head is seen
as lodged in a grove or slit e, made in the external tube or case C to receive
it. The stem or pin of the knob or handle b slides backwards and forwards
in another and wider groove, or slit fmade in the plate Z, as shewn in Figure 18,
and a moveable escutcheon X, Figure 21, is also lodged upon the stem or
pin c of the knob or handle 6; in order to cover and hide the groove f, as
:shewn in section in Figure 17. :
•
Figure 22 is an end view of the latch; and Figure 23 the spring J shewn
separately, and Figure 24 is an inner view of the latch. Instead of slipping,
sliding, pushing, or drawing back the bolt of the spring latch, shewn in
Figure 1, by means of the handles or knob.O and P, I can effect the same
object by turning a knob or handle..either way as required by the following
methods: In Figure 25 C represents the external tube or case of a spring
latch similar to that shewn in Figure 1, the same parts being also designated
by similar letters of reference. Instead, however, of the bolt having a spindle
and knobs affixed in it, it has only a pin or stud'g, shewn by a dotted circle in
Figure 25, and in a side view of it, Figure 26, which is screwed or otherwise
secured in it, and passes through a slit or groove made in the external tube C,
it projecting or extending beyond the side of the tube, as shewn in Figure 26.
U in Figures 25 and 26 is an escutcheon plate affixed by screws or pins to
one side of the door, and having a circular hole in its centre formed to receive
à cylindrical part of a short stem h, which is affixed to a knob or handle i, and
which short stem h.has affixed upon its inner end a forked lever j, Figures 25
and 26, into the gap or notch of which lever the pin or stud 9 of the bolt is
received, and upon turning the knob or handle ia little the bolt F will be
withdrawn. Where, however, it is desirable to have a handle on each side of
the door the construction shewn in Figure 27 may be adopted. Here the

page_text: stem h of the knob or handle i is lengthened sufficiently to pass through a cir-
cular hole formed in the centre of another escutcheon V, affixed by pins or
screws upon the opposite side of the door to the escutcheon U, the forked 'lever
j being secured upon the stem or spindle h by passing a pin through them, as
shewn, or in other fit and proper manner. Another knob or handle k is then
to be affixed upon the stem or spindle h by a screw or otherwise. In cases
where it may be desirable to open a door by means of a key applied to the
latch, on one side of it, I lengthen the stem h, as shewn in Figure 28, but
not so much as in the last-described example, and give that elongated part a tri-
angular shape, as shewn in Figure 29, or any other form which.may be desired,
keys with correspondent holes to fit these stems being provided, as usual.
Figure 29 is an inner view of the escutcheon U, the forked lever j, and a
triangular elongated stem h. The circular holes shewn in Figures 27 and 28
are intended to receive the external tube or case C of the spring latch.
Figure 30 is a side view, and Figure 31 an edge view of part of a door
having a spring bolt or fastener affixed upon it.
.
Figure 32 is an exterior view of the cylindrical metal tube or case C, which
incloses the cylindrical metal bolt E, shewn in section in Figure 33, and where
it is seen to be partly composed of a metal tube and partly of the solid part
at its external end, which however is not sloped off as in the spring latches
before described, but is only rounded off. It has likewise another solid part
at H. The tube C has also a metal plate D affixed at its external end, with
holes in it to receive wood screws which secure it to the door in a similar
manner to the first spring latch herein described, and a similar spring J, shewn
separately in Figure 25, lodged in the inner end of the tube C,. acts against
the end of that tube, and also against the inner end of the solid part H of the
bolt E, so as to push or thrust it outwards, and as shewn in the section of these
parts, Figure 34. Besides the sliding movement of this spring bolt it also
possesses a circular one, to admit of which a slit or groove m, Figure 32, is made
through the side of the external tube or case C, and through which slit or
groove the stem of a knob or handle n, Figures 30 and 31, passes, which is
screwed into the solid part H of the bolt E. From the slit or groove m two
side gaps proceed downwards, as shewn in Figure 32, to suffer the stem of the
knob or handle n to turn downwards as required to keep the bolt thrust out or
drawn back. There is also a metal plate o, Figures 30 and 31, and shewn
separately in Figure 36, affixed upon the same side of the door with the knob
or handle, and which has a corresponding slit or groove m formed in it to agree
with that in the tube or case C. But one of the side gaps proceeding down-
wards from the slit or groove m is hollowed sideways, in the manner shewn in

page_text: -Figures. 80 and.36,.at p,-so as to permit the cylindrical stem of the knob of
the handle n to lodge and rest within it when the bolt E is drawn back; and to
-retain the bolt. in that situation.
Figure 37 is a metal catch plate, having a circular hole' M in it to receive
:the bolt, and.two countersunk holes for the wood screws to pass through, by
which it is to be fixed within the door frame, and which must also have a cor-
:responding circular hole bored in it to receive the bolt. The same advantages
of being. readily applied to a door and door frame are possessed by this spring
--bolt as in the spring latch first described herein. I do not mean or intenil
hereby to claim as my Invention' any of the various parts of which these spring
latches: and spring bolts or door fasteners are composed' which may already be
known or in use:.
But I do hereby claim the construction of spring latches and spring bolts, or
door fasteners, by means of an external cylindrical metal tube or case
enclosing another cylindrical metal tube within it, and which tube is
strengthened by solid metal parts in the methods herein shewn and described,
ând which said.inner tube performs 'the office of a bolt in the said spring latches
and spring bolts or door fasteners, the said bolt being pushed' outwardly by the
action of a spring placed within the external tube or case for that purpose.'"
; I likewise claim the employment of brass, iron, steel; or any other fit and
.proper. metal or.mixtures of metals, in the construction of the various parts of
these. spring latches, spring bolts, or door fasteners.
In witness whereof, I, the said John. Arnold, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, the Twenty-third day of March, in the eleventh year of the
reign of our Sovereign Lord George the Fourth, by the grace of God
of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland King, Defender
of the Faith, and in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and thirty

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-third day of March, in
the year of our Lord 1830, the aforesaid John Arnold came before our said
Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Twenty-sixth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and thirty.