Improvements in Locks and Latches.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Mar., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 24th Dec., 1894-Accepted, 2nd Feb., 1895
Improvements in Locks and Latches.
We, ALFRED BROWN and HENRY CLARKE PRUCE, trading as A. Brown and
Company, of Smallbrook Street, in the City of Birmingham, Merchants and
Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to mortice and other locks and latches having changeable
latch bolts, or otherwise, convertible bolts, whereby a right hand lock or latch can
be converted into a left-hand one, or vice versa.
Our said invention has for its object, a simple and efficient means for effecting
the said conversion.
In carrying out one form of our invention, the latch bolt, which is preferably
circular or piston-like, has a head part and a stem part. The head part passes
through and works within a guide hole in the fore end of the lock casing whilst
the stem part reciprocates within the interior of the said casing.
The stem part, or the after end of the stem part, has a part of both its top and
bottom sides cut away or recessed, forming flats, against one or other of which a
cross-screw, peg or equivalent comes. This cut-away part of the bolt passes
through a circular hole formed within a guide block attachedly connected to the
inside of the front wall of the lock casing, and which hole is lignable with the hole
in the fore end and is tranversely intersected near one side by a keep screw, peg or
equivalent passing transversely through the cap plate of the said casing and through
the said block, and with its head coming upon the outside of the said cover.
Assuming that the bolt is adjusted for a right hand door and that the same
requires to be adapted to a left-band one, first fully remove the keep screw and
then rotate the bolt, so as to turn the bevel or inclined end round from back to
front. This done, re-insert the keep screw, when the same will come immediately
approximate to that flat of the bolt which was before upon the underside of the
said bolt, but which is now upon the upper side of it, hence the affixing of the
bolt in a position for the lock to be used on a left-hand door.
It is understood that the transverse keep screws or equivalents come only
sufficiently near the flats of the bolt to admit of the same working freely.
In carrying out a further form of our invention, we make the flats, which are
equal in extent to the range of the bolt, upon the near and off sides of the bolt,
whilst the keep screw passes centrally through the guide block with respect to the
bolt instead of excentrically as before, and its tip end comes close to the flat, so
that to convert the bolt from a right to a left hand door, raise the screw until the
tip end of it is removed from out of the range of the bolt when the said bolt is
rotated for bringing the rear flat to the front. After reversion has been effected,
then drive home the screw or equivalent, when the bolt is adapted to the left
hand door.
In cheap locks, we employ two screws or equivalents in lieu of a guide block
and one screw, so that the said screws form both keep means for determining the
position of the acting end of the bolt and guides for directing the rectilinear
movement of the bolt. One of these screws is adapted to be fixed, whilst the
other one is removable or attachable and detachable, or if necessary, both may be
removable.
To convert the bolt, remove the movable screw pin, rotate the bolt so as to
reverse the positions of the flats which lie between the screws and then pass home
the loose screw and secure the bolt as before.

page_text: The lock may be of any known construction and is provided with follower,
hanging and auxiliary lever, springs, tumblers and other adjuncts usually found in
locks and latches.
Dated this 21st day of March 1901
ALFRED BROWN,
HENRY CLARKE PRUCE,
By Henry Skerrett,
Agent for Applicants.
We, ALFRED BROWN and HENRY CLARKE PRUCE, trading as A. Brown and
Company, of Smallbrook Street, in the City of Birmingham, Merchants and
Manufacturers, 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 :-
This invention relates to mortice and other locks and latches having changeable
latch bolts, or otherwise, convertible holts, whereby a right hand lock or latch can
be converted into a left-hand one, or vice versa.
Our said invention has for its object, a simple and efficient means for effecting
the said conversion.
In carrying out one form of our invention, the latch bolt, which is preferably
circular in cross section has a head part and a stem part.
The head part passes
through and works within a guide hole in the fore end of the lock casing, whilst
the stem part reciprocates within the interior of the said casing.
The stem or the after end of the stem has a part of both its top and bottom
sides cut away, or facetted forming flats against one or other of which, the end of a
cross-screw, peg or equivalent comes. This cut-away part of the bolt passes
through a circular hole formed within a guide block located within and carried by
the lock casing, and which hole is lignable with the hole in the fore end and is
transversely intersected near one side by the keep screw, peg or equivalent passing
transversely through the cap plate of the said casing and through the said block
and with its head coming upon the outside of the said cap plate.
Figure of the accompanying drawing represents a mortice lock having a
convertible latch bolt fitted according to one form of our invention, with the cap
plate removed.
Figure 2 represents the said lock with the cap plate in position showing the face
of the guide block coming through the cap plate, and the head of the keep screw,
which is accessible from the outside of the lock.
Figure 3 represents a longitudinal transverse section of the lock upon the dotted
lines - Figure 1.
Figure 4 represents a vertical section upon the dotted line A of Figure 1, whilst
Figure 5 represents a vertical section upon the dotted line B of the said Figure 1.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in Figures 1 to 5.
a is the lock casing, a' the fore end, a' the guide hole through it, wherein the
head 6, of the latch bolt b, whose round stem part 62, has opposite flats or facetted
sides, works. The said round-sectioned stem 62, also works within the like-shaped
hole c', of a guide block c, fitted within the interior of the lock casing, and with
the face c², coming through a like-shaped hole a³, of a cap plate a. Taking
throngh the middle of the said block, from the outside of the casing, is a keep
screw, peg or equivalent d, with the end d², coming close up to, or approximate to,
one or other of the facets b³.
The reduced or necked after end 4, of the stem 62, of the latch bolt b, is partly

page_text: embraced by the hooked end e², of a hanging lever e, which is jointed at e', to the
casing, and moved by the arms of the follower f, through the square eye f, of
which, the spindle g, of the latch passes. hare tumblers, the lock bolt, the key
hole, is the latch bolt spring and the tumbler spring.
Assuming that the bolt is adjusted for a right hand door, and that the same
requires to be adapted to a left-hand one, first remove the keep screw clear of
the facet of the bolt to which its end is presented and then turn the said bolt,
so as to bring the bevel or inclined end round from back to front as represented
in the dotted lines Figure 3. This done, drive home the keep screw when the
same will come immediately approximate to that flat of the bolt which was
before upon the off-side of the said bolt, but which is now upon the near side of
it, hence the affixing of the bolt in a position for the lock to be used on a left-
hand door.
It is understood that the transverse keep screws or equivalents come only
sufficiently near the flats of the bolt to admit of the same freely working to and
fro, and that the flats upon the bolts extend to a distance a little beyond the range
of the said bolts.
In carrying out a further form of our invention, we make the flats or facets or
cut-away parts upon the top and bottom sides of the bolt, or the stem of it,
whilst the keep screw passes excentrically through the guide block with respect
to the bolt instead of centrically as before, and whilst the side of an end portion
of it comes close to the flat, so that to convert the bolt from a right to a left hand
door, turn out the screw until the lower end of it is removed from out of the range
or clear of the flat of the bolt, when the said bolt is partly rotated for bringing the
top flat to the underside. After reversion has been effected, then drive home the
screw or equivalent, when the bolt is adapted to the left hand door.
Figure 6 represents a portion of a lock casing fitted with a reversible latch bolt
according to this form of our invention.
Figure 7 is a vertical section of Figure 6 upon the dotted line C.
a is the locking casing, 6 the latch bolt, 63 the facets or gaps upon the top and
bottom sides of it, c is a guide block, wherethrough the stern of the bolt b, passes, and
d is a keep screw, pin or equivalent, passing from the outside through the casing to the
said block, with the side of the lower end coming close up to one of the flats ³, of
the stem 2, of the bolt b. The after and necked end of the bolt is hung from
the hooked end e³, of the hanging lever e.
In cheap locks, we employ two screws or equivalents in lieu of a guide block and
one screw, so that the said screws form both keep means for determining the position
of the acting end of the bolt, and guides for directing the rectilinear movement of
the said bolt. One of these screws is adapted to be fixed, whilst the other one is
removable or attachable and detachable, or if necessary, both may be removable.
Figure 8 represents in front elevation, such an arrangement as last described,
and Figure 9 represents a vertical section of the same upon the dotted line D
Figure 8. a is a lock casing, with a cap a. is a latch bolt with a stem b², having
flats or cut-away parts 63, upon the top and lower sides of a length about equal to
the range of the bolt. d, d¹ are removable combined keep screws and guides,
which pass transversely through the lock casing and come approximate to or close
against the flats 3, of the bolt and form thereby both keep screws and guides.
e is a hanging lever, with the lower end, hooked upon its side as before and
engaging with the necked after end 6, of the stem 2, of the bolt b.
Either one of the guides may be in the form of a fixed peg or rivet, and in such
a case, then the end of the hanging lever, which is operated by the follower, is
forked, so as to admit of the after end of the stem dropping or lifting, when the
loose screw is removed, and making the flats of the bolt come clear of the fixed
peg before reversing. After conversion, the bolt is again affixed by screwing home
the loose screw.
Instead of forming flats upon the shank of the bolt, channels or grooves may be
sunken along the opposite sides of the same for the purpose described, and besides

page_text: the screw peg or equivalent doing duty as means for effecting the reversibility of
the bolt, also prevents the said bolt from rotating within its guide.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
:-
First. In reversible bolts or latch bolts for locks and latches, employing in
connection therewith, an eye, or an eyed guide or block, fitted with a loose screw,
peg or equivalent, adapted to come close up to, or to lie within, one or other of a
pair of prepared parts (such as facets, gaps or channels) of the said bolt or
stem, substantially as and for the purpose as described and set forth in Figures 1
to 6.
Secondly. In reversible bolts or latch bolts with the stem or after part of the
same having facetted or gapped sides, employing in conjunction therewith, a loose
screw, or loose screws, or a loose screw and a fixed peg, substantially as and for
the purpose described and set forth in Figures 7 and 8.
Dated this 22nd day of December 1894.
ALFRED BROWN,
HENRY CLARKE PRUCE,
By Henry Skerrett,
6, Livery Street, Birmingham, Agent for Applicants.