United States Supreme Court Cases & Opinions

U.S. Supreme Court

Yale Lock Mfg. Co. v. Berkshire Nat'l Bank, 135 U.S. 342 (1890)

Yale Lock Manufacturing Company v. Berkshire National Bank

Nos. 261, 262

Argued April 11, 14-15, 1890

Decided May 5, 1890

135 U.S. 342

APPEALS FROM THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE UNITED

STATES FOR THE DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS

Syllabus

Claim 3 of reissued letters patent No. 7947, granted November 13, 1577 to James Sargent, for an "improvement in combined time lock, combination lock, and bolt work for safes," the original patent, No. 195,539, having been granted to Sargent, September 25, 1877; namely,

"3. The combination, with the bolt work of a safe or vault door, of a combination or key lock controllable mechanically from the exterior of said door, with a time lock having a lock bolt or obstruction for locking and unlocking controllable from the interior of the door, both of said locks being arranged so as to rest against or connect with the bolt work, the time lock being automatically unlocked by the operation of the time movement, both of said locks being independent of each other, and arranged to control the locking and unlocking of the bolt work, so that said safe or vault door cannot be opened when locked until both of said locks have been unlocked or have released their dogging action, to enable the door to be opened, substantially as described,"