IMPROVED DOOR FASTENERS FOR RAILWAY WAGONS, CARRIAGES, OR ANY OTHER KINDS OF DOORS."
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Heald, junior, of the Firm of Baxendalc
and Heald, of Chorley, in the County of Lancaster, Wagon Builders
and Machine Makers, for the Invention of "IMPROVED DOOR FASTENERS
FOR RAILWAY WAGONS, CARRIAGES, OR ANY OTHER KINDS OF DOORS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Heald, at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
13th June 1872.
I, JOSEPH HEALD, junior; of the Firm of Baxendale and Heald, of
Chorley, in the County of Lancaster, Wagon Builders and Machine
Makers, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVED DOOR FASTENERS FOR RAILWAY WAGONS, CARRIAGES, OR ANY OTHER KINDS
OF DOORS," to be as follows:-
My Invention is an improvement on an Invention for which I
obtained Provisional Protection dated 14th November 1871, numbered
3072, for improved self-acting door fasteners for railway wagons and
carriages, or any other kind of doors," wherein I described an improved

page_text: self-acting fastener for doors, which on the closing of any door where
such arc fixed such door becomes firmly secured.
This Invention totally dispenses with the chains now in general use,
the door being fastened by simply closing it, and if two be required to
one door both act at the same time and do away with the liability of
one being in and the other out, which is the case with the old chain
dropper; for side doors I can use it at least three different ways, one
way is by a straight band or pair of bands with the washer plate on the
interior of door rounded at top, or the top of band or bands turned over
inwardly as a substitute for the washer plate, or the top of the band
made concave on the outside and convex on the inside, which when
pushed in contact with the dropper (in the before-mentioned Patent)
causes the same to rise, and falls as soon as clear of band top, con-
sequently holds the door closed and secure. The same dropper will
answer in cach case, which I usually make like a gib at both ends, one
end answering as a rest on the ear staple keeps it from falling too low,
and the other or bottom end when in its place answers for the round end
of washer plate or door band to strike against for lifting the dropper,
it also prevents the dropper from jumping out of the car staple. The
dropper named will be so much longer than depth of staple where it
works in as will allow sufficient hold of band top when down, and is
so made that it will rise with little pressure, and fall of its own weight
or gravity. When the car staple is screwed sufficiently firm to with
bolts, the sheeting of wood or other material, a metallic plate is required
for the back of dropper to work against inside of the car staple. My
end door fastener dispenses with the usual ironwork in such cases, and
is simply a shaft with handles welded or screwed on, and not less than
two snugs, one on one end near the handle opposite door band, and one
on the other end opposite the other door band pointing slightly upwards,
so that the shaft named can be set low enough for bands of door to clear
when door is is required open, when the handle will be reversed to lower
the snugs for clearance of band ends named, and the door is required
fast the handle will be pulled towards the headstock, and made fast in a
pin bracket or otherwise, which at the same time holds the snugs on
the shaft upwards against the door band ends. The band ends are bevilled
as near as posible to a radius from centre of eye bolts or equivalent
where shaft suspends in. If three bands are required three snugs will
be welded or screwed on shaft accordingly.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Joseph Heald in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 13th December 1872.
"
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPHI
HEALD, junior, of the Firm of Baxendale and Heald, of Chorley, in the
County of Lancaster, Wagon Builders and Machine Makers, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of Junc, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the
thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Joseph Heald, Her special
licence that I, the said Joseph Heald, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Joseph Heald, my exc-
cutors, 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 Ircland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVED DOOR
FASTENERS FOR RAILWAY WAGONS, CARRIAGES, OR ANY OTHER KIND OF DOORS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Joseph Heald, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and scals, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Joseph Heald, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :—
My Invention relates to and is principally adapted for the self-fastening
of the doors of railway wagons or carriages, but may be advantageously
used for other doors where a self action is desireable.
The accompanying Drawing will shew several ways of using it for
side and end doors of railway wagons, trucks, and other such like
vehicles.

page_text: In the different Figures of which similar parts are marked by corre-
sponding letters of reference, Fig. 1 is an end door hung from the top
by bar f; g is a bar going across such door, each end of which when
closing is made to press against the rounded lower end of droppers, force
them up, and when past such droppers fall naturaly by their own
weight in front of such bar g, thereby securing the door in its place
closed. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same, shewing the dropper down,
and all secure in its place. Fig. 3 is a front view of hinge band c on a
side door / with droppers down, and door in its place closed. Figs. 4
are sections, the first of which is closed; the second slightly open
shewing the action of inside of bar c at top against the lower end of
dropper in the act of forcing it up. These Figures show an inside plate a,
curved. at top to first lift the dropper; it is bolted through the timber
to hinge band c. The dropper is held in position by a staple marked d
inside of which such dropper slides up and down freely; c is an inside
plate against which the dropper slides. Figs. 5 shews the hinge band
Looked at top inwardly. Figs. 6 shows the hinge band concaved at top
end which forms a reverse hook to Figs. 5, the convex side of which
shoulders against the top timber i. Figures 4, 5, and 6 are in action,
the same differing only in constructive detail. Fig. 7 is a front view of
door opening to top with hinge band c, having on the side an arm j
acting on a dropper similar in every respect to the before-mentioned.
For bottom or any other kind of door where the dropper cannot fall
to the position required by its own weight, I use a spring or other
cquivalent for forcing such dropper into its place.
Having now described my Invention, and the several ways, I have had
occasion to use it, I desire it to be distinctly understood that I do not.
confine myself to the precise details I have had occasion to refer to, as
many variations may be made therein without deviating from the
principle.
But what I claim as mine and secured to me herein is,-
•
First. The self-acting droppors acted upon by the hinge or other band
so as to form a self-acting door fastener, substantialy as and for the
purposes hercin set forth.
Second. The forming of hinge or other band ends so as to forma
catch for a self-acting door fastener, substantialy as and for the purposes.
herein set forth,

page_text: Third and last, the general arrangements of the several parts beforc
named, substantialy as and for the purposes herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, tho said Joseph Heald, have hereunto set my
hand and scal, this Tenth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
Witness,
JOHN LEWIS,
Engineer, &c.
Proston,
Lancashire.
JOSEPH HEALD. (L.S.)