IMPROVEMENTS IN OR ADDITIONS TO LOCKS, LATCHES, AND OTHER FASTENINGS TO ENSURE PAYMENT FOR, AND TO FACILITATE THE ADMISSION OF THE PUBLIC TO. CLOSETS AND OTHER PLACES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Austin Usher, of Powell Street East, Goswell
Road, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
OR ADDITIONS TO LOCKS, LATCHES, AND OTHER FASTENINGS TO ENSURE
PAYMENT FOR, AND TO FACILITATE THE ADMISSION OF THE PUBLIC TO.
CLOSETS AND OTHER PLACES."
Sealed the 25th February 1879, and dated the 5th December 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Austin Usher at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th December 1878.
ALFRED AUSTIN USHER, of Powell Street East, Goswell Road, in the County of
Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR ADDITIONS TO LOCKS, LATCHES, AND OTHER
FASTENINGS TO ENSURE PAYMENT FOR, AND TO FACILITATE THE ADMISSION OF
THE PUBLIC TO CLOSETS AND OTHER PLACES."
The Invention has for its object improvements in or additions to locks,
latches, and other similar fastenings to ensure payment for, and to facilitate the
admission of the public to closets and other places, whereby I obviate the necessity
for the constant presence and supervision of an attendant, and enable a person to
obtain admission by placing a suitable coin, counter, or disc in an aperture and
then operating the lock, latch, or bolt by a knob, handle, lever, or slide, whilst the
attendant can when required open or unfasten the lock, latch, or fastening by the
ordinary key.
For this purpose I form in the door, gate, or other article to which the lock,
latch, or other fastening is applied, or in the case or box of the lock, latch, or
fastening itself, an aperture to fit the coin, counter, or disc corresponding in value
to the price of admission. Connected with this aperture is a tube or conductor
which conducts the coin, counter, or disc into position to enable a handle, knob,
lever, or slide to act against it and through its medium to give motion to a slide,
lever, or other connection to which the bolt or latch of the lock, latch, or other
fastening is attached, and thereby unlock the lock, latch, or other fastening, but

page_text: when no coin, counter, or disc is present the operating handle, knob, lever, or slide,
although it may be operated, cannot give motion to the bolt or latch. The coin,
counter, or disc after having given motion to the bolt or latch is released and then
falls into a suitable locked receptacle.
In the case of a closet a bolt or slide is provided which cannot be operated from
the outside so as to enable the occupant to lock himself in, and for the time being
prevent any other person from obtaining access to such closet, the said bolt or slide
at such time being caused to close the aperture through which the coin, counter, or
disc is to be passed.
In some cases the lock, latch, or other fastening may be arranged as above
described, but so that it cannot be opened even by its own key unless a coin, counter,
or disc is previously placed in the aperture before mentioned.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alfred Austin Usher in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 5th
June 1879.
66
ALFRED AUSTIN USHER, of Powell Street East, Goswell Road, in the County of
Middlesex. IMPROVEMENTS IN OR ADDITIONS TO LOCKS, LATCHES, AND OTHER
FASTENINGS TO ENSURE PAYMENT FOR, AND TO FACILITATE THE ADMISSION OF
THE PUBLIC TO CLOSETS AND OTHER PLACES."
The Invention has for its object. improvements in or additions to locks, latches,
or other similar fastenings to ensure payment for, and to facilitate the admission of
the public to closets and other places, whereby I obviate the necessity for the con-
stant presence and supervision of an attendant, and enable a person to obtain
admission by placing a suitable coin, counter, or disc in an aperture and then
operating the lock, latch, or bolt by a knob, handle, lever, or slide, whilst the
attendant can when required open or unfasten the lock, latch, or fastening by the
ordinary key.
For this purpose I form in the door, gate, or other article to which the lock, latch,
or other fastening is applied, or in the case or box of the lock, latch, or fastening
itself, an aperture to fit the coin, counter, or disc corresponding in value to the price of
admission; connected with this aperture is a tube or conductor which conducts the
coin, counter, or disc into position to enable a handle, knob, lever, or slide to act
against it, and through its medium to give motion to a slide, lever, or other con-
nection to which the bolt or latch of the lock, latch, or other fastening is attached,
and thereby unlock the lock, latch, or other fastening, but when no coin, counter,
or disc is present the operating handle, knob, lever, or slide although it may be
operated cannot give motion to the bolt or latch. The coin, counter, or disc after
having given motion to the bolt or latch is released and then falls into a suitable
locked receptacle.
In the case of a closet a bolt or slide is provided which cannot be operated from
the outside, so as to enable the occupant to lock himself in, and for the time being
prevent any other person from obtaining access to such closet, the said bolt or slide
at such time being caused to close the aperture through which the coin, counter, or
disc is to be passed.
In some cases the lock, latch, or other fastening may be arranged as above
described, but so that it cannot be opened even by its own key unless a coin,
counter, or disc is previously placed in the aperture before mentioned.
And in order that my said Invention may be inore clearly understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed, aided by the accompanying Drawings, more fully
to describe the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is an inside view of parts of a door and a lock with my Invention
applied thereto; and Figure 2 is a similar view but with some of the parts shown
in section. In both these Figures the lock is represented with the inner plate
removed therefrom in order the better to show the interior construction thereof.
Figure 3 is a horizontal section and Figure 4 is a cross section of the above.
a is the door to which the lock is fixed; b is the case or frame of the lock; c is
the ordinary bolt, and d is a supplemental bolt which is used as hereinafter
described.
The bolt c may be unlocked when desired by an attendant or official by means
of a key passed into the key hole 6' and acting in any well known manner upon
the bolt c, but cannot be operated from the outside by the public, that is to say, by
any person not provided with a key, except by first placing a proper coin, counter,
or disc in the aperture 62; this aperture exactly fits the coin, counter, or disc required
to be used, and corresponding in value to the price of admission to the closet or
other place to which the lock is applied.

page_text: Connected with the aperture 62 is a tube or conductor e, which conducts the
coin, counter, or disc into a tube f in position to enable the slide g to act against it
and through its medium to give motion to a slide h or other connection to which
the bolt c is attached; the slide g consists of a disc g fitting the tube f and a rod
or stud g¹ fixed thereto and passing out of the tube f through a hole in the end f¹
thereof.
The disc or slide h is provided with two arms h¹ fitting against the inside of the
tube f, and is connected to the bolt c by pins h² passing through slots f° in the
tube and connected to links c¹ which are fixed to the bolt c. The handle i is
connected to the axis of a lever i which by turning the handle in one direction is
caused to operate the slide g.
The slide his formed with a rod or stud h³ passing through a hole in the end ƒ³
of the tube f, and the return motions of the slides g and h are effected by the
springs g², h¹.
Thus when a coin, counter, or disc of the proper size is passed into the aperture
62 it is conducted by the tube or conductor e into the tube f and between the disc
g and arms h', then by turning the handle i the lever i¹ is caused to push the rod.
or stud g¹ and disc g in the direction of the arrow and consequently to give motion
to the coin, counter, or disc in the tube f, which coin, counter, or disc by acting
against the arms h³ is caused to move the disc h, and thereby to give motion to the
bolt c to unlock the same. In the motion of the parts the upper edge of the coin,
counter, or disc is brought into contact with the incline j, which depresses it so
that in the return motion of the parts it may be caused to fall through the tube or
conductor into the locked box or receptacle 1, whence the coins, counters, or discs
are removed from time to time by an attendant or official.
When however no coin, counter, or disc is present between the parts g and h³, the
handle i, although it may be operated, cannot give motion to the bolt or latch c.
When applying my Invention to closet doors the supplemental bolt or slide d
before referred to is employed. This bolt cannot be operated from the outside and
is used to enable the occupant to lock himself in and for the time being prevent
any other person from obtaining access to such closet, the said bolt or slide dat
such time being caused to close or partially close the aperture 62 through which the
required coin, counter, or disc is to be passed, whilst at other times a slit in such
bolt is opposite the aperture b², so as to enable a coin, counter, or disc to be passed
into the lock.
In some cases the lock, latch, or other fastening may be arranged as above
described, but so that it cannot be opened even by its own key unless a coin,
counter, or disc is previously placed in the aperture before mentioned. This can be
effected by causing the key to give motion to the lever ¹ or to the rod or stud g¹
and disc g in any suitable manner, as will be readily understood.
.
I would here remark that the arrangement and details of construction of the
various parts may be variously modified without departing from the peculiar
character of my Invention.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention and the mode in which I
carry the same into effect, I would have it understood that what I claim is the
improvements or additions to locks, latches, and other fastenings, substantially as
and for the purpose herein shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Austin Usher, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifth day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-nine.
ALFRED AUSTIN USHER. (L.S.)