Improverents in and in connection with Door Locks and Latches.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 24th July, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 18th Apr., 1891-Accepted, 23rd May, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improverents in and in connection with Door Locks and Latches.
I RICHARD WOODBERRY ALLEN of 29 Amsterdam Street, Antwerp in the
Kingdom of Belgium Ship Chandler do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in latch locks in which a single bolt is
employed to serve both as the latch bolt and lock bolt, the locking mechanism being
applicable to other forms of locks for doors.
The objects of my improvements are first to dispense with screws in the construction
of such locks, secondly to make the parts readily accessible for repairs, thirdly to
provide for reversing the latch bolt so that the latch lock may be used as a right
hand or left hand latch as desired, fourthly to make the locking mechanism
unpickable, and fifthly to provide improved means of attaching the detachable
knob.
The key I employ is of peculiar construction having a solid spindle not drilled
to pass over or upon a fulcrum pin, but having at the end opposite its handle two
opposite radial arms. These opposite radial arms each carry a pin extending
therefrom at right angles being parallel to and equidistant from the axis of the
spindle.
Such a key is introduced through a key-hole consisting of a central round hole
with two oppositely placed slots extending therefrom to admit the radial arms and
pins at the extremity of the key spindle while the central round hole forms the
bearing in which the solid spindle of the key rotates.
In the case of latch locks the locking mechanism consists of two L shaped rocking
levers made preferably of stamped sheet metal doubled to embrace two movable
plates constituting the locking mechanism. These shaped rocking levers engage
with the latch of the lock for locking it and are released therefrom by turning the
locking mechanism to the unlocked position by means of the key.
Two of these rocking levers are employed, in preference to one, to add to the
security of locking; though one instead of two will detain or release the latch
bolt.
The two movable plates which slide between the double limbs of the two
Lshaped rocking levers are moved simultaneously by the key in opposite directions.
One has a projecting piece to engage with one of the shaped rocking levers and
the other has a similar projecting piece to engage with the other shaped rocking
lever. Each of these two movable plates has a slot by which they are confined to
one and the same pin in the lock case the length of these slots being equal to the
distance through which these plates move. The front plate has in addition a
vertical slot and two curved slots and the under plate has a hole concentric with a
circular slot extending a little beyond a semicircle and described at a radius equal
to the distance apart of the two operating pins of the key. This under plate has
also a projecting piece which engages in one of the curved slots of the front plate
securing the two plates in either of their extreme positions.
In order to apply this locking mechanism to lock bolts other than latch locks 1
form
m the bolt as a connecting piece with the front movable plate as that plate
moves in a horizontal direction only whereas the under plate has a compound
movement in the horizontal and vertical planes.
The latch I make preferably hollow either by casting or forging or I make it
entirely of sheet metal by pressing it into the required form to provide the hollow

page_text: part and the inclined part to form the latching surface by folding over the extremity
upon the sides.
Within the hollow part a coiled spring is fitted one end engaging with the rear
end of the latching bolt and the other end with a pin which, passing through a slot
in the latch bolt, serves together with two outside pins at the opposite end, to
provide the necessary guides for the latch bolt.
These pins may be replaced by projecting pieces formed in the lock case by
stamping and pressing during the operation of forming the case.
To operate the latch when it is unlocked I provide preferably a square spindle
having a fixed knob at one extremity and a detachable knob at the other
extremity.
To secure the detachable knob on the spindle I make the knob with a tapered
under cut recess in which a tapered bevelled key may be tightly secured; the key
having a slot to engage with the square spindle at points where channels are
formed for the purpose according to the thickness of the door to which the latch
lock is applied.
The square spindle is mounted in bearings formed in the door by inserting pressed
bands formed to represent ferrules with a projecting portion to enter a saw cut
which will prevent it from turning.
Upon the square spindle I secure a bush of circular form with one flat side to
provide approximately a round portion upon the square spindle at the part where
it turns in the bearing.
Within the lock case I provide a lever to act upon the latch bolt and I operate
this lever by means of the square spindle by placing thereon arms with loosely
connected tie rods so that the lever is pulled by one or other of these tie rods
according to the direction in which the knob is turned.
In order to make the various parts readily accessible for repairs I make the case
in the following manner. I form one side plate, and the top, bottom and end plates
all in one piece with which the other side plate and the fore plate are connected as
follows. Dovetailed recesses are formed in the top and bottom plates with which
projections on the removable side plate engage; the forward extremities of the two
side plates are turned outwardly at right angles to engage in a slide formed by
L pieces attached to the fore plate.
By this arrangement the fore plate secures the removable side plate and so
encloses the whole of the lock and latch mechanism without the use of screws for
this purpose.
Dated this 24th day of July 1890.
AYRTON & THOMAS,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and in connection with Door Locks and Latches.
I RICHARD WOODBERRY ALLEN of 29 Amsterdam Street, Antwerp in the
Kingdom of Belgium Ship Chandler 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 :-
My invention relates to improvements in latch locks in which a single bolt is
employed to serve both as the latch bolt and lock bolt, the locking mechanism being
applicable to other forms of locks for doors.
The objects of my improvements are first to dispense with screws in the con-
struction of such locks, secondly to make the parts readily accessible for repairs,
thirdly to provide for reversing the latch bolt so that the latch lock may be used
as a right hand or left hand latch as desired, fourthly to make the locking

page_text: detachable knob.
In the accompanying drawings in all the figures of which the same part is indicated
by like letters of reference
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the latch lock the latch being unlocked and drawn
inward.
Figure 2 is a similar view showing the latch protruded and locked.
Figure 3 is a sectional end view of Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a sectional top view of Figure 1.
Figure 5 is the same view as Figure 4 the latch operating mechanism being
removed and the latch protruded.
Figures 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12, are detail views of the parts which together
form the locking mechanism.
Figure 13 is an elevation and Figure 14 a plan of the key.
Figure 15 is a sectional view of the handle, its attachment and the means for
providing bearings for the latch operating spindle.
Figure 16 is a side view of the handle.
Figure 17 is an end view of the bearing for the latch operating spindle.
Figure 18 is a plan of the cover of the latch lock case.
Figure 19 is an end view of the cover for the latch lock case.
The key A which I employ is of peculiar construction having a solid spindle not
drilled to pass over or upon a fulcrum pin but having at the end opposite its handle
a cross piece a. This cross piece a at each extremity has a pin b extending there-
from at right angles being parallel with and equidistant from the axis of the
spindle.
Such a key is introduced through the key-hole c consisting of a central round
hole with two oppositely placed slots extending therefrom to admit the cross-
piece a and pins bb at the extremity of the key-spindle, the central round hole
forming the bearing in which the solid spindle of the key rotates.
In the case of latch locks the locking mechanism consists of a rocking lever B
made preferably of stamped sheet metal doubled to embrace two movable plates
constituting the locking mechanism. This rocking lever B engages the end of the
latch C of the lock for locking it and is released therefrom upon turning the locking
mechanism to the unlocked position by means of the key.
Two of these locking levers B may be employed instead of one to add to
the security of locking, but one is sufficient for efficiently locking and releasing the
latch bolt.
The two movable plates D and E which slide between the double limbs of the
rocking lever B are moved simultaneously by the key in opposite directions.
The movable plate D has a projecting piece to engage the rocking lever B.
The two movable plates D and E are each provided with a slot ef by which they
are confined to one and the same pin g in the lock case; the slots ef being as long
as the distance through which the plates D and E move. The movable plate D
has also a vertical sloth and two curved slots i j. The movable plate E has a
hole concentric with a circular slot / extending a little beyond a semi-circle and
described at a radius equal to the distance apart of the two operating pins bb of the
key A. There is also upon the movable plate E a projecting piece m which engages
in the curved slot i of the plate D to secure the plates D and E in either of their
extreme positions.
In order to apply this locking mechanism to lock bolts other than latch bolts I
form the bolt as a connected piece with the movable plate D because that plate
moves in a horizontal direction only whereas the plate E has a compound movement
in the horizontal and vertical planes.
The latch C I make preferably hollow either by casting or forging or I make it
entirely of sheet metal by pressing it into the required form to provide the hollow
part and the inclined part for the latching surface by folding over the extremity

page_text: upon the sides. Within the hollow part a coiled spring n is fitted one end fastened
to the rear end of the latching bolt and the other end to a pin p which passing
through a slot q in the latch bolt C serves together with two outside projecting
ears rs formed in the fore plate t of the latch lock case.
To operate the latch bolt C when it is unlocked I provide preferably a square
spindle F having a fixed knob or handle (not shown in the drawings) at one extremity
and a detachable knob or handle G at the other extremity.
The detachable knob or handle G is made with a serrated recess to receive the
square spindle F and is fitted with a pivoted trigger or key u by which the spindle
may be firmly gripped at different points according to the thickness of the door to
which the latch lock is applied.
The square spindle F is mounted in bearings formed in the door by inserting
pressed bands formed to represent ferrules with a projecting portion to enter a
saw cut which will prevent the ferrule from turning.
Upon the square spindle F I secure a bush w with one flat side to provide approxi-
mately a round portion upon the square spindle at the part where it turns in the
bearing represented by the ferrule v.
Within the lock case I provide a lever H to act upon the latch bolt C and I
operate this lever H by means of the square spindle by placing thereon arms with
loosely connected tie rods ay so that the lever H is pulled by one or other of
these tie rods x y according to the direction in which the knob or handle G is
turned.
In order to make the various parts readily accessible for repairs I make the case
in the following manner :-
I form one side plate and the top bottom and end plates all in one piece and I
connect the fore plate by rivetting to the top, bottom and side plates. Dovetailed
recesses are formed in the top and bottom plates with which projecting parts 1, 2
on the removable side plate J engage and at the rear end the removable side
plate J has a part 3 bent downward and provided with a hole 4 so that when
it is pressed within the case it springs over and engages with a pin 5 provided
in the end plate of the lock case to form a fastening for the removable side
plate J.
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 ;-
1. In latch locks communicating the motion from the door handle spindle to
the latch by the loosely connected tie rods y and the lever H for withdrawing
the latch by turning the knob or handle in either direction substantially as
described.
2. The hollow latch bolt made as described so as to be reversible to be
employed one or the other way accordingly as a left or right handed lock is
required.
3. The locking mechanism consisting of a rocking lever B and movable
plates D E arranged for operating by means of a key A substantially as described
and shown in the accompanying drawings.
4. A detachable knob or handle consisting of a handle having a serrated
recess to engage the lock spindle by means of a pivoted lever or trigger u
retaining the detachable handle at any part of the projecting spindle as desired.
5. A lock case closed by a removable cover held at one end by dovetailed
recesses in a projecting part of the case and at the other end by a pin engaging
with a perforated depressed portion of the lock-case-cover substantially as described
and shown in the accompanying drawings.
6. Bearings for square spindles of latch locks consisting of bushes w connected
to the spindle and ferrules v secured in the woodwork of the door substantially as
described.
1.

page_text: 7. The manufacture of a latch lock entirely from pressed metal and without screws
substantially in the manner herein before described and illustrated in the accom-
panying drawings.
Dated this 10th daw of A m1 1901
AYRTON & THOMAS,
Agents for the Applicant.