Year: 1887

page_text: I ANDREW BARTON MILNE 26 Cumberland Street Birmingham Clerk do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows
My improvement applies principally to that class of latches worked by a lever
handle in which the follower has only one tail & consists in a circular or doubleended
spring surrounding the body of the follower & bearing on each side of the tail & in
forming on the box a stop underneath the tail exactly the same width as the
tail & so placed that the spring bears against both sides of it also, then when the
follower is moved pressing the tail to the right its right hand edge bears against
the spring while the left hand edge of the stop forms the fixed resistance while if
the tail of the follower move toward the left hand the action is just reversed.
Datod this 16th day of December 1887.
ANDREW B. MILNE.

page_text: 1 ANDREW BARTON MILNE of 26 Cumberland Street Birmingham Clerk 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 :-
My improvement applies principally to that class of latches in which the latch
bolt is moved by a follower having only one tail & is usually operated by a lever
handle.
I surround the body of the follower with a flat steel spring bent to approximately
the same shape, & where the free ends of the spring bear on the sides of the follower
I form a stop on the box exactly the same width as the follower & so placed that
the ends of the spring bear against the ends of the stop & against the sides of the
follower.
Drawing Fig. 1 shows a latch of this description with the plate removed in
which "A" is the follower workable by an ordinary spindle "a."
"5
23
"B" is the spring. "C" is the stop which is exactly the same width as the
follower at this point so that the ends of the spring m & "n bear against
the ends of the stop "&"p" at the same time that they bear against the sides of
the follower at "q" & "r"
Drawing Fig. 2 is a sectional plan through "E F" in which the same letters
indicate the same parts.
When therefore the follower is moved towards "a" by the spindle "a" to
withdraw the latch bolt the end "o" of the stop "C" becomes the point of resistance
for the end "m" of the spring and the other end "n" being moved away tends to
bring the follower back to the central position.
But if the latch bolt be reversed for the opposite hand then the follower will be
moved towards "y" and the end "" of the stop becomes the point of resistance &
the end 772 of the spring tends to bring back the follower to the central
position.
"2
By this arrangement I am able to adapt my latches for either right or left hand
doors by merely taking out & reversing the latch bolt.
I do not bind myself to a single spring as shown as two springs may be used one
of which shall act at ጎሪ "& the other at »
n.
Nor am I confined to the particular shape or form drawn.

page_text: Nor do I limit the application to the particular class of latch indicated as the
arrangement may be modified to suit other kinds of Latches or Locks.
Having now particularly described & ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
An arrangement of follower, spring (or springs) & stop in which the stop is so
placed that the ends of the spring (or springs) bear at the same time against each
end of the stop & each side of the follower when at rest substantially as described.
Sioned this 2nd
1000
ANDREW B. MILNE,
Applicant.