Improvements in Spring or Snapping Locks or Catches for Dog Cart: or Traps and other like Vehicles and other Carriages.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Apr., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 10th Jan., 1894-Accepted, 10th Feb.,
1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Spring or Snapping Locks or Catches for Dog Cart:
or Traps and other like Vehicles and other Carriages.
I HENRY BRITTAIN of the Firm of S. Brittain and Son of Nos. 77 and
77ª Alston Street Birmingham in the County of Warwick Manufacturers do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention consists of the construction and combinations hereinafter described
of the parts of spring or snapping locks or catches for dog carts or traps and
other like vehicles and other carriages.
My improved locks or catches are principally applicable to the fastening of the
hinged backs, doors or foot boards of dog carts and like vehicles the said backs,
doors or foot boards being closed with a slam and secured by the snapping action of
the bolt of the lock or arm of the catch; but my improved locks or catches may
be used with hinged seats of other carriages, such for example as the seats of
carriages commonly called Victorias.
My improved locks or catches are unfastened by means of a handle and the
inconveniences attending the use of a loose key by which ordinary locks are
unfastened are obviated."
One of the spring or snapping locks or catches constituting part of my invention
is constructed and used in the following manner.
The horizontal bolt of the lock or catch slides in a metal case fitted into the
edge of the foot board door or seat to be fastened, the projecting end or head of
the bolt being bevilled. The snapping or outward motion of the bolt is effected
by a spring. The handle by which the bolt is withdrawn consists preferably of a
flat stem surmounted by a cylindrical head and is attached to the bar of the bolt
by a dovetail plate at the base taking into a cross dovetail seat or recess in the
bolt the dovetail plate being fixed in its place by a screw. By thus connecting the
handle with the bolt all the working strain is borne by the dovetail connection.
The dovetail plate of the handle is passed into the seat in the bar of the bolt
through an aperture made in the foot board door or seat in which aperture the
handle is capable of a limited sliding motion for unfastening the bolt. By the
fixing of the handle, the bolt is held in its working position. In order to prevent
water passing into the lock or catch at the aperture in which the handle works I
fix around the said aperture an escutcheon having an angular edge and to prevent
water or dirt entering directly into the lock or catch, I cover the whole of the
aperture in which the handle works by a plate attached to the handle. Or the
edges of the last named protecting plate or cover may be made to overlap
the whole of the escutcheon.
Fixed on the side of the cart or carriage is a striking plate for the bolt of the
ock or catch to engage with, the bevilled end of the bolt being pressed back on
he closing of the door or footboard by the said striking plate in the ordinary
vay.
Instead of withdrawing the spring sliding bolt by a rigid handle the withdrawal
may be effected by a lever handle the short inner arm of which operates the bolt.
Or the bolt may be withdrawn by a push rod having a rectilinear motion.
I construct and arrange the parts of another spring spring or snapping lock or
atch for the same purpose in the following manner. Instead of a sliding bolt, I
se a spring lever catch having a bevilled and hooked end the striking plate on the
nd of the seat rail, when the door or footboard is closed, bearing against the
evilled part of the catch, turning the catch aside and the latter snaps upon or

page_text: cart, the bevilled end of the spring bolt c is pressed back by the striking plate ƒ
and on the complete closing of the door, the said bevilled end of the bolt engages
or snaps behind the striking plate and thereby fastens the door in its closed
position. In order to firmly secure the door in its fastened position and to prevent
the rattling of the fastened door, I use in combination with the lock a spring
pressure bolt p carried by a case formed in one piece with the striking plate on
the side of the dog cart as represented in Figure 2. The pressure bolt p bears
against the back of the lock case and when the door is closed and fastened, the
nose of the sliding bolt c is pressed forcibly to and held against the striking
plate by the said pressure bolt p. The sliding bolt c is thus preserved in its
shot position, by the spring of the lock and by the supplementary pressure bolt p.
By pressing back the handle into the dotted position indicated in Figure 2 the
nose of the bolt c is withdrawn from behind the striking platef and the door is
unfastened and may be lowered to form a foot board as is well understood. By
this construction of spring or snapping lock or catch the unfastening of the lock is
effected by pressure on a handle and the use of a loose key is obviated. Figure 24
represents a modified sliding bolt suitable to be mortised in the door b. The case
in which this bolt works has the usual mortise plate at front for fixing it to the
edge of the door and the spring for giving the snapping action to the bolt is
situated in a fork at the rear end of the bolt, one end of the spring bearing against
the bolt and the other end against the case. The escutcheon which I use with
this mortise bolt is represented in Figure 2B and the pressure bolt is represented
in Figure 20. This pressure bolt is flat and slides in the case, the springs for
putting the pressure on the bolt working on the guiding pins represented. By the
use of the pressure bolt represented in combination with the sliding spring bolt a
weak spring for shooting the said sliding bolt is only required, the said pressure
bolt by its action besides assisting in holding the bolt in its place also compensates
for the wear of the nose of the sliding bolt and thereby maintains the lock in proper
condition for securing the hinged door.
Figure 5 represents in front elevation; Figure 6 in side elevation (partly in
vertical section with a portion removed) and Figure 7 in horizontal section another
spring or snapping lock or catch constructed according to my invention; Figures 8
and 9 represent vertical sections of the same taken in planes at right angles to
one another. In this lock, a spring lever catch is used in place of a sliding
bolt. The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in Figurės 5, 6, 7,
8 and 9.
a is the side of the body of the dog cart and is the hinged door; c, c is
the spring lever catch, the outer or handle end being hooked at c² for engaging
with the projecting end d² of the striking plate d fixed on the seat rail of the
side a of the dog cart. The edge of the hinged door is cut away for receiving
the case of the lever catch and for passing over the striking plate on closing
the hinged door (see Figure 5). The inner end of the lever catch carries a
tubular bush which works within a portion of the tubular case e fixed to the
hinged door. The said tubular bush constitutes the axis of the lever catch.
Within the tubular bush 3 is a torsion spring by which the snapping action is
given to the lever catch. The coiled spring in the tubular bush is twisted or
put into a state of torsion in the following manner.
At the closed bottom of the
tubular bush is a stud with which one end of the spring f is engaged, and the
top of the tubular bush is closed by a separate plate carrying on its inner side
a stud with which the other end of the spring is engaged. The stud on the
plate having been engaged with the end of the spring, the said plate is turned
through about a semi-circle and is then screwed in its place. By this motion of
the plate g the spring is twisted, the end of the spring fitted on the stud at the
bottom of the tubular bush being stationary. When the lever catch is lifted into
the dotted position indicated in Figure 4 to unfasten the door or to refasten the
door, the partial rotation of the tubular bush or axis of the said lever catch

page_text: uncoils the spring and when the lever catch is at liberty to move the spring in
returning to its twisted state gives the snapping action to.the said lever catch.
In order to unfasten the hinged door the lever catch e, c² is lifted by its handle
end into the dotted position indicated in Figure 6 so that its hooked end c² may
escape the projecting part d' of the striking plate d. The hinged door may now
be lowered, the torsion of the spring returning the lever catch e, c³ to its normal
position. On lifting and giving a slamming action to the hinged door the underside
of the lever catch bears against the projecting end of the striking plate d and the
said catch is lifted the tubular bush of the said catch turning within the case and
uncoiling the spring. On the complete closing of the door the hooked end of the
raised lever catch suaps behind the projecting end of the striking plated and
fastens the door as represented in the drawing. The shoulder of the hooked end c²
of the lever catch and the projecting end of the striking plate d are pressed into
close contact on the closing of the door by the spring pressure bolt h screwed to the
woodwork of the side a of the dog cart the said bolt pressing outwards the hinged
door b for the purpose hereinbefore described.
Figure 10 represents in front elevation; Figure 11 in vertical section and
Figure 12 in horizontal section (taken above the lever catch) a modified snapping
lever catch constructed according to my invention. In this modified arrangement
the lever catch is carried by the seat rail on the side of the body of the dog cart
and the striking plate is fixed to the hinged door.
a,
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in Figures 10, 11 and 12.
a, a² is the lever catch turning on the centre e carried by the case of the catch
fixed on the side e of the body of the dog cart, the said lever catch being pressed
into its fastening position by the spring lever follower & bearing on the heel of the
lever catch. On the cut away edge of the hinged door f is a striking plate f³
having a bevilled shoulder g in front of which the shoulder a³ on the lever catch a²
engages to fasten the door. The handle end a² of the lever catch passes through
the cut away part 2 of the door and projects beyond the door as represented.
When the lever catch is lifted on its joint c into the position indicated in dotted
lines in Figure 11, its shoulder a³ is removed from the front of the bevilled shoulder g
on the striking plate and the door is unfastened and may be lowered. On closing
the door by a slamming action, the lever catch, which is in its lowered position, is
lifted by the bevilled shoulder g on the striking plate bearing against the underside
of the handle end of the lever catch until the door is fully closed when the shoulder a³
of the lever catch snaps by the action of its spring in front of the bevilled shoulder
on the striking plate and the door is fastened.
I
In order to maintain the fast engagement of the shoulders g and a³ and thereby
prevent the rattling of the door, the spring / which operates the lever follower d
also operates the pressure bolt i the said pressure bolt i bearing on the metal plate k
on the face of the door f. By the bolt i pressing outwards the door the firm
engagement of the shoulder of the striking plate with the shoulder of the lever
catch is produced.
For the purpose of preventing the entrance of water into the case of the catch,
the opening in the said case through which the lever catch passes is closed water
tight or practically water tight by giving to the case of the catch and the part a¹ of the
lever catch near the said opening, the forms represented in Figures 11 and 12; that
is to say, the lower ends of the enlarged part at of the lever catch bear against
shoulders at the lower part of the opening in the case and the ends of the upper
edge of the enlarged part a bear within the case so that while the lever catch is
permitted to rise and fall in the opening in the case, the said opening is maintained
closed whatever position the lever catch occupies.
The improved spring or snapping locks or catches hereinbefore described and
represented are applied to both edges of the hinged door of the dog cart or trap and
to one or both edges of the hinged seats of Victorias and to the hinged parts of
other vehicles and carriages which require to be fastened and unfastened after the
manner of the hinged doors or backs of dog carts.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention
and the manner in which the same is to be performed I declare that I claim as my
invention of "Improvements in Spring or Snapping Locks or Catches for Dog
Carts or Traps and other like Vehicles and other Carriages";-
First. The combination with the horizontal spring bolt of the lock or catch and
the pressure bolt of the same, of a handle and its adjuncts, constructed and arranged
in the manner hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 2* 2B 2C, 3
and 4 of the accompanying drawings, whereby the unfastening of the lock or catch
is effected without the use of a loose key.
Secondly. The construction and combination of the parts of the spring or snapping
lever catch hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figures 5 6, 7, 8 and 9 of the
accompanying drawings whereby the unfastening of the lock or catch is effected
without the use of a loose key, and the combination with the said spring or snapping
lever catch of the pressure bolt described and illustrated for preserving the engaging
parts of the catch in close contact on the closing and fastening of the hinged back
or door or foot board or other hinged part of the carriage to which the said catch
is applied.
Thirdly. The modified construction and combination of the parts of the spring or
snapping lever catch and the pressure bolt of the same hereinbefore described and
illustrated in Figures 10, 11 and 12 of the accompanying drawings; also the use of
a single spring applied in the manner described and illustrated for giving the
snapping action to the lever catch and for working the pressure bolt.
Dated the Ninth day of January 1894.
HENRY BRITTAIN.