Improvements in Locks for Trunks, Bonnet Boxes, and Metallic Boxes Generally.
Year: 1889

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Locks for Trunks, Bonnet Boxes, and Metallic
Boxes Generally.
I, JOSEPH LEGGE, of Stafford Street, Willenhall, in the County of Stafford,
Lock manufacturer, 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:-
My invention relates to what are known in the trade as "Scarboro❞ trunk locks,
and has for its object to produce trunk locks more cheaply than can at present be
done, and to make the locks themselves stronger, more easily secured, and more.
reliable. Further it is iny object to enable a trunk lock to be temporarily secured, if
desired, or if the lock mechanism gets damaged or does not act, from any cause,
independently of the lock mechanism.
The type of "Scarboro" Trunk lock at present in use consists in the main of a
The case is fixed to
metal case containing the locking mechanism, and a hasp.
the body of the trunk or bonnet box to which it is desired to apply the lock, by
suitable screws, and the hasp is in the same manner fixed to the lid of the trunk
or bonnet box. The hasp is furnished with suitable loops which enter into corre-
sponding apertures in the front of the lock case, when a turn of the lock key shoots
the lock bolt through the said loops and thus secures the hasp.
For the sake of greater clearness, I shall describe my invention by the aid of
the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, when the
features of novelty in my invention will be apparent. The same letters of reference
occuring in the different figures indicate corresponding parts.
Figure I is a front elevation of a trunk lock constructed in accordance with my
invention, the lock being represented as closed, and figure II is a side elevation of
figure I excepting that the lock is shewn open. C is the part of the trunk lid to
which the hinged hasp B is fixed. E is the body of the trunk.
As will be evident

page_text: 32
on a reference to these figures I make the lock case A and the lower part of the
hinged hasp B in one piece. To the body of the trunk E, I fix, in the manner I
shall more particularly describe below, a metal plate F (figures I and II) bearing the
loop G (figure II). The apertures which occur in the usual type of "Scarboro
lock in the front of the lock case, I dispense with, but at the back of the lock, in such
a position as to receive the loop G when the lock is closed as in Figure I, I place
a suitable aperture to enable the loop G to be engaged by the lock mechanism. The
working of the lock will now be obvious. When it is desired to secure the lock
the case A is merely pressed against the plate F. The loop G enters the aperture in
the back of the lock, where it is secured by actuating the lock mechanism. If the
lock mechanism by means of the key is reversed, the lock can be drawn away from
the plate F into the position shewn by figure II, when the trunk can be opened.
:
In order to give additional security to the lock I form at the bottom of the
lock case a tongue H (figures 1 II III IV) having a hole J (figures I III IV) cut
through it and I cut a vertical slot K, or its equivalent, (figures I II III) both
through the plate F and the trunk body. In this slot I adjust a thumbit L, (figures I
II III and V) of any suitable construction, though preferably of the shape shewn
in figures III III and in figure V which is a plan of figure III. The thumbit L
being held in position in the slot K by means of a nut M (figure II) inside the trunk
can be worked up and down to the extent of the slot K. To give greater smoothness
to this working I place a flat spring N (figure II) between the nut M and the
trunk body. In figure II (and in figure 1) the thumbit L is shewn in its position at
the top of the slot K. When the lock is brought into the position shewn in figure I,
the thumbit L protrudes through the upper part of the hole J in the tongue H. If the
thumbit L is now pressed into its position. at the bottom of the slot K, as shown in
figure III, it is obvious that the tongue H is secured against the plate F, and cannot
be drawn away again unless the thumbit is first pressed upward into the position
shewn in figures I and II.
In virtue of the arrangement above described the lock can be temporarily secured
when desired, or if the lock mechanism from any cause does not act, independently of
the said lock mechanism.
The means by which I fix the plate F in its position against the trunk body E will
be apparent from figure II. provide the loop G with a screwed shank which
passes through suitably placed holes in the plate F and the trunk body, on the inside
of which it is secured by the nut O. The only other fastening necessary for holding
the plate F in position is supplied by the thumbit Land the nut M.
Of course I do not confine myself absolutely to the details of my invention as I
have described them, but reserve the right of varying them as may from time to time
be expedient. For instance the shape of the tongue H and hole J may be
infinitely varied, as also the shape of the thumbit I. The thumbit L too might, if
desired, be made to pass through a hole exactly its own shape in the tongue H,
and instead of working in a slot might be made to merely turn on its axis and
thus secure the tongue H against the plate F. Again the plate F might, if desired,
be entirely dispensed with, the loop G and thumbit L being in that case fixed only to
the metal of the trunk body, in their proper positions.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :
1. The general arrangement of hasp B, lock case A, tongue H, plate F and
thumbit L, substantially as and for the purpose herein described and illustrated
by the accompanying drawings.
II. The tongue H formed on the lock case A, substantially as and for the purpose
herein described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
III. The movable thumbit L, whether working in a slot or in any other suitable
manner, substantially as and for the purpose herein described and illustrated by
the accompanying drawings.

page_text: IV. The plate F, substantially as and for the purpose herein described and
illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
V. Mounting either the loop G to engage the lock mechanism, or the thumbit L,
or both, on to the plate F, substantially as and for the purpose herein described and
illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
VI. Fixing the plate F in its position against the trunk body by means of the
loop G and thumbit L, substantially as and for the purpose herein described and
illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
1 1000