IMPROVEMENTS IN CONNECTING KNOBS OR HANDLES AND THEIR SPINDLES TO LOCKS AND LATCHES
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Matthias Hart, of 76, Cheapside, in the City
of London, Lock Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN CONNECTING KNOBS OR HANDLES AND THEIR SPINDLES TO LOCKS AND
LATCHES."
Sealed the 9th November 1866, and dated the 11th May 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Matthias Hart at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
11th May 1866.
I, JOHN MATTHIAS HART, of 76, Cheapside, in the City of London, Lock
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "In-
PROVEMENTS IN CONNECTING KNOBS OR HANDLES AND THEIR SPINDLES TO LOCKS AND
LATCHES," to be as follows:-
The spindles I form in two parts divided in the direction of their length,
one part being attached to one knob or handle and the other part to the other
knob or handle. In applying knobs or handles with these divided spindles to
locks or latches I pass one portion of the spindle in from one side of the door
to which the lock or latch is applied and the other from the other side, so
that they may lie one against the other and both pass through the "follower,"
which is formed with a set screw, by tightening which the two parts of the
spindle will be borne together or retained in position on the "follower," which
will thereby be secured to the spindle, at the same time holding the handles

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Matthias Hart-in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
10th November 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
MATTHIAS HART, of 76, Cheapside, in the City of London, Lock Manufacturer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Matthias Hart, Her special licence that I, the said John Matthins
Hart, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
John Matthias Hart, my 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
CONNECTING KNOBS OR HANDLES AND THEIR SPINDLES TO LOCKS AND LATCHES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Matthias Hart, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their,
or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW. KNOW YE, that I, the said John Matthias Hart, 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:-
The object of my improvements is to obtain facility for the correct adjust-
ment and steady and correct action of the knobs or handles with their spindles
of locks or latches. For this purpose I form each spindle in two parts divided
in the direction of its height, one part being attached to one knob or handle
and the other part to the other knob or handle. In applying knobs or handles

page_text: with these divided spindles to locks or latches I pass one portion of the spindle
in from one side of the door to which the lock or latch is applied and the
other from the other side, so that they may lie one against the other and both
pass through the "follower," which is formed with a set screw, by tightening
which the two parts of the spindle will be borne together or retained in the
"follower," which will thereby be rigidly secured to the spindle, at the
same time holding the handles from tightening up on either side. Access is
cbtained to the set screw in the follower by a hole through the head plate or
edge of the lock.
But that the Invention may be fully understood I will, by the aid of the
accompanying Drawing, proceed to describe means pursued by me in carrying
the same into effect.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shows a section through a portion of a door and a pair of handles
with a spindle and parts arranged according to my Invention. a represents a
portion of the door; b, b, parts of a mortice lock applied to such door; and c,
the "follower" of the lock; d is the spindle divided in the direction of its
length into two parts, 1 and 2. The part 1 is securely attached to the knob
or handle e, whilst the part 2 is securely attached to the knob or handle f, as
shown by a separate view of one of these parts of the spindle d and its handle
at Figure 2. The "follower" c is provided with a set screw c', the end of
which is capable of pressing against the spindle d and firmly binding the two
parts of it together in the "follower" c. This "follower" may be formed, as
is ordinarily the case, simply to turn in the case of the lock, or it may be
carried by a separate frame, or otherwise be capable of sliding, and by sliding
of acting on an inclined surface to withdraw the bolt without turning the
handle In this case there will be slotted openings in the roses for the motion
of the spindle, so that the opening of the lock or latch may be effected by a
sliding of the spindle as well as by a turning of it. Access to the head of this
screw c¹ is attainable by means of screw driver a passed through a hole pro-
vided for it in the face or head plate 6¹ or edge of the lock, as indicated by
Figure 3. It will readily be seen that by thus forming the spindle in two
parts, one of which is securely attached by rivetting or otherwise to one knob
or handle and the other part to the other knob or handle, with a capability of
one part sliding on the other in the follower, and of the two parts being firmly
fixed in such follower, great facility is given for nice adjustment to varying
thicknesses of doors, whilst the knobs or handles will be kept from binding on
either side of such doors, or of hanging loosely on the spindle. By serrating

page_text: or roughening the surfaces of the parts 1 and 2, in contact with each other a
firmer hold between those parts is obtained. I have not thought it necessary
to show more than one arrangement of lock as an intelligent workman will
readily apply the improvement to locks or latches as he may require.
Having thus described my Invention, and means which I adopt in carrying
the same into effect, I would have it understood that I am aware that it is
not new to form spindles of locks and latches in two parts divided in the
direction of their length, I do not therefore claim such arrangement of the
spindles when separately considered, but what I do claim is the use of spindles
to locks and latches formed in two parts divided in the direction of their
length, one part being attached to one knob or handle and the other part to
the other knob or handle, and both being held securely to the "follower,"
substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Matthias Hart, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Tenth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
J. MATTHIAS HART. (L.S.)