Improvements in and in Means for Fastening and Locking Doors of Safes and Strong Rooms.
Year: 1896

page_text: Improvements in and in Means for Fastening and Locking Doors
of Safes and Strong Rooms.
We, ALBERT EDWARD PRICE, of Cleveland Works, Cleveland Street, Wolverhampton
in the County of Stafford, Safe and Strong Room Engineer, and ROBERT GOUGH, of
the same address, Safe Works Manager, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
Safe and strong room doors, as ordinarily heretofore constructed, are formed
each with a chamber for the bolts and lock nechanism which is in position between'
the outer plate of the door and an inner chamber which contains fire-resisting.
material. The bolts and locking mechanism consequently have only the thickness
of the outer plate to protect them against the use of burglarious implements, and
the space occupied by the chamber for the bolts and lock mechanism does not leave
sufficient space in the inner or fire-proof chamber for such thickness of fire-proof
material as is desirable, unless the total thickness of the door is much greater than
is usual, which involves, in the case of a safe, either a considerable increase in the
total depth of the safe from front to back with resulting increase in cost, or a
decrease in the depth inside when closed, which is inconvenient.
Now, according to this invention, the chamber heretofore employed for the bolts
and lock mechanism is entirely dispensed with, and the fire-proof chamber is
increased in depth from front to back, either to the extent of the depth which it
has been usual to make the chamber for the bolts and lock mechanism, or to the
extent of a part of such depth only, if preferred; and the door is fastened by means
of lugs, dowels or studs, which project from its inner face along the side thereof
which is remote from its hinges, and which pass, as the door is closed in, through
holes formed to receive them through the frame. Each lug, dowel or stud, is formed
with a notch; and a sliding plate or bolt, which is carried at the back of the frame,
is caused to engage with the notches of the lugs, dowels or studs, in order to fasten
the door in its closed position; and this plate or bolt may be securely locked by
means of a lock fixed at the back of the frame, the key-hole being formed through
the front of the frame. The plate or bar, when unlocked, may be operated through
the medium of a suitable handle which projects from the frame. The lugs, dowels
or studs, aforesaid, are conveniently formed as parts bent back from the outer ends
of bars which are themselves fixed to the inner face of the door. As no key-hole or
hole for the handle by which the bar is operated needs to be formed in the door,
the outer plate of the door may be formed entirely unperforated.
Dated this 29th day of September 1896.
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton, Agent for the Applicants.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and in Means for Fastening and Locking Doors
of Safes and Strong Rooms.
We, ALBERT EDWARD PRICE, of Cleveland Works, Cleveland Street, Wolverhampton
in the County of Stafford, Safe and Strong Room Engineer, and ROBERT GOUGH, of the
same address, Safe Works Manager, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Safe and strong room doors, as ordinarily heretofore constructed, are formed each
with a chamber for the bolts and lock méchanism which is iu position between the
outer plate of the door and an inner chamber which contains fire-resisting material.
The bolts and locking mechanism, consequently, have only the thickness of the outer
plate to protect them against the use of burglarious implements, and the space
occupied by the chamber for the bolts and lock mechanism does not leave sufficient
space in the inner or fire-proof chamber for such thickness of fire-proof material as
is desirable, unless the total thickness of the door is much greater than is usual
which involves, in the case of a safe, either a considerable increase in the total depth
of the safe from front to back with resulting increase in cost, or a decrease in the
depth inside when closed, which is inconvenient.
Now, according to this invention, no chamber is provided at the back of the door
for the bolts and lock mechanism but the fire-proof chamber is increased in depth
from front to back, either to the extent of the depth which it has been usual to
make the chamber for the bolts and lock mechanism, or to the extent of a part of
such depth only if preferred; and the door is fastened by means of lugs, dowels or
studs, which project from its inner face along the side thereof which is remote from
its hinges, and which pass, as the door is closed in, through holes formed to receive
them through a portion of the frame against which the door closes. Each lug, dowel
or stud, is formed with a notch; and a sliding bar or bolt, which is carried at the
back of the frame, is caused to engage with the notches of the lugs, dowels or studs,
in order to fasten the door in its closed position; and this bar or bolt may be
securely locked by means of a lock fixed at the back of the frame, the key-hole
being formed through the portion of the frame which is at the side of the door when
the door is closed. The bar or bolt, when unlocked, may be operated through the
medium of a suitable handle which projects from the frame. The lugs, dowels or
studs, aforesaid, are conveniently formed by cutting out portions of one flange or
side of a length of angle steel, the other flange or side thereof being fixed to the
inner face of the door. As no key-hole, or hole for the handle by which the bar is
operated, needs to be formed in the door, the outer plate of the door may be formed
entirely unperforated. The bolt and lock mechanism being carried entirely by the
frame, and at the back face thereof, not merely enables the door to be constructed
in the manner described but ensures the security of such mechanism against
burglarious attempts.
In order that the invention may be clearly understood, we will proceed to describe,
by way of example, a convenient practical application thereof with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 is a vertical section through the side of a safe which is opposite to that
at which the door is hinged, and shews our invention applied thereto, the section
being taken in the plane indicated by line xx of Figure 2, looking towards the front
of the safe. Figure 2 is a transverse section through the side of the safe shewn by
Figure 1, the section being taken in the plane indicated by the line y y Figure 1, and
the hinder portion of the side of the safe being broken away for convenience of

page_text: illustration. Figure 3 is a corresponding section to Figure 2, but is taken in the
plane indicated by the line all, Figure 1. Figure 4 is a vertical section of the
forward portion of the side of the safe taken in the plane indicated by the line y¹ y',
Figure 1, when the parts are in position, as shewn also by Figure 1, due to the studs
which are carried by the door being fastened by the sliding bar which is carried by
the frame; and Figure 5 is a corresponding section to Figure 4, but shews the parts
in position due to the sliding bar being disengaged from the studs.
To the back of the front plato A of the door is fixed the flange a of a bar B, by
means of screws which are screwed only a part of the way through the thickness
of the plate A from the inner or back face thereof so that no holes therefor are
formed through the front of the door. The door frame C is formed with a portion c¹
which is at the side of the door when the door is closed and with a flange e against
which the door closes. Studs are formed solid with the bar B (being formed by
cutting out portions of an angle bar which originally constituted the bar B) and
project backwards therefrom at intervals along the edge thereof, and holes are
formed through the flange c of the frame C through which the studs & pass as the
door is closed in. The studs are at an angle with the bar B which allows of their
clearing the portion e' of the door frame, and which allows of their readily passing
through and out from the holes through the frame as the door is turned on its hinges
in closing and opening it. The studs & pass also through slotted openings d formed
through a sliding plate D which is carried at the hinder face of the frame C by means
of pins e which pass through slotted holes f in the har D and are screwed into the
frame. The heads of the screws e keep the bar D against the back face of the
frame, and the slotted holes through the bar allow of its being moved vertically.
The studs bare each formed with a notch & in the portion of its upper side which
projects beyond the back face of the frame C when the door is closed in; and blocks
or bolt heads g, corresponding in number to the number of studs b, are fixed to the
bar D. When the door is closed in, and the bar D is in its downward position, the
blocks gare within the notches & of the studs, and the door cannot be opened without
first raising the bar D. The bar D may be moved vertically to move the blocks g
out of or into the notches of the studs, by means of a handle E the shank of which
passes through the frame C and is fitted at its inner end with a short lever / which
has a slotted opening i formed through its outer end with which a stud of the
bar D engages. The outer sides of the notches & are slightly tapered at their
lower ends to ensure that the blocks g, when shot home, will bind the inner face of
the door closely against the frame. The safe is locked by locking the bar D wheu
in position with the blocks y engaging with the studs, and this may be conveniently
effected by means of a lock F, which may be of the usual or any convenient con-
struction, the bolt or bolts of which are shot for the purpose into an angle-piece j
which is fixed to the bar D. The lock F may be fixed to the frame C by means of
pins which pass through long openings formed in the bar D so as to allow of the
movement of the bar D between the lock and the frame of the safe. Provision is
made for locking the bar when it is in its upward position so as to allow the safe to
be readily opened and closed during times when it is not required to be locked.
This is effected by forming an extra bolt hole through the angle-piece j, so that
when the bar D is in its upward position a hole or holes will come opposite to the
lock bolt or bolts into which such bolt or bolts may be shot. The key-hole m for
the lock is formed through the portion e' of the frame C of the safe, in the position
shewn by broken lines Figures 1 and 3.
As no chamber for carrying bolting and locking mechanism has to be formed in
the door, the fire-proof chamber of the door may come right up to the solid portion
of the door. In the illustrations, a fire-proof chamber in two divisions G H is shown;
but the chainber may be formed without division, if desired.
The back edge of the door may be secured by dogs in the usual manner, or
by a bar of angle steel fixed so as to fold behind the door frame when the door
is closed'

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. A safe or strong room door provided, at its vertical side which is the more
remote from the hinges, with lugs, dowels or studs, spaced apart from one another
and adapted to pass through holes formed therefor through the frame and to be
engaged by fastening mechanism which is carried by the frame, the space at the
back of the door which is usually occupied by the bolt and lock mechanism being
utilized for the reception of fire-resisting material, substantially as described.
2. A safe or strong room door having affixed to the back of its front plate a bar
which has formed therewith lugs, dowels or studs, which are adapted to pass through
holes formed through the frame and to be engaged by fastening mechanisin which
is carried by the frame, substantially as described.
3. The means for fastening and locking the door of a safe or strong room which
comprise lugs, dowels or studs, which project from the vertical side of the door
which is the more remote from the hinges and are spaced apart from one another,
and are adapted to pass through holes formed through the frame and to be engaged
by fastening mechanism carried by the frame, the said holes formed through the
frame, a vertically-sliding bar carried at the back of the frame which by moving it
in one direction vertically may be engaged with the lugs, dowels or studs, to fasten
them when closed in, and by moving it in the opposite direction may be disengaged
therefrom, means by which the locking bar may he moved from the exterior of the
safe or strong room, and a lock by which the sliding bar may be locked, substantially
as described.
4. The means for fastening and locking the door of a safe or strong room,
substantially as described and shewn by the drawings herewith.
Dated this 29th day of June 1897.
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton, Agent for the Applicants.