IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKS OR FASTENINGS ESPECIALLY APPLICABLE FOR RAILWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES.
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Nathan Ager, of Grosvenor Road, Pimlico, in the County
of Middlesex, Builder, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKS OR
FASTENINGS ESPECIALLY APPLICABLE FOR RAILWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES.
"
Sealed the 8th August 1876, and dated the 11th February 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Nathan Ager at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th February 1876.
NATHAN AGER, of Grosvenor Road, Pimlico, in the County of Middlesex, Builder.
" IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKS OR FASTENINGS ESPECIALLY APPLICABLE FOR RAILWAY
AND OTHER CARRIAGES."
The object of my Invention is a lock or fastening specially applicable for railway
and other carriages, by means of which the door to which my lock is applied becomes
securely fastened immediately on being closed without any necessity to touch or turn
any handle thereon.
My Invention consists in employing a locking bolt or bar which moves in and
out in a straight line upon a pin in a slot formed in the bolt, or in other convenient
manner. The lower part of this bolt is formed with teeth, into which gear corre-
sponding teeth of a toothed wheel or sector, through which the handle of the door
passes and is attached.
A tendency to project outwards of the bolt or to assume the locking position is
imparted to it by means of a strong spring and leverage arrangement pressing upon
its end, and this tendency is restrained by a lever or bar rocking upon a pin at
about its centre, and pressed downwards at one end by a spring. This end of the
lever fits into a slot in the upper side of the bolt. So long therefore as this end of
the rocking lever is maintained in the slot of the bolt by the downward pressure of
the lever spring, the tendency of the bolt to assume the locking position is restrained,
and the bolt reinains unlocked. The other end of the rocking lever, in consequence
of the pressure of its spring on the pressed down end, is raised, and projects a
little before the front plate of the lock. When the door is thrown to or closed a
projection upon the striking plate fixed in the door frame comes in contact with this
raised end of the rocking lever, forcing it downwards, thus raising the other end of
the lever and lifting it out of the slot in the bolt, which being thus released flies
forward, carrying round with it the handle, and locks the door.
To open the door the handle is of course turned in the ordinary way.

page_text: In the foregoing arrangement I have placed the rocking lever at the top of the
locking bolt, and its raised end above the front plate of the lock, but I may place
the rocking lever at the side instead of the top of the locking bolt, so that its raised
end is at the back of the upper part of the front plate of the lock.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Nathan Ager in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 11th August 1876.
NATHAN AGER, of Grosvenor Road, Pimlico, in the County-of Middlesex, Builder.
IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKS OR FASTENINGS ESPECIALLY APPLICABLE FOR RAILWAY
AND OTHER CARRIAGES."
"
The object of my Invention is a lock or fastening specially applicable for railway
and other carriages, by incans of which the door to which my lock is applied becomes
securely fastened immediately on. being closed without any necessity to touch or turn
any handle thereon.
My Invention consists (as represented in the annexed Drawings, Figures 1 and 2,
which are respectively views of a mortise lock with the side plate removed, Figure 3
being a detached view of the bolt) in employing a locking bolt or bar A which
moves in and out in a straight line upon and partly guided by a pin a in a slot b
formed in the bolt A, or in any other convenient manner. The lower part of this
bolt A is formed with teeth B, into which gear corresponding teeth C of a toothed
wheel or sector D, through which the handle spindle E of the lock passes and is
attached.
A tendency to project outwards of the bolt A or to assume the locking position,
as in Figure 1, is imparted to it by means of a strong spring F and leverage arrange-
ment G pressing upon it, and this tendency is restrained by a rock lever or beam H
rocking upon a pin c at abouts its centre, and pressed upon at one end by a spring I.
This end of the beam lever H presses against one face of an abutment or extension
piece J on the upper side of the bolt A, and retains the bolt A in a backward
position, as in Figure 2. So long therefore as this end of the rocking lever H is
maintained against the abutment J of the bolt by the downward pressure of the
lever spring I, the tendency of the bolt to assume the locking position is restrained,
and the bolt remains unlocked. The other end of the rocking lever has a right-
angled projection K, which extends a little outside the front plate of the lock, so
that when the door is thrown to or closed the beam lever projection K presses itself
against the stile or jamb, or a projecting stud upon it, and is shot inwards sufficiently
for the opposite end of its lever to clear its hold upon the bolt projection J and allow
the bolt A to shoot home; the bolt thus released flies forward, carrying round the
wheel or sector D, and with it the handle, into the position for indicating that the
door is locked.
To open the door the handle is of course turned in the ordinary way.
Figure 4 represents an inner view of a modification of the foregoing construction
of lock, and Figure 5 a top view of the exterior of the same, with a T handle on
one side and a L handle on the other, which may be the inside, say, of a railway
carriage. In the views Figures 1 and 2 I have shown a steel curved spring F and
lever G, one being dependent on the other, but which do not give a direct thrust or
push action upon or against the bolt A to shoot it out. This disadvantage is
obviated in the arrangement shown at Figure 4, in which the bolt A is affixed to or
forms part of a base plate M, having the projection J as shown. The rear end N of
this base plate carries a stud P, over which the eye d of a rubber spring F, known
as an "accumulator" is passed, the eye at the other end being over the pin or
stud a, which is a fixed point, so that the bolt is acted upon by a direct thrust.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I make no claim to self-
releasing locking bolts in principle where the release of the bolt is effected by a stud

page_text: striking against the door, stile, or jamb, or similar contrivance; but what I do claim
as novel and as my Invention in my part before recited Letters Patent is,-
Firstly. The combination of parts, arranged as shown in Figure 1 of the accom-
panying Drawings, and acting in the manner and for the purposes herein-before
described.
Secondly. I claim the combination of parts, arranged and shown in Figure 4 of
the accompanying Drawings, especially the rubber spring F, for direct action upon
the bolt, the whole acting in the manner and for the purposes described.
Thirdly. I claim fitting a rocking or beam lever (H) in a lock case for retaining
the bolt in a backward position when provided with a stud or projection, as and for
the purposes described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Nathan Ager, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eleventh day of August, One thousand eight hundred and
seventy air
Witness,
HENRY MORREL.
NATHAN AGER. (L.S.)