Improvements in Means for Fastening Doors of Safes and Strong Rooms.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Mar., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 1st Nov., 1899-Accepted, 2nd Dec., 1899
Improvements in Means for Fastening Doors of Safes and Strong
Rooms.
We, ALBERT EDWARD PRICE, of Cleveland Works, Cleveland Street, Wolver-
hampton, in the County of Stafford, Safe and Strong Room Engineer, and
ROBERT GOUGH, of the same address, Safe Works Manager, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object certain improvements on the improved means
of fastening doors of safes and strong rooms described in our l'atent Specification
No. 21,599 of 1896.
The holes, formed in the portion of the frame against which the door closes,
to receive the lugs, dowels or studs, described in our said specification as carried
by the door, are formed as notched or cut in from the inner edge of the frame
and of a dovetail shape or other shape which makes the holes deeper at their
inner ends than at their mouths or open ends which are at the inner edge of the
frame, and the lugs, dowels or studs have the portions thereof which are within
these holes when the door is closed in correspondingly shaped, so that when the
lugs are engaged with the holes they securely prevent the side of the frame
against which the door closes from being wrenched outwards. The lugs are
formed, conveniently, as ends of transverse bars which are fixed securely to the
inner face of the door, and thus the inner face of the door may be closed directly
against the portion of the frame in which the holes for the lugs are formed,
without the intervention of a thickness of bar between the door and such portion
of the frame as in the case of the invention described in our aforesaid specifica-
tion. This formation of the lugs and holes also somewhat enhances the.
appearance of the fastening when the door is open, and renders it more convenient
to provide for the accurate fitting of the lugs within the holes. Each lug is
formed to extend some distance beyond the back of the portion of the frame
against which the door closes, and its dovetail or corresponding shape is, prefer-
ably, continued to its end which is inwards when the door is closed, except that
a vertical groove is formed in the forward edge of the portion of each lug. which
extends beyond the back of the portion of the frame through which the holes are
formed to receive the lugs, the side of the grooves which are the outer when the
door is closed being flush with the back face of the portion of the frame through
which the holes for the lugs are formed.
The sliding bar or bolt for engaging with the lugs when the door has been
closed in it. carried, as in the invention described in our aforesaid specification.
at the back of the portion of the frame against which the door closes, being guided
by pins passing through suitable stops; but heads or portions to interlock with
the lugs of the door project from the inward edge of this bar, and as the bar is
raised these heads or projections pass up into the grooves of the lugs and thus
securely prevent the door from being opened. The heads of the bar are, prefer-
ably, of such size and shape that, when the bar has been fully moved up in

page_text: engaging its heads with the grooves of the lugs, each head will project sideways
and upwards and downwards from the corresponding lug, and thus the lugs cannot
be forced outwards when fastened except by a force sufficient to cause them to
shear considerable pieces of the heads clear out from the metal thereof. The
application of such a force would clearly be quite impracticable.
The sliding bar is locked, when in its upward position with its heads or pro-
jections engaging with the lugs of the door, by means of a lock fixed at the
back of the frame, and it is preferred to mount the bar sufficiently easily in place
that when the lock by which the bar is locked in its upward position is unlocked
the bar will automatically fall by its own gravity, and thus automatically dis-
engage the heads or projections thereof from the lugs of the door, leaving the
door free to be pulled open.
In order to enable the sliding bar to be shot upwards the required distance for
properly engaging its heads or projections with the lugs of the door, and without
having to turn a handle for the purpose through an unnecessary angle of move-
ment, a toothed quadrant, of fairly considerable radius, is mounted on the same
axi as the handle, and engages with a toothed rack carried by the bar. By these
means about a quarter turn of the handle will be found sufficient for the purpose.
The bar of which the heads are to interlock with the lugs of the door, may be
adapted to be moved downwards to engage it with such lugs, as in the case of the
invention described in our aforesaid specification, if this is preferred.
Dated thi. 021 d. of V 1900
Improvements in Means for Fastening Doors of Safes and Strong
Rooms,
We, ALBERT EDWARD PRICE, of Cleveland Works, Cleveland Street, Wolver-
hampton, in the County of Stafford, Safe and Strong Room Engineer, and
ROBERT GOUGH, of the same address, Safe Works Manager, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:
-
This invention has for its object certain improvements on the improved means
of fastening doors of safes and strong rooms described in our Patent Specification
No. 21,599 of 1896.
The holes, formed in the portion of the frame against which the door closes,
to receive the lugs, dowels or studs, described in our said specification as carried
by the door, are formed as notched or cut in from the inner edge of the frame
and of a dovetail shape or other shape which makes the notches deeper at their
inner ends than at their mouths or open ends which are at the inner edge of the
frame, and the lugs, dowels or studs have the portions thereof which are within
these holes when the door is closed in correspondingly shaped, so that when the
lugs are engaged with the holes they securely prevent the side of the frame
against which the door closes from being wrenched outwards, at any rate to an
extent sufficient to open the safe. The lugs are formed, conveniently,
as ends of transverse bars which are fixed securely to the inner face
of the door, and thus the inner face of the door may be closed directly
against the portion of the frame in which the holes for the lugs are formed,
without the intervention of a thickness of bar between the door and such portion
• I

page_text: of the frame as in the case of the invention described in our aforesaid specifica-
tion. This formation of the lugs and holes also somewhat enhances the
appearance of the fastening when the door is open, and renders it more convenient
to provide for the accurate fitting of the lugs within the holes. Each lug is
formed to extend some distance beyond the back of the portion of the frame
against which the door closes, and its dovetail or corresponding shape is, prefer-
ably, continued to its end which is inwards when the door is closed, except that
a vertical groove is formed in the forward edge of the portion of each lug, which
extends beyond the back of the portion of the frame through which the holes are
formed to receive the lugs, the side of the groove which are the outer when the
door is closed being preferably flush, or approximately so, with the back face of the
portion of the frame through which the holes for the lugs are formed.
The sliding bar or bolt for engaging with the lugs when the door has been
closed in is carried, as in the invention described in our aforesaid specification.
at the back of the portion of the frame against which the door closes, being guided
by pins passing through suitable slots; but heads or portions to interlock with
the lugs of the door project from the bar, and as the bar is raised these heads
or projections pass up into the grooves of the lugs and thus securely prevent the
door from being opened. The heads of the bar are, preferably, of such size and
shape that, when the bar has been fully moved up in engaging its heads with
the grooves of the lugs, each head will project sideways and upwards and down-
wards from the corresponding lug, and thus the lugs cannot be forced outwards
when fastened except by a force sufficient to cause them to shear considerable
pieces of the heads clear out from the metal thereof. The application of such a
force would clearly be quite impracticable.
The sliding bar is locked, when in its upward position with its heads or pro-
jections engaging with the lugs of the door, by means of a lock fixed at the
back of the frame, and it is preferred to mount the bar sufficiently easily in place
that when the lock by which the bar is locked in its upward position is unlocked
the bar will automatically fall by its own gravity, and thus automatically dis-
engage the heads or projections thereof from the lugs of the door, leaving the
door free to be pulled open.
In order to enable the sliding bar to be shot upwards the required distance for
properly engaging its heads or projections with the lugs of the door, and without
having to turn a handle for the purpose through an unnecessary angle of move-
ment, a toothed quadrant, of fairly considerable radius, is mounted on the same
axis as the handle, and engages with a toothed rack carried by the bar. By these
means about a quarter turn of the handle will be found sufficient for the purpose.
The bar, of which the heads are to interlock with the lugs of the door, may be
adapted to be moved downwards to engage it with such lugs, as in the case of the
invention described in our aforesaid specification, if this is preferred.
In order that the invention may be clearly understood, we will now proceed to
describe a convenient application of the same by reference to the drawings here-
with. of which:―
Figure 1 is a back or inner face view of the unhinged side of a safe door
and of the corresponding side of the frame, and shews the movable parts of the
fastening mechanism in position out of engagement with the door. Figure 2
is a corresponding view to Figure 1, but shews the door to be fastened. Figure 3
is a front view of the side of the frame shewn by Figures 1 and 2, the door being
omitted, and the escutcheon for the lock, and the handle and escutcheon for
the spindle of the bolting mechanism, being shown in position. Figure 4 is a
transverse section taken on line a of Figure 2. Figure 5 a transverse section
taken on line y y of Figure 2: and Figure 6 a transverse section taken on
line of Figure 2. In Figures 1. 2. and 6, the fire-proof chamber at the
inner face of the door is omitted: but in Figures 4 and 5 this chamber is shewn
in section, as is also the fire-proof chamber at the side of the safe.
To the back or inner face of the door A are fixed lugs, dowels, or studs, B,

page_text: which for convenience in fastening to the door are formed as the heads or
outer ends of short bars B. Each lug is shewn as fixed to the door by means of
a pin a which passes through the thickness of the head and is screwed into the
door, and by means of pins at which pass through the thickness of the bar 131
and are screwed into the door. Each lug B is shewn as formed of a dovetail
shape, as seen in elevation, Figures 1 and 2, and holes 6 of a corresponding shape
are notched into the edge of the flange c of the frame C. When the door is
closed in, as shewn by Figures 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6, these dowels B enter within the
notches or openings 6 of the frame; and the door closes against the outer face of
i
the flange c of the frame. A vertical groove e is formed, for the entire depth of
each dowel, in the forward edge thereof, and the outer side of each groove is
shewn flush, or approximately so, when the door is closed, with the rear or inner
face of the flange c of the frame, so that the groove itself is wholly, or substan-
tially so, inwards of the flange when the door is closed. A vertical bar D is
placed against the back or inner face of the portion of the frame which con-
stitutes the flange c and the part from which it immediately projects. This bar
is capable of vertical movement and is guided by pins f which pass through
slotted holes fl of the bar. The bar has notches formed in its outer edge
which correspond with the notches 6 of the flange c of the frame, and when
the bar is in its downward position, shewn by Figure 1, the notches thereof
coincide with the notches 6 of the flange c thereby permitting the lugs B to be
moved into and out of the notches as the door is closed in and opened. When
the bar D is raised, the portions thereof which come immediately below the lower
edges of the notches are drawn up into the grooves e of the Tugs 1, and the
door is thus prevented from being opened; but, to avoid unnecessary thickness
of the bar, heads D' are riveted or otherwise fixed against the rear face thereof.
cach in position immediately below the level of a notch c³, respectively, and
each groove e is, of course, formed to a width to receive the entire thickness made
up of the thickness of the bar D and of a head D. As the bar is raised from
its downward into its upward position, the heads 11 are drawn into the grooves e
of the heads B. It is preferred that each head I shall be both of a length to
extend, when the bar D is in its upward position, beyond both ends of a notch b
and also to extend sideways beyond the inside edge of the notch, whereby it is
impossible for a head B to be forced through a head D' without shearing the
head D along the top and bottom and also outer edge of a head B.
The bar D is shewn as raised by means of a toothed quadrant E which is fixed
upon the spindle 9 and gears with the vertical rack F which is carried by the
bar D. The spindle y passes out through the front of the frame and is fitted
with a lever or other handle G. With the parts suitably proportioned, as shewn,
a quarter turn of the handle G is sufficient to raise the bar D into its upward
position with the heads D' properly engaged with the lugs B. When the bar
is in its upward position, it is locked by means of a key, in the manner in which
the vertical bolt described in our prior specification, aforesaid, is locked in its
downward position, that is to say, by shooting out a bolt h of a lock H into an
opening formed through the flange of a piece of angle metal & which is fixed
to the bar D.
The rack F may form a portion of one of the heads D1, being placed for such
purpose between the bar I and a plate which forms the back portion of the
head. The rack passes between the bar D and the plate 1.
It is preferred to carry the har 1 in a manner which will make it an easy sliding
fit, both as regards its connection with the frame and the fit of its heads Di
within the grooves of the lugs B, in order that when the bar is unlocked it will
immediately fall by its own gravity and thus cause the automatic disengagement
of the heads D¹ from the lugs B, leaving the door free to be pulled open.
It is preferred, also, to bevel the lower corner of the bolt head h which inter-
locks with the angle piece of the vertically-sliding bar, and to constitute the
bolt as a latching bolt by pressing it forwards by means of a spring, against the

page_text: pressure of which it is moved back by the key. The bar D is consequently
automatically locked upon being raised into its upward position with its heads
engaging with the lugs B of the door.
It will be seen that no thickness of bar or plate intervenes between the
flange c of the frame and the inner or back face of the single plate which con-
stitutes the door A, the door being closed directly against the flange c.
The door and frame, though shewn as those of a safe, may be regarded also as
of a strong room, and the description given above with reference to the drawings
will equally apply in such case.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim, is:
1. Improvements in means for fastening doors of safes and strong rooms,
which comprise lugs, dowels, or studs, at the rear face of the door, notches to
eceive such lugs, dowels or studs, formed in the edge of the portion of the
frame against which the door closes, and bolting mechanism which may be
engaged with portions of the lugs, dowels, or studs, when the door is closed, sub-
stantially as described.
2. Improvements in the means of fastening doors of safes and strong rooms,
which comprise lugs, dowels or studs, formed as ends of transverse bars, and
fixed to the inner face of the plate which constitutes the door, notches to receive
such lugs, dowels, or studs, formed in the edge of the portion of the frame against
which the door closes, and mechanism which engages with portions of the lugs,
dowels, or studs, which project, when the door is closed, at the inner face of the
frame, the formation and method of fastening the lugs, dowels, or studs, to the
plate which constitutes the door, allowing such plate to be closed back directly
against the the frame without the intervention of any thickness of plate or bar
between such plate and the frame, substantially as described.
3. The improvements in means for fastening doors of safes and strong rooms,
which comprise notches in the inner edge of the frame against which the door
closes, of a dovetail shape, or other shape which makes them deeper at their
inner ends than at their mouths or open ends which are at the inner edge of the
frame, and lugs, dowels, or studs, carried at the back of the door and correspond-
ingly-shaped to such notches and adapted to engage therewith as the door is
closed in, substantially as described, whereby the frame cannot be forced out
sideways from engagement with the lugs, dowels, or studs.
4. The improvements in means for fastening the doors of safes and strong
rooms, which comprise lugs, dowels, or studs, at the rear face of the door, notches
to receive such lugs, dowels, or studs, formed in the edge of the portion of the frame
against which the doors closes, vertical grooves formed in the outer edges of portions
of the lugs, dowels or studs, which project, when the door is closed, at the back
of the frame, a vertically-sliding bar having heads or parts which may be brought
into engagement with the grooves of the lugs, dowels, or studs, and be disengaged
therefrom, and means by which the vertically-sliding bar may be operated from
the exterior of the safe or strong room and may be locked and unlocked, sub-
stantially as described.
5. Improvements in the means of fastening doors of safes and strong rooms,
which comprise a vertically-sliding bar for interlocking with lugs, dowels, or
studs, carried by the door, which is raised to effect such interlocking, and may
then be itself locked in position, and which falls by its own gravity out of engage-
ment with such lugs, dowels, or studs, immediately it is itself unlocked, sub-
stantially as described.
6. The improved means of operating a vertically-sliding bar which is adapted
to engage with lugs, dowels or studs, carried by a safe or strong room door,
which comprise a toothed quadrant which may be operated from the exterior

page_text: of the safe or strong room, and a rack carried by the bar and with which such
quadrant engages, substantially as described.
7. The general combination and arrangement of parts for use in fastening
doors of safes and strong rooms, substantially as described and shewn by the
drawings herewith.
Dated this 30th day of October 1899.
STEPHEN WATKINS & GROVES,
Wolverhampton, Agents for the Applicant.