The Tippecanoe
The Tippecanoe latch is worked with a wooden spring and when properly made, of well-seasoned wood, will probably outlast a metal one, for wood will not rust and cannot rot unless subjected to moisture.
The position of the spring in [Fig. 201] shows the latch with the bolt sprung back. The fact that the bolt-hole in the catch is empty also tells the same story. The drawing of the outside of the door ([Fig. 203]) shows by the position of the peg that the door is fastened. To open the door, push back the bolt by sliding the peg to the opposite end of the slot. From a view of the edge of the door ([Fig. 202]) one may see how the peg protrudes on the outside of the door.
[Fig. 201.] [Fig. 201.½.] [Fig. 202.] [Fig. 203.]
The Tippecanoe. A jack door-latch.
Although the Tippecanoe latch is made of quite a number of parts, it is really a very simple device, but in order to display the simplicity of its construction to the ambitious jack-knife latch maker I have drawn all the parts but the spring stick natural size (Figs. [204] to [207]), but since the original diagram is drawn too large for this page and was reduced by the engraver there is a scale of inches at the bottom to give the reader the proportions.
There are no fixed dimensions for this or any other lock, latch, or catch, but the proportions here given are probably the ones that will fit your door. The foundation block is shown by [Fig. 204.] Upon this the latch rests and is securely nailed or screwed to the door. Figs. [205] and [206] are two wooden clamps which are fastened to the door and also to the foundation block ([Fig. 204]). These clamps must be notched as in the diagrams to allow for the movement of the bolt, but since the bolt ([Fig. 207]) is larger and thicker at the butt the notch in [Fig. 205] is made just a trifle larger than the butt end of the bolt and in [Fig. 206] the notch is made a trifle smaller than the opposite end of the bolt. The object of the offset on the bolt ([Fig. 207]) forward of the peg is to make a shoulder to stop it from shooting too far when the spring is loosened.
[Fig. 204.] [Fig. 204.½.] [Fig. 205.] [Fig. 206.] [Fig. 207.]
