AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MAKING OR MANU- PACTURING LOCKS AND KEYS
Year: 1816

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
KEMP, Junior, of the City of Cork, Smith and Brass Founder, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third, by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twenty-seventh day of May, in the fifty-sixth year of His
reign, did give and grant unto me,. the said Robert Kemp, my exors, adñors,
and assigns, His especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said Robert Kemp, my exors, adñors, and assigns, during the term
of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my
Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MAKING OR MANU-
PACTURING LOCKS AND KEYS;" in which Letters Patent there is contained a
proviso obliging me, the said Robert Kemp, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, to cause a particular description of the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be enrolled in
His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within two calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said recited Letters Patent, as in and by
the same (relation being thereunto had) may more fully and at large appear....
NOW. KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Robert Kemp, do hereby declare that my said Invention of Improvements

page_text: in the Making or Manufacturing of Locks and Keys, is described and
ascertained in manner following, that is to say :-
My improvement in the making or manufacturing of locks consists in
applying to the interior part of the lock certain sliders or tumblers, in such
manner that when the bolt of the lock is shut or locked, certain parts of the
said sliders shall be in contact with and intercept some projecting part of the
bolt, and the said sliders being incapable of motion, except in a direction at
right angles to the direction of the motion of the bolt, they will prevent the
bolt being drawn back so as to unbolt the lock. Before the lock can be
unbolted each of the aforesaid sliders must, by the application of the key, be
moved a certain quantity in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which
the bolt moves, which quantity must be such as will put the sliders into a
position in which those parts of them which were in contact with, and which
intercepted the projecting part of, the bolt will correspond with certain nothes
cut through the said projecting part of the bolt. Thus the contact will be
destroyed and the sliders will no longer intercept the motion of the bolt, but
leave it at liberty to be thrown back by the action of the key in the usual
manner of other locks. The motion of the said sliders are all independent of
each other, and the said notches in the projecting part of the bolt are made
exactly of the size to correspond with the parts of the sliders which are to pass
through them, therefore each one of the sliders must be moved precisely to its
required position, and neither more or less, or it will not correspond with the
notch belonging to it, and cannot suffer the bolt to pass. But be it
observed, I do not claim the Invention of all the different modes of
applying such sliders to a lock which can be used; but my improvement
is for that particular manner of applying them which is more minutely
described herein-after and by the Drawings hereunto annexed, and also for
the particular manner of communicating the requisite movement to the said
sliders, which is by perforating the centre pin upon which the key turns round
when it is inserted into the lock in order to lock or unlock the same, so that
the said centre pin is a hollow tube; and I apply within the perforation or
hollow of the tube pins which operate upon each one of the aforesaid sliders, so
that by pushing back the said pins in the tube or hollow of the centre pin it
will give motion to the sliders, and as two, three, or more independent sliders
are used in the lock, as many different pins must be inserted in the hollow or
centre pin of the lock to correspond with them. The pin which communicates
motion to the first slider, or that which is nearest the key hole, may be per-
forated in the manner of a tube to admit the pin or the second slider to pass
through it, and the pin for the second slider may in like manner be perforated

page_text: like a tube for the pin of the third slider to pass thro', and so on for as many
sliders as are adapted to the lock, and the greater the number of these the
greater will be the security of the lock, because the sliders being each inde-
pendant of the other, any one which is not placed in its proper position will
lock the bolt fast equally with the whole number.
But be it observed, that I do not make claim to the Invention of a hol-
low centre pin for a lock, or of a pin to be applied within the said hollow,
for the purpose of communicating motion to certain parts within the lock. But
my improvement consists in that particular manner of applying several different
pins one through the other, which is herein explained, and which are for the
purpose of actuating or giving motion to that particular kind of sliders herein
explained, and more minutely described by the Drawings hereunto annexed.
Also my improvement in the making or manufacturing of keys consists in
applying within the pipe of the key (or that hollow tube which is to receive
the centre pin of the lock when the key is introduced into the lock) a pin
which shall enter into the hollow or tube of the centre pin, and press upon the
ends of the pins before described which actuate the sliders that detain the bolt,
and this pin within the pipe of the key being made of determinate length, will
depress or push back the pins and sliders to the required positions, when each
one will correspond with the notch which is cut for it in the projecting part
of the bolt; also, if there are two, three, or more sliders employed, the pin in
the bottom of the pipe of the key must be provided with as many different
shoulders or steps as will correspond with each of the pins or tubes of the
sliders which are contained in the hollow centre pin of the lock, and each of
the said shoulders or steps must be adapted in length or projection to produce
that quantity of motion in each slider which it will require to make it
correspond with its notch in the projecting part of the bolt.
These are the particulars of my said Invention, and to shew the manner
of their application to a lock, I have hereunto annexed Drawings, in which
Fig. 1 is a plan of a lock; Fig. 2, an elevation corresponding therewith;
Fig. 3, a section to shew how the key operates upon the sliders and bolt;
and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of so much of the lock as will explain
my Invention. In all the same Figures the same characters of reference
denote the same parts, and those parts which are marked with numbers
are of my Invention, whilst the letters of the alphabet are placed upon those
parts which are common to other locks, and which are not parts of my
Invention, but are necessary to be described, in order fully to explain the
manner of carrying my said improvements into effect. A, C, is the bolt

page_text: of the lock guided by the square staple B, which is screwed down
to the plate P, P, P, P, at the other end of the bolt; it is guided
by à piece of metal K fixed to the plate P, and a notch in the returned
part of the bolt fits upon K. The dotted lines D represent the tumbler
of the lock, and E its spring; F, the projecting part of the tumbler,
which enters into the groove or opening R, N, O, cut in the bolt, and
when the tumbler is down so that the projection F rests in either of the
notches R or O, or when the tumbler is raised up so that the part F enters
the notch N, in either of these cases the bolt cannot be moved, there-
fore the bit or part L, Fig. 3, of the key must be made of that exact length
which will raise the tumbler into the position of Fig. 1 (where the projection F
is seen in the groove between R and N, O), and neither more or less than
that position, or it will not allow the bolt to move. X is the circular box or
case in which the bit of the key turns round upon its centre pin, which center
pin is fastened to the cover plate of the said box, and projects through the
plate P, P, as shewn in Fig. 3 at x, where it is shaded of a brown or light red
colour. G is a tube fixed fast to the plate P, and forming an external sheath
for the reception of the shank of the key, which tends to guide it as it turns
round. The action of this lock is that by introducing the key S, L, H, into
the tube G, and with the center pin of the lock up the pipe of the key, and
turning the key round upon its centre pin, the part L of its bit will act upon
the tumbler D, and raise it to the position of Fig. 1, which will set the bolt
at liberty to move, and this being done by turning the key further, the part H
of the bit will enter a notch or talon of the bolt, and will move the bolt either
to lock it or unlock it according to the direction in which the key is turned.
This is the description of the common tumbler lock, and to the invention of
which I make no claim; but my improvements in the making or manufac-
turing such locks is to apply the projecting piece of metal 20 to the bolt A, C,
and two sliders 1 and 2 to slide upon pins 3, 3, which are firmly fixed into
the plate X, and are supported by being received. at the other ends into the
external plate of the box of the lock. 4 and 5 are the notches cut through
the projecting piece 20, and the sliders 1 and 2 must. be brought exactly
oposite these notches before the bolt can move. The requisite movement is
given to the sliders 1 and 2 by pins, which are conducted through the centre
pin X of the lock, which is made hollow like a tube for that purpose, and the
pin which is attached to the slider 2 (and marked C, Fig. 4, and shewn by
the yellow colour, Fig. 3) is perforated or made hollow to admit the pin 7,
which is affixed to the other slider 1, and if there was a third slider above 1,

page_text: the pin 7 must be made hollow to admit a pin from it in the same manner as
the pin 7 passes through 6. The sliders 1 and 2 have always a tendency to
approach the plate X by the constant pressure of the springs 10 and 11, which
apply separately to each, and press them down in the absence of the key, so
that they will not correspond with either of the notches in the projecting
piece 20. And my improvement in the making or manufacturing of the key
consists in applying at the bottom of the tube or pipe of the key a short
pin 8, which, when the key is put into its place, as in Fig. 4, shall enter into
the hollow of the centre pin, and press upon the end of the pin 7 of the
slider 1, and move that slider into a position to correspond with the notch 4,
as shewn in Fig. 3. Also at the side of the pin 8 is a small projection
or step 9, which, is adapted to act upon the end of the tube 6 of the
other slider 2, and thus move it into the position to correspond with the
notch 5.
The
The explanation of the action of these improvements is scarcely necessary
after what I have said. Fig. 3 shews the whole action by which the pin 8
and step 9 press upon the pins 7 and 6, and put the sliders 1 and 2 into
their required positions. To prevent the pins 6. and 7 within the hollow.
centre pin from being deranged or examined, I cover the end of the said
hollow centre pin by a piece of metal, having a small hole in it shaped
like a, Fig. 5, which admits the pin 8 in the pipe of the key to enter, and
also the projecting step 9; but when the key is pushed back into its place, as
in Fig. 3, it can be turned round on its centre pin to open the lock.
springs 10 and 11 are shewn as if they were supported at the top of pillars
12, 13, at one end, and the oposite ends bear upon the sliders 1 and 2, but
it is not essential that the springs should be of this kind; spiral springs, or any
other kind, may be used, as are found most convenient. Also for the sliders
themselves, they may be guided in their motion by applying a pin or guide at
each side of each slider (instead of one pin through the middle of the slider)
as at 33, but such manner of guiding them must be used as will prevent
them from moving in any other distance than in the direction perpendicular
to the motion of the bolt.
With respect to the manner of making the key of my said lock, it may
be made in two pieces; first, the bow or handle, and the pin within the pipe,
by which the sliders are moved, and the tube or pipe of the key and
its bit are made in a seperate piece and screwed together, that is, by forming
the part of the handle just below the pin into a screw, which enters a female
screw cut withinside the tube or pipe at its upper end, and when the pins

page_text: and projections are made of the exact length to push back the sliders to
the proper place, the two parts of the key may be screwed fast together,
and, further to secure them from any deviation, may be soldered fast.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Kemp, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixteen.
Inrolled the Twentieth day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and sixteen.