IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM OR APPARATUS TO BE APPLIED TO DOORS, WINDOWS, SHUTTERS, DRAWERS, AND OTHER ARTICLES FOR THE PURPOSE OF GIVING AN ALARM WHEN BURGLARIOUS OR IMPROPER ATTEMPTS ARE MADE TO OPEN THE SAME
Year: 1878

page_text: "
LETTERS PÅTENT to Herbert Ernest Newton Mason, of Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Manufacturer, and Joseph Price, of Birmingham afore-
said, Accountant, for the Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM OR
APPARATUS TO BE APPLIED TO DOORS, WINDOWS, SHUTTERS, DRAWERS, AND
OTHER ARTICLES FOR THE PURPOSE OF GIVING AN ALARM WHEN BURGLARIOUS
OR IMPROPER ATTEMPTS ARE MADE TO OPEN THE SAME."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Herbert Ernest Newton
Mason and Joseph Price at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
31st July 1878.
« IM-
HERBERT ERNEST NEWTON MASON, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Manufacturer, and JOSEPH PRICE, of Birmingham aforesaid, Accountant.
PROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM OR APPARATUS TO BE APPLIED TO DOORS, WINDOWS,
SHUTTERS, DRAWERS, AND OTHER ARTICLES, FOR THE PURPOSE OF GIVING AN
ALARM WHEN BURGLARIOUS OR IMPROPER ATTEMPTS ARE MADE TO OPEN THE
SAME.
"
Our Invention consists of the construction and arrangement of parts of apparatus
or mechanism, herein-after described, to be connected principally with doors,
windows, shutters, and drawers, for the purpose of giving alarm in cases of
improper or burglarious attempts to open said doors, windows, shutters, and
drawers.
We will describe our Invention as applied to a door-Over the door frame is a
vertical bolt sliding in a case, the said bolt being in the same or nearly the same
plane as the door. In the door frame and immediately under the case of the bolt is
a hole through which the said bolt can descend until its extreme lower end nearly
touches the top of the door; the said lower end of the bolt is perforated with a
horizontal hole or eye. On the top of the door a pin is fixed, the lower half of the
said pin being vertical and the upper half horizontal and pointed so as to form a
I Prine R71

page_text: hook. The position of this hook on the door is such that when the door is closed
the pointed end of the hook takes into the hole or eye in the lower end of the bolt,
a slot or channel being cut in the door frame to permit of the passage of the said
hook.
The bolt described is connected at its top by a wire, cord, or chain to a bell-crank
lever, and the said bell-crank lever is connected by other wires, cords, or chains
with a bell or other sounding or alarm apparatus, situated at any convenient part
of the house or premises. The said connecting wires, cords, or chains, terminate in
a coiled spring, the lower end of the said coiled spring being fixed. The said coiled
spring carries a loop or slot through which a lever passes; the said lever when
depressed liberating the striking or other alarm apparatus, and thereby producing a
great noise.
When the apparatus is not in action the bolt is raised and the coiled spring is
contracted, and the lever situated near the bell or alarm is depressed.
In order to set the apparatus for use the bolt is depressed and the door closed, the
engaging of the hook on the top of the door with the eye or hole in the lower end
of the bolt holding the said bolt in its depressed position, elongating the coiled
spring, and permitting the lever described to assume its raised position. The
striking mechanism is now wound up, but is held out of action by the lever
described.
'
When the door is opened the hook being withdrawn from the eye or hole in the
bottom of the bolt, the said bolt is permitted to rise, the elongated coiled spring
contracts, and pressing upon the lever lowers it, thereby liberating the striking
mechanism which immediately produces an alarm.
The same striking mechanism or alarm may be connected with several doors, the
coiled springs from the bolts which terminate near the alarm having loops through
which the lever described passes. The opening of either of the doors puts the
alarm into operation.
Indicators for showing the particular door which has been opened and caused the
alarm may be applied to the apparatus. These indicators consist of levers engaged
with the coiled springs described.
On the opening of a door and the contraction of the coiled spring the long arm of
the indicator lever is depressed and its short arm raised. The said short arm carries
a label indicating the door it is connected with, and the said label being raised to
an opening in a plate in front of it indicates the door.
In applying our Invention to the door of an apartment or premises so that the
apparatus may be made ready for action on the closing of the door by a person on
the outside, we employ the following additions:-A vertical lever near the lower
end of the bolt carries at its top a pin, which on being passed through the bolt case
into the bolt holds it in its depressed position. The lower end of this lever is
struck by the top of the door as it is closed and the pin is thereby withdrawn
from the bolt, and the hook on the top of the door introduced into the eye in the
lower end of the bolt at the same time. The apparatus is thus made ready for
action.
Although we have described the use of a striking or bell alarm yet any other
alarm or sounding machine may be operated by the mechanism described.
Instead of making the bolt work vertically and engage with a hook on the
top of the door, it may work horizontally and engage with a hook on the side of
the door..
Our Invention, besides being applicable to doors, may also be applied to windows,
shutters, drawers, safes, strong rooms, boxes, and generally to articles which it is
wished to protect against burglarious or improper opening.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Herbert Ernest Newton Mason and Joseph Price in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 25th January 1879.
"IM-
HERBERT ERNEST NEWTON MASON, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Manufacturer, and JOSEPH PRICE, of Birmingham aforesaid, Accountant.
PROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM OR APPARATUS TO BE APPLIED TO DOORS, WINDOWS,
SHUTTERS, DRAWERS, AND OTHER ARTICLES, FOR THE PURPOSE OF GIVING AN
ALARM WHEN BURGLARIOUS OR IMPROPER ATTEMPTS ARE MADE TO OPEN THE
SAME"
:
Our Invention consists of the construction and arrangement of parts of apparatus
or mechanism herein-after described, to be connected principally with doors, windows,
shutters, and drawers.
We will describe our Invention as applied to a door:-Over the door frame. is.a
vertical bolt sliding in a case, the said bolt being in the same or nearly the same
plane as the door. The case of the bolt is prolonged through the door frame, so
that the bolt can descend until its extreme lower end nearly touches the top of the
door ;
the said lower end of the bolt is perforated with a horizontal hole or eye.
On the top of the door a pin is fixed, the lower half of the said pin being vertical
and the upper half horizontal and pointed so as to form a hook. The position .of
this hook on the door is such that when the door is closed, the pointed end of the
hook takes into the hole or eye in the lower end of the bolt, a slot or channel being
cut in the door frame to permit of the passage of the said hook.
The bolt described is connected at its top by a wire, cord, or chain, to a bell-crank
lever, and the said bell-crank lever is connected by other wires, cords, or chains
with a bell or other sounding or alarm apparatus situated at any convenient part
of the house or premises. The said connecting wires, cords, or chains terminate in
a coiled spring, the lower end of the said coiled spring being fixed. The said coiled
spring carries a loop or slot through which a lever passes, the said lever when
depressed liberating the striking or other alarm apparatus and thereby producing a
great noise.
When the apparatus is not in action the bolt is raised, and the coiled spring is
contracted, and the lever situated near the bell or alarm is depressed.
In order to set the apparatus for use, the bolt is depressed and the door closed,
the engaging of the hook on the top of the door with the eye or hole in the lower
end of the bolt holding the said bolt in its depressed position, elongating the coiled
spring, and permitting the lever described to assume its raised position. The
striking mechanism is now wound up but is held out of action by the lever
described.
When the door is opened, the hook being withdrawn from the eye or hole in the
bottom of the bolt, the said bolt is permitted to rise, the elongated coiled spring
contracts, and pressing upon the lever lowers it, thereby liberating the striking
mechanism which immediately produces an alarm.
The same striking mechanism or alarm may be connected with several doors, the
coiled springs from the bolts, which terminate near the alarm, having loops through
which the lever described passes. The opening of either of the doors puts the alarm
into operation.
Indicators for showing the particular door which has been opened and caused the
alarm may be applied to the apparatus. These indicators consist of levers engaged
with the coiled springs described.
.
On the opening of a door and the contraction of the coiled spring, the long arm
of the indicator is depressed and its short arm raised. The said short arm carries &
label indicating the door it is connected with, and the said label being raised to an
opening in a plate in front of it indicates the door; or the label for indicating the

page_text: door which has been opened may be carried by a vertical slide raised and lowered
by the action of a rack and toothed quadrant worked from the coiled spring as
herein-after more particularly explained.
In applying our Invention to the door of an apartment or premises so that the
apparatus may be made ready for action on the closing of the door by a person on
the outside we employ the following additions:-A vertical lever near the lower
end of the bolt carries at its top a pin which, on being passed through the bolt case
into the bolt, holds it in its depressed position. The lower end of this lever is
struck by the hook on the top of the door as it is closed, and the pin is thereby
withdrawn from the bolt, and the hook on the top of the door introduced into the
eye in the lower end of the bolt at the same time. The apparatus is thus made
ready for action.
We will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings
the manner in which our Invention may be performed.
Figure 1 represents in front elevation, partly in vertical section, and Figure 2, in
vertical section, that part of the alarm mechanism or apparatus constituting our
Invention which is applied to the door and door frame. The section, Figure 2, is
taken in a plane at right angles to that in which the section of Figure 1 is taken.
Figure 3 represents the same view as Figure 1, and Figure 4 the same view as
Figure 2; the said Figures 3 and 4 exhibiting the parts in the positions which
they respectively occupy after the door has been opened and the alarm put into
operation.
J
Figure 5 represents the bolt, in front elevation and section, detached from its case;
in combination with a part of the door.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.
a represents a portion of the door, and b, a portion of the frame of the door.
Over and passing through the top of the door frame b is a vertical case c in which
a bolt d slides, the said bolt being nearly in the same plane as the door a when
closed. The bolt case c is open at bottom and has also an opening c² (see Figure 4)
for the passage through it of the hook herein-after described. The lower end of
the bolt d is provided with a horizontal hole or eye d². On the top of the door a is
a hook or hooked pin e, the lower half being vertical and the upper half horizontal
and pointed, as seen in Figures 2, 4, and 5. The hook e on the door a is so
arranged that when the door is closed and the bolt d is in its lowest position the
pointed end of the hook takes into the hole or eye in the bottom of the bolt, as
represented in Figures 2 and 5. A slot or channel b is cut in the door frame b for
the passage through it of the hook e, the said hook, when the door is closed, passing
through the opening c² in the bolt case c to engage the said hook with the hole or
d in the bottom of the bolt. The sliding motion of the bolt d in either direc-
tion in its case is limited by the stud g (see Figure 2) on the said bolt working in
a slot c³ in the bolt case c. The lower end of the bolt d tapers downwards on its
sides, so that the said bolt cannot be gripped and held down by a pair of pincers or
other gripping tool while the door is opened. The hook e on the door is made of
chilled or hardened steel, and is carried by a chilled or hardened steel plate let into
the edge of the door so as to be flush therewith, and fixed in its place by screws
or other fastenings.
eye
In order to set the alarm for use, the bolt d is depressed in its case until its
lower end occupies the position represented in Figures and 2. The lowering of
the bolt may be effected by a handle on it working through a slot in the bolt case,
or in any other convenient manner. By the shutting of the door a the hook e
engages with the eye d² of the bolt, and the said bolt is fixed down, and the
apparatus is set for use.
On opening the door a, the hook e is withdrawn from the eye d² in the bolt d,
and the said bolt is released and is raised in its case, and the alarm put into opera-
tion in the manner herein-after described.
In order to fix the bolt d in its lowest position so that the said bolt is unaffected

page_text: by the opening and closing of the door, a hole h is made in the bolt, and another
hole is made through the bolt case. When the bolt d is in its depressed position,
the hole h in the bolt & comes opposite the hole i in the case, and a fixing cotter k
(as represented in Figure 2) may be passed into the bolt so as to hold it firmly in
its depressed position. When so fixed down, the hook e passes into and out. of the
eye d² of the bolt d, when the door is opened and closed without the said bolt being.
affected thereby.
When it is wished to use the alarm, the door is closed and the fixing cotter k with-
drawn. The bolt d is now held in its depressed position by the hook e on the door,
and on opening the said door the bolt is raised and the alarm put into operation.
The bolt d is connected to a coiled spring near the sounding or alarm apparatus
through the wire and bell-crank lever m, situated at any convenient height above
the bolt case, and the said bell-crank lever is connected by a wire n' to other wires,
and the latter are connected to the coiled spring described of the sounding apparatus
situated at any convenient part of the house or premises.
We have represented in Figures 6 and 7. a bell or sounding alarm in conjunction
with actuating and indicating mechanism, constructed according to our Invention,
which we will now proceed to describe.
Figures 6 and 7 represent front elevations of the said mechanism and alarm,
Figure 6 exhibiting the several parts in their normal positions, and Figure 7 the
same after the mechanism has been put into operation and the alarm sounded by
the opening of the door.
.
The sounding alarm and parts connected with it, Figures 6 and 7, may be
arranged in a box or case, or carried by a bracket suspended to a wall or other
surface. The wire n passing from the bolting mechanism, Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5,
is connected to the bell-crank lever p above the alarm apparatus, a wire p² and
connecting bar p³ from the bell-crank lever terminating in a coiled spring-q, the
lower end of which is fixed at q² to the box, or case, or bracket containing or sup
porting the sounding machine, or to other fixed support. The said coiled spring q
carries a loop or slotted bar q3 through which a lever passes. This lever is.
jointed at its end to the fixed box or bracket of the apparatus, and its free end
is connected through the link to the short arm 82 of the pressing lever 8, 8³, turning
on the centre 8. This lever 8, 82, is for the purpose of liberating and holding out
of action the striking or alarm apparatus. The inner and long arm 8 of this lever
is weighted, and when at liberty to move it raises the lever r and falling upon the
friction wheel or disc t below it, bears upon the said wheel or disc and prevents its
rotation, and throws the sounding mechanism temporarily out of action. The
friction wheel or dise t is situated on an independent axis, a pinion on the said axis
gearing with a toothed wheel on the parallel axis u
It is only by the rotation of the axis u that the striking mechanism is brought into
action, so that the arresting or releasing of the said axis u through the regulating
wheel and axis t fixes or liberates the striking mechanism. vis the bell of the
sounding apparatus, and wis the hammer or clapper of the same.
Striking mechanism, with the exception of the wheel and axis at t, is essentially
the same as that of an ordinary clock, and we therefore do not think it necessary
further to describe the same.
When the apparatus is not set for use the coiled spring q is contracted, and the
bolt d of the bolting mechanism, Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, is raised in its case by.
the said spring. By the contracting of the coiled spring q its loop q³ bears upon
and depresses the lever r into the position represented in Figure 7, and the weighted
arm 8 of the pressing lever 8, 82, is raised from the disc or wheel t of the sounding
Inechanism.
In order to set the apparatus for use the bolt d (Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5) is
depressed to the bottom of its case and the door a closed, the said bolt being held
in its lowered position by the hook e on the said door, as before described. By thus.
depressing the bolt & the coiled spring q is elongated, and the pressure of its loop, g³
'

page_text: upon the lever 7 removed. The pressing lever 8, 82, being relieved from the action
of the lever r, falls by its own weight, and, bearing upon the disc or wheel t, fixes
the striking mechanism and prevents it operating. The spring barrel of the striking
mechanism is now wound up by turning the square axis x, but the said striking
mechanism is held out of action by the pressing lever 8, 82, as described. The
several parts now occupy the respective positions represented in Figure 6. When
the door a is opened, and the hook e withdrawn from the eye or hole in the
bolt d, the said bolt is raised in its case by the action of the spring q, which spring
contracts, and its loop q³ pressing upon the lever r lowers the said lever, thereby
raising the pressing arms of the lever 8, 82, from the wheel or disc t, and thus
liberating the striking mechanism, as illustrated in Figure 7. The hammer w now
strikes the bell several blows in succession, and thus produces an alarm.
The striking mechanism, Figures 6, 7, and 8, may be connected with several doors.
We have represented it in the Drawing as connected with three doors only, but by
lengthening the lever more than three doors may be connected with the same
striking mechanism.
The coiled springs y, z, situated at the side of the spring 9 are connected with
bolting mechanism of the kind already described, the bolts and their springs y, z,
being constructed and working in the manner described with respect to the bolt a
and spring q.
For the purpose of indicating the particular door which has been opened and
caused the alarm, an indicating lever of the kind represented in Figures 6 and 7
in conjunction with the spring q may be applied to the apparatus.
We have only represented an indicating lever applied to the spring 9, as each of
the indicating levers is similarly constructed and worked. 2, 3, is the indicating
lever turning on the centre 4, its long slotted arm 2 being connected by the pin 5
with the coiled spring q. The short arm 3 of the indicating lever carries a label
indicating the door it is connected with.
"When the apparatus is set for use, the elongation of the spring 9 causes the
indicating lever 2, 3, to take the inclined position represented in Figure 6, and
thereby to remove its short arm 3 from opposite a slot or opening in the front plate
of the apparatus. On the opening of a door and the contraction of the coiled
spring the indicating lever 2, 3, is brought into a horizontal position, as represented
Չ
in Figure 7. The label end 3 of the lever is thereby raised to the slot or opening
described in the front plate of the apparatus, and indicates the door which has been
opened.
Instead of using an indicating lever of the kind last described, the expanding
and contracting of the coiled spring 9 (or other spring) may be made to work a
slide carrying a label indicating the door which has been opened. This modifi-
cation is represented in Figure 8, where 6 is a slide carrying the label, the said
slide having at its back a toothed rack with which a toothed quadrant 7 gears.
The quadrant 7 is carried on the end of the lever 8 turning on the centre 10, the
said lever being jointed to the arm 11 on the coiled spring q (or other spring) of
the striking mechanisın. As the coiled spring q is elongated to set the apparatus,
the slide 6 carrying the label is lowered and removed from the front of an opening
in the case by the action of the lever 8 and quadrant.7. On the contraction of the
spring the racked slide 6 is raised, and the label on its front face brought to the
opening in the case to indicate the door which has been opened.
2
Figures 9, 10, and 11 represent in vertical section the arrangement of our
Invention for setting the apparatus for use on the closing of the door by a person
on the outside. In this arrangement we joint the cotter k for fixing down the
bolt d in its lowest position to the short arm d³ of the vertical lever d³, d*, jointed
to and working in a slot 62 in the door frame b. The bottom of the long arm d' of
the lever carries an open.loop d³ bent at right angles to the said arm of the lever.
A plan of the loop do is represented in Figure 9.

page_text: In order to set the apparatus the bolt d is lowered, and the fixing cotter k on the
lever d³, d, is passed into the hole h in the bolt, so as to hold down the bolt, the
door a having been previously opened. The parts of the apparatus now occupy
the positions represented in Figure 9. On closing the door a from the outside the
stem of the hook e on the said door enters and bears against the loop d³ on the
lever arm d³, the horizontal part of the hook passing on the side of the lever, and
the said lever is turned on its centre, and carried with the door in its
motion.
When the door has nearly reached its closed position the hook e enters the eye d²
of the bolt d and holds the latter down, and by the time the door is closed the
action of the hook e upon the loop d³ of the lever has caused the said lever to
withdraw the fixing cotter k from the hole h in the bolt, the parts now occupying
the respective positions represented in Figure 10, and the apparatus is thus set for
use by the closing of the door by a person on the outside.
When the door has been opened and the alarm put into operation the lever d³, d',
is left in the position represented in Figure 11 ready for the cotter k to be re-
engaged with the bolt when required.
Although we have described and represented the use of a striking or bell alarm,
yet any other alarm or sounding machine may be operated by the mechanism
described.
Instead of making the bolt work vertically, and engage with a hook on the top
of the door, it may work horizontally and engage with a hook on the side of the
door.
Our Invention besides being applicable to doors may also be applied to windows,
shutters, drawers, safes, strong rooms, boxes, and generally to articles which it is
wished to protect against burglarious or improper opening.
Having now described the nature of our Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, we wish it to be understood that we claim as our
Invention of "Improvements in Mechanism or Apparatus to be Applied to
Doors, Windows, Shutters, Drawers, and other Articles for the Purpose of
Giving an Alarm when Burglarious or Improper Attempts are made to open the
same,
"
First. The construction and arrangement or combination of the parts of the
bolting or setting mechanism herein-before described, and illustrated in Figures I,
2, 3, 4, and 5 of the accompanying Drawings, to be applied to the door to be pro-
tected, the said bolting or setting mechanism being fixed down by the closing of
the door, and released by the opening of the door, and connected with a bell or
other sounding or alarm apparatus, the said bolting or setting mechanism being
applied to the door, and used substantially as described and illustrated; also the
coinbination with the said bolting or setting mechanism of the fixing-down lever
and parts connected therewith, described and represented in Figures 9, 10, and 11
for permitting of the setting of the apparatus for use by the closing of the door by
a person on the outside.
Secondly. The construction and combination of parts substantially as herein-
before described, and illustrated in Figures 6 and 7 of the accompanying Drawings
used in conjunction with the bolting or setting mechanism referred to in claim 1,
or with equivalent mechanism for holding out of action and liberating at the
proper times the bell or other sounding or alarm apparatus.
Thirdly. The combination with the actuating mechanism of the bell or other
sounding or alarm apparatus of the appliances herein-before described, and illus-
trated in Figures 6, 7, and 8 of the accompanying Drawings, for indicating the
door which has been opened.
Lastly. The application of the mechanical arrangements referred to in the pre-
ceding claims to windows, shutters, drawers, and other articles for the purpose of

page_text: ‘giving an alarm when burglarious or improper attempts are made to open the
same.
In witness whereof, we, the said Herbert Ernest Newton Mason and Joseph
Price, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-third day of
January, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
nine.
HERBERT ERNEST NEWTON MASON. (L.S.)
JOSEPH PRICE.
(L.S.)
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
-