US20280A - Safety-drop tor keys - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. i

R. K. LEE, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

SAFETY-DROP FOR KEYS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 20,280, dated May 18, 1858.

To all whom 'it may concern.

Be it known that I, RUFUs K. LEE, of Brooklyn, in the-county of Kings and State of New York, have invented, made, and applied to use certain new and useful Improvements in Drops for Keyholes, which I term the Safety-Drop for the Keys of Doors; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same. reference being had to the annexed drawing, making part of this specification, wherein- Figure l, is an elevation of an escutcheon with my drop applied thereto. Fig. 2, is a vertical section of the same showing the manner of holding the key in the lock; and Fig. 3, is an elevation of my improved drop as applied to the ordinary mineral escutcheon.

Similar marks of reference denote the same parts.

The nature of my said invention consists in the use of a notched drop and a key having a flattened shank or groove over which said drop passes in combination with a peculiar eccentric or cam piece to prevent said drop being moved from the outside by a piece of wire inserted through the key hole, and also a revolving disk attached to the inner side of the drop that will revolve by any pick or similar instrument inserted through the key hole, and prevent strain being applied to move said drop.

In the drawing a, is the plate of the escutcheon, and is my safety drop which in rim locks may be attached to the lock plate instead of the escutcheon plate a.

l, is the screw or rivet on which the drop b, swings. 2, is an opening or notch formed in the said drop Z), which when the key is to be held from being turned, incloses the shank of said key as seen in Fig. 2, the said shank having a notch or flat surface 3 formed on one or more sides, of a size to correspond with the width of the said notch 2. I prefer that this flat place be formed so that the bits of the key will hang downward or on the line of the key hole, so as to prevent the insertion of any instrument into said key hole; and the upper part of this notch 2, being slightly cam shaped, will tend to force the shank of the key downward and bind the barrel (0,) and bits (al) into the lock (e.) The said drop b, should be retained in place by the eccentric or cam f, on the fulcrum pin 4, which being turned up into a notch 5, on the lower end of the drop b, eifectually prevents said drop being forced to one side because the said eccentric f came up from the other side to that on which the drop descends, so that any pressure to remove the said drop tends to bind the eccentric more securely.

To prevent any wire or pick that might be inserted through the key hole beneath the bits of the key being operative, I attach a disk 6, within a recess in the rear side of the drop so that any instrument entered through said key hole will only act to revolve said disk on its center pin, and no strain can be applied to the drop b.

I prefer that the edge of the eccentric f, project over the edge of the drop as at 7 to prevent said drop being bent back.

In Fig. 8, the same parts as previously described are shown as applied with the ordinary mineral escutcheon (g), and in this case the eccentric f, will require to be attached to a separate Aplate It, screwed onto the door to avoid the use of a new esc utcheon plate (a) in place of that in use,--or the plates h and a, might be stamped out of one piece.

Having thus described my invention and shown the manner of applying the same, what I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent isl. The revolving disk 6, on the rear side of the notched drop Z), for the purposes and as specified.

2. I also claim the employment of the notched drop b, the eccentric f and disk 6, arranged, constructed and operating as specied.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my signature this twenty fifth day of February 1858.

RUF US K. LEE.

Witnesses:

LEMUEL W. SERRELL, THOMAS G. HAROLD.

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