AN IMPROVED SAFETY WICKET AND GRATING FOR STREET DOORS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Arthur Charles-Henderson, of 6, Southampton Buildings,
•
Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, for an Invention of "AN IMPROVED
SAFETY WICKET AND GRATING FOR STREET DOORS." A communication
from abroad by Jean Marie Armand Montclar, Mechanical Engineer, of the
City of Paris, in the Republic of France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Arthur Charles Henderson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th March 1881.
ARTHUR CHARLES HENDERSON, of 6, Southampton Buildings, Holborn, in the
County of Middlesex. "AN IMPROVED SAFETY WICKET AND GRATING FOR
STREET DOORS." A communication from abroad by Jean Marie Armand Montclar,
Mechanical Engineer, of the City of Paris, in the Republic of France.
The object of this Invention is to prevent burglaries and attempts at robbery
under the pretext of handing in parcels or letters, so as to gain access to the house
when the door is unguardedly opened, and an entrance is then forced.
The Invention consists of a grating let into the door from the inside, being
secured by screws or pins. The grating is opened and closed by a second or
movable grating secured by a bolt. Beneath the grating is a horizontal aperture
for the reception of the parcel or letter; this aperture closes with a metal plate,
and the parcel or letter drops into a box.
For larger parcels the lower panel of the door is movable, and turns on strong
binges running horizontally the width of the panel to strengthen the wood work
forming it, and on each side of the panel frame strong metal sockets are secured
for supporting a metal bar securely fastening the panel. A central support to the
bar is fixed in the middle of this panel, and a flat headed screw checks any
external pressure. A padlock unites the central support on the panel to the bar,
and prevents the latter being removed.
This bar is also furnished with an axe, which in case of necessity may be used
against an intruder. A glass or reflector is employed internally if requisite to.
show the movements of the person outside.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Arthur Charles Henderson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
21st September 1881.
'
ARTHUR CHARLES HENDERSON, of 6, Southampton Buildings, Holborn, in the
County of Middlesex. "AN IMPROVED SAFETY WICKET AND GRATING FOR
STREET DOORS." A communication from abroad by Jean Marie Armand Montclar,
Mechanical Engineer, of the City of Paris, in the Republic of France.
The object of this Invention is to prevent burglaries and attempts at robbery
under various pretexts to gain admission to the premises by handing in either
1
letters or parcels; the street door being once opened an entrance is then forced.
The following description of the means employed to frustrate such designs,
aided by the accompanying Drawings, will clearly demonstrate the nature of the
Invention:-
Figs. 1 and 2 show an external front view and a vertical section of a safety
wicket constructed on the new principle; Fig. 3 is a front view of the wicket seen
from inside, Fig. 4 being a vertical section thereof; Figs. 5 and 6 show the outside
and inside of a street door furnished with one of these wickets, and in the lower
panel with a second safety wicket for the admission of large parcels; Fig. 6* is a
transverse section of the door; Fig. 7 shows the door of an apartment seen from
the inside furnished with safety wickets and bars.
The wicket, 1 to 4 inclusive, is a metal plate, either cast or wrought iron or
brass, fixed by screws or bolts, four or more in number, a, bolted inside. The
plate at the upper part is made with a grating, the apertures b, b, being rectangular,
round, or oval, and below it is pierced with a horizontal opening c large enough to
adruit a large letter.
An aperture is made in the panel of the door opposite the letter plate c¹ to allow
of free play to this plate for the admission of letters, which drop into a box or
other receptacle fixed inside the door. The gratings b are closed inside by a
door b' or grating similarly cut, and sliding so as to open or close the openings b.
Finally a shutter d on hinges closes the whole grating when not in use, and.is
fastened by a bolt e.
This is unfastened when desired and the grating opened to see who is at the
door. By this means an evil disposed person can be interviewed and kept outside
the house.
This system can be advantageously employed for the daily reception of letters
and journals by placing a basket or box to catch them inside.
Figs. 5, 6, 7, show that the wickets are placed at a height in a line with the
sight, and that the lower panel of the door pis movable at the part f on hinges 9, 9,
which are lengthened at g¹, g¹, to strengthen the parts of the wood forming the
movable panel f.
On the uprights of the door pieces of iron or brass h, h, are fixed for receiving
the bar of wood or iron k, .which firmly closes the movable panel ƒ by passing
right across it. It supports and maintains the panelf by the piece i, and at this
point a flat headed screw j admits of a pressure on the panel and opposes any
external pressure. Finally a padlock 7, which unites the piece i and the bar k,
prevents the latter being raised felloniously.
The bar k, which rests in the hand when the panel is opened, forms a defensive
weapon against criminal intruders, and for this purpose it is provided with a
hatchet well sharpened. This lower wicket therefore admits large parcels or
pretended packages. Doors provided with these wickets frustrate the evil disposed
in their burglarious intentions, yet as they perhaps would not risk detection at the

page_text: wickets they might possibly attempt to remove the lock of the door. To guard
against this see Fig. 7; two movable bars m, m³, extending right across the doors
fasten and rest in sockets p, p, or supports fixed in the door posts. These bars
may be made to pivot or balance, or be hung so as to be put in place when desired
from the outside by a secret key.
If desired the apertures of the grating may be large enough to allow a revolver
bullet to pass through, and likewise to admit of an external inspection by means
of a detecting glass, Figs. 12 and 13, so as to see where the thieves are lurking;
this glass has one or more reflectors Y. In addition to the means described of
preventing robberies, electric or mechanical alarm bells may be conveniently placed
for ringing with the hand that is free. The safety wicket may also be provided
with an electric alarm to give notice when a letter or journal has been thrown
in the box. This aların may also be used in the following manner to save
the postman or concierge, if there is one, froming up stairs: A row of letter
boxes placed near the public entrance and near the concierge's lodge, each box
bearing the name of its proprietor, and each communicating by an electric alarm
with the apartments of the proprietor, gives instant notice when a letter is dropped
into any one of the boxes. A box of this description 9, Figs. 8, 9, and 10, is shown
with movable flap v; or instead of making the flap to actuate the electric alarm
a hidden balance may be placed inside the box on which the letters fall, which at
any or each rock gives the alarm. To suit the locality the metal plates 7 fixed to
the wall s, and to which the boxes 7 are padlocked, may be used for fixing one or
more boxes q, Fig. 11, for each person in the house.
A single and special box may receive the letters of many occupiers of the house,
and each one is notified when a letter for him has been put in the box; this
facilitates the labours of the postman and obviates the services of the concierge,
and constitutes what the inventor terms "the electric postman."
Having thus described the Invention, what is claimed by the inventor as applied
together or separately to street doors or doors of apartments, or houses, is,-.
1st. The observing wicket and the letter wicket, Figs. 1 and 7, united, which
admit of seeing the person demanding entrance to the house or apartments, and
for receiving the letters or papers without opening the door.
2. The secret wicket, Figs. 5 to 7, for receiving large and small parcels, in
opening which wicket the person opening it is compelled to take the hatchet in
hand as a weapon of defence.
3. The application of electricity for signaling to those interested that a letter is
in their box, and as a consequence the application of the same principle to all
letter boxes placed near the public entrance to the house, or at each door of the
apartments to signal the delivery of a letter. This application of electric com-
munication with the letter box and its proprietor's apartment, being effected by
the means hereinbefore described and partially illustrated by Figs. 8 to 11, is
denominated by the inventor the "electric postman."
In witness whereof, I, the said Arthur Charles Henderson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of September, in the year of our