IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SAFES AND KEY BOXES TO BE USED BY BANKERS AND OTHERS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Chatwood, of Bolton, in the County of
Lancaster, Safe and Lock Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SAFES AND KEY BOXES TO BE USED BY
BANKERS AND OTHERS."
Sealed the 4th June 1867, and dated the 12th December 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Chatwood at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th December 1866.
I, SAMUEL CHATWOOD, of Bolton, in the County of Lancaster, Safe and Lock
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SAFES AND KEY BOXES TO BE USED BY BANKERS
AND OTHERS," to be as follows:- -
This Invention has for its object improvements in the construction of safes
and key boxes to be used by bankers and others.
In constructing safes, in order to secure the door more effectually so as to
enable it to resist a heavy strain, I fix into the back of the door studs with
heads at their ends; these studs when the door is shut pass through holes or
slots in the frame of the safe behind the frame; at the parts where these holes
or slots are formed a bar or bars are applied so as to be able to slide on the
frame of the safe a short distance; the slides have holes in them corresponding
with the holes in the frame, and when the door shuts the studs also enter the
holes in the slides; these holes like the holes in the frame are just of a size to

page_text: pass the heads of the studs, and they are also slotted on one side for a width
equal to the thickness of the stem of the studs, thus endway motion can be
given to the slides after the door has been shut, so as to bring the stems of
the studs into the slots communicating with the holes, and so the heads of the
studs become locked; or the locking plates may be otherwise formed to catch
and retain the heads of the studs. Motion may be given to the slides from a
spindle and handle, and the spindle may contain a lock by which it may be
held stationary. In place of fixing the studs in the door they may be fixed in
a slide carried by the door, and enter slotted holes formed in the frame of the
safe, or similarly the slide with the studs may be mounted on the frame of
the safe and enter slots in the door; or again, fixed studs on the frame may
enter slots in a slide mounted on the door of the safe. In some cases I
mount on the frame of the safe studs which may be caused to rotate by
pinions upon them driven by spindles and worms; on these studs at their
outer ends screw threads are cut, and when the door is shut to holes cut in it
and tapped with similar screw threads are brought up to the ends of the
spindles, and when these are rotated the screw threads of the spindles and the
holes engage together, and the door becomes for the time firmly bolted to
the frame of the safe. In order to contain safe keys so as to reduce the risk
of an improper use being made of them, I construct a small case of steel (or
of iron which may be partially converted) of cylindrical form, and closed at
one end, and at the other it receives a screw stopper, and in the stopper is a
small lock, the bolt of which when shot enters a slot in the steel cylinder, and
so secures the stopper.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Samuel Chatwood in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
12th June 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME I, SAMUEL
CHATWOOD, of Bolton, in the County of Lancaster, Safe and Lock Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Samuel Chatwood, Her special licence that I, the said Samuel
Chatwood, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as

page_text: I, the said Samuel Chatwood, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at
all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SAFES AND KEY BOXES TO BE USED
BY BANKERS AND OTHERS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Samuel Chatwood, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Samuel Chatwood, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the construction of safes
and key boxes to be used by bankers and others.
In constructing safes in order to secure the door more effectually so as to
enable it to resist a heavy strain I fix into the back of the door studs with
heads at their ends; these studs when the door is shut pass through holes or
slots in the frame of the safe. Behind the frame at the parts where these
holes or slots are formed a bar or bars are applied, so as to be able to slide on
the frame of the safe a short distance; the slides have holes in them corre-
sponding with the holes in the frame, and when the door shuts the studs also
enter the holes in the slides; these holes like the holes in the frame are just
of a size to pass the heads of the studs, and they are also slotted on one side
for a width equal to the thickness of the stem of the studs, thus endway
motion can be given to the slides after the door has been shut, so as to bring
the stems of the studs into the slots communicating with the holes, and so the
heads of the studs become locked; or the locking plates may be otherwise
formed to catch and retain the heads of the studs. Motion may be given to
the slides from a spindle and handle, and the spindle may contain a lock by
which it may be held stationary.
Figure 1 is a horizontal section, and Figure 2 a front view with the door
removed of a safe thus arranged.
a, a, are the sides or walls of the safe; b is the door frame, and c is the
door with its centres at c¹; d, d, are studs with heads, and firmly screwed into

page_text: the door, and when the door is opened or closed they pass through holes in the
inner projecting flanges 61, 6, of the door frame, as will be seen by the
Drawing; these holes are so formed that the studs can pass freely through
the holes as the door swings on its centres c', and for this purpose on the side
adjacent to the centres c¹ the holes are slotted out through the side of the
flange b¹; e, e, are slides that work in recesses in the door frame b, they are
connected together at their four corners by bell-crank levers f, f, so that all
the slides are compelled to move simultaneously, and they all take this move-
ment from the spindle 9, which at its outer end at the front of the door
receives a handle g¹; the inner end of the spindle is made square or of other
suitable form, and it fits into a socket at the end of another spindle h carried
by the door frame, and as is more clearly seen at Figure 3 herein-after referred
to. The spindle h in Figures 1 and 2, has an eccentric upon it which acts
upon the projections e¹, e¹, on the outer slide e. The slides e, e, bave holes e², e³,
in them similar to the holes in the flanges b¹ of the door frame, and through
which the heads of the studs d on the door also pass as the door is opened or
closed; but these holes are also slotted each on one side, as is shown, to admit
of the sliding motion before referred to, and these slots being just wide enough
to pass the stem of the stud and considerably narrower than the head thereof
prevent the studs being drawn back, and so firmly secure the door until the
slides are returned to their former position; i is the keyhole of a lock which
secures the door by means of a bolt shooting between projections on one of the
slides e.
Figures 3 and 4 are views. similar to those shown in Figures 1 and 2, but
with some of the parts somewhat modified; the studs d, d, are in this case
made with square undercut heads, and the slots to receive them are altered in
form to correspond; in place also of the bell-crank levers f toothed quadrants
are substituted, which work with racks on the slides e, as is shown; the
spindle h also in place of having a cam upon it has a toothed quadrant which
gears with a rack upon one of the slides e. Another lock is also added; it is
formed in a recess h' in the spindle h, its bolt when shot prevents the spindle h
turning by entering a recess in the door frame b; the keyhole is through the
spindle g which is carried by the door. The form of the studs d and slides e
may be varied; thus at Figure 5 an arrangement is shown in which the studs
enter undercut holes in the slides, but do not pass through them. Again, in
Figure 6 the studs are made without heads, and in place thereof are perforated
at their ends, and tongues on the slides e pass through them. In place of
fixing the studs in the door they may be fixed in a slide carried by the door,
and enter slotted holes formed in the frame of the safe. This arrangement is

page_text: shown at Figure 7; b is the door frame, and c is the door; d is one of the
studs, and a slide carried by the door in which the studs d are fixed; there
are slotted holes in the flanges 61 of the door frame, and when the door is
closed the studs d pass through them, and then by moving the slides e endwise
in any convenient manner the necks of the studs are brought into the narrow
part of the holes, and so the door is secured.
Figure 8 shows another similar arrangement, except that the slots in place
of being formed in the flange b¹ are formed in a piece screwed or rivetted to
it, and the studs d are formed with dovetailed heads.
Figure 9 shows another similar arrangement in which dovetailed studs are
used; the flanges 6' are not slotted through, but are grooved to receive the
studs. Similarly the slide with the studs may be mounted on the frame of
the safe and enter slots in the door. This arrangement is shown at Figure 10;
the slide e with the studs d upon it is able to slide in guides on flanges b¹ of
the door frame b; the heads of the studs are dovetailed, and grooves to receive
them are formed in the back of the door. Again, fixed studs on the frame may
enter slots in a slide mounted on the door of the safe. This arrangement is
shown at Figure 11; the studs d are fixed in the flanges 6¹ of the door frame b,
when the door is closed they enter slotted holes. in the slides e carried by the
door, and by giving to these slides an endway motion the door is secured. In
some cases I mount on the frame of the safe studs which may be caused to
rotate by pinions upon them driven by spindles and worms; on these studs at
their outer ends screw threads are cut, and when the door is shut to holes cut
in it and tapped with similar screw threads are brought up to the ends of the
spindles, and when these are rotated the screw threads of the spindles and the
holes engage together, and the door becomes for the time firmly bolted to the
frame of the safe. This arrangement is shown at Figure 12; 6 is the door
frame, and c is the door; d, d, are screw studs mounted so as to be able to
rotate in the flanges 6' of the door frame; d¹, d¹, are worm wheels mounted
on the ends of these spindles, and gearing with worms on an axis f which
passes out through the side or end of the safe, and receives a key or handle by
which it may be turned; in this way motion is simultaneously given to all the
screw studs d, so as to cause them to screw into the holes tapped for them in
the door c, which is thus secured; or if the rotation is in the other direction
the studs dare screwed out of their holes and the door is set free to be
opened. In order to contain safe keys so as to reduce the risk of an improper
use being made of them I construct a small case of steel (or of iron which
may be partially converted) of cylindrical form and closed at one end, and at
the other it receives a screw stopper, and in the stopper is a small lock, the

page_text: bolt of which when shot enters a slot in the steel cylinder and so secures the
stopper.
Figure 13 is a side view, Figure 14 a plan, and Figure 15 a longitudinal
section of a key box or safe thus constructed. a, a, is a cylinder of steel or
iron closed at one end and lined internally with wood or other soft material;
at its open end it is tapped with a screw thread, and it receives to close it a
screw cover or plug b, in a recess in which a lock b¹ is formed, and when the
cover or plug is screwed home the bolt of the lock shoots into a recess in the
side of the cylinder a and secures it; 62 is a sliding plate of brass to cover
the keyhole, and which may also conveniently be engraved with the name of
the proprietor or other person.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Chatwood, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
SAMUEL CHATWOOD. (L.S.)