Improvements in 1
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Nov., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 10th Aug.. 1895-Accepted, 14th Sept., 1895
Improvements in
1 CHARLES SHOWELL, of Lower Loveday Street, in the City of Birmingham,
Brassfounder, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
This invention relates to improvements in the construction and arrangement of
latches for doors and the like, and more particularly to mortice latches, and consists
as follows:-
A suitable box or frame is provided somewhat as usual, to receive and accoinmodate
the component parts, having the usual front plate, through which the nose of the
latch protrudes. The sliding bolt is carried in suitable guides and has the usual
bevilled nose.
At the rear end of the bolt a gap or slot is made, in which
works the one end of a heavy cranked weight, which latter is carried upon a pivot
from the box or frame. The purpose of the weight is to effect always the
forward sliding of the bolt, so that under the unimpeded action of the weight, the
bolt is always shot. At a suitable part in the box, and on both sides, an opening
is made through which the tail end of the lifting lever may pass in such a manner
that it may lie beneath the weighted crank, so that when the said lever is operated,
the weighted crank is raised, and in so doing the bolt withdrawn. A handle is
now provided upon which is a screw down plate for securing it to the door &c.
Preferably this plate is only provided at the upper end of such handle, so that the
handle hangs as it were therefrom. At the upper part of the said handle, a slot is
made, in which works the lifting lever before mentioned, the said lever being
pivoted thereto. This lever has a thumb pressure piece which stands slightly
above the surface of the handle, so that it may thereby be operated in order to
actuate the latch. A handle and lever are provided for each side of the door the
two tail ends of the said levers lying side by side, so that the latch may be operated
from either handle independently of the other. Holes are further provided in the
latch bolt which coincide with a through hole in the side or sides of the box or
frame through and into which a locking peg may be passed so as to lock at will the
bolt either in the shot or withdrawn position.
Its action is therefore as follows:-In its normal condition the latch is always
shot forward by the weighted crank. By depressing the thumb piece of the lever
from either side of the door the latch bolt is withdrawn.
Dated this 9th day of November 1894.
CHARLES T. POWELL,
Applicant's Agent.
Improvements in Latches for Doors and the like.
I CHARLES SHOWELL, of Lower Loveday Street, in the City of Birmingham,
Brassfounder, 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 the construction and arrangement of

page_text: latches for doors and the like, and more particularly to mortice latches, and consists
as follows:-
In order to more clearly explain this my invention I have appended hereunto
an illustrative sheet of drawings upon which are figures and numbers of reference,
similar numbers referring throughout the several views to the same thing or
part.
Fig. 1, is an interior view of the mechanism of the latch.
Fig. 2, is a cross sectional view in elevation on line A-B.
Fig. 3, is an interior view of a modification in the interior mechanism, and also
showing its application to an exterior or box latch.
Fig. 4, is a side view of Fig. 4.
A suitable box or frame 8, is provided somewhat as usual, to receive and
accommodate the component parts, having the usual front plate 9, through which the
nose 10 of the latch 11, protrudes. The said sliding bolt or latch is controlled by
the guide pin 12, which engages the slot 13. At 14, in the rear end of the bolt a
gap or slot is made, in which works the one end 15, of a heavy cranked weight 16,
which latter is carried upon a pivot 17, from the box or frame. The purpose of
the weight is to effect always the forward sliding of the bolt, so that under the
unimpeded action of the weight, the bolt is always shot, as seen in Fig. 1. At a
suitable part in the box 8, and on both sides, an opening 18, is made through
which the lifting levers 19, 19, may pass in such a manner that they may lie
beneath the weighted crank 16, so that when either of the said levers are operated,
the weighted crank is raised, and in so doing the bolt withdrawn. Handles 20, 20,
are now provided upon each of which is a screw down plate 21, for securing it to
the door &c. These handles hang from the said plates 21, 21. At the upper part
of each of the said handles, a slot 22, is made, in which work the lifting
levers 19, 19, before mentioned, the said levers being pivoted thereto at 24. These
levers have a thumb pressure piece 23, which stands slightly above the surface of
the handle, so that they may thereby be operated in order to actuate the latch.
A handle and lever are provided for each side of the door, the two tail ends of the
said levers lying side by side, so that the latch may be operated from either handle
independently of the other.
Thus it will be seen that in its normal condition, the latch is always shot
forward by the weighted crank 16, but by depressing either of the parts 23, 23,
one of the levers 19, 19, is raised and thereby also the weighted crank 16 is lifted,
and the bolt 11, withdrawn.
In order to lock the bolt when desired in its shot position, I may provide the
pin 25, which passes through a hole in the door 26, and frame 8, whose inner end
presents itself behind the part 27 of the bolt 11, or I may pass such pin through
the box part 8, (see Figs. 3 & 4) and make its inner end 28, cranked, so that by
turning the exterior button part 29, the cranked part 28, may be presented behind
the part 27", and thus in either case the bolt is locked.
I am aware that weighted cranked parts have been already used in connection
with latches and therefore I do not claim such parts broadly, but :-
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
In a latch fastening, the combination with the bolt 11, and weighted crank 16,
of the pivoted levers 19, 19, with their respective handles as herein described and
illustrated.
Dated this 9th day of August 1895.
CHARLES T. POWELL,
12 Cherry Street, Birmingham, Applicant's Agent.