IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENINGS FOR SECURING FOLDING BOOKCASE AND OTHER DOORS AND GATES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Alexander Bonella of 34 Kingsland Road, in
the County of Middlesex for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENINGS
FOR SECURING FOLDING BOOKCASE AND OTHER DOORS AND GATES
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Alexander Bonella
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th July 1883.
WILLIAM ALEXANDER BONELLA of 34 Kingsland Road in the County of
Middlesex "IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENINGS FOR SECURING FOLDING BOOKCASE
AND OTHER DOORS AND GATES
"
My invention has for object to provide a simple, cheap and efficient fastening
applicable in lieu of flush or other bolts such as usually employed where two doors
hinged respectively at opposite sides meet edge to edge, as in the case of folding
doors, bookcase doors and the like. For this purpose I provide a device hereinafter
called a tongue piece capable of limited movement to and fro or radially and so
formed and arranged in relation to the doors that when one door has been closed
the act of closing the other door will cause the tongue piece to assume such a
position in relation to the door first closed as to fasten it and keep it fastened so
long as the door last closed is kept shut, which may be effected by bolting or
locking it to the other door as well understood. In one arrangement the tongue
piece is in the form of an arm one end of which is pivotted or arranged upon a
hinge pin so that the free end can move radially to an extent limited by suitable
stops such as the sides of a socket or recess containing the pivotted or hinged end
of the tongue piece. The free end is formed with an enlargement approximately
heart shaped.
This apparatus may be fixed to the door case or carcase.
The arrangement is such as not in any position of the tongue piece to prevent
the closing of either door. The one door is recessed. When it is closed if the
other door he then closed it will cause a part of the tongue piece to pass into the
recess or in front of a plate or projection of the first named door so fastening it
in the closed position as above set forth.

page_text: In the above described arrangement the tongue piece is supposed to be carried
by the door frame or its equivalent.
Various arrangements may however be adopted without departure from the
essential characteristics of my invention
According to one modification a tongue piece or fastening device is employed
that is carried by one of the doors and is so formed and arranged that by closing
the other door the tongue piece is caused to engago with a suitable attachment or
projection in such a way as to fasten in the closed position the door that carries
the tongue piece.
My improved fastenings are applicable to gates and to box covers.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patont filed by
the said William Alexander Bonella in the Patent Office on the 26th January
1884.
WILLIAM ALEXANDER BONELLA, of, 34 Kingsland Road in the County of
Middlesex-IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENINGS FOR SECURING FOLDING BOOK CASE
AND OTHER DOORS AND GATES
My invention has for object to provide a simple cheap and efficient fastening
applicable in lieu of flush or other bolts such as usually employed where two doors
hinged respectively at opposite sides meet odgo to edge as in the case of folding
doors, book-case doors and the like. For this purpose I provide a device herein-
after called a tongue pieco capable of limited movement to and fro or radially and
so formed and arranged in relation to the doors that when one door has been closed
the act of closing the other door will cause the tongue picco to assume such a
position in relation to the door first closed as to fasten it and keep it fastened so
long as the door last closed is kept shut, which may be effected by bolting or
locking it to the other door as well understood. In one arrangement the tongue
piece is in the form of an arm, one end of which is pivotted or arranged upon a
hingo pin so that the free end can move radially to an extent limited by suitable
stops such as the sides of a socket or recess containing the pivotted or hinged end
of the tongue piece. The free end is formed with an enlargement approximately
heart shaped.
This apparatus may be fixed to the door case or carcase.
The arrangement is such as not in any position of the tongue to prevent the
closing of either door. The one door is recessed. When it is closed, if the other
door be then closed, it will cause a part of the tongue piece to pass into the recess
or in front of a plate or projection of the first named door so fastening it in the
closed position as above set forth.
In the above described arrangement the tongue piece is supposed to be carried by
the door case or its equivalent.
Various arrangements may however be adopted without departure from the
essential characteristics of my invention.
According to one modification a tongue piece or fastening device is employed,
that is carried by one of the doors and is so formed and arranged that by closing
the other door the tongue piece is caused to engage with a suitable attachment or
projection in such a way as to fasten in the closed position the door that carries
the tongue-piece.
Referring to the accompanying sheet of drawings, Fig 1 illustrates in front
elevation and part section, a fastening according to my invention applied to a
cupboard shewn in section in the line A. B. of Fig 2. Fig 2 is a horizontal section
in the line C. D of Fig 1, Fig 3 is a plan partly in section shewing one door about
to close and fasten the other through the tongue piece and Fig 4 is a section in the
line E. F, of Fig 2.
a is a tongue piece in the form of an arm able to turn on a pivot or hinge pin a²
carried by a bracket b, that enters a recess in the door case or carcase as shewn.
The bracket is made with a front part or plate 6' in which is a slot through which
the tongue piece projects so that the extent of the radial or angular movement of
the tongue piece is limited by the sides 6 6 of the slot. The front part or plate b¹
is screwed or otherwise fixed to the door-case or carcase d so as to be flush with it.
One of the doors e is recessed at f and to the inner side of this door is fastened a
plate g so as to form a side of the recess f. A similar recess his formed in the

page_text: other door e¹ opposite the recess f. and in it is secured a plate or angle piece i so as
to bear against the heart shaped enlargement of the tongue-piece a. when the
door e¹ is in or near its closed position.
The position of the recess with respect to the bracket b when the door e is
closed is such that a part of the heart shaped end of the tongue-piece a shall
freely enter the recess when moved by the plate i upon the other door e¹ being
also closed. Fig 3 shews the position the tongue piece a would occupy after
closing of the door e but prior to closing of the door e'. It will be evident that
upon the door e¹ being now also closed, the corner of the plate or angular piece i
will come into contact with one curved side of the heart shaped end of the tongue 1
piece a and force its other curved side into the recess fin front of the plate g this
securely fastening the door e so that the door e¹ may be locked thereto in the usual
manner. My improved fastenings may be fixed to the top and bottom of the case
or carcase, or to a fixed shelf where such is used, and they are perfectly automatic
in their action, the doors themselves serving both to lock and to unfasten them.
Fig. 5 is a sectional plan and Fig 6 a front view illustrating a modification of
fastening device according to my invention.
·
In this arrangement the tongue-piece a is pivotted at a¹ to one of the doors e on
its top edge as shewn, or it may be at the bottom or any other convenient part of
the door which may be for this purpose recessed. Upon the other door e¹ is fixed
a plate in such a position that when the door e is in its closed position, upon the
door e¹ being also closed the plate i will come in contact with the curved edge of
the tongue piece a (as shewn in dotted lines Fig 5) and force the projection a³ at
The plate g is
its outer or free end behind the plate g and so fasten the door e.
fixed to and flush with the outer face of the case or carcase d of the doorway, and
cut away at b. to allow the tongue piece to pass over it. . kare stops to preven
the tongue piece turning too far either way. The edge of the projection a² is_s0
formed that when the door e is pulled (el being already open) the tongue piece a
will free itself from the plate g and so allow the door to freely open.
Having described the nature of my said invention and the manner of carrying
it into practical effect, I hereby declare that what I consider to be novel and
original and therefore claim as secured to me under the Letters Patent first herein-
above in part recited is :-
1. The use as a fastening, of a tongue-piece capable of limited movement as
above set forth and so formed and arranged that when one door or gate has been
closed, the act of closing another door or gate shall cause the tongue pieco to
assume such a position in relation to the first named door or gate as to fasten it
and keep it fastened so long as the door or gate last closed is kept shut
substantially as described.
2. The improved fastening illustrated in and described with reference to. Figs 1
to 4 inclusive of the drawings for the purposes set forth.
3. The improved fastening illustrated in and described with reference to Figs. 5
and 6 of the drawings for the purposes set forth.
In Witness whereof, I the said William Alexander Bonella have hereunto set
my hand and seal this twenty fifth day of January in the year of Our Lord
one thousand eight hundred and eighty-four.
WILLIAM ALEXANDER BONELLA (L.S.)