IMPROVEMENTS IN Locks, LATCHES, AND KEYS, AND IN CONNECTING KNOBS TO THE SPINDLES OF LOCKS AND LATCHES
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Philip Walters, of Wolverhampton, in the County of
Stafford, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN Locks,
LATCHES, AND KEYS, AND IN CONNECTING KNOBS TO THE SPINDLES OF LOCKS
AND LATCHES."
Sealed the 21st June 1864, and dated the 9th January 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Philip Walters at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 9th
January 1864.
I, PHILIP WALTERS, of Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford, Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN LOCKS, LATCHES, AND KEYS, AND IN CONNECTING KNOBS TO THE SPINDLES
OF LOCKS AND LATCHES," to be as follows:-
My improvements in locks and latches consist in the following arrangement
of the mechanism for withdrawing the latch by the action of the knob. The
follower of the lock or latch consists of a horizontal bar having a cross piece
at its end, and has somewhat the figure of the letter T. The said cross piece
is situated between the parallel arms of a forked lever turning on a centre on
the lock or latch case. By turning the knob in either direction the cross
piece of the follower strikes one or other of the arms of the forked lever
between which it is situated, and causes the lever to be drawn inwards, that
is, towards the knob. The latch is connected to the end of the lever and is
drawn in by the action described.
My improvement in keys consists in making, in place of the ordinary rings

page_text: or bow, a plate having a slot therein sufficiently large to permit of the key
being put on a split ring, but not large enough to allow of the bows or rings
of other keys becoming entangled with it. The unperforated part of the plate
may be impressed with the name of the article to the lock of which the key
belongs, or with other inscription or device.
My improvements in connecting knobs to the spindles of locks and latches
are as follows:-I make the spindle square and cut a screw on the angles.
A screw washer screws on the screwed spindle. One knob is fixed to the
spindle, the other knob has a square hole in its neck, and the distance to
which it is allowed to slide on the spindle is determined by the screw washer,
which is screwed to the required position on the spindle. The neck of the
sliding knob abuts against the said screw washer. The knob is fixed to its
bearing against the screw washer by means of a loose collar on the spindle,
the said collar being on the opposite side of the screw washer to that against
which the neck of the knob abuts. The said loose collar is milled outside,
and in its interior has a screw which engages with a screw on the outside of
the neck of the knob. By screwing the said cellar on the neck of the knob
the screw washer is enclosed between them and the knob fixed on the
spindle.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Philip Walters in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 6th
July 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PHILIP
WALTERS, of Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford, Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Philip Walters, Her special licence that I, the said Philip
Walters, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others' as I, the
said Philip Walters, 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-

page_text: MENTS IN LOCKS, LATCHES, AND KEYS, AND IN CONNECTING KNOBS TO THE SPINDLES OF
LOCKS AND LATCHES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Philip
Walters, 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 Philip Walters, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
My improvements in locks and latches consist in the following arrangement
of the mechanism for withdrawing the latch by the action of the knob. The
follower of the lock or latch consists of a horizontal bar having a cross piece
at its end, and has somewhat the figure of the letter T. The said cross piece
is situated between the parallel arms of a forked lever turning on a centre on
the lock or latch case. By turning the knob in either direction the cross
piece of the follower strikes one or other of the arms of the forked lever
between which it is situated, and causes the lever to be drawn inwards, that is,
towards the knob. The latch is connected to the end of the lever and is drawn in
by the action described. Instead of making the cross piece of the follower act
against the parallel arms of a forked lever the cross piece of the follower may
engage with the lever near its middle, the ends of the arms of the lever
carrying pins, which strike against a plate to which the latch is connected.
When the knob is turned the follower acts upon and moves the lever in one
or other direction, and one or other of its pins is made to strike against the
plate of the latch, and withdraw the said latch.
My improvement in keys consists in making in place of the ordinary ring
or bow a plate, having a slot therein sufficiently large to permit of the key being
put on a split ring, but not large enough to allow of the bows or rings of
other keys becoming entangled with it. The unperforated part of the plate
may be impressed with the name of the article to the lock of which the key
belongs, or with other inscription or device.
My improvements in connecting knobs to the spindles of locks and latches
are as follows: I make the spindle square and cut a screw on the angles.
A screw washer screws on the screwed spindle; one knob is fixed to the
spindle, the other knob has a square or circular hole in its neck, and the
distance, to which it is allowed to slide on the spind'e is determined by the

page_text: screw washer which is screwed to the required position on the spindle. The
neck of the sliding knob abuts against the said screw washer. The knob is
fixed to its bearing against the screw washer by means of a loose collar on the
spindle, the said collar being on the opposite side of the screw washer to that
against which the neck of the knob abuts. The said loose collar is milled
outside, and in its interior has a screw, which engages with a screw on the
outside of the neck of the knob. By screwing the said collar on the neck of
the knob the screw washer is enclosed between them, and the knob fixed on
the spindle. Instead of securing the loose collar to the neck of the knob in
the manner before described a loose collar screwed inside situated on the
neck of the knob, may be made to engage with a screw on the outside of
the loose collar on the spindle.
Having explained the nature of my Invention, I will proceed to describe,
with reference to the accompanying Drawings, the manner in which the same
is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in plan an ordinary door lock provided with mechanism
for withdrawing the latch, the said mechanism being constructed according to
my Invention; Figure 2 represents a longitudinal section of the same taken
through the line a, Figure 1; Figure 3 represents a plan of the same with
the latch withdrawn into the case; and Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7 represent
detached portions of the same; Figure 8 represents the key of the lock. The
same letters of reference are employed to indicate the same parts in Figures 1,
2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7.
b is the follower of the lock or latch, shown separately in elevation in
Figure 4, and plan in Figure 5, and c is the spindle carrying the said follower.
The said follower b has near its end a pin or cross piece 62. The said piu or
cross piece is situated between the arms of the lever d, d, the said lever
turning on a centre d³ on the lock case. The lever d, d, is shown separately
in plan in Figure 6, and elevation in Figure 7. The cross pin 2 of the
follower 6 engages in a square opening e in the middle of the lever d, d, and
the arms of the said lever are provided with pins d', d, which work in the
curved slots f in the sliding plate f. The latch g is connected to the sliding
plate f, as represented, and the said latch is urged forward from the lock case
by means of the arm h acted upon by the spring h. When the latch is in
its normal position, as represented in Figure 1, each of the pins d of the
lever d, d², is situated at the top of its respective slot f2 in the plate f. When,
however, the spindle c is turned by the knob in either direction the fol-
lower b, b², gives motion to the lever d, d², and the said lever withdraws the
latch in the manner represented in Figure 3. On turning the knob or bandle

page_text: of the spindle c in the direction of the arrow, Figure 3, the motion of the
lever d, d, causes the lower pin d' of the said lever to strike against the top
of its slot in the plate f and to force back the said plate, the upper pin at
the same time working against the curved lower edge of its slot f. The
latch g is thereby withdrawn into the lock case, as represented in Figure 3.
When the knob or handle is turned in a direction contrary to that indicated
by the arrow in Figure 3, the lever d, ds, moves in a direction contrary to
that represented in Figure 3, the upper pin d striking against the top of its
slot, and the lower pin working in its slot, and the latch is withdrawn in the
manner before explained. On loosing the knob or handle the parts are made
to resume the respective positions represented in Figure 1 by the action of
the spring arm h. Although I prefer to use the mechanism described and
represented in Figures 1, 2, and 3 for withdrawing the latch, yet the con-
struction of the parts of the said mechanism may be modified in the following
manner: The bar b of the follower may have a figure resembling the
letter T, and the lever d may be forked, the T-shaped bar being situated
between the arms of the said forked lever. By turning the knob in either
direction the cross piece at the end of the follower strikes one or other of the
arms of the forked lever and causes the lever to be drawn inwards, and thus
to withdraw the latch.
Figure 9 represents in plan a lock and latch for railway carriage doors,
provided with mechanism for withdrawing the latch according to my Inven-
tion; Figure 10 represents the handle and square spindle for withdrawing the
latch. The construction of the latch mechanism represented in Figure 9 is
essentially the same as that of the latch mechanism herein-before described
and represented. I therefore do not think a description of the said mechanism,
Figure 9, necessary. Instead of making the latch work against a fixed pro-
jection on the staple of the lock or latch when the door is shut, I provide the
staple with a square block, capable of rotation, against which the latch works
on shutting the door. Figure 11 represents a front elevation of a staple
having a rotating block; Figure 12 represents an end elevation of the same;
Figure 13 represents a plan; and Figure 14, a horizontal section of the same.
A slot or recess i is cut in the side of the staple, in which slot the rotating.
block k works, the said block turning freely on the axis 1. At the junction
of the contiguous sides of the block a projection m is formed, as represented
in the Drawing. On shutting the door the latch strikes against one of the
projections m on the block k, and as the door is closed gives motion to the
said block, making it perform a quarter rotation. The latch is thereby made
to work more easily than when it works against a fixed surface.

page_text: Figure 15 represents in side and edge views a key made according to my
Invention. I provide the stem a of the key with a plate b, having a slot c
therein instead of the ordinary ring or bow. The slot c is sufficiently large to
permit of the key being put on a split ring, but not large enough to allow of
the bows or rings of other keys becoming entangled with it. The unperforated
part of the plate b may be impressed with the name of the article to the lock
of which the key belongs, or with other inscription or device.
The said collar f is screwed on its
which, when the knob c is made to
Figures 16, 17, 18, and 19 represent my improvements in connecting knobs
to spindles. Figure 16 representing, partly in section, and partly in elevation,
a knob connected to its spindle according to my Invention; and Figures 17,
18, and 19 are elevations of portions of the same, as herein-after explained.
The same letters indicate the same parts in Figures 16, 17, 18, and 19. a is
the square spindle, having a screw thread cut on its angles; b is the fixed
knob and c is the moveable knob. The knob is fixed to the spindle a in
the ordinary way. The knob c has a circular hole d in its neck. On the
screwed part of the spindle a a screw washer e works, the said screw washer
being of a size proper to fit the circular hole d in the neck of the knob c. By
means of the washer e the distance to which the knob c can slide on the spindle
is determined. At that side of the screw washer e nearest the fixed knob b
is a collar sliding on the spindle a.
periphery, and carries on its face a pin g,
abut against the screw washer e, engages with a hole h (see Figures 16
and 18) in the neck of the said knob. On the outside of the neck of the
knob c is a loose collar (shown separately in Figure 19), the said collar
being milled outside and screwed inside. In order to connect the knob c to
the spindle a, and to adjust the said knob to the thickness of the door, the
screw washer e is screwed on the spindle to the required distance, as represented
in Figure 17. The knob c with its loose collar i is then placed upon the
spindle, and pushed forward until the circular hole d in its neck engages with
and its closed end abuts against the said screw washer e. The collar f is now
moved forward against the neck of the knob c, the pin g being made to
engage in the hole h in the said neck. The milled loose collar i is finally
screwed upon the collar f, the screw in its inside engaging with the screw on
the periphery of the collar f, as represented in Figure 16. The screw
washer is thus firmly enclosed between the neck of the knob and the
collar f, and the knob c securely connected to the spindle a. The milled
collar i may be fixed in its place, by a screw being passed through the said
collar into the neck of the knob. In order to separate the knob c from the
spindle a, it is only necessary to unscrew the collar i from the collar f, when
i

page_text: the knob can be withdrawn from the spindle a. The collar f may be dispensed
with, and a loose collar similar to the loose collar i placed in the position on
the spindle of the collar f. In this case the hole in the centre of the loose
collar is only sufficiently large to permit of the said collar turning freely on
the spindle a. The said loose collar is milled outside, and in its interior has a
screw, which engages with a screw on the outside of the neck of the knob.
By screwing the said loose collar on the neck of the knob the screw washer e
is enclosed between them and the knob fixed on the spindle.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not
limit myself to the precise details herein described and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawings, as the same may be varied without departing from
the nature of my Invention; but I claim as my Invention,―
Firstly, the improvements in locks and latches herein-before described and
illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 9 of the accompanying Drawings,
that is to say, combining or arranging the parts of mechanism for withdrawing
the latch of locks and latches by the action of the knob or handle, essentially
in the manner described and illustrated.
Secondly, the improvement in keys herein-before described and illustrated
in Figure 15 of the accompanying Drawings.
Thirdly, the improvements in connecting knobs to the spindles of locks and
latches herein-before described and illustrated in Figures 16, 17, 18, and 19
of the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Philip Walters, have bereunto set my
hand and seal, this First day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
PHILIP WALTERS. (L.S.)