Improvements in Devices applicable for Holding or Fastening a Key in a Door Lock or the like, to Prevent it Dropping out Accidentally or being Removed from the Outside.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 12th July, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 8th Apr., 1891-Accepted, 23rd May, 1891.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Devices applicable for Holding or Fastening a
Key in a Door Lock or the like, to Prevent it Dropping out
Accidentally or being Removed from the Outside.
A communication from abroad by THOMAS DIXON YATES, of Chicago, in the
County of Cook, and EDWIN JULIUS LEARNED, of Lake Forest, Lake
County, both in the State of Illinois, United States of America.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6 Bank Street,
Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster and 323 High Holborn in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows:-
The present invention relates specially to escutcheons for locks of doors and
other locks; and the object of the invention is to provide a device which will hold
the key when it has been inserted into the lock and prevent it from dropping out
by the jar of shutting the door, or otherwise, whereby it may be lost, and also
which will lock the key into the door, so that it cannot be removed therefrom
from the outside, and though the invention is specially designed for escutcheons
which are applied to the key-holes of doors furnished with mortise-locks, yet it
will be understood that it is also applicable to many other classes of locks.
Heretofore many devices for the same purpose have been made, which are operated
by the key when inserted in the lock, and also devices have been proposed which
are affixed to the escutcheons or to the outside of the door and which lock the
key when it has once been inserted; but the present invention aims to secure
this result in a simple and effectual manner, and to provide a device which does
not destroy the symmetrical appearance of an escutcheon, and which is operated
by the hand and not by the key after the key has been inserted; and the invention
comprises the detail construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, sub-
stantially as hereinafter fully set forth.
In the accompanying drawings :-
Figure 1 shows a face view of an escutcheon embodying this invention with the
device in position to permit the key to be inserted.
Figure shows the device with the locking-plate turned so that the key cannot
be removed.
Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line X X of Figure 2, and
Figure 4 shows a modified form of the device.
A, is a circular locking-plate capable of turning within a rim C. and provided
with a key-hole opening A', and with one or more projecting lugs A", by means of
which the plate can be turned.
E is the escutcheon-plate proper, or it may represent the side of the case of a
lock to which the rim C is attached by screws C¹ or otherwise, and which plate
is provided with the ordinary key-hole opening e. The rim C is bevelled inwardly
at its inner edge, and a corresponding bevel is formed on the outer edge of
plate A, whereby the parts are made to fit snugly together. The circular part
of the key-hole openings designed to receive the shank of the key in both plates
register with each other at all times, and said part of the key-hole opening in the
plate A comes at the centre thereof, so that said plate can revolve about the
shank of the key when the key inserted.
e¹, Figure 3, are screw-holes for affixing the escutcheon to a door, or the
screws c', which hold the rim C, may be also employed to attach the escutcheon
to a door, as shown in Figure 1.
In the device constructed as shown in Figure 4, the lock is struck with a rim

page_text: and with lips e", which are bent down over the plate A. The escutcheon is
attached by means of the screws shown dotted in the figure, and the latter are
inserted through the key-hole opening A' of the plate A by turning it so that it
uncovers the respective screw-holes.
To put the key into the lock, the key-plate A is turned so that the respective
key-holes register with each other, and, after the key has been inserted, the
plate A is readily revolved until its key-hole is clear of the key-hole in the
plate E, as shown in Figure 2, and the key is then secured so that it cannot
drop out or be forced out from the opposite side of the door.
The advantages of this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art to
which it appertains, and it will be particularly observed that the locking-plate
has its central opening continuously coincident with that of the stationary key-
hole plate, and that by making the latter plate stationary and providing it with
a continuous overhanging rim or flange for loosely securing the locking-plate, less
material is required for the completed article, and it will also be seen that the
entire device can be removed by removing the securing-screws of the stationary
key-hole plate.
Dated this 11th day of July 1890.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Devices applicable for Holding or Fastening a
Key in a Door Lock or the like, to Prevent it Dropping out
'Accidentally or being Removed from the Outside.
A communication from abroad by THOMAS DIXON YATES, of Chicago, in the
County of Cook, and EDWIN JULIUS LEARNED, of Lake Forest, Lake
County, both in the State of Illinois, United States of America.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6 Bank Street,
Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster, and 323 High Holborn in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, 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 :-
The present invention relates specially to escutcheons for locks of doors and
other locks; and the object of the invention is to provide a device which will hold
the key when it has been inserted into the lock and prevent it from dropping out
by the jar of shutting the door, or otherwise, whereby it may be lost, and also
which will lock the key into the door, so that it cannot be removed therefrom
from the outside, and though the invention is specially designed for escutcheons
which are applied to the key-holes of doors furnished with mortise-locks, yet it
will be understood that it is also applicable to many other classes of locks.
Heretofore many devices for the same purpose have been made, which are operated
by the key when inserted in the lock, and also devices have been proposed which
are affixed to the escutcheons or to the outside of the door and which lock the
key when it has once been inserted; but the present invention aims to secure this
result in a simple and effectual manner, and to provide a device which does not
destroy the symmetrical appearance of an escutcheon, and which is operated by
the hand and not by the key after the key has been inserted; and the invention
comprises the detail construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, sub-
stantially as hereinafter fully set forth and particularly set out in the claim.
In the drawings filed with the Provisional Specification:-
Figure 1 shows a face view of an escutcheon embodying this invention with the
device in position to permit the key to be inserted.

page_text: Figure 2 shows the device with the locking-plate turned so that the key cannot
be removed.
Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line X X of Figure 2, and
Figure 4 shows a modified form of the device.
A, is a circular locking-plate capable of turning within a rim C, and provided.
with a key-hole opening A', and with one or more projecting lugs A", by means of
which the plate can be turned.
E is the escutcheon-plate proper, or it may represent the side of the case of a
lock to which the rim C is attached by screws Cor otherwise, and which plate
is provided with the ordinary key-hole opening e. The rim C is bevelled inwardly
at its inner edge, and a corresponding bevel is formed on the outer edge of.
plate A, whereby the parts are made to fit snugly together. The circular part of
the key-hole openings designed to receive the shank of the key in both plates
register with each other at all times, and said part of the key-hole opening in the
plate A comes at the centre thereof, so that said plate can revolve about the shank
of the key when the key is inserted.
e, Figure 3, are screw-holes for affixing the escutcheon to a door, or the
screws C¹, which hold the rim C, may be also employed to attach the escutcheon
to a door, as shown in Figure 1.
י,
In the device constructed as shown in Figure 4, the stationary key-hole plate
is struck with a rim and with lips e", which are bent down over the plate A. The
escutcheon is attached by means of the screws shown dotted in the figure, and the
latter are inserted through the key-hole opening A' of the plate A by turning it
so that it uncovers the respective screw-holes.
To put the key into the lock, the key-plate A is turned so that the respective
key-holes register with each other, and, after the key has been inserted, the plate A
is readily revolved until its key-hole is clear of the key-hole in the plate E, as
shown in Figure 2, and the key is then secured so that it cannot drop out or be
forced out from the opposite side of the door.
The advantages of this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art to
which it appertains, and it will be particularly observed that the locking-plate has
its central opening continuously coincident with that of the stationary key-hole
plate, and that by making the latter plate stationary and providing it with a
continuous overhanging rim or flange for loosely securing the locking-plate, less
material is required for the completed article, and it will also be seen that the
entire device can be removed by removing the securing-screws of the stationary
key-hole plate.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is :-
The combination, with an inner stationary key-hole plate, of a movable key-
locking plate, having a central opening and lug or lugs, and the overhanging rim
holding said key-locking plate against said key-hole plate, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 6th day of April 1891.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.