IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKS AND IN THE MANUFACTURE OF THEM.
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Silas Beddow and William Sturmey, both of Clemson
Street, Willenhall, Staffordshire, Lock Manufacturers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
LOCKS AND IN THE MANUFACTURE OF THEM.'
"
Sealed the 13th March 1877, and dated the 30th September 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Silas Beddow and William
Sturmey at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th September
1876.
SILAS BEDDOW and WILLIAM STURMEY, both of Clemson Street, Willenhall,
Staffordshire, Lock Manufacturers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKS AND IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF THEM."
This Invention of improvements in locks and in the manufacture of them
consists,
Firstly. In the manner in which the spring to act on the tumbler of a lock is
arranged so that it may also act upon the catch in a door lock, and by means of the
tumbler act against the key, the one spring therefore acting on the lever or tumbler
against the action of the key holding the tumbler down on the bolt and also acting
against the catch bolt; also in forming the spring out of ribbon steel and making
it without any sharp angle, but forming it entirely in curved lines so that it shall
be less liable to fracture.
The principle of the Invention may be carried out in the following manner, and
consists in placing on the tumbler a tubular projection up which passes the pin
from the lock case upon which the tumbler works; round this tube is laid a portion
of the spring, the remainder of it to one end following the form of the letter S, and
locking under or partially round a pin projecting from the tumbler; the other end of
the spring it will be well understood if pressed will now be resisted by the locking
of the other end coiled partly round the tubular projection and laid under or round
the projecting pin; the free end of the spring is now brought by slight pressure or
force under or against a projection on the catch bolt of a lock where such a lock
is in question, and forms the resist for the catch bolt when operated on by the
ordinary handle; the key when used to lift the tumbler acts against the spring,
and when the key has shot the bolt the tumbler falls into the notch of the bolt

page_text: where it is held by the spring. The same principle may be carried out by a
small stud on the tube which projecting into a hole in the end of the spring will
retain it in place, but the former described plan is in my opinion the most suitable,
the spring being formed entirely of rounded angles and with no slot or perforation
of any kind.
Secondly. In the method of manufacturing the cases of locks, whether mortice
locks, sash locks, or padlocks, and generally to all cases of locks where it is
applicable.
It has hitherto been usual to manufacture the cases of locks by pressing up the
side with front or back plate of the case and then attaching the other plate by
rivets passing through from the other plate or by rivets forming a portion of the
sides and projecting through the plate. In this latter case the top or bottom plates
projected over the sides of the case.
In our Invention we apply the principle of dovetailing wood to the case specially
modified to meet the requirements of the difference in the materials, namely, wood
or iron, and to allow of the upsetting of iron by rivetting to fill the dovetail, and
we use two kinds of dovetail mortices, one where the plate is intended to be
removable and the other where it is intended to be irremovable. We take the plate
of a lock of the shape required, and round the edges of it we cut the dovetailed
mortices required, we then coil or fit round it the piece to form the sides to give the
_depth of the case, and on these sides we form the tenons to enter the mortices, then
when entered into the plate they are fastened by rivetting the dovetail, being made
bevilled both ways, so that when the hammering on the tenons has made them fill
the dovetails the plate is fixed to the sides and irremovable, and the ends of the
tenons, if above the surface of the plate, may be filed off level with the surface of
the plate and without in any way weaking connection of the side with the
plate; the remaining plate to complete the case of the lock may now be fitted on to
the tenons and retained connected to the other plate in the ordinary way by
screws passing through both, or as in the case of padlocks, the tenons, as before
described, may be rivetted up, and the case then is like a solid box with even
surfaces and edges forming exceedingly compact solid work.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Silas Beddow and William Sturmey in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 28th March 1877.
SILAS BEDDOW and WILLIAM STURMEY, both of Clemson Street, Willenhall,
Staffordshire, Lock Manufacturers. IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKS AND IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF THEM."
"
This Invention of improvements in locks and in the manufacture of them
consists,―
Firstly. In the manner in which the spring to act on the tumbler of a lock is
arranged so that it may also act upon the catch in a door lock, and by means of the
tumbler act against the key the one spring therefore acting on the lever or tumbler
against the action of the key holding the tumbler down on the bolt and also acting
against the catch bolt; also in forming the spring out of ribbon steel and in making
it without any sharp angle, but forming it entirely in curved lines so that it shall be
less liable to fracture.
The principle of this part of the Invention may be carried out in the following
manner, and consists in placing on the tumbler a tubular projection up which passes
the pin from the lock case upon which the tumbler works; round this tube is laid a
portion of the spring, the remainder of it to one end following the form of the letter
S, and locking under or partially round a pin projecting from the tumbler; the other
end of the spring it will be well understood if pressed will now be resisted by the

page_text: locking of the other end coiled partly round the tubular projection and laid under
or round the projecting pin; the free end of the spring is now brought by slight
pressure or force under or against a projection on the catch bolt of a lock where
such a lock is in question, and forms the resist for the catch bolt when operated on
by the ordinary handle. The key when used to lift the tumbler acts against the
spring, and when the key has shot the bolt the tumbler falls into the notch of the
bolt where it is held by the spring. The same principle may be carried out by a
small stud on the tube which, projecting into a hole in the end of the spring, will
retain it in place, but the former described plan is in our opinion the most suitable,
the spring being formed entirely of rounded angles and with no slot or perforation of
any kind.
Secondly. In the method of manufacturing the cases of locks, whether mortice
locks, sash locks, or padlocks, and generally to all cases of locks where it is
applicable.
It has hitherto been usual to manufacture the cases of locks by pressing up the
side with front or back plate of the case and then attaching the other plate by
rivets passing through from the other plate or by rivets forming a portion of the
sides and projecting through the plates. In this latter case the top or bottom
plates projected over the sides of the case.
In our Invention we apply the principle of dovetailing wood to the case specially
modified to meet the requirements of the difference in the materials, namely, wood
or iron, and to allow of the upsetting of the iron by rivetting to fill the dovetail,
and we use two kinds of dovetail mortices, one where the plate is intended to be
removeable and the other where it is intended to be irremoveable. We take the
plate of a lock of the shape required, and round the edges of it we cut the dovetailed
mortices required, we then coil or fit round it the piece to form the sides to give the
depth of the case, and on these sides we form the tenons to enter the mortices,
then when entered into the plate they are fastened by rivetting the dovetail, being
made bevilled both ways, so that when the hammering on the tenons has made
them fill the dovetails the plate is fixed to the sides and irremovable, and the ends
of the tenons, if above the surface of the plate, may be filed off level with the
surface of the plate and without in any way weakening connection of the side with
the plate; the remaining plate to complete the case of the lock may now be fitted on
to the tenons and retained connected to the other plate in the ordinary way by
screws passing through both, or, as in the case of padlocks, the tenons, as before
described, may be rivetted up, and the case then is like a solid box with even
surfaces and edges forming exceedingly compact solid work.
In the Sheet of Drawings forming part of this Specification Figures 1 to 7 relate
to the second improvement (the case of the lock) and the remaining Figures relate
to the first improvement (the spring in connection with the tumblers, key, and bolts
or catches. Figure 1 is a view of the case of the lock seen from the upper edge,
the edge removed; Figure 2 is a view of the lock and case seen from the front, the
front plate removed; Figure 3, the front plate; Figure 4, the back plate; Figure 5,
the sides of the case; Figures 6 and 7, plan and view of the sides of the case,
Figure 5, before they are coiled or turned round to form the sides.
In these Figures the corresponding tenons and mortices or dovetails are marked
in the same letters as a, a, a, b, b, b, c, c, c, d, d, d, where they fit together, the back
plate, Figure 4, fitting into Figure 7, when coiled or formed together at e, e, f,ƒ,
g, g, h, h, as before mentioned, both front and back plate may be permanently fixed
together to the sides, or one plate may be made removable and held to the other by
screws as in ordinary locks; for padlocks it will generally be found most suitable to
rivet the three component parts solidly together.
The first improvement is illustrated in various modifications of the principle
described.
Figure 2 and Figure 9 show one form; Figures 2a, 2b, 11, and 12, various views
of the same form.
Figures 13, 14, and 16, show the principle applied by adjusting an ordinary

page_text: feather spring round tubular projection of tumbler, one end secured against pin in
tumbler and the other acting against catch bolt.
Figures 18, 19, 20, the modifications spoken of, where the spring is pierced with a
hole for the spring, most clearly shown at Figure 20.
Another modificotion for a small lock is shown in Figures 23, 24, 25, and 26.
In all these it will be seen that the same principle is carried out, viz., one spring
acting against and mutually opposed in its action by the tumber for the key and
the catch of the lock.
Having now described and particularly set forth our Invention, and the means of
carrying the same into effect, we would have it understood that we claim as our
Invention,-
Firstly. The spring acting direct both against the tumbler of a lock and
against the catch bolt of the same in the manner described, substantially as set
forth.
Secondly. The method of manufacturing the cases of locks by dovetailing the
several parts and uniting them together, substantially as described.
Thirdly. The method and manner of making tumbler so as to be able to use an
ordinary feather spring, as described in Figures 13, 14, and 16.
In witness whereof, I, the said Silas Beddow, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twentieth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred_and_seventy-seven.