A LOCK OR FASTENING FOR GENERAL USE
Year: 1820

page_text: JENNINGS' SPECIFICATION.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
CONSTANTINE JENNINGS, of Carburton Street, Fitzroy Square, in the Parish of
Saint Pancras, in the County of Middlesex, Esquire, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present Majesty King George the Fourth, in and by
His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Eleventh day of April last, for Himself, His heirs, and
successors, did give and grant unto me, the said Henry Constantine Jennings,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, His special licence, full power, sole
privilege and authority, that I, the said Henry Constantine Jennings, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, and every of them, by myself and them-
selves, or by my and their deputy or deputies, servants or agents, or such others
as I, the said Henry Constantine Jennings, my executors, administrators, or
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at
all times thereafter, during the term of fourteen years therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and
the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "A LOCK OR FASTENING
FOR GENERAL USE; in which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso
obliging me, the said Henry Constantine Jennings, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of
Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being
thereto had, will more fully appear.
NOW. KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Henry Constantine Jennings, do hereby declare that the nature of my said

page_text: Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are par-
ticularly described and ascertained in and by the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and the following description thereof (that is to say) :
Figure 1 is an inside view of a door lock with all its parts complete, and
represented as being locked. Figure 2, a section of the same with the key in
the lock. Figure 3, an inside view of the lock, with some of the works
removed, and the bolt drawn back. Figures 4 to 23 represent detached parts
of the lock; the same letters and figures referring to the same parts in all
these and the other Figures of the Drawing. A, A, is the frame inclosing
the lock. B, B, the main bolt passing through a hole in one end of the frame
A, A, as usual, and guided by the stud C fixed in the frame plate, and passing
through the slit D made in the bolt. E, a plate which covers the ward and
other works, and is affixed to the frame by the screws F, F, passing through
the holes G, G, and screwed into the frame plate, and farther secured by the
steady pins H, H, fixed in the frame plate, and passing through the holes I, I,
in the plate E, and also through the two metal rings J and K, and the middle
plate L, through which also the screws F, F, and steady pins H, H, pass. In
the plate E is the key hole M, which also serves as a guide for the socket or
pipe N. Figure 4 is a front view, and Figure 5 an edge view, of the plate E.
Figure 6 represents the box of wards with the plate E taken off, and also part
of the main bolt B, B, which is locked. O is the secondary bolt which is guided
in two gaps made in the tops of two pieces of metal P, P, which are fixed in
the middle plate L; to the back of the secondary bolt O is affixed a stud Q,
which passes through the slit R in the plate L, and enters into a gap S, made
in the bolt B, B to receive it, and into another gap made in a plate of metal
affixed to the lock plate to steady it, as shewn by the dotted lines in Figure 21 ;
this gap S is made in one side of a slit T in the bolt which permits the bolt to
slide when the stud Q is withdrawn out of the gap S. U and V are two
slits in the secondary bolt O, with notches or gaps in them, the use of which
will be described hereafter. Figure 9 is a front view, and Figure 10 an edge
view, of the secondary bolt O. W is a sliding plate, which is guided between
the two pieces of metal X, X, which are affixed upon the plate L. Figure 14
is a front view, and Figure 15 an edge view, of the sliding plate W. Figure 16
is a front view, and Figure 17 an edge view, of another sliding plate Y, which
lies underneath the plate W, and is also guided between the metal pieces X, X.
Z is the key of the lock; a is a double-acting spring, one end of which
presses the
sliding plate W towards the keyhole, whilst the other end of it acts against the
hook 6 of the sliding plate Y, so as to push it from the keyhole. On the upper
side of the plate W is fixed a stud C, which passes through the slit U in the

page_text: secondary bolt O, and lodges in the gap d in the side of the slit U, when the
bolt is locked, as represented in Figure 6; but when the bolt is unlocked it
lies in another gap e made in the slit U to receive, it and as shewn at Figure 8;
fis another stud fixed upon the upper side of the sliding plate Y, which passes
5 through a slit g made in the sliding plate W, and through the slit V in the
secondary bolt O, and lodges in the gap h in that slit when the bolt B, B,
is locked, as represented in Figure 6, but when it is unlocked it lies in
the other gap or notch i, as is shewn in Figure 8. On the upper side
of the sliding plate Y is a projecting ward j forming the segment of a
circle, and in the bit of the key Z is made a gap k which receives the
ward within it; and when the key is turned into the situation shewn at
Figure 13, the sliding plate Y will be drawn towards the keyhole, and its
stud will be withdrawn from the gap or notch h opposite to the end of
the slit V of the secondary bolt O. The bit or nose of the key Z has also
a projection on it, which pushes against the edge of the sliding plate W, and
causes, the stud c to be moved out of the gap d opposite to the end of the
slit U of the secondary bolt; when the studs c and fare placed in these
situations, the secondary bolt will be at liberty to be withdrawn out of the
gap S in the bolt B, B. Should, however, the studs c and f be moved too
far out of the gaps d and h, they would enter the false notches or gaps m and
n in the opposite sides of the slits U and V in the secondary bolt O, and
prevent it from moving.
Figure 7 shews the key Z as having been turned one fourth round, and having
withdrawn the studs c and f out of the gaps d and i, and also withrawn the
secondary bolt O by the action of its bit upon it about one half its distance,
the studs c andf lying in the middle of the slits U and V of the secondary bolt.
If now the key be turned round, as shewn at Figure 8, the secondary bolt O
will be intirely withdrawn out of the notch or gap S in the bolt B, B, and the
spring a will have placed the studs c and f in the notches e and i of the slits
U and V in the secondary bolt, and the bolt B, B, will be at liberty to be
unlocked by the bit of the key Z carrying round with it the pipe N, which is
united with a plate O, until that plate has assumed the position shewn at
Figure 20, in which is seen an eccentric part of it p coming into contact
with a stud q fixed in the bolt B, B, and carrying that bolt along by its
action upon it into the position shewn at Figure 3, when it will be entirely.
withdrawn or unlocked, the key will then have made an entire revolution, and
may be taken out of the lock; r is a click or lever moving upon a studs as
a fulcrum, near which it is pressed upon by the spring t, and it has a tooth u
which falls into a gap or notch v in the upper edge of the bolt B, B, when the

page_text: bolt is unlocked, and retains it in, that situation. When the bolt is to be
thrust out by the action of the key on its being turned in the contrary
direction; the eccentric p comes into contact with the tail of the lever ?, which
it raises, and lifts the tooth u out of the gap v in the bolt, and then the side w
of a gap x made in the plate o acts against the stud 9 in the bolt B, B, and
pushes the bolt outwards till the part w passes by the stud q, and the
concentric part of the plate o will be at liberty to be turned round with
the key until the key can be withdrawn. The stud q will, then be in the
situation with regard to the plate o, as shewn by the dotted circle at y in
Figure 3.
Figure 11 represents the box of wards with the secondary bolt: O
removed, and the sliding plates W and Y in the positions shewn at Figures 6
and 8, by the action of the spring a upon them. Figure 12, the same parts;
shewing the upper sliding plate W as pushed back by the face of the bit of
the key, and the lower sliding plate Y drawn forwards by the gap or notch k
in the bit of the key. Figure 22 is a view of the upper side of the plate o
and socket or pipe N. Figure 23 is a section of those parts; the socket N
having a longitudinal slit in it to allow the key to pass down a proper depth,
as shewn in Figure 2. The lower end of the pipe or socket is formed into a
pivot, which turns in a hole made to receive it in the lock plate, as shewn at
z in Figure 2. Figure 18 is a front view,. and Figure 19 an edge view of
the middle plate L, and other parts connected with it, which have been already
described, excepting a circular metal ward in the middle of it, which tends to
prevent a picklock key being introduced amongst the sliders. The key can
only be inserted on one side of the lock just described.
I shall now proceed to show how, by a variation of some of the parts, it may
be made to enter a lock on either side of it:-Figure 24 is an inside view of a
lock having the plate E removed, which plate is similar to that shewn in
Figures 4 and 5, and Figure 25 is a longitudinal section of it, having the key
introduced on one side of it, and shewn by dotted lines as if introduced on
the other side. Figures 26 to 31 represent detached parts of the lock. 1, the
secondary bolt, the action of which is similar to that of O. in the lock
before described; on the upper side of it is an additional sliding plate 2,
which is guided between the two pieces of metal 3, 3, fixed upon the secondary
bolt 1, and is pressed towards the keyhole by the spring 4. In the sliding
plate 2 are made two parallel slits 5 and 6, connected with a third 7 at right
angles to them; similar slits 8, 9, and 10, are likewise made in the secondary
bolt 1: When the sliding plate 2 is in the situation shewn in Figure 24,
the slit 6 will be over the solid part 11 between the slits 8 and 9 of the
.

page_text: secondary bolt 1, and the slit 5 over the part. 12 of that bolt shewn in
Figure 28, the slit 7 in the brass sliding plate 2 will be over the slit 10 in
the secondary bolt 1, and thus form a perfect parallel slit or groove (without
any passages into the other parallel slits 5 and 6 of the plate '2, or into the
slits. 8 and 9 in the secondary. bolt 1) for the two' studs 13 and 14 to move
backwards and forwards in. The stud 13 is fixed on the upper side of a
sliding plate 15.and passes through a slit 16 made in another sliding plate 17,
which lies. over the former, and which slit 16 is long enough to permit the
stud 13 to move backwards and forwards in it. The sliding plate 17 has the
stud 14 fixed upon its upper side. These studs 13 and 14 likewise pass
through the secondary bolt 1 and brass sliding plate 2. Both these plates
15 and 17 are guided between the two metal pieces 18, 18, affixed to the upper
side of the middle plate. L, and are pressed towards the keyhole, as shewn in
Figure 32, by the action of two springs, one of which is shewn at 19, and the
other lies beneath it. Figure 36 is a front view, and Figure 37 an edge
view of the sliding plate 15; and Figure 34 a front view, and Figure 35 an
edge view of the sliding plate 17. In Figure 33 the two sliding plate's
15 and 17 are shewn as acted upon or pushed from the keyhole by the key 20
when turned a quarter round. The shorter arms or radii of the bit of the key
act against the sliding brass plate 2 and the lower sliding plate 15, and vice
versa, as the key may be placed on either side of the lock; whilst the longer
radii act against the secondary bolt 1 and the upper sliding plate 17 in a
similar manner. As the three sliding plates 2, 15, and 17 are each inde-
pendent of the others, and acted on by different parts of the key, it will be
obvious that if any one of them is not pushed back exactly to its proper
situation, as shewn in Figure 27, the secondary bolt 1 would not have been
at liberty to be withdrawn out of the gap S in the bolt B, B (similar to that
in the lock first described), for instance, as in Figure 26, where the brass
sliding plate 2 is represented as being pushed back without moving the other
two sliding plates 15 and 17, the studs 13 and 14 will lodge against the solid
parts of the brass sliding plate 2, and the secondary bolt 1 will not be at
liberty to be withdrawn; or if the studs 13 and 14 were to be pushed forwards
without the brass sliding plate 2 being moved at the same time, they could
not enter the parallel slits 8 and 9 of the secondary bolt 1, nor that bolt be
consequently withdrawn. Figure 28 is a view on the upper side of the
secondary bolt 1, and Figure 29 an edge view of it; Figure 30 a front view,
and Figure 31 an edge view, of the metal sliding plate 2. 21 represents a
set of circular wards, which correspond with gaps made in the bit of the key.
The socket or pipe N is made proper for the key of this lock to enter, and

page_text: Third.
Inrolled the Eleventh day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and twenty.