Improvements in Locks for Doors; Boxes and the like.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Oct., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 20th June, 1898-Accepted, 21st Oct.,
1898
Improvements in Locks for Doors; Boxes and the like.
We, ROBERT HOLBROOK, of 4, Spring Bridge, Ealing, Middlesex, Engineer,
and JOHN WILLIAM BERRY, of 20, The Common, Ealing, aforesaid, Solicitor,
do. hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in locks for doors, boxes and the like,
and consists of an arrangement of slotted plates lugs and springs by means of
which the mechanism can be moved backwards and forwards in the casing so as
to bring the key hole of the lock coincident with a key hole in the door or box
at any reasonable distance from edge.
The principal advantage of our invention consists in the fact that the lock can
be fitted to any door without making a fresh key hole, in case the existing hole
should be situate farther from or nearer to the edge of the door than that from
which the latch has been removed.
In one form of our invention we dispose at the side of, and parallel to, the
latch bar, on the side nearest the face plate of the case, a rod or plate of suitable
shape having a pin or lug projecting from it at right angles which pin passes
through a longitudinal slot in the latch bar, and also through a slot in the end of a
tumbler placed parallel to and on the opposite side to the latch bar.
On the upper
side of the slot in the spring tumbler, and preferably in the centre thereof is
disposed a tooth which divides the upper side of the slot into two recesses
with either of which the end of the pin can engage. The other end of this tumbler
is suitably pivoted to the inside of the casing.
The upper side of the latch bar is formed integral with a second plate which has
a longitudinal slot through which passes a screw to engage a projection on the
first mentioned plate.
At the underside of this first mentioned plate are two projections or teeth forming
a recess with which the key engages when turned, thereby causing it to slide along
and with it the latch bar which is connected to it by means of the screw before
mentioned.
When the key is turned it raises the tumbler thereby releasing the pin from
engagement with one of the recesses, and causes the latch bar and other parts to
slide along the casing by engaging with the recess in the bottom of
first mentioned plate, and when the key has made a complete revolution the
tumbler is forced down again by means of the spring, thereby causing the pin to
engage the other recess in the side of the slot.
The face plate has a portion of its surface cut away to allow the key hole and
plate being slid along, and this hole is covered by a similar shaped plate preferably
fastened to the front of the key plate. The key hole plate is also fastened to the
top of the case by means of a screw and plate in such manner as to be easily
loosened so as to be slid along.
The latch bar has preferably a second short slot near its inner end which engages
a pin projecting from the inside of the face plate of case to form a guide and
ensure that the latch bar shall not be moved too far in either direction.

page_text: It will be understood that slight modifications of our invention are necessary
to apply it to different kinds of locks, but we have described the mechanism of an
ordinary lock.
The inner plate of the casing may be slotted where necessary to allow of the
mechanism being moved without removing it.
Dated this 21st day of October 1897
WILLIAM J. MUNDEN,
75, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicants.
Improvements in Locks for Doors, Boxes and the like.
We, ROBERT HOLBROOK, of 4, Spring Bridge, Ealing, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, and JOHN WILLIAM BERRY, of 20, The Common, Ealing, aforesaid,
Solicitor, 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 improvements in locks and latches for doors, boxes and
the like, and consists of an arrangement of slotted plates, lugs, and springs by
means of which the mechanism can be moved backwards and forwards in the
casing so as to bring the key hole of the lock or latch coincident with a key hole
in the door or box at any reasonable distance from edge.
The principal advantage of our invention consists in the fact that the lock
or latch can be fitted to any door or cover without making a fresh key hole, in
case the existing hole should be situate further from or nearer to the edge of
the door or cover than that from which the lock or latch has been removed.
There being many different kinds of locks and latches it is obvious that many
modifications of form may be necessary in order to adapt our invention to existing
types of locks and latches.
In the accompanying drawings our invention is shewn as applied to one lock and
one latch of well known descriptions.
Fig. 1 is an elevation of a lock with the cover removed.
Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of same taken on line - of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is an elevation of the plate or tumbler.
Fig. 4 is an elevation of the lever.
Fig. 5 is an elevation of the latch bar or bolt.
Fig. 6 is an elevation of a latch only with the cover removed.
Fig. 7 is a horizontal section of same taken on line x-x of Fig. 6.
Figs. 8 and 9 are elevations of levers.
Fig. 10 is an elevation of the tumbler or plate.
Fig. 11 is a plan and
Fig. 12 is an elevation of the latch bar or bolt.
manner.
Referring to Figs. 1 to 5, A indicates the casing plate of the lock which can be
of any suitable shape and screwed or attached to the door in any convenient
In this casing a D shaped opening is cut this being indicated in dotted
lines in Fig. 1 and over this a sliding key hole plate B is arranged to slide
longitudinally being held in any desired position by means of a screw b which
passes through the plate into a nut 6. At the upper edge of the plate B is a
flange which forms a guide for the upper edge of a tumbler C, this tumbler is
formed with the usual projections c with which the key engages when turned, it has
also a projecting lug c¹ and a screw a both of which project through slots d

page_text: and & formed in the latch bar or bolt D to which is disposed alongside the
tumbler C in such manner that the latter can be caused to slide longitudinally
along the bolt and fixed in any relative position thereto by means of the screw c².
For safety a lever E pivoted to the plate B ate is disposed alongside the bolt and
has a recess e¹ formed in it of such shape that the lug c of the tumbler C entering
therein and engaging the tooth e prevents the key turning until it has lifted the
lever E against the action of the spring e³ which normally retains it in the position
shewn in Fig. 1. G indicates the key hole and D¹ the point of the bolt which
when protuded enters the usual latch plate in the door post and locks the door,
d is a slot in the inner end of the bolt which forms a guide for the latter being
prevented from moving vertically by a stud or pin fixed rigidly to the lock
casing.
S indicates the latch, T the follower and U the spring of the ordinary catch
which being turned by the hand opens or closes the door as is usual, but as
these are not included in this form of invention they are shewn in dotted
lines only.
It will be seen that the principal difference between a lock according to our
invention and an existing lock of the same type consists in the fact that the key
hole plate B and key hole G can be moved backwards and forwards and fixed in
any desired position by means of the screw b and that the tumbler C can be
moved along the bolt correspondingly and fixed in position by the screw c² while in
the ordinary kind of lock this cannot be done.
The essential feature of the invention therefore consists in forming the
tumbler C with its projections c separate from the bolt D whereas in the ordinary
type of lock the projection c are formed integral with or rigidly attached to the
bolt D.
The action in locking or unlocking the door is precisely the same as in the
ordinary lock. The key on being turned first lifting the lever E sufficiently high
to allow the lug c¹ to pass the tooth e then the point of the key blank engages one
of the projections c of the tumbler C and shoots it and the bolt D either forwards
or backwards thus locking or unlocking the door.
When a lock of this description is to be fitted to the mortice of a door in which
door a keyhole is already cut through the wood, all that is necessary is to loosen
the screws b and c² slide the key hole plate B along until the key hole G is in the
same line as the key hole cut through the door and tighten up the screws b, and c
this fixes the whole in position.
In Figs. 6 to 12 is shewn a door catch only in which the latch key is used to
retract the catch only this being normally forced forward by a spring in the
ordinary manner. The principle is the same as in the preceding though the
details are somewhat different in construction and arrangement. It has two levers,
A indicating the casing as before, and G the keyhole. H indicates the key hole
plate this being bent upwards so as to form a sliding casing which carries the
tumbler I and levers K and K this key hole plate is capable of sliding
longitudinally as before and can be fixed in position by the screw h. The
tumbler I is not screwed to the bolt as in the lock but has a projecting lug i for
engaging, with the point of an adjusting screw L¹ which forms part of the bolt
or catch L. The screwing of the tumbler to the bolt is unnecessary in this case as
the key has only to move the bolt in one direction i.e. to retract it.
As in the case of the lock when the key is turned it engages the projection of
the tumbler and forcing it back the lug i pushes back the screw L' and with it
the bolt L against the action of a spring M. When the door is open the bolt or
catch L is forced by the action of the spring back to its normal position and the
key can be withdrawn from the key hole.
When it is required to adjust the key hole plate to an existing key hole the
key hole plate is caused to slide as before and fixed by the screw h then the
screw L' is screwed up until it meets the lug i on the tumbler I, a hole ¹ being
bored in the end of the casing in order that a screw-driver may be inserted for

page_text: this purpose. A slot is formed in the casing through which the knob spindle or
screw passes in the usual manner.
An incidental advantage resulting from the use of the screw L¹ is that the
distance which the point of the bolt protrudes from the edge of the door may be
adjusted to any desired distance. Thus by screwing in the screw L¹ the bolt can
be entirely withdrawn into the casing. The slamming noise produced when the
bolt projects too far can thus be obviated without difficulty.
It will be understood that the screws for adjustment may be arranged in any
part of the casing in any suitable manner so as to secure either a horizontal vertical
or inclined adjustment.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:—
1. A lock or latch the key hole in which can be adjusted so as to be brought
into line or coincident with the existing keyhole in any door or the like.
2. A lock or latch in which the tumbler can be adjusted relative to the bolt
or catch in such manner that the tumbler can be caused to assume a correct
position relatively to any key hole.
3. In a lock or latch the combination of a bolt with a tumbler which can be
adjusted in any position relative thereto substantially as described and shewn.
4. In a lock or latch the combination with a bolt of a tumbler and key hole plate
which can be adjusted in any position relative thereto substantially as described
and shewn.
5. In a lock the combination of the casing A the key hole plate B the tumbler C
and the bolt D substantially as described and shewn.
6. In a latch the combination of the casing A the key hole plate H the
tumbler I the bolt L and the screw L' substantially as described and shewn.
Dated this 20th day of June 1898.
WILLIAM J. MUNDEN,
75, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicants.