IMPROVE- MENTS IN LOCKS AND LATCHES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Harris, of Birmingham, in the County.
of Warwick, Wholesale Ironmonger, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN LOCKS AND LATCHES."
Scaled the 14th April 1870, and dated the 11th November 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Harris at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
11th November 1869.
I, WILLIAM HARRIS, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Wholesale Ironmonger, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKS AND LATCHES," to be as follows:-
My Invention has reference to the mechanism of latches, whether the
said latches form part of locks or are used independently of locks.
My Invention consists, firstly, in constructing and arranging the parts
of latches in the manner herein-after described. I use a follower of the
ordinary kind, and I connect the rear end of the latch bolt with a
cranked lever, the two arms of which are at right angles to one another.
One of the arms of the said lever is horizontal and is situated imme-

page_text: diately under the follower, and the other vertical arm, which is forked, is
connected by means of a screw pin to the latch bolt. The said lever
turns upon a pin on the latch or lock case. Against the under side of
the horizontal arm of the lever another small lever pressed up by a
strong spring bears. By the action of the said small lever and spring
the latch bolt is pressed into its normal or shot position. When by
turning the door knob either arm of the follower is made to press upon
the horizontal arm of the cranked lever the said horizontal arm is
depressed and the latch bolt withdrawn. The latch bolt may be reversed
so as to suit a right or left handed door by the removal of the screw
which connects the vertical arm of the lever with it, and after turning
the bolt replacing the said screw.
My Invention consists, secondly, in the following modification of the
ordinary mechanism of the latch bolt of the lock known as the "palace
motion." The said mechanism consists of two levers acted upon by the
knob and spindle of the latch. When the knob is turned in one
direction the lever fixed directly to the spindle withdraws the latch bolt,
and when the knob is turned in the other direction the said lever acts
upon the second lever, and thereby effects the withdrawal of the bolt.
In the ordinary arrangement the lever on the, axis, connected directly
with the spindle withdraws the latch bolt by bearing against a pin on the
under side of the said bolt.
My improvement consists in making the said lever (which is forked)
act upon the latch bolt by means of a slot in the rear end of the bolt,
through which slot a screw pin passes and is screwed into the forked end
of the said lever. I also fork the other léver in a similar manner.
By my improvement the latch bolt is so connected with the two levers
that it cannot become accidently separated therefrom, and is con-
sequently not liable to the derangement to which the ordinary
mechanism is liable, and it can be reversed so as to suit a right
or a left hand door by the removal of the screws which connect the
vertical arms of the levers with it, and after turning the bolt replacing
the said screws.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance, of the conditions of the Letters Patent,,
filed by the said William Harris in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 4th May 1870.
1
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM'
HARRIS, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Wholesale Iron-
monger, send greeting.
:
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Vietoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and sixty-nine,. in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did,. for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Harris, Her special licence, that I,
tlie said William Harris, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said William Harris, 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
ánd lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle
of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKS AND LATCHES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Harris, 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 William Harris, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and.. ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, that is to say:—
My Invention has reference to the mechanism of latches, whether the.
said latches form part of locks or are used independently of locks..
My Invention consists, firstly, in constructing and arranging the parts
of latches in the manner herein-after described. I use a follower of the
ordinary kind, and I connect the rear: end of the latch bolt with a
cranked lever, the two arms of which are at right angles to one another.
One of the arms of the said lever is horizontal and is situated imme-

page_text: diately under the follower, and the other vertical arm, which is forked, is
connected by means of a screw pin to the latch bolt. The said lever
turns upon a pin on the latch or lock case. Against the under side of
the horizontal arm of the lever another small lever pressed up by a
strong spring bears. By the action of the said small lever and spring
the latch bolt is pressed into its normal or shot position. When by
turning the door knob either arm of the follower is made to press upon
the horizontal arm of the cranked lever the said horizontal arm is
depressed and the latch bolt withdrawn. The latch bolt may be reversed
so as to suit a right or left handed door by the removal of the screw
which connects the vertical arm of the lever with it, and after turning
the bolt replacing the said screw. Instead of the screw described for
fixing the latch bolt to the cranked lever the vertical arm of the said
cranked lever may be provided with a stud upon which the latch bolt
drops.
My Invention consists, secondly, in the following modification of the
ordinary mechanism of the latch bolt of the lock known as the "palace
motion." The said mechanism consists of two parallel levers acted upon
by the knob and spindle of the latch. When the knob is turned in one
direction the lever fixed directly to the spindle withdraws the latch bolt,
and when the knob is turned in the other direction the said lever acts
upon the second lever, and thereby effects the withdrawal of the bolt.
In the ordinary arrangement the lover on the axis connected directly
with the spindle withdraws the latch bolt by bearing against a pin on
the under side of the said bolt.
My improvements consist principally in making the said lever, which
is forked, act upon the latch bolt by means of a slot in the rear end of
the bolt, through which slot a screw pin passes and is screwed into the
forked end of the said lever. I also fork the other lever in a similar
manner.
By my improvements the latch bolt is so connected with the two levers
that it cannot become accidently separated therefrom, and is consequently
not liable to the derangement to which the ordinary mechanism is liable,
and the latch bolt can be reversed so as to suit a right or a left handed
door by the removal of the screws which connect the vertical arms of
the levers with it, and after turning the latch bolt replacing the said
screws.

page_text: Having explained the nature of my Invention I will proceed to describe
with reference to the accompanying Drawings the manner in which the
same is to be performed.
Figures 1 and 2 represent elevations of a combined lock and latch
(the top plate being removed) the latch mechanism of which is con-
structed according to the first part of my Invention. In Figure 1 the
lock bolt is represented withdrawn, and in Figure 2 shot. Figures 3
and 4 represent the lock bolt and lever connected therewith separately,
and Figure 5 represents the key; Figure 6 represents a horizontal section
of the lock taken through the latch bolt, and Figure 7 represents the
same with the latch bolt reversed; Figure 8 is an elevation of the latch
bolt, Figure 7; Figure 9 represents the lever of the latch mechanism
separately. The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in
Figures 1 to 9.
The cranked
The arm c
a, a³, is the latch bolt, and b is the bevilled head of the same. The
rear or tail end a of the latch bolt is connected with the cranked lever
c, c, the arms of which are at right angles to one another.
lever c, c, turns on the pin or centre d on the lock case.
of the cranked lever is horizontal and the other arm c is vertical. To
the end of the vertical arm c the latch bolt is connected by a pin or
stud e on the said arm c engaging in a hole at fin the tail end a" of the
latch bolt. The way in which the pin or stud e engages in the hole in
the latch bolt will be readily seen by an examination of the horizontal
sections, Figures 6 and 7. Against the under sido of the horizontal arm
c of the cranked lever a small lever g pressed up by the spring / bears.
By means of the said lever g and spring h the cranked lever c, c², is
turned on its centro and the latch bolt pressed into its normal or shot
position, as represented in the Drawing. i, i, is the follower of the latch
of the ordinary kind, the spindle of the knob being passed through the.
square axis of the said follower. By turning the door knob in one or
other direction either arm of the follower is made to press upon the
horizontal arm of the cranked lever; the said horizontal arm is
thereby depressed and the latch bolt a, a³, withdrawn. On loosing the
knob the latch is shot forward by the action or the spring lever g.
When it is wished to reverse the latch bolt a, a³, so as to suit a right
or left handed door the tail end a² of the latch bolt is lifted from the
stud or pine of the cranked lever c, c, when the said latch bolt may

page_text: be withdrawn from the lock, reversed, and replaced upon the stud e (sec
Figures 6 and 7); the latch is then ready for use. Instead of the stud
on the end of the vertical arm of the cranked lever c, c, the end of the
said vertical arm may be forked, and the said forked end be connected
to the latch bolt by a screw pin or a stud.
12
Figure 10 represents in elevation a combined lock and latch (with the top
plate removed) the latch mechanism of which is constructed according to
the second part of my Invention; Figure 11 is a horizontal section of the
same taken through the latch bolt, and Figure 12 represents the latch bolt
separately; Figure 13 represents one of the levers of the latch mechanism.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in Figures 10, 11,
12 and 13. is the latch bolt, and is the bevilled head of the same;
1, 12, m, m³, are the two levers of the latch mechanism, the horizontal
arms, m, of which act upon one another, as herein-after explained.
The square axis of the lever 1, P, is fixed directly on the spindle of
the door knob; and the other lever m, m2; turns on the centro m³ on the
lock case. The vertical arm / of the lever 1, F, is forked (shown separately
in Figure 13), and is connected to the tail end of the latch bolt / by a
screw pin ni passed through a slot p in the said latch bolt and screwed into
the forked end of the lever. The vertical arm m of the other lever m, m³,
is also forked and is connected to the tail end of the latch bolt / by ȧ
screw pin passed through the bolt and screwed into the fork of the
lever, as best seen in the horizontal section Figure 11. A lever » pressed
up by the spring & bears upon the short arm m³ of the lever m and
presses the bolt into its shot or normal position and keeps the said
short arm m² against the short arm of the lever 1, F. When the knob
of the door is turned in one direction the lever withdraws the latch
boltby its screw pin bearing against the end of the slot p in the
said latch bolt, and when the knob is turned in the other direction the
arm of the said lever acts upon the arm m² of the second lever in
and thereby effects the withdrawal of the latch bolt. During the motion
of the lever to act upon the second lever m the screw pin 'n travels in
the slot p in the latch bolt k. When it is wished to reverse the latch
bolt k the screw pins n, q, are removed, and after turning the latch.bolt
the said screw pins are replaced and the latch bolt is again connected
with the levers l, P; m, m.
My improved arrangements of latch mechanism may be applied to
latches unconnected with locks.

page_text: Having now described the naturo of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do
not limit myself to the precise details herein described and illustrated, as
the same may be varied without departing from the nature of my
Invention; but I claim as my Invention of improvements in locks and
latches,-
Firstly. The arrangement or combination of the parts of the
mechanism of latches whether used alone or combined with locks
herein-before described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, and 9 of
the accompanying Drawings, that is to say, the combination with the
ordinary follower of a cranked lever connected with the latch bolt and
operating substantially as described and illustrated.
Secondly. The improvements in the mechanism of the latch bolt of
the lock or latch known as the palace motion lock or latch herein-
before described and illustrated in Figures 10, 11, 12, and 13 of the
accompanying Drawings, that is to say, the substitution of parallel
levers in place of the ordinary cranks and forking the vertical arm of
the lever fixed directly to the spindle of the door knob, and connecting
the said lever to the latch bolt by means of a screw pin passed through
a slot in the latch bolt and screwed into the forked end of the lever,
substantially as described and illustrated; also forking the second lever
which is acted upon by the first lever, and connecting the said second
lever to the latch bolt by a screw pin passed through the latch bolt
and screwed into the forked end of the lever, substantially as described
and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Harris, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
30 Witness,
J. BROOKER,
Franklin's Hotel,
Dublin.
WILLIAM HARRIS. (L.S.)