IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKS AND IN KEYS FOR THE SAME
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Ennor Julian, of Kennington Park Road,
Kennington, in the County of Surrey, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN LOCKS AND IN KEYS FOR THE SAME."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Ennor Julian at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th November 1880.
THOMAS ENNOR JULIAN, of Kennington Park Road, Kennington, in the County
of Surrey. "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKS AND IN KEYS FOR THE SAME."
To suit the requirements of any ordinary dwelling house a great many different
kinds of locks are required, not less than six or seven different kinds of locks being
necessary in order to furnish the doors of a house of the most ordinary construction.
If mortice-locks be used they must be both right and left handed to suit doors
hung in opposite directions, or what is known as on opposite hands, and if the doors
be folding the locks must also be either half or full rebated. If rim locks be used
these too must be made differently to suit the position of the door, and if the
to be
door be hung so as to open outward instead of inward the bolt has
reversed. Eight differently constructed locks are required to meet all these
circumstances.
The object of this Invention is to produce a lock that shall suit the whole of
these requirements without alteration or adaptation of any kind whatever, this lock
when it leaves the manufactory being equally adapted for either or all of these
varied requirements, and at the same time as cheap, strong, and secure as the best
made four-lever locks.
In carrying the said Invention into practice I provide a case which may be made
of iron, brass, or steel, all the corresponding parts of each case of every lock are
made exact duplicates; for instance, each side of each case is an exact duplicate of
the opposite side, both inside and outside the same. The rim in like manner is an
exact counterpart of every other rim, and so on with every other part of the lock
excepting the levers. By this ineans if any part of any lock be lost or missing it
can easily be replaced with very little loss of time or money, and by any unskilled
workman. The levers are however in no case alike, therefore no two locks can be
opened by the same key, consequently the most absolute security is obtained at the
least possible expense.
At
The bolt is made out of one piece of steel or any other suitable material.
one point it is shouldered, the shoulder extending down to one half of its thickness
to allow of room for the levers and follower; the levers are pivotted at two points
to the bolt, and a slot is provided in the bolt, which slot lies exactly opposite the
key hole, and is of sufficient length to allow the bolt to slide to the full extent of
its throw but no farther. A projection in this slot is provided for the key to act
upon in the unlocking of the bolt and just allows the key to throw the same over

page_text: two projections on the follower. This is a special feature of my Invention, and
enables the bolt when locked to be entirely detached from the follower, so that the
former cannot in any way be acted on by the turning of the door handle, and
consequently though the lock may have only one bolt, it has precisely the same
security against force applied to the handle as the best made two-bolt locks as
heretofore constructed. Another slot is provided in the bolt to allow the spindle
and the hub of a cam connected therewith to, pass through, and this slot like the
one hereinbefore mentioned is only of sufficient length to allow the exact throw of
the bolt. There is a spring arranged to act on the back of the bolt to kept it
always thrown forward as allowed by the aforesaid slots if locked, and if unlocked
to the full extent permitted by the aforesaid projections on the follower.
corners of the bolt are rounded off to facilitate its entering the striking plate and
thus to avoid the trouble which would otherwise be occasioned by a slight dropping
of the door.
The
The follower slides freely in the case to the extent of the slot in which the cam
turns. This cam acts on the shoulders of the small part of a slot in the follower,
and whether this cam be turned to the right or left hand it draws the follower and
with it the bolt when unlocked back into the case, but when allowed to move
freely the said spring forces the follower forward to the full extent of the slot,
and when unlocked another spring acting on the bolt keeps it in the same
direction.
The levers are pivotted to the bolt at the points herein before mentioned and are
kept close down onto the follower by springs. These springs allow them to be
easily lifted off and over the projections on the follower as required to lock or
unlock the bolt. The depth of the levers is such as in conjunction with the raised
and sunk parts of the key just to allow this and no more. If this depth or the
corresponding part on the key be insufficient, then the levers will not be lifted far
enough to slip the projections; on the other hand, if it be too great the levers will
be overlifted and the ends thereof will catch against the thick part of the rim of the
case and the bolt cannot be thrown back. Unless therefore the depth of the levers
and the corresponding part of the key be in exact correspondence the lock cannot
be opened, and further, inasmuch as not only one but the whole of the levers must
be in accord with the key the most absolute security is attained.
The aforesaid cam is made in one piece with its hub. The hub passes right
The hole
through the case and is flush with the sides thereof on the outside.
through its centre is made to suit the ordinary spindle of the door handles in present
use. The cam part projects beyond the hub to the extent of half the thickness of
the bolt, and is so constructed that when the follower is thrown forward by the
spring to its full extent its ends shall be in contact with the shoulders of the narrow
part of the slot in the follower so that whichever way the handle may be turned
the bolt will be withdrawn from the striking plate and the door may be unlatched
as desired.
The face plate, excepting that it is made reversible, has nothing to distinguish it
from those of ordinary construction.
The striking plate is made to suit either a rim or mortice lock of any kind, and
is to be fixed accordingly. A hole provided in this plate allows of a screw being
driven through the same to secure the plate close up to the jamb, and this is
further obtained by another screw being driven in through another hole and at
right angles to the front screw into the face of the jamb.
According to my said Invention I construct a key as follows, that is to say :-
the part of the key which fits into the lock is made flat on two sides and with two
rounded edges. At the rear end of this working part there is a cylindrical portion
which fits exactly to the key hole. The said flattened part of the key is furnished
with notches on both sides extending inward from the rounded edges, which
notches correspond as regards position and number with the levers of the
lock.

page_text: plate. The remaining parts are hereinafter described. I may make my improved
locks of any size, but assuming for the purpose of this description that they are all
made of one size, the corresponding parts of the case of all of the locks are exact
duplicates of each other, so that they may be interchangeable. For instance, cach
side a of any lock case is an exact duplicate of the side of any of the other cases;
the rim, which forms part of the said case, and which is made separate from these
sides, as shewn, or is formed in one piece with one of the said sides, is in like
manner an exact counterpart of every other rim, and all of the other parts of one
of the locks are also exact duplicates of the corresponding parts of the other locks,
with the exception of the levers. By this construction, if any part of a lock be
lost, missing, or broken, it can be readily replaced with but very little expense or
loss of time, and by an unskilled person. The levers c, c, in any two locks are
however in no case alike, so that no two locks can be opened by the same key;
consequently the most absolute security is obtained with the least possible
expense.
The bolt b is formed of one piece of steel or other suitable metal, and is provided
with a shoulder 6', behind which it is of reduced thickness to afford space for the
insertion between the said bolt and the side of the lock-case of the levers c and the
follower d. These levers c are pivotted at g to the bolt b, and are arranged at each
side of a longitudinal slot h forined in the bolt b to permit the passage therethrough
of the key.
The hub of the cam e, through which a spindle of ordinary construc-
tion passes, also extends through the said slot. This slot is of sufficient length to
allow the bolt to slide to the full extent of its throw but no farther. It will be
seen by reference to Figure 3 that the bolt 6 when shot or thrust forward is quite
disengaged from the follower d, but I provide for its engagement therewith by forming
on the bolt b projections 62 within the slot h, to be acted upon by the key to effect
the end wise movement of the said bolt during the drawing back of the same.
These projections are so formed and arranged as to permit the key to move the
said bolt the required distance to ensure the engagement of the ends c¹ of the
levers c with the projections d' on the follower d. This arrangement constitutes
an important feature of my Invention, as the bolt when locked is entirely disen-
gaged from and independent of the follower, as shewn in Figure 3, so that the
said bolt cannot in any way be acted upon or affected by the turning of the door
handle; consequently although the lock has only one bolt, it has precisely the
same security against force applied to the handle as the best made two-bolt locks
as heretofore constructed.
A spring j is arranged to act upon the back or rear end of the bolt b to keep it
always thrown forward, that is to say, when the said bolt is shot into its socket
or striking plate, the said spring pushes it as far as the slot h in the said bolt will
permit, and when the said bolt is drawn back the said spring keeps it out to the
full extent permitted by the projections d' on the follower d. The corners of the
bolt are rounded off, as shewn at 63, to facilitate its entering the striking plate,
and avoid the trouble which would otherwise be occasioned by a slight dropping of
the door.
The follower slides freely in the case to the extent permitted by the aperture (*,
in which the cam e turns. This cam when turned in either direction acts on the
shoulders d of the said follower, and effects the rearward adjustment of the latter.
When the bolt is engaged with the follower d, the turning of the said cam draws
back the said follower and bolt against the pressure of the springs j and k, the said
follower and bolt when the said cam is released being again projected forward by
the said springs; when however the bolt is disengaged from the follower so that the
latter can move freely, the spring / forces the said follower forward, as shewn in
Figure 4, until its surfaces d³ come in contact with the hub of the cam, the
follower being then in position to permit the engagement of the levers therewith
when the bolt is drawn back by the action of the key.
The levers c, c, which are pivoted to the bolt at the points g, as above stated,
are forced towards and into engagement with the follower d by a spring . This

page_text: spring allows the projections c², of the said levers c to be easily disengaged from
or engaged with the projections on the follower as required to effect the
disconnection or connection of the follower and the bolt. The depth of the said
levers at c* is such, that in conjunction with the raised and sunken parts of the
key they will be raised or opened out to the exact extent required to effect the
disengagement of the projections c¹ and d' but no more. If this depth of the said
levers or the corresponding part on the key be insufficient, then the levers will not
be lifted or moved outward far enough to pass the said projections ; on the
other hand, if such depth be too great, the levers will be moved too far outward, and
their ends will catch or abut against the projections a* on the rim of the case a,
so that the bolt cannot be thrown back. Unless therefore the depth of the levers
and the corresponding part of the key be adapted or fitted with the utmost
accuracy to each other the lock cannot be opened, and inasmuch as not only one
but the whole of the levers must accord with the key, the most absolute security is
attained.
The aforesaid cam e is made in one piece with its hub, which passes directly
through the case and is flush with the sides thereof on the outside, as shewn. The
hole through the centre of the said hub is so formed as to suit the spindle of door
handles at present in use. The cam e projects beyond the said hub, and is so
constructed that when the follower is thrown forward by the spring to its full
extent, as shewn in Figure 4, the parts e* will be in contact with the shoulders &²
on the follower, so that when the handle is turned in either direction the bolt will
be withdrawn from the striker plate f and the door unlatched. The lock constructed
with the parts above described is available for six different arrangements, that is to
say, four when used as a mortice lock, as shewn in Figures 13, 14, 15, and 16, and
two when used as a rim lock, as shewn in Figures 17 and 18.
The face blate a² of the lock is similar to that ordinarily employed, with the
exception that it is made reversible, and thus permits the lock to be used for two
additional arrangements of doors, that is to say, as a rim lock, as shewn in Figures
19 and 20.
The striking plate f is so formed as to suit either a rim or a mortice lock of any
kind. When it is to be used with a mortice lock it is fixed as shewn in Figure 5,
but when it is to be used with a rim lock it is fixed to the door jamb, as represented
in Figures 19 and 20. The said striking plate is provided with holes f¹ to permit
the screws m to be passed through the same to secure the plate close up to the
jamb, and is also provided with a hole f' to permit a screw n to be driven at right
angles to the screws m and into the face of the said jamb.
The key for my improved lock is constructed as follows, that is to say:-The part
of the said key which is adapted to turn between the side plates a¹, and which extends
through the slot h in the bolt is made flat, as shewn at o, and provided with the
necessary notches or steps, and the parts o' adjacent to such flat portion are cylindrical
to fit the key holes or apertures a in the side plates a. The key is provided with
a collar or shoulder o², which limits the extent to which the key may be inserted in
the lock, and ensures the steps of the said key being in their proper relative position
with regard to the bolt and levers to effect the longitudinal adjustment of the said
bolt when the key is turned. The flattened portion o of the key is provided with
two corresponding steps o³, o, to act upon the levers of the lock, and with two longer
steps 0, 0, to act upon the projections of the bolt. When the key is inserted from
one side of the lock and turned, the steps o³ and o operate, and when the said key
is inserted from the other side of the said lock and turned, the steps o' and o
operate upon the levers to disengage them from the follower and also upon the
bolt.
Having thus fully described my said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I wish it understood that I do not limit myself to the exact details of
construction of my improved lock, as above described and represented in the
accompanying Drawings, as the same may be modified without departing from the
principle of my Invention; for instance, instead of employing two levers only in

page_text: the said lock, as shewn, I may employ any other desirable number of such levers
pivoted to the bolt or other part of the lock, and I claim,-
First. In the construction of locks, the improvements consisting in the combi-
nation of the levers carried by the sliding bolt with the other parts of the
mechanism, in the manner above set forth, so that one lock is capable of application
in either of six different arrangements, that is to say, in four as a mortice lock, and
in two as a rim lock.
Second. Providing the said lock with the reversible face plate, whereby the lock
is available for eight different arrangements, substantially as set forth.
Third. In a lock the combination with the sliding bolt and follower of levers,
pivotted to the bolt or other part of the lock, and so arranged that by the action of
the key the said bolt can be shot or projected, and, at the same time, disengaged
from the follower, and when retracted can have its connection with the said
follower restored for the purpose specified.
Fourth. The combination with the said lock of the striking plate, adapted to
suit either a rim or mortice lock, and provided with the aperture f² to permit the
insertion of the screw n, as above set forth.
Fifth. The improved key furnished with steps or notches on both sides of the
spindle in such a manner that when placed in the key hole of the said lock and
turned it will operate as above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Ennor Julian, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
T. E. JULIAN. ' (L.S.)