AN IMPROVED PERMUTATION Lock
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to.. William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVED PERMUTATION Lock."-A communication from
abroad by. William A., Carpenter, of Elgin, State of Illinois, United
States of America.
Sealed the 6th November 1860, and dated the 2nd June 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 2nd June 1860..
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "AN IMPROVED PERMUTATION LOCK," to be as follows:-
This Invention of an improved permutation lock, consists, 1st, in an im-.
proved form of bolt, which approximates to a circle, and is arranged so as
to be adjusted at any desired point on a solid spindle, which has an index on
its front end. The face plate of the door or lock has a circle or a part of a
circle of figures or characters marked on it, so that it may be fixed in any
determined position which may be desired by the owner.
The Invention consists, 2ndly, in the combination of a series of bolts of the

page_text: form aforesaid, having index spindles, with a series of circles of figures or
characters on the face of the door or lock, so that permutations or changes in
the combination may be made.
The Invention consists, 3rdly, in the combination with the bolts having
index spindles of a turning knob or wedge plate of the same shape circum-
ferentially as the bolts, and adapting to the bolts a series of spring catches,
with a series of short levers and stops, and a series of indental plates, for the
purpose of preventing the plates or bolts from being actuated or brought into
the desired position except in a proper manner.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 1st December 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Edward Newton, Her special license that I, the said William
Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said William Edward Newton, 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 "AN IMPROVED PERMUTATION Lock," being a communication from abroad,
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Edward Newton,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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.
1. NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Newton, 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

page_text: following statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say): :-
This Invention of "An Improved Permutation Lock," consists, 1st, in an
improved form of bolt, which approximates to a circle, and is arranged so as
to be adjusted at any desired point on a solid spindle, which has an index on
its front end. The face plate of the door or lock has a circle or a part of a
circle of figures or characters marked on it, so that it may be fixed in any
determined position which may be desired by the owner.
The Invention consists, 2nd, in the combination of a series of bolts of the
form aforesaid, having index spindles, with a series of circles of figures or
characters on the face of the door or lock, so that permutations or changes in
the combination may be made.
The Invention consists, 3rd, in the combination with the bolts having index
spindles of a turning knob or wedge plate of the same shape circumferentially
as the bolts, and adapting to the bolts a series, of spring catches, with a series
of short levers and stops, and a series of indental plates, for the purpose of
preventing the plates or bolts from being actuated or brought into the desired
position, except in a proper manner.
In the accompanying Drawings Figure 1 is an external view of a safe door,
with the Invention applied thereto; Figure 2 is an internal view of the same,
with the front plate removed; Figure 3 is a section of the same, taken in the
line x, a, of Figure 1; Figure 4 is an internal view of the lock, with the back
plate removed; Figure 5 is a horizontal section of Figure 1, taken in the
line y, Y.
A is the casing of a fire-proof safe door; B the door; C, C, C, C, are four
bolts, so arranged in the casing A¹ of the lock that they may (when turned in
proper position) take into the side jamb of the casing. Each bolt C is formed
by taking a circular piece of metal and cutting off a segment therefrom, as
shown in Figures 2 and 4, at a. This manner of constructing the bolts
permits the use of different portions of their entire circular part for retaining
the door in a locked state, and at the same time only gives one unlocking
point, namely, the plane surfaces or chords a, when adjusted parallelly with
the side jamb. The obtaining of so many locking points, and only one
unlocking point is an essential feature of the Invention. The bolts thus shaped
are arranged on spindles C', C', C'; C¹, which pass through the casing A¹ of
the lock. Each spindle is provided with an index 6, and a small key hole cat
its front end. The spindles C¹ may be perfectly cylindrical their entire length,
and the bolts C secured thereon by set screw d. Each bolt C by this means
is rendered adjustable on its spindle, so that it may be placed in various

page_text: locking positions. The lock is thus rendered permutating or changing.
Other means might be employed for effecting the changes in the position of
the bolts C on their spindles, but the above described mode is probably as
simple and desirable as any that may be devised.
In order to enable the owner or légitimate operator of the lock to set the
respective bolts, so as to unlock at different points only known to himself, a
circle of figures or characters are arranged around each of the spindles Con
the front plate of the door B, as shown at D. The use of figures or characters
is not new, but it is described in the present Specification merely as being a
necessary adjunct to the Invention. On the rear ends of the spindles C¹ there
are placed circular metal discs E, one on each spindle. These discs have a
series of indentations h in their outer or face sides, as seen in Figure 4, and
in the back part of the lock casing A¹ there are arranged a series of hinged
spring catches P, which fall into the indentations of the discs under certain
circumstances hereafter stated. These catches rest against short levers G,
which are also arranged in the casing A¹. To operate the catches a spindle H
is fitted in the lock casing, and this spindle has a knob on its front end, and
on its inner end there is a plate I of the same form circumferentially as the
bolts C, and with its bearing faces inclined. A stop I' is also placed in the
rear of the short end of each lever G on the rear edge of the side jamb, as
shown in Figure 4. If the bolts C have all been set to lock at certain move-
ments of the spindles C¹ by means of the adjustments previously described,
and it is desired to lock the door B, it is necessary after shutting the door to
turn the knob until the inclined bearing surfaces of the plate I, by binding
against the rear edge of the side jamb, draws the door snugly home. Drawing
the door home in this manner causes the short ends of the levers G to come 'in
contact with the stops I¹, and consequently to be forced inward; and this
action upon the levers causes their long ends to raise the catches out of the
indentations of the discs E. The bolts can then be shot into the recesses of
the side jamb of the door casing.
The catches and auxiliary devices described serve an important office, as
they prevent the chance of a burglar unlocking the door by applying a power
to the same sufficient to bring the bolts against the sides of the recesses in the
side jamb, which would enable him to feel his way in performing the operation
of shooting back the bolts; for if a power be thus applied, the contact of the
stops with the levers is destroyed, and the spring clutches instantly fall into
the indentations of the discs, and thus render impossible the turning of the
bolts until the door is again forced home.
+
From the foregoing description it will be seen that a system of permutation

page_text: is produced which will baffle the attempts of the most skilful burglar, for it is
impossible for a burglar to know by feeling when he has one of the bolts
unlocked.
Having now described this Invention of "An Improved Permutation Lock,"
as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and having explained the
manner of carrying the same into effect, I claim as the Invention secured to
me by Letters Patent, as aforesaid, the mode herein set forth of constructing,
arranging, and operating the several parts of permutation locks.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)