IMPROVEMENTS IN BOLTS FASTENINGS, WHICH WE PROPOSE CALLING CLARK & Co.'s LONGITUDINAL WEDGE
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Frederick Clark, of the Firm of Thomas
and Charles Clark and Company, Ironfounders, of Wolverhampton, in
the County of Stafford, and Manoah Bower, Gentleman, of Birmingham,
in the County of Warwick, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BOLTS
Sealed the 20th May 1856, and dated the 20th November 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Frederick Clark
and Manoah Bower at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 20th November 1855.
We, CHARLES FREDERICK CLARK, of the Firm of Thomas and Charles
Clark & Co., Ironfounders, of Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford,
and MANOAH BOWER, Gentleman, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
BOLTS AND FASTENINGS, WHICH WE PROPOSE CALLING CLARK & Co.'s LONGITUDINAL
WEDGE BOLT," to be as follows, that is to say:
Our Invention consists in making the bolt plate in two parts, with grooves
down on the inner edges, through which the bolt (formed in the shape of a
thin broad wedge) passes in a longitudinal direction, which will have the effect
of securing the door, window, or other part to which it may be applied in a
simple and efficient manner.

page_text: We will further observe, that in bringing this bolt or fastening into use, we
securely fix one side of the bolt plate to the door jamb, and the other in a
corresponding position on the edge of the door, and to this part we prefer
attaching the wedge bolt, which we do by forming a slot in the back of the
bolt plate parallel to its edge, through which we pass a small pin screwed
into the lower end of the wedge bolt, and as the bolt is drawn up the pin will
pass up through the slot, forming an axis for the bolt to work on when drawn
out, allowing it to pass around at right angles to the position it assumes when
in use.
And when such fastenings are required for securing windows, or such like
situations, we prefer dividing the wedge at the thinner end, about one-third of
its length; and so far up of the two plates are connecting parts, which are
clipped and held together by the slot in the wedge, which will have the effect
of forcing up the top sash and pressing down the bottom one, as well as
bracing them tightly together where they meet.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Frederick Clark and Manoah Bower in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 20th May 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, CHARLES
FREDERICK CLARK, of the Firm of Thomas and Charles Clark an Company,
Ironfounders, of Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford, and MANOAHI
BOWER, Gentleman, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Charles Frederick Clark and Manoah Bower, Her special license that we,
the said Charles Frederick Clark, and Manoah Bower, our executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Charles Frederick Clark
and Manoah Bower, our executors, administrators, or 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
BOLTS AND FASTENINGS, WHICH WE PROPOSE CALLING CLARK AND Co.'s LONGITUDINAL

page_text: WEDGE BOLT," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Charles
Frederick Clark and Manoah Bower, by an instrument in writing under our
hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause
5 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 Charles Frederick Clark and Manoah
Bower, 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 figures and letters marked thereon
(that is to say):
Our Invention consists in so making fastenings for securing doors, windows,
and other such like purposes in such a way that they shall require less
accuracy in fitting than is necessary in the ordinary construction of bolts and
fastenings, as also in avoiding the use of springs or catches in the construction
of such fastenings, and at the same time the shape or character of the
fastening admits of great diversity of form and ornamentation if required, and
the bolt part in all instances (being of a wedge shape) ensures great accuracy
in the union of the parts when together; in addition to which, the bolt being
mainly exposed when out of use, it is impossible to mistake or imagine the
door, window, or other purpose to which such fastening is applied to be
secured if it really is not. But as our Invention and its application will be
best understood by referring to the Drawings hereunto annexed, we will at
once proceed to describe the same.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
A, Figure 1, represents part of the lock stile of a door; and B, the door
jamb, simply introduced here for the purpose of shewing the application of
our vertical wedge bolt, which is cast or otherwise made in two parts, as
exhibited at C and D, C being screwed to the door jamb, and D to the stile
of the door. The wedge is shewn partly in dotted lines, and in the position
it assumes when the door is fastened. In the bottom edge of the wedge a
small pin is fixed, marked a, in a dotted circle, which pin slides in a groove
as the wedge is pulled out, and which may be readily done by the assistance
of the knob E until the pin is stopped at the end of the groove, as exhibited
by the small circle b, when the wedge will be allowed to fall into an horizontal
position, as shewn in dotted lines at c, c, and d, d.
Figure 2 represents a sectional view of Figure 1, taken through the dotted

page_text: lines f,f, shewing a transverse section of the wedge c, and the groove and
parts in which it slides.
Figures 3 and 4 are also sectional views of Figure 2, as taken through g, g,
represented detached for the purpose of exhibiting the groove h, in which the
'pin a slides. The wedge e, e, is represented in the position it would assume
when out of use; but should it be considered objectionable for it to stand in
that position, the wedge may be made with an hinge joint, as exhibited in
dotted lines, which would allow the part that projects outward beyond the
frame D to fall down in a vertical position.
Figure 5 is the saine description of bolt in every particular as exhibited at
Figure 1, and is simply introduced for the purpose of shewing that any
ornamentation or design may be introduced; and Figure 6 is drawn for the
like purpose, representing the bolt frame as made of brass and the bolt of
iron, as applicable for ship or chamber door bolts. In this case the groove in
which the pin works is curved outward at the top, in order that the bolt shall
drop down in a vertical position, as shewn by the dotted lines, the knob being
marked k and the pin l.
Figure 7 is a transverse section of the last Figure as taken through m, m;
and Figure 8 is identical with Figure 6, with the exception that the bolt is
represented drawn up as by a wire, shewing its applicability for what are
called night bolts. To secure the door the bolt only requires to be liberated,
when it will be guided by the pin n down the groove (partly shewn in lotted
lines), and will place it in its right position, inserting itself in the bolt flaps,
as exhibited in dotted lines at o, o, to p, p, Figure 6, the taper or wedge-like
form of the bolt assisting it to continue to drop until it has found a perfect
bearing, or is stopped by the knob at the top, resting in the position as
shewn.
When such kinds of fastenings are required to be used in an horizontal, in
contradistinction to a vertical, position, we prefer making them as exhibited
at Figure 9, the division of the plates being at r, r, the part F being secured
to the door jamb, and the part G to the door. The bolt is secured to the
part G by the pin s, and when the door is required to be liberated the bolt is
lifted up by the knob H, which, working on the pin s, will pass through the
ridges t, t, the form of the bolt (when out) being exhibited in dotted lines.
The part I is bevelled off into a knife or wedge shape, for the purpose of
better entering and passing down behind the front plate F in fastening.
Should the naked character of the bolt when out of use be considered
objectionable, a slot may be formed in it, as at J, J, which will allow of its
being slid horizontally behind the plate J.

page_text: Figure 10 represents another horizontal bolt, similar to the last Figure;
but in this case the bolt plate and frame is extended, so that the bolt K,
working on the axis at L, shall be obscured when in or out of use; the bolt
being lifted by the knob M, will move around in the area shewn in dotted
lines, until the part marked K passes down behind that part of the frame
marked N.
At Figure 11 we have represented the application of our wedge fastening
as applied to a sash fastener, representing the wedge in the position it would
assume when bracing or securing the parts together, as shewn in that position
by dotted lines. The part O is secured to the top sash, and the part P to the
bottom one, the wedge being actuated by the knob Q, which is attached to
the wedge bolt, shewn detached at Figure 12, the inner edges of the front and
back plate being clipped or held tightly between the fork u and v. w is the
hole for receiving the knob Q, and a the hole for receiving the pin, shewn in
dotted lines at a, Figure 11.
Figure 13 is identical with Figure 11, with the bolt drawn out, and the
part O released; the pin x having passed along the slot, shewn in dotted lines,
allows the bolt to pass around at right angles, as here shewn, a position that
we think is desirable, because it plainly shews when the window is not
secured; but if it should be desired, the pin and groove may be omitted,
which would allow of the wedge bolt being entirely removed when the window
is unfastened; and for convenience the fork u may be placed into the part P
when out of use, allowing the other part of the wedge to appear in sight.
Figure 14 is simply a transverse section of Figure 11, taken through y and
, shewing the groove in the plate and pin a.
Figure 15 represents the same description of fastening as the last, drawn
in a form suitable for holding or bracing together the flaps of tables, com-
monly called table fasteners, representing the wedge or forked fastening T
partly out. The part R is secured to one flap, and the part S to the con-
necting one; and their edges, shewn in dotted lines at a', 6', and a¹, b¹, are
clipped and held together between the open fork of T, which is broader at the
extreme end than at c', d', in order that the parts R and S may be the more
readily braced together.
Figure 16 represents a sectional view of Figure 15, taken through the
dotted line e¹ and f', shewing that the edges of the plates R and S are clipped
by the fork T, T, at a', b', and we prefer allowing those edges to extend far
enough to receive screws for the better securing of the plates to the table
flaps U and V. In the edge of the plate R we have secured a pin g', which,

page_text: fitting into a corresponding hole in the plate S, always ensures the table flaps
meeting and remaining perfectly even and in their desired position.
Figure 17 represents a side view, or the part a' of the plate R, as let in
flush on the edge of the flap U, shewing an end view of the pin g', and
sectional view of the fork or wedge fastening T, as taken through h¹, h³, of
Figure 15, shewing that it is bent at right angles at the front for the con-
venience of passing it in or out, as will be best seen at Figure 18, which is
a front view of the wedge bolt or fork T.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, and the manner in
which the same may be carried into effect, we wish it understood that we do
not confine ourselves to the exact details as here represented, as the fastening
is capable of considerable modification in all its parts, and may be varied in
shape or size to suit position as circumstances may require; but what we do
claim as our Invention is,-
Firstly, the connecting of the bolt to the bolt plate by means of a pin
working in a slot, as herein described, and exhibited at Figures 1, 4, 6,
and 8.
Secondly, we claim the construction of bolt as exhibited at Figures 9 and
10, the bolt working on a pin fixed to the bolt plato.
Thirdly, we claim the description of bolt as exhibited at Figures 11, 13,
and 15, without confining ourselves to the use of the pin and slot, as described
and exhibited at Figures 11 and 13.
In witness whereof, we, the said Charles Frederick Clark and Manoah
Bower, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Sixteenth day of
May, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-six.
Witness,
CHARLES FREDERICK CLARK. (L.S.)
MANOAH
BOWER.
J. S. COCKINGS, Patent Agent,
Birmingham.
(L.S.)