Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Apr., 1898-Accepted, 9th July, 1898
Hoy Dale,
I, CHARLES ROSSIGNOL, of 71, Boulevard Voltaire, Paris, France, Manufacturer,
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 follow-
ing statement:
-
This invention relates to a toy safe resembling in appearance a furniture
cabinet, the essential feature of the safe consisting in a fastening adapted to be
operated only by a certain combination of letters or figures similar to the fasten-
ings with which the doors of actual safes or strong rooms are sometimes provided,
the object being to avoid the necessity of employing a key which would be apt
to be lost by a child.
The invention also consists in the special construction of the safe and general
arrangement of parts thereof as will be hereinafter described.
In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 represents a front elevation of the
cabinet-safe and Figure 2 a horizontal section on a line above the fastening.
Figures 3 and 4 are inside face and edge views respectively of the door. Figure 5
is an inside elevation and Figure 6a section of the lock mechanism, seen from
below. Figures 7 to 10 shew separately the details of the lock mechanism.
As will be seen from the drawing, the toy is a reproduction of an ordinary metal
cabinet-safe on a small scale, this imitation being obtained by constructing the
body of the safe of plates of zinc, tin-plate, or other thin metal suitably shaped
and stamped with mouldings and connected together by soldering or otherwise,
while the decorative columns are metal tubes having capitals and
plinths of lead or other fusible metal cast in a mould. Upon the
door which is a strong metal plate, is mounted the fastening mechanism which com-
prises a sliding bolt A which when shot passes into the locked position in rear of
the rebate B of the door frame against which the door C closes. The bolt A is
guided at its front end in the bolt casing D which is stamped out of sheet metal
and through which the bolt slides in the manner of an ordinary lock, the bolt
being operated by means of knobs E which are rotatably, mounted on it and are
adapted to slide in elongated slots e in the door C when the bolt is retracted. The
dooi is hinged at c and is opened by pulling on one or other of the knobs E after
the bolt A has been slid back, this however only being possible when each of the
knobs E has been previously rotated to a certain angular position, indicated by a
particular letter, figure, or other sign exhibited on a disc. To this end each knob,
of which there may be any desired number, (two being shewn in the drawings),
carries a disc G (Figure 10) bearing letters, figures, or other signs, and a ratchet
wheel H, both fixed to knob E so as to turn therewith. The rear boss h of each
ratchet wheel H projects through a slot in the casing D and is pro-
vided with a lateral notch which when caused to register with
Longue lying in said slot permits of the knob piece being moved in a direction
to retract the bolt such movement being otherwise prevented by the tongue d
ying in the path of the boss h. The plate I which is apertured to correspond to
d
a

page_text: the holes in the bolt A, assists to retain the ratchets H H at the proper distance
apart.
To draw back the bolt it is first necessary to rotate each knob E to bring the
notch of its ratchet opposite the corresponding tongue d, the correct position
of each notch being (when attained) shewn by the predetermined letter or figure
on each disc appearing at an aperture f in door C. A flat spring a abutting
against the casing D maintains the bolt in the shot" position so that the door
will lock itself when closed, without the necessity of altering the dises G from
their open" position..
"
"
are two flat springs which serve as pawls for retaining the ratchets H in
any position in which they may be set. The springs and a are each formed
with an offset a (Figure 8) which offsets are received in slots in bolt A whereby
the springs are retained when bent without other means of fixing, they being pre-
vented from slipping out of the slots by the casing D. The parts G, H, E, are
united as one by providing each ratchet H with a threaded shank on which the
knob screws, the knob thus serving as a nut for clamping the letter-disc G to
the ratchet H and in order to change the combination of letters or figures it is
simply necessary to unscrew the knobs E so as to allow of turning the discs G.
When the discs G are placed on the inside of the door C the latter is provided
with apertures f for exhibiting a letter or figure on said discs; if the discs are
placed on the outside of the door a pointer would be provided under which the face
of each of said discs would move.
The above described mode of constructing the fastening presents this peculiarity
that all the parts of the mechanism are fitted in place and retained without the
aid of solder or rivets, the casing D alone being fixed to the door C by screws or
other means. The mechanism can thus be easily fitted in place and dismounted
for the purpose of regulating the action when the safe is in course of manufacture.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. The herein described toy cabinet-safe constructed of sheet metal plates,
ornamental tubular pillars, and a door provided with a secret keyless fastening
substantially as specified.
2. A keyless fastening for a toy cabinet-safe, consisting of a bolt A supported
in the door and lock casing and carrying screw-threaded knobs E, ratchets H
provided with screw-threaded shanks and notched bosses lettered or figured
discs G, and springs r, in combination with tongues d adapted to prevent retraction
of the bolt unless the notches h register with said tongues as specified.
3. The particular combination of parts constituting the herein described lock-
ing mechanism for a toy cabinet-safe, which enables the parts of said mechanism
to be dismounted and re-assembled with facility.
16 dow of ineil 1898
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
Chartered Patent Agents, 53, Chancery Lane, London.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
Chartered Patent Agents, 53, Chancery Lane, London.