Improvements in the Doors of Safes and Strong Rooms.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 18th July, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 18th Apr., 1890-Accepted, 31st May, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Doors of Safes and Strong Rooms.
I, HARRY WITHERS CHUBB, of 128 Queen Victoria Street, in the City of London,
Lock and Safe Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to certain improvements in the doors of safes and strong
rooms, the object of which improvements is to prevent the entrance of hot air, or
water, into the interior of the safe or strong room during a conflagration, flooding, or
otherwise.
For this purpose I apply to the inside of the door of a safe or strong room, a
yielding plate adapted to close more or less air or water tight against a rebate or
other surface in or on the door frame when the door is shut, whereby communication
between the inside of the safe or strong room and the outer air is entirely cut off, so
that neither air nor water can enter from the outside, the said yielding plate forming
in effect a kind of valve, opening outwards with reference to the inside of the safe or
strong room.
Asbestos, indiarubber or other suitable packing may be interposed, if desired,
between the yielding plate and the surface against which it bears.
Instead of the yielding plate covering the whole inner surface of the door, it may be
formed as a frame or rim adapted to enter and bear against the bottom of one of the
rebates of the door frame; suitable flexible airtight connections being provided
between the said frame or rim and the door, or the said frame or rim may be
mounted on the frame of the door so that it may yield when the door is closed
against it.
The plate, frame or rim is connected with the door or to the door frame by means
of studs, screws or otherwise, and springs or other suitable means are provided for
enabling it to yield and to keep it pressed against the rebate or other surface of the
door or door frame when the door is closed.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Doors of Safes and Strong Rooms.
I, HARRY WITHERS CHUBB of 128 Queen Victoria Street, in the City of London,
Lock and Safe Maker, 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, reference being bad to the accompanying sheet of
drawings and to the letters and Figures marked thereon that is to say :-
This invention relates to certain improvements in the doors of safes and strong
the object of which improvements is to prevent the entrance of hot air, or
water into the interior of the safe or strong room during a conflagration, flooding or
roonis,
otherwise.
For this purpose I apply to the inside of the door of a safe or strong room, a
yielding plate adapted to close more or less air or water-tight against a rebate or
other surface in or on the door frame when the door is shut, whereby communication
between the inside of the safe or strong room and the outer air is cut off, so that
neither air nor water can enter from the outside, the said yielding plate forming in
effect a kind of valve, opening outwards with reference to the inside of the safe or
strong room.

page_text: And in order that my said invention may be fully understood I will now proceed
to describe the same with reference to the drawings Figure 1 of which represents
either a vertical or horizontal section of the door of a safe with part of the frame or
body into which the door closes. The fire resisting filling, and lock mechanism are
omitted in the drawing for the sake of clearness.
A represents the front part of the sides, or of the top and bottom of the safe body.
B the frame into which the door C closes in the usual way. D the inner iron or steel
lining of the door between which and the inner door plate E is contained the usual
fire resisting filling. F is the above-mentioned yielding plate which is connected to
the door lining D by means of studs G rivetted, screwed or otherwise secured to such
lining, or if preferred, these studs may be secured in the door plate E as shown in
dotted lines. The studs G pass through holes in the plate F, so that the latter is free
to slide in and out on the studs but is prevented from coming off the same by means
of heads formed thereon as shown. Springs H are interposed between the plates F
and D and tend constantly to press the plate F away from the door and, (when the
door is shut) against the rebate I formed in the front frame or in the body of the
safe. Asbestos, indiarubber or other suitable packing J may be interposed between
the yielding plate and the surface I against which it bears, being either secured
to the said surface I or to the edge of the plate F as may be preferred. K is a
strengthening or stiffening ring rivetted round the edge of the plate F. It may be
dispensed with when the plate F is sufficiently stiff without it.
It will now be understood that when the door is closed the springs H press the
margin of the plate F against the surface of the rebate I or against the packing
interposed between the plate and the rebate so as to form a more or less air and
water-tight cover, which will prevent the entrance more or less according to the
accuracy with which the parts fit against one another, of heated air or water into
the interior of the safe.
Instead of the yielding plate covering the whole inner surface of the door as
shown in Figure 1, it may be formed as a frame or rim F, see Figure 2 adapted
to enter and bear against the bottom of the rebate I as before explained, suitable
flexible air tight connections L of indiarubber for example, being provided to connect
the said frame or rim F to the door, and to prevent the entrance of hot air or water
into the interior of the safe or strong room round the inner edge of such frame
or rim.
If preferred the yielding frame or rim may be mounted on the frame of the door
instead of on the door itself, and be adapted so that it may yield when the door is closed
against it as illustrated in Figure 3, elastic packing J being preferably provided to
prevent the passage of hot air or water between the said frame or rim F and the
margin of the door plate D which closes against it.
Instead of the four sides of the frame or rim F, Figures 2 and 3, being made
in one piece, or connected together so as to form a rigid frame, one or more of
such sides may be left separate from, and independent of the others, each side
being however connected to the door or to the door frame, as the case may be,
by a flexible air or watertight connection such as those shown at L in Figures 2
and 3 for example, or hy an air and water-tight hinge; care being taken also, by
preference, to connect the ends of any such separate or independent side by suitable
air or water-tight flexible connections to the adjacent sides of the frame so as to
prevent the passage of air or water into the interior of the safe or strong room
at those points.
Similar letters of reference relate to like parts in all the Figures of the
drawings.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
First In the doors of safes or strong rooms, the use of a yielding plate, frame
or rim connected to the door and adapted to close more or less air or water-tight

page_text: against a rebate or other surface in or on the door frame, substantially as herein-
before described, and illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings hereto annexed,
and for the purposes specified.
Second-In connection with the doors of safes or strong rooms, the use of a
yielding frame or rim connected to the door frame or body of the safe or strong
room, and so adapted that the door closes more or less air or water-tight against
such yielding fraine or riu, substantially as hereinbefore described, and illustrated
in Figure 3 of the drawings hereto annexed, and for the purposes specified.
Doted this 18th day of April 1890
H. W. CHUBB.
Per W. H. Beck,
115, Cannon Street, London, E.C., Agent.