IMPROVEMENTS IN SAFES
Year: 1884

page_text: I SAMUEL CHATWOOD of the Lancashire Safe & Lock Works Bolton in the
County of Lancaster Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SAFES to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object improvements in safes.
The front frame of the safe into which the door closes I form with angle iron or
steel of peculiar section-The angle iron is rolled with a recess on the outer side
of one of its flanges to receive the edge of the door and with another recess on the
outer side of its other flange to receive the edge of the plate or plates forming the
body of the safe.
Or in place of providing a recess for the edge of the door a rib not extending to
the corner or angle may be rolled upon one of the flanges of the angle iron or steel
to house the edges of the door. On the same flange at its outer extremity I some-
times provide a nosing or thickening which when the door is closed is received into
a corresponding groove in the door or door frame.
The back frame of the safe I also form with angle iron of peculiar section-This
angle iron is rolled with recesses one to receive the edges of the body plate or plates
and the other the edges of the back plate; or the back may be inserted from within
the frame and then the second recess is not required.
I protect the inner heads of the rivets by which the body plates are secured to
front and back frames by a solid backing to prevent their being driven out from
the outside of the safe.
Sometimes in place of having separate frames and body plates I employ plates
rolled with flanges at their edges which flanges when the plate is bent and welded
up form the front and back frames.
For the doors also I provide plates rolled with ribs near their edges-these ribs
give stiffness to the door and provide holding for the bolt work of the lock.
Sometimes in place of rolling ribs on the plates for the doors I make the frame
of the door of rolled iron or steel of a peculiar Tee section thickened at one edge of
the table of the tee so that the thickened end will be a T or L section and form
the groove to receive the nosing of the body frame and also to receive the edge of
the door plate.

page_text: For the more effectual protection of the contents of the safe in case of fire I
insulate the drawers and interior parts by slabs or strips of asbestos or it may
be wood or compressed fibre treated with Sulphate of Copper, Tungstate of Soda,
Alum and Kaolin, Steatite, or like materials.
I sometimes make the safe with a well which will serve the purpose of a stand
for the safe in which well I place a tank filled with water. The tank if of iron or
steel I protect from oxidation by a coating of iron oxide as is well known and
provide a plug which will yield to the heat of steam.

page_text: I SAMUEL CHATWOOD of the Lancashire Safe & Lock Works Bolton in the
County of Lancaster Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SAFES" and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention has for its object improvements in safes.
The front frame of the safe into which the door closes I form with angle iron or
steel of peculiar section. The angle iron is rolled with a recess on the outer side of
one of its flanges to receive the edge of the door and with another recess on the
outer side of its other flange to receive the edge of the plate or plates forming the
body of the safe.
Or in place of providing a recess for the edge of the door a rib not extending to
the corner or angle may be rolled upon one of the flanges of the angle iron or steel
to house the edges of the door. On the same flange at its outer extremity I some-
times provide a nosing or thickening which when the door is closed is received into
a corresponding groove in the door or door frame.
The back frame of the safe I also form with angle iron of peculiar section. This
angle iron is rolled with recesses one to receive the edges of the body plate or
plates and the other the edges of the back plate or the back may be inserted from
within the frame and then the second recess is not required.
I protect the inner heads of the rivets by which the body plates are secured to
front and back frames by a solid backing to prevent their being driven out from
the outside of the safe.
Sometimes in place of having separate frames and body plates I employ plates
rolled with flanges at their edges which flanges when the plate is bent and welded
up form the front and back frames.
For the doors also I provide plates rolled with ribs near their edges-these ribs
give stiffness to the door and provide holding for the bolt work of the lock.
Sometimes in place of rolling ribs on the plates for the doors I make the frame
of the door of rolled iron or steel of a peculiar Tee section thickened at one edge of
the table of the tee so that the thickened end will be a T or L section and form
the groove to receive the nosing of the body frame and also to receive the edge of
the door plate.
For the more effectual protection of the contents of the safe in case of fire I
insulate the drawers and interior parts by slabs or strips of asbestos or it may be
wood or compressed fibre treated with sulphate of copper, tungstate of soda, alum
and kaolin, steatite or like materials.
I sometimes make the safe with a well which will serve the purpose of a stand
for the safe in which well I place a tank filled with water. The tank if of iron or
steel I protect from oxidation by a coating of iron oxide as is well known and
provide a plug which will yield to the heat of steam.
In order that my said invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect I will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.

page_text: Figure 1 represents a section of the frame at front of a safe showing the door let
into the frame within the metal of the front palm.
The angle iron or steel a is rolled with a recess on the outer side of one of its
flanges to receive the edge of the door band with another recess on the outer side
of its other flange to receive the edge of the plate c forming part of the body of the
safe.
Figure 2 shows a section of frame as before but the angle iron or steel
rib a rolled on its front face to house the edges of the door.
a
has a
These frames I bend solid at the corners and the ends may or may not be welded
up solid or connected together by butt strips or other suitable connection.
Figure 3 represents a section of front frame as before but having rolled or
otherwise provided on that portion of the frame against which the door closes a
recess or groove into which a rib or projecting feather on the door b or lock case B
forming a part of the door enters thereby securing the frame and door against
being parted by lateral strain such as would be set up by wedging and like violence.
A further rib or projection B¹ is also provided on the opposite side of the lock case
to cover the outer edges of the door plate-this rib may or may not be undercut
ou the door side and the edges of the door plate formed to suit.
Figure 4 represents a section of a back frame d of a safe bent solid at the corners
and it may or may not be welded solid at the junction of the ends. The section is
provided with recesses for the reception of the side and back plates as shown.
These recesses it will be seen do not extend to the angle, the section is symmetrical
and the frame is of great strength The edge of the recess may or may not be
undercut to receive the plates, the side plates being bent solid at the corners and
welded up at the finishing joint either in the centre of the portion forming the
bottom of the safe or at one of the corners or the closing joint may be made by
the application of an internal butt strip rivetted to the two ends.
Figure 5 represents another form of back frame the back plate in this case being
put on from the inside and rivetted or screwed to the frame in the manner shown.
An internal angle or bar e may also be applied covering the rivet or screw heads
and preventing them from being driven inwards.
Figure 6 represents a section of safe body formed of a plate having a flange at
either side near the edges of the plate, the plate being bent to form the sides, top
and bottom of the safe the final joint being welded up solid and the back put in in
the manner shown; at the front the door may be applied directly to the existing
recess or a separate frame may be fitted for its reception.
Figure 7 shows a section of similar body in which the back plate is put on from
the inside.
This figure also shows an angle bar covering the rivet heads on the inner side.
Figure 8 represents a section of door plate having ribs rolled upon it towards its
outer edges forming a lock case through which the bolts f. f. of the lock work pass.
Figure 9 represents a section of a portion of a safe door consisting of the lock
case B and the door plate b as in Figure 3. This lock case may be bent solid and
welded up at the joint or it may be applied in separate pieces to suit the edges of
the door plate.
Figure 10 shows a similar section of lock case but without the interior rib for
entering the groove in the frame.
Figure 11 represents a section of safe bodies showing the method of preventing
the passage of heat from the outer body of the safe to its inner case and contents
by the interposition of asbestos, wood specially treated, or other good non conductor
of beat, between the connecting joints of the outer body and the inner case.
In the drawing g is a frame connecting the outer body of the safe with the metal
lining hand ii are strips of nonconducting material interposed between the two.

page_text: Again B is the door frame and B² is the back of the lock case and k is a slab of
insulating material between the two.
Figure 12 shows a section of a safe body in which the connection between the
outer body and metal lining his of prepared wood or insulating material l.
Figure 13 shows a section of safe having its body continued down below the
bottom of door, thus forming a sort of stand. Within this lower portion of the safe
is fitted a water tank having an easily fusible plug of gutta percha wax or other
suitable material which on the water becoming unduly heated melts and allows the
steam or vapour to enter the safe and thus keep down the interior temperature.
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
(1). Constructing the front frame of a safe of an angle bar with two external
recesses not extending past the inner corner and one receiving the edge of the door
and the other that of the side plate of the body substantially as described.
(2). Constructing the front frame of a safe of an angle bar with on one side an
external recess receiving the side plate of the body and on the other an external
rib not extending to the corner housing the edges of the door substantially as
described.
(3). Constructing the front frame of a safe with a recess or rib housing the edges
of the door and a nosing or thickening which when the door is closed is received
into a corresponding groove in the door substantially as described.
(4). Constructing the back frame of a safe of an angle bar with two. external
recesses not extending past the inner corner and receiving the side and the back
plates of the body substantially as described.
(5). Constructing a safe with the back frame and angle bar recessed to receive
the edge of the side plate and with the back plate on the inner side of the back
frame substantially as described.
(6). Constructing a safe body of two plates one forming the back and the other
forming the four sides (with bent corners) attached to the front and back frames
substantially as described.
(7). Constructing a safe with internal bars or backings covering the inner heads
of the rivets by which the body plates are secured to the frames to prevent the
rivets being driven in substantially as described.
(8). Constructing a safe with flanged plates serving in the place of inner frames
substantially as described.
(9). Constructing the door of a safe of a plate rolled with ribs near its edges
giving stiffness to the door and providing holding for the bolts of the lock
substantially as described.
(10). Constructing the door of a safe with the door frame or lock case made of
an angle bar of tee section thickened at one edge of the table of the tee so that the
thickened end is either of a T or L section substantially as described.
(11). Constructing a safe with the outer body insulated from the inner metal
lining by slab or strips of material which is a non-conductor of heat substantially
as described.
(12). Constructing a safe with a tank serving as a stand and situate below the
bottom of the door such tank receiving water to keep down the interior temperature
substantially as described.