A NEW OR IMPROVED SELF ACTING BUTTON OR CATCH FOR FASTENING DOORS GATES AND CASEMENTS AND FOR OTHER LIKE PURPOSES
Year: 1884

page_text: I WILLIAM SANDERSON of No 1 Lewis Street Saint Cuthbert Road Gateshead in
the County of Durham Moulder do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "A NEW OR IMPROVED SELF ACTING BUTTON OR CATCH FOR FASTENING DOORS
GATES AND CASEMENTS AND FOR OTHER LIKE PURPOSES "
to be as follows :—
My invention consists of a new or improved self acting button or catch for
fastening doors gates and casements and for other like purposes the said button or
catch being constructed in the manner hereinafter described whereby on closing
the door gate or casement the button or catch is pushed aside and after the door
gate or casement has been shut the said button or catch returns by gravity to its
normal or fastening position.
I will describe my invention as applied to the fastening of a door.
The self acting button or catch consists of a V shaped hanging lever turning
loosely on a centre or pivot near the junction of its two arms. The ends of the
said arms are weighted or balanced the weighted ends being made by preference
of a conical figure. Instead of making the ends of a conical figure the acting parts
of the weighted ends of the button may have an inclined figure. The two arms of
the button or catch being balanced the said button or catch when at liberty to
move takes by gravity its normal or horizontal position.
The self acting button or catch is pivoted to the door frame in the position of
an ordinary button or catch and when in its normal position one of its weighted
arms overlaps the edge of the door and fastens it. On closing the door its edge
strikes the conical or inclined part of the projecting arm of the button or catch
thereby pushing the said arm aside until the door has closed when the said button
or catch falls into its normal position and prevents the door from being opened.
The weighted arms of the button or catch are preferably constructed alike so
that the button or catch may be used either with a right handed or a left handed
door and may also be used for fastening double doors or casements closing on a
common upright.
The button or catch described may be connected to the spindle of an ordinary
door knob situated on the inside of a door so that the button or catch may be
operated from the inside of the door as well as from the outside.
I apply my invention to gates and casements and other articles such as drawers
substantially as herein before described with respect to doors.
Dated this twants ninth day of Hanah, 100%

page_text: I WILLIAM SANDERSON of No 1 Lewis Street, Saint Cuthbert Road, Gateshead,
in the County of Durham, Moulder do hereby declare the nature of my invention
for "A NEW OR IMPROVED SELF ACTING BUTTON OR CATCH FOR FASTENING DOORS,
GATES AND CASEMENTS AND FOR OTHER LIKE PURPOSES" and in what manner
the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
My invention consists of a new or improved self acting button or catch for
fastening doors, gates and casements and for other like purposes, the said button
or catch being constructed in the manner herein after described whereby on closing
the door gate or casement the button or catch is pushed aside and after the door
gate or casement has been shut the said button or catch returns by gravity to its
normal or fastening position.
I will describe my invention as applied to the fastening of a door. The self
acting button or catch consists of a V shaped hanging lever turning loosely on a
centre or pivot near the junction of its two arms. The ends of the said arms are
weighted or balanced the weighted ends being made by preference of a conical
figure. Instead of making the ends of a conical figure the acting parts of the
weighted ends of the button may have an inclined figure. The two arms of the
button or catch being balanced the said button or catch when at liberty to move
takes by gravity its normal or horizontal position.
The self acting, button or catch is pivoted to the door or door frame in the
position of an ordinary button or catch and when in its normal position one of its
weighted arms overlaps the edge of the door and fastens it. On closing the door
its edge strikes the conical or inclined part of the projecting arm of the button or
catch thereby pushing the said arm aside until the door has closed when the said
button or catch falls into its normal position and prevents the door from being
opened.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing represents in front elevation my new or
improved self acting button or catch applied to a cupboard door, one of the
cupboard doors being represented open; Figure 2 represents in front elevation and
Figure 3 in horizontal section portions of the cupboard doors closed and the button
or catch in its normal or fastening position, drawn of the full size and Figures 4
and 5 represent the same views as Figures 2 and 3 with the closing door in the act
of pushing aside the button or catch Figure 6 represents in section the button or
catch drawn of the full size the said section being taken obliquely through one of
the weighted arms and the screw pin or axis on which the button turns and
Figure 7 represents the striking plate drawn of the full size which plate is affixed
at that edge of the door which strikes the overhanging arm of the button or catch.
The same letters indicate the same parts in the several Figures of the drawing.
The said self acting button or catch consists of a hanging lever a, a turning
loosely on the screwed centre or pivot b above and between the two weighted or
balanced arms a a. As the two arms a. a of the button or catch are balanced the
said button when at liberty to move takes by gravity the horizontal position
represented in Figures 1 and 2. The weighted ends a, a of the button or catch are
made of a conical figure as best seen in the section Figure 6. It will be seen by
reference to the drawing that the self acting button or catch is pivoted to one of
the cupboard doors marked in the position of an ordinary button or catch and
when the said button is in its normal position one of its weighted arms a overlaps

page_text: the edge of the other door d of the cupboard and fastens it as represented in
Figures 2 and 3. In order to open the door d the button is pushed aside as
illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 and when the door d has been opened and the
button is loosed it takes by gravity the position represented in Figure 1 so that
one of its weighted arms a projects from the edge of the door c. On closing the
door d the striking plate e strikes the projecting conical arm a of the button
thereby pushing the said button aside as illustrated in Figures 4 and 5. As soon
as the door d has been closed the button or catch falls into its normal position thus
overlapping the edge of the door d and preventing the said door from being opened
as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3.
Although I prefer to make the acting ends of the arms a, a of the self acting
button conical as represented yet the said conical ends may be replaced by inclines
at the acting parts of the said arms for the edge of the door to strike against for
pushing aside the button or catch.
The weighted arms of the button or catch represented in the drawing are
constructed alike so that the button or catch may be used either with a right
handed or left handed door without change, and this construction of button may
also be used for fastening double doors or casements closing on a common upright,
that is, the button or catch is pivoted to the upright between the double doors or
casements instead of to one of the doors itself as represented in the Drawing. But
I do not limit myself to making the two arms alike or symmetrical in figure as
one arm only may be made conical or inclined so that it may be pushed aside by
the closing door. In this modification the conical or inclined arm is made suitable
for the kind of door (left or right handed) with which it is to be used.
The button or catch described may be connected to a spindle passing to the
inside of a door and having a knob on its inner end so that the button or catch
may be operated from the inside of the door by the turning of the said knob as
well as from the outside.
I apply my invention to pew and other doors, gates and casements and other
articles, such as drawers and boxes having lids moving vertically, substantially as
herein before described and illustrated with respect to cupboard doors.
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
I claim is-The new or improved self acting button or catch for fastening doors,
gates and casements and for other like purposes herein before described and
illustrated in the accompanying Drawing; that is to say, a self acting button or
catch consisting essentially of a hanging lever turning loosely on a centre or pivot
above and between its two weighted and balanced arms, one or both of the said
arms being made conical or inclined at the acting part so that on closing the door
or article the button or catch is first pushed aside and afterwards falls by gravity
into its normal position, thereby fastening the door or article to which it is applied
substantially as described and illustrated.
Dated this seventh day of November 1884.