IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Hall, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Brassfounder, and Maurice Whittingham, of Wolverhampton,
in the County of Stafford, Lock Manufacturer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Hall and Maurice
Whittingham at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 9th November 1867.
We, SAMUEL HALL, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Brass-
founder, and MAURICE WHITTINGHAM, of Wolverhampton, in the County
of Stafford, Lock Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOocks," to be as follows (that is to say) :-
Our Invention consists in arranging the working portions of all descriptions
of locks so as to obtain an easy and certain action without complication of
such parts; this we effect by employing a bolt, which is formed at its one end
into the lock or bolt piece, working through a slot pierced in the lip of the
back plate in the ordinary manner; the lower end of the bolt is provided with
a slot for working upon a stud or pin secured upon the back plate; this stud
or pin acts as a guide to the bolt. Near to the lock piece another slot is
pierced or cut out in the bolt, upon one of the inner edges of which slot a
projection or detent is formed, and a spring of hardened steel, which is secured
at its one end to the back plate, is formed at the other end into a catch for

page_text: engaging upon or under the projection or detent; a recess is cut in the side
of the bolt near to the key peg (if such be employed) which is secured to the
back plate; thus constructed the lock will be completed by the additions of
the face plate and key.
The action of our improved lock is very simple; the key being turned it
comes in contact with the spring, which in its position of rest is engaged upon
the projection or detent, and causes the catch part of the spring to move from
off the projection; the key also bears against one of the sides of the recess
forcing the bolt onwards, and the key having passed the extent of its throw
the spring will fly back and its catch end become engaged under the detent
or projection, thus completing the lock motion and preventing the bolt from
shooting back until the return stroke of the key disengages the spring and
allows the bolt to be retired by the impingement of the key against the other
side of the recess. Any number of wards may be applied to render this lock
unpickable.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Samuel Hall and Maurice Whittingham in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 9th May 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, SAMUEL
HALL, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Brassfounder, and MAURICE
WHITTINGHAM, of Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford, Lock Manu-
facturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Samuel Hall and Maurice Whittingham, Her special license that we, the
said Samuel Hall and Maurice Whittingham, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as we, the said Samuel Hall and Maurice
Whittingham, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Samuel Hall and
Maurice Whittingham, by an instrument in writing under our hands and

page_text: 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Samuel Hall and Maurice Whitting-
ham, do hereby declare the nature of our 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 had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
This Invention consists in arranging the working parts of all descriptions
of locks so as to obtain an easy and certain action without complication of
such parts. The manner in which this effected will be the better understood
by referring to the Drawings herewith furnished.
Figure 1 is a part sectional front view of one of the improved locks, the
improvements being here shewn as applied to a tumbler lock, but they are as
readily applicable for other descriptions.
Figure 2 is a transverse section of the parts upon the line A, B, of
Figure 1.
Figure 3 represents the lock with the key in its place, the bolt having been
shot forward, and the face plate being removed to shew more clearly the
working parts.
Figure 4 is an edge view of the lock as seen at Figure 3.
(a) is a bolt, shewn in detail at Figure 5, formed at its one end (a¹) into
the lock or bolt piece, working through a slot pierced in the lip (61) of the
back plate (6) in the ordinary manner; the lower end of the bolt (a) is pro-
vided with a slot (c) for working upon a stud or pin (d) secured upon the
back plate (b); this stud or pin (d) acts as a guide to the bolt (a). Near to
the lock piece (a¹) of the bolt (a) another slot (e) is pierced or cut out; upon
one of the inner edges of this slot (e) a projection or detent (e¹) is formed,
and a spring of hardened steel (f), which is secured at its one end to the
back plate, is formed at the other end (f¹) into the catch for engaging upon or
under the projection or detent (e¹); a recess (9) is cut in the side of the bolt
near to the key peg or rivet piece (h) (if such be employed) secured to the
back plate (b); thus constructed the lock will be completed by the additions
of the face plate (i) and key (k); the face plate (i) is shewn in section,
Figure 1, and as any ordinary kind will be suitable it needs no further
illustration. We propose to render this lock unpickable by the employment
of any number of wards as may be desired.
The action of a lock so put together is as follows:-The key being turned

page_text: upon the peg or rivet piece (h) it comes in contact with the spring (ƒ),
which in its position of rest is engaged upon the projection or detent (el), and
causes the catch part (¹) of the spring (f) to move from the projection (e¹);
the key (k) also bears against one of the sides of the recess (9) forcing the
bolt (a) onwards, and the key (k) having passed the extent of its throw the
spring (f) will fly back and its catch end (f¹) become engaged under the
detent or projection (e¹), thus completing the lock motion and preventing
the bolt (a) from shooting back until the return stroke of the key disengages
the spring (f) and allows the bolt (a) to be retired by the impingement of
the key against the other side of the recess.
Having thus described the object and nature of our said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be carried into effect, we would wish it
understood that we do not confine ourselves to the precise details of the parts
described and shewn; but what we claim is, the improvements in locks as
herein more fully set forth and specified.
In witness whereof, we, the said Samuel Hall and Maurice Whittingham,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Eighth day of May, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
SAMUEL HALL.
(L.B.)
MOB. WHITTINGHAM. (L.s.)