An Air Pressure or vacuum LOCK and Fit No Ubu therewith.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Sept., 1886.
Complete Left, 6th June, 1887
Complete Accepted, 6th Oct., 1887.
An Air Pressure or vacuum LOCK and Fit No Ubu
therewith.
MARK WOOD of 14 Wesley Street Birkenhead in the County of Chester Coach and
carriage builder do hereby declare the nature of my invention for AN AIR PRESSURE
OR VACCUUM LOCK AND FITTINGS TO BE USED THEREWITH to be as follows:-
My invention consists in an air pressure and vaccuum lock fittings and fixings to
be used therewith which can be used for all classes of doors gates and other devices
used for opening and closing orifices. The objects of my Invention are for instant
when fixed upon Railway Carriage doors is for the purpose of locking when the train
is in motion and unlocking when the train stops; also would instantanteously
unlock in case of a collision or other accident. The lock is entirely under the control
of the engine driver or guard.
When a train starts off a station and by accident or otherwise any of the doors are
left open as soon as the door is closed in the ordinary way it will be instantaneously
under the control of my invention. My invention when fixed upon railway doors does
not interfere with any of the devices such as handles latches and any thing other than
locks that are used for fastening at the present time that is to say that my invention
is an independent lock made for the purpose of a safe guard against passengers
opening the doors whilst the train is in motion and also against there being locked
in case of an accident. My invention is also suitable for locking cab or car doors so
as the door would be under the control of the driver so preventing the fare from
escaping or falling out of the cab without the driver's knowledge.
It is also suitable for buildings where the doors could be fastened and unfastened
instantaneously at a given time and all to be under the control of one person and in the
same for gates and other devices which require to be under control from a given point.
And to bring my invention into practicable effect I construct it as follows. When
used for the purpose of a railway train with carriages I construct air cylinders of
sufficient numbers & suitable size which I fix or connect on the engine or gaurds van
or any other suitable place.

page_text: From such air cylinders I run a tube or tubes underneath each carriage with
suitable couplings or connections at each end to connect one tube to the other fastened
of course on each carriage and which runs from one extremity of the train to the other.
A branch from such tube or tubes runs to each carriage door which branch leads to an
air pressure vaccuum lock and there connected and which lock is fastened on the jam
of the door whith a shoot bolt and on the side of the railway carriage door opposite
to the aforesaid bolt I place a striking plate with hole in the centre to receive the end
of aforesaid shooting bolt which is screwed or otherwise fastened on the side of such
door. The inside of the lock consists of a cylinder piston and air ram with a suitable
spring.
When the air pressure is taken or disconnected from the tube leading from the
cylinders to the aforesaid lock the aforesaid spring therein connected with the piston
and air Ram in the interior of the lock is made strongth enough to throw the shooting
bolt back so releasing the door and as soon as the door is released a spring slide is so
constructed as to slide over the apperture or opening of the lock to prevent the bolt
from shooting previous to the door being thoroughly closed.
JOSEPH BENJAMIN ADAMS,
Agent for the said Mark Wood.

page_text: therewith.
I, MARK WOOD of 14, Wesley Street, Birkenhead in the County of Chester, Coach
and Carriage Builder, 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 :-
This invention has for its object an air pressure or vacuum lock for locking distant
doors, gates, windows, and the like.
It is best described by aid of the accompanying drawing in which
Figure 1. is a sectional elevation of a lock.
Figure 2. section through C. D of figure 1 and
Figure 3 section through A B of figure 1.
Figure 4 is a section of an alternative apparatus and
Figure 5 section through the thimble into which the bolt projects.
In these E is the bolt, either propelled forward directly by the pressure or vacuum,
or by means of piston or a diaphragm in a cylinder, and kept out of gear when not so
propelled by a spring, counterweight or other self acting force. F (in figures 1 to 3)
is a lever of the first order, sometimes employed when a vacuum is used to shoot the
bolt in order to simplify matters. Ga plunger in Figures 1 to 3 and a piston in
Figure 4 acted on in Figure 1 by suction from a vacuum, and in Figure 4 by pressure.
I cylinder holding piston or plunger G. J pipe for convoying the pressure or suction
to piston or plunger G. K Figure 4 a spring for bringing back the bolt when the
pressure is removed. In Figures 1 and 3 K¹ is a spring box containing a coiled
spring which serves the same purpose as spring K. Any other convenient force can
be used. L L. Figure 1 screws for fastening the lock onto the door. M Figure 5.
thimble for the bolt of Figure 4 to slide into. No thimble or mortise is shown for
Figure 1, but the ordinary door mortise can be used. N is a spring guard which
prevents the bolt from shooting until the guard is pushed by closing the door, as shown
in dotted lines Figure 4.
The mode of action in Figure 4 is as follows;-
Pressure being passed through pipe J against piston G, the bolt E is shot out into
thimble M which when the door is closed is directly opposite the bolt. The moment
the pressure is removed, the bolt flies back and releases the door. It will be obvious
that if vacuum were used on the side where the spring is, and the spring were placed
against the face of the piston where the pressure acts in the drawing precisely the
same action would ensue, as however it is sometimes rather awkward to place the
vacuum in this position it can be arranged with a lever F as in Figure 1.
One of the principal applications for this invention will probably be the simultaneous
locking and unlocking of railway carriage doors. In this case a latch with sloping
side as in Figure 2 is used, as the door will thus slam to, even when the lock is on,

page_text: but will not open until the lock is withdrawn. This lock can be used instead of, or
preferably in addition to the ordinary lock, but is placed in the doorway frame and not
in the door.
In carrying out its application to trains, two pipes extend from end to end of the
train, being preferably fixed to the junctions of the vacuum or air or steam brake, in
such manner that coupling or uncoupling one junction couples or uncouples the others.
Each pipe is in connection with the lock on every door on one side of the train, and
is connected with the vacuum or pressure used for working the brakes, or other
vacuum or pressure reservoir maintained on the engine. Both in the guard's van
and on the engine is a cock on each pipe, so that at any moment by opening this cock
the driver or guard can reduce the pressure or vacuum on a pipe to atmospheric
pressure, and thus release every door on that side of the train, so that the passengers
can open it. The breaking of connections will also release the doors on both sides,
and thus the separating of the train into two parts by the breaking of a coupling will
instantly release both sides, no matter in what position the carriages are placed.
The invention is also applicable to front doors or gates of houses to doors of
theatres, shops, warehouses and other structures, as by the addition of pressure by a
force pump, every door can be locked, by taking off the pressure every one can be
unlocked.
In the cases of places of entertainment those doors to be kept open while the others
are locked can be provided with pegs to pass through the frame of the lock and the
bolt, so as to hold the lock open. In case of a fire anyone by cutting the tube at any
point could then release every door in the theatre.
In the case of cabs a small hand pump or bellows worked by the driver, or a leaking
one worked by the actual motion of the cab could lock the cab, so that only when the
cab stopped, or the driver turned a cock could the door open. This would prevent
the trouble cabmen have from dishonest fares alighting at dark corners unnoticed by
them.
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 :-
1st. The air pressure or vacuum lock placed on the doorway frame, substantially as
herein set forth and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, so arranged that by the
reduction to zero of the pressure or vacuum used to shoot the bolt, the bolt shall be at
once shot back by a force acting in the contrary direction.
2nd. In combination with locks such as described the fittings, tubes and connections
on railway trains connecting all the air or vacuum locks on the doors on one side of
the train with a vacuum or pressure on the engine or other convenient place, and
provided with cocks or valves whereby the engine driver or guard can at any time
neutralise the pressure or vacuum and so release all the doors on that side.
3rd. In conibination with one or more locks such as described on the door or doors
of a carriage, building or other structure a pipe to each lock from a source of
pressure
so arranged that while any door can be temporarily kept open while the others are
locked, every one in connection with the tube relieved of pressure or vacuum can be
instantly relieved by the opening of a valve or cock, or the cutting of the connections,
substantially as described.
Dated this Fourth day of June 1887