IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKS AND LATCHES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Matthew Andrew, of Melbourne, in the Colony
of Victoria, but at present residing at Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
LOCKS AND LATCHES."
Sealed the 10th December 1869, and dated the 12th October 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Matthew Andrew at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 12th October 1869.
I, MATTHEW ANDREW, of Melbourne, in the Colony of Victoria, but at
present residing at Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gentleman,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
LOCKS AND LATCHES," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists of the improvements herein-after described in
constructing and arranging the parts of locks and latches whereby
the mechanism of locks and latches is much simplified, and the said
locks and latches are consequently manufactured more economically and

page_text: construction.
In making a combined lock and latch according to my Invention I
construct and arrange the parts as follows:-The latch bolt is situated
at the bottom end of the vertical arm of a crank lever, the horizontal
arm of the said lever being situated immediately above the follower fixed
on the spindle of the latch. The said crank lever turns upon a centre,
which may be in the upper corner of the lock case, the said arms of the
lever being respectively parallel to one of the vertical and one of the
horizontal sides of the case when the lever is in its normal position. By
turning the knob of the latch spindle the follower raises the horizontal
arm of the crank lever and withdraws the latch bolt. The centre on
which the latch bolt turns may be one of the screw pins by which
the plate of the lock case is fixed. Or the arrangement described of the
latch bolt may be inverted, that is, the latch may be at the top of the
vertical arm of the crank lever, and the joint on which it turns at
the bottom of the said arm, and the horizontal arm may engage under
instead of over the follower. In this case the return motion of the latch
is produced by a spring, which may also be employed to press down the
levers of the lock. The lock bolt consists of a flat bar having the usual
head for entering the staple and recess for the key to engage in. At the
rear end and upper side of the head of the bolt is a raised projecting
piece or step for the purpose herein-after explained. The bolt is guided
in its sliding motion by the head working in the opening in the end of
the case and by a slot in its rear end, through which slot a screw pin
taking into the lock case passes. The said screw pin serves as a centre
upon which one or more levers turn. The said levers consist of flat bars
or plates having at their front ends a fork, the branches of which are of a
width somewhat greater than that of the head of the bolt. The upper
branch of the fork of each lever is turned at right angles, and the space
between the said turned end and the lower branch is just sufficient to
permit the head of the bolt with its projecting piece or step to pass into
or out of the said fork. The levers may or may not be pressed down by a
spring. When each lever is raised to a particular height by the key the
stop on the head of the bolt can pass between its turned down end and
lower branch, but if the lever when the bolt is in its shot position is raised
either too much or too little the upper or lower branch of its fork engages
behind the head of the bolt and prevents the bolt being withdrawn. As

page_text: soon as the bolt has been withdrawn to its full extent the lever falls,
and the turned down end of the upper branch of the fork of the said
lever engaging in front of the step on the head of the bolt
prevents the
bolt being shot except by the use of the proper key. The levers are cut
out at a press, a projecting piece being left on the under side of each
lever, which projecting piece is cut away to the required extent to suit
the steps of the key, the edge of the lever on which the key acts
being rectilinear instead of curved as usual. The key does not act upon
the bolt until the levers have been raised to the proper heights. Or the
mechanism of the lock bolt may be arranged in the following manner :—–
The rear end of the bolt terminates in a cross piece of a length equal to
the depth of the lock case, the ends of the cross piece bearing respec-
tively against the top and bottom of the lock case during the motion
of the bolt, and serving to guide and preserve the parallelism of its
motion. The bolt and cross piece have the general figure of the letter T.
Projections on the top and bottom of the lock case limit the motion of
the said cross piece and bolt; or the cross piece may have a length
suitable to onable it to work between the said projections, in which case
the forward motion of the bolt is limited by a stop on the head of the
bolt. On the bolt near its front end is a pin on which one or more
levers or tumblers turn; these levers have the figure of the letter T, and
by the motion of the key are raised to the height required to permit
their ends to pass the projections on the lock case. On the withdrawal
of the key the levers descend, and their ends engage against the said
projections. The said levers thus fix the bolt in its shot or withdrawn
position until by the action of the key they are raised to the required
height to permit the ends of their cross pieces to pass the projections.
The upper halves of the cross pieces both of the bolt and levers may be
dispensed with, and the ascending motion of the levers limited as well
as the guiding of the bolt effected by one of the screws used for fixing
the lock plate. This screw is in this case passed through the lock plate
into the back of the lock at the required point above the bolt. The first
described latch and levers fall into their normal positions by the action
of the force of gravity when they are not acted upon by the follower and
key respectively, but in order more effectually to secure their return to
their normal positions they may be operated upon by springs made to
press them in the required directions.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patont,
filed by the said Matthew Andrew in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 8th April 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MATTHEW
ANDREW, of Melbourne, in the Colony of Victoria, but at present residing
at Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs, and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Matthew Andrew, Her special licence that
I, the said Matthew Andrew, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Matthew Andrew, my executors, adminis-
trators, 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 Matthew
Andrew, 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 Matthew Andrew, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
My Invention consists of the improvements herein-after described in
constructing and arranging the parts of locks and latches whereby the
mechanism of locks and latches is much simplified, and the said locks
and latches are consequently manufactured more economically and are
less liable to get out of order than looks and latches of the ordinary
construction.
In making a combined lock and latch according to my Invention I

page_text: construct and arrange the parts as follows:-The latch bolt is situated
at the bottom end of the vertical arm of a crank lever, the horizontal
arm of the said lever being situated immediately above the follower
fixed on the spindle of the latch. The said crank lever turns upon a
centre, which may be in the upper corner of the lock case, the said arms
of the lever being respectively parallel to one of the vertical and one of
the horizontal sides of the case when the lever is in its normal position.
By turning the knob of the latch spindle the follower raises the hori
zontal arm of the crank lever and withdraws the latch bolt. The contro
on which the latch bolt turns may be one of the screw pins by which
the plate of the lock case is fixed. Or the arrangement described of the
latch bolt may be inverted, that is, the latch may be at the top of the
vertical arm of the crank lever and the joint on which it turns at the
bottom of the said arm, and the horizontal arm may engage under instead
of over the follower. In this case the return motion of the latch is
produced by a spring which may also be employed to press down the
levers of the lock. The lock bolt consists of a flat bar having the usual
head for entering the staple and a recess for the key to engage in.
At the rear end and upper side of the head of the bolt is a raised
projecting piece or step for the purpose herein-after explained. The
bolt is guided in its sliding motion by the head working in the opening
in the end of the case and by a slot in its rear ond, through which
slot a screw pin taking into the lock case passes. The said screw
pin serves as a centre upon which one or more levers turn. The said
lovers consist of flat bars or plates having at their front ends a fork, tho
branches of which are of a width somewhat greater than that of the
head of the bolt. The upper branch of the fork of each lever is
turned at right angles, and the space between the said turned end and
the lower branch is just sufficient to permit the head of the bolt with
its projecting piece or step to pass into or out of the said fork. The
levers may or may not be pressed down by a spring. When each lever
is raised to a particular height by the key the step on the head of the
bolt can pass between its turned down end and lower branch, but if the
lever when the bolt is in its shot position is raised either too much or too
little the upper or lower branch of the fork engages behind the head of
the bolt and prevents the bolt being withdrawn. As soon as the bolt
has been withdrawn to its full extent the lever falls and the turned down
end of the upper branch of the fork of the lever engaging in front of the
step on the head of the bolt prevents the bolt being shot except by the

page_text: use of the proper key. The levers are cut out at a press, a projecting
piece being left on the under side of each lever, which projecting piece is
cut away to the required extent to suit the steps of the key, the edge of
the lever on which the key acts being rectilinear instead of curved as
usual. Or the mechanism of the lock bolt may be arranged in the fol-
lowing manner:-The rear end of the bolt terminates in a cross piece of
a length nearly equal to the depth of the lock case, the ends of the cross
piece bearing respectively against the projections on the top and bottom
of the lock caso during the motion of the bolt, the said projections serving
to guide and preserve the parallelism of its motion. The bolt and cross
piece have the general figure of the letter T. Projections on the top and
bottom of the lock case limit the motion of the said cross piece and bolt.
On the bolt near its front end is a pin, on which one or more levers or
tumblers turn. These levers have the figure of the letter T and by the
motion of the key are raised to the height required to permit their ends
to pass the projections on the lock case. On the withdrawal of the key
the levers descend and their ends engage against the said projections.
The said levers thus fix the bolt in its shot or withdrawn position until
by the action of the key they are raised to the required height to permit
the ends of their cross pieces to the projections. The
pass
halves
of the cross pieces both of the bolt and levers may be dispensed with,
and the ascending motion of the levers limited as well as the guiding of
the bolt effected by one of the screws used for fixing the lock plate.
This screw is in this modification passed through the lock plate into the
back of the lock at the required point above the bolt. The first described
latch and levers fall into their normal positions by the action of the
force of gravity when they are not acted upon by the follower and key
respectively, but in order more effectually to secure their return to their
normal positions they may be operated upon by springs made to press
them in the required directions.
upper
Having explained the nature of my Invention I will proceed to
describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings the manner in
which the same is to be performed..
Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 represent combined locks and latches
constructed according to my Invention; Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6
being elevations of the lock and latch mechanism, the covering plates of
the locks being removed and Figure 7 being a longitudinal section of
Figure 5. In Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 7, the latch is represented. in

page_text: its normal or shot position, and in Figure 6 the latch is represented
in its withdrawn position. In Figures 1, 4, and 6 the lock bolt is re-
presented in its withdrawn position, and in Figures 2, 3, 5, and 7, the
lock bolt is represented in its shot position.
I will first describe the latch mechanism represented in Figures 1
and 2. a is the latch bolt situated at the bottom of the vertical arm 6 of
the crank lover b, c, the horizontal arm c of the said lever being imme-
diately above the follower d fixed on the spindle e of the latch. The
lever b, c, turns upon the centre fin the upper corner of the lock casc.
The said centre f is one of the screw pins by which the plate of the
lock case is fixed down. When the knob fixed on the spindle c is turned
in either direction the follower d raises the arm c and withdraws the
latch a. The return motion of the latch a and lever b, c, is effected
by the spring 9. The arm c of the lever instead of being at right
angles to the arm 6 may be inclined thereto, as represented in Figure 3.
Instead of placing the latch a at the bottom of the lock case as in
Figures 1, 2, and 3, the said latch a may be situated near the top of the
case, as represented in Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7 of the Drawings. In the
arrangement Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7, the latch a is fixed on the top of tho
vertical arm 6 of the crank lever b, c, the joint fon which the lever turns
being situated at the bottom of the case and constitutes one of the screw
pins used to fix down the lock plate. The arm c of the lever b, c,
engages under the follower d. By turning the knob on the end of the
spindle e in either direction the follower d depresses the arm c and the
latch a is withdrawn; g is the spring by which the arm c is raised when
not acted upon by the follower d.
I will now proceed to describe the lock mechanism represented in
Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7. The lock bolt (shown separately in edge view
in Figure 6) consists of a flat bar having the usual head ² and a
recess ³ for the key to engage in. At the rear end and upper side of
the head of the bolt is a raised projecting piece or step /*. The bolt h
is guided in its sliding motion by the head * working in the opening in
the end of the case and by a slot ³ in its rear end, through which slot a
screw pin i taking into the lock case passes. The said pin i serves as a
centre on which the lever or levers k turn. One lever only is represented
in the Drawing, but any number may be used. One of these levers is
represented separately in plan and elevation in Figure 8. The said lever
consists of a flat bar or plate having at its front end a fork k³, k³, the

page_text: branches of which fork are of a width somewhat greater than the head A³
of the lock bolt h. The upper branch of the fork of the lever is
turned at right angles and the space between the said turned end marked
³, and the lower branch of the fork is just sufficient to permit the
head h² of the bolt to pass into or out of the said fork. The lever k may
be pressed down by the spring g, a spring however is unnecessary. The
same spring may be employed to press down the lever k and raise the
horizontal arm c of the latch, as represented in Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7.
When the lever / is raised to the proper height by the key represented in
Figure 9 the step /* on the head of the bolt can pass between the turned
down end ³ and the lower branch k² of the fork, and the bolt may be
shot into the position represented in Figures 5 and 7. If a false key is
used to withdraw the shot bolt, Figures 5 and 7, and the lever k is raised
either too much or not enough one branch of the fork engages
behind the head h² and prevents the withdrawal of the bolt. When the
bolt has been withdrawn to its full extent by the use of the proper key
the lever / falls, and the turned down end k³ of the upper branch of the
fork of the said lever engaging in front of the step /* on the head of the
bolt prevents the bolt being shot except by the use of the proper key.
The levers k are cut out at a press, a projecting piece being left at
the part k' on which the key acts, the said projecting piece being cut
away to the required extent to suit the steps of the key; I always make
the edge of the lever upon which the key acts rectilinear. The use of
one spring for the double purpose of restoring both the latch and the
lever or levers to their normal positions after they have been acted upon
by the follower or the key respectively as illustrated in Figures 4, 5, and
6 of the Drawings may also be applied to combined locks and latches of
other constructions than that represented.
I will now proceed to describe the lock mechanism represented in
Figures 1, 2, 3, 10, and 11 of the Drawings. In this modification or
arrangement of my Invention the bolt terminates at its rear end in a
cross piece of a length equal to the depth between the projections o, o,
on the lock case, the ends of the cross piece & working against the said
projections o, o, and preserving the parallel motion of the bolt. The
bolt is shown separately in elevation and edge view in Figure 10. The
forward motion of the bolt is limited by a screw at x, against which
the cross piece bears when the bolt has been shot. The said screw is
one of the screws employed to fix the plate of the lock case. The lever m

page_text: (one or more of which may be used) turns upon a pin n near the head of
the bolt. An edge view of the lever m is shown in Figure 11. The said
lever has the general figure of the letter T as represented and
requires to be raised to a particular height in order to permit the ends of
the cross piece m³ to pass the projections o, o, in shooting or withdrawing
the bolt. On the withdrawal of the key after the shooting or with-
drawing of the bolt, the lever m descends and engaging against the
projections o, o, prevent the motion of the bolt except by the use of the
proper key. The cross piece of the bolt and the upper half of the
cross piece of the levers may be dispensed with. This modification
is represented in elevation in Figure 3. In this modification the
guiding of the bolt is effected by one of the screw pins p used for
fixing the lock plate. This screw pin passes through the lock plate into
the back of the lock and through the slot q in the bolt . The lever m
requires to be raised by the key until its end m is capable of passing
between the screw pin p and the projection on the lock case. The
projection is one of the rivets employed for securing the side of tho
lock case to the back. If by the use of a false key the lever m is raised
too high or not sufficiently high the bolt cannot be shot or withdrawn.
By the foregoing description, and an examination of the Drawings, it
will be seen that the parts of locks and latches constructed according to
my Invention are few in number and simple in construction, and require
but
very little skilled labour in their manufacture and in putting together.
The said locks are consequently economically manufactured and are
not liable to get out of order. The latch mechanism may be used
independently of the lock mechanism, and the lock mechanism inde-
pendently of the latch mechanism.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do
not limit myself to the precise details lierein described and illustrated, as
the same may be varied without departing from the nature of my
Invention; but I claim as my Invention of improvements in locks and
latches,-
Firstly. The construction and arrangement of the parts of lock
mechanism herein-before described and illustrated in Figures 4, 5, 6, 7,
and 8 of the accompanying Drawings, that is to say, making a projection
or step on the head of the lock bolt and making a fork on the front end
of the lever or levers, the turned down end of one branch of the fork

page_text: engaging with the said projection or step on the head of the bolt and
preventing the shooting or withdrawing of the bolt excepting by. the use
of a proper key, substantially as described and illustrated.
Secondly. The construction and arrangement of the parts of lock
mechanism herein-before described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 10,
and 11 of the accompanying Drawings, that is to say, making cross pieces
on the ends of the bolt and lever or levers respectively, the said cross
pieces working between projections on the lock case, the cross pieces on
the bolt serving to guide the said bolt and those on the levers forming
with the said projections safety mechanism by which the shooting or
withdrawing of the bolt by a false key is prevented, substantially as
described and illustrated.
Also the modification described and represented in Figure 3 of the
accompanying Drawings.
Thirdly. Making that part of the lever or levers of locks on which
the key acts rectilinear instead of curved as usual as herein-before de-
scribed and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings for the purpose of
simplifying the manufacture of the said levers.
Fourthly. Employing the screw pins by which the lock plate is fixed
down to act as centres on which the lever or levers turn, and also as stops
to limit the motion of the bolt, and together with the projecting pieces on
the lock case to form stops or projections between which the ends of the
levers work and the ends of the bolt, when the bolts have cross pieces at
their rear ends as hercin-before described and illustrated in the accom-
panying Drawings..
Fifthly. Making one spring serve the double purpose of restoring both
the latch and the lever or levers of combined locks and latches to their
normal positions after they have been acted upon by the follower or the
key respectively as herein-before described and illustrated with respect to
the combined lock and latch, Figures 4, 5, and 6 of the accompanying a
Drawings.
Lastly. The general arrangement or combination of the parts of the
mechanism of latches herein-before described and illustrated in Figures 4,
5, 6, and 7 of the accompanying Drawings, that is to say, arranging the
parts of the said mechanism so that the withdrawal of the latch shall be a
effected by the action of the follower on the horizontal arm of a crank
lever, to the vertical arm of which the bolt is affixed, the said horizontal

page_text: arm being connected to the vertical arm near the bolt end of the said
arm, substantially as described and represented.
In witness whereof, I, the said Matthew Andrew, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of December, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
nine.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
MATTHEW ANDREW. (L.S.)