Year: 1897

page_text: improvem
LUCAS
али двур
I, EDWIN LATHAM, of the Rectory, West Wratting, in the County of Cambridge-
shire, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In my invention, I use a key which operates the lock bolts by means of a series of
pins of varying lengths, arranged in one or more lines. This key is applied to
coresponding holes in the lock, and pressed inwards on pins in the said holes causing
them to travel varying distances until recesses cut in the said lock pins permit the
locking bolt to slide backwards propelled by a spring out of the door post, or in the
case of a padlock, the hanger. A handle on the spindle of which is an eccentric or
other device, provides for the return of the bolt back to its "locked" position. It
may also be returned by the hand.
Forming part of the invention and included in it, provision is made for the
following.
1. For providing for operating other bolts either together with the aforesaid bolt,
or for operating this same bolt alone, by fixing on the spindle a wheel loose on the
aforementioned spindle, but capable of being moved round with the spindle or not
moved, as it is desired to move the additional or not. This is effected by fixing a
pin or similar device in a slot in a fixed dise or by removing such pin.
2. For strengthening the power of all the bolts, by adding levers or arms or other
similar devices to the ascending and descending additional bolts, which said levers
act by bringing into operation catches or latches and causing them to engage in
the first mentioned bolt, and also by an additional device forined on the said bolt
which engages in the aforementioned loose wheel, and prevents such wheel from
withdrawing the additional bolts until the first mentioned bolt is brought from its
locked position.
3. Provision is made for preventing the access of water into the interior of the
lock, as in the case of a padlock by forming in the hanger a recess at the point where
the said hanger comes in contact with the outside of the padlock case, and forming
also a corresponding raised projection on the said point of the lock case fitting into
the recesses.
4. For preventing the spindle from being forced into the inside of the lock, by
making the said spindle of a truncated cone, or other similar shape having the base
or enlarged diameter fixed away from the inside of the lock.
5. For protecting the key from being damaged when carried in the pocket, by a
casing covering the key pins and retained in its position by its shape and elasticity
& so preventing pressure on the said lock pins, or as an alternative method by
turning the lock pins to assume a reversed position.
6. For a means of securing that the key is correctly guided into the lock by shaping
the outer part of the lock case or the door into the form of a cone whose base is fixed
outwards and also for securing that the key be presented to the lock in a right
position by causing one side of the said key to be corrugated or ridged or by other
irregularities being made or mitted into its side, thereby enabling the operator to feel
easily the top or bottom of the key.

page_text: 7. Provision for securing moulds for making additional keys should the originals
be lost, by constructing the said key, so that it can be thrust into any composition
of sealing wax,, wax, or similar material & by such thrust securing a guage for the
depth of the key pins.
My invention is applicable also, in addition to the above mentioned safes and 5
padlocks, to desks, cupboard doors, cycles, cash & deed boxes, portinanteaus, and to
any purpose to which ordinary locks are applicable.
Dated this Fourth dow f Dann 10057
EDWIN LATHAM, of The Rectory, West Wratting, Cambridgeshire, Gentleman,
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:
My invention has for its object improvements in locks and keys by which I
simplify the mechanism and at the same time render them much more secure in
many ways.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood and more easily carried into
practise I have appended hereunto a sheet of drawings upon which
Figure 1 is a view of the mechanism with front plate removed and Figure 1A is a
view of the key.
Figure 2 is a view of the keyhole.
Figure 3 is a view shewing modification of the pin bolts.
Figure 4 is a diagram elevation of night bolt mechanism.
Figures 5, 6 and 7.are.elevations illustrating action of night bolt mechanism.
Figures 8 and 9 shew the mechanism for obviating strain on night bolt.
Figure 10 is a device for strengthening same.
Figure 11 is a view of locking portion of padlock hanger.
In my invention I use a key F which operates the lock bolt. by means of a series of
pins of varying lengths arranged in one or more lines. This key is applied to
corresponding holes in the lock and pressed inwards on pins in these said holes
causing them to travel varying distances until recesses a² cut in the said lock pins
permit the locking bolt A to slide backwards out of the door post or in case of a
padlock the hanger. The bolt A is propelled thus by means of a spring J and is
retained in its locked position by springs a³ operating on the base of the lock pins a¹
opposite to the end engaging with the key pins, and when all the pins a are
depressed by the key to unlock the bolt which is held by the coiled or other spring J.
The bolt is propelled by the spring in the direction of of arrow and is withdrawn
from the hanger thus becoming unlocked. If the shoulder at a5 is made so as to
permit the bolt to slide back, less than the breadth of the lock pins, then no key will
be needed to relock it, but if it is allowed to travel the full width of the lock pins an
additional.slot. will then be required in the bolt for the lock bolts to pass into, thereby
rendering it necessary that the key must be again inserted to relock in which case it
will require the insertion of the key as for unlocking before the bolt can be locked,
which action is effected by pressing the opposite end a* of the bolt which when
unlocked is in a position to enable it to be so pressed, or this may be effected 'by an
outside handle or spindle E upon which there is an eccentric K or other device provided
which presses the bolt back into its locked position upon the handle being turned:
To provide additional security by way of night locks additional bolts S and T Figure 4

page_text: with further mechanism is necessary. Fixed on the spindle of the handle. is a device
consisting of a toothed wheel V Figure 4 or alternatively a bar Y. This toothed
wheel or bar. as may be moves freely on or is free to move on the spindle. When
required to move with the spindle another wheel or. disc is fixed firmly on the spindle
and has a pin passing through it into the wheel or bar U, when this is. the case then
the spindle eccentric and tooth wheel move as one. By this arrangement I can
operate the simple day lock or the night lock, with the day lock as desired.
In the free disc or toothed wheel or bar a slot of suitable, length is cut enabling the
pin placed in the fixed disc or wheel to travel a certain distance with the eccentric,
disc before the free disc or bar is operated. The movement of the eccentric. enables
the bolt to be more or less unlocked before the night bolts are operated. If the afore-
said pin is removed then the day and night locks are independent of each other and
the night lock is.not.in.use.
The toothed free wheel, or bar when the pin is engaged,when turned. by the handle
lifts up the series of night bolts T.into the top of the door: and the otherside. of the
wheel engages the series of.bolts S into the bottom of the door and at the same time
the eccentric disc presses the main bolt or series of, bolts,into the locked positions.
When thus situated two catches operated by the upward and downward.movement of
the night bolts are brought to engage in the main bolt on either side while a device
is engaged in the end of the holt which three devices prevent the handle from being
turned round again by an unauthorized person.until the proper key is properly
applied as hereinafter more fully described, and should the handle.be wrenched.off
entirely the contents of a safe to which it may be applied are still secure and the
lock undamaged.
I will now proceed to describe the actions of the handle the first position being
shewn by,Figure 5 in which at is the end of bolt locked, K is the eccentric.disc Vis
the toothed wheel which is shewn again on the right to indicate the action, of the
pin which pin is fixed on the fixed wheel which again moves on the same spindle
as disc free wheel. The same applies to the positions shewn in Figures 6 and 7.
The end of bolt A in Figure 5 is shewn in the locked position and the eccentric Kas
it stands prevents it from unlocking. If the eccentric is turned upwards to the right,
the bolt A, if the key is applied, follows the eccentric by means of the spring and so
unlocks and as the eccentric moves to the right upward so does pin until it arrives
at position shewn by Figure 6 because pin and eccentric are both fixed on same
spindle, but V does not move until the second position is reached and therefore night
bolts S and T are not operated. In the third position shewn by Figure 7 the pin
has carried round V which has operated by withdrawing the night bolts S and T and
the eccentric disc has moved to its farthest from the bolt which at position Figure 5
has been released and has followed eccentric and so is unlocked. In case the pin
is removed no action on the spindle will operate night bolt since V is only operated
by its means. For relocking, the pin is replaced and by turning the handle
backwards upwards to left we get a similar position to Figure 7. save that eccentric
is pushing bolt in and the pin has moved to the other end of slot without operating
the free wheel or bar and consequently has not touched the night bolts, but by still
turning the disc upwards and to left we get a position similar to Figure 4 with
locked day and night bolts. For taking any undue strain off the night 'bolts, the
bolt. A Figures 8 & 9 is extended to the right of the free wheel into which I intend
engaging it. as is a pin on which eccentric acts as finger does on bolt sis spring P
is a projection which I extend to lock into wheel V. I cut into V a key way X into
which can when opportunity occurs i.e. when they are opposite each other, enter
propelled by spring S. In this position any strain on spindle E will be resisted not
only by pin but by P. When however the handle is legitimately turned
with assistance of its key while position Figure 6 is being reached the bolt is slowly
travelling to right by means of spring F Figure 1 and so carrying P out of slot X
until it is quite clear, and so wheel V can then legitimately draw night bolts while P
can be made.so strong as to practically take any strain.

page_text: When the eccentric is pressing on the bolt to lock it since the slot X is not yet in
line with P, P cannot enter X and only can do so at the end of the operation. I further
strengthen the mechanism by adding a device to the bolt which further keeps the
strain off the night bolts as shown. On night bolts S and T two arms are fixed
working on centres m and n respectively. The ends G and R engage on arms O
and O¹ which form part of the main bolt of day lock, the operation being as follows,
as S descends bolt A is also moving to left and at the same time T is ascending A is
being propelled to left by eccentric disc and S and T are being operated on by V
through pinas before and S and T in their up and down movement operate G and R
which arrive at O and O¹ when they are about in a locked position. The bevel
catches 2 and g¹ enable G to mount over the obstructing O and at finish to lock in O,
any undue strain on handle by trying to raise night bolt S out of locked position is
thus strongly resisted by the assistance of G and R without straining day bolt at all,
but upon proceeding to unlock legitimately, the application of key and the turning
of handle and of eccentric disc enables O and 0¹ to withdraw to right before the pin
has traversed the slot in free wheel so as to cause S to rise and R to fall.
For the prevention of water obtaining access to padlock as now occurs I provide a
raised projection h on the part where the hanger enters the lock, and a corresponding
channel h¹ in the end of the hanger itself as shewn.
The key F is shaped as shewn corrugated at fl on one side to present the key to
the lock without the necessity of looking prior to doing so. On the sides of the key
block runs a channel as at 2 to enable a steel cover to be pressed over the pins
till a corresponding projecting rim engages in the channel which protects the
key pins from being damaged when carried in the pocket of owner.
When made the key is pressed into a yielding plastic material such as wax, or
dentists vulcanite will form a matric from which mould another key can easily
and certainly be made.
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
1st. In locks the pin bolts in combination with a slotted main bolt and pin key
substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth and illustrated upon the
accompanying drawings.
2nd. In combination with Claim 1 the night bolts S and T and means for operating
and locking same substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth and
shewn
3rd. In combination with Claim 1 the means for operating the night locks
independent of the day locks substantially as herein set forth and illustrated.
4tb. In locks the means for obviating the strain on the bolts substantially as
herein set forth and illustrated.
5th. In locks a pin key having inclined sides in combination with an inclined
recess on lock substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth and illustrated.
6th. In padlocks the projection h and recess h¹ substantially as and for the purpose
herein set forth and illustrated.
Dated this 10th day of Ave 1908
LEWIS WM. GOOLD,
Agent for Applicant, 5, Corporation Street, Birmingham.