Improvements in Combined Latches and Looks.
Year: 1886

page_text: "
Improvements in Combined Latches and Looks.
I, JOHN CHARLES CRAIG, of Fenelon Falls, in the Province of Ontario, in the
Dominion of Canada, Mechanic, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN COMBINED LATCHES AND LOCKS," and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
My invention consists of a lock case having an arc projection on the inside
above the key hole, a latch-bolt shot by a gravitating lever having a curved slot,
a gravitating dog sliding therein retracted by a key, a dog engaging with the lever
to lock the bolt, and having tumblers to intercept the key and a gravitating weight
to depress the tumblers. Such latch or lock being operated by a thumb latch or
a knob spindle as hereinafter described.
Figure 1 is a plan of my improved latch and lock, (the cover-plate removed) for
operation by a knob-spindle.
'
Fig. 2 is a plan of a portion of the lock-case.
Fig. 3 is a plan of the gravitating lever removed from the case.
Fig. 4 is a view of the lower edge of the same.
Fig. 5 is a plan of the bolt removed from the case.
Fig. 6 is a side view of the same.
Fig. 7 is a top view of the locking-dog.
Fig. 8 is a side view of the same..
Fig. 9 is a section on line xx, Fig. 7.
Fig. 10 is a top view of the socket and trippet removed from the bolt.
Fig. 11 is a side elevation of the same.
Fig. 12 is a side elevation of the independent locking-bar removed from the case.
Fig. 13 is an elevation of the key.
Fig. 14 is a plan on an enlarged scale of the interior of my improved latch and
lock combined, for operation by thumb latch and showing position of parts when
the bolt is projected.
Fig. 15 is a like view showing the position of parts when the bolt is retracted,
and
Fig. 16 shows the application to a door and operation by a thumb latch.
A is the lock-case, having a curved projection, A', on the inside to form an arc
above the key-hole.

page_text: As is a central post to receive a screw to fasten the cover-plate to the case,
and A' are holes to fasten the lock to a door by screws.
B is the latch-bolt, provided with a longitudinal slot B¹, intersected by a
notch, B³, to receive a socket, C, for the knob-spindle, and which socket is provided
with a trippet, C¹, which in thickness is somewhat less than the depth of the notch,.
so as to move freely therein. The ends of the socket fit into holes in the lock-case
and cover.
When the socket is turned by a knob-spindle, one of the ends of the
trippet will encounter the wall of the notch and thrust latch-bolt B inwardly.
By removing bolt B and spindle-socket C bodily and inverting the same, to
reverse the bevel of the latch-bolt, the lock may be applied to a door hinged to the
jamb on either side or opening either inward or outward, whereby the bevel edge
will slide freely over the keeper on the jamb without requiring the knob to be
turned in order to close the door.
D is a lever pivoted on a post, A*, cast with the lock-case, and said lever has an
arm D¹, engaging with the inner end of latch-bolt B, whereby the gravitation of
the lever will shoot bolt B; but when the weight of the lever is overcome by the
inward movement of the bolt, caused by turning the knob-spindle, the free end
of the lever will rise in the lock-case, and be prevented from interference with
bolt B by striking against post A³.
Lever D has a curved recess D³, on its lower side, to allow admission of a key
from either face of the lock, and concentrically with the curve of said recess,
lever D has a curved slot, D³, a portion of the lever above said slot being hollowed
out to pass over the curved projection A¹, to allow the lever to rise when the latch
is not locked. The lower face of the projection A' is parallel to the upper curve
of slot D³ when the lever is at rest. The portion of the lever below slot D³ is
reduced on the opposite sides to allow the webs 23 of a key, Fig. 13, access to a
dog, E, when turning the key. The dog E slides in slot D³ of lever D when
operated by the key, and said dog has a notch, E¹, on the face toward the key-
hole, and Hanges E2 at both ends to overlie the lever in a direction toward the
key-hole, so that when the key is inserted web 2 of the key will engage with the
front flange and lift the dog over the crown of slot D³, when the dog will gravitate
to the end of the slot to engage projection A¹ on the lock-case and prevent lever D
from rising, thereby locking bolt B by arm D'. When the dog is at the opposite
end of the slot, the lever will be free to rise over projection A¹ when bolt B is
retracted by rocking the knob-spindle.
F is a ward secured to the crown of the recess D2 of lever D, and F¹ is a ward
attached to the lock-case, the latter fitting into one of the slots 4 5 and the former
into slot 6 of the key; but other arrangements of the wards may be used, those
shown being examples; or the wards may be dispensed with to cheapen the lock.
G is a movable bar, hung by its bead in a slot in the top of case A, above
a post A, in rear of bolt B, to stop said bolt when the enlarged lower end of the
bar is placed to occupy the space between the post and end of the bolt, as shown
in dotted lines, such adjustment being effected by pulling the bar upwardly in the
slot and passing its lower end over the post. When not desired to lock the bolt,
the bar is pulled up and its lower end passed to the opposite side of the post.
The bolt may thus be locked from the inside of a room should it not be desirable
to use the key to lock the lever.
To allow my improved latch and lock to be operated by a thumb latch, the rear
end of bolt B is provided with an eye which sleeves on a stud 11 of arm D¹ of
lever D.
12, is an elbow lever sleeved on post, A³, the vertical arm of the lever extending
upwardly under bolt B, which has a notch 13, on the opposite sides to receive
the lever, whereby the bolt will slide in frictional contact with the lock-case.
The horizontal arm of the elbow lever extends across a vertical slot 14, in the
lock-case and cover, said apertures or slots admitting the thumb-piece 15 of a
thumb latch 16, shown in fig. 16, as attached to a door 17. The vertical arm of
the lever is provided with a stud 18 to engage with a projection 19 on the bolt, so

page_text: that by depressing the thumb-piece of the latch 16, the bolt will be retracted, but
when the pressure is removed, the bolt will be projected by the gravity of lever D,
and may be locked by the movement of dog E by a key, Fig. 13.
20, is a stop lever fulcrumed to the lock-case and cover, one end engaging the
vertical arm of lever D, and the other end projecting through a slot in the rim of
the lock-case, so that when the projecting end of the lever is raised, the inner end
will stop against the lever and resist retraction of the bolt.
To adapt the lock to suit doors having a wider stile, and thereby admit of the
latch being set farther from the edge of the door, lever D is provided or cast with
a loop 21, at the top of the curve, and the lock-case and cover provided with a
slot 22, whereby the thumb-piece 15 of the latch may be inserted in the loop to
lift the gravity lever D, and retract the bolt independently of lever 12.
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. In a latch and lock, the combination, with case A, having a curved pro-
jection, A¹, of the sliding bolt B, having slot B¹ and notch B³, socket C, having
trippet C¹, lever D, having arm D¹ and curved slot D³, and dog E, sliding in said
slot to engage with projection A¹, for locking the lever and bolt by appliance of
a key, as set forth.
2. The combination with the lock-case having a slot 14, of the elbow lever 12,
latch bolt B, and gravity lever D, whereby the bolt is retracted by lifting one
arm of the elbow lever, and expelled by the gravitation of the other lever, as
set forth.
3. The combination with the lock-case having slot 22, of the gravity lever D,
pivoted within the case, and having a loop 21, and a latch bolt B, pivoted to an
arm of said lever, whereby the bolt will be retracted by lifting the gravitating
lever by the loop, as set forth.
4. The combination with the lock-case having slots 14, 22, and curved pro-
jection A¹, of the elbow lever 12, sliding bolt B, gravity lever D having a loop 21,
and dog E, sliding in a curved slot in the gravity lever and engaging with the
projection of the lock-case, as set forth, for the purpose described.