IMPROVE- MENTS IN LOCKS AND LATCHES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Godfrey Gumpel, of Leicester Square, in
the County of Middlesex, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN LOCKS AND LATCHES."
Sealed the 9th April 1869, and dated the 15th October 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Godfrey
Gumpel at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 15th October 1868.
I, CHARLES GODFREY GUMPEL, of Leicester Square, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKS AND LATCHES," to be as follows:-
These improvements consist in the application of pins or sliders of
any suitable section passing through the bolt or bolts or sliding piece
or pieces acting on the bolt or bolts, and a fixed piece or bolt guide or
pieces or guides in or on which the bolt or bolts or sliding piece or
pieces moves or move. The pins or sliders which pass through the

page_text: bolt or bolts, sliding piece or pieces, bolt guides, and the bolt shifter
hereafter described are cut into such lengths that when in a given
position the the divisions of the pins correspond to the divisions or sliding
surfaces between the various parts through which the pins pass, and in
other positions only the bolt shifter herein-after described may be moved,
whilst another part of the pin prevents the bolt from being moved. The
pins can be moved into such positions as to enable the bolt to be shifted
either by pressing upon the exposed ends of the pins by the direct
application of a key or by means of intermediate tumblers, which latter
are moved by a key. For the direct application of a key the bolt or
bolts, sliding piece or pieces, are shifted or moved by a rotating piece or
bolt shifter, which latter gears into the former, and for the purpose of
locking or unlocking the lock a key provided with projecting pins is
pressed into the bolt shifter, so that by pressing on the ends of the pins
or slides exposed at the surface of the bolt shifter the latter and the bolt
or sliding piece are set free to move.
In another arrangement the pins or sliders can each be fixed in or to
a frame slide or tumbler, which latter and with it the pins are moved
into the required position by an ordinary or suitable key. When inter-
mediate tumblers are used the pins or sliders, whether independent or
fixed in a frame are pressed by means of springs against the tumblers
but cannot move until the tumblers are lifted by means of an ordinary
or suitable key. In the following manner the lock may be made per-
mutating. The pins passing through the bolt or bolts, sliding piece or
picces, are divided into parts of equal length, a number of which just fill
the perforation in the bolt or sliding piece, and according as the distance
through which the pins are pushed, pressed, or moved by the key, so a
certain number of pieces of the pins are carried forward with the bolt
in locking the lock, and the gaps formed in the pins are filled up by a
solid piece brought forward by the bolt or bolts or shifting piece or pieces,
which solid piece falls back with the other parts of the pins into the
original position. For the purpose of unlocking the lock the pins must
be pushed again in the same relative position to bring the solid picce
exactly in the perforation of the bolt or bolts or shifting piece or pieces to
enable the latter to be moved. As the position of the solid piece in the
pin depends upon the distance the pin is moved by the key in the act of
locking, it is evident that the parts of the key which determine this
distance may be varied at pleasure whilst the lock is open or in the

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of tho Letters Patent,
filed by the said Charles Godfrey Gumpel in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 15th April 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
GODFREY GUMPEL, of Leicester Square, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said.Charles Godfrey Gumpel, Her
special licence that I, the said Charles Godfrey Gumpel, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles Godfrey
Gumpel, my 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,
usc, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOKS AND LATCHES,' upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Charles Godfrey Gumpel, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands-and seals, 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 Charles Godfrey Gumpel, 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:-
These improvements, consist in the application of pins or sliders of any
suitable section passing through the bolt or bolts or sliding piece or
pieces acting on the bolt or bolts, and a fixed piece or bolt guide or

page_text: picces or guides in or on which the bolt or bolts or sliding piece or pieces
moves or move. The pins or sliders which pass through the bolt or
bolts, sliding piece or pieces, bolt guides, and the bolt shifter hereafter
described are cut into such lengths that when in a given position the
divisions of the pins correspond to the divisions or sliding surfaces
between the various parts through which the pins pass, and in other
positions only the bolt shifter herein-after described can be nioved, whilst
another part of the pin prevents the bolt from being moved. The pins
can be moved into such positions as to enable the bolt to be shifted
either by pressing upon the exposed ends of the pins by the direct appli-
cation of a key or by means of intermediate tumblers, which latter are
moved by a key. For the direct application of the key the bolt or bolts,
sliding piece or pieces, are shifted or moved by a rotating piece or bolt
shifter, which latter gears into the former, and for the purpose of locking
or unlocking the lock a key provided with projecting pins is pressed into
the bolt shifter, so that by pressing in the cuds of the pins or slides
exposed at the surface of the bolt shifter the latter and the bolt or
sliding piece are permitted to move.
In another arrangement the pins or sliders can each be fixed in or to
a frame slide or tumbler, which latter and with it the pins are moved
into the required position by an ordinary and suitable key. When inter-
mediate tumblers are used the pins or sliders, whether independent or
fixed in a frame, are pressed by means of springs against the tumblers,
but cannot move until the tumblers are lifted by means of an ordinary
or suitable key.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of the
said Invention I now proceed to particularly describe and ascertain in
what manner the same is to be performed or put in operation, which I
shall do by reference to the accompanying Drawings, as follows:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. I. shews the lock (with the plate cover removed) in which the
bolt (1) has a projecting arm (9) carrying a pin or pivot (S) to which a
connecting link (7) is attached. This link has a slot in which a pin (6)
gears, this pin being fixed in an arm or lever of the bolt shifter (5). Thic
bolt (1) slides in a recess (see Figs. III. and IV.) formed in the solid
block or bolt guide (2), and is held in its place by a plate or guide
plate (3). On this plate the bolt shifter (5) is held in position by

page_text: another plate or cap (4) which is provided with a projecting tube sur-
rounding the round body part of the bolt shifter so as to leave only the
flat front surface of the latter exposed, as shewn in Figs. V. and VII.
The bolt shifter (5), the plate (3), the bolt (1), and the bolt guide (2)
are perforated with any suitable number of holes of any convenient
section, the perforations through the various parts mentioned corre-
sponding with each other, as shewn in Figs. III. and V. The bolt
however possesses another set of perforations, indicated by dotted circles
(13), Fig. I., and also shewn at (13) in Figs. IV. and V. When the bolt
is shot (the lock is locked), then these second perforations of the bolt
take such a position as to correspond with the perforations of the bolt
guide (2), the plate (3), and the bolt shifter (5), as shewn in Fig. VII.
The perforations are filled up by sliders or pins (lock pins), which latter
are divided into certain equal lengths, as shewn in Fig. V., and arc
marked respectively a, b, c, d, e, f, g. Three of these (a, b, c,) fill up
exactly each perforation of the bolt; and the plate (3) is made of such
a thickness that two lengths of the lock pins d, e, in Fig. V. fill up one
of the perforations in the plate (3). Another two lengths of each lock
pin (viz., f, g,) are contained in the bolt shifter (5), the remaining part
of the perforation in the bolt shifter being filled up by a pin provided
with a shoulder resting against a ridge in the perforation formed by a
reduced size of the latter. These parts of the lock pins (marked ) have
their ends (12) flush with the surface of the bolt shifter, and are formed
of such a length that when pushed into the bolt shifter through a space
a trifle more than the thickness of the plate (3) (viz., two lengths of the
lock pins) the end of their thinner portion cannot reach the wider part
(marked in Fig. III.) of the perforation so as to be caught accidentally
by the projecting ridge. The said space through which only the pins
can be pushed is determined by those portions of the lock pins marked
(14) contained in the bolt guide (2), as they are of such a length as to
strike against the back plate of the lock when the lock pins have been
pushed into the lock to their fullest extent. These parts of the pins (14)
are sufficiently reduced in their diameter for the greater part of their
length so as to admit a spiral spring to surround each of them, as shewn
at (15, Fig. III., V., and VII., some only shewu and marked, the
object of which spring is to hold its respective lock pins in position and
replace the same after having been pushed into the lock and the key
removed. It is evident that the only way in which the bolt can be acted
on is through the bolt shifter, whilst this latter presents no means of

page_text: the lock and by inserting itself into the perforations of the bolt shifter.
This is effected by the key which is provided with a number of projecting
pins (key pins) corresponding in their positions to the perforations in the
bolt shifter.
The key, as represented in Figs. VI., VIII., and IX., consists of the
key holder (18) provided with a suitable cross handle (not shewn in the
Figs.), and at the other end with a dovetailed groove to receive the key
proper. This latter is formed by the body piece (19), in which the
necessary number of perforations (21) some only marked) are made to
receive the key pins (22) some only marked), the object of which is to
displace the lock pins (h) in the bolt shifter and to gear into the latter
for the purpose of rotating it, and through it shooting forward or with-
drawing the bolt (1). The lock pins (22) are held in the body of the
key (19) by the plate (20), secured either by 2 screws or any other.
suitable means. The body of the key is shaped to fit into the dovetailed
groove of the key holder (18). When desirable this latter may be
secured in the prolonged tube of the cap (4), in which case the key
holder is supplied with a short tube to fit in the prolonged tube of the
eap (4), and held in it by means of a pin screwed into the key holder
and working in a slit cut into the outer tube. The key proper is then
introduced into the key holder through the aperture (10), shewn in
Figs. II, and III. The action of the lock is as follows:-As represented
in Fig. VI, the key is provided with 2 key pins, one of such length as
to push the lock pin through one division, the second key pin to push
the corresponding lock pin through two divisions, whilst the third lock
pin is not acted on by any key pin. On introducing the key into tho
bolt shifter (see Fig. V.) the left lock pin is pushed through one of its
divisions (or parts), and instead of parts a, b, c, filling the perforation of
the bolt a will be pushed into the bolt guide (2), whilst parts b, c, and d,
will fill the perforation in the bolt. In the same manner the centre pin
being pushed through two divisions (or lengths or parts) the parts c, d, e,
will fill the perforation in the bolt; whilst the right lock pin not being
pushed by a key pin will remain in its original position. Upon turning
the key holder to the left (sec Fig. I.) the lever of the bolt shifter
applying itself by means of the pins (6) to the connecting link (7), and
through this and the arm (9) to the bolt (1), the latter will be moved
forward until the base of the arm (9) strikes against the front plate (or

page_text: until any other suitable check occurs). In this position the bolt will be
temporarily held by means of the spring (17) which gears by means of a
pointed plug into a concavity of the bolt, as shown in Figs. I. and III.,
whilst the key holder and with it the bolt shifter can be returned to
their original position.
:
From Fig. VII. it will be seen that the bolt when being moved
forward carried with it the various parts of the lock pins for the time
contained in it, viz. b, c, d, of the left, c, d, e, of the middle, and
a, b, c, of the right pin, and has brought forward to fill their place the
pieces x, y, z, contained in the second set of perforations marked (13).
Upon the bolt shifter reaching. the original position after. having shot
the bolt in which position it is held by the spring (16) in the same
way as the bolt is held. by the spring (17), the respective perforations
will correspond with each other and the spiral springs (15) will press
the lock pins against the key pins; the key will be pushed out of the
bolt shifter and the pins pushed into their original position, whilst the
parts x, y, z, will take respectively the positions of the parts b, c, d,
c, d, e, and a, b, c, carried away by the bolt, that is, x in the left pin
will have 3rds of its length in the bolt and rd in the plate (3),
y will have of its length in the bolt and 3rds in the plate (3),
whilst retains its position in the bolt. It is evident that in this
position the bolt cannot be withdrawn unless the key first pushes the
parts x and y so as to fill the perforation in the bolt, that is to say,
to use the key with the key pins in the same position in which it
was used for throwing the bolt forward. To show the nature of the
arrangement and the effect of either the key being used with the pins
in a wrong position, or an attempt being made at picking the lock, let
it be supposed that the pins in the key are placed as follows:-The
long key pin to fill the left and. the short one the right place in the
key, while the centre hole is left without a pin; if now the key were
pressed, into the bolt shifter the part a of the left lock pin would be
pushed through two divisions, and hence would have 3rd of its length
in the bolt guide (2) and rds in the bolt, the part y of the centre
lock pin would retain its position not being acted on by any key pin,
whilst the part in the right lock pin would be pushed through onc
division and hence would have 3rd of its length in the bolt guide and
3rds in the bolt. Upon turning the bolt shifter to the right for the
purpose of withdrawing the bolt it will be possible to rotate it until

page_text: the pin (6), Fig. I., of the bolt shifter touches the end of the slot (11)
of the connecting link (shewn in dotted lines). The further rotation
is prevented by the pieces x, y, z, holding the bolt. Any attempt in
this position at ascertaining which of the lock pins prevents the bolt
from being withdrawn is made impossible, as the slight rotation of the
bolt shifter required to bring the pin (6) to bear against the con-
necting link 7 (at 11) and the bolt (1) has destroyed the correspondence
between the various parts of the lock pins, and it becomes evident
therefore that unless these pins are all respectively pressed into that
position in which they were when the bolt was shot forward the lock
cannot be opened, whilst picking by the tentative process becomes
impossible from the fact that when the bolt shifter is rotated for the
purpose of applying pressure to the bolt to withdraw it this rotation
of the bolt shifter at the same time cuts off all access to those parts
that prevent the bolt from moving.
On inspection of Figs. III. V. and VII. it will be seen that the bolt
shifter can rotate whenever the divisions between the parts of the lock
pins (as between.e and f, or fand g, or g and h) correspond with the
surface of the plate (3) on which the bolt shifter rests, but according
as one of the lock pins is pushed through one or two divisions, or not at
all, so will the long part (13) here x, y, or 2) brought forward with the
bolt take the place of the parts b, c, d, or c, d, e, or a, b, c. The
key in the lock represented is supplied with 19 pins, and these can be
arranged in any arbitrary position (if supplied with one set in this
case nineteen) of short and one set (nineteen) of long pins in over 130
millions different positions), but with only the same arrangement of
key pins can the bolt be withdrawn as that with which it was locked.
The number of pins and their arrangement in regard to symetry, is
quite optional, as 6, 7, 9, 16, and so forth, would form suitable numbers.
Although the divisions of cach lock pin, as in the lock represented, are
arranged to be three in the bolt and two in the guide plate (3), any
other number and proportion may be adopted. The connection between
the bolt shifter and the bolt may be constructed in a different manner,
for instance, by means of teeth formed in the rim of the bolt shifter
gearing into a rack, which latter would push the bolt in such a manner
however as to require the bolt shifter and rack to move through a
certain distance before the latter could apply any pressure on the bolt
for withdrawing the same. An example of this connection between

page_text: bolt and bolt shifter will be found in the application of these
improvements to the ordinary latch lock, as represented in Figs. X.
to XIV.
Fig. X. shows the latch with the plate cover removed; Fig. XI.
shows the same with the upper rim and part of the bolt removed;
Fig. XII. is part of the key (the pin arrangement in section); Fig. XIII.
is the latch in section through the centre of the bolt shifter; and
Fig. XIV. gives the arrangement of the bolt shifter, auxilliary bolt, and
bolt guide, with the division of one lock pin on a larger scale. In these
Figures (1) is the bolt shifter, held in position by the plate (or cap) (7)
surrounding the bolt shifter with a tube as in the former lock. The
rim of the bolt shifter has formed in it (radially) a shot (3) to receive
the pin (2) carried by the sliding bar (4). This latter rests immediately
upon the auxilliary bolt (5), both being held by and sliding in recesses
formed in the guide block or body (6). At the lower edge of the bar (4)
a projection (x) is formed, to receive which projection the auxilliary
bolt (5) is cut out, but in such a manner that the bar (4) can be moved
through a certain distance before its projection touches the end (20)
of the recess in the auxiliary bolt. (8) is the latch bolt provided with
a fork at (10) into which the end of a lever gears, which lever is turned
by a handle on the inside of the door for the purpose of withdrawing the
bolt (8). The bolt is pressed forward by means of the spring (14) and the
lever (13), (or by any other suitable arrangement of spring). The bolt
shifter (1) auxiliary bolt (5), and bolt guide or guide block (6) are per-
forated by seven holes to receive the lock pins, the divisions of which are
shewn on an enlarged scale in Fig. XIV. from which it will be seen that
the perforation of the bolt shifter contains the part 15 besides a number
of short pieces or discs marked (o). The rest of the lock pin is formed
of two pieces (16) and (17), filling up the perforation in the bolt (5) and
extending slightly into the bolt guide (6), thereby preventing the
auxiliary bolt (5) from being moved unless the pin is pushed into the
lock just far enough to bring the part (16) with four of the shorter
picces (o) into the perforation of the auxiliary bolt. It is evident that so
long as the divisions between two of these shorter pieces (o) corresponds
to the surface of the bolt shifter which touches the auxiliary bolt the
former can rotate to the right, pushing by means of the pin (2) the
bar (4) against the latch bolt at (9), and moving them until the pro-
jection (x) touches the end of the recess in the auxiliary bolt (5) at (20),

page_text: Fig. X., but unless this auxiliary bolt is set free by all pins being pushed
into the exact position, as just above mentioned, the auxiliary bolt (5)
cannot be moved. The amount of rotation of the bolt shifter however
which is necessary to make the projection (a) touch the auxiliary
bolt (5) at (20) is sufficient to cut off all access to the pins which hold
the auxiliary bolt, as the only access to these pins is through those
parts which are contained in the bolt shifter, and that only when this
latter is in the position shown in Fig. X., when the perforations through
the various parts correspond with each other, which correspondence is
however destroyed after the bolt shifter has rotated through the least
angle; this however is necessary to bring pressure to bear upon the
auxiliary bolt, hence the lock cannot be picked. This arrangement of
pins or sliders as represented and above described can be combined with
the tumbler of the ordinary lock, the tumblers acting on the pins, being
themselves moved by a key which may be made penuntating in the
arrangements of the bits of various length (as in the lock of Messrs. Day
& Newall, or Hobbs). When the tumblers of the ordinary form of lock
are thus used the pins or sliders, whether independent or held in and
moved each respectively with a frame, may be pressed by means of a
spring or springs against the tumblers, but cannot move until the
tumblers are lifted by a key. The form of lock just referred to would
have the many disadvantages of the old form of locks, such as offering
facilities for taking the impressions of the key from the tumblers, or for
introducing gunpowder for blowing the lock off the door to which it is
fastened, and so forth, all of which means cannot be employed against
the special form of lock as represented and before described, the only
chance left for the burglar being to drill out the pins, which can however
be rendered impossible by hardening the bolt shifter and the ends of the
lock pins. Even this would not be absolutely necessary, as none of the
pins could be drilled out by itself through its facility to rotate with the
drill, and to drill out the projection which prevents the lock pins from
coming out is impossible, at least with the ordinary drill, as the lock pin
would not allow the drill to reach the projecting ridge.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I
hereby declare that what I claim in respect to the said "I Improvements
in Locks and Latches" are,-
(1.) The herein described arrangement of pins or sliders passing

page_text: through the bolt shifter and bolt or auxiliary bolt, and fixed plate or bolt
guide or guide block.
Also, (2). Movement of the bolt through the bolt shifter only, together
with the arrangement of the bolt shifter for moving it a certain distance
before acting upon the bolt or auxiliary bolt or sliding piece. Also the
arrangement of key for making the same permutating; it being understood
however that I do not limit myself to nor do I claim the constituent
details represented in the Drawings, and herein described with referenco
thereto, taken per se and apart from the purposes herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Godfrey Gumpel, have
hereunto set my hand and scal, this Thirteenth day of April,
in the year of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and sixty.
nine.
Witness,
C. G. GUMPEL. (L.S.)
ALEXANDER P. WRIGHT,
Secretary to the
Inventors' Patent Right Association, Limited,
21, Cockspur Street, Charing Cross.