Improvements in the Construction of Locks and Latches.
Year: 1887

page_text: Improvements in the Construction of Locks and Latches.
I, JOHN MATTHIAS HART of 127 Arlington Street, Islington in the County of
Middlesex Manufacturer 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 :-
The invention has for its object firstly improvements in the construction of locks in
order to render them adjustable to various thicknesses of doors and so that keys of a
minute size shall be as effective as keys of ordinary size.
For this purpose 1 place the security means which may consist of levers or slides
either separately or combined and their coacting parts in a cylindrical or other shaped
tube which for adjustment is capable of being traversed in a longitudinal direction
within a fixed tube of similar form or within suitable guides in a similar manner to a
telescope. The traversing tube when adjusted to the thickness of the door is made fast
to the guide tube or guides by means of screws.
"
The traversing tube containing the security means of the lock is provided with
suitable parts for operating the main bolt by means of a suitably shaped plate or disc
at the base of the fixed tube or guides.
The whole of the bit or web portion of the key takes the strain of operating the bolt
instead of the terminal step as hitherto customary.
And in order that my said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried
into effect I will proceed aided by the accompanying drawings more fully to describe
the same.

page_text: DESCRIPTION Of The DrawinGS.
Figures 1 and 2 are internal views of a lock or latch constructed according to my
invention and showing the same respectively in its unlocked and locked positions.
Figure 3 is an edge view. Figure 4 is a vertical section drawn on the line 1. 1.
of Figure 2. Figure 5 is a transverse section drawn on the line 2. 2. of Figure 4.
Figure 6 is an interior view of the lock with the security mechanism removed
therefrom.
Figures 7, 8 and 9 are underside views of the fixed and traversing tubes showing
the parts in three different positions. Figure 10 is an end view and Figure 11 is a
side view of the internal rotating tube with the security mechanism and tube bolt
therein.
Figure 12 is the back end view. Figure 13 is a longitudinal section. Figure 14
is a side view and Figure 15 is the front end view of the security containing tube
separately. Figure 16 is the back end view. Figure 17 is the front end view.
Figure 18 is a side view and Figure 19 is a side view partly in section of the traversing
or nozzle tube. Figure 20 is a side view and figure 21 is the back view of the fixed
or guide tube separately. Figure 22 is a face view and Figure 23 is a side view of the
inner tube bolt separately. Figure 24 is a face view and Figure 25 is an edge or side
view of the inner tube plate and parts fixed thereto; Figures 26 and 27 are
respectively a face view and a side or edge view of the plate or disc for operating the
main bolt and Figures 28 and 29 are face views of two of the levers of the inner
tube separately. In all the figures like parts are marked with similar letters of
reference.
a is the back plate and rim of the lock or latch, a¹ is the front plate or cap, b is the
main bolt or catch, c is the follower and d is the main spring; a is a shoot stop which
in the position shown in the drawings permits the bolt or catch to be shot to its full
extent whilst if reversed in position said shoot stop a² will act against the stop b¹ of
the bolt to shorten its extent of outward motion by about one eighth of an inch and
a is a slide stop for the purpose of locking the bolt or catch in either its locked or
unlocked position.
The parts above described are well known and form no part of my present
invention.
Instead of operating the main bolt or catch by the terminal step of the key, or by
a step fixed to the back of a circular plate at the base of a revolving nozzle as heretofore,
I according to my present invention operate it by a nose or step el formed on a
plate or disc e mounted under the bottom of the fixed guide tube f on an axial stump at
fixed to the back plate a and such plate or disc e is provided with stumps or arms e²
which pass into and fit notches or recesses formed in a plate g' fixed at the bottom of the
inner tube y containing the security mechanism. The guide tube f is provided with a
flange which rests upon segmental plates aand is secured to the back plate of the
lock by screws as shown; such flange is shaped on one side to fit against the rim of
the lock to secure rigidity.
I also according to my present invention place the security means in a cylindrical
or it may be other shaped tube which for adjustment of the lock or latch to different
thicknesses of doors is capable of being traversed in a longitudinal direction within
the fixed guide tube fin a similar manner to a telescope. The traversing tube h-when
adjusted to the thickness of the door is made fast to the fixed guide tube by means
of screws passing through holes in the tube f and into one or other of the holes in
the tube . The security means in the arrangement shown in the drawings consists of
levers .. contained within the tube y and mounted on a lever stump g³ fixed to the
plate which latter is also provided with a bearing stump and with a key stumpy".
These levers.. act in combination with a bolt j at the bottom of the series of levers
and such bolt is provided with a main stump j', slots for working on the stumps g³; g*

page_text: and bolt head j³. . The inner tube g is retained in position within the traversing tube /
by a plate fixed to the bottom of the tube h and formed with spaces between
it and the tube h to permit of the rotation of the bolt head 3 and the arms or
stumps e, suitable stops being formed on such plate against which the
bolt head strikes in order to limit the extent of motion of the inner tube g.
The traversing tube his formed with a slot 7 to permit the bolt head to pass
through the same and enter a longitudinal groove or slot f³ formed in the interior of
the guide tube f. Thus when the main bolt or catch bis shot, the bolt head ³
protrudes from the traversing tube h into the groove or slot 3 in the guide tube f, the
consequence is that until the levers i have been properly raised by the key
to permit the movement of the bolt the inner tube is locked by such bolt
to the fixed guide tube f and the main bolt cannot consequently be moved, but after
the key has raised the levers and has withdrawn the bolt head from the slot f³
the inner tube g is capable of being partially rotated by the key in which action the
tube plate g will by acting upon the stumps or arms e² rotate the disc or plate e
which by its nose or step e will act upon the main bolt b. The key stump 95 at its
lower end is formed completely cylindrical to receive the end of the key pin or pipe,
but above such cylindrical part it is formed with a longitudinal slot or opening to
permit the free passage and action of the bit or web of the key in operating the
levers... and tube bolt without rotating the tube g after which the entire
length of the web of the key takes a bearing against the edge g of the open side of
the key stump to rotate the inner tube y and with it the disc or plate e operating the
main bolt by which means the whole of the bit or web portion of the key takes the
strain of operating the main bolt instead of the terminal step as customary. The
lever is formed with a notch or recess and with a notch 3 which is wider than the
thickness of the stump of the tube bolj and than the corresponding notches i³ in
the levers ; this construction is for the purpose of enabling such lover i¹ to drop with
its notch onto the web of the key after the levers have been raised, the tube
bolt withdrawn from the groove or slot in the guide tube and the inner tube
rotated to unlock or withdraw the main bolt 6, by which means sufficient friction is put
upon the key by the lever to enable said key to rotate the inner tube g in a reverse
direction until the bolt head 3 has arrived at the stop 3 without acting upon the
levers or the bolt, whereby such bolt is prevented from bearing against the interior
of the traversing tube h during the rotation of the inner tube 9. The traversing
tube has the nozzle connected thereto by fitting said nozzle tightly within a hole
formed for it in the outer end or cap of the tube and burring or rivetting the edge
of the nozzle around the inside of such hole. Thus in the event of force being applied
to such nozzle for the purpose of forcibly rotating the tube h the said nozzle will
slip round in its bearing in the tube hand no further effect can be produced thereby on
the said tube.
The invention has for its object secondly a novel construction of nozzle for the
above and for other descriptions of locks and latches in order to secure such nozzles
against the action of drilling.
In carrying this part of my invention into effect I construct the nozzle of a
combination of iron and steel welded together, the steel being by preference below the
iron. In constructing such a nozzle I take a compound plate of iron and steel and
punch or cut out a disc or blank therefrom which I shape and provide with the
neccessary keyhole in any well known manner after which I harden the steel so as to
ensure safety against drilling.
This description of nozzle as will be readily understood is also applicable to other
classes of locks and latches than that above described.
I would here remark that although I have represented my present invention applied
to a latch it is equally applicable to locks and I would further remark that the form
and construction of the various parts may be considerably modified without departing
from the peculiar character of my invention.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what 1 claim is:-
1. Constructing locks and latches with an adjustable nozzle tube or frame containing
the security mechanism substantially as herein shown and described and for the
purpose stated.
-
2. The peculiar construction of parts whereby the whole length of the bit or web portion
of the key is caused to take the strain of operating the main bolt substantially as herein
shown and described and for the purpose stated.
3. The peculiar arrangement and combination of parts of locks and latches sub-
stantially as herein shown and described and for the purpose stated.
4. Constructing the nozzles of locks and latches of combined iron and steel substan-
tially as herein shown and described and for the purpose stated.
Dated this 1st day of March 1887.
JOHN MATTHIAS HART.
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings,
⚫Agents.