A New or Improved Combined Lock and Safety Chain.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Mar., 1887.
Complete Left, 19th Nov., 1887'
Complete Accepted, 20th Dec., 1887
A New or Improved Combined Lock and Safety Chain.
I, WILLIAM HENRY BECK, of 115 Cannon Street, in the City of London, Consulting
Engineer and Patent Agent do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
:-
This invention relates to the combination of the safety chain of a door with the
mechanism of the lock, in such manner that the safety chain can be utilized along
with the lock when the door is shut from the outside whilst it still remains available
for use from the inside if and when desired.
For this purpose the safety chain is attached at one end to some fixed point on the
door frame, such as to the lock staple for example, and the other end is hooked to a
cylinder or drum placed in the box or case of the lock, and subject to the action of
the lock mechanism. The hooking of the chain to the drum inside the lock is easily
effected from the outside by passing the arm round the edge of the door while it is
still ajar, and the door being then shut, the act of locking with the key causes the
drum to rotate and to tighten the safety chain. The additional security of the chain
against forcible opening of the door without the key is thus obtained when the said
chain is applied from the outside, as well as when applied from the inside whatever
kind of lock be employed.
Instead of hooking the free end of the chain to the drum of the lock from the
outside as above described, whether by reason of the difficulty or inconvenience of
doing so, or for other reason, the said free end of the chain may be hooked, from the
outside, to a pin on the lock staple, or other suitable part of the door frame.
In the Drawing hereto annexed is shown mechanism by which the above described
effects may be obtained, the lock staple and case being shown in section.
P is the bolt of the lock passing through the side a of the lock case and entering
the staple g; the bolt " is continued internally by the tail pl guided in its rectilinear
Prina 11

page_text: P
movements by the pin p². The tail pl has formed on its edge a toothed rack b; c is a
stump on the bolt tail pl taking into the notches of the tumbler levers; d is the main
tumbler prolonged into an arm which oscillates with it and acts on the lever h
turning on the fulcrum ; this lever h carries the projection or pawl piece h² which
acts as a stop for the chain drum ; i is a lever centred on the tail p¹ of the bolt and
acting on the latch bolt m when actuated by the key bit; j is a spring which constantly
presses the lever against the arm f of the tumbler d; k is a toothed wheel gearing
with the rack 6 and with the pinion I fixed to the larger toothed wheel gearing with
the pinion on the cylinder or drum n which latter has formed in its periphery a
mortice or recess n' to receive the hook r¹ on the end of the chain ;s are two
notches adapted to receive the projection on the lever h; g' is the point of attach-
ment of the chain a to the lock staple.
The action of the arrangement is as follows:-
Before quite closing the door from the outside the hand is passed round the edge
thereof and the free end of the chain is hooked to the drum n. The door is then
closed and the bolt of the lock shot by the key. The sliding of the bolt causes the
rack b on its tail pl to turn the toothed wheels k, land o, rotating the drum n on its
axis whereby the chain is wound on the said drum and tightened. The drum n is
locked, at each successive turn of the key, by the projection h² on the lever h taking
successively into the notches s¹ and s on the drum whereby the latter is prevented
from turning backwards, and therefore holds the chain tightened sufficiently to offer
considerable resistance to the forcing of the door without using the key.
When the key is turned to unlock the door, the arm f of the tumbler d raises the
lever h so as to free the projection from the notch s or s', and the tail p' of the bolt
turns the drum n backwards by means of the rack and the wheels and o so as
to unwind the chain and if desired, to allow it to fall from the drum by its own
weight.
As before stated, in some cases it may be preferable to fix one end of the chain to
the drum leaving the other end free to be hooked from the outside to the staple or
other suitable part of the door frame, the action of the lock remaining the same in
both cases.

page_text: I, WILLIAM HENRY BECK, of 115 Cannon Street, in the City of London, Consulting
Engineer and Patent Agent 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, reference being had to the accompanying sheet of
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
This invention relates to the combination of the safety chain of a door with the
mechanism of the lock, in such manner that the said safety chain is utilized along
with the lock when the door is shut from the outside, whilst it still remains available
for use from the inside, if and when desired.
For this purpose the safety chain is attached at one end to some fixed point on the
door post or other suitable part of the door-frame, such as to the lock staple for
example, and the other end is hooked to a cylinder or drum placed in the box or case
of the lock, and subject to the action of the lock mechanisin. The hooking of the
chain to the drum inside the lock is easily effecter from the outside by passing the arm
round the edge of the door, while it is still ajar, and the door being then shut, the
act of locking with the key causes the drum to rotate and to tighten up the safety
chain.
It will be understood that with this arrangement any attempt to force the door by
means of crowbars or other tools will be resisted by the safety chain, and the fastening
is thereby made absolutely secure whatever kind of lock be employed.
Instead of hooking the end of the chain to the druin of the lock from the outside,
as above described, whether by reason of the difficulty of reaching it or for other
reason, the said end of the chain may be hooked, from the outside. to a pin on the
lock staple, or other suitable part of the door-frame, the other end of the chain being
in that case secured to the drum.
In the Drawings hereto annexed
Figure 2 shows an elevation, on the inside of a door, of a lock constructed with the
invention applied thereto.
Figure 3 is an elevation of the mechanism with the cover or top plate of the lock
removed.
Figure 4 is a cross section on line 1-2 of Figure 3.
Figure 5 shows an elevation and a vertical section of the drum to which the safety
chain is hooked and round which it is wound.
Figure 6 shows an elevation and a plan of the tumbler or lever which forms the
stopping bolt or catch of the aforesaid drum.
Figure 7 shows the lock bolt and Figure 8 the key.
The lock shown is a double-action one comprising a dead bolt p operated by two
urns of the key, and the latch bolt m. 'This latch bolt is of the usual kind, and its
action by the key, (through the intermediate lever i) or by hand, is quite independent
of the action of the chain.
The bolt passes through the side a of the lock case, and enters the staple g which
s constructed and fixed as usual. The bolt p is continued internally by the tail p
guided in its rectilinear movements by the pin p². It is provided at its rear end with a
oothed rack the purpose of which will be hereafter explained. c is a stump on the
olt tail ptaking into the notches of the tumbler levers oscillating on the pin p².
The tumbler or lever d (Figures 3 and 6) is formed with a part furnished with
ne, two or three teeth intended to stop the chain drum after the first and second turn
f the key, as hereafter described.

page_text: The bit y of the key (see Figure 8) acts in the usual way on the bolt and its
tumbler levers. When the bolt is drawn back completely into the lock case this bit
actuates a lever connected with the latch holt m.
By turning the key the tumbler d oscillates on the pin p² and is, together with the
part, raised against the action of the spring the object of which is to return the
toothed part into gear with the teeth ss on the chain drum.
This
The rack 6 on the bolt p gears with a pinion on the axis of the drum n.
drum or cylinder n is carried by the ends of its axis, in bearings fixed one to the
front a¹ of the lock case and the other to the cover or top plate 7.
The drum or cylinder n has in its periphery a mortice n into which can easily be
placed a hook with which the end of the chain . is furnished. The cheek or side
of the cylinder n which is in the same plane as the tumbler or lever d, has formed in
it one, two or three teeth ss at two points diametrically opposite to each other and
adapted to receive the teeth on the part of the said tumbler or lever d.
The safety chain is secured to a fixed point of the staple g, or to a suitable part of
the door frame. Its length is such as will allow of the partial opening of the door, to
the desired extent, when the lock is not locked, but will allow of the said chain being
stretched tight when the lock is locked.
A projection, on the circumference of the drum n, assures the fixity of the hooking
of the hook of the chain whilst it is being unwound, that is to say while the lock is
being unlocked.
The chain may be used by a person in the room by attaching the hook to
a suitable pin t, the support for which is rivetted to the back part or rim a³ of the
lock case.
The action of the arrangement is as follows:-
Before quite closing the door from the outside, the hand is passed round the edge
thereof to the inside and the free end of the chain a is hooked to the drum n. The
door is then closed, and the bolt of the lock shot into the staple by the key. The
shooting of the bolt p causes the rack to turn the drum n by means of the pinion k,
winding the chain on the said drum and tightening the said chain. The drum n is
locked at each successive turn of the key by the part of the tumbler or lever d so
that the first as well as the second turn of the key enables the chain to offer a powerful
resistance to any attempt to open the door either from the outside or inside without
using the key.
When the key is turned to unlock the door, the part of the tumbler d is raised
free of the teeth s or s', bolt p turns the drum n in the reverse direction, and the chain
is unwound and leaves the drum simply by the action of its own weight when the
hook reaches the mortice in the lock case.
The above described arrangement possesses two distinguishing features:-
1. The utilization of one of the tumblers or levers of the lock to form a bolt or catch
for the chain winding drum; 2. the direct actuation of this drum by the rack teeth of
the lock bolt.
The construction may of course be modified according as the lock to which the
invention is applied is a lever, a Bramah, a safety or other kind of lock.
Figures 1, 9, 10, 11 and 12 show modifications of the above described
arrangements.
In Figure 1, which represents a lever lock, the main tumbler or lever d does not
act as a catch for the drum n, but actuates, by a tail piece d', a lever / pivotted at h¹
which constitutes a retaining pawl or catch for the winding drum n.
One or more
springs constantly presses or press the lever towards the teeth or notches in
the drum.
On the other hand, the rack 6 of the bolt p gears with a pinion o, which transmits
motion to another toothed pinion 2, in one piece with a larger wheel which gears
with the pinion k on the axis of the drum n.
Figure 9 shows a Bramah lock with this invention applied thereto. Figures 10, 11
and 12 are detail views of the sanie.
The barrel which is turned by the key, transmits motion to the bolt p, which by

page_text: the rack b, actuates the safety chain drum or cylinder n. The upper plate v' of the
barrel, which has a hole at 2 for the entrance of the stump of the key, imparts
oscillating movements to the lever d round the pin p² which forms the guide for the
tail of the bolt. For this purpose this plate is cut straight at one side and the lever d
bears constantly against it under the action of the spring. When the key acts upon
the bolt p, by means of the barrel v, the plate v¹ causes either the raising or lowering
of the toothed end of the lever d.
The action of the barrel » may be otherwise transmitted to the locking bolt or catch
of the drum n either directly or by intermediate mechanism.
As before stated, it will be easier in some cases to first hook the chain to the drum,
and then to hook the opposite end either to the staple or to any suitable fixed point of
the door frame. In this case the action of the lock is identical with that above
described both as regards the relation of the parts to one another, and the result
obtained.
The safety chain may also be used by a person inside the room without using the
lock in that case the hook a¹ is attached at t, which enables the door to be partly
opened for any required purpose.
The arrangement of the various parts and their forms, materials and dimensions
may be varied to suit various circumstances without departing from the nature of the
invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
First—In a lock of any suitable kind, the combination, with the lock bolt p, of a
cylinder or drum n, for winding or unwinding a safety chain 2, one end of which is
hooked or attached to the said drum n and the other end of which is hooked or
attached to any suitable point on the lock staple g or on the door frame, the said
cylinder or drum n being so connected to the said lock bolt by toothed gearing, or
other suitable devices, that the movements of the said lock boli effect the necessary
rotary movements of the said safety chain drum, substantially as hereinbefore
described, and illustrated in the Drawings hereto annexed and for the purpose set
forth.
Second-In a lock of any suitable kind, the combination of the safety chain
cylinder or drum n, the rack 6 on the lock bolt p, and the toothed pinion k, or toothed
gearing klo substantially as herein before described, and illustrated in Figures 3, 4,
9 and 1 of the Drawings hereto annexed, and for the purpose set forth.
Third In a lock of any suitable kind furnished with a safety chain drum n, the
bolt or catch for stopping or locking the said drum in position after each turn of the
key, such bolt or catch being formed on one of the tumblers or levers d of the lock,
or on an intermediate lever operated by a prolongation d' of the said tumbler or
lever d, substantially as hereinbefore described, and illustrated in Figures 3, 4 and 1
of the Drawings hereto annexed.
n,
Fourth In a lock of any suitable kind furnished with a safety chain drum
bolt or catch df for stopping or locking the said drum in position after each turn of
the
the key, such bolt or catch being actuated either directly or indirectly by the barrel v,
substantially as hereinbefore described, and illustrated in Figures 9, 10, 11 and 12 of
the Drawings hereto annexed.