Improvements in Gauges for Key-holes.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 4th July, 1891-Accepted, 8th Aug., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION,
Improvements in Gauges for Key-holes.
1, HENRY MOFFAT, of South Road, Camp Hill, Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, Builder, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
My invention has for its object: improvements in guages for keyholes: by which
means a workman is enabled to accurately and quickly guage the exact position
before cutting the keyhole to the lock while the guage plate being made adjustable
suits varied sizes of locks. These plates may be used in the fitting of most classes
of locks, but particularly in connection with cabinet drawer locks which require
neatly fitting. A considerable saving of time is thus effected while the guage can
be made at a cost sufficiently low for every workman to possess one.
In order that my invention may he clearly understood and more easily carried
into practice I have appended hereunto a double sized sheet of drawings upon
which I have shewn a guage plate suitable guaging the keyhole of an ordinary
cabinet drawer lock and from which together with the description its application
to other locks will be readily understood.
Figure 1. is a general view of a cabinet drawer lock unfixed, together with one
of my guage plates ready for being adjusted to suit the lock.
Figure 2. is a similar view of the guage plate after being adjusted, placed in
position for marking the keyhole ready for cutting same.
Figure 2. is an elevation of the back of the guage plate A.
Figure 4. is a vertical section through Figure 3.
Figure 5. is a plan shewing a modification in the mode of mounting the adjustable
ledge B.
Figure 6. is a plan shewing a further modification.
In carrying my invention into effect the plate A is formed with the slot a¹ and
upon the plate A the ledge picce B is mounted by means of the pin d' which
passes through an hole in the back of the ledge piece and also through the slot a¹
of the plate A the end being screwed to receive the thumb screw D for the purpose
of tightening up the pin and securing the ledge piece in a firm position. In the
tower part of the plate A the template keyhole a² is provided so that by placing
the ledge B upon the top or end of the casing of the lock X and casing the
screw D and sliding the plate A up or down until the template keyhole a² is brought
on a direct level with the keyhole of the lock at which point the ledge is fixed
by the tightening of the screw D and the position of the keyhole a is registered.
To mark the position for cutting the hole the guage is then placed with the ledge B
upon the top of the draw y of the drawer Y and mark through the template
keyhole a upon the drawer with a pointed instrument the exact vertical position is
obtained in which the keyhole has to be cut. Provision for horizontal adjustment
may be made by means of a slot formed in the back of the ledge B and shewn by
dotted lines in Figure 3 which would allow of the plate A and keyhole a' being
adjusted horizontally with regard to the ledge piece which would be kept while
being adjusted with one of its ends level with one of the ends of the
lock X
The plate A may be formed with the raised shoulders a³ so as to form a vertical
slide upon which the ledge B is made to slide by having its ends turned over or
a groove a may be formed in the plate A and a corresponding tongue & formed
upon the ledge B to enable the ledge to slide vertically in the plate A. In this
case the adjustment horizontally would be effected by a pointer E having a slot
working on the pin e' so that the point e² can be adjusted with regard to the

page_text: end of the lock and thereby register the position horizontally of the template
keyhole.
I may vary the details of my invention in applying the same to these and other
classes of locks.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention & in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
The improvements in guages for marking keyholes and which are made adjustable
to suit various sizes: substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth and
shewn upon the accompanying sheet of drawings.
Dated this 3rd day of July 1891.
GEORGE BARKER,
77, Colmore Row, Birmingham, Agent.