Improvement in Locks.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Jan., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 20th May, 1889-Accepted, 6th July, 1889.
Improvement in Locks.
WILLIAM KNEEN 3 Horseley Fields Wolverhampton Builder i do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to means of actuating the lovers of locks by gravitation, or
weights, instead of by springs.
According to my Invention the levers, or those parts of a lock which immediately
affect the lock bolt and keep it in its position, instead of being pressed down into
their proper position by springs when the key is operating on them, or otherwise, are
facilitated in their movements by a weight, or weights which is, or are, attached to
the end, or ends, of each lever, or the lever itself may be so enlarged & altered in
shape that the portion forming the weight may form part of the lever, for the
purpose of causing the said lever to decend into its proper position more quickly &
certainly than it would do without this weight and thus dispense altogather with the
ordinary spring now used for the before-mentioned purpose, which spring so frequently
becomes disordered.
1
CT
000
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Locks.
I WILLIAM KNEEN of 3 Horseley Fields Wolverhampton 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:
According to my invention the levers or tumblers (vizt. those parts upon which the
key acts to shoot or withdraw the lock bolt and which keep it in its positions)
instead of being pressed down by springs are provided with a weight or weights
which is or are attached at, or near to, the end or ends of each lever, or tumbler, or
the lever or tumbler itself may be so enlarged, and altered in shape that the portion
forming the weight constitutes part of the lever or tumbler. The said levers or
tumblers are, by these weights, caused to descend into their proper position quickly
and certainly and springs can be altogether dispensed with, which is a great advantage,
as they so frequently get out of order.
The accompanying drawing represents a lock and latch illustrating my Invention
as applied to the lock part. The front plate is removed. The levers or tumblers A
are mounted to turn upon a pin b as, usual and there may be any number of them
arranged side by side and shaped to be lifted by any desired shape of key to allow
the projection c on the bolt D to pass through the passages e between the nicks or
recesses and g of the tumblers or levers for retaining the bolt in its withdrawn or
in its shot position. Each tumbler or lever A has formed on, or fixed to it a weight /
which weights bring the tumblers or levers down when the key is not acting on them,
so as to cause the nicks or recesses ƒ and g to engage with the projection c of
the bolt.
The latch bolt (if one be used) may be of any suitable construction. That shewn
is a latch bolt of the kind described in the Specification of my Patent No. 6256 of
1007

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1
claim is:-
In and for locks a lever or tumbler, or levers or tumblers, by which the bolt is
locked, the said lever, or tumbler, or levers, or tumblers, having each formed on, or
fixed to it a weight substantially as and for the purposes described.
Dated this 16th day of May 1889.
WILLIAM KNEEN.