IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKS AND LATCHES
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Cyrus Price, of. Wolverhampton, in the County of
Stafford, and Elihu Price, of Perry Barr, in the County of Stafford, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKS AND LATCHES."
Sealed the 15th August 1861, and dated the 18th February 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Cyrus Price and Elihu-
Price at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 18th February 1861.
We, CYRUS PRICE, of Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford, and ELIHU
PRICE, of Perry Barr, in the County of Stafford, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKS AND LATCHES," to be as
follows:-
These improvements relate partly to a previous Patent, dated March the
Fifth, 1860, Number 598, and consist in additions to the receding levers, or
those which move in the direction of the bolt when the lock is attempted to be
forced or picked, and also in a burglar indicator applicable to either locks or
latches, and to a new method of adjusting the latch or the staple of "lift-up
atch locks."

page_text: One addition to the levers is a detector lever in combination with the
(receding) levers; the said detector lever has a double motion, that is, flying
upward when a false key or other instrument, or pressure to the head of the
bolt, is applied, and requiring the right key to replace it before the bolt can be
withdrawn; this action is obtained by the detector lever having at the tail
end and turning upwards a V-shaped projection, on which the end of a spring,
which also has a V-shaped projection, presses; the detector lever has a pro-
jection turning downwards for the proper key to press (when it is in its
detecting position), to replace it that the bolt may be withdrawn.
Another addition to the receding levers is, combining notches with them,
and they are placed in the forward part of their gatings, so that if one or
more of the levers is or are attempted to be raised (whilst -tentative pressure is
given to the bolt to feel the passages in the gatings), the stump falls into the
said notch or notches, and so locks the bolt and each lever raised.
Another addition to the receding levers is, their overlapping in the channel
or passage through which the stump of the bolt passes.
Our next improvement is a burglar indicator, which we connect with the
levers before.mentioned, or with the levers of a night latch. This indicator is
constructed to cause (when a false key or any other instrument is used, or
forcing the lock attempted) a secret bolt to fly out; this action is obtained by
the burglar indicator lever being placed across or at right angles with the other
levers, and its fulcrum or pivot.being on the top lever,.which is indirectly con-
nected with the other levers, so that when any one or more of the levers are
raised without the key, the indicator rises with it and releases the secret bolt.
which can only be withdrawn by the right key having a double action on the
lower end of the indicator lever.
Another improvement is, making the box staple for "lift-up bolt locks and
latches" adjustable, so that the striker of the box staple may be adjusted or
regulated to the sinking or giving way of the door or hinges. We also have
the latch of "lift-up bolt locks and latches" adjustable, so that it can be set or
regulated to a fixed striker staple.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Cyrus Price and Elihu Price in.the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 17th August, 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, CYRUS
PRICE, of Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford, and ELIMU PRICE of
Perry Barr, in the County of Stafford, send greeting.
1
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Cyrus Price and Elihu Price, Her special licence that we, the said Cyrus
Price and Elibu Price, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said Cyrus Price and Elihu Price, our executors; administra-
tors, and assigns should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times thereafter during the terin therein expressed, should and
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 we the said Cyrus Price and Elihu Price, our executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, 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 we, the said Cyrus Price and Elihu Price, do
hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by thea
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
ga
..Our Invention consists principally of additions to a previous Patent, dated
March 5th 1860, and also in an improved burgler detector;
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing is a plan of the interior of a lock,
shewing the detecter lever a and the preventing lever b as they appear after
being tampered with. The preventing lever b has risen by tentative pressure
at the head of the bolt, and the detecting lever has risen in consequence of ad
false key or instrument having pressed it upwards, or end pressuréat the head
of the bolt will also raise it. These levers a and b are not acted upon or

page_text: moved by the proper key, excepting when lever a is sprung up, as shewn in
Figure 1; then the right key is used to replace it in its proper position before
the bolt can be withdrawn; lever b springs to its place when end pressure is
taken from the head of the bolt.
Figure 2 illustrates the notches c, c, which catch the stump A (Figure 1).
When picking the lock is attempted by pressing the head of the bolt and
raising the said levers, the notches with the slot a and a spring form a self-
locking tumbler; this action is caused by the stump A, Figure 1, being fixed
to the bolt, the stump B to the bottom lever, and D), the centre pin, is fixed to
the box or case of the lock. We claim the notches in the receding levers and.
the said levers overlapping at their gatings, see Figure 3 at dotted line, and
Figure 3A being a section; also the detecting lever and preventing lever,
one or both in combination with the said receding levers.
Figure 3 shews the position of the levers when they have not been tampered
with; Figure 4 is a view of the preventing lever.
. Figure 5 illustrates the burgler indicator. The transverse lever c connects.
cl to the levers a, a, so that if the levers are raised irregularly and too high,
they move the bolt cl off the stump or catch d, byc pressing against the pro-
jection e, which allows the bolt to fly out as in Figure 6, and it can only be
removed by the inmates of the house by means of a thumb slide or by the right
key; when used to raise the latch the transverse lever c is connected to the
top lever by the pivot b, and the said top lever a is connected indirectly with
all or some of the other levers by the pin d, shewn in dotted circle, which
allows the lop lever to rise and fall without affecting the other levers; but any
one or more of the under levers being so connected by a notch (e, Figure 7)
to receive the pin d, would separately or collectively if raised above the proper
hight, also raise the top lever, and cause the bolt cl to shoot out as in
Figure 6.
In Figure 7 and Figure 10 is shewn a screw a, for regulating latches and
spring bolts or latch bolts in locks (commonly called lift-up bolts and shut-in
bolts) to the staple, and for fastening shut-in bolts when shot out into the box
staple, and also for holding them back; this screw may be used either under
the latch or over, according to the position of the latch.
Figure 8 is the adjustable striker" slide plate, to be used when the screw
a, Figure 7 or Figure 10 is not prefered.
Figure 9 is a section through the dotted line in Figure 8, with the striker
box staple also in section; the screw a in Figure 8 and 9 is for adjusting the
said striker box staple.

page_text: Having now described the nature of our Invention, we wish it to be under-
stood that we do not confine ourselves to the exact form and details of the
parts; but we claim the burgler'indicator, and its action and application to any
lock or latch having levers, and regulating lift-up latch bolts, or fixing receding
latch bolts by the screw, as shewn in Figure 10, and the adjusting box staple,
Figures 8 and 9.
In witness whereof, we, the said Cyrus Price and Elihu Price, have here-
unto set our hands and seals, this Fourteenth day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
ELIHU PRICE. (L.S.)
Witness,
JOSEPH COOKE,
Birmingham.
CYRUS PRICE. (L.S.)