Improvements in or relating to Keys.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Jan., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 10th Oct., 1898-Accepted, 23rd Dec., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Keys.
We, CARL WOLFGANG ADLER, of VII Halbgasse 32, Vienna, in the Empire of
Austria, Chief Cashier of the K.K. Priv. All. Verkehrsbank, and SIGMUND
SCHEFRANEK, of IX Liechtensteinstrasse 13, Vienna, in the Empire of Austria,
Managing Secretary of the same bank, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows:-
This invention relates to keys, its object being the construction of a key which
will indicate whether it was last used to lock or whether to unlock the lock to
which it was applied. An indicating key of such a nature is exceedingly useful
as it enables the holder to reassure himself should he doubt, for instance, whether
a lock or room or the like under his charge was actually locked or not.
According to this invention the key is fitted with a movable indicator carried for
instance on a screw-threaded or other part of the key and so arranged and operating
that it engages with the lock and is moved into a given position on the stem of the
key by the action of moving the latter to effect the operation of locking, and is
moved to a different position by the reverse movement of the key in relation thereto
in the act of unlocking. For example the indicator may have the form of a small
sleeve moving on a screw-threaded portion of the key stem between stops formed by
shouldering the stem or otherwise, the sleeve having a projection which engages
with the opening in the lock plate into which the key passes into or out of the lock;
thus in turning the key right-handedly for instance to effect the operation of lock-
ing, the screwed portion of the stem will be screwed through the sleeve (the latter
being held by the lug) and will come to rest at or near one extreme of its travel;
if the key be then taken out of the lock the indicator will not move out of position
accidentally for it is purposely made a fairly tight fit or fitted with some retaining
device. If the key be again inserted, this time for unlocking, the reverse rotation
of the key in the sleeve, will cause the latter to be left at or near the other end of
the screw-threaded portion.
7
1
Improvements in or relating to Keys.
We, CARL WOLFGANG ADLER, of VII Halbgasse 32, Vienna, in the Empire of
Austria, Chief Cashier of the K.K. Priv. All. Verkehrsbank, and SIGMUND
SCHEFRANEK, of IX Liechtensteinstrasse 13, Vienna, in the Empire of Austria,
[Price 8d.]

page_text: Managing Secretary of the same bank, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
"
This invention relates to keys, its object being the construction of a key which
will indicate whether it was last used to lock or whether to unlock the lock to
which it was applied. An indicating key of such a nature is exceedingly useful
as it enables the holder to reassure himself should he doubt, for instance, whether
a lock or room or the like under his charge was actually locked or not.
According to this invention the key is fitted with a movable indicator carried for
instance on a screw-threaded or other part of the key and so arranged and operating
that it engages with the lock and is moved into a given position on the stem of the
key by the action of moving the latter to effect the operation of locking, and is
moved to a different position by the reverse movement of the key in relation thereto
in the act of unlocking.
In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate by way of example, one method
of carrying out this invention.
Figure 1 is an elevation of a key showing its indicator in one position:
Figure 2 is an elevation and.
Figure 3 a sectional elevation of the same showing the indicator in another
position.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the accompanying drawings.
The shaft A of the key is provided with a threaded portion B upon which is
carried a threaded sleeve or indicator C. On the sleeve C is a projection D and the
sleeve can travel on the threaded portion B until brought against the shoulder E
or F formed on the shaft A of the key.
For convenience in manufacture the shaft A may be made in two parts, the
threaded portion being made integral with one part whilst the other part may be
screwed on as at G, (Figure 3). The indicator C would of course be placed in
position before screwing the two parts of the shaft together and a pin H might then
by put through the two parts to prevent their becoming disconnected when using
the key.
The operation is as follows:
If the key, with the indicator C in the position shown in Figure 1 is inserted
in a lock and turned to the left, for instance, to effect the operation of unlocking,
the threaded portion. B of the shaft A will be screwed out of the sleeve or indicator C
(the latter being held by the projection 1 engaging with the lock plate or key
hole or other portion of the lock into which the key is inserted to operate the lock)
and will come to rest at or near the shoulder E in the position in which it is shown
in Figures 2 and 3; if the key be then taken out of the lock the indicator will not
move out of position accidentally for it is purposely made a fairly tight fit or fitted
with some retaining device. If now the key be inserted, this time for locking, the
reverse rotation of the key in the sleeve will cause the latter to be left at or near
the shoulder F of the screw threaded portion B. The sleeve C will thus by its
position always indicate the direction in which the key was last turned. It will
be understood that the thread on the part B is preferably of such a pitch that one
revolution of the key will cause the indicator C to be moved almost the whole length
of its travel.
It is obvious that the two parts of the key may be attached by various means, or
the threaded portion may be chased upon the shaft and the sleeve or indicator made
in two parts which may be screwed together.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. A key having an indicator to show whether it was last used for locking or for
unlocking.

page_text: 2. A key having an automatic indicator adapted to be operated by a portion of
the lock for the purpose described.
3. The combination with a key of a threaded portion carrying an indicator sub-
stantially as described.
4. The indicating key constructed substantially as described and illustrated in
Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 10th day of October 1898.
CARL WOLFGANG ADLER.
SIGMUND SCHEFRANEK.
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Applicants.
CARL WOLFGANG ADLER.
SIGMUND SCHEFRANEK.
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Applicants.