IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF LOCKS
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Law, of Wolverhampton, in the County
of Stafford, Lockmaker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF LOCKS."
Sealed the 26th July 1859, and dated the 17th May 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Law at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 17th
May 1859.
I, CHARLES LAW, of Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford, Lock-
maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF Locks," to be as follows:-
The bolt is constructed so as to have one, two, or more stumps or studs, so
that in shooting it out and in, each stud passes and repasses through the
corresponding slots or gatings ordinarily formed in the tumblers. My
Invention consists, however, in the peculiar mode in which I arrange and
attach the said stumps or studs to the bolt, they are not directly fixed to the
bolt as is usually the case, but are fixed to a small plate which is rivetted or
attached to the bolt in such a way as to turn or rotate in a plane paralled to

page_text: the motion of the bolt freely round the point of attachment, carrying with
it the studs; placed under the said stud plate is a spring, so that if force being
applied to the plate causes it to rotate, the force being removed, the action of
the spring will cause it to return to its normal position. By this arrange-
ment whenever force is applied to press open the bolt the pressure will be
communicated by the tumblers to the stud, which being attached to and acting
as à lever upon the rotating plate will cause the latter to oscillate, and the
studs will one or more become depressed and the others raised, and thus thrown
out of the only plane in which the slots or gatings in the tumblers can pass
over them, hence rendering it impossible to draw back the bolt. The
arrangement of tumblers which I prefer and adopt is is where by means of
one or more guides the motion of the tumblers is vertical, but the aforesaid
combination of the studs and rotating plate is applicable to any system of
tumblers.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Law in the Great Seal Patent Office on' the
20th September 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
LAW, of Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford, Lockmaker, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of May, in the year of our Lord.
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Charles Law, Her special licence that I, the said Charles
Law, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Charles Law, my executors, 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 Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF LOCKS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Charles Law, 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

page_text: 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 Charles Law, 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, that is to say:-
".
-The bolt is constructed so as to have two or more stumps or studs, so that
in shooting it out or in, each stud passes and re-passes through the corre-
sponding slots or gratings usually formed in the tumblers.
My Invention consists in the peculiar mode in which I arrange and attach
the said stumps or studs to the bolt. This is not done by rivetting them to
the bolt as is usually the case, but by fixing them to a small plate or lever
which is fastened and attached to the bolt in such a way as to turn or rotate
in a plane parallel to the plane of the bolt freely round the point of attach-
ment, carrying with it the studs. Placed under the said rotating stud, plato
is a spring, so that if force being applied to the plate causes it to rotate, the
force being removed, the action of the spring will cause it to return to its
normal position. By this arrangement if (in pursuance of the modern method
of picking locks) a force is applied to the bolt to press it open, unless by
means of a proper key, the bellies of the tumblers be so actuated as to bring
all the gatings or slots to coincide, so as to allow the studs to pass through
them. This force transmitted to the studs will cause them to jam or press
against the side or shoulder of the tumblers, causing the latter "to bind ;” the
studs not being relieved from this pressure, it causes the plate upon which
they are fixed to rotate round its fulcrum, one end with the stump or stumps
upon it rising, the other end becoming depressed, thus throwing the stumps out
of the only direction in which they can pass through the gatings in the tumblers,
and allow the bolt to be shot; and no alteration or arrangement of the
tumblers while the stumps remain in that position will permit them to pass.
Upon the pressure being removed from the bolt again, the rotating plate
becoming also relieved, recovers its normal position and brings back with it
the stumps to their proper places.
The arrangement of tumblers which I prefer is where by means of one or
more guides their motion is kept vertical, at the same time I can apply the
above mentioned arrangement to any system of tumblers.
In order to render the above description more clear and intelligible, and to
illustrate the general construction and disposition of the before described parts,

page_text: I have to this Specification appended the accompanying Drawings, it being
understood, however, that I do not confine myself to the exact details therin
shewn, as the form, figure, and dimensions may be varied and modified to
suit the peculiar kind of lock to which the arrangement is applied.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a view of the lock, the face plate being removed, shewing the
different parts and the position of the studs when the bolt is being shot by
means of a suitable key, the tumblers having been raised to their proper
heights, so that all the gatings coincide; the stumps a, a, are shewn just
entering them, thus allowing the bolt to be shot. Figure 2 is a similar view
of the lock, but in this case pressure being applied to the bolt, urging it
back, and the tumblers not being properly arranged so as to have all the
gatings to coincide, the stumps cannot pass, and consequently jam against
the sides of the tumblers, the re-acting pressure causing the stud plate to
revolve, and the studs are, the one depressed and the other elevated, as shewn,
thus rendering it impossible for them to pass through the gatings by any
arrangement of the position of the tumblers. The other parts of the lock are
those usually found in tumbler locks, and need no description here. d is the
guide pin, upon which the tumblers move when raised or pressed down by
the feather springs.
Figures 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 shew, upon an enlarged scale, the details of the
different before described parts, and the mode of combining and attaching
them, so as to produce the said action. Figures 3 and 4 are a plan and
elevation of the rotating plate, with the studs or stumps fixed to it.. Figures 5,.
6, and 7 are a plan and a back and front view of the bolt A, shewing how the
rotating plate 9 and the stumps a, a, are fixed and work. From Figures 5
and 6 it will be seen that the back of the bolt is recessed to admit the rotating
plate 9 flush with it. is the spring for urging back the plate to its position
after the force is removed; a', a', apertures through which the studs pass and
rotate within; a², the fulcrum pin upon which the plate turns. Figure 7 is
an elevation of the front face of the bolt, shewing the rotating stud plate under
the action of a force upon the studs, the latter being elevated at one side and
depressed at the other, and hence out of their normal position.
Having now described my Invention, and how the same is formed, com-
bined, and acts, I wish it understood that what I claim and want secured by
the before in part recited Letters Patent, is, the construction of locks having
a rotating plate or lever with two or more stumps fixed upon the bolt, and so

page_text: arranged as to act in the manner described herewithin, and more fully illus-
trated in the Drawings appended.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Law, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of August, in the year One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
Signed and sealed by the within-named
Charles Law, in the presence of
BENJAMIN SOUTHELL,
of Wolverhampton.
CHARLES LAW. (L.S.)