IMPROVEMENTS IN LATCHES OR LOCKS, APPLICABLE ESPECIALLY TO RAILWAY CARRIAGE DOORS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Coleman, of 13, St. Mary at Hill, in
the County of Middlesex, and Waters Coleman, of Whitefield,
Heaton Norris, in the County of Lancaster, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LATCHES OR LOCKS, APPLICABLE ESPECIALLY TO RAILWAY
CARRIAGE DOORS,"
Sealed the 5th April 1870, and dated the 7th October 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Coleman and.
Waters Coleman at the Office of the Commissioners. of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 7th October 1869.
We, ALFRED COLEMAN, of 13, St. Mary at Hill, in. the County of
Middlesex, and WATERS COLEMAN, of Whitefield, Heaton Norris, in the
County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LATCHES OR LOCKS, APPLICABLE ESPECIALLY TO RAILWAY
CARRIAGE DOORS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in latches or locks,
applicable especially to railway carriage doors.

page_text: For this purpose I employ a bolt pressed forward by a spring, and
bevilled at its projecting end in such manner that the incline upon it
causes it to yield when the door is pushed too in closing or pressed
against in opening. This self-acting spring bolt is controlled by a
locking block or dropper actuated by the handle, and which when the
door is fastened drops down behind the spring bolt, and prevents it
yielding to any pressure against the door. When it is desired to open
the door, and the handle is turned for this purpose, the dropper is thereby
lifted and the spring bolt is set free. When the door is open the handle
cannot be turned so as to replace the dropper behind the spring bolt
because a bar jointed at a short distance from the hinge of the door is
by the opening of the door caused to protrude underneath the dropper
and in the way of its descent, and this obstacle is not removed until the
door is securely closed. Thus by this arrangement the position of tho
handle is made to afford a certain indication of the door being securely
fastened. In connection with the bar which sustains the dropper, except
when the door is shut, a spring may be applied to close the door when-
ever it is left free; or the door may be so hung as to be self-closing
should it be so desired; or in place of a jointed bar a spring may be
used both to close the door and to protrude beneath the dropper in the
same manner as the bar and at the time required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alfred.Coleman and Waters Coleman in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 7th April 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ALFRED 2
COLEMAN, of 13, St. Mary at Hill, in the County of Middlesex, and
WATERS COLEMAN, of Whitefield, Heaton Norris, in the County of
Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of October, in the year of 3
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said Alfred Coleman and Waters Coleman, Her
special licence that we, the said Alfred Coleman and Waters Coleman,

page_text: our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the
said Alfred Coleman and Waters Coleman, our 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 LATCHES OR LOCKS,
APPLICABLE ESPECIALLY TO RAILWAY CARRIAGE DOORS," upon the condition
(amongst others,) that we, the said Alfred Coleman and Waters
Coleman, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under our or their hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of
one of us or them, 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 Alfred Coleman, on behalf of
myself, and the said Waters Coleman, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
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 latches or locks,
applicable especially to railway carriage doors.
For this purpose I employ a bolt pressed forward by a spring and
bevilled at its projecting end in such manner that the incline upon it
causes it to yield when the door is pushed to in closing or pressed against
in opening. This self-acting spring bolt is controlled by a locking
block or dropper actuated by the handle, and which when the door is
fastened drops down behind the spring bolt and prevents it yielding to
any pressure against the door. When it is desired to open the door, and
the handle is turned for this purpose, the dropper is thereby lifted and
the spring bolt is set free. When the door is open the handle cannot
be turned so as to replace the dropper behind the spring bolt because a
bar jointed at a short distance from the hinge of the door is by the
opening of the door caused to protrude underneath the dropper and in
the way of its descent, and this obstacle is not removed until the door
:

page_text: is securely closed. Thus by this arrangement the position of the handle
is made to afford a certain indication of the door being securely fastened.
In connection with the bar which such sustains the dropper, except when
the door is shut, a spring may be applied to close the door whenever it
is left free; or the door may be so hung as to be self-closing should it
be so desired; or in place of a jointed bar a spring may be used both
to close the door and to protrude beneath the dropper in the same
manner as the bar and at the time required.
In the Drawings hereunto annexed are shown various views of a latch
or lock constructed in the manner I prefer for carrying out my Invention.
The latch or lock is shown to be applied to the door of a railway
carriage.
•
Figure 1 is a side view of the door of the earriage with the latch or
lock applied to it.; Figure .2 shows full size a plan of the latch or
lock, and Figures 3 and 4 show respectively a vertical section and side
view of the same.
4
In these Figures a is the case or frame of the latch, the form of
which is clearly shown by the Drawings; b is a bolt pressed forward by
a spring c, or it might be by a weight if preferred; d is the locking
block for controlling the action of the spring bolt. When the door is
fastened this block drops behind the spring bolt and as above described
prevents the bolt yielding to any pressure against the door. e is the
handle of the door, which by a slotted arm e¹ is connected to the locking
bolt, so that by turning the handle the locking block may be raised or
lowered. When the block is raised by the turning of the handle the
spring bolt is set free and will yield readily if the door be pulled
forward by its handle. f is a bar which at one end can turn on a pin
joint at a short distance from the hinge of the door and at the opposite
end passes through a hole in the casing or frame of the latch, as shown
at Figure 3; as the door opens this end of the bar projects further into
the case of the latch, and by coming under the locking bolt prevents it
again descending until the door is closed. When the door is closed the
end of the bar comes into the position shown at Figure 3, and the
locking bolt is again free to descend into the position there shown. In
place of the locking bolt being kept from rising merely by its own
weight, it might if preferred be acted upon by a spring to press it
constantly downwards.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the manner
of performing the same we would have it understood that what we claim
is, the construction of latches or locks substantially in the manner
hercin-described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Coleman, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Seventh day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.