Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Dec., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 30th Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 5th Oct., 1888
I FREDERICK HOWARD COLLINS of 26 Cumberland Street Birmingham Brass-
founder do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
-
My invention consists in a Lettered Plate sliding behind a perforated cover bearing
0 P
E N
such letters as SOHPUETN the perforations in the cover allow each alternate
S
H U
T
letter to be seen & consequently the word SHUT is visible when the plate is at one
end of the cover & OPEN when it is at the other.
The lettered plate is moved through the space occupied by one letter by an
attachment worked by a bolt or lock on the other side of the door.
I do not confine myself to the words SHUT OPEN as others may be similarly
applied.
Dated this 30th day of November 1887.

page_text: 1
I, FREDERICK HOWARD COLLINS, of 26 Cumberland Street Birmingham Brass-
founder 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 :-
I make a frame of metal or other suitable material having a series of perforations
so arranged that the space between each perforation shall be exactly equal to that
occupied by each perforation. Within the frame I place a sliding plate having
thereon letters of such size as to be clearly visible through the perforations, but twice
as many letters as there are perforations. I arrange these letters so that the letters
taken in alternate series form two distinct words, thus ;-
° P
E
N
S H
U T
-SOHPUETN or
○
P
E N
66
OSPHEUNT will show either "shut" or open "when placed within the frame,
S
H
U T
as each alternate letter is invisible owing to the metal between the perforations
covering them. I make my plates just the amount of one perforation less in length
than the frame so that if the word "Shut" is shown when the plate is pushed to one
end of the frame "Open" will be shown when the plate is pushed to the other end
of the frame.
I fix the above described frame and plate on the outside of the door of a
Lavatory, W. C., Office, or any other room. to which it is desired to indicate
admission or the reverse; and I move the plate by a peg or other suitable
mechanism attaclied to a bolt or lock on the inside of the door so that the act
of fastening the door causes the word "Shut" to be displayed outside, and
unfastening the door displays "Open."
In the drawings, Fig. I is a section showing the manner in which the plate can be
moved by a peg on an ordinary bolt, but any other suitable appliance may be used
to effect the same purpose, viz., move the plate through the space occupied by one
perforation.
Figs. 2 and 3 show frames displaying the words "Shut" and "Open."
Figs. 4 and 5 show the plates lettered in two different forms so as to be used with
bolts shooting either to the right or left hand.
"2
I do not bind myself to the words "Shut" "Open as any other words may be
similarly used, neither need the words contain exactly the same number of letters, as
blank spaces
I N
can he left on the plate thus: IONU=T can be used to indicate "In"
"

page_text: "Out." Nor do I require to move the plate by an attachment worked by a bolt or
lock, as I may where preferred move it by a simple Thumb-piece or other
contrivance.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is
A frame with perforations and a plate with two words therein, the letters forming
said words being placed alternately so that only one word is visible through the
perforations at a time, substantially as before described.
Doted this 20th dow of Ancourt 1000
FREDERICK HOWARD COLLINS.