New or Improved Wedge for Preventing Doors being Opened on the Outside.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Feb., 1895-Accepted, 13th Apr., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
New or Improved Wedge for Preventing Doors being Opened on
the Outside.
I, JAMES HOLMES, of Sunningdale, Ashley Road, Bristol, Builder, 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 a new or improved wedge device for insertion between
the floor of a room and the bottom of the door, to prevent the latter being opened
without the consent of the occupant of the room; and has for its object to provide
a simple appliance which will enable a person to effectively close the door of his
room against the surreptitious entrance of burglars or the like.
Ordinary wedges have frequently been used for this purpose, but it is found that
they can be pushed inwards and removed from contact with the door; other
appliances have also been provided, but most of them are too bulky for general use,.
or can only be used with injury to the floor or door. My invention consists
simply of a wedge, at or near the back of which a plate or plates with serrated
pointed edges are provided, to engage slightly in the floor when the wedge is
placed under the door, thus effectually preventing the removal of the wedge and
subsequent opening of the door until the back of the wedge is lifted.
The accompanying drawing illustrates a suitable manner of carrying my invention
into effect A piece of wood is formed into a wedge, as shown, and at the butt
end a steel or other metal plate is attached, having a serrated edge, which is to be
placed points downwards to engage in the carpet or floor of the room. Or instead
of one plate being fixed at the end, a smaller plate may be attached on each side,
as shown by dotted lines; or nails or ordinary screws may be inserted at the thick
end of the wedge, and the points made to slightly project on the lower side, being
filed or sharpened so that they may grip the floor.
The wedge may, however, be made entirely of metal or other suitable com-
position, and may be either plain or ornamental in design and finish, the essential
feature of the invention being that somewhere near the back of the wedge there
shall be points or projections to grip the floor and prevent the wedge being moved
from its position by any person outside the room.
As the wedge will probably be extensively used by commercial travellers, a
shield of any suitable kind and material is attached to protect the sharp points
from injuring clothing or other articles with which it may be placed in proximity.
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 :-
The construction of wedges as described from any suitable material, with points
or projections at the back end to engage in and grip the floor of a room when
placed under a door, and thus prevent the door being opened from the outside,
until the back end of the wedge is lifted, substantially as and for the purpose
herein described and set forth, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
This 10th J
J. G. WESTLAKE,
2, John Street, Bristol, Applicant's Agent.
J. G. WESTLAKE,
2, John Street, Bristol, Applicant's Agent.