IMPROVEMENTS IN ATTACHING DOOR OR OTHER KNOBS OR HANDLES TO THEIR SPINDLES."
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Price, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Pattern Maker, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ATTACHING DOOR
OR OTHER KNOBS OR HANDLES TO THEIR SPINDLES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Price at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th March 1881.
GEORGE PRICE, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Pattern Maker.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN ATTACHING DOOR OR OTHER KNOBS OR HANDLES TO THEIR
SPINDLES."
This Invention consists in forming in or attaching to the inside of the neck of
the knob a toothed rack, and upon the spindle a spring so formed as to spring a
tooth or stud into the rack when the spindle is inserted into the neck of the knob.
The spindle is formed as a three sided trough, the fourth side being a spring piece
secured to the sides of the trough in or about the centre and springing upwards at
each end. These ends are furnished with a turned up clip to engage in the teeth
of the rack in the neck of the knob; and in order to facilitate the removal of the
knob from the spindle this clip is forked so that a bradawl or point passed through
a hole in the neck of the knob bearing upon the spring and thus holding it down
enables the operator to withdraw the knob from the spindle. One only or both
knobs may have a hole through the neck as preferred, one only is necessary. The
operation of fitting the furniture is thus:-The spindle having been attached to one
knob by springing it into the neck of the knob in manner stated, the spindle
passed through the lock and the other knob is pushed onto the spindle close up to
the opposite side of the lock or door. To release the parts, a bradawl or other
point is passed through a hole in the neck of the knob; the spring on the spindle is
held down whilst the knob is withdrawn.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, and
of an Order of the Lord Chancellor, filed by the said George Price in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 30th December 1881.
GEORGE PRICE, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Pattern Maker.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN ATTACHING DOOR OR OTHER KNOBS OR HANDLES TO THEIR
SPINDLES."
This Invention consists in forming in or attaching to the inside of the neck of
the knob a toothed rack, and upon the spindle a spring so formed as to spring a
tooth or stud into the rack when the spindle is inserted into the neck of the knob.
The spindle is formed as a three sided trough, the fourth side being a spring piece
secured to the sides of the trough in or about the centre and springing upwards at
each end. These ends are furnished with a turned up clip to engage in the teeth
of the rack in the neck of the knob; and in order to facilitate the removal of the
knob from the spindle this clip is forked so that a bradawl or point passed through
a hole in the neck of the knob bearing upon the spring and thus holding it down
enables the operator to withdraw the knob, from the spindle. One only or both
knobs may have a hole through the neck as preferred, one only is necessary. The
operation of fitting the furniture is thus:-The spindle having been attached to one
knob by springing it into the neck of the knob in manner stated, the spindle is
passed through the lock and the other knob is pushed on to the spindle close up to
the opposite side of the lock or door. To release the parts, a bradawl or other
point is passed through a hole in the neck of the knob; the spring on the spindle is
held down whilst the knob is withdrawn. Figure 1 shews in side and plan a
spindle a with a single catch b pinned at or about the centre of the spindle, and
forced upwards by a spring c sunk in a groove in the spindle; the catch b termi-
nates in a tooth or stud d.
Figure 2 shews in side and plan the form of hollow rack into which the
tooth & engages; this rack is a square tube spaced out into a series of inden-
tations on one of its sides, and this tube is fixed in the neck of the knob,
as seen in Figure 3, so that the spindle being secured to the fixed knob is
passed through the door, and the free knob with its rack is forced on to the
spring end of the spindle, causing the tooth d to engage in the rack, and thus the
knobs can be closely adjusted to the door. It will be seen that the tooth dis
divided in its width, this is for the purpose of allowing a bradawl or other point
to be inserted through a hole in the neck of the knob to hold down the spring,
release the tooth d from the rack, and admit of the free knob and rack being with-
drawn. Figure 4 shews in side view and plan a double spring spindle, the
formation of which is also shewn in similar views in Figure 5, Figure 4 shewing at
one end one knob attached by the spring catch, and the other end prepared to
receive the second knob. This is but a duplicate form of the spindle shewn in
Figure 1, but this plan admits of either knob being withdrawn, as both are attached
by the same means, the spring tooth and rack. The spindle in this case is grooved
throughout its entire length in the form of a square trough rolled or otherwise
grooved out, and the spring is formed of a flat piece of steel, broader in the centre,
as at e, Figure 5, the broader part e being closed into and secured in sinkings
formed in the edges of the spindle; thus the spindle with its spring plate on top
forms a square tube. Figure 6 shews another mode of making the rack which
may be done in press tools, and which will give solid teeth instead of hollow
notches for the spring tooth to engage in. It is seen as a plan of a blank at f, and in
section at g; the metal beyond the teeth is left of sufficient substance to be brought
down by successive press operations to form the sides and bottom of the square

page_text: tube with a solid rack on the inside of one of the sides, as shewn. Figure 7 shews
two knobs, each fitted with a short spindle and spring, secured to the mount of the
knob and to be connected together by the tubular rack, which when fitted with
one knob is passed through the door, and the second knob is then fitted on the
tubular rack, which thus forms the spindle..
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be carried into effect, I do not confine myself to these precise details,
but that which I claim is,-
The several improvements in attaching door or other knobs or handles to their
spindles by making such spindles with a spring catch or catches engaging in a
rack or racks fitted into the neck of either or both of the knobs or handles, or with
a rack connecting two short spindles secured to the knobs, substantially as herein
more fully set forth and specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Price, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twenty ninth day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
GEORGE PRICE. (L.S.)