AN IMPROVED METHOD OF SECURING A DOOR KNOB OR OTHER HANDLE UPON A SPINDLE
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the "International
Patent Office," No. 8, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer, for the Invention
of "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF SECURING A DOOR KNOB OR OTHER HANDLE
UPON A SPINDLE."-A communication from abroad by Matthew
Andrew, of Melbourne, in the Colony of Victoria, Australia,
Gentleman.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 9th November 1868.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office,"
No. 8, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF SECURING A DOOR KNOB OR OTHER
HANDLE UPON A SPINDLE," a communication, to be as follows:-
The said Invention relates to certain improvements in the method of
fastening knobs or other handles on spindles, and is chiefly designed for
securing door knobs. The special object of this Invention is to produce a
knob and spindle that can be easily adjusted to a door of any thickness,

page_text: and to obviate the inconvenience arising from the use of the ordinary set
screw, which is liable to work loose and be lost.
The said Invention consists. chiefly in the employment of a spring
setting into a ratchet cut on the knob spindle. This spring is fitted in
a chamber formed in the spindle aperture of the knob or handle, and
ratchet teeth are formed on one side of the spindle at one or both ends,
a longitudinal slot being formed through that part of the spindle in which
the said teeth are cut, which slot is somewhat longer than the said
ratchet in order to permit the spring being forced out of the teeth
when the handle or knob is required to be placed nearer the end or with-
drawn from the spindle. A small hole is formed in the shoulder of the
knob or handle, and opposite the working or loose end of the spring, to
permit of the insertion of a bradawl or other simple instrument that will
pass through the said slot in the spindle and press against the said loose
end of the spring, in order to free the latter from the teeth and thereby
release the said knob. The knob or handle may be of any convenient
shape so long as suitable provision is made for affixing the spring, and
for securing the spindle. The spring chamber should be made of suffi-
cient depth to receive the spring, which may be of any desirable thick-
If the ratchet teeth and slot were formed on the interior surface
of the spindle aperture in the knob and the spring affixed to the spindle
the same object would be accomplished, though in a less convenient
manner. The knob or handle must be so placed upon the spindle that
the spring will be in apposition to the ratchet teeth. When the said
knob is properly located upon the spindle the spring having set into the
ratchet teeth permits the knob being moved further on, but not with-
drawn from the spindle until the spring is disengaged from the ratchet
teeth, and so held while the knob or handle is removed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent
'Office on the 8th May 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office," No. 8, Southampton
Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Consulting
Engineer, send greeting.

page_text: nearer the end or withdrawn from the spindle. A small hole is formed
in the shoulder of the knob or handle, and near the working or loose end
of the spring to permit of the insertion of a bradawl or other simple
instrument that will pass through the aperture or slot, and press against
the said loose end of the spring in order to force the latter from the
teeth, and thereby release the said knob. The knob or handle may
be of any convenient shape so long as suitable provision is made for
affixing the spring and for receiving the spindle. The spring chamber
should be made of sufficient depth to receive the spring, which may be
of any desirable thickness. If the ratchet teeth were formed on the
interior surface of the spindle aperture in the knob and the spring
affixed to the spindle the same object would be accomplished, though in
a less convenient manner. The knob or handle must be so placed upon
the spindle that the spring will be in opposition to the ratchet teeth.
When the said knob is properly located upon the spindle the spring
having set into the ratchet teeth permits the knob to be moved farther
on, but not withdrawn from the spindle until the spring is disengaged
from the ratchet teeth, and so held while the knob or handle is removed,
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through the knob or handle, showing
the spindle secured therein; Figure 2 is also a longitudinal section
through the line x, x, Figure 1; Figure 3 is a transverse section on the
line y, y, Figure 1; Figure 4 is a longitudinal section through the
knob, showing the spindle withdrawn therefrom; Figures 5 and 6 illus-
trate a modification in the construction of the said handle and spindle.
Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the Drawing.
.
A is the spindle, and a are the ratchet teeth on the ends of the same;
B is the knob or handle, and 6 is the square hole in which the spindle is
inserted; c is the spring, and d is the chamber or recess in which the
said spring is secured by the pin e; fis the hole through which the brad-
awl or other implement is inserted to press back the spring and release
the spindle.
In Figures 1 and 3 I have shown the spring wider than the spindle,
and projecting at one side beyond the same. By this arrangement
I provide the handle in an inexpensive manner with means for
conveniently releasing the spindle from the spring. The bradawl is
inserted through the hole f, and passes through the aperture g at the

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special licence
that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert Lake, 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 "AN IMPROVED
METHOD OF SECURING A DOOR KNOB OR OTHER HANDLE UPON A SPINDLE," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Robert Lake, 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 performed, 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 William Robert Lake, 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, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawing forming a part of this Specification:-
The said Invention relates to certain improvements in the method of
fastening knobs or other handles on spindles, and is chiefly designed for
securing door knobs. The special objects of this Invention are to pro-
duce a knob and spindle that can be easily adjusted to a door of any
thickness, and to obviate the inconvenience arising from the use of the
ordinary set screw, which is liable to work loose and be lost.
The said Invention consists chiefly in the employment of a spring
setting into a ratchet cut on the knob spindle. This spring is fitted in
a chamber formed in the spindle aperture of the knob or handle, and
ratchet teeth are formed on one side of the spindle at one or both ends,
a longitudinal aperture being formed or left at that part of the spindle
in which the said teeth are cut in order to permit of the spring being
forced out of the teeth when the handle or knob is required to be placed

page_text: side of the spindle to the free end of the spring c. The chamber d must
be slightly wider than the spring, so that the latter can move freely.
therein, and must be deep enough to allow the spring when depressed to
clear the teeth a.
In Figures 5 and 6 I have shewn the slot g through which the brad-.
awl is passed formed in the spindle, but this method of construction is
more expensive than that illustrated in Figures 1 and 3, where the
aperture is left between the side of the spindle and the interior surface
of the handle.
I am aware that a spindle provided with ratchet teeth as a means for
securing the same in the knob or handle has already been used, but by
my Invention I am enabled to dispense with the pawls or catches which
have heretofore been employed for securing and releasing such a spindle,
and substitute in their place a simple spring formed of a flat piece of
steel or other suitable metal, which acts directly upon the ratchet teeth,
which is cheaply manufactured, easily applied to the handle, is durable,
and not liable to derangement, and by so arranging the spring that the
same can be depressed by an instrument inserted in an aperture at the
side of the spindle I avoid the necessity of weakening the same by
cutting away any portion thereof, and the expense of such an operation.
Having thus fully described the Invention as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, and the means employed for carrying the
same into practice, I claim the said Invention substantially as herein
set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
0
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE. (L.S.)
Witness,
THO". N. PALMER,
Clerk to Messrs. Haseltine, Lake, & Co.
8, Southampton Buildings, W.C.