IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKS FOR CLOSING DOORS, SHUTTERS, BLINDS, AND APPLICABLE TO ALL FASTENINGS IN GENERAL
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Louis Daniel Coutas, of Montelimar, in the Department
of La Drôme, in the Republic of France, Ironmonger, for the Invention of
"
'IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKS FOR CLOSING DOORS, SHUTTERS, BLINDS, AND
APPLICABLE TO ALL FASTENINGS IN GENERAL."
Scaled the 12th December 1879, and dated the 24th June 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Louis Daniel Coutas at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th June 1879.
LOUIS DANIEL COUTAS, of Montelimar, in the Department of La Drôme, in the
Republic of France, Ironmonger. "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKS FOR CLOSING DOORS,
SHUTTERS, BLINDS, AND APPLICABLE TO ALL FASTENINGS IN GENERAL."
This Invention relates to those kind of fastenings where a bolt is passed through
the shutter, one end terminating in a head, whilst the inner part is secured by a
key or wedge shaped piece passed through a slot in the bolt.
The object of this Invention is to render locks or fastenings of the nature alluded
to more secure and easy of manoeuvring and adjustment, and is an improvement on
the principle alluded to.
With this view the key is made of any other form than that described above;
for instance, it may consist of a kind of latch adhering to the shutter or shop front,
as the case may be, and is movable on the inner face of the shutter, and falls of its
own weight into a notch or nick at the end of the bolt, which latter is by preference
of a trapezoidal form, or may be rectangular in section, the opening into which it
falls being of a like form.
This principle is of general application for fastening alike both shutters, doors,
articles of furniture, cupboards, and so forth. The material of construction being
iron, either cast or malleable, copper, or other metal, and would be painted,
varnished, plated, or in a natural state.
The locking piece consists of a flat piece of metal which is connected to the inner
surface of the upright of a shutter by means of two screws; this piece terminates
above in a ring. These screws traverse an aperture or mortise in this plate and
leave to it all the necessary play, so that it can drop freely into the notch in the

page_text: bolt. The lower part of the plate is cut sloping to facilitate this movement; the
end of the bolt is also sloped for a like purpose. When the sliding plate just
mentioned has dropped into the notch of the bolt the lock cannot be unfastened
from the outside, but it is readily unlocked from the inside by raising the plate by
means of the ring with which it terminates above.
In locking a shutter it is merely necessary to push the bolt through the hole
made for its reception up to its head, and by this action the sloped end coming in
contact with the sloped end of the sliding plate the latter is raised and it after-
wards drops of its own weight into the notch at this end of the bolt and becomes
locked.
The mortise in the sliding plate may be prolonged above, so that when the bolt
is drawn out it will descend low enough to quite cover the hole through which
the bolt is passed. The bolt may also be round and have a circular notch made
round it.
By a slight modification of the same principle the fastener can be adapted to
various purposes.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Louis Daniel Coutas in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th
December 1879.
LOUIS DANIEL COUTAS, of Montelimar, in the Department of La Drôme, in the
Republic of France, Ironmonger. "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKS FOR CLOSING DOORS,
SHUTTERS, BLINDS, AND APPLICABLE TO ALL FASTENINGS IN GENERAL.”
"
This Invention has for its object improvements in fastenings for shop shutters
and fronts, and relates more particularly to that class of fastening which comprises
a bolt, whose opposite end to the head is cut to receive the key or latch, whilst the
bolt, if intended for closing a shop front or shutter, is placed from outside through
a hole, ad hoc, and is there secured by the key or latch, which is inserted from the
inside of the shop.
In the present case the key may be made in any other fashion; for instance, it
may be a kind of latch adhering to the shutter or shop front, and movable on the
inner surface, and falling of its own weight into a notch or pick at the end of
the bolt, which latter is of a rectangular section, or by preference trapezoidal,
the opening which it drops into being also of a like form, so that it is always
presented to the key, bolt, or latch, as the case may be.
This principle is of general application for fastening doors, shutters, shop fronts,
doors of pieces of furniture, placards, and so forth.
Its material of construction being iron, cast or malleable, copper, and so on, and
would be painted, varnished, nickled, plated, or in a natural state.
The advantages of the system are its inviolability and security, its simplicity of
adjustment, a single person sufficing to fix it, and the impossibility of losing it or
injuring the key, as it is always in its place.
The accompanying Drawings represent different forms and combinations of key
or latch based on one and the same principle. The following description, by aid of
the accompanying Drawings, will readily explain its nature; the same letters of
reference indicate like parts in the several Figures:-
Figs. 1, 2, and 3 represent a key for closing shutters or shop fronts; Fig. 1 is
a view of the complete mechanism, showing the upright of the shop front and key
in section; Fig. 2 is a front view of the key; Fig. 3 is an end view of the bolt and
its guard plate.
The key a may be of any form and dimensions, but in this case it is a flat piece
which is applied to the inner surface of the upright m by means of two screws v, v,
and it terminates above in a rectangular piece a¹. The screws v traverse a long
mortise c or slot, and leave to the key a all the requisite play to allow of its
dropping freely of its own weight into the notch d; the lower part is cut sloping
to facilitate this movement, the end of the bolt being also sloped for a like purpose.
The slope of the key is from the surface of the wood, so that in descending it abuts
on the anterior face, so that it is impossible from the outside to open the bolt or
remove it from the latch.
This bolt 6 has a round head b¹, but it may be any other shape; the peculiarity
of the bolt is the trapezoidal form of the body and the notch d made in its end.
The head rests on a small plate f held by four screws in the upright and presenting
a trapezoidal shaped aperture to the bolt, leaving the latter sufficient play.
The following is the action of the bolt or latch:-In the position shown, Fig. 1,
to remove the bolt the key a must be kept raised to free it from the notch d, and
in replacing the bolt it is merely necessary to push it in from the outside;
sloping end of the bolt comes in contact with the sloped part of the latch and
raises it, when the latter falls into the groove or notch d and the bolt is fastened.
the
The slot or opening c may be increased upwards, so that when the bolt is with-
drawn the plate a will descend low enough to close the hole through which the bolt
passes. The rectangular piece a¹ of the plate a serves to draw the shutters towards
one, and does away with the handles of window shutters.

page_text: The bolt may be round and have a circular notch cut round it, which is always
presented to the key. Figs. 1*, 2*, 1**, 2**, show in profile and front view keys a
similar to those Figs. 1 and 2, and only differ from the parts a¹ by a ring or by
being merely rounded in front. for raising the key or latch; Fig. 4 is a shutter
fastener fixed in the wall, presenting its notch to the key with which the shutter is 5
provided. This is for use when the shutters are thrown back; the section of this
fastener is trapezoidal. Figs. 5 and 6 are a front and side view of a key forming
by its part g a simple latch, and is a substitute for the ordinary thumb latch; it is
supported and guided by the three screws v. Figs. 7 and 8 represent a plan and
front view of a fastener, the ring of which is replaced by the button h; it 1
symmetrically presents two parts g, g, admitting of its being placed to the right or
left, and is a substitute for the latch or key, Figs. 5 and 6. Figs. 9 show a bolt b
forming a handle latch; it is furnished with a notch in which the stop piece i
drops.
Figs. 10, 11, and 12 are a front elevation, profile, and plan of a fastener for shop 1
fronts resting on the traverse placed transversely inside. It acts by pivoting round
the screws v; its rise and fall is regulated by the second screw which traverses
the mortise c. The slope is at j, and at a¹ is the projection which allows of lifting
the latch by hand to liberate the bolt.
Figs. 13 and 14 are a front and side view of a simple latch fastening, the straight 2
part being held by the hooked catch k fixed in the upright of the door.
Figs. 21 and 22 are a modification of this simple latch; the hooking part g is
at right angles with the principal part a.
Figs. 15 and 16 are a side and front view of a latch a with catch p and knob o;
this is intended for articles of furniture, a night commode for example, acted on ?
from the outside by aid of the handle o by raising it to free the catch p from the
stop piece n; Figs. 17 and 18 represent a similar fastening, seen in profile and
plan a with latch p, which can be fastened in the thickness of the door of a night
table, for example; o is the handle for manoeuvring it outside.
The screws are sunk in the mortise c so as to avoid notching the upright.
Figs. 19 and 20 are a front view and profile of a latch a with stop piece or hook p
and handle a¹; it replaces the hooks and springs for closing doors of placards,
cupboards, and other articles.
What is claimed is the improved key or latch for fastening doors, shutters of
windows or shop fronts, and so forth, the principal features of which are:-1st.
The key piece or plate placed inside and raised by hand by means of a rectangular.
piece, a ring, button, or handle, and dropping of its own weight into the notch of
the bolt. 2nd. The round headed or other shaped bolt with body of a trapezoidal
form to avoid fumbling and facilitate adjustment, and insure the notch's entering
the catch, the whole being of iron, cast or malleable, copper, or other metal, as
already described and illustrated by Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 1×, 2*, 1**, 2**, and 10, 11,
and 12. I claim also all applications of the same principle, as described and repre-
sented, especially for simple latches, by Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8, 13, and 14, 21 and 22, and
for doors, furniture, and so forth, and indicated by Figs. 15, 16, 17, and 18, and as
fastenings for doors, cupboards, and placards, as shown Figs. 19 and 20, and as
handle latches by Fig. 9.
In witness whereof, I, the said Louis Daniel Coutas, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty ninth day of Novmber, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
'