IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKS AND LATCHES
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Cyrus Price, of Wolverhampton, in the County of
Staffordshire, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKS AND LATCHES."
Sealed the 3rd September 1860, and dated the 5th March 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Cyrus Price at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 5th March
1860.
I, CYRUS PRICE, of Wolverhampton, in the County of Staffordshire, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKS
AND LATCHES" to be as follows:-
In a lock case I have, first, an improved counter-motion bolt, which is for
the purpose of fastening and releasing the "main bolt," (which is also the
latch), and has a parallel projection on its strongest part insido the lock, and
in a parallel direction with its tail, and on which projection the said "counter-
motion bolt" slides (when thrown or withdrawn by the key), by means of a
slot in it for that purpose.
Secondly, I construct a lock with a "cranked tail lift latch," which works
on a centre or fulcrum by handles and levers in the ordinary way; this "lift
latch is cranked for the purpose of introducing a "counter-motion bolt," which
is thrown or withdrawn by a key; this counter bolt slides into a slot made (in.
the lift latch) to receive it, and when in this position the latch cannot be
lifted by the handle until the counter bolt is withdrawn by the key.
Thirdly, I combino with the counter-motion-bolt a "nose ward." or

page_text: wards, either on the said counter-motion bolt or the tumbler, or both of
them.
Fourthly, I combine a stop with the counter-motion bolt, which is a
"thumb slide" made to pass against a step or shoulder on the counter-motion
bolt and prevent unlocking.
Fifthly, by a parallel projection (as in the first-mentioned improvement), on
the end of which is a ketch turning upwards; this ketch is made to fit two
grooves on a tumbler, one to fit the ketch when the bolt is "thrown out," the
other when it is "withdrawn;" the "bolts" in the first, second, and fourth
improvements are stationary, excepting when used as a latch.
Sixthly, I slightly round or convex that part of the "box staple," (for latch
locks) where the latch rubs or slides.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Cyrus Price in the 'Great Seal Patent Office on the 5th
September 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CYRUS
PRICE, of Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Cyrus Price, Her special licence that I, the said Cyrus Price, my executors;
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I; the said Cyrus Price, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKS AND LATCHES," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Cyrus Price, 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 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 Cyrus Price, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-

page_text: formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
Figure I. is a view of the interior of a lock constructed according to the
first part of my Invention, whereby the manufacture is simplified, and at the
same time the lock is rendered more safe from force or stratagem. b is a
counter-motion bolt intended for the purpose of fastening and releasing the
main bolt c, which is also a latch, and is moved by a handle in the ordinary
way; the main bolt has a parallel projection d on its head inside the lock, on
which said projection the counter-motion bolt slides by means of the slot e;
the counter-motion bolt is secured by the check plate A, and levers, Figures B
and C; any number of levers B may be used, as many indeed as the lock will
contain. a is the main stump on the counter-motion bolt b (Figuro I.); f is a
stump on the bottom lever C, or that next the counter-motion bolt b, Figure I.;
it passes through all the other levers, and through the check plate A; all the
levers have a slot el, as in Figure B, to allow them to move (when in their
position on the pin k), if pressed in the direction of the arrow h. Now, tho
stumpf being fixed to the bottom lever (see Figure C), would, if pressed in
the direction of the arrow h, move the check plate A in a transverse direction,
(that is, in the direction indicated by the arrow g, by f sliding against the
oblique part (g) of the angular opening d*, Figure A, (and marked g* also
in Figure I.); this motion would take place when the main bolt c is attempted
to be withdrawn by a false key, or forced into the lock to feel the gatings 'of
the levers, or for other purposes; then the shoulder or step J rises and pre-
sents a barrier to a, and consequently to the bolt b. In this first part of my
Invention I claim the slot.e in the counter-motion bolt b, Figure 'I., and the
projection d on the head of the latch or main bolt c; and I claim to use
those with or without the levers, Figures B and C, and the check plate,
Figure A. I claim in the levers the stump f (in Figure C, shewn also in
Figure 1.), in combination with the angular opening d*, Figure A, which
angular opening I also claim, and the slots e¹ in Figures B and C; and though
I represent the check plate as being at the top and the stump lever at the
bottom of the lever pin k, I claim placing them in any position on the lever
pin that will admit of the action of the stumpf on the oblique part g* of the
opening d, as above described; also I claim the application of these improve-
ments to any lock to which they may be applied.
Secondly, I construct a lock, Figure 2, with a cranked tail lift latch a,
which works on a centre or fulerum e, by handles in the ordinary way; this
lift latch is cranked in the form shewn, for the purpose of introducing the

page_text: counter-motion bolt b, which is thrown or withdrawn, by a key, and so "locks
or unlocks the lift latch a. I claim in respect of this second part of my
Invention the combination of the cranked tail lift latch a, with the counter-
motion bolt 6, as shewn in the Drawing.
Thirdly, I combine with the counter-motion bolt a nose ward or nose wards,
one of which is shewn in Figure 3 at A; b. Figure 5, being a transverse
section through the dotted line c, c; I place the nose wards either on the
counter-motion bolt (as shewn in the Drawing), or on the tumbler, or on both
of them. I claim in respect of this part of my Invention the combination of
nose wards with the counter-motion bolt b.
Fourthly, I combine a stop with the counter-motion bolt, as shewn in
Figure 4. a is the counter-motion bolt; 6 is the slide or stop; Figure D is
a section through the dotted line c, c, (d, d, in the said section is a part of a
lock case, and is not shewn in Figure 4); I claim in respect of this part of
my Invention the combination of the slide b, with the counter-motion bolt a.
Fifthly, on the parallel projection a, Figuro 5, on the head of tho bolt I
have a catch e turning upwards; this catch is made to fit two grooves d, d';
in the tumbler or lever c, which said lever e is shewn in its position in Figure 5,
and, in side elevation in Figure E; the bolt bis represented as thrown out,
but when the said bolt is withdrawn, the lever e is raised by the key, and the
catch cis thrown into the groové d'. I claim in respect of this part of my
Invention the grooves d, d, and the catch c on the projection a.
In Figure 6 I shew a rounded part on the box staple marked a (being that
part of the box staple for latch locks where the latch slides), which rounded
part is for the purpose of reducing the friction of the latch on the striking
plate, but I do not claim this as part of my Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said Cyrus Price, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this First day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
Witness,
JOSEPH COOKE, Patent Agent;
Birmingham.
CYRUS PRICE. (L.S.)