Improvements in Fastening Devices for Railway-carriage and other Doors.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Jan., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 24th Oct., 1889-Accepted, 30th Nov., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by ADRIEN WEIL, of Marly-les-Valenciennes, France,
Manufacturer.]
Improvements in Fastening Devices for Railway-carriage and other
Doors.
1, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to fastening devices for railway-carriage and other doors.
The device constructed according to the said invention is automatic and comprises
the following parts, that is to say, a casing which is fixed to the door; an arm or
handle made in one piece with a catch lever and catch, which lever is provided with a
second handle at its end; a helical or a plate spring; a bolt connecting the aforesaid
handle and catch-lever with the casing and a catch-plate secured to the frame of the
door.
The improved fastening device fitted to a door which opens inwardly, or to a door
which
opens outwardly as for example the doors of railway carriagos.
The above mentioned arm or handle is arranged between the two cheeks provided
on the said casing and is pivoted upon a bolt held in the said cheeks. In its
movement upon the bolt the handle carries with it the aforesaid catch lever, which is
integral therewith. Upon the catch lever acts a spring in order to cause the catch on
the same to engage with and be retained in one of the notches formed in the said
catch plate. The second handle at the extremity of the catch lever is designed to
enable the catch to be disengaged from the catch plate, so that the door can be
opened from the interior of a carriage, but if this is not desired the said handle can be
dispensed with.
The said catch-plate is provided with notches with which the catch-lever can
engage in succession.
When a carriage door which opens outwardly does not shut completely because
the wood has warped, the catch of the fastening device will not engage with the
recess or notch in the catch plate and the least pressure against the door will cause
the latter to open. This inconvenience is frequently noticed in doors of railway
carriages, in which case it may give rise to serious accidents.
By the improved fastening device the said inconvenience is obviated, for if the
catch is disengaged from the first of the notches formed in the catch plate it will
immediately enter the second notch and retain the door.
The number of notches in the catch plate may be two, three or even more if it be
deemed useful.
In order to operate the fastening device constructed according to the said invention
it is only necessary to pull the aforesaid arm or handle.
The advantage which it presents over the fastening devices heretofore used consists
principally in its extreme simplicity so that it is not liable to get out of order, the
complete device comprising only five parts.
Instead of being arranged in the wood of the door the improved fastening device
can be enclosed in a metallic box or casing secured to the door, which arrangement is
suitable for thin doors.
Dated this 24th day of January 1889.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Fastening Devices for Railway-carriage and other
Doors.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to fastening devices for railway-carriage and other doors.
The improved device is illustrated in the accompanying drawings the figures of
which are hereinafter referred to.
The device which forms the subject of this invention is automatic and comprises the
following parts, that is to say, a casing B which is fixed to the door; an arm or
handle F made in one piece with a catch lever, and catch G which lever is provided
with a second handle E at its end; a helical or plate spring D, a bolt H connecting
the aforesaid handle and catch-lever with the casing; and a catch-plate C secured to
the frame of the door.
Figure 1 represents a fastening device fitted to a door which opens inwardly.
Figures 2 and 3 show the said device fitted to a door which opens outwardly as for
example the doors of railway carriages.
The above-mentioned arm or handle is arranged between the two cheeks K
provided on the said casing and is pivoted upon a bolt H held in the said cheeks. In
its movement upon the bolt, the handle carries with it the aforesaid catch lever G
which is integral therewith.
The spring D acts upon the catch lever in order to cause the same to engage with
and be retained in one of the notches formed in the said catch-plate. The second
handle E at the extremity of the catch lever is designed to enable the catch to be
disengaged from the catch-plate, so that the door can be opened from the interior of
a carriage, but if this is not desired the said handle can be dispensed with.
Figure 2 represents a device having a catch lever and catch-plate of special form.
The said catch-plate is provided with notches with which the catch-lover can engage
in succession. The utility of this arrangement will be readily understood.
When a carriage door which opens outwardly does not shut completely because
the wood has warped the catch of the fastening devices as heretofore constructed
will not engage with the recess or notch in the catch plate and the least pressure
against the door will cause the latter to open. This inconvenience is frequently
noticed in doors of railway-carriages, in which case it may give rise to serious
accidents.
By the improved fastening device the said inconvenience is obviated, for if the
catch is disengaged from the first of the notches formed in the catch-plate it will
immediately enter the second notch and retain the door.
The number of notches in the catch plate may be two, three or even more if it be
deemed useful.
In order to operate the fastening device constructed according to the said invention
it is only necessary to pull the aforesaid arm or handle.
The advantage which it presents over the fastening devices heretofore used consists
principally in its extreme simplicity so that it is not liable to get out of order, the
complete device comprising only five parts.
Instead of being arranged in the wood of the door the improved fastening device
can be enclosed in a metallic box or casing secured to the door, which arrangement is
suitable for thin doors.
The constituent parts of the improved fastening device may be made of other
shapes than those above described without departing from the present invention.
:
1

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by
my foreign Correspondent I declare that what I claim is ;-
First. The fastening device composed of an arm or handle made in one piece with
a catch-lever G and a handle E, a casing B, a bolt H and a catch-plate substantially
as described and shown in the drawings.
Second. A catch-plate having several closing notches constructed for the above-
described purpose, substantially as specified and shown in the drawings.
Third. A fastening device of the kind above described in which the constituent
parts present other forms, provided however that these parts in their entirety shall
be arranged to operate under the same conditions.
Fourth. A fastening device as above described, which, instead of being enclosed
in the wood of the door, is contained in a metallic box secured to the door.
Dated this 24th day of October 1889.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.