A NEW AND IMPROVED LOCK, AND KEY FOR THE SAME
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Marc Runkel, late of New York, in the United States of
America, at present residing at No. 98, Strand, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, for the Invention of "A NEW AND IMPROVED LOCK, AND KEY FOR
THE SAME
33
Sealed the 19th June 1877, and dated the 21st December 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Marc Runkel at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st December 1876.
MARC RUNKEL, late of New York, in the United States of America, at present
"A NEW AND
residing at No. 98, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer
IMPROVED LOCK, AND KEY FOR THE SAME.'
"
The object of this Invention is to make a strong and secure lock with a peculiar
construction of key for the same. I will first describe the key.
I make a key which differs from others by having two projections or bits instead
of one.
These bits are so placed on the stem that they are opposite to each other,
but not on the same line, and they can be introduced into an ordinary keyhole but
one at its turn, and so that after the first projection has entered into the lock the
key must be turned about a half of a rotation so as to allow the other one to enter
into the keyhole. Within the lock placed on a pivot are two spring catches which
however are not on the same level, but one upon or above the other, so that each of
them has to be pushed back by one of the bits or projections of the key. Owing to
the circumstance that the two spring catches must be moved simultaneously by the
two bits of the key, this latter becomes an equivalent to two keys operating at the
same time.
The projections may be provided with cuts for wards, or with any other ineans of
safety as in ordinary keys.
Instead of the common hinge now used in padlocks, I substitute therefor a bolt
which is to be passed through a staple and then pushed through a hole made on the
top end of the lock. The extremity of this bolt is conical so as to separate the two
catches underneath the hole, and as there is a recess or notch near the cone of the
bolt the two catches will engage in it, and it can only be withdrawn after they are

page_text: spread out by the friction of the key. The key may turn constantly in any
direction, but it will only open when in a certain position.
This Invention is equally applicable to trunks and such like purposes as for
padlocks,
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said Marc Runkel in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st June 1877.
MARC RUNKEL, late of New York, in the United States of America, at present
residing at No. 98, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer "A NEW AND
IMPROVED LOCK, AND KEY FOR THE SAME."
"
The object of this Invention is to make a strong secure lock with a peculiar con-
struction of key for the same. I will first describe the key.
I make a key which differs from others by having two projections or bits instead
of one.
These bits are so placed on the stein that they are opposite to each other,
but not on the same line, and they can be introduced into an ordinary keyhole but
one as it turn, and so that after the first projection has entered into the lock the
key must be turned about half of a rotation so as to allow the other one to enter
into the keyhole. Within the lock placed on a pivot are two spring catches which
however are not on the same level but one upon or above the other, so that each of
them has to be pushed back by one of the bits or projections of the key. Owing to
the circumstance that the two spring catches must be moved simultaneously by the
two bits of the key this latter becomes an equivalent to two keys operating at the
same time.
The projections may be provided with cuts for wards, or with any other means
of safety as in ordinary keys.
Instead of the common hinge now used in padlocks I substitute therefor a bolt
which is to be passed through a staple, and then pushed through a hole made on
the top end of the lock. The extremity of this bolt is conical so as to separate the
two catches underneath the hole, and as there is a recess or notch near the cone of
the bolt the two catches will engage in it, and it can only be withdrawn after they
are spread out by the friction of the key. The key may turn constantly in any
direction, but it will only open when in a certain position.
This Invention is equally applicable to trunks and such like purposes as well as
for padlocks, and can be used either with or without the keyhole protector herein-
after described.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood, I have
represented in the annexed Drawings a padlock and a lock made according to my
Invention, and which may answer as a type only.
Figure 1 shews a front view of a padlock without its cover, so as to show its
interior mechanism. Figure 2 shows the same view with the cover.
Figure 3 is a perspective view of a lock applied to a trunk.
Figure 4 shows an elevation of a double hook which is destined to operate the
fastening.
Figure 5 shews a front view of a lock applicable to trunks or furniture and such
like purposes.
Figures 6 and 7 represent the keys with double bits as necessary to open my
padlocks and locks.
In all these Figures the same letters of reference indicate the same parts.
a is a box or case in which are disposed the following pieces: b, bi, the hooks or
bolts provided with springs c, c¹, which bring the bolts b, b1, together; d, a pin on
which the hooks b, b¹, swing; c, entrance of the key; f, double hook which is to be
inserted between b, b; g, the key; h, common eye screws to hang on the padlock
so as to effect the shutting up of a door or of a trunk. The key g is provided with

page_text: two projections or bits a, a, which are opposed to each other, but which however
are not on the same line. These projections are destined to operate simultaneously
on the hooks b, b¹, which are placed one upon the other, and which can oscillato on
the pin d; but as they are not on the same level they can only be affected each by
one bit of the key. It results from the circumstance that this latter is similar to
the keys which operate together, and so that each is specially destined to fit in one
of the bolts or hooks b, b, which must necessarily be displaced together so as to
allow the hook f to be withdrawn.
The keyhole or scutcheon is shaped in such a way on the lock that the key must
be introduced in the following manner :-The bit a is admitted first into the key-
hole, then give the key a half turn, and then introduce the other projection or
bit a¹.
In the interior of the lock all kinds of wards and other known measures of safety
as commonly practised by locksmiths may be applied, and of course cut into tho
key in the usual manner.
For the purpose of rendering ordinary or common locks unpickable, and in order
to prevent the introduction of spare or duplicate keys into locks, I introduce two
pieces into the keyhole. These pieces are held together, and are attached to a
common door lock by means of one of my padlocks. These pieces are represented
in Figures 8 and 9, also in Figures 11 and 12.
Figure 10 shews the entrance of key not provided with the two pieces mentioned
above. The piece i which is introduced first (see Figure 11) has on one extremity
an eye, and on the other two hooks . This piece i is pushed through the entrance 7,
then it is turned a quarter of turn for the purpose of causing the hooks to pass
through the entrance 1, and to be prevented from being drawn as long as the piece i
remains in the usual position. To make the piece i a fixture and immovable, I join
to it a flat piece m with an eye n. The two eyes j and n are united and joined
to a common lock, of which they stop up the keyhole by means of a padlock o,
according to my Invention; p is the box of a common door-lock, and r the door.
For locks with hollow keys the flat piece m will be provided with a tube s, Fig. 13,
in which enters the stem t placed in the middle of keyhole l.
I do not confine myself to the sizes or forms of the locks or keys as herein given
or shewn, as the same may be varied without departing from the principle of my
Invention.
Having thus described the nature and object of my said Invention, I declare that
what I claim as my Invention and desire to be secured to me by the herein-before
in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. The key with its two projections or bits either on a round, flat, or any
other form of stem, for the purpose mentioned, and before described and shewn on
Drawings.
Second. The bolts 6 and b¹ or their equivalent placed one above the other so as
to be moved simultaneously by the two projections or bits of the key as aforesaid.
Third. The double hook to be applied to padlocks so as to do away with the
rivetted hinge, as before described and shewn in Drawings.
Fourth. The application of the system of key in conjunction with the bolts b, b¹,
as before described, either to padlocks or all other kind of locks, such as for trunks,
travelling bags, boxes, furniture, and other objects, as before described.
Fifth. The use of the pieces i and m to stop up the keyholes of any kind of lock
for the purpose of preventing the lock being picked.
In witness whereof, I, the said Marc Runkel, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twentieth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
M. RUNKEL. (L.S.)