AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF LOCKS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Michael Leopold Parnell, Patent Lock Manu-
facturer, of 283, Strand, in the Parish of Saint Clement Danes, in the
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF LOCKS."
Sealed the 22nd July 1856, and dated the 5th February 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Michael Leopold Parnell
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th February 1856.
I, MICHAEL LEOPOLD PARNELL, Patent Lock Manufacturer, of No. 283,
Strand, in the Parish of St. Clement Danes, in the County of Middlesex, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for AN IMPROVEMENT. IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF LOCKS, to be as follows:-
Instead of the ordinary shape levers or tumblers used in other locks, my
levers or tumblers is quite original in form, and with the aid of a circular arm
turning upon a screw or rivet, affixed to the back of the lock, I gain two
actions in locking the lock, namely, up and down, by one revolution of the key.
My cylinder or curtain is so formed that it is a matter of impossibility to
adjust the levers or tumblers, untill released from the enclosure of the said
cylinder or curtain, and which must revolve with the key. The bolt of the

page_text: lock as a series of false notches or gatings, and a chamber cut in the body
of the bolt to receive the stump of the lever or tumbler when locked. To
these locks the box staple as a sliding striker working backwards and
forwards, and acted upon by a spring which tends to preserve the locks from
concussion, and the wear and tear of the door jams to which they are affixed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Michael Leopold Parnell in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 5th August 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MICHAEL
LEOPOLD PARNELL, of 283, Strand, in the Parish of Saint Clement Danes, in
the County of Middlesex, Patent Lock Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Michael Leopold Parnell, Her special licence that I, the said Michael
Leopold Parnell, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Michael Leopold Parnell, my 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 law-
fully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an In-
vention for AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF LOCKS, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Michael Leopold Parnell, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause
the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Michael Leopold Parnell, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
The nature of my Invention is to frustrate the known method of picking
lever locks, and to prevent pressure being obtained with the stump of the bolt
against the levers, by the introduction of false instruments or picks, and the

page_text: levers from being tampered with, or raised to their respective gateings by
locking them down into a special chamber cut into each of the levers, and by
the back action of the bolt after the bolt of the lock is locked out with the
key, obtaining two actions in the locking and unlocking of the lock, by one
revolution of the key.
In locking these locks the bolt is propelled forward to its extent, and then,
by the introduction of an arm working upon a pin affixed to the lock case, and
attached to the front part of the bolt with a pin, upon which it works, or by
having a circular head to the arm working in the bolt, the bit of the key
which acts upon the bolt of the lock, in its further revolution, comes in contact
with this arm so working, and which propels the bolt a little backward, and
causes the stump which is affixed to the bolt to enter the special chamber of
the levers which prevents pressure, and the levers from being raised to their
respective gateings as before stated.
In unlocking these locks the levers are adjusted twice by the key, in the
first place, to allow the bolt to go forward, and to bring the stump of the bolt
out of the special into the original or first locking chamber, and when this is
done the levers have again to be adjusted to their respective gateings, and by
a further revolution of the key the lock is unlocked. I have also a shield
revolving upon a collar formed upon the top surface of the shield, and
working in the cap plate of the lock, also a circular grove formed in the under
side, and a rim on the outside edge of the said shield, working upon the top of
a circular ward affixed to the bottom of the lock case surrounding the dull pin,
and which rises above the levers sufficiently to take the bearing of the shield
from off the levers, and doing away eutirely with the facility of working picks.
The security of this shield is twofold; in the first place, it closes the key-
hole when turned, and by its peculiar construction the top lever of the lock
upon
the front part of which a pin is affixed, and is locked down under the rim
of the said shield when the lock is locked, and in no way can that said lever
be adjusted, or released from the said shield without the shield revolves to a
certain point to allow the said top lever to be raised, and by turning the shield
to this point the key-hole is closed against other instruments or picks, and adds
very much to the security of the lock.
The stump which is affixed to the bolt of these. locks is new in form to
those of other lever locks, one end of which is returned thus, so that
when in the back or special locking chamber, by having a series of per-
pendicular notches in the levers, they lock into the returned part of the stump,
and prevents the bolt from going forward if attempted to be unlocked by any
other instrument but its proper key.

page_text: The bolt of the cabinet locks, have a,series, of false notches or gateings,
and a chamber cut in the body, of the bolt of the lock to receive the stump of
the lever, when, locked; this stump is affixed to the under side of the lever, and
working in the locking chamber of the bolt when locked. To the spring
locks, the box staples have a sliding sticker, working backwards and forwards,
acted upon by a spring, which preserves the lock from concussion; and the
wear and tear of, the door jams to which the box staples are affixed.
I will now proceed to explain the Drawings which set forth these im-
provements:-
Figure No. 1 shows the lock with the cap plate removed, the bolt, of
which, is locked out, the stump of the bolt from the back action of the bolt is
in the special locking chamber, the shield as it, appears from the top surface,
the arm, at rest, and the key withdrawn. A, the lock case; B, the bolt; C, the
stump; D, the lever; E, the special chamber in lever D, as shown in Figure
No. 6; F, the perpendicular notch; G, the arm; Hthe shield; I, the front
belly in lever D, shown in Figure No. 6; K,, the ward upon which the shield
I revolves; L,the pin in the bolt B, which works in the arm G; M, that
part of the bolt B that the key acts, upon in the first place, to propell the
bolt B forward; N, the pin in the lock case upon which the arm G
works..
Figure No. 2 is a section which shows the bolt of the lock locked out, to
its full extent, the stump of the bolt in the first or original locking chamber
before being operated upon by the arm..
Figure No. 3 is also a section, and shows the first action of the key in un-
locking the lock upon the levers, and the bolt at the same time which propells
the bolt forward,, and causes the stump of the bolt to, leave the special locking
chamber, and enter; the first or original locking chamber preparatory to the
second adjusting of the levers.
1 i
Figure No. 4 shows the underside of the shield H, with the rim upon the
outer edge, and the grove in which the circular ward enters, and upon which
the shield revolves.
Figure 5 shows a section of the said shield H.
Figure 6 shows the lever D with the special locking chamber, the per-
pendicular notch, and the special front belly, upon which the key acts in
,the first operation, and when raised to its proper height allows the stump of
the bolt to go forward into the first or original locking chamber.
Figure 7 shows the arm G upon which the key acts, which causes the bolt
of the lock to recede, and the stump which is affixed to the bolt to enter the
back special locking chamber.

page_text: Figure 8 shows another formed arm used more especially in the cabinet
locks, the purport being precisely the same as Figure 7.
Figure 9 shows a cabinet drawer lock with the cap plate removed, the
bolt locked out, the stump of the bolt in the special locking chamber of the
levers, the arm as Figure No. 8, working in the bolt at rest, the top surface. of
tlie shield, and the key withdrawn.
Figure 10 shews a cabinet drawer lock with the bolt locked out and the
key withdrawn, the false notches or gatings, and the locking chamber cut in
the bolt, and the top surface of the shield; a, the false: notches or gateings;
b, the locking chamber.
Figure 11 shows the under side of the shield which is very' similar to
Figure 4, with this exception, the outer rim of the shield is only cut away
sufficiently to allow the pin upon the face side of the lever to pass through.
Figure 12 shows the top surface of the lever with the pin affixed, which
enters the shield when the lock is locked; c, the pin.
Figure 13 shows the under side of the lever with the stump affixed, which
works in the locking chamber of the bolt in Figure 10; d, the stump.
Figure 14 shows the front view of the box staple with the sliding sticker
closed, and as it appears after the bolt of the lock has gone into it; O, the
sticker; P, the staple; R, the pin upon which the spring. S presses; S, the
spring; T, the screw which confines the spring S to the under side of the box
staple P.
Figure 15 shews the sliding sticker open, and which is caused by the bolt
of the lock pressing or sticking against it, and after the bolt of the lock has
got beyond it, it slides back into its place and keeps the bolt of the lock fast.
Figure 16 shows the inside of the box staple P, with the spring S, working
upon the sliding sticker by means of a pin affixed to the sliding piece and the
spring S, attached to the under side of the box staple P, with the screw T.
I will now proceed to make out my claims as regards my improvements :-
CLAIMS.
First, the special chamber in the levers, into which the stump of the bolt is
propelled after the bolt is thrown out as before stated.
Second, the form and shape of that part of the bolt as shown by dotted line
in Figure 1, upon which the key acting in its first movement propells the bolt
forward, and discharges the stump from the special chamber in the levers.
Third, the arm that works on and in the bolt.
Fourth, the ward to rise above the levers to receive the shield, and upon
which the shield works.

page_text: Fifth, the levers with two bellies, upon which the key acts twice with one
revolution in unlocking.
Sixth, the returned end to the stump of the bolt, thus *-*.
Seventh, the perpendicular, notching the lovers, so as to receive the returned
end of the stump.
Eighth, the shield with the rim on the outside edge, also the grove upon the
under side for the ward to seat in, and upon which the shield revolves.
Ninth, the locking chamber and false notches or gatings in the bolt of the
lock, with the stump affixed to the under side of the lever, and the pin affixed
to the top side of the lever working in conjunction with the shield.
Tenth, the sliding sticker, acted upon by a spring, or any other means, that
the same result is effected.
I do not claim the levers or false notches on their face to embarrass a person
attempting to pick the lock, or locking down the levers in an attempt at pick-
ing it, as my Invention; I claim the improvements I have already mentioned,
and none other.
In manufacturing, some little improvement may yet be made in the con-
struction of these locks, but the principle will be the same; they will be made
generally of iron and brass, or any other metal used for that purpose.
In witness whereof, I, the said Michael Leopold Parnell, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fifth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
M. L. PARNELL. (L.S.)