IMPROVEMENTS IN HANDLES FOR LOCKS, Latches, PROVISIONAL SPATION AND OTHER ARTICLES TO WHICH KNOBS OR LES ARE APPLIED
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Whitfield Harland, of the City of
Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Lithographic Manager,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN HANDLES FOR LOCKS, Latches,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Whitfield Harland
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 26th September 1874.
.
I, JOHN WHITFIELD HARLAND, of the City of Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Lithographic Manager, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for “ImprovemENTS IN HANDLES FOR LOCKS,
LATCHES, DOORS, AND OTHER ARTICLES TO WHICH KNOBS OR HANDLES ARE APPLIED,”
to be as follows:-
When applied to locks or latches I form screws at the ends of the
square spindles fitted to the tumblers of the locks or latches, and pass
the screws through lock nuts and also through nuts or threads formed

page_text: in the knobs or handles, each lock nut being square, or hexagon, or
having holes in its rim, so that when the knobs or handles are nicely
adjusted to the doors or to the roses fixed to them the lock nuts can be
set or pinched up tight to the knobs, and prevent them from turning on
the screws, and it will be seen that by this Invention the inconveniences
arising from the small set screws or pins at present used are avoided, and
also that the knobs or handles can be adjusted and set to suit different
thicknesses of doors.
For drawers, cupboards, and other articles requiring a fast knob on
the outside I employ a screwed spindle or pin having a button head in
the inside of the drawer or cupboard, and place on the screw at the
outside a lock nut and tapped knob, and pinch or set them both tightly
together, and this arrangement can also be used for different thicknesses
of material, and for doors having in the insido a small latch which can
be turned by the knob. I substitute for the button the small latch, and
use the lock nut and tapped knob as before.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of tho Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Whitfield Harland in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 25th March 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
WHITFIELD HARLAND, of the City of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Lithographic Manager, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of September, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in
the thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said John Whitfield Harland,
Her special licence that I, the said John Whitfield Harland, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
John Whitfield Harland, 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, use, exercise, and vend, within the United-
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle

page_text: of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HANDLES FOR LOCKS, LATCHES,
DOORS, AND OTHER ARTICLES TO WHICH KNOBS OR HANDLES ARE APPLIED,” upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Whitfield Harland,
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
Scal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Whitfield Harland, 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 :-
:
When applied to locks or latches I form screws at the ends of the
square spindles fitted to the tumblers of the locks or latches, and pass
the screws through lock nuts and also through nuts or threads formed
in the knobs or handles, each lock nut being square, hexagonal, or other
shape, having a hole or holes in its rim, so that when the knobs or
handles are nicely adjusted to the doors or to the roses fixed to them
the lock nuts can be set or pinched up tight to the knobs, and prevent
them from turning on the screws, and it will be seen that by this
Invention the inconveniences arising from the small set screw or pins
at present used are avoided, and also that the knobs or handles can
be adjusted and set more accurately to suit different thicknesses of
doors.
For drawers, cupboards, and other articles requiring a fast knob on
the outside I employ a screwed spindle or pin having a button head in the
inside of the drawer or cupboard, and place on the screw at the outside
a lock nut and tapped knob, and pinch or set them both tightly together,
and this arrangement can also be used for different thicknesses of
material, and for doors having in the inside a small latch which can be
turned by the knob. I substitute for the button the small latch, and uso
the lock nut and tapped knob as before.
And in order that this my said Invention may be the more readily
understood and carried into practical effect, I have hereunto annexed a
Sheet of Drawings illustrative of several modifications of my Invention

page_text: drawn about full size. Similar letters marked on the several views and
herein after mentioned are used to denote similar parts.
Fig. 1 represents an edge view of a door (shewn half in section)
having a pair of door handles applied and secured thereto in accordance
with my Invention. The door handles or knobs A shewn in this
modification are formed of earthenware, with a brass bush B (seen in
section) fastened in their necks in the usual manner. Through the
centre of this brass bush a female screw thread is formed to enable such
knob to be screwed upon the spindle, as herein-after described. O is the
square spindle for actuating the lock or latch, and which spindle has a
male screw thread O¹ formed at each extremity to receive the knobs or
handles A when provided with corresponding female screw threads, as
herein-before described; D, D, are the lock nuts, the combination of
which with door, drawer, and other knobs and handles forms the
essential feature of this Invention, one of such lock nuts being screwed
upon each extremity of the spindle O previous to screwing on the knobs.
Each of these lock nuts may be formed either with or without a sleeve
piece D¹, which as seen in section is supported in the rose E. The
sleeve piece (when used) serves to render the knob and also the spindle
steadier in position.
In the modification illustrated in section in Fig. 2, which represents
an ordinary metallic door handle F, the female screw thread is formed
in the neck of the handle itself. The lock nuts G in this illustration are
shown without any sleeve piece D', as represented in Fig. I.
Fig. 8 represents the application of my improved method of securing
knobs or handles upon the spindles of what are known as cupboard
turns. The spindle H in this case has the ordinary latch I at one
extremity, whilst the other extremity is screwed to receive the knob J
and lock nut K.
In all the foregoing modifications the lock nut is shewn with a small
hole L drilled in its edge (as seen more clearly in the front view of the
lock nut D represented in Fig. 4), and which hole L is for the purpose
of receiving the point of some shaped instrument, such as a sprig bit or
bradawl, and whereby such lock nut can be turned and screwed up
tightly, or vice versa. A suitable lever for this purpose is illustrated in
Fig. 5, the small stud M upon such lever taking into the hole L in the

page_text: lock nut, and thus serving as a fulcrum for the lever in turning such
lock nut.
It will be readily apparent that there are several other methods of
gripping for the purpose of turning the lock nuts besides the one just
described. For instance, the lock nut may have two flat sides, as seen
in Fig. 6; or the edges of such lock nut may be formed hexagonal or
octagonal, as seen respectively in Figs. 7 and 8; or with four or any
other convenient number of sides, in any of which latter cases a
corresponding screw key would be employed for turning such lock nuts,
but the circular form with a hole in the rim is the most convenient form
where a rose is fixed upon the door or other article to which the knob or
handle is applied.
The method of securing the knobs to the spindles of door furniture
when constructed in accordance with the three foregoing modifications
is as follows:-The spindle being placed in position in the door the lock.
nuts are first screwed on tightly up against the rose, or against the door
when no rose is applied. The knob or door handle is next screwed on to
the spindle nearly into close contact with the lock nut; the lock nut is
then unscrewed or screwed back until it binds or locks itself securely
against the knob or handle, which is held stationary meanwhile, and
thus the knob or handle is effectually and securely locked in position
upon the spindle.
Fig. 5 is an exterior side view of a drawer handle, shewing how such
handles can be secured in position in accordance with my Invention.
This drawer handle is made in two parts, so that the part marked O
may be first screwed up tightly against the front of the drawer front P,
when the other portion, which in this case forms a lock nut, may be
then screwed up tightly against the first part marked O, and thus
securely fasten such handle upon the ordinary wooden screw, which is
shewn dotted, and has a button head R on the inside of the drawer, as
illustrated.
Altho I have only described the application of my Invention to
securing the knobs and handles to the spindles of door and drawer
handle furniture, it will be readily apparent that it is equally useful for
all purposes in which a knob or handle can be screwed on to its position,
and it will be further apparent that it is applicable to all classes of door

page_text: or other handle furniture, irrespective of the material of which the knobs.
or handles may be composed.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of this
my said Invention, together with the best methods with which I am
acquainted for carrying the same into practical effect, I wish it to be t
understood that I do not claim the Invention of the lock nut, nor the key
illustrated in Fig. 5, nor the screw with the button head R illustrated
in Fig. 8, and I do not confine myself to the precise details and relative
proportions of the lock nuts herein-before described and illustrated on
the accompanying Drawing, nor to the methods of turning and tightening 1
such lock nuts, as the same may be considerably varied without departing
from the Invention; but what I particularly claim is, the method of
securing the knobs and handles of door furniture or other knobs or
handles in position upon their spindles by the application of lock nuts,
substantially as herein-before, described and illustrated on the accom-.1
panying Drawing.
:
In witness whereof, I; the said John Whitfield Harland, have
hereunto set my hand and scal, this 23rd day of March, in