CERTAIN IMPROVE- MENTS IN LOCKS AND LATCHES
Year: 1845

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
CARTER, of Willenhall, in the County of Stafford, Jobbing Smith, send
greeting.
1624
WHEREAS I did by petition humbly represent unto Her present most
Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria that I have invented "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN LOCKS AND LATCHES," and Her said Majesty, being willing to give
encouragement to all arts and inventions which may be for the public good,
was graciously pleased, by Her Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, bearing date. at West-
minster, the Fifteenth day of April, One thousand eight hundred and forty-five,
in the eighth year of Her reign, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, to give
and grant unto me, the said George Carter, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that [
or they, by myself or themselves, or by my or their deputies, servants, or
agents, or such others as I or they should agree with, and no others, during
the term of fourteen years from the date of the said Letters Patent, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend my said Invention within that
part of Her said Majesty's Dominions called England, Her Dominion of
Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, in such manner as to me my
executors, administrators, and assigns, shall seem meet, and as that I or they
shall enjoy the whole profit, benefit, commodity, and advantage arising by
reason of the said Invention during the said term of fourteen years, and for

page_text: that end Her said Majesty requires and strictly commands all Her subjects
whatsoever, within England, Wales, and Berwick-upon-Tweed aforesaid, that
they shall not, neither directly nor indirectly, make, use, or put in practice my
said Invention, or any part thereof, nor in anywise counterfeit, imitate, or
resemble the same, nor make any addition thereto or subtraction therefrom,
whereby to pretend himself or themselves to be the inventor or inventors
thereof; and whereas the said Letters Patent contain a proviso, obliging me,
the said George Carter, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of
my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, and to cause the same to be
inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of said Letters Patent, as in and by the
same (reference being thereunto had) will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
George Carter, do hereby declare, that my said Invention is described and
ascertained in manner following, and by the aid of the two Sheets of Drawings
hereunto annexed, that is to say:-
I will 'first describe certain locks and latches constructed according to and
containing my said improvements, and at the conclusion of the Specification
I will point out those particular parts thereof which constitute the new
Invention whereof I claim an exclusive use.
Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, Sheet I., of the Drawings hereunto annexed, represent
a door lock of the kind called a rim lock. The sliding bolt A, which is to be
shot or moved by means of the key, is the same as usual in ordinary rim locks,
and so are the wards B around the keyhole, wherein the key is inserted and
turned round; also the tumbler for detaining the bolt, and the spring a'therefor,
is as usual; and the said sliding bolt A, although represented as being con-
structed for a single shoot or throw, may, if preferred, be constructed for a
double shoot or throw when the key is turned more than once round, in the
well-known manner of the better kind of rim locks for doors; also a small
sliding bolt to be moved by the finger or thumb may be applied in such lock,
in the usual and well-known manner, although not represented in the Figures.
And in place of the spring sliding bolt usually contained in such locks, there is
a double spring latch 1, 2, 3, and 4, 5, 6, each portion of which is moveable
about the same fixed centre of motion 7, and the extreme ends 1 and 4 pass
through an opening in the front part a of the rim of the lock, so as to project
out beyond the same in a suitable manner for latching one latch 1 above and
the other latch 4 below the striking piece 8, which is fixed to the door post by
screws, in the usual manner of fixing a striking piece; but the said striking

page_text: piece 8 is formed with two inclined catches, forming a double incline at the
end of the striking piece 8, as is shewn in Figure 2; one catch at the upper
side for catching the end of the uppermost latch 1, and the other catch w at
the under side for catching the end of the lowermost latch 4. The two latches
1, 2, 3, and 4, 5, 6, which constitute the said double latch, are shewn separa-
rately in Figure 3. The stud 7, which is their common centre of motion, is
firmly fastened to the plate of the lock, and the two latches are continually
urged one towards the other by a spring 9, which is common to both latches;
it is formed of iron or steel wire, bended, as shewn separately in Figure 4;
the said spring 9 is disposed between the plate of the lock and the two latches,
and the two ends of the wire are turned up so as to act against the latches,
as shewn in Figure 1, not far from those parts thereof which pass through the
opening in the front part a of the rim of the lock. The extreme ends 1 and
4 of the two latches, and the parts thereof which are within the opening a,'
apply one to the other, as is shewn in Figure 1, whenever the two latches are
permitted to close together by action of their common spring 9, and there are
notches x, y, in the adjacent parts of those extreme ends, which receive the
narrow part of the stem of the striking piece 8 when the door is shut. In
the act of shutting the door, when it is very nearly shut the double incline
v, w, Figure 2, at the end of the striking piece 8, acts against both latches at
the same time, that is to say, beneath the uppermost latch 1 at x and above
the lowermost latch 4 at y, so as to separate the two latches, by lifting up the
uppermost and bearing down the lowermost, in opposition to the force of their
common spring 9, until the door is quite shut, and then the said latches having
passed over the striking piece 8 beyond the double incline v, w, at the end
thereof, they both catch at once behind the two latches of the striking piece 8,
by action of their common spring 9, closing the two latches together, as they
appear in Figure 1. D is the follower, by which (when required) the two
latches are moved apart one from the other for unlatching them, when a nob
handle at one or both sides of the door is turned partly round by the hand.
The axis d of the said knob handle or handles fits into a square hole at the.
centre of the follower D, in the usual manner of followers for spring locks.
The follower D is situated between the two latches at the parts 3 and 6.
thereof, which parts are bended, so as to leave room between them for the
follower D. That part 'm of the follower which is nearest to the centre of
motion 7 of the latches is so niuch shorter than the opposite end n of the.
follower, which is farthest from the same centre 7, as will enable the follower
to operate equally well upon the two latches, whether the knob handle is

page_text: turned round one way or the other for unlatching. But note.--It is not new
to make a follower with unequal arms, such as m, D, n, Figure 1, for operating
in manner aforesaid upon one latch, such as the uppermost latch 1, 2, 3, 7, if
the other latch 4, 5, 6, 7 were absent or removed. There are projecting
parts 2 and 5 on each latch opposite to the opening at which the two latches
pass through the plate a, which projections serve to close that opening, so as
to prevent dirt entering into the lock thereat, but the said projections 2 and 5
do not actually touch the plate a, although they are very close thereto. The
two latches are both in the same plane, and the central parts of the two
latches where they apply one against the other and fit upon their fixed
centre pin or stud 7 are each reduced to half the thickness of the other
parts of the latch (see Figure 3), so that the two central parts when put
together only make up the same thickness as the other parts of the two latches.
The ends 1, 2, and 4, 5 of the latches, where they pass through and project out
beyond the opening in the rim a of the lock, are thicker than the other parts,
and the notches x, y, before-mentioned, in the adjacent parts of the extreme ends
of the two latches are formed bevelling withinside, as is shown at x and y,
Figures 1 and 3, in order to correspond in some measure with the double incline
v, w, Figure 2, at the end of the striking piece 8; for when the door is in the
act of shutting and is nearly shut, then the said double incline v, w, is received
into the opening which remains between the two notches x, y, at the extreme
ends of the two latches, although those ends are closed together and brought
into contact, as they appear in Figure 1, by action of their common spring 9;
and in consequence of the said bevelling, the said opening x, y, is much wider
at that side of the two latches which is first presented to the double incline of
the striking piece 8 when the door is in the act of shutting than at the other
side, and thereby the aforesaid action of the double incline v, w, for separating
the two latches is facilitated. The spring 9 is not fixed in any way to the
lock, but is left free to act upon the two latches without confinement, and
being included (as already mentioned) in the space left between them and the
lock plate, it cannot get displaced.
Figures 5, 6, 7, and 8, Sheet II., represent a lock for a box or portmanteau
which is of the nature of a spring lock, capable of locking of itself without
any key when the lid of the box or portmanteau is shut down; but it requires
the key for opening it. This lock has no sliding bolt, but in place thereof it:
contains a pair of spring catches 1, 2, 3, 7, and 4, 5, 6, 7, Figure 6, which act
together by means of one wire spring 9 for the two, and are somewhat similar
to the two latches in the lock, Figure 1, already described, but adapted for a

page_text: box lock. They are both mounted on a common centre of motion 7, which is
a stud pin firmly fixed to the cover plate of the lock. The ends 1 and 4;
which reach up through an opening in the rim of the said plate, are formed
into hooked catches, suitably for catching a triangular striking piece 8, Figure
6, in the portion which is fastened to the lid of the box or portmanteau, and
when that lid is in the act of shutting, and is nearly shut down, then the under
parts v, w, of the striking piece 8, which parts form a sort of double incline or
wedge, enter in between the inclined parts x and y at the ends 1 and 4 of the
two catches, and act thereon, so as to separate the two catches by urging them
with motion about their centre pin 7, in opposition to their common spring 9,
until the said lid is quite shut down, and then the upper part of the triangular
striking piece 8 getting below the hooked parts of the two catches, they sud-
denly close together by action of their said spring 9, so as to lock down the lid
of the box or portmanteau. A square stud pin t, Figure 6, which is firmly
fixed into the cover plate of the lock, is received into two notches cut in the
two spring catches, in order to keep them securely in their places, in addition
to the strength of their centre pin 7, and enable them to hold down the lid of
the box or portmanteau. The spring 9, which is shewn separately in Figure 8,
is the same as that already described in reference to Figure 4, for the lock
Figure 1, but made of suitable size and strength for the lock, Figure 5. The
key F for the lock, Figures 5, 6, 7, is of the kind called a double-bitted key.
The centre pin upon which the key is applied is shewn at s, Figure 6, that pin
being fixed fast into the cover plate of the lock, and is situated in the space
left between the two spring catches where they are bended at 3 and 6. The
form of the keyhole is shewn in Figure 5.
turned one quarter round, then its two bits
spring catches at 3 and at 6, to force them
motion about their centre pin 7, in opposition to their spring 9, until their
upper ends 1 and 4 are so far apart as to allow the triangular striking piece 8
to pass up between them, when the lid of the box or portmanteau is lifted up.
The lock may have wards of any suitable kind within the prominent circular
part f, Figures 5 and 7, around the keyhole, the key F being adapted to those
wards in the usual manner. The lock, Figures 5, 6, 7, and 8, as the same is
there represented, is adapted to be applied externally upon a box or portman-
teau, instead of those locks which are commonly applied externally, with a
hinged hasp fastened to the lid of the box or portmanteau, but no such hinged
hasp is used or required to be used with the lock, Figures 5, 6, 7, and 8, and the
sanie may be constructed in the manner of a box lock which is to be applied-
When the key F is inserted and
act simultaneously upon the two
asunder one from the other, with

page_text: withinside of the box. The internal parts, Figure 6, will be the same as there
represented, except being upon the large plate of the lock instead of being
upon the small or cover plate thereof.
Figures 9, 10, 11, and 12 represent a padlock which operates with a pair of
spring catches within it, very similar to those already described, and does not
require any hinged hasp for applying it to a door, as ordinary padlocks do; but
in lieu thereof, the padlock itself is connected by its loop N to the door post
by means of a staple M, Figures 9 and 10, driven into the said post, and a
striking piece 8, Figure 11, which is very similar to the striking piece of the
lock, Figure 1, is fastened by screws to the door, and when the padlock is
applied against the said striking piece, by a motion of the whole padlock about
the said staple M as a centre of motion, then the double incline, v, w, Figure
11, at the end of the said striking piece 8 is received laterally into the padlock
at an opening through the side plate of the padlock, and in entering into that
opening the double incline v, w, operates between the ends 1 and 4, Figure 10;
of the two spring catches, so as to force the same asunder, until the padlock is
pushed so close to the door that the striking piece 8 will be quite entered into
the padlock in its intended place, and then the two catches close suddenly
together by action of their spring 9, and their ends 1 and 4 catch behind the two
catches of the striking piece 8, so as to hold the padlock securely to the striking
piece 8, which, as already mentioned, is fastened to the door by screws; where-
fore the padlock in effect becomes secured against the door, and being itself
connected by the staple M to the door post, it fastens the door, so as to prevent
the same from being opened until after the padlock has been unlocked by its
key F, which is double-bitted, and when inserted into the keyhole of the
padlock and turned one quarter round, the two bitts of the key F will operate
in the same manner as already described in reference to Figures 5, 6, and 7,
to force the two spring catches asunder in opposition to their spring 9,
until their ends 1 and 4 are so far apart as that they will quit the double
incline v, w, of the striking piece 8, and allow the padlock to be withdrawn
from the striking piece 8 by motion of the whole padlock around the staple
M, by which it is connected to the door post. The loop N into which the
staple M enters is part of the rim of the padlock. When the padlock is
applied upon the striking piece 8 in manner aforesaid it locks of itself, by
action of the spring 9 of its pair of spring catches 1 and 4, without any appli-
cation of the key. The two spring catches and their spring 9 are shewn
separately at Figure 12; they are like the spring catches already described in
reference to Figures 1 and 3 in their mode of operation. The ends 1 and 4,

page_text: Figure 10, fill all the space between the two plates of the padlock, and there-
fore the catches 1 and 4 cannot be displaced laterally when the padlock is
applied upon the striking piece 8, the overhanging catches of which are
received into notches cut out for their reception in the said ends 1 and 4, when
those ends are approached together by action of their spring 9. A shield or
small internal cover plate is applied within the padlock at n, Figure 9, over
the central parts of the two catches, and over the bended parts 3 and 6 thereof,
where the bitts of the key F are to operate between them. The key F passes
through a keyhole in the said shield or internal cover n, and wards may
be formed on the said shield or internel cover n, which is fastened in its
place within the padlock by screwing it to the fixed centre pin 7 of the
two spring catches, and to the fixed stud t, which is between the two, for
securing them, as already explained in reference to Figure 6.
Figure 13 represents a striking piece; and Figure 14, a pair of spring catches
of a somewhat different kind, which may be substituted for those represented
in their places in the padlock, Figures 9, 10, and 11, the said striking piece,
Figure 13, being circular at its stem, with a conical end for its double incline
v, w; and the ends 1 and 4 of the pair of spring catches, Figure 14, are suitably
formed for being acted upon by the said conical end, and for catching the round
stem of the striking piece between them, when they are closed together by action
of their spring 9; the action being precisely the same as with the striking
piece 8, Figure 11, already explained. But the round form of the striking
piece, Figure 13, does not require any particular care to be observed in
fastening it to the door by screws, as must be done in case of the striking
piece 8; Figure 11, being used, because the rectangular form thereof must be
rendered comformable in its direction to the rectangular form of the opening
through the side plate of the padlock wherein the said striking piece is to be
inserted; but when the striking piece, Figure 13, is substituted, then the
said opening through the side plate of the padlock will be circular, suitably for
the reception of the conical end of the striking piece, Figure 13, and the
notches in the adjacent parts of the ends 1 and 4 of the spring catches,
Figure 14, will be parts of a circle suitably for catching the round stem of the
striking piece, Figure 13. And note.-When the padlock is applied in place
against the striking piece 8, Figures 11 or 13, and locked thereto by the spring
catches, as is shewn in Figure 10, then the padlock covers and conceals the heads
of the screws by which the said striking piece 8 is fastened to the door, so that
the said screws cannot be withdrawn so long as the padlock continues locked.
Figures 15, 16, and 17, Sheet I., represent a door lock or latch with a

page_text: sliding spring bolt, which, contrary to the ordinary action of such bolts, is
urged inwards into the lock by action of its spring for catching and fastening
the door, and the said bolt is pushed out from the lock, either by turning the
key or else by turning the knob handle and follower by the hand, in order to
release the bolt in preparation for opening the door. The Drawing represents
it constructed as a rim lock, whereof H is the sliding spring bolt, and hits
spring, acting to urge the bolt endways in a direction inwards into the lock;
the extreme end of the bolt H, which protudes out through an opening in the
front part a of the rim of the lock, is the full width of the bolt, and has an
opening through it at i, i; for the reception of a hooked striking piece K, which
is fixed to the door post with screws. When the door is in the act of shutting
and is nearly shut, the opening i, i, through the end of the bolt II presents
itself to the projecting part of the striking piece K, and the inclined side k
thereof then acts against the inside of the opening i, i, at that side e thereof
which is most remote from the lock; and the said side e being suitably bevilled,
to correspond in some degree to the inclined side k of the striking piece, as is
shewn dotted in Figure 17, the action of the bevil e against the incline k will
draw the sliding bolt II endways in a direction outwards from the lock, in
opposition to its spring h, until the door is quite shut, when the hook of the
striking piece will have passed quite through the thickness of the bolt, and then
the bolt H shoots suddenly inwards into the lock by re-action of its spring h, so
as to catch with the aforesaid side e of its opening i, i, behind the hook of the
When the lock is to be
striking piece K, and thereby fasten the door.
unfastened, the knob handle L, Figure 17, in the axis or spindle d of the
follower D being turned round (in either direction), the follower D will act
upon the end of the bolt H to force the same endways in a direction outwards
from the lock, in opposition to the spring h, until the aforesaid side e of the
opening i, i, at the end of the bolt is released from the hook of the striking
piece K, leaving the door at liberty to be opened. The spindle d of the
follower D may have only one knob L on that end of it which is withinside of
the door, without any knob on the outside of the door, but a key F can be
inserted through a keyhole from the said outside, and when turned round will
act in the notch n, in the bolt H to force the same endways, in the same
manner as the follower D would do. m is the centre pin for the key F; but
if preferred the spindle d of the follower may have a knob on each end of it, in
order to open the latch from either side of the door without any key. r is a
small cross-locking bolt, fitted into a vertical groove in the lock plate, and
moveable up and down therein by a thumb piece R, Figures 16 and 17, at the

page_text: outside of the lock plate, by which the cross bolt can be slided up so as to
enter into a notch p in the under edge of the bolt H, in order to retain the same
when it is fastened, so that it cannot be unfastened; and there is another
notch 9 in the bolt H, by which it can be retained when unfastened, if required.
Figures 18 and 19 represent a simple lock for a portmanteau or box, to be
applied externally thereon, without requiring any external hinged hasp on the
top or lid of the portmanteau or box. The sliding bolt a has a tooth b pro-
jecting laterally from it at right angles to its plane, and reaching inwards
towards the interior of the portmanteau or box through a slot in the interior
plate of the lock, and when the bolt a is shot by its key then that tooth b
locks into a notch cut out in a plate d, which is fastened to the inside of
the top or lid of the portmanteau or box, so as to stand edgeways up above
the tooth b. When the key has been turned back and the bolt a is unlocked,
then its tooth b, being brought to the open part e of the notch in the plate d,
the same is left at liberty to be lifted up for opening the top or lid of the
portmanteau or box. The sliding bolt a is detained from moving (except by
action of the key) by means of a spring, shewn by dotted lines in Figure 18,
which is fastened at one end to the lock plate, and a claw n, which projects
laterally from the other end of the said spring, acts on the upper edge of the
bolt in notches cut therein, so as to detain the bolt.
Having now described certain locks and latches constructed according to
and containing my improvements, I, the said George Carter, do hereby declare
that the new Invention, whereof the exclusive use is granted to me by the said
Letters Patent, consists in the following particulars :-
First, in the improvement herein-before described in reference to the door
lock, represented in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the Drawings hereunto annexed,
of a pair of spring latches, such as 1, 2, 3, 7, and 4, 5, 6, 7, acting together,
to catch one above and the other below the same striking piece 8, which has a
double incline v, tv, for acting against corresponding bevils x, y, on the two
latches at the same time, and both latches of the said pair being urged one
towards the other by the same spring 9, which is formed of one piece of wire
bended to a suitable shape. But note.-I make no claim to the use of one of
the said latches and one of the said inclines of the striking piece without the
other of the said latches or inclines being used in concert, so as to form a pair
of latches actuated by one wire spring and a double incline on the striking
piece.
Second, in the improvement, herein-before described in reference to the lock
for a box or portmanteau, represented in Figures 5, 6, 7, and 8, of a pair of

page_text: spring catches, such as 1, 2, 3, 7, and 4, 5, 6, 7, acting together to catch one
striking piece 8, which has a double incline v, w, for acting against correspond-
ing bevils x, y, on the two latches at the same time, and both latches of the
said pair being urged one towards the other by the same spring 9, which is
formed of one piece of wire bended to a suitable shape. But note. I make
nó claim to the use of a pair of latches in such lock unless the double incline
of the striking piece 8 is fastened to the lid or top of the box or portmanteau;
so as to act upon the said catches when that lid or top is shut down, without
requiring any hinged hasp to be applied to the said lid or top, as is usual in
external locks for boxes or portmanteaus.
Thirdly, in the improvement, herein-before described in reference to the
padlock, represented in Figures 9, 10, 11, and 12, also Figures 13 and 14, of
a pair of spring catches 1, 2, 3, 7, and 4, 5, 6, 7, acting together to catch one
striking piece 8, which has a double incline, for acting against corresponding
bevils on the two catches at the same time, and both catches of the said pair
being urged one towards the other by the same spring 9, which is formed of
one piece of wire bended to a suitable shape; and the said striking piece being
fastened to the door, and the padlock connected with the door post by its loop
and a staple, without requiring any hinged hasp, as is usual for padlocks.
Fourthly, in the improvement, herein-before described in reference to the
door lock or latch, Figures 15, 16, and 17, of the sliding spring bolt, such
as H, i, i, e, which is urged by its spring'in a direction inwards or towards the
lock, and the corresponding striking piece 8 for catching and fastening, when
the bolt is so moved by its spring in that said direction, the said bolt being
moved in a direction outwards from the lock by a knob handle or handles, or
by a key for unfastening..
Fifthly, in the improvement, herein-before described in reference to the
simple lock for a portmanteau or box, represented in Figures 18 and 19; of a
tooth, such as b, projecting laterally from the sliding bolt of the lock through
or beyond the inner plate of the lock in a direction inwards towards the interior
of the portmanteau or box, so as to lock into a suitable notch in a plate d;
which is fastened to the inside of the top or lid of the portmanteau or box,
without requiring any hinged hasp to be applied to such lid or top.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Carter, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of October, One thousand eight
hundred and forty-five.

page_text: AND BE IT. REMEMBERED, that on the Thirteenth day of October,
in the ninth year of the reign of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, the said
George Carter came before our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery,
and acknowledged the instrument aforesaid, and all and every thing therein
contained and specified, in form above written. And also the instrument
aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the Statute made in the fifty-
fifth year of the reign of His late Majesty King George the Third.