IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKS OR FASTENINGS FOR BOXES AND PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION OTHER SIMILAR RECEPTACLES, APPLICABLE ALSO TO DOORS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Peter Faddy, of Castletown Conyers, in the
County of Limerick, Ireland, General, Royal. Artillery, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKS OR FASTENINGS FOR BOXES AND
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter Faddy at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
6th June 1874.
I, PETER FADDY, of Castletown Conyers, in the County of Limerick,
Ireland, General, Royal Artillery, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKS OR FASTENINGS FOR BOXES
AND OTHER SIMILAR RECEPTACLES, APPLICABLE ALSO TO DOORS," to be as
follows:-
My Invention relates to a secret or invisible means of locking or
fastening boxes and other receptacles, also applicable for locking
doors.
:

page_text: The construction of the lock or fastening, and the means employed
to open it, are such that the lock is quite concealed from view, no key-
hole or any other aperture by which access could be had to the
lock being required, so that it is quite inaccessible, and therefore
unpickable.
-
The construction of the lock may vary according to the particular use
to which it is to be applied, but the means employed to open it are in
all cases the same.
In applying my Invention to a box the lock or fastening would consist
of a small movable spring latch, which, when the box is shut, engages
with a suitable catch or staple on the lid and firmly locks the box. The
spring being of steel is subject to the influence of a magnet, and it is
so disposed that by applying a magnet to the outside of the box, near
the latch, the latter will be attracted, and may be drawn back and
disconnected from the catch or staple..
Another arrangement, designed for protecting the keyhole of ordinary
locks, consists of a balance arm of brass within the box, carrying at
one end a plate of silver, fitted to serve as a protector to the keyhole,
and at the other end a small ball of steel, which, when drawn down-
wards by the influence of a magnet applied exteriorly to the box
oscillates the balance arm, thereby causing the keyhole to be
uncovered.
In applying the Invention to doors the same kind of balance is
employed, carrying at one end a hook or latch, which falls into a
staple on the door post, thereby locking the door. At the other end of
the arm is a piece of steel, which, on being attracted by the magnet as
before, causes the arm to oscillate and free the latch or bolt from the
staple.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Peter Faddy in the Great Seal Patent Office on 3
the 5th December 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PETER
FADDY, of Castletown Conyers, in the County of Limerick, 'Ireland,
General, Royal Artillery, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Peter Faddy, Her special licence that
I, the said Peter Faddy, my executors,, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Peter Faddy, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree 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 LOCKS OR FASTENINGS
FOR BOXES AND OTHER SIMILAR RECEPTACLES, APPLICABLE ALSO TO DOORS," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Peter Faddy, my exe-
cutors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 Peter Faddy, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet
of Drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say):
My Invention relates to a secret or invisible means of locking or
fastening boxes and other receptacles, also applicable for locking
doors.
The construction of the box may vary according to the particular use
to which it is to be applied, but the means employed to open it is in all
cases the same.
One arrangement, designed for protecting the key hole of an ordinary
lock, consists of a balance arm of brass within the box or receptacle
to which the..lock is fitted, said arm carrying at one end a plate of
silver, fitted to serve as a protector for the keyhole, and at the other.

page_text: end a small ball of iron or steel, which, when drawn downwards by the
influence of a magnet applied exteriorly to the box oscillates the
balance arm, thereby causing the keyhole to be uncovered.
In applying the Invention to doors the same kind of balance is
employed, carrying at one end a hook or latch, which falls into a staple
on the door post. At the other end of the arm is a piece of iron or steel,
which, on being attracted by the magnet as before, causes the arm to
oscillate and free the latch or bolt from the staple.
A second and simpler arrangement for locking or fastening boxes and
such like receptacles consists of a small movable spring latch, which,
when the box is shut, engages with a suitable catch or staple on the lid
and firmly locks the box. The spring latch being of iron is subject to
the influence of a magnet, and it is so disposed that by applying a
magnet to the outside of the box near the latch the latter will be
attracted by the magnetic influence acting through the wood or other
substance of which the box is made, and may be drawn back and
disconnected from the catch or staple without the use of any key. Thus
the lock is quite invisible, there being no keyhole or other aperture by
which access could be had to the lock.
1
Figure 1 represents a front view and plan of a box fitted with the
first arrangement of my Invention.
Figure 2 shows a sectional plan and elevation of the second arrange-
ment of my Invention, drawn on an enlarged scale.
Referring now to Figure 1, a is a balanced lever oscillating on a
centre at 6, and mounted either within the box or in the thickness of
the front side of the box; c is a metal plate of silver jointed to one end
of balanced lever a, and sliding in vertical guides at the back of the
escutcheon plate d and in front of the lock, said plate c being of sufficient
size to completely close the keyhole e. The plate c is partly counter-
poised by a ball or weight f of iron or steel at the other end of the
lever a. This ball or counterweight is situated as close as possible
to, but without actually touching, the end of the box, which is recessed
on the inside for the ball to work in, so as to render it as sensible as.
.

page_text: possible to the influence of a magnet applied outside the end of the box
opposite the ball.
As an additional security one of the studs g by which the escutcheon
plate d is fastened is made to rotate, and is provided on the inside with
a lug or projection capable of engaging with the extremity of the
balance lever a and prevent it being moved by the magnet until said
lug or projection is moved out of the way. The head of the stud g
projects from the surface of plate d to enable it to be readily turned with
the fingers, and the heads of the other studs, which secure plate d,
similarly project so as to conceal the real use of stud g.
The box may be mounted on feet, and a further secret means 'of
security may be provided by making the foot h to turn, and
attaching to it a bent rod i, the horizontal end of which, by turning
foot h, may be brought under the balance lever a and prevent it
descending under the action of the magnet.
To open the box the lug on stud 9 and the arm i are first moved out
of the way of the lever a, and a magnet is then applied against the end
of the box opposite the ball f, as shown in red lines, and moved down-
wards, whereupon the ball will, by the magnetic influence, be drawn
down, thus oscillating lever a and raising the plate c, and so uncovering
the keyhole.
In Figure 2, 7 is the spring latch attached to a weak spring m fixed to
a stud on the under side of the plate n of the lock, so as to allow of a
slight horizontal motion of latch 7. The latter is adapted to engage in
the notch of the staple or catch p on the box lid, into which it is caused
to spring when the lid is shut down, and so lock the box. To open the
box a magnet is applied against the front of the box opposite the latch 7,
which, being of iron, is attracted and drawn out of the notch of the
staple p, whereupon the lid may be raised.
Having described the nature of the Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I declare that what I claim as my Invention, to
be protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
1st. The improved means constructed and applied, and operated by a
magnet, substantially as herein described and shown in Figure 1, for
protecting box and other locks, as specified.

page_text: 2ndly. The improved means, substantially as described and shown in
Figures 2 and 3, for locking or securing boxes and other receptacles,
applied and operated by means of a magnet, substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Peter Faddy, have to this my
Specification, hereunto set my hand and seal, this First day of
November, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and seventy-four.