IMPROVEMENTS TV WAROW TO AND AMUTED KEYS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Ritchie, of 9, Stonefield Street, Cloudesley
Square, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
TV WAROW TO AND AMUTED KEYS
Sealed the 16th July 1867, and dated the 29th January 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Ritchie at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 29th
January 1867.
I, JOHN RITCHIE, of 9, Stonefield Street, Cloudsley Square, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN WATCH KEYS AND OTHER KEYS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in watch keys and other
keys. Keys which are carried in the pocket are very liable to accumulate
dirt in the barrel, and they are thus rendered for the time useless, which is
frequently the source of much inconvenience.
Now according to my Invention I arrange within the barrel of the watch
key or other key a plunger like that of an everpointed pencil; this plunger is
of a size to fill up the barrel which contains it so as effectually to exclude
dust and dirt therefrom, and it is arranged so that it may by suitable manipu-
lation before and after the key is used be moved longitudinally in the barrel
so as to bring the end of the plunger flush with the extremity of the barrel

page_text: when it is required to exclude dirt, and drawn back into the barrel so as to be
out of the way when the key is required for use. It is preferred that the
plunger should receive its motion by means of a spiral with which a portion
of the key is connected, and by turning this part of the key whilst the other
parts are held stationary, the plunger has the required movement communi-
cated to it, or in place of this arrangement the key may be formed with a
sliding ring or instrument, on the outside to which the plunger within the
barrel is attached, so that when the ring or sliding instrument is taken hold
of and moved towards one or other end of the barrel the plunger within the
barrel receives a corresponding movement.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Ritchie in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 29th
July 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
RITCHIE, of 9, Stonefield Street, Cloudsley Square, in the County of Middlesex,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Ritchie, Her special licence that J, the said John Ritchie, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Ritchie, 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 WATCH KEYS
AND OTHER KEYS," upon the condition (amongst others), that I, the said John
Ritchie, 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 immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Ritchie, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-

page_text: formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in watch keys and other
keys. Keys which are carried in the pocket are very liable to accumulate dirt
in the barrel, and they are thus rendered for the time useless, which is frequently
the source of much inconvenience.
Now according to my Invention I arrange within the barrel of the watch
key or other key a plunger which fills the barrel so as to exclude dirt so long
as the key is not required for use, but which to prepare the key for use can
be caused to recede into the barrel of the key by a spiral or screw motion
similar to that of an everpointed pencil.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a watch key constructed in this manner
as it appears when the plunger is filling the barrel of the key; Figure 2 is
also a longitudinal section of the same, but with the barrel clear and ready
for use.
The outer case of the instruments consists of three parts a, b, and c; the
part a is a tube closed at one end; the part 6 is a ring and carries a link
by which the apparatus may be attached to a watch chain; and the part c is
a tube open at both ends, but somewhat contracted by an internal flange or
lip at its outermost end; within these parts is a tube d with a screw-like
or spiral slot d¹ cut through it; it is soldered to the piece c and with it the
key bite which is a tube with the ordinary square hole through it, it has
a stud e upon it entering into the inclined slot d'; but in between the
parts & and e, there is a tube f which is split throughout, with the exception
of one end which is of greater thickness; the stud el also passes through
the slot in this tube; g is the square plunger to fill the barrel or hole of
the key bit e; it has a head g¹ at its upper end, and this head is soldered
to the tube f which in turn is soldered to the part a of the outer case,
thus it will be seen that when the part a of the case is held stationary and
the part c rotated the key bit e is prevented from turning, and the slotted
tube d being carried round with the part c drives the key bit forward
clear of the plunger. A similar arrangement is applicable to lock keys, thus,
Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of a key of this description; and Figure 4
is also a longitudinal section of the same key, but with the plunger which closes
the barrel of the key drawn back.
a is the barrel of the key with the bit formed upon it; and b is a bow or
handle thereof which is a separate piece and has soldered to it the tube c, in
which a screw slot is cut passing once round it or thereabout; d is another tube
also with a screw slot cut in it but running in the opposite direction; and the

page_text: tube d is able to turn on the outside of the tube c; e is the plunger for filling
the barrel of the key, it has a stud e¹ on its stem passing through the slots in
the tubes c and d the tube d is soldered to the barrel a of the key. When the
barrel of the key is held stationary, and the bow turned, the plunger e will be
traversed within the barrel so as to cause it to recede and leave the outer end
of the barrel free, or to advance and close the
in which the bow is turned.
same according to the direction
In witness whereof, I, the said John Ritchie, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
JOHN RITCHIE. (L.S.)