Improvements in Indicating Bolts or Fasteners.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Feb., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 25th Nov., 1889-Accepted, 4th Jan., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Indicating Bolts or Fasteners.
I, EDWIN SHOWELL of the firm of Edwin Showell and Sons of Lower Loveday
Street, Birmingham in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
person is
This invention relates to appliances for indicating when a place or
engaged, or when a person is in, or out, on the pulling back, or the pushing home of
a bolt or other fastener.
The object of my said invention is to simplify the construction and arrangement
of parts of the said indicating fastener, whereby the same is made more efficient in
its action, and is not liable to become deranged by use.
The bolt which is situated upon the inside of a door, consists of an attachment
plate, with outstanding staple brackets or guides, wherethrough the bolt, which
operates the indicator as hereinafter described, works to and fro, on the same being
shot home, or pulled back.
The middle of the back of the bolt has a recess or sunken part made within it,
wherein a slotted and jointed arm works; this said arm is jointed at its upper end
through the attachment plate, while a pin, or an inner extension of the shank of the
knob of the bolt takes within the slot, and moves or rocks the said arm to and fro,
on the working of the bolt.
The joint of the arm is made in the form of an inwardly extended tube or sleeve,
with an angular hole directed up its middle, and wherein a like angular spindle of
a covering mask or plate passes, whereby adjustment to any thickness of door is
attained.
Thus, the square spindle of the mask is of the size of the hole, and as the one
works within the other, the difference in the thickness of a door fitted with the said
indicating bolt, can be adjusted accordingly.
A tablet or plate with the word DISENGAGED upon it is enclosed within an
open fronted frame, and swinging above the letters DIS is a mask or plate attached
to, and carried by the spindle as aforesaid.
The plate or mask is adapted to stop off, or uncover the said DIS, so as to present
to view ENGAGED or DISENGAGED, according to its position.
Thus, the shooting of the bolt within its staple plate, rocks the arm from one side
to the other, and gives to its axis a partial rotation, which through the intervention
of the spindle within it, turns the mask or covering plate over the first three letters,
which leaves "engaged" only to view.
"
"
The unfastening of the bolt turns the arm in a reverse direction, and swings back
the covering plate or mask from off the said letters, so as to leave disengaged
again to view.
My invention is applicable for various indicating purposes, such as water closets,
offices and the like.
The swinging plate may if necessary, carry letters, instead of masking them-In
this case, the tablet carries letters accordingly.
Dated this 21st day of February 1889.
EDWIN SHOWELL
EDWIN SHOWELL
By Henry Skerrett,
Agent for Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Indicating Bolts or Fasteners.
I, EDWIN SHOWELL of the firm of Edwin Showell and Sons of Lower Loveday
Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick. 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 :-
This invention relates to appliances for indicating when a place or person is
engaged, or when a person is in or out, on the pulling back, or pushing home, or the
operating of a bolt or other fastener.
The object of my said invention, is to simplify the construction of the said
indicating bolts or fasteners, whereby the same is or are rendered more efficient, and
not liable to become deranged by use.
The bolt, which is situated upon the inside of a door, has an attachment plate,
with outstanding staple brackets, or guides, wherethrough the shoot, which operates
the indicator, as herein-after described, works to and fro, on the said bolt being shot
home, or pulled back.
The middle of the back of the shoot, has a recess or sunken part, wherein a slotted
cranked arm, with a sleeve working transversely through the attachment plate, works,
whilst an inner extension of the shank of the knob of the bolt, takes into the slot
of the said arm, and rocks it upon the sleeve as a centre; and by which means, as
herein-after described, the indicating part of the appliance, is worked.
The joint of the arm, is made in the form of an inwardly extended tube or sleeve,
with angular hole directed up its middle, and wherein a like angular spindle, of a
covering mask or screen plate, passes, whereby adjustment to any thickness of door, is
attained.
Thus, the square spindle of the mask, is of the size of the hole, and as the one
works within the other, the difference in the thickness of a door fitted with the said
indicating bolt, can be adjusted accordingly.
A tablet or plate with the word "DISENGAGED" upon it, is enclosed within an
open fronted frame, and swinging above the letters "DIS" is a mask or plate,
attached to, and carried by the spindle as aforesaid.
The plate or mask is adapted to stopp off, or uncover the said "DIS," so as to
present to view "ENGAGED" or "DISENGAGED," according to its position.
Thus, the shooting of the bolt within its staple part, rocks the arm from one side
to the other, and gives to its axis, a partial rotation, which through the intervention
of the spindle within it, turns the mask or covering plate, over the first three letters,
which leaves "ENGAGED" only to view.
The unfastening of the bolt, turns the arm in a reverse direction, and swings back
the covering plate or mask from off the said letters, so as to leave " DISENGAGED "
again to view.
My invention is applicable for various indicating purposes, such as water-closets,
offices, and the like.
The swinging plate may if necessary, carry letters, instead of masking them. In
this case, the tablet carries letters accordingly.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings, represents in front elevation, an indicating
bolt, (and door) constructed and arranged according to my invention-The dotted
lines indicate the boundary lines of the bolt and staple, and also the mask or screen.
plate, in a position which it assumes, when.the shoot of the bolt, is back.
Figure 2 represents the back of the said indicating bolt and door, while the dotted
lines show the position of the indicating casing.
Figure 3 shows the front of the indicating casing cut away, in order to exhibit
the mounting and working of the mask, which is shown down, and cutting off the
letters DIS from the word DISENGAGED, and further, the shoot of the bolt is
shown (dotted lines) shot into its staple.
Figure 4 represents a horizontal section upon the dotted lines A B figure 1.

page_text: OPERATION.
On a person entering, say a water-closet, the indicating means is as is represented
at figure 1, and indicates that it is disengaged, but on a person entering the said
closet, and shooting the bolt, the word ENGAGED appears by the covering up of
DIS by the mask as represented, at figure 3.
The unfastening of the bolt, turns the mask arm in a reverse direction, and swings
it back again into the position as indicated at figure 1.
The angular spindle taking into the angular hole up the sleeve or bearing, affords
a means of perfect adjustment, between bolt and indicator, in fitting the indicating
means, to doors of varying thicknesses.
Figure 7 represents another form of my invention, in this said arrangement or
modification, the mask plate is made to carry the letters DIS, instead of covering
them, or cutting then off, from DISENGAGED; so that by pushing home the
shoot of the bolt, for fastening a door, the mask or mask plate, is raised from in
front of the end of the viewing slot, to behind the front plate of the enclosing
casing.
The pushing back of the said shoot, take and tacks on the said first three letters to
ENGAGED, making DISENGAGED.
a the tablets, with ENGAGED upon it, b, 63 the enclosing casing, c, c² a swinging
plate, with DIS upon it.
The means for working the swinging plate, are alike unto what has already been
described and represented in figures 1 to 6.
Figure 8 represents a further exemplification of my invention; in this arrange-
ment, the plate, with DIS upon it, is made to slide vertically between guides,
instead of being swung from the end of a spindle, turned by the withdrawal or shoot
of the bolt.
a is the tablet, with ENGAGED upon it, and enclosed within a casing b, 63, as
before, c is a vertically sliding plate, sliding between guides, and worked by a slotted
crank arm f, fast on the end of spindle d, worked by the bolt as before.
Thus, the shooting of the bolt, brings down the slotted crank arm, and brings DIS
before ENGAGED, making DISENGAGED.
The sliding back of the bolt, removes the said plate, and DIS behind the front
enclosing plate of the casing.

page_text: Figure 9 represents another form of my invention; in this arrangement, the first
three letters DIS are masked by a plain sliding plate, carried by the shoot of the
bolt so that when the bolt is shot, DIS is masked, leaving only ENGAGED to be
seen, but when the shoot is back, the mask plate is in a neutral position, viz. :-
uncovering the said letters.
a is a tablet or plate, with DISENGAGED upon, b is an enclosing casing, with
front open, before DISENGAGED, c is a slide plate or mask, carried by the shoot of
the bolt, to which connection is made, by a pin d.
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
First Employing in connection with an indicating bolt or fastener, a movable or
shifting mask or screen plate, substantially as, and for the purpose, as described and
set forth in figures 1 to 6.
Secondly -The combination with a bolt, of a swinging mask or screen plate c,
adapted to cover and uncover, certain letters of a word or words, on an indicating
tablet, substantially as, and for the purpose, as described and set forth in figures Ĭ
to 6.
Thirdly An indicating bolt or fastener, communicating the movement of the bolt
to the indicating means, by an angular spindle of the one part, taking into a hollow
or sleeve spindle of the other part, for the purpose, substantially as described and set
forth in figures 1 to 6.
Fourthly-The construction and arrangement of the parts of indicator bolts or
fasteners, as herein described and set forth in figures 1 to 6.
Fifthly The combination with the indicating tablet, of an indicating bolt or
fastener, of a movable letter or word carrying plate c, substantially as, and for the
purpose, as described and set forth in figures 7 and 8 of the drawings.
Sixthly:Carrying the mask or screen plate, of an indicating bolt or fastener,
directly by the shoot of the bolt or fastener, substantially as described and set forth in
figure 9.
Lastly-The construction and arrangement of the parts, of indicating bolts or
fasteners, substantially as described and set forth in figures 7, 8 and 9 of the
drawings.
Dated the 23rd day of November 1889.
EDWIN SHOWELL.
By Henry Skerrett,
Agent for Applicant.