IMPROVE- MENTS IN LATCHES FOR DOORS, GARDEN GATES, AND OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick Weaver, of Freeth Street, Birmingham,
in the County of Warwick, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick Weaver at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
6th September 1864.
I, FREDERICK WEAVER, of Freeth Street, Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN LATCHES FOR DOORS, GARDEN GATES, AND OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES," to be
as follows:-
This Invention of improvements in latches consists in so constructing them
as to lessen or prevent the friction in the action of the latches now in general
use by the shutting of the doors or gates. To effect this object I place a
roller or rollers in a recess which is cut out of the under side of the end of
the latch, so as to come in contact with and roll up the catch instead of sliding;
another roller is placed or embedded in the front side of the latch underneath
the staple or guard, so as to roll against the staple when the pressure comes
on the latch through its contact with the catch. The rollers being thus placed

page_text: at these points of friction, reduce the amount of friction, and consequently
facilitate the action of the latch, giving greater freedom of action and durability
to the latch.
In some cases instead of the roller or rollers being placed in a recess, the
latch may be rounded, and thus the rollers would be placed on and worked
with the action of the latch on being actuated by the opening or shutting of
the door or gate, this latter mode being more applicable to latches for gates
or heavy doors.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Frederick Weaver in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th March 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FREDERICK
WEAVER, of Freeth Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Fredorick Weaver, Her special licence that I, the said
Frederick Weaver, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as 1, the said Frederick Weaver, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of
Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LATCHES FOR DOORS, GARDEN GATES,
AND OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Frederick Weaver, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Offico within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Frederick Weaver, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-

page_text: formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement and accompanying Drawings, that is to say:-
This Invention of improvements in latches consists in so constructing them
as to lessen, prevent, or avoid in their action the amount of friction produced
upon the latches now in general use by the shutting of the doors or gates.
To effect this object I place a roller in a recess which is cut out of the under
side of the latch, near the end, so as to come in contact with and roll up the
catch instead of sliding; another roller is placed in another recess cut out of
the under side, or is fixed on or embedded in the front side of the latch under-
neath the staple or guard, so as to roll against the staple when the pressure
comes on the latch through its contact with the catch. For latches for doors
which open both ways the roller is so embedded in or fixed on the latch as to
roll against the plate behind the latch, as well as against the staple; or a
roller is fixed on or embedded in each side of the latch for the same purpose.
The rollers being thus placed at these points of friction, reduce the amount of
friction, and consequently facilitate the action of the latch, giving freedom of
action and greater durability.
In some cases, instead of the rollers being placed in recesses or on or
embedded in the front side of the latch, the latch is rounded, and thus the
rollers are placed on and encircle the latch, and are worked with its action on
being actuated by the opening or shutting of the doors or gates, this latter
mode being more applicable to latches for heavy doors or gates.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 represents a latch made according to this Invention. b, the latch;
d, the roller; a, staple or guard; e, roller in end of latch; c, the catch; g,
the plate.
Fig. 2 represents an end view of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 shows a modification of
Fig. 1. b, the latch; d, the roller; a, staple or guard; e, roller in end of
latch; c, the catch; g, the plate.
Fig. 4 another modification of Fig. 1. b; the latch; d, the roller; a, staple
or guard; c, the catch; g, the plate.
Fig. 5 represents an end view of Fig. 6; Fig. 6 represents another kind of
latch. h, the latch; j, a roller; k, another roller; 1, the catch; i, staple or
guard.
Fig. 7, another latch. p, the latch; o, the roller; r, the catch; g, the
plate.
Fig. 8, a similar latch with two rollers. p, the latch; o, rollers; r, the
catch; 2, the plate.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of my Invention, I declaro that what
I claim and desire to be secured by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is, the improvements in latches substantially as herein-before described
and illustrated on Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick Weaver, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
FREDERICK WEAVER. (L.s.)