Improvements in Mortise Locks and Latches Fitted with Reversible Latching Bolts.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Dec., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 31st Aug., 1895-Accepted, 5th Oct., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mortise Locks and Latches Fitted with Reversible
Latching Bolts.
1, WILLIAM BYWATER, trading as George Harley and Company, of Powlett
Street, Wolverhampton in the County of Stafford, Lock Manufacturer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object improved means, of a very simple character,
whereby, without opening the case for the purpose, the latching bolt of a mortise
lock or latch may be readily reversed to adapt the lock or latch for use with a door
opening the opposite hand to that for which, previously to such reversal, the
latching bolt is in position in relation to the other parts of the lock or latch.
A mortise lock or latch to which the invention applies has a cover plate or front
plate which is screwed against the face of the permanently fixed part of the fore-
end, as is usual with mortise locks and latches, and has the latching bolt swivelled
to, or otherwise made capable of turning in relation to, the part by which it is
operated, or has one portion thereof swivelled to the other portion, in any manner
which has been heretofore adopted, or in any convenient manner, as will be well
understood; but the head is formed, as usual, of a rectangular or other shape in
section which prevents it turning in a hole within which it fits; and the invention
consists in making the hole through which the latch bolt head passes in the
permanently fixed part of the fore-end of a size and shape which permits of the
bolt head being turned therein, and forming the hole through which the head passes
in the cover plate or front plate, aforesaid, of a size and shape for the head to be
a good sliding fit therein. The lock or latch may be changed from right to left
hand, or vice versa, by simply removing the cover plate of the fore-end and turning
the latch bolt a half revolution, and then replacing the cover plate.
The portion of the latch-bolt head which is within the hole through the
permanently fixed portion of the fore-end when the bolt is in its outward position,
may be somewhat smaller than the portion which is outwards therefrom, thus
enabling a smaller hole to be made through the permanently fixed portion of the
fore-end than would otherwise be necessary; but such hole must, of course, be of
a size and shape which will allow the larger portion of the latch-bolt head to move
back thereinto as the bolt is moved back in latching.
It is preferred to form the cover plate with wings or guides which project from
the inner face thereof through the thickness of the permanently fixed part of the
fore-end and increase the bearing surface against which the bolt head slides; and
the hole through which the bolt-head passes in the permanently fixed part of the
fore-end may be such that the wings or projections of the cover plate receive
support from, or are backed by, its edges.
Dated this 1st day of December 1894.
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton, Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Mortise Locks and Latches Fitted with Reversible
Latching Bolts.
I. WILLIAM BYWATER, trading as George Harley and Company, of Powlett
Street, Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford, Lock Manufacturer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
This invention has for its object improved means, of a very simple character,
whereby, without opening the case for the purpose, the latching bolt of a mortise
lock or latch may be readily reversed to adapt the lock or latch for use with a
door opening the opposite hand to that for which, previously to such reversal, the
latching bolt is in position in relation to the other parts of the lock or latch.
A mortise lock or latch to which the invention applies has a cover-plate or front
plate which is screwed against the face of the permanently fixed part of the fore-
end, as is usual with mortise locks and latches, and has the latching bolt swivelled to,
or otherwise made capable of turning in relation to, the part by which it is
operated, or has one portion thereof swivelled to the other portion, in any manner
which has been heretofore adapted, or in any convenient manner, as will be well
understood; but the head is formed, as usual, of a rectangular or other shape in
section which prevents it turning in a hole within which it fits; and the invention
consists in making the hole through which the latch bolt passes in the permanently
fixed part of the fore-end of a "size and shape which permits of the bolt being
turned therein and of the head sliding to-and-fro therein; and forming the hole
through which the head passes in the cover-plate or front plate, aforesaid, of a size
and shape for the head to be a good sliding fit therein. The lock or latch may be
changed from right to left hand, or rice versa, by simply removing the cover-plate
of the fore-end and turning the latch bolt a half revolution, and then replacing the
cover-plate.
A convenient practical application of the invention is illustrated by the drawings
herewith, of which
Figure 1 is an elevation of a mortise lock having the invention applied thereto.
the outer plate or half of the rast being removed, and the fore-end, including the
cover-plati, shown in section. The lock mechanism is omitted for simplicity of
illustration, and sufficient only of the latch mechanism is shown to make the
invention clear;
Figure 2 is a section taken on line of Figure 1;
Figure 3 is pn onter face view of the permanently fixed portion of the fore-end
seen when the cover-plate is removed, and shews the latch bolt head in
section;
14
Figure is an inner face view of the cover-plate; and
Figures 5 and 6 are, respectively, views, with the cover-plate removed, of the
portions of Figures 1 and 2 which shew the latch bolt head within the fore-end.
The latch bolt head A is shewn to be of rectangular shape in transverse section,
and to pass through a hole a, formed in the permanently fixed portion B of the
fore-end of the case C, of such size that the head is capable of being turned a half
revolution within such hole. In Figure 3 the head is shewn by broken lines in
position partially turned. The bolt tail is shewn to be swivelled within the end
of the follower c. The hole d through the cover-plate D is formed to the size and
shape of the transverse section of the bolt head A, and when the cover-plate D is
fixed to the part B of the fore-end the bolt head A is just an easy sliding fit
within the hole d and is thus properly guided therein and also prevented from

page_text: turning. To reverse the latch bolt, it is necessary simply to remove the cover-
plate D, by first unscrewing the screws e by which it is fixed to the part B of the
fore-end, then to give the bolt a half turn, and finally to replace and refix the
cover-plate D. The part f, shewn by Figure 3, is a portion of the edge of the back
plate of the case, which shews through the hole a.
It is preferred to form the cover-plate D with wings or guides which project
from the inner face thereof and pass, when the plate is fixed to the part B of the
fore-end, through the thickness of such part. These wings increase the bearing
surface against which the bolt head slides. The outer sides of the wings or
guides 9 may be formed to fit within the hole a through the part B of the fore-end,
as shewn in which case the wings or guides fill up the whole space between the
head of the bolt and the edges of the hole a and form together a rectangular rim
projecting from the inner face of the cover-plate.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A mortise lock or latch provided with a cover-plate or front plate which is
removably fixed against the face of the permanently fixed portion of the fore-end,
the said lock or latch being fitted with a latching bolt which is connected with the
mechanism by which it is operated in a manner which permits of its being turned
without opening the case, or of which the outer portion is connected with the
inner portion in a manner which permits of the outer portion being turned without
opening the case, and of which the head is an easy sliding fit within the hole
through which it passes in the cover plate and is of a shape which prevents it
from turning therein, and of which the portion which passes through the
permanently fixed portion of the fore-end is capable of being turned therein upon
simply removing the cover-plate, substantially as described.
2. A mortise lock or latch fitted with a latching bolt which is connected with the
mechanism by which it is operated in a manner which permits of its being turned
without opening the case, or of which the onter portion is connected with the inner
portion in a manner which permits of the outer portion being turned without
opening the case, and of which the head passes through a hole in the permanently
fixed portion of the fore-end within which it is capable of being turned, in
combination with a cover-plate to such permanently fixed portion of the fore-end
formed with a hole within which the bolt head is an easy sliding fit and within
which it cannot be turned, substantially as described.
3. A mortise lock or latch fitted with a latching bolt which is connected with the
mechanism by which it is operated in a manner which permits of its being turned
without opening the case, or of which the outer portion is connected with the inner
portion in a manner which permits of the outer portion being turned without
opening the case, and of which the head passes through a hole in the permanently
fixed portion of the fore-end within which it is capable of being turned, in
combination with a cover-plate to such permanently fixed portion of the fore-end
formed with a hole within which the bolt head is an easy sliding fit, and within
which it cannot be turned, the said cover-plate having wings or guides which pass,
when such plate is fixed to the permanently fixed portion of the fore-end, into the
hole through such portion of the fore-end through which the bolt head passes,
substantially as described.
Dated this 29th day of August 1895.
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton, Agent for the Applicant.