IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Walter Henry Tucker and William Rashleigh
Reeves, both of Tiverton, in the County of Devon, for the Inven-
tion of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKS."
Sealed the 9th May 1854, and dated the 21st November 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Walter Henry
Tucker and William Rashleigh Reeves at the Office of the Com-
missioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 21st November
1853.
We, WALTER HENRY TUCKER and WILLIAM RASIILEIGH REEVES,
both of Tiverton, in the County of Devonshire, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN Locks" to be as
follows:-
The first purpose contemplated by the present improvements, and
the means of carrying which into effect constitute the first claims, is,
the construction of locks in such manner that access through the key-
hole to the movable combination parts shall be impossible while the
opposing piece (that is, the piece which prevents the bolt from being
unshot, unless the combination parts be correctly arranged in position,)

page_text: is in contact with them, and to effect this closing up of communication
with them, and to complete the process of unlocking with one operation
of the key so as to prevent the necessity either of having two external
key-holes, through one of which to adjust the combination parts and
through the other to give the required motion to the bolt, or of using a
handle to throw the bolt, after adjusting the combination parts, through
a single key-hole; or, lastly, of resorting to the expense and compli-
cation of triple sets of combination parts by which to effect the purpose.
And this first purpose is accomplished by surrounding the combina-
tion parts by a movable box or enclosure (which may be made either
round, square, or oblong), the sides of which stand at right angles with
the plates of the lock, and reach the whole depth of the lock. The
box has a flat seat to it perpendicular to its sides, but raised about the
thickness of the bolt seat from the base of the sides. In the side or
sides of the box above the flat seat are two slots or gatings through
which only can communication with the combination parts be obtained.
Through one of these gatings the stepp'd portion of the key bit must
pass in order to adjust the combination parts to position; into the
other the opposing piece must enter before it can reach the combina-
tion parts, and as it is only when both gatings are carried behind or
inside a solid portion of the lock-frame so that no access to them
through the key-hole is possible, that the opposing piece and the com-
bination parts can be in contact, it is evident that communication with
them during such contact is a mechanical impossibility. The means
by which the requisite motion is given to this surrounding box are as
follows: In its rim or side at its base below the flat seat are notches,
through the widest of which a part of the bolt seat must pass before the
opposing piece can reach the side of the box; the next notch is acted
upon by that part of the key bit which serves to shoot the bolt, while a
third is operated on by an auxiliary key bit (attached to a socket sur-
rounding the drill pin and reaching the whole depth of the lock), into
which the key fits and carries with it in its revolution. The drill pin or
axis of the key is fixed beyond and without the line of action of the
movable box, that part of the
being still further beyond it.
bolt seat upon which the key operates
The action is thus:-The key is placed

page_text: in the key-hole and turned, carrying the auxiliary bit with it; the key.
bit first passes into the notch at the base of the rim of the box, which
it carries before it, the stepp'd part of the key bit at the same time
passing into the gating above the seat and adjusting the combination
parts to position. The action of the key being continued, the, stepp'd
part of the bit then passes out from the gating (the combination
parts, having no springs to them, remaining as the key has arranged
them), the auxiliary bit entering the next notch and carrying on the
box so as to convey the gatings behind the solid part of the lock frame,
by which time the wide notch in the base of the rim is so far advanced
that the part of the bolt seat to which the opposing piece is attached
can be drawn through it, and the opposing piece be carried through its
proper gating in upon the combination parts. Until the bolt is again
locked out, the enclosing box cannot be drawn back, the opposing piece
when the bolt is back locking into and preventing any movement of
the box. The socket (of the auxiliary key bit), which is used to
enable any displacement of the bit to be seen and readily remedied
from the key-hole, is made to fit and revolve upon a tube or pipe-
shaped metallic spring attached to the under part of the surface plate
of the lock around the key-hole, and is so made to fit and revolve to
prevent the looseness and unsteadiness of action in the socket which
would necessarily result if the pressure of the lock plates upon the
ends of the socket were the only means of keeping it steady to its
work.
By the foregoing description it will be seen that the rim of the
enclosing box will only admit the opposing piece when the gatings are
closed to communication from the key-hole. When the bolt is locked
out, the solid portion of the base of the rim being passed behind the
bolt seat, preserves the lock from violation or injury by any force ap-
plied to the bolt. The several contrivances and means herein-before
described, and elaborated and used by us in order to effect our first
purpose, give rise to and establish for us the following claims :-
1. The application to locks of a movable box or enclosure surround-
ing the combination parts, and preventing access to them through the
key-hole during the time the opposing piece is or can be in contact

page_text: with them, the sides of which box are perpendicular to the plane of the
lock plates and reach the whole depth of the lock, and part of which
sides at the base (by passing behind the bolt seat when the bolt is locked
out) shall preserve the lock from violation or injury by force applied to
the bolt.
2nd. The application to locks of an auxiliary key bit (acted upon by
the key) serving to operate upon the movable box so as to complete
the closing up of communication with the combination parts when the
opposing piece is or can be in contact with them.
3rd. The application to locks of a tube or pipe-shaped metallic spring
(fixed to the back of the surface plate of such locks around the key-
hole) to preserve the socket of the auxiliary bit steady to its work.
The second purpose contemplated by the present improvements is,
the construction of such portions of the combination parts of locks as
the key bit impinges upon in such manner that no indication can be
obtained, either by the wear of such parts or by smoking them through
the key-hole, of the length of action of the key upon them, so as by
such means to make a false key to such locks. The arrangement by
which this is effected constitutes our 4th claim, 'and is as follows:-
The combination parts (which are flat pieces of metal of any suitable
form, either round, square, or oblong, and are ranged one over the other
with their plane surfaces parallel with the lock plates,) have cut in each
at its outer edge a notch, upon the sides of which the key bit impinges,
carrying each one to a distance according with the length of the key
bit acting upon it. And our improvement consists in so shaping that
notch that it shall be so much larger behind than at the opening where
the key bit enters, that the bit can impinge only on the outer edges
of the opening, so that be the step of the key bit acting upon it either
long or short, the impression it makes on the edges of the notch shall
in each case be the same.
These our improvements are applicable to locks of all sizes and for
all purposes.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the condition of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Walter Henry Tucker and William Rashleigh
Reeves in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 16th May 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we,
WALTER HENRY TUCKER and WILLIAM RASHLEIGH REEVES, of Tiverton,
in the County of Devon, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent bearing date the Twenty-first day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
seventeenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto us, the said Walter Henry Tucker and
William Rashleigh Reeves, Her special licence, that we, the said
Walter Henry Tucker and William Rashleigh Reeves, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Walter
Henry Tucker and William Rashleigh Reeves, our executors, adminis-
trators, 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 LOCKS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Walter Henry
Tucker and William Rashleigh Reeves, by an instrument in writing
under our hand and seal, 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 Walter Heury Tucker, on behalf
of myself and the said William Rashleigh Reeves, do hereby declare
the nature of our said Invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
Our first purpose is the construction of locks in such manner that

page_text: access through the key-hole to the movable combination parts shall be
impossible while the opposing piece (i.c.), (the piece which prevents the
bolt being unshot unless the combination parts be correctly arranged)
is in contact with them, and to effect this closing up of communication
with them, and to complete the process of unlocking with one opera-
tion of the key so as to prevent the necessity either of having two
external key-holes, through one of which to adjust the combination
parts, and through the other to give the required motion to the bolt, or
of using a handle to throw the bolt after adjusting the combination
parts through a single key hole; or, lastly, of resorting to the expense
and complication of triple sets of combination parts by which to effect
the purpose. And this first purpose we accomplish by surrounding the
sombination parts by a movable box or enclosure (which may be made
of any suitable shape, as round, square, oblong, &c), the sides of which
stand at right angles with the plates of the lock, and reach the whole
depth of the lock. The box has a flat seat to it, perpendicular to its
sides. In the side or sides of the box above the flat seat are two slots
or gatings, through which only can communication be obtained with
the combination parts. Through one of these gatings, which we term
the true or internal key-hole, the key bit must pass to adjust the
combination parts to position; into the other the opposing piece or
stump must enter before it can reach the combination parts, and as it
is only when both gatings are carried behind or inside a solid shield
or safe guard (fixed to the frame of the lock), so that no access to
them through the external key-hole is possible, that the opposing piece
and the combination parts can be brought into contact, it is manifest
that communication with them during such contact is a mechanical
impossibility. The requisite motion is given to the surrounding box
by a part (which we name an auxiliary key bit) attached to a socket
surrounding the drill-pin, and reaching the whole depth of the lock,
and into which the key fits and carries with it in its revolution. The
drill-pin or axis of the key is fixed beyond and without the line of
action of the movable box, the talon of the bolt upon which the bit
operates being still further beyond it. The action is thus:-The key

page_text: is placed into the lock and turned, carrying the auxiliary bit with it;
the key bit first passes into the internal key-hole in the side of the box
adjusting the combination parts to position, a simultaneous movement
being given to the box; the action of the key being pursued, it then
passes out of the internal key-hole, the auxiliary bit continuing the
movement of the box, and carrying the internal key-hole within or
behind the fixed shield or safe guard, so that no communication with
the combination parts can be effected, by which time, and not until
then, the second gating in the side of the box being brought into a
line with the opposing piece, the bolt can be drawn back. It should
be stated, that the primary action upon the moving box, and the
action upon the bolt talon, can be effected either by the key or by the
auxiliary bit, both of which means are used by us. The socket of
the auxiliary bit is made to fit and revolve upon a pipe-shaped
metallic spring attached to the under part of the surface plate of the
lock around the key-hole, and is so made to fit to prevent the loose-
ness and unsteadiness which must necessarily result if the pressure
of the lock plates upon the ends of the socket were the only means of
keeping it steady to its work.
By the foregoing description it will be seen that the rim of the
enclosing box will only admit the opposing stump through it when
the gatings are closed to communication from the external key-hole.
When the bolt is locked out, the solid portion of the base of the rim
being passed behind the bolt, preserves the lock from violation or injury
by any force applied to the bolt. The several contrivances and means
herein-before described, and elaborated and used by us to effect our
first purpose, give rise to and establish for us the following claims:-
1st. The application to locks of a movable box or enclosure sur-
rounding the combination parts and cutting off all communication with
them from the external key-hole during the time the opposing piece is
or can be in contact with them, and part of which box by passing
behind the bolt when it is locked out shall preserve the lock from injury.
by force applied against the bolt.
Qud. The application to locks of an auxiliary key bit (acted upon by

page_text: the key) serving to operate upon the movable box so as to complete
the closing up of communication with the combination parts when the
opposing piece is or can be in contact with them, and which auxiliary
bit may be used to propel the bolt.
3rd The application to locks of a pipe-shaped metallic spring (fixed
to the back of the surface plate of such locks around the key-hole) for
the purpose of keeping the auxiliary bit steady to its work.
The second purpose contemplated by the present improvements is,
the construction of such portions of the combination parts of locks as
the key bit impinges upon in such manner that no indication can be
obtained, either by the wear of such parts or by smoking then through
the key-hole, of the length of action of the key upon them, so as by
such means to make false keys to such locks. The arrangement which
effects this constitutes our 4th claim, and is as follows:-The combina-
tion parts (which are flat pieces of metal of any suitable shape, as
round, square, oblong, &, and are ranged one over the other with their
plane surfaces parallel with the lock plates,) have cut in each at its
outer edge a notch, upon the side of which the key bit impinges,
carrying each to a distance according with the length of the key bit
acting upon it. And our improvement consists in so shaping that
notch that it shall be so much larger behind than at the opening
where the key bit enters, that the bit can impinge only on the outer
edge of the opening, so that be the step of the key-bit acting upon it
either long or short, the impression it makes on the smoked edge of
the notch shall in each case be the same.
In the construction of small locks, in order to render them stronger
and more durable than can be the case with the cast plates used in the
construction of other locks, we make the plates of rolled or drawn
metal, which from its superior density and hardness enables the locks
to resist attempts at injury or violence more effectively.
Spring locks on this construction are made with a spring bolt stump,
which yields so as to allow the bolt to recede on closing the lock, but
is so arranged that the bolt cannot be drawn back from the key-hole
without the true key.

page_text: Padlocks we construct by attaching the combination stump to the
tail of the shackle, thus doing away with a bolt, the stump (after the
combination parts are arranged by the key) being passed into their
gatings by opening the shackle.
These our improvements are applicable to locks for all purposes and
of all sizes.
In witness whereof, I, the said Walter Henry Tucker, on behalf
of myself and the said William Rashleigh Reeves, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of May, A.D. One
thousand cight hundred and fifty-four.
(L.S.) WALTER HENRY TUCKER.