IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED TO SECURE COAL PLATES, TRAP DOORS, AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Ebenezer Stevens, of Pentonville Road, in the
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR
APPARATUS EMPLOYED TO SECURE COAL PLATES, TRAP DOORS, AND OTHER
SIMILAR ARTICLES."
Sealed the 13th August 1867, and dated the 16th February 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Ebenezer Stevens at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with bis Petition, on the 16th
February 1867.
I, EBENEZER STEVENS, of Pentonville Road, in the County of Middlesex,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MEANS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED TO SECURE COAL PLATES, TRAP DOORS, AND OTHER
SIMILAR ARTICLES," to be as follows:-
The Invention has for its object improvements in means or apparatus
employed to secure coal plates, trap door, and other similar articles. For this
purpose a fixed ear, lug, or bolt, and a sliding bolt are employed; the sliding
bolt is guided in suitable guides cast on or affixed to the article to be
secured; on this sliding bolt one or more lugs, pins, or teeth are formed or
fixed, which are acted upon by a weighted lever or by a lever acted upon.by,
a spring; thus when the coal plate, trap door, or other similar article is
dropped or placed in the desired position the fixed lug, ear, or bolt is passed
under a suitable flange or into a suitable recess, whilst the sliding bolt is first

page_text: pushed back, and then by the lever is forced forward under a suitable flange
or projection or into a suitable recess; by raising the weight the bolt is
withdrawn and the article liberated.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Ebenezer Stevens in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
16th August 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EBENEZER
STEVENS, of Pentonville Road, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteeenth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Ebenezer Stevens, Her special licence that I, the said Ebenezer Stevens,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Ebenezer Stevens, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED TO SECURE COAL PLATES, TRAP DOORS,
AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Ebenezer Stevens, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 Putent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Ebenezer Stevens, 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 :-
The Invention has for its object improvements in means or apparatus
employed to secure coal plates, trap doors, and other similar articles. For this
or bolt and a sliding bolt are employed; the sliding
purpose a fixed ear lug
or affixed to the article to be
bolt is guided in suitable guides cast on
secured; on this sliding bolt one or more lugs, pins, or teeth are formed or

page_text: fixed, which are acted upon by a weighted lever or by a lever acted upon by a
spring.
And in order that my Invention may be more fully understood and readily
carried into effect I will proceed, aided by the accompanying Drawings, more
fully to describe the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is an under side view, and Figure 2 is an edge view of a coal plate
having my improvements applied thereto.
a, a, is the coal plate on which is formed or fixed the ear, lug, or bolt ;
c is a sliding bolt which works in suitable guides, and is moved to and fro by
a weighted lever which is pin-jointed at d*, and d is a lever, the short end d'
of which takes into teeth c¹ formed on the sliding bolt c; thus when the coal
plate a is dropped or placed in the desired position the fixed lug, ear, or bolt b
is passed under a suitable flange or into a suitable recess, whilst the sliding
bolt c is first pushed back, and then by the weighted lever d is forced forward
under a suitable flange or projection or into a suitable recess.
The coal plate shewn in the Drawings is shewn as being let into a stone or.
into the pavement, and the lug, ear, or bolt 6 and sliding bolt care shewn as
taking on to the under side of the stone or pavement. By raising the
weight by means of a broom or other suitable article from the inside the
bolt c is withdrawn and the coal plate is liberated. If desired the lever d,
instead of being weighted, as shewn, may be caused to act by means of a
spring.
Figure 3 is a side view of an arrangement suitable to be applied to trap
doors and other similar articles; similar parts are marked with similar letters
of reference to those employed in the previous Figures. It will be seen, on
reference to Figure 3, that the fixed lug, ear, or bolt b is dispensed with, and
the sliding bolt c is somewhat altered in form to suit the purpose to which it
is to be applied, the plate a being also provided with suitable holes to enable
it to be secured to the trap door or other similar article by screws or other-
wise as desired. In this case the trap door or other similar article may be
hinged in position, or suitable lugs, ears, or projections 6 may be fixed thereto
in suitable positions, as is well understood.
b
Figure 4 is a side view of another modification of my Invention suitable to
be applied as a lock or latch to doors or gates; similar parts are marked
with similar letters of reference to those employed in the previous Figures;
in this case, however, the working parts are enclosed in a suitable case or
frame e, and a square or other suitable hole f is formed through the axis of

page_text: the weighted lever d for the application of a suitable spindle and handle on
either or both sides of the lock or latch, whilst a slide 9 acts to hold the
weighted lever d in one or the other position so as to keep the bolt either
locked or unlocked, as desired; if desired a keyhole h may be applied, and
the fastening may be unlocked on the one side by a key acting upon the
part d³. It is evident that various other modifications may be made in the
form and arrangement of the parts to suit the position to which it is desired
to apply the fastening.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the best means I
am acquainted with for carrying the same into effect, I would have it under-
stood that I do not confine myself to the precise details herein shewn and
described; but what I do claim is the combined improvement substantially as
herein shewn and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Ebenezer Stevens, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
Witness,
FRED. HARRIS,
Patent Agent,
35, Southampton Buildings.
E. STEVENS. (L.B.)