IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPLICABLE TO LOCKS OR EXPANDING FASTENERS FOR CLOSING AND SECURING BOOKS, ALBUMO FOLIOS DODAMO Pozna
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Howard Busby Fox, of Oxton, in the County
.
of Chester, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPLICABLE
TO LOCKS OR EXPANDING FASTENERS FOR CLOSING AND SECURING BOOKS,
ALBUMO FOLIOS DODAMO Pozna
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Howard Busby
Fox at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 29th May 1873.
I, HOWARD BUSBY Fox, of Oxton, in the County of Chester, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
AND APPLICABLE TO LOCKS OR EXPANDING FASTENERS FOR CLOSING AND SECURING
BOOKS, ALBUMS, FOLIOS, DISPATCH BOXES, AND VARIOUS OTHER ARTICLES," to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to an improved lock or expanding fastener for
closing and securing books, such as cash books, ledgers, diaries, albums,
also dispatch boxes, folios, and other similar receptacles, and consists of
a lock (spring or otherwise), the case of which carries a clamp fitted

page_text: with pins or projections, or a roughed edge. The catch of the lock
carries a duplicate clamp fitted with pins or projections and a toothed
rack, which rack slides into the lock and forms the catch, the rack
allowing the clamp to expand or contract according to the width required
to grasp the thickness of the book or other article to be secured. In the 5
case of spring locks the book or other article to be secured can be
fastened by merely compressing the clamp, a key being used to open the
same. When the lock is made without a spring it will be required to
use a key for locking and unlocking.
It is preferred that books and other articles should be fitted with 1
stamped metal eyelet holes on their edges, so that the pins or projections
on the clamps of the expanding lock or fastener will take therein without
destroying the edge of the book or article to be secured.
A modification of this Invention consists in forming the fastener in
manner similar to the fastening of a chain dog collar, the clamps with
pins or projections being fitted to the fastener and sliding catch as will
be well understood, the fastening or locking operation being performed
by screwing or unscrewing the fastener by key as is also understood.
The sliding rack or catch piece may be fitted with a stop, so that
the sliding rack or catch may move backwards and forwards without
becoming detached from the lock.
This Invention consists in applying or adapting the clamps as before
mentioned in combination with a lock or fastener, and thereby forming
an expanding lock or fastener suitable and applicable to the purposes
herein-before described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Howard Busby Fox in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 28th November 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HOWARD
BUSBY Fox, of Oxton, in the County of Chester, send greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-sixth

page_text: year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Howard Busby Fox, Her special licence
that I, the said Howard Busby Fox, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Howard Busby Fox, my
executors, administrators, and 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 AND APPLICABLE TO LOCKS OR EXPANDING FASTENERS FOR CLOSING AND SECURING
BOOKS, ALBUMS, FOLIOS, DISPATCH BOXES, AND VARIOUS OTHER ARTICLES," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Howard Busby Fox,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the
Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Howard Busby Fox, do hereby
declare the nature of my said 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 an improved lock or expanding fastener for
closing and securing books, such as cash books, ledgers, diaries, albums,
also dispatch boxes, folios, and other similar receptacles, and consists of
a lock (spring or otherwise) the case of which carries a clamp fitted with
pins or projections, or a roughed edge. The catch of the lock carries a
duplicate clamp fitted with pins or projections and a toothed rack, which
rack slides into the lock and forms the catch. The rack allowing the
clamp to expand or contract according to the width required to grasp the
thickness of the book or other article to be secured. In the case of
spring locks the book or other article to be secured can be fastened by
merely compressing the clamp, a key being used to open the same.
When the lock is made without a spring it will be required to use a key
for locking and unlocking.
It is preferred that books and other articles should be fitted with
stamped metal eyelet holes on their edges, so that the pins or projections

page_text: on the clamps of the expanding lock or fastener will take therein without
destroying the edge of the book or article to be secured.
A modification of this Invention consists in forming the fastener in
manner similar to the fastening of a chain dog collar, the clamps with
pins or projections being fitted to the fastener and sliding catch, as will
be well understood, the fastening or locking operation being performed
by screwing or unscrewing the fastener by key, as is also understood.
The sliding rack or catch piece may be fitted with a stop, so that
the sliding rack or catch may move backwards and forwards without
becoming detached from the lock.
This Invention consists in applying or adapting the clamps, as before
mentioned, in combination with a lock or fastener, and thereby forming
an expanding lock or fastener suitable and applicable to the purposes
herein-before described.
The foregoing being the nature, object, and purposes of this Invention,
I will now proceed to describe more in detail how the same may be
carried out into practical effect, and for that purpose I have hereunto
attached a Sheet of Drawings illustrative of my Invention, as will enable
any person acquainted with the manufacture of locks to put the same
into practice. Like letters and figures denote similar parts throughout
the various views.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of an expanding lock or fastener con-
structed according to this Iuvention; Figure 2 is a back view of same,
and Figure 3 an end view.
Figure 4 is a plan of clamp, and Figure 5 an end elevation of clamp
and rack.
Figure 6 is a front elevation of an expanding lock or fastener con-
structed according to my Invention and fitted with a double rack;
Figure 7 is a back elevation of same.
Figures 8 and 9 show the clamps hinged to the lock and rack, and
arranged so that they may be rivetted to the book or other article.
Figures 10 and 11 show an adaptation of my expanding lock or
fastener suitable for filing papers or documents.
Figure 12 shows an elevation of my expanding lock or fastener fitted
with a safety seal or signet plate; Figure 13 is a plan of same,

page_text: Figures 14, 15, and 16, show the method of applying my expanding
lock or fastener to a book, bag, and box respectively.
Referring to the Drawings it will be seen that my improved lock or
expanding fastener consists of a lock (which may be spring or otherwise)
contained in the case A. The case carries a clamp B fitted with pins or
projections D, or a roughed edge, or holes for rivets. The catch of the
lock consists of a sliding toothed rack C, which carries a clamp E, which
is fitted with pins or projections F, or a roughed edge, or holes for
rivetting. These clamps E and B may be fixed to and form part of the
lock case A and sliding rack C respectively, or they may be hinged as
shown at G and H, Figure 8. In some instances the lock case A may
be fitted with an additional key-hole and lock I (shown in dotted lines
Figure 1) for further securing the rack C.
Referring to Figures 6 and 7, it will be seen that the lock may in
some instances be fitted with a double sliding rack C, C¹.
Referring to Figures 10 and 11, it will be seen that the clamps
B and E may be fitted with a tube K and rod L respectively, and form
a locking file for securing papers and other documents.
Referring to Figures 12 and 13, it will be seen that the lock case A
has hinged to it a frame plate M arranged to hold a signet, card, or glass
seal, so that when the plate M is closed on the lock case A the key-hole
N cannot be got at until the signet card is destroyed or the glass seal
broken. The plate M may fasten to the lock case by a suitable catch.
Although in the Drawings the locks are shown with toothed racks, I
would have it understood that the same result can be arrived at by using
a fastener similar to the fastening of a chain dog collar, as before
mentioned.
Having now described and ascertained the nature, object, and purposes
of this my Invention, and shown how the same may be carried out into
practical effect, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself
to the exact dimensions or relative proportions of the expanding lock or
fastener or to the mechanism of the lock, as the same may be consider-
ably varied without departing from my Invention, but what I claim as
my Invention and secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid is,-
Firstly. The lock or expanding fastener shown at Figures 1, 2, 3, 4,
5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, of the accompanying Drawings for closing and securing

page_text: books, albums, folios, dispatch boxes, and various other articles, sub-
stantially in the manner herein-before described and set forth.
Secondly. The lock or expanding fastener shown at Figures 10 and 11
of the accompanying Drawings for filing and securing papers, documents,
or deeds, substantially in the manner herein-before described and set
forth.
Thirdly. The lock or expanding fastener shown at Figures 12 and 13
of the accompanying Drawings fitted with a hinged safety signet or seal
plate, substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein-before
described and set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Howard Busby Fox, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of November, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
three.
HOWARD BUSBY (L.s.) FOX.