Samuel Blatchford

“ In the specification of reissue No. 8,035, the following statements were made: 'The object of my invention is to construct a time-lock, and to combine it with the multiple sliding bolt-work of a safe or vault-door, so that, by the continuous movement of its time mechanism, locking and unlocking will be effected daily or periodically. * * * The gist of my invention, therefor, is the combination in a time-lock of time mechanism revolving a graduated dial, which serves to oscillate a pivoted bent lever. ”

“ The combination, in a time-lock, of time mechanism, a revolving graduated dial actuated thereby, a bent lever oscillated by the revolution of the dial on an immovable pivot, and a dog or obstruction, also oscillated on an immovable pivot, the lever and dog being so arranged that, when one arm of the lever is pushed aside at a predetermined time by the revolution of the dial, the other arm withdraws its support from under, and permits the dog to turn by gravity, thereby leaving a free space for the retraction of the bolt-work, substantially as described. ”

“ In the defendants' lock there is only one time movement, and there are no wheels of any kind, much less wheels like the cam-wheels, B and C, of Little's original patent, with projections and depressions, which can be rotated so as to increase and diminish the surface of a common cam or depression; nor has it any cam projection or cam depression of any kind, formed in any manner, whose office is to lift and hold up and let fall a lever, and thus dog and release the bolt of a safe-door ”

“ The seventh-day wheel, A, has on its edge a cam projection, n, which rotates once while the depression, h, rotates seven times, as described, and is so arranged relatively to the said depression, h, that, on every seventh revolution thereof, it is brought under the roller, S, and holds up the lever, R, while the depression, h, passes under it, so that every seventh day the same prevents the safe from being unlocked. ”

“ As such locks are set on combinations, or operated by means of keys, burglars can force the holders of the combination or key to unlock the door, and hence such locks are not a perfect safeguard against robbery. Clock-locks have also been used upon doors for the purpose of opening the door only at a determined hour, thus placing it beyond the power of any person to open the door until that hour arrives ”

“ This scale is used in conjunction with a pointer, e, at the top of the wheel. In setting the lock, the dial-wheels are moved backward from 0 to any number in the scale that will indicate the number of hours the safe or vault is to remain closed; and the pins, n, n, must be so located with reference to the scale as to strike the levers, m, m, and release the bolt, when the 0 mark comes forward to the pointer. The time movements or mechanism may be of any ordinary construction to measure time. ”

“ The bolt-work on different doors is frequently such that the two locks cannot be applied together. The clock-lock in such case may be attached at the most convenient location, as before described. It can also be applied with facility on old safes having the combination or key lock already on, thus securing the advantage of a clock-lock and combination lock without the necessity of removing the old lock, and substituting a new one having a time movement combined directly with the lock. ”

“ The wheel, C, which is graduated for the hours of the day, is fastened rigidly upon the hub, a, by means of the projection, b, and rotates with it. Loose on the same hub is the wheel, B, which may be fastened by friction to the wheel, C, in different positions, by the thumbscrew, Q, that is attached to, or forms part of, the wheel, B, and passes through the slot, c, of the wheel, C. p, p, p, p, p, designate pivots on which the several wheels revolve. The wheel, B, is cut away on its periphery, leaving the depression, d, and the cam projection, e ”

“ When the two wheels, B and C, are fastened together by the thumb-screw, Q, side by side, they form one wheel, and have a common depression, h, which may be enlarged or diminished by rotating the wheel, B, on the wheel, A, with the thumb-screw, and setting the same, and a common cam or projection, i, which may be enlarged or diminished in the same manner. ”

“ D and E are two clock movements fastened to the inside, F, of a safe, adjacent to the hinged part of a safe-door, G. Said clock movements, through the wheels and ratchets, K and L, (shown by the dotted lines, Fig. 1,) which are rotated once in twelve hours by the clock, propel the wheels, H and I, in the same time, in the direction of the arrows thereon. ”

“ Judge LOWELL held claim 3 to be invalid, on the ground that, if it was a claim irrespective of any particular means for carrying it out, it was void as a patent for a principle, independently of the state of the art ”

“ In July, 1884, the defendants were allowed to amend their answer by setting up an additional anticipation of the Little patent, proofs were taken thereon, and the case was reheard, before Judge COLT, on the new evidence. He affirmed the former decree, in an opinion reported in 26 Fed. Rep. 104. The master reported $60 damages in favor of the plaintiffs, and both parties excepted to the report. ”