CERTAIN LOCKS ACTING BY LEVER- TOOTHED WHEEL AND DROP, CHIEFLY WITHOUT SPRINGS, SIMPLE IN THEIR PRINCIPLES, AND NOT LIABLE TO BE INJURED BY ACCIDENT OR FRICTION, PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE TO PRISONS, AND TO ALL OTHER PLACES AND THINGS WHERE STRONG FASTNINGS ARE REQUISITE
Year: 1791

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
FERRYMAN, of the City of Glocester, Clark, send greeting.
WHEREAS the King's most Excellent Majesty, by His Letters Patent
under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date the Nineteenth day of
July last, gave and granted unto me, the said Robert Ferryman, my executors
adñiors, and assigns, His Majesty's special licence, full power, sole privilege
and authority, for me, the said Robert Ferryman, my executors, admors,
and assigns, and every of them, by myself and themselves, or by my and
their deputy or deputys, servants or agents, or such others as I, the said
Robert Ferryman, my executors, adññiors, or assigns, should at any time
agree with, (not exceeding the number of 5) and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term of years therein expressed, to
make, use, and vend my Invention of "CERTAIN LOCKS ACTING BY LEVER-
TOOTHED WHEEL AND DROP, CHIEFLY WITHOUT SPRINGS, SIMPLE IN THEIR PRINCIPLES,
AND NOT LIABLE TO BE INJURED BY ACCIDENT OR FRICTION, PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE
TO PRISONS, AND TO ALL OTHER PLACES AND THINGS WHERE STRONG FASTNINGS ARE
REQUISITE," within that part of His Kingdom of Great Britain called England,
Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, in such manner
as to me, the said Robert Ferryman, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or any of them, should in my or their discretion seem meet; to have, hold,
and enjoy the said licence, power, privilege, and advantage to me, the said
Robert Ferryman, my executors, adiñors, and assigns, for the term of
fourteen years from the date of the said Letters Patent next immediately
ensuing, and fully to be complete and ended, according to the Statute in that

page_text: "
case made and provided; in which said Letters Patent is contained a
proviso that if I, the said Robert Ferryman, should not particularly describe
and ascertain the naturo of my said Invention, and in what manner the samo is
to bo performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, and
cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within
one calendar month next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent, that then the said Letters Patent, and all liberties and advantages
whatsoever thereby granted, should utterly cease, determine, and becomo void,
anything therein-before contained to the contrary thereof in anywiso notwith-
standing, as in and by tho said Letters Patent, relation being thereunto had,
will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Robert Ferryman, in pursuance of tho
said provisoc in the said Letters Patent contained, do hereby describe and
ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in which the same
is to be performed, as follows (that is to say):-
When the Commissioners for building the new gaols in Gloucestershire were
about to finish that great undertaking, among tho many different kinds of
fastnings in use there were none which, in their opinions, were adequate to the
general use of prisons, the best of them being too complicated, and their chief
security depending on the exact fitting of small parts, and the nice action of very
minuto springs, which the most trifling accident might disorder, or rust or use
soon destroy; they therefore wished me to think of something that was
stronger, more simple in its movements, and, if possible, equally secure, such as
no probable chance could injure, nor tho wear of very many years materially
affect. Happily I have been so fortunato as to obviate the imperfections coni-
plained of, and fully to answer the primary objects of their wishes.
The annexed Drawing, marked No. 1, represents the fastnings as they
appear on a pair of strong folding doors of a banking house, or any other placo
where there may be six partners. There are six keys and six locks, all different
yet all essential, so that each partner having a key, they must be all present or
consenting whenever the doors are opened.
A is a knob which, when pushed forward, moves the lovers a, a, and shoots
the four bolts b, b, b, b, which bolts are secured by the locks c, c. 13 is a swing
bar working the four bolts d, d, d, d, and secured at each end by the locks e, c.
C is a sliding plate to cover the opening wherein the shank of the knob
moves. D is a cap lock to guard the key-holo.
No. 2 represents a section of the parts as they appear when the swing.bar
and upper plate are taken off. A is a bolt moving freely in the frame a, a, a, a.
B is a lever or crank working on the centre b, fitting. in the bolt at e, and made

page_text: heavy at the longer end d; raising or falling of this lever draws in or shoots
out the bolt A, and this may be raised either by a knob or key, as circumstances.
may require. This effectually supercedes the necessity of the spring that is
now in common use. C is a strong slide moving freely in the frame e, e, e, e;
the one end is so formed as, when pushed forwards, to fit close over the heavy end
of the lever or crank at d. This prevents the lever from being raised, and of
course secures the bolt A from being forced back. At the other end are two
projecting parts f. f, of equal lengths and exactly paralell to each other.
D, D, are two drops accurately fitted in the frame 9, 9, 9, 9, dropping by their
own weight behind the shoulder of the lower projecting part of the sliding
iron. In this position they prevent the sliding iron C from being drawn back.
If either or both of the drops are lifted too high, they catch at the upper
shoulder f; if not bigh enough, at the lower shoulder f; it is only when they
are lifted opposite to the space between the shoulders of the two projecting
parts f, f, that the sliding iron can be drawn back; and as the drops present
unequal surfaces to the key, it will be extremely difficult for a picklock to find
the exact height that these drops require to be lifted. E, E, are levers working
on centres at h, h, the ends I, I, fitted into and moved by the sliding iron C.
F, F, are two strong bolts jointed in the levers j, j; when these are shot
forward by means of the sliding iron, the bolts G, G, are shot backward by.
the pinion wheels H, H, and all more completely secured by the drops I and
J dropping when the bolts are shot home behind the shoulders and k. 1,1,1,1,
are four small bars, the ends when it is locked resting on the upper side of the
lower part of the drop J, and, till these are moved, directly opposite to the
grooves m, m, and the dotted grooves n, n, which the bars 1, 1, 1, 1, are now in.
If any one or more of these bars are moved too far or not far enough, the
drop cannot rise; nothing but the key can reasonably be supposed to find the
exact distance of these four bars, and to lift the drop; and till this drop, as well
as the drop I, are raised, none of the bolts can be withdrawn. K is a tooth
pinion wheel, on which the swing bar B, No. 1, was fitted. L, L, are bolts
shot by the motion of the pinion wheel, one up and the other down. At o, o,
are projecting parts fitting into projecting parts p, p, p, p, in the bolts M, M,
when the primary bolts L, L, are moving, by the projecting parts fitting in each
other they carry the secondary bolts M, M, up or down with them. N is a
small toothed wheel. O is a bar very little heavier than the secondary bolt M.
When this door is open the bar O prevents the bolt M from dropping out of
place. One fourth of a revolution of the swing bars draws out the secondary
bolts M, M, and releases the one door; i requires the half of a revolution
nore to draw out the primary bolts L, L. To secure this last door from being

page_text: opened, if not required, there is a lock P. q is a bolt to bo shot by a key into
a notch in the large bolt at r; 8, 8, are two falling bars moving on a centre at
t; parts are cut away in the inside of the circular end of the falling bars (as
is better seen by an end view of the bars No. 2), which, when lifted to their
proper heights, just allow the bolt to be withdrawn by the key; but if either of
them are lifted too high, or not high enough, they catch at the upper or lower
shoulder of the bolt u or u, and prevent it from being opened. R. is a lock to
secure one end of the swing bar (B, No. 1). v is a bolt with teeth on the hind
part of it; wis a lover with teeth fitted to the teeth of the bolt, and working
on a centro at a moved by a knob at y; is a strong falling bar hanging on a
pin at (a), falling by its own weight, secures the end of the lever in a catch at
b; c, c, are two hanging bars moving on a pin at d, and kept to the strong falling
bar, by the weighted levers e, o, pressing on the points at f,f; 9, 9, are studds
on the insides of the hanging bars laying over the projecting part of the falling
bar .
When these studs are moved opposite to the grooves h, h, the falling
bar = may be raised by the key, and the lever (w) raised by the knob, and the
bolt v of course drawn in; but if either of the hanging bars c, c, are moved
too far, or not far enough, the studs will catch at one or at the other side of the
notches, and the falling bar = cannot be raised nor the bolt v drawn in. S is
another lock to secure the other end of the swing bar. i, i, i, is a bolt nicely
fitting in the frame j,j,j,j, and moved by the key laying hold of the projecting
parts kor k. 1, 1, are two drops, moving freely up and down in the frame
When the bolt is shot out, these drops drop close behind the
shoulder on the bolt i, i, i, i, at n. If either or both of these drops 1, l, are
raised too high, or not high enough, they catch at the shoulders n or o.
It is
only when they aro lifted exactly opposite to the space between these shoulders
that the bolt can be withdrawn, and this I conceive is difficult to be done, except
by the proper key; and for these reasons, though they are simple, yet these
locks are very secure, and while any one of them remains unopened through
the absence or non-consent of any one or more of the persons possessing a key,"
these folding doors must be safe. T is a section of the cap D (No. 1) placed
over the keyholo to prevent the introduction of a picklock. o is part of a
circle fitted and turning on a hollow centre in the upper plate of the lock; p. P,
are two projecting parts; 9 is a flat piece sliding freely up and down in the
frame r, r, r, r, with two notches a, a, cut exactly to fit the projecting parts:
P. P. The slide 9 drops by its own weight on the upper projecting part p, and
prevents the circular part o from turning. If this slide is lifted too high it
catches at the lower projecting part p; the proper key lifts it to the required
height, and turns the circular part nearly one half of a circle, when the key.
m, m, m, m.

page_text: w, w.
passes through the plate where it is dotted at t, and unlocks or locks the
internal parts, at which time the solid metal blocks up the upper keyhole,
Any one of these six locks may be used separately upon doors or other places
where a strong fastning is requisite. U is the letter box as it appears on the
inside of the door. V is a section of the lock. u is the heavy end of a crank
or lever working on a centre at v. At the upper end are two hooked parts
x is the catch fastened to the lid of the box, and exactly fitting between
the two hooked parts. The oblique side of the catch strikes against the oblique
surface of the one-hooked part w, and makes it give way for it to enter, when
the heavy end u falls and locks it. If, in unlocking, this lever is raised too high,
or not high enough, one or the other or the hooked parts w, w, lays hold of the
catch a, the key lifts it to its proper height, and the box will open. The lever
or crank may be multiplied, and the difficulty of picking hereby greatly
encreased; but in the present case I think one sufficient.
The shooting of a bolt or bolts by a crank or lever, as described at B; the
securing this by a sliding iron as C, and by this shooting other bolts as F, F, G, G,
preventing the return of the sliding iron C, by drops as D, D; the shooting of one,
two, three, four, or more bolts as L, L, M, M, by a swing bar as B (No. 1), and a
toothed pinion wheel as k (No. 2); and projecting parts as o, o, fitting into other
projecting parts as p, p, p, p, and thereby shooting other bolts, as M, M, with
a heavier part as o, and a toothed wheel as N, to counterballance the lower bolt
M; the toothed lever win the lock k, to shoot the bolt v, secures by the falling
bar, and hanging bars c, c, pressed forwards by the levers e, e; the bolt in the
lock P, shot by a key, and secured by the falling bars s, s; the drop J, to
secure the bolt T, prevented from rising by small hanging bars, as 1, 1, 1, 1;
the bolt i, i, i, in the lock s, shot by a key and secured by two drops, as 1, l;
the cap T to guard the keyhole; the lever or crank u, in the lock V, to
the letter box with the hooked parts w, w, and the catch ; all these, and
what else is described in this Specification and the Drawings annexed, are, I
believe, entirely new, and, so far as the trials I have made, will justify a conclu-
sion, that they will be of great publick utility.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Ferryman, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Thirteenth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand seven hundred and ninety-one.
5
ROBERT (L.S.) FERRYMAN.
Sealed and delivered, in the presence of
GEO. LEWIS.
Jos. GUEST.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Thirteenth day of August;
in the year above written, the aforesaid Robert Forryman came before our
Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification aforesaid,
and all and every thing therein contained, in form above written. And also
the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the Statuto
in that case made and provided.
Inselled the Dishtoonth day of Aumist in the your shove mentional