Improvements in Locks.
Year: 1894

page_text: ate claimed for Patent under Sect. 103 of Act,
being date of first Foreign Application (in 14th Sept., 1893
United States of America),
Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 2nd Apr., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 15th June, 1894-Accepted, 21st July, 1894
Improvements in Locks.
I, JOHN JULIA RIDGWAY, residing at No. 53 Woodbine Street, in the City of
Brooklyn, State of New York, United States of America, Manufacturer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :—
In locks operated by keys it is usually necessary to use the key in securing as
well as in opening the lock.
Latches also have been used that were self-acting when the drawer or door was
closed, but with locks having tumblers the devices that hold the latch bolt interfere
with the same being pressed inwardly when closing the door or drawer.
In my improvements I combine with a spring latch bolt and its tumbler and the
key mechanism for withdrawing the latch bolt a device for holding the tumbler out
of action when the latch is drawn back by the key in opening the door and which
permits the latch bolt to be projected again when the pressure is removed and the
key withdrawn, so that the latch bolt is in position to be forced back freely in the
act of closing the door, drawer, or other article, and in so doing the movement of
the spring latch bolt disconnects the tumbler holding device, so that after the latch
bolt is again projected it can only be operated by the key as before.
I however usually combine with the latch lock a knob on the inside by which
the lock can be opened from the inside of the door.
A projection on the bolt holds the tumbler dog away from the bolt, when the
door is open, until the latch receives a movement inwardly such as that arising
when the door is closed.
This projection or stud on the latch bolt overrides a spring tail on the tumbler
after the tumbler has been raised, by a swinging sector, operated by the key or
knob, so that the spring latch bolt is free to be pushed in by contact with the
stationary nosing as the door is closed, and by this inward movement of the door,
the tumbler is liberated and acts to prevent the bolt being retracted, except by the
action of a key or of a knob on the inside, and in this position the latch bolt cannot
be pressed back by an instrument acting against the inclined end of the latch.
Dated this 2nd day of April 1904
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Locks.
I, JOHN JULIA RIDGWAY, residing at No. 53 Woodbine Street, in the City of
Brooklyn, State of New York, United States of America, Manufacturer, 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 :-
In locks operated by keys it is usually necessary to use the key in securing as

page_text: Latches also have been used that were self-acting when the drawer or door was
closed, but with locks having tumblers the devices that hold the latch bolt interfere
with the same being pressed inwardly when closing the door or drawer.
In my improvement I combine with a spring latch bolt and its tumbler and the
key mechanism for withdrawing the latch bolt, a device for holding the tumbler
out of action when the latch is drawn back by the key in opening the door, and
which permits the latch bolt to be projected again when the pressure is removed
and the key withdrawn, so that the latch bolt is in position to be forced back freely
in the act of closing the door, drawer or other article, and in so doing the movement
of the spring latch bolt disconnects the tumbler holding device, so that after the
latch bolt is again projected it can only be operated by the key as before.
I however usually combine with the latch lock, a knob on the inside by which
the lock can be opened from the inside of the door.
A projection on the bolt holds the tumbler dog away from the bolt, when the
door is open until the latch receives a movement inwardly such as that arising when
the door is closed.
This projection or stud on the latch bolt overrides a spring tail on the tumbler,
after the tumbler has been raised by a swinging sector, operated by the key or
knob so that the spring latch bolt is free to be pushed in by contact with the
stationary nosing as the door is closed, and by this inward movement of the door
the tumbler is liberated, and acts to prevent the bolt being retracted, except by the
action of a key or of a knob on the inside, and in this position the latch bolt cannot
be pressed back by an instrument acting against the inclined end of the latch.
In the drawings,
Fig. is an elevation of the lock mechanism with the parts in the position they
assume when locked, with the latch bolt projected.
Fig. 2 is a similar elevation with the parts in the position they assume, when the
latch bolt is retracted by the sector operated by the key or knob.
Fig. 3 is a similar elevation, with the parts in the position they assume when the
released latch bolt is projected by its spring, and the spring tail of the tumbler is
engaged by the bolt.
Fig. 4 is a sectional plan of the mechanism upon the line xx of Fig. 2, and
Fig. 5 is a vertical cross section at the line y y of Fig. 1.
The lock case is to be of any desired construction, and is usually provided with
top, bottom, back and end plates and a removable cap plate, and the latch bolt a is
provided with a bevelled end a¹ to enter the opening in the striking plate upon the
door casing. The portion of the latch bolt within the lock case, is open for the
passage of the spindle b, which spindle is operated by the knob b¹ upon the inside
of the door, or by a key mechanism from the outside of the door.
The latch bolt a, is provided with a notch on one edge at 2, with raised projec-
tions or lugs 3 3, with a raised inner end 4, adapted to come against a stop 5, upon
the back plate of the lock case, and with a downward projection 6, all of whose
offices are hereinafter more fully described. Ribs 7 on the back plate form ways.
upon which the latch bolt slides.
A sector plate c is connected to or formed with the spindle b, and extends over
the latch bolt a, and is provided with a notch 8 in the outer edge thereof. By
turning the spindle 6 and plate c in either direction by the knob or key
mechanism, the back edges of the sector are brought against the projections 3 3, in
retracting the latch bolt against the power of its projecting spring d. The release
of the knob or key mechanism permits the spring d to act, and project the latch
bolt, until its shoulders 10 coming against the end plate limit the movement.
A tumbler e, carrying a dog or head e¹ at one end, is pivoted to the back plate
at 11. This tumbler e is provided with a spring f, bearing against the bottom plate
of the case, and a spring tail f¹ projecting from the other end thereof.
The office
of the spring fas shown in Fig. 1, is to cause the dog or head e² of the tumbler, to
be pressed in the notch 8 of the sector, and in the notch 2 of the latch bolt. This
prevents the latch bolt being retracted by the action of a pointed instrument,

page_text: against its inclined end a³, and maintains the sector and spindle in a normal position.
This position is indicated in Fig. 1, and is that assumed by the parts when the door
is locked.
The rotation of the spindle b and sector c, either by the knob from the inside of
the door, or by a key mechanism from the outside, as shown in Fig. 2, lifts the dog
of the tumbler out of the notch 8 of the sector, and notch 2 of the latch bolt, and
causes the point of said dog to ride upon the edge of the sector c, and the said
sector then engages one of the projections 3 3, and by its further movement the
latch bolt is retracted into the case, and the door unlocked so that it can be opened.
In this position the spring tail f¹ is held toward the latch bolt, and as said bolt is
shot forward by its spring when released, said spring tail f¹ overrides the projection 6.
of the bolt, and the tumbler e is thus held off from engagement with the sector and
bolt. This position is shown in Fig. 3, and the parts assume this position when the
door is open. In this position of the parts the door can be pushed to and shut, the
striking plate upon the casing, acting upon the inclined end a¹ to move the latch
bolt longitudinally of the case. This action frees the spring tail from the
projection 6, and liberates the tumbler, so that as the spring d projects the latch
bolt with the closing of the door, the parts return to the normal position shown in
Fig. 1, with the dog e¹ in the notch 2, whereby the door is locked by the simple act
of shutting, and cannot be again opened from the outside except by its own key.
In Fig. 1 the center of the spindle 6 is shown with an elongated recess, and in
Fig. 5, I have indicated a lock mechanism, and a sheet metal key, by dotted lines.
as adapted to pass through the lock mechanism, and enter the recess in the spindle,
to turn the sector and operate the latch bolt mechanism.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven--
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
First. The combination with a spring latch bolt and its tumbler, of a sector,
means for turning the same and disconnecting the tumbler from the bolt, a spring.
tail on the tumbler and a projection on the bolt for engaging the tail when the bolt
is first projected, and which projection and tail separate when the bolt is pressed
inwardly, so that the tumbler comes into action to hold the bolt, substantially
as specified.
Second. The combination with a spring latch bolt having projections, of a
tumbler for engaging and holding the latch bolt as projected, a spindle and sector
for releasing the tumbler and retracting the bolt, a means connected with said
tumbler and engaged by a projection of the bolt, for holding the tumbler away
from the bolt as projected, the parts separating when the latch bolt is pressed
inwardly, to permit the tumbler to engage and secure the latch bolt, substantially
as set forth.
Third. The combination with a spring latch bolt having a notch 2 and projec-
tions 3 and 6, of a tumbler for engaging the notch 2 and holding the latch bolt as
projected, a spindle and sector having a notch in its edge receiving the tumbler
dog, a knob or key for actuating the sector and disengaging the tumbler and
retracting the bolt, a spring tail connected with the tumbler and engaged by
overriding the projection 6, for holding the tumbler away from the bolt as
projected, and from which tail the projection separates as the bolt is moved back,.
in closing the door, so as to allow the tumbler to engage the latch bolt, substantially
as specified.
Dated this 15th day of June 1894.
BREWER & SON,
Agents.