IMPROVEMENTS IN SAFES, APPLICABLE ALSO IN PART TO STRONG ROOM DOORS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Hayter Chubb, of 57, St. Paul's Church-
yard, and William Henry Chalk, of 13, Alpha Street, Peckham
Rye, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SAFES, APPLICABLE ALSO
IN PART TO STRONG ROOM DOORS."
Sealed the 24th March 1874, and dated the 24th January 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Hayter Chubb
and William Henry Chalk at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 24th January 1874.
We,
GEORGE HAYTER CHUBB, of 57, St. Paul's Churchyard, and
WILLIAM HENRY CHALK, of 13, Alpha Street, Peckham Rye, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SAFES,
APPLICABLE ALSO IN PART TO STRONG ROOM DOORS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has mainly for its object to improve the construction
of fireproof safes, and part of the Invention is applicable also to strong
room doors.

page_text: Hetetofore when fireproof safes have been formed with a front frame
of T iron the inner casing or lining has been introduced into the safe
from the back, and when the space between the sides of the safe and the
inner lining have been filled in with "proofing" material, the back of
the safe has been fastened in by screws screwed in from the exterior,
and if these screws be withdrawn and the back of the safe removed the
whole of the inner lining together with the contents of the safe can be
drawn back without any obstruction.
To remove this defect we construct a fireproof safe in the following
manner: We first form the body of the safe consisting of the four sides
and back from plates of iron rivetted to angle irons at the angles or
corners, the inner lining or casing with the exception of the plates which
are to form the lining front is then slipped into its place from the front,
and when the "proofing" material has been filled in the plates which
are to form the front of the lining are put into their place, the inner
edge of the plates is secured by screws to angle irons on the interior of
the lining, and the outer edge of the plates rests against the ends of the
angle irons at the four side angles of the safe. The side plates of the
safe project forward beyond this lining front, and to them is rivetted or
screwed the T iron frame which is to form the safe front, and the lining
front is thereby held in its place. The head of the T shaped iron has
by preference a recess formed in it for the edges of the side plates to
lie in.
The door of the safe is formed so that its front plate shuts against and
overlaps the stem of the T, and the bolts of the lock when shot pass
behind the stem. By constructing a safe in this manner not only will
it be more difficult to remove the back of the safe, but even if the back
be. taken away the inner lining or casing cannot be withdrawn as its
front plate rests against the angle iron corner pieces by which the sides
of the safe are held together.
In securing the door of a safe we shoot bolts on two opposite sides.
The bolts are fixed upon two bars which are capable of sliding to and
from each other. When they are moved away from each other the bolts
are shot and caused to protrude into the bolt holes of the frame, and
when they are drawn back the door is free and may be opened. So far
there is nothing novel in the arrangement, but our improvement
consists in the means by which we give motion to the bolt bars and

page_text: support the bolts on opposite sides by inserting between them a
blocking piece, so that any pressure applied to force back the bolt on
one side is transfered across the door to the bolt on the other, and
so if desired to the door frame. In the centre of the door is a spindle
with a handle upon it for working the bolts, and on the spindle the
blocking piece is fixed; it has two pins inserted into it which enter
slotted holes in the bolt bars, and these slotted holes are of such a form
that when the spindle is turned in the direction to shoot the bolts, and
the filling piece and its pins are moved with the spindle, the bolt bars
and bolts are first moved outwards or away from each other, and then
the pins having arrived at parts of the slots which are concentric with
the spindle the filling piece passes between the two opposite bolts and
fills the space between them. In unbolting the safe door the first
motion of the spindle removes the filling piece, and then the bolt bars
and bolts are drawn in towards each other.
The lock of the safe prevents the movement of the spindle until it has
been released by means of the key.
In place of forming the slots in the bolt bars they may be formed in
the blocking piece, the pins then being fixed in the bolt bars.
When we use diagonal bolts for securing the door, as described in the
Specification of a former Patent granted to John Chubb and William
Henry Chalk, No. 2856, in the year 1866, we form projections on the
back of the stem of the T for the bolts to shoot between. The front of
this stem may also have a projection standing out from it to enter
a recess in the door to prevent their being forced apart by wedges.
Also in making the frame of T iron which is to form the front of the
safe we dovetail together the stems of the T irons where they meet
together at each corner of the frame, or we connect together the abuting
edges of the stems by dowels or locking pieces which may be secured in
their place by riveting over.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Hayter Chubb and William Henry Chalk
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 24th July 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, wc, GEORGE
HAYTER CHUBв, of 57, St. Paul's Churchyard, and WILLIAM HENRY
CHALK, of 13, Alpha Street, Peckham Rye, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto us, the said George Hayter Chubb and
William Henry Chalk, Her special license that we, the said George
Hayter Chubb and William Henry Chalk, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as we, the said George Hayter Chubb and
William Henry Chalk, our 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 SAFES, APPLICABLE ALSO IN PART TO STRONG
ROOM DOORS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said
George Hayter Chubb and William Henry Chalk, our executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under our or their hands
and scals, or under the hand and seal of one of us or them, 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 Scal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Henry Chalk, on behalf
of myself and the said George Hayter Chubb, 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 :-
This Invention has mainly for its object to improve the construction
of fireproof safes, and part of the Invention is applicable also to strong

page_text: Heretofore when fireproof safes have been formed with a front frame
of T iron the inner casing or lining has been introduced into the safe
from the back, and when the space between the sides of the safe and the
inner lining have been filled in with "proofing" material, the back of
the safe has been fastened in by screws or screwed rivets screwed in
from the exterior, and if these screws be withdrawn and the back of the
safe removed the whole of the inner lining together with the contents
of the safe can be drawn back without any obstruction.
To remove this defect we construct a fireproof safe in the manner
herein-after described and illustrated at Figure 1. We first form the
body of the safe consisting of the four sides A, A, and back A' from
plates of iron riveted to angle irons B, B, at the angles or corners; the
inner lining or casing C, C, C, with the exception of the plates D, D,
which are to form the lining front is then slipped into its place from the
front of the safe, and when the "proofing" material has been filled in
between the body and inner lining the plates D, D, are put into
their place, the inner edge of the plates D, D, is secured by screws to
angle irons on the interior of the lining, and the outer edge of the plates
rests against the ends of the angle irons B at the four corners or angles
of the safe in the manner indicated at Figures 1 and 2. The four side
plates A, A, of the safe project forward beyond this lining front, and to
them is riveted or screwed the T iron frame F, F, which is to form the
safe front, and the lining front is thereby held in its place. The head of
the T shaped iron has by preference a recess formed in it for the edges
of the side plates to lie in. This recess may be of any desired shape.
Any suitable means may also be adopted for securing the body plates to
the T frame. The T frame and the mode of securing the body plates
thereto may also be used at the back or other parts of the safe if
desired.
The door G of the safe is formed so that its front plate shuts against
and overlaps the stem of the T, and the bolts of the lock when shot pass
behind the stem. In the space behind this T frame and beyond the
throw of the bolts may be placed a tube or other casing containing
alum or other suitable material for adding to the fire-resisting capability
of the safe, as shewn at H, Figure 1. By constructing a safe in this
manner not only will it be more difficult to remove the back of the safe,
but even if tho back be taken away the inner lining or casing cannot be
withdrawn as its front plate rests against the angle iron corner pieces by
°

page_text: which the sides of the safe are held together. This inner lining or
casing may be made of any desired strength and may abut against the
outer casing at any other portions besides those shewn in the Drawing
at C, C.
For securing the door of a safe or strong room we shoot bolts on two
opposite sides. The bolts are fixed upon two bars which are capable of
sliding to and from each other as shewn at Figure 3 of the Drawings
annexed. When they are moved away from each other the bolts are
shot, and caused to protrude into the bolt holes of the frame or behind
the stem of the T bar, and when they are drawn back the door is free
and may be opened. So far there is nothing novel in the arrangement
but our improvement consists in the means by which we give motion to
the bolt bars and support the bolts on opposite sides by inserting
between them a blocking piccc, so that any pressure applied to force
back the bolt on one side is transferred across the door to the bolt on
the other, and so if desired to the door frame. By means of link motions
similar blocking pieces may be worked between the other bolts. In the
centre of the door is a spindle with a handle upon it for working the
bolts, and on the spindle the blocking piece A is fixed; it has two
pins B, B, inserted into it which enter slotted holes in the bolt bars C, C,
and these slotted holes are of such a form that when the spindle is
turned in the direction to shoot the bolts D, D, and the filling piece and
its pins aro moved with the spindle the bolt bars and bolts are first
moved outwards or away from each other, and then the pins having
arrived at parts of the slots which are concentric with the spindle the
filling piece passes between the two opposite bolts and fills the space
between them, after which the blocking piece is secured it its position
by a suitable lock. In unbolting the safe door the first motion of the
spindle removes the filling piece A and then the bolt bars and bolts are
drawn in towards each other. The dotted outline shews the position of
the blocking piece when the bolts are drawn back.
The lock of the safe prevents the movement of the spindle until it has
been released by means of the key.
In place of forming the slots in the bolt bars they may be formed in
the blocking piece, the pins then being fixed in the bolt bars. Or the
blocking piece may similarly be actuated by means of a "follower" so
constructed as to move first the bolts, and then the blocking piece in
the action of locking the safe and in reverse order when unlocking it.
.

page_text: When we use diagonal bolts for securing the door as described
in the Specification of a former Patent granted to John Chubb and
W. H. Chalk, No. 2856, in the year 1866, we form projections on the
back of the stem of the T for the bolts to shoot between. This
construction is shewn at Figures 4, 5, 7, and 8, of the Drawings. In
these Figures A is a portion of the T frame; B, projection on the back of
the stem of this frame; C, a diagonal bolt arranged to shoot between
these projections. The front of the stem of the T frame may also have
a projection standing out from it, as shewn at D, Figure 5, to enter a
recess in the door to prevent their being forced apart by wedges. Or
this projection may be formed by angle or other iron secured to the stem
of T iron, as shewn at E, Figure 6.
In some cases also in making the frame of T iron which is to form
the front of the safe we dovetail together the stems of the T irons where
they meet together at each corner of the frame as illustrated at
Figures 9, 10, and 11; or we connect together the abutting edges of the
stems by dowels or locking pieces which may be secured in their placo
by riveting over; various modes of so doing are shown at Figures 12,
13, 14, 15, and 16, we do not however confine ourselves to the precise
forms of the dowels or locking pieces shewn in these Figures as other
dowels or locking pieces of other forms may be used.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention and the manner of
performing the same, we would state that we claim the several improve-
ments substantially as herein-before described in the construction of
safes applicable also in part to strong room doors.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Henry Chalk, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of July, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.