IMPROVEMENTS IN SPINDLES FOR LOCKS AND LATCHES, AND IN THE MEANS OF ADJUSTING KNOBS TO THE SAME TO SUIT ANY THICKNESS OF DOOR
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Walters, of the firm of Benjamin and
Philip Walters, of Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford, Lock
Manufacturers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SPINDLES FOR
LOCKS AND LATCHES, AND IN THE MEANS OF ADJUSTING KNOBS TO THE SAME
TO SUIT ANY THICKNESS OF DOOR."
Sealed the 2nd January 1855, and dated the 3rd July 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Walters at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 3rd
July 1854.
I, BENJAMIN WALTERS, of the firm of Benjamin and. Philip Walters, of
Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford, Lock Manufacturers, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SPINDLES FOR
LOCKS AND LATCHES, AND IN THE MEANS OF ADJUSTING KNOBS TO THE SAME TO SUIT
ANY THICKNESS OF DOOR," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in a new and peculiar mode of connecting and
adjusting the spindles of latches, mortice, and other latch locks to the handles
thereof, and the peculiar feature of novelty is the use and employment of a
screw collar, which screws on to the screwed angles or edges of a square
spindle, which spindle forms no part of this Invention. Upon one end of this
spindle a handle or knob is securely fixed by a screw in the manner usually
practised, and upon the other and opposite end of such said spindle another
handle or knob is connected in the following manner:-Instead of eniploying a

page_text: set screw passed through the neck of the knob, as commonly practised, and
which in practice is found very objectionable and uncertain, I construct the
neck of the handle or knob with a screwed hole, into which a screwed nut fits,
said nut passing over the aforesaid spindle and abutting against the edge of
the before-mentioned screwed collar, so that, having first adjusted the said
collar to suit the width of the door, the spindle is then placed in the square
hole formed in the handle or knob, and the screwed nut is then inserted in the
screwed hole in the neck of the said handle; and in this manner and by these
means the adjustable handle is firmly and securely held in proper position,
the other and opposite handle being securely fixed to the spindle, in the
manner before stated.
It would be well here to remark, that instead of employing the screwed nut,
before-mentioned, the same result may be obtained by placing a washer at the
back of the screwed collar which is on the spindle, and then fastening such
washer by screws to the neck of the handle or knob.
It is also proposed to make the before-mentioned screwed collar adjustablo
from one end of the spindle, by employing a long screw, which passes through
a hole in the solid end of the spindle, and through a flat piece of metal, which
moves in a slot formed in the spindle, said flat piece of metal being connected
by screws to a metal collar, which is not screwed inside, as before mentioned,
but is formed plain, and slides upon the spindle with the before-mentioned flat
piece of metal, to which it is attached.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Benjamin Walters in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
3rd January 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BENJAMIN
WALTERS, of the firm of Benjamin and Philip Walters, of Wolverhampton,
in the County of Stafford, Lock Manufacturers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, IIer heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Benjamin Walters, Her special licence that I, the said Benjamin Walters, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Benjamin
Walters, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree

page_text: 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 SPINDLES FOR
LOCKS AND LATCHES, AND IN THE MEANS OF ADJUSTING KNOBS TO THE SAME TO SUIT
ANY THICKNESS OF DOOR," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Benjamin Walters, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
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 Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Benjamin Walters, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof (that is to say):
My Invention relates to a new and peculiar mode of connecting and adjusting
the spindles of latches, and of mortice and other latch locks to the knobs or
handles thereof, whereby I am enabled at any time readily to adjust and fix
the same to any door, whatever may be the thickness of the same. The
peculiar feature of novelty in my Invention consists in the use or employment
of a screw collar, which screws on to the screwed angles or edges of the ordinary
square spindle. Upon one end of the spindle a handle or knob is securely
fixed by means of a screw, in the ordinary manner, and upon the other and
opposite end of such said spindle another handle or knob is connected in the
following manner :-Instead of employing a set screw, passed through the neck
of the knob, as commonly practised, which has been found to be objectionable
and uncertain, I form a screwed hole in the neck of the handle or knob, into
which screwed hole a screwed nut fits, the said nut passing loosely over the
spindle and abutting against the edge of the before-mentioned screwed collar,
so that, having first adjusted the said screwed collar on the spindle to suit the
thickness of the door, the spindle is then placed in the square hole formed in
the handle or knob, and the screwed nut is then inserted in the screwed hole
and screwed up close to the said collar; and in this manner and by these means
the adjustable handle or knob is firmly and securely held in proper position,
the other and opposite handle or knob being securely fixed to the spindle, in the
manner before stated.
I would here remark, that instead of employing the screwed nut, before
mentioned, the same result may be obtained by placing a washer in front of
the screwed collar which is on the spindle, and then fastening such washer by

page_text: means of screws to the neck of the handle or knob. I also propose to make
the before-mentioned screwed collar adjustable from one end of the spindle, by
employing a long screw, which passes through a hole in the solid end of the
spindle, and through a flat piece of metal which moves in a slot formed in the
spindle; the said flat piece of metal being connected by screws to a metal
collar, which is not screwed inside, as before mentioned, but is formed plain,
and slides upon the spindle with the before-mentioned flat piece of metal, to
which it is attached, the connection with the moveable knob being made by
means of the screwed nut, as before, when the collar has been adjusted by
means of the screw..
:
The practical construction and application of my said Invention will, how-
ever, be better understood upon referring to the annexed Drawing, and to the
following explanation thereof. The Drawing is made full size, and is marked
with figures and letters of reference, corresponding with those in the following
explanation thereof. Figure 1 in the Drawing shows my improved spindle
and knob detached; and Figure 2 shows the same adjusted and connected.
A, A, represents the ordinary square spindle, with the fixed knob or handle B, B,
connected thereto, as usual, by means of the screw a. C is the screwed collar,
which forms the principal feature of this Invention. This collar is screwed on
the inside, and fits and works upon the screwed angles or edges b, b, of the
square spindle A, A, and can, consequently, be readily adjusted, by screwing
either nearer to or further from the end of the said spindle; D is a mut
screwed upon the outside, and capable of turning loosely upon the spindle,
having a circular hole, through which tlie square spindle passes. E, E, is the
adjustable knob; F, F, is a square hole through the solid part of the neck of
the same, in which the square spindle fits. The part c, c, of this hole is
circular, and enlarged to sufficient size to admit the collar C, the outer part
thereof d, d, being screwed, to admit the screwed nut D, D.
The collar C
being screwed up to the proper place to suit the thickness of the door to which
it is to be applied, the spindle is placed in the square hole F, F, with the collar
C; in the part c, c, and the nut D is then screwed up tight against the collar C,
as shewn at Figure 2; thus the spindle is held firm in the collar C, and the
collar, being secured to the handle by means of the nut D, keeps the spindle in
its place. Figure 3 shows another way of securing the knob E to the spindle.
A, A, is the spindle; B, B, the fixed knob; and C, the screwed collar.
washer, placed in front of the screwed collar C, and secured to the moveable
knob E by the screws a, a. Figure 4 shows another arrangement for adjusting
the collar C. A is the spindle; B, the fixed knob; C, the collar; D; the
screwed nut; and E, the adjustable knob. The spindle has formed in it a slot
D is a

page_text: a, a, in which a flat piece of metal attached to the collar C by a screw 6 slides.
c, c, is a screw, capable of being turned by means of the milled head d. The
collar C is adjusted either near to or further from the end of the spindle by
turning the screw c, c, and is fixed by means of the screwed nut D, as in the
first-named arrangement.
Having thus described the nature and object of my said Invention of Im-
provements in Spindles for Locks and Latches, and in the Means of Adjusting
Knobs to the same to suit any Thickness of Door, together with the manner
of carrying the same into practical effect, I would remark, in conclusion, that
I claim as my Invention, the use or employment of the moveable collar,
capable of adjustment upon the spindle, and the means of connecting the
same to the adjustable knob or handle, as shewn in the annexed Drawing, and
above more particularly described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Benjamin Walters, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Second day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
JOHN MALLETT,
Alliance Club,
Cock Street,
Wolverhampton.
BENJAMIN WALTERS. (LS.)