IMPROVEMENTS
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Hyacinthus Thisquen at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th July 1882.
HYACINTHUS THISQUEN of St Petersburg
SAFETY LOCKS "
(Russia)
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
This Invention relates to that class of safety locks in which a combination of
figures or letters is employed to indicate the position of the parts. The improved
locks constructed according to this invention possess considerable advantages in
comparison with other locks of this description which are generally complicated and
require considerable time to form the combinations of figures.
This improved lock is provided with two bolts and the figures or letters are
arranged upon a ratchet wheel having any convenient number of teeth and which
acts upon the two bolts as hereinafter described.
In carrying out this Invention a ratchet wheel is arranged to work close to one
side of the case of the lock and is provided with a round boss which turns in
a corresponding aperture or bearing in this side of the case a corresponding
arrangement being adapted to support the ratchet wheel on the opposite side and
thus enable it to turn freely upon its centre in either direction. The removeable side
of the case is formed with an aperture through which is passed a hollow cylinder
a barrel forming part of the ratchet wheel and to which is attached an adjustable
cap or sleeve of the same length as the barrel. This part of the lock is embedded
in the wood work of the door and by sliding the sleeve upon the barrel and
securing it in position by set screws the length of the part may be altered to fit
doors of different thicknesses. The set screws work in slots cut in the cap or sleeve
on opposite sides of the barrel into which they are screwed and the sleeve or cap is
provided with a round boss which turns in a covering plate fixed to the outer side
of the door.
A short tube or hollow cylinder projects from one side of the ratchet wheel in
the centre of the barrel and fits into a corresponding tube or socket connected to
the sleeve hereinbefore described. A central passage is formed through the centre
of the ratchet wheel forming a continuation of the hollow of this short tube on the
ratchet wheel and acting as the keyhole of the lock. The key of the improved
lock is of cylindrical form corresponding to the aforesaid passage. That extremity

page_text: of the key which is inserted into the keyhole is provided with a deep nick or
transverse recess which when the key is inserted in the keyhole engages with pins
arranged across the keyhole at a convenient distance from either side of the lock
and thus enables the ratchet wheel and its accessary parts to be turned by means
of the key in either direction at pleasure.
Figures or letters corresponding to the teeth of the ratchet are arranged in order
upon two annular surfaces provided on the ratchet wheel and on the cap or sleeve
and one figure only is visible at a time on each side of the door through holes
formed in the side of the case and in the covering plate herein before described.
The body of each tooth of the ratchet Wheel is traversed by a hole provided with
a screw thread for a portion of its depth and a pin or stud is screwed into one of
three holes being made square at one end for the reception of a suitable key.
When screwed home by means of this key which may be inserted through a
suitable opening in the side of the case the screwed end of the pin projects on the
inner side of the ratchet wheel whilst the square end is contained within the
unscrewed part of the hole in the tooth without forming any projection on the
opposite side of the said wheel. By turning the ratchet wheel by means of the key
each hole may be brought in rotation before the opening in the side of the case for
the purpose of enabling the pin or stud to be withdrawn and inserted in any desired
hole corresponding to the combination of letters and figures employed.
The lock is provided with two bolts one of which hereinafter termed the first
bolt is caused to have a constant, tendency to shoot, out or assume the locked
position by means of a helical spring coiled upon a rod supported by two brackets
fixed to the sides of the case of the lock This spring acts upon an arm rivetted to
the said first bolt and this bolt is provided with a spring catch engaging with the
teeth of the ratchet wheel so that by turning the ratchet wheel in such a direction
as to cause the teeth to engage with the catch the spring is compressed and the said
first bolt is retracted into the lock thus enabling the door to be opened.
The other bolt which acts as a supplementary or safety bolt and is connected
with the combination of the letters or figures with the stud or pin carried by the
ratchet wheel is caused to have constant tendency to assume the unlocked or open
position by the action of a spring fixed to the case of the lock and bearing against
a stud on the safety bolt. Another stud on the same bolt serves by coming in
contact with the bolt guide to prevent the latter from being shot out too far by the
act of locking An arm or extension piece is rigidly fixed to the safety bolt and is
provided with a catch or pawl which is pressed against the teeth of the ratchet
wheel by a flat spring.
Now when the parts are in this position if an attempt is made to unlock the
door that is to say to disengage the first bolt by turning the ratchet wheel the
teeth of the latter will immediately act in the opposite direction upon the catch
on the safety bolt which is arranged on the opposite side of the ratchet wheel to
the first bolt and thus shoot out the said safety bolt into the locked position in
which it is retained by a projection on a spring arm falling into a notch in the side
of the bolt. In order to enable the first bolt to be retracted to its normal or
unlocked position by the action of the spring fixed to the case and bearing against
a stud on the bolt as herein before described the retaining projection on the spring
arm hereinbefore referred to must first be pulled back by a rod accessible through
a hole in the case and which may be connected with a bell or other alarum or by
means of a concealed cord or other secret device.
In order to unlock the lock or disengage the safety bolt it is necessary to throw
the catch on the said bolt out of gear with the teeth of the ratchet wheel. For
this purpose a plate of suitable form is provided upon one side of the catch and
extends over the hole in the tooth engaging with the catch so that if the screwed
stud or pin herein before described is screwed into one of the teeth and the ratchet
wheel is turned to the left or so that the teeth slip over the catches on both bolts
the said pin meets an inclined surface formed on the plate and presses back the
latter thus disengaging the catch on the safety bolt from the ratchet teeth and

page_text: maintaining it so disengaged as long as the stud bears against the plate on the
catch. The lock may then be unlocked because the plate is of such a length as to
keep the catch on the safety bolt from engaging with the teeth of the ratchet
wheel whilst the said Wheel is describing so much of a revolution as is necessary
to enable it to retract the first bolt. Immediately after the stud on the ratchet
wheel has passed the plate which takes place when the ratchet has been turned to
the extent of one tooth the catch on the safety bolt again engages with the ratchet
wheel and the continued rotation of the wheel has the effect of again throwing
forward the safety bolt into the locked position. Hence it is evident that the lock
cannot be unlocked except when the stud on the ratchet wheel is acting on the catch
on the safety bolt. Supposing for example that the stud is screwed into the tooth
numbered 10 on the wheel and that the hole or holes in the case through which
the figures are visible is so situated that when the stud is holding the catch on the
safety bolt out of gear with the wheel the figure 14 is visible through this hole it
will be impossible to unlock the lock except when the said figure 14 is brought
opposite the hole in the case and by taking out the stud and screwing it into any
other tooth the number corresponding to the position for unlocking may be varied
at pleasure.
The cover or removeable side of the lock is screwed to suitable distance or cross
pieces arranged near the corners of the case.
Locks constructed according to this Invention are applicable to doors of all
descriptions as well as to boxes and other receptacles