CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SAFES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Phillips, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Manufacturer, and Joseph Groves, of Birmingham, aforesaid,
Manufacturer, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF SAFES."
Sealed the 9th February 1866, and dated the 17th August 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION_left_by. the said Samuel Phillips_and_
Joseph Groves at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 17th August 1865.
We, SAMUEL PHILLIPS, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Manufacturer, and JOSEPH GROVES, of Birmingham, aforesaid, Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SAFES," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is by means of the improvements in their
manufacture herein-after set forth so to construct safes and other strong boxes
of a similar character that it may not be possible to force them open; and that
so perfect security may be given to their contents.
We will first describe our Invention as applied to the manufacture of

page_text: $6
belted safes. On the inside of the bar of which the belt consists we form
a projecting flat rib, which is parallel with the edges of the bar, the rib being
rolled in one piece with the bar. The outer door will then shut down upon
the outer edge of the rib; and upon the said rib an iron plate is rivetted for
the purpose herein-after explained. The edge of this plate is not flush
with the edge of the rib, but stands a little further back than the said rib, so
that the rib and plate will form as it were steps or projections inside the safe,
but parallel with its edge. Against the inner step or projection the inner door
of the safe shuts, the outer door of the safe coming against the outer step or
sprojection. The edge of the inner door has a series of dovetails (which may
be of any convenient number) formed upon it, or otherwise secured to it, and
the plate against which the said inner door shuts being provided with dovetail
grooves to correspond, the dovetails take therein when the door of the safe is
closed. We also rivet through the inner door strong wrought-iron pins or
bolts, which are received upon bed plates of angle iron affixed in the sides and
ends of the safe, so that when the door of the safe is closed the said pins or
bolts take in the cavities provided for them in the bed plate and assist the
dovetails in holding the side and ends of the safe firmly together. On the
edge of the inner door we also rivet strong bolt receivers, which are in
the shape of catches or staples; these are protected by a steel covering, and
when the door of the safe is closed insert themselves between the second of
the steps or projections herein-before described, and the outer plates of the
safe, so assisting the holding pins of the lock case to resist the effect of a
wedge or chisel inserted with a view to force open the safe."
It will be seen from the description herein-before set forth that if a burglar
attempt to insert a wedge or chisel between the side of the safe and the
outer door, desiring to separate them, he will be prevented, first, by the
projecting flat rib, and afterwards by the dovetails, which engaging in their
respective grooves will lock the edge of the door and the side of the safe firmly
together.
In applying our Invention to the manufacture of "unbelted" safes, we
cause the dovetails on the inner door to engage in corresponding grooves, in
the inner plate of the safe. The rib herein-before described, as employed
in the construction of belted safes is dispensed, with.
In order to prevent the insertion of a wedge or chisel between the hinge of
the door of the safe and the side to which the door is, hinged we make the
edge of the hinged side, of the door nearly, semi-cylindrical in figure, and form
a nearly semi-cylindrical groove to correspond along that edge of the safe to
which the door is binged; When the door is shut its semi-cylindrical edge

page_text: fits in the corresponding semi-cylindrical groove, and the narrow space
between them being curved it is impossible to insert a wedge or chisel therein
with any effect.
We make the angles of safes of angle iron, on the outer angles of which a
supplementary small angle iron is formed, the said small angle iron being
undercut. The outer plate of the safe is inclined on its edges and is made to
slide under the undercut bars of angle iron at opposite edges of the safe. The
said plate is afterwards. rivetted in its proper position..
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,. filed
by the said Samuel Phillips and Joseph Groves in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 17th February 1866..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS. SHALL COME, we, SAMUEL
PHILLIPS, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,. Manufacturer, and
JOSEPH GROVES, of Birmingham, aforesaid, Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, thie
said Samuel Phillips and Joseph Groves, Her special licence that we, the
said Samuel Phillips and Joseph Groves, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said Samuel Phillips and Joseph Groves,
our 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 “CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE: OF SAFES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the
said Samuel Phillips and Joseph Groves, our executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under our, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly 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 immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
1
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Samuel Phillips and Joseph Groves,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the

page_text: same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement (that is to say):-
1
The object of this Invention is by means of the improvements in their
manufacture herein-after set forth so to construct safes and other strong boxes
of a similar character that it may not be possible to force them open, and that
so perfect security may be given to their contents.:!
'
:. We will first describe our Invention as applied to the manufacture of
belted "safes. On the inside of the bar of which the belt consists' we, form
a projecting flat rib, which is parallel with the edges of the bar, the rib being
rolled in one piece with the bar. The outer door will then shut down upon
the outer edge of the rib, and upon the said rib an iron plate is rivetted for the
purpose herein-after explained. The edge of this plate is not flush with
the edge of the rib, but stands a little farther back than the said rib, so that
the rib and plate will form as it were steps or projections inside the safe, but
parallel with its edge. Against the inner step or projection the inner door of
the safe shuts, the outer door of the safe coming against the outer step or
projection. The edge of the inner door has a series of dovetails (which may
be of any convenient number) formed upon it, or otherwise secured to it, and
the plate, against which the said inner door shuts being provided with dovetail
grooves to correspond, the dovetails take therein when the door of the safe is
closed. We also rivet through the inner door strong wrought-iron pins or
bolts, which are received upon bed plates of angle iron affixed in the sides and
ends of the safe, so that when the door of the safe is closed the said pins or
bolts take in the cavities provided for them in the bed plate, and assist the
dovetails in holding the sides and ends of the safe firmly together. On the edge
of the inner door we also rivet strong bolt receivers, which are in the shape of
catches or staples; these are protected by a steel covering, and when the door
of the safe is closed insert themselves between the second of the steps or
projections herein-before described, and the outer plates of the safe so assisting
the holding pins of the lock case to resist the effect of a wedge or chisel
inserted with a view to force open the safe.
It will be seen from the description herein-before set forth that if a burglar
attempt to insert a wedge or chisel between the side of the safe and the
outer door, desiring to separate them, he will be prevented; first, by the
projecting flat rib, and afterwards by the dovetails, which engaging in their
respective grooves will lock the edge of the door and the side of the safe firmly
together.
In applying our Invention to the manufacture of "unbelted" safes we
cause the dovetails on the inner door to engage in corresponding grooves in

page_text: .
the inner plate of the safe. The rib herein-before described, as employed
in the construction of belted safes, is dispensed with.
In order to prevent the insertion of a wedge or chisel between the hinge of
the door of the safe and the side to which the door is hinged we make the
edge of the hinged side of the door nearly semi-cylindrical in figure, and form
a nearly semi-cylindrical groove to correspond along that edge of the safe to
which the door is hinged. When the door is shut its semi-cylindrical-edge
fits in the corresponding semi-cylindrical groove, and the narrow space between
them being curved it is impossible to insert a wedge or chisel therein with
any effect.
We also make the angles of safes of angle iron; on the outer angles of which
a supplementary small angle iron is formed; the said small angle iron being
undercut. The outer plate of the safe is inclined on its edges, and is made to
slide under the undercut bars of angle iron at opposite edges of the safe. The
said plate is afterwards rivetted in its proper position.
That our Invention may be better understood, we have annexed Drawings
thereof, which we now proceed to describe.
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of. a .safe constructed after our method; shewing
the door opened; and Fig. 2 is a part horizontal section.. Similar letters of
referonce indicate corresponding parts in both Figures.
a is the body of the safe; 6 is the belt upon which is rolled. the..rib c. A
plate d is rivetted to the inside of the belt, and has slots or notches e, e, into
which the bolt receivers or staples f, f, pass when the door is closed; g, g, are
the bolts of the lock, which it will be seen shoot through the plate d, and the
staples f, f, and partially through the belt b, thereby obtaining an additional
and more secure hold upon both the door and the safe; h, h; are projecting
dovetails, rivetted or otherwise fastened to the door, and :dovetailed recesses
i-i, are provided for them in the plate d; these dovetails, when the door of.
the safe is closed, prevent the belt 6 from being strained outwards by the
insertion of a chisel or wedge between the outer door and the belt. It will be
evident too that a wedge could not be driven in further than the-face k of the
belt b, against which the outer plate of the door shuts. At the hinged side
of the door the belt is hollowed as at m, and the door being rounded as at n
so as to fit with exactness, it will be seen that no flat face is presented to form
a fulcrum for the wedge of a burglar. Strong pins p, p, are rivetted to the
door and enter into holes r, r, in the frame of the safe. These assist the
dovetails herein-before described, and would prevent the opening or straining
of the safe in the event of a wedge being introduced for the purpose of forcing
the safe.

page_text: Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and the manner
in which the same is or may be performed, we desire it to be understood
that without limiting ourselves to the precise details herein-before described,
we claim as the Invention to be protected by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent,-
. Firstly, the series of dovetails which are formed upon the edge of the inner
door, as herein-before described.
Secondly, the bolt receivers upon the edge of the inner door, as herein-
before described.
Thirdly, making the hinged side of the door nearly semi-cylindrical in
figure, and forming a nearly semi-cylindrical groove to correspond along that
edge of the safe to which the door is hinged; as herein-before described.
Fourthly, making the angles of safes of angle iron, on the outer angles of
which a supplementary small angle iron is formed, the said small angle iron
being undercut, as herein-before described.
Lastly, the combination of all the improvements as a whole, substantially as
herein-before described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Samuel Phillips and Joseph Groves,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Sixteenth day of
February, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and s
sixty-six.
Witness,
G. R. HOLLAND,
Patent Office,
Birmingham.
SAMUEL PHILLIPS. (L.S.)
JOSEPH GROVES.
(L.S.)