Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Oct., 1896
Complete Specification Left; 9th July, 1897-Accepted, 9th Oct., 1897
I, WILLIAM NICHOLS, of 216 Coppice Street, Oldham in the County of Lancaster
Mechanic, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improved means or apparatus for fastening doors and is
especially applicable to the doors of railway carriages.
The apparatus consists of a spring latch of special form mounted upon a suitable
pivot fixed to the door in a convenient position close to the edge thereof, a lever
forming part of the latch and projecting from the outside of the door, and a suitable
rod connecting the said latch to a lever or handle upon a pivot fixed at a considerable
height upon and projecting from the inside of the door.
The latch is cranked on the inner side of its pivot and this cranked part projects
from the edge of the door and the corresponding door post of the carriage is provided
with a recess the bottom of which is inclined upwards to a vertical drop at its inner
end so that when the door is closed the latch automatically rises up the incline and
falls into the vertical part of the recess and thus fastens the door.
The door can be opened from the outside by depressing the projecting lever
forming part of the lateh or from the inside by working the lever which is connected
by the rod to the latch and which is so elevated as to be out of reach of little
children.
The above named connecting rod and the spring of the latch are let into suitable
recesses in the edge of the door and concealed by a suitable cover plate, which is
slotted for the action of the latch.
The advantages of the improved door fastener are:
1. Absolute security when the door is latched.
2. The latch works automatically as the door is closed.
3. The latch can be worked from either the inside or the outside of the door.
4. The levers can be worked with very little effort or strength.
5. The levers cannot be reached by a little child.
6. The parts are very strong and simple and are not likely to wear out.
The socket or recess in the door post for receiving the latch may be provided with
a spring to act as a check to take the shock off the door when it is "slammed."
Dated this 9th day of October 1896.
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: I, WILLIAM NICHOLS, of 216 Coppice Street, Oldham in the County of Lancaster
Mechanic, 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 improved means for fastening doors, and is specially
applicable to the doors of railway carriages.
The nature of the said invention and the manner in which the same is to be
performed or carried into practical effect, will be readily understood on reference to
the annexed sheet of drawings and the following explanation thereof.
Fig. 1 on the drawings is an elevation of part of the edge of a railway carriage
door showing the application of the improved fastener thereto, the covering plate
thereof being removed, and Fig. 2 is a similar view with the covering plate screwed
on. Fig. 3 is a similar view of the door jamb and its appliance. Fig. 4 is a section
taken horizontally through about the line A-B in Figs. 2 and 3, and Fig. 5 is a
vertical section through about the line C-D in Fig. 4.
a is part of a railway carriage door, and b represents part of the door-jamb or
post.
The apparatus consists principally of a spring latch c of the form shown clearly
at Fig. 1, mounted upon a suitable pivot d fixed to the door a in a convenient position
close to the edge thereof, a lever c forming part of the latch and projecting from
the outside of the door, and a suitable rod e connecting the said latch to a lever or
handle fupon a pivot g fixed at a considerable height upon and projecting from the
inside of the door.
The latch c is cranked or provided with a pin or stud c* upon the inner side of its
pivot d and this pin or stud cx projects from the edge of the door a, and the
corresponding door post 6 of the carriage (see Fige. 3, 4 and 5) is provided with a
recess h the bottom of which is inclined or curved upwards, (as shown at i Fig. 3) to
a vertical drop at its inner end, so that when the door a is closed, the projection c*
of the latch c automatically rises up the incline or curve i and falling into the vertical
part or drop of the recess, thus fastens the door.
The door a can be opened from the outside by depressing the projecting lever c¹
forming part of the latch, or from the inside by working the lever f which is
connected by the rod e to the latch c and which is so elevated as to be out of the reach
of little children.
The connecting rod e and the spring k of the latch c are let into suitable recesses
in the edge of the door a and concealed by a suitable covering plate (Fig. 2) which
is slotted for the action of the latch.
The advantages of this improved door fastener are:-
1. Absolute security when the door is latched.
2. The latch works automatically as the door is closed.
3. The latch can be worked from either the inside or the outside of the door.
4. The levers can be worked with very little effort or strength.
5. The levers cannot be reached by a little child.
6. The parts are very strong and simple and are not likely to wear out.
7. The levers are so arranged that they can be made to lift with any weight
or pressure which the users may deem sufficient, no matter how strong the
holding down spring is.
8. There is no liability with this fastening for the door to stick or become jammed
in the event of the door becoming warned.

page_text: The socket or recess h in the door post b for receiving the projection on the pin cx
of the latch c may be provided with a spring 1 (see Fig. 3) to act as a check to
take the shock off the door a when it is "slammed."
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
The improved means for fastening railway carriage and other doors, constructed
and operating substantially as herein before described and illustrated by the drawings
annexed.
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.