Improvements in Railway Carriage and other Door Locks and Staples.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 14th June, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Mar., 1896-Accepted, 25th Apr., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION:
Improvements in Railway Carriage and other Door Locks and
Staples.
I, JOHN JULIUS ADLER, Carriage and Wagon Superintendent, Rajputana-
Malwa Railway, Ajmere, East India, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
:-
This invention relates to improvements in railway carriage and other door locks
and staples, and has for object the construction of a lock which will in combination
with a staple, automatically fasten the door upon being slammed to; and whilst
capable of being operated with the minimum of exertion from either side of the
door, will combine:-absolute immunity from dust, damp, frost or snow, with
lightness, simplicity and security.
In applying my invention to the construction of a lock I construct a box or
casing of metal or other suitable material and arrange for a metal bolt or tongue
to work through a slot or opening formed in one side of the casing. This bolt or
tongue is controlled by suitable guides bearing upon its top and bottom edges, and
has one or more spiral or other springs bearing upon its back edge to keep it
normally extended. To operate the bolt I provide a handle which is pivoted to
the face of the lock or casing above the bolt, on a spindle which passes through
the upper part of the lock casing and in the case of an inside handle is
continued through to the other side of the door where another handle may be
affixed.
The outer or first mentioned handle hangs, normally, downwards, lying close to
the face of the lock for about half its length, and then, formed into the well known
"cockspur" or lever shape. At a point corresponding to the middle of the sliding
bolt or tongue a pin projects from the undersurface of the handle through a slot
formed in the casing and fits into a slot made in the bolt or tongue. This pin,
which may be conical to afford an additional lateral guidance for the bolt or
tongue, bears upon the back end of the slot in the bolt; so that upon the handle
being pulled back to release the door the pin withdraws the bolt or tongue within
the casing. Whilst upon its release the spring or springs force back the bolt or
tongue and consequently the handle to their normal positions.
I propose to construct the staple casing or box of metal or other suitable
material; and arrange within the same a bollow metal tongue pivoted at its upper
end to the casing and maintained in an extended position by means of a bow or
other shaped spring. The projecting part of this tongue is made hollow and so
arranged that the bolt or tongue of the lock enters it.
As an additional precaution against danger in case the spring in the staple
should break I cause the front edge of the casing at the part opposite to the bolt
or tongue of the lock to project, and provide it with a rib or ribs to strengthen it;
so that if the tongue in the staple failed to work the accidental opening of the door
would be prevented by this projecting piece on the casing engaging with the bolt.
Also by giving a rounded or inclined form to the outer surface of the projecting
piece it could be made to operated the bolt or tongue of the lock; so that the door
could still be used. To further protect the staple from dust I provide it with a
back or wearing plate, or I may secure the plate upon the wood work and fix the
staple over it.

page_text: In operation the action is as follows:- Upon slamming the door the bolt or
tongue strikes upon the rounded tongue of the staple and is caused to recede; but
since the pin fastened to the handle works in a slot the bolt recedes without moving
the handle.
Again, when the door is slammed not only is the bolt or tongue of the lock
caused to recede but the tongue of the staple is also forced within its casing: thus
the fastening of the door is facilitated. Owing to the peculiar hollow construction
of the tongue in the staple no dust, damp, rain, or snow can get in to attack or clog
the working parts.
The spring or springs which maintain the bolt or tongue in an extended position
may be of any desired form. In the case of a flat or bow spring being used I may
provide the back edge of the bolt or tongue at the part where the spring bears,
with projecting flanges; one on either side of the spring; also as an additional
protection for the spring and other working parts I provide a back or wearing
plate which is retained in position by screws, dowels, or by any other suitable
fastening device.
My improved lock may be used with an ordinary staple or striking plate of
suitable construction, and in a similar manner my improved staple may be used with
an ordinary lock.
Dated this 14th day of June 1895.
Improvements in Railway Carriage and other Door Locks and
Staples.
I, JOHN JULIUS ADLER, Carriage and Wagon Superintendent, Rajputana-
Malwa Railway, Ajmere, East India, 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 railway and other door locks and staples, and has for
object the construction of a lock which will in combination with a staple,
automatically fasten the door upon being slammed to; and which, whilst capable
of being easily operated from either side of the door will combine complete
immunity from dust, damp and the like, with simplicity and absolute security..
Referring to the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1, is a front elevation of a lock and staple constructed according to my
invention.
Figure 2, being a back view of the same with the wearing plates removed.
Figure 3, is a side view of a part of the lock when furnished with two. handles,
and
Figure 4, is an elevation of the inside handle.
In the construction of a lock in accordance with my invention to be operated from
the outside of the railway or other carriage door, I form a box or casing D of
metal or other suitable material, and arrange a metal bolt or tongue F to work
⚫ through a slot or opening formed in one side of this casing. The bolt or tongue F
may be controlled by suitable guides II bearing upon its top and bottom edges
and has a spiral spring L and C-shaped springs J, K, bearing upon its back edge
to keep it normally extended through the aforesaid slot in the side of the casing D.
To operate the bolt I provide a lever or handle A, pivoted on a spindle C which
is situated above the bolt F and passes through the upper part of the lock casing D.

page_text: The handle A hangs, normally, downwards, lying close to the face of the lock for
about half its length, and is then formed into the well-known "cockspur" shape..
At a point corresponding to the middle of the sliding bolt or tongue F, a pin E
projects from the undersurface of the handle, through a slot formed in the casing D-
and fits into a slot G in the bolt or tongue F. This pin E, which may be made
conical to afford additional lateral guidance for the bolt F, bears upon the back
end of the slot G in bolt F, which slot is correspondingly shaped, and upon the
handle being pulled back to release the door, the pin E thus withdraws the bolt F
within casing D.
Upon its release the springs J K L force back the bolt or tongue F and
consequently the handle to their normal positions.
It will be seen that one of the C-shaped springs K is so arranged as to press
upon the other spring J so that in the event of either of them breaking, the other
remains and is of a sufficient strength to operate the bolt or tongue F; the spiral.
spring L is for an additional protection.
If desired I may arrange for a second handle B to be affixed in any suitable
manner to the spindle C, so that the door may be opened from the inside as well
as from the outside of the carriage. In this case the spindle C is prolonged.
through the door or provided with an extension C₁-
-see Figure 3-passing through
the door and furnished with a feather C2 and the handle B is suitably bolted or
otherwise attached to the inner end of spindle C C₁. This handle B is preferably
of the form shown on Figures 3 and 4 to facilitate the opening of the door from
the inside.
The lock-casing D may be furnished with a detachable back weariate for
the purpose of preventing the entrance of dust, damp and the like, and this plate-
may be fastened to the woodwork of the door and the lock-casing fitted over it.
The staple casing D₁ may be formed of a suitable shape and material and.
I arrange therein a hollow metal tongue M pivoted at its upper end to the-
casing D and maintained in an extended position by a suitable spring N. A
spiral spring is also provided as an extra precaution, in case spring N should
break. The projecting portion of the tongue M is made hollow and so arranged
that the bolt or tongue F of the lock enters it. As a further safeguard against
danger in case the spring in the staple should break, I cause the front edge of the
casing at the part opposite to the bolt or tongue of the lock to project and provide
it with a rib or ribs D² to strengthen it, so that if the tongue in the staple fail to
work, the accidental opening of the door will be prevented by this projecting piece
on the casing engaging with the bolt. Also by giving a rounded or inclined form
to the outer surface of the projecting piece, it could be made to operate the bolt or
tongue F of the lock; thus the door could still be used. To protect the staple
from dust I provide it with a wearing plate or I may secure this plate over it by
any suitable fastening.
In operation the action is as follows:- Upon slamming the door, the bolt or
tongue F strikes. upon the rounded tongue of the staple and is caused to recede,.
but as the pin E fixed to the handle A works in the slot G, the bolt recedes
without moving the handle. At the same time the tongue M of the staple is
likewise forced within its casing D¹ and thus the fastening of the door is rendered
easier. By reason of the peculiar hollow construction of the tongue M in the
staple no dust or damp can get in to clog or attack the working parts. The spring-
or springs which maintain the bolts or tongues F M may be of any desired form.
In the case of a flat or bow spring being used I may provide the back edge of the
bolt at the part where the spring bears, with projecting flanges one on either side
of the spring. Or in lieu of the above arrangement I may use two or more spiral
springs and thereby dispense with the C-shaped springs J K N.
I may if desired, use my improved lock with any ordinary staple or striking
plate of suitable. construction and similarly, I may use my improved staple with an
ordinary lock.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of iny said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:
1. In railway carriage and other locks, the combination of the bolt F sliding.
between guides II provided within the lock casing D, which bolt is normally
extended through an opening in said casing by means of springs J K L, with a
pin E working in slot G and fixed to the pivoted lever handle A, for the purposes
and as described.
2. In a staple for use with railway carriage and other locks, the combination of
a pivoted hollow tongue or bolt M arranged to be extended through an opening in
casing D' by springs L' N, said casing being provided with a rib or ribs D2, for
the purpose of retaining the lock-bolt F in position when the door is slammed to,
as described and illustrated on the annexed sheet of drawings.
3. The combination of a lock and staple furnished with bolts F M capable of
receding within their respective casings, for the purposes and as described.
4. Locks and staples for railway carriage and other doors, constructed, combined
and arranged substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Dated this Twenty-first day of March 1898.
COT TIITAT TO
For the Applicant,
GEDGE & FEENY,
60 Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C., Chartered Patent Agents.