Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Nov., 1886
Complete Left, 27th Aug., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 7th Oct., 1887.
I, JAMES EDMUND FISHER, of Hayes Works, Stourbridge, Worcestershire, Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention consists of an improved latch for gates, doors, windows and the like
in which the use of springs is dispensed with and the bolt actuated by means of a
weighted lever.
For the purposes of my invention when applied to a gate I provide a metal box or
case, which is fixed to the gate, containing the bolt which projects through one end in
the ordinary manner. Hinged or pivotted to the box is a lever having a weighted
handle at one end, the other end projecting through and resting in a slot cut in an
angular direction in the bolt. An ordinary catch-plate is fixed to the gate post for the
bolt to catch into when the gate is closed. By raising the weighted end of the handle
the other end of the handle acting in the inclined slot draws back the bolt so that the
gate may be opened and when the handle is allowed to fall the bolt is shot forward
into the catch-plate and the gate fastened. By the lever projecting through the bolt
the gate can be opened from either side but if preferred the projecting end can be
dispensed with and the latch operated from one side only. In order that the latch
may be locked to prevent the gate being opened from the outside I provide at one
side of the bolt a wedge-shaped piece projecting through the box or casing, and on
the opposite side of the bolt to the wedge (preferably the upper side) a projection.
To lock the latch the wedge is moved endways by its projecting end and the bolt
thereby moved upwards and its projection caused to engage with part of the casing
and so prevent the bolt being drawn back. When the said wedge-piece is moved in
the opposite direction the bolt is free. The projection on the bolt may be similarly
arranged to engage with part of the casing when the bolt is drawn back so as to
prevent its being shot forwards until required. Suitable stops regulate the travel of

page_text: the wedge-shaped piece and it is prevented moving from its extreme position until
required by having flat parts which bear on corresponding flat parts on the holt
and case.
My Invention can be applied to a door, French window or the like similarly as
above described with reference to a gate.
The slot in the bolt may, instead of being in an angular direction as above described
be vertical or horizontal and the lever placed at an angle, or the handle may be attached
to a spindle on which is a cam working in the slot of the bolt. The weighted handle
in falling shoots the bolt forward and when the handle is raised the cam withdraws the
bolt into the case.
Dated this 27th day of November 1886.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: I, JAMES EDMUND FISHER, of Hayes Works, Stourbridge, Worcestershire, Manu-
facturer, 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 consists of an improved latch for gates, doors, windows and the like
in which the use of springs is dispensed with and the bolt actuated by means of a
weighted lever.
I will describe my invention by referring to the accompanying drawing in which
Fig. 1 represents in front elevation, Fig. 2 in sectional plan and Fig. 3 in side elevation
a gate latch constructed according to this invention and Fig. 4 is a back elevation of
the same in these Figures the parts are represented in the positions which they
occupy when the bolt has been shot forward but is unlocked; Fig. 5 is a back elevation
of the same with the parts in the positions which they occupy when the bolt is with-
drawn into the casing for opening the gate Fig. 6 is a similar view to Fig. 4 with
the bolt locked in its forward position as hereinafter described; Fig. 7 represents in
elevation and in plan the bolt of the latch separately and Fig. 8 shows similar views
of the wedge shaped locking piece of the same as hereinafter described. The remaining
Figures illustrate modifications of my invention as hereinafter described.
The same letters of reference indicate similar parts in all the Figures.
Referring firstly to Figs. 1 to 8, both inclusive, A is the metal box or case which is
fixed to the gate B and containing the bolt which projects through one end of the
casing in the ordinary manner. At the front of the box A are two projecting
ears a', a and between them is a lever D which is free to move in a vertical plane
round a pin e passing through the ears. At one end of this lever is a weighted
handle and the other end d projects through and rests in a slot c¹ formed in an
angular direction in the bolt C. An ordinary catch-plate is fixed to the gate post F
for the bolt C to catch into when the gate is closed (see Figs. 1, 2 and 3). When the
lever D is moved up or down its arm d² engaging with the inclined slot c will cause
the bolt C to move either backwards or forwards, thus by raising the weighted end d¹
of the handle the other end d will move downwards and force the bolt backwards
(see Fig. 5 and dotted lines in Fig. 3) so that the gate may be opened, and when the
handle is allowed to fall (see Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4) the bolt will, by the end d rising,
be shot forward into the catch-plate and the gate fastened. By the end d² of the lever
projecting through the bolt as shewn in Figs. 2 and 3 the gate can be opened from
either side but if preferred that part of the lever which projects beyond the face of
the bolt can be dispensed with and the latch operated by the handle only. In order
that the latch may be locked on the inside to prevent the gate being opened from the
outside I provide at one side of the bolt, preferably the underside, a wedge-shaped
piece G, one end g¹ of which projects through the box or casing A, and on the opposite
side of the bolt to the wedge G, that is the top side, is a projection h. When in its

page_text: normal position the under side of the wedge-shaped piece G rests on an inclined
part a¹ of the casing A (see Figs. 4 and 5) and the bolt C is free to be moved to and
fro; but when it is required to lock the latch the wedge G is moved endways by
pulling its projecting end g¹ outwards (see Fig. 6) thus moving the bolt C upwards
when its projection will engage with the side of the casing and so prevent the bolt
being drawn back. On pushing the wedge-shaped piece inwards the bolt will be free
again. If, when the bolt is drawn back as shewn in Fig. 5, the wedge-shaped piece G
be pulled outwardly the bolt will be locked by the projection h engaging with the
outside of the casing thus preventing the bolt being shot forward until required.
Stops g, formed on the wedge-shaped piece G regulate its travel by coming into
contact with the inside and the outside of the casing respectively and it is prevented
moving from its extreme position until required by having flat parts g, g' which bear
on corresponding flat parts c² on the bolt and on a flat part a² on the case.
The slot in the bolt may, instead of being formed in an angular direction as above
described with reference to Figs. 1 to 8, both inclusive, be vertical as shewn in back
sectional elevation by Fig. 9 and in front elevation by Fig. 10 and the lever D be
arranged to move in an angular direction so as to operate the bolt in a similar manner
to that above described.
Figs. 11, 12 and 13 illustrate a further modification of my invention in which the
weighted handle d' is attached to a spindle i turning a boss a³ formed on the casing,
this spindle having at its inner end a cam working freely in the slot c¹ of the bolt Č.
When the weighted handle d' is raised (see Fig. 13) the cam operating in the slot c¹
withdraws the bolt into the casing and on the handle being released its weight causes
it to fall (see Figs. 11 and 12) and the bolt to shoot forward.
Latches for doors, French windows and the like can be constructed similarly to the
gate latch above described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :
1. Operating the bolt of a latch for gates doors windows and the like by means of
a weighted lever engaging transversely in an inclined slot in the bolt, which lever on
being raised withdraws the bolt into the latch casing and on falling shoots the bolt
forward, substantially as described with reference to Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 of
the accompanying drawing.
2. Operating the bolt of a latch for gates doors windows and the like by means of
a weighted lever engaging transversely in a vertical slot in the bolt, the lever working
in an inclined direction, so that on being raised the lever will withdraw the bolt into
the latch casing and on falling will shoot the bolt forward, substantially as hercin-
before described with reference more particularly to Figs. 9 and 10 of the
accompanying drawing.
3. The combination and arrangement of parts forming the improved latch for gates
doors windows and the like substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described
and illustrated by Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 of the accompanying drawing.
4. The combination and arrangement of parts forming the modified form of my
improved latch for gates doors windows and the like, substantially as and for the
purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated by Figs. 11, 12 and 13 of the
accompanying drawing.
Dated this 25th day of August 1887