IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SAFES DE STRONG RECEPTACLES FOR THE PROTECTION OF PROPERTY
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Diaper, of No. 39, Tabernacle Walk,
Finsbury, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SAFES DE STRONG RECEPTACLES FOR THE
PROTECTION OF PROPERTY."
Sealed the 19th January 1866, and dated the 22nd July 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Diaper at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 22nd
July 1865.
I, WILLIAM DIAPER, of No. 39, Tabernacle Walk, Finsbury, in the County
of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SAFES OR STRONG RECEPTACLES FOR
THE PROTECTION OF PROPERTY," to be as follows:-
One of my improvements has for its object the strengthening of the door
and framing surrounding the same of safes and similar strong receptacles so
as to afford more effectual resistance against being forced open by means of
crowbars or other implements. For this purpose I form the flange of the
inner body of the safe and the frame of its outer case of one single piece of
Z-iron rivetted to the plates, instead of employing angle-iron for this purpose
as heretofore, and in like manner I form the side of the lock case and the
flanges of the same also of one single piece of Z-iron, instead of using angle-
iron. In order to obtain the requisite thickness of the flange of the case a

page_text: thick piece of bar iron is fixed to the inner surface of the Z-iron, and the
outer edge of the latter is formed with a fillet upon it projecting somewhat
beyond the joint of the bar iron and Z-iron, so as to cover the same, and a
thin projection on the rim of the door is made to lap over the other part of
the bar iron, and meets against the face of this fillet, so that in endeavouring
to force open the door the crowbar can only have purchase in the small depth
of the joint between the fillet and the projection on the door.
Another of my improvements has for its object to strengthen the bolt or
bolts of the lock against bending in endeavouring to force the door open, and
consists in fixing upon the flange of the door one or more strong projecting
pins, which pass through corresponding holes in the framing of the safe when
the door is closed; these pins are in positions corresponding with the bolts
of the lock, and are each provided with a notch, into which the ends of the
bolts fit when shot forward. By this arrangement it will be seen that the
bolt is held by the door on both sides of the bolt hole in the framing, so that
in endeavouring to force open the door the bolt must be bent or broken in
two places instead of only in one place as heretofore, or the pins must be torn
out of the door, and the framing must give way.
Another part of my Invention has for its object to render it more difficult to
cut a hole in the door and body of the safe by means of drills or other boring
instruments. For this purpose I insert between the outer and inner plates of
the door and body of the safe cylindrical steel rods placed closely side by side,
so that when a hole has been cut in the outer plate the round surfaces of the
rods shall not enable the drill or other boring instrument to take a fixed hold,
and will thus prevent its action.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Diaper in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th
January 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS 'SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
DIAPER, of No. 39, Tabernacle Walk, Finsbury, in the County of Middlesex,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Diaper, Her special licence that I, the said William Diaper,

page_text: my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others. as the said
William Diaper, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 THE CONSTRUCTION OF SAFES OR STRONG RECEPTACLES FOR THE PROTECTION
OF PROPERTY," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Diaper, my executors 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 dato
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Diaper, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying Drawing, and to
the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say :-
One of my improvements has for its object the strengthening of the door
and framing surrounding the same of safes and similar strong receptacles so
as to afford more effectual resistance against being forced open by means of
crowbars or other implements. For this purpose I form the flange of the
inner body of the safe and the frame of its outer case of one single piece of
Z-iron, rivetted to the plates, instead of employing angle iron for this purpose
as heretofore, and in like manner I form the side of the lock case and the
flanges of the same also of one single piece of Z-iron, instead of using angle
iron. In order to obtain the requisite thickness of the flange of the case a
frame as ordinarily employed is fixed against the Z-iron, and is covered by
the outside plate, the three thicknesses being rivetted together.
Another of my improvements has for its object to strengthen the bolt or
bolts of the lock against bending in endeavouring to force the door open, and
consists in fixing upon the flange of the door one or more strong projecting
pins, which pass. through corresponding holes in the framing of the safe when
the door is closed; these pins are in positions corresponding with the bolts
of the lock, and are each provided with a notch, into which the ends of the
bolts fit when shat forward. By this arrangement it will be seen that the
bolt is held by the door on both sides of the bolt hole in the framing, so that
in endeaɣouring to force open the door the bolt must be bent or broken in

page_text: two places, instead of only in one place as heretofore, or the pins must be torn
out of the door, and the framing must give way.
Another part of my Invention has for its object to render it more difficult
to cut a hole in the door and body of the safe by means of drills or other
boring instruments. For this purpose I insert between the outer and inner
plates of the door and body of the safe cylindrical steel rods placed closely
side by side, so that when a hole has been cut in the outer plate the round
surfaces of the rods shall not enable the drill or other boring instrument to
take a fixed hold, and will thus prevent its action.
The accompanying Drawing shows a sectional plan of the door and part of
the body of a safe to which the several improvements herein-before described
are applied; a, a, is the Z-iron framing to the lock case of the door A, con-
nected to the plate 6 of the lock case, and to the plate c, frame d, and outer
plate e of the door by rivets or screws. The plate c is provided with a fillet c',
covering the joint between it and the Z-iron; f, f, is the Z-irou framing to
the body B of the safe, connected to the inner plate g, and to the framing h,
and outer plate i by rivets or screws. C is the strong pin fixed to the door A,
for holding the end of the bolt D of the lock as described, the pin C is for this
purpose screwed into the Z-iron a, plate c, and framing d of the door, and
passes through a corresponding hole in the Z-iron framing f of the safe, being
for this purpose slightly curved, as shown, to allow of its passing freely in and
out of the hole when the door is shut or opened. A notch j is cut in this pin,
into which fits the end of the bolt D when shot forward, and which is thus
securely held by the pin, so that, in order to force the bolt it must either be
bent or broken on both sides of the bolt hole, or the pin C must be torn out
or broken. E, E, are the cylindrical steel rods inserted closely side by side
between the outer plates e and i and inner plates k and l, so that if a hole has
been cut in the outer plates e and i in endeavouring to force the safe open,
the drill or other instrument in coming against the round surface of these
rods is prevented from taking a fixed hold upon them.
Having now described the nature of the several parts of my Invention,
and in what manner they are to be performed, I wish it to be understood
that I do not limit myself to the combination thereof, as shown on the ac-
companying Drawing, as any one of my improvements may obviously be
made use of without the others, nor do I claim, generally forming projections
upon the doors of 'safes fitting into recesses in the body of the safe behind
the bolt holes, through which projections the ends of the bolts are made to
but what I claim is,-
pass,
First, constructing the doors and body of safes and other similar strong

page_text: receptacles or rooms with a wrought iron or steel framing of a Z transverse
sectional form.
Second, the employment of one or more strong pins fixed to the doors of
safes or strong receptacles, for holding the end or ends of the bolt or bolts of
the lock, in manner herein-before described with reference to the accompanying
Drawing.
Third, the employment of cylindrical steel rods, placed closely side by side
behind the plates of the door and body of safes or strong receptacles, substantially
as and for the purposes herein-before set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Diaper, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
WILLIAM DIAPER.
(L.S.)