Improvements in and relating to Portable Balconies for Window Cleaning and other Purposes.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Mar., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 8th Dec., 1894-Accepted, 12th Jan., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Portable Balconies for Window
Cleaning and other Purposes.
I, JAMES MOFFAT of Cowlairs House, 250 New Keppochhill Road, in the
City and County of Glasgow, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my inven-
tion to be as follows:-
--
This invention has reference to improvements in the construction of portable
balconies and their fittings for windows, principally designed for use in window
cleaning and repairing, but capable of being applied to other purposes such as
sustaining flower pots and such like, and which balconies will be very safe and
convenient for the desired purposes, and easily removed.
According to one modification the improved balcony would be constructed as
follows: The floor or platform of the balcony would be formed of a wood frame
either sparred or close, and secured to side binding frames preferably made of
malleable cast iron or steel, said frames being furnished with angled arms projecting
backwards towards the window to take on to a rod fixed across same, all as will be
described.
The protecting front or railing of the balcony would be hinged to the front edge
of the floor or platform, and be formed in two parts hinged together so as to be
capable of being folded down flat on the floor, within a space equal to half its
height. The protecting sides or railings would also be hinged to the balcony flooring
preferably to projections from the metal binding side frames, and at such a height
as to permit them to fold down flat, one on the top of the other, and over the
previously folded down front railing. To hind the front and sides together when in
position, the upper corners of the front would be each furnished with a dovetailed
projection which on raising the front into position would enter a bevelled segmental
groove or slot formed on each of the sides; and the sides would also have stops to
prevent the front falling outwards.
To secure the balcony in position a transverse rod or rods would be secured
across the foot of the window either permanently or portably. In the portable.
form according to one modification this rod would be formed in two parts or
divisions the outer ends of which would have secured at right angles thereto a plate
having one or more pins to take into the wood work of the window frame, cr
preferably into holes in plates screwed to and flush with the woodwork between the
parting and outer beads of the upper sash and for extra security provided with a
small flange projecting under the ends of said beads. To the inner end of one
division of the rod would be secured a U shaped frame the lower part of which
would carry a small toothed pinion to engage with and actuate a rack on the inner
part of the other division. One of the upper ends of this U shaped frame would
carry a spring actuated pawl to engage with ratchet teeth formed on the upper side
of the rack on the other division, and the other end of said frame would carry a
pinching screw and pressing block to secure the two divisions together even should
the pawl be lifted by any accident. The toothed pinion could be actuated by a
small fixed hand wheel on its axle or by a portable handle applied to a square head
on the other end of its axle. When being secured in position, the pins on the end
plates would be entered into the holes in the plates on the window frame, and the
toothed pinion being turned would press out the rack and expand the whole till

page_text: sufficient pressure was obtained, when the pinching screw and block being screwed
down, would securely hold the whole in place.
By another modification one division of the transverse rod would be screwed and
carry a small hand wheel with screwed eye, while the other division would be
formed partly as a tube to receive within it the screwed rod. When being placed
in position the screwed wheel being turned and pressing against the end of the.
tubular part provides the necessary outward pressure.
The rod or duplex rod described being placed in position across the lower part of
the window, the balcony is brought to the inside of the window, bottom upwards,
and is secured to the rod by a fork formed on the end of each of the angled arms
and furnished with a spring catch to automatically secure it to the rod. The
balcony is then turned over on the rod to the outside and the sides and front
erected. A perpendicular adjusting screw on each of the arms pressing on the
window sill may be used to partly sustain the weight. For further security when
erected, the inner top of each side may be furnished with a small inwardly
projecting plate with a slot or eye to receive the ends of a duplex rod furnished
with points to slightly enter the stone at each side of window, said rod being formed
with a screw on one part screwing into the eye of a link on the end of the other
part so that the whole could be expanded or contracted by turning the screw by
means of a small hand wheel.
Dated 7th March 1894.
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.
Improvements in and relating to Portable Balconies for Window
Cleaning and other Purposes.
I, JAMES MOFFAT, of Cowlairs House, 250 New Keppochhill Road, in the City
and County of Glasgow, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement in writing, that is to say :-
My invention has. reference to improvements in the construction of portable
balconies and their fittings for windows, principally designed for use in window
cleaning and repairing, but capable of being applied to other purposes such as
sustaining flower pots and such like, and which balconies will be very safe and
convenient for the desired purpose and easily removed.
"
And in order that my said invention may be properly understood I have hereunto
appended a sheet of explanatory drawings in which the same reference letters are
used to indicate the same parts in all the figures where shown.
Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation, Figure 2 is a front elevation, and Figure 3
is a perspective view of one of my portable balconies as in position outside a
window.
use and
Figure 4 shows the balcony folded down and secured by a strap when not in
Figures 5 to 9 are views of details detached.
According to one modification the improved balcony is constructed as follows:-
The floor or platform A of the balcony is formed of a wood frame either sparred or
close and secured to and carried by cross bars (between which for further security
iron straps may be secured below the flooring) on side binding frames A¹ preferably
made of malleable cast iron or steel, said frames A' being furnished with angled
arms A projecting backwards towards the window to take on to a rod B, B¹, fixed
across same, all as will be described. The protecting front or railing C of the
balcony is hinged to the front edge of the floor or platform by the hinges C¹, and is

page_text: formed in two parts hinged together at C², so as to be capable of being folded down
flat on the floor A, within a space equal in breadth to half its height. The
protecting sides or railings D are also hinged to the balcony flooring A by the
hinges D, preferably to projections a from the metal binding side frames A', and
each at such a height as to permit them to fold down flat, one on the top of the
other, and over the previously folded down front railing C. To bind the front C
and sides D together when in position the upper corners of the front railing C are
each furnished with a dovetailed projection c, shown in the detached view Figure 9,
which on raising the front C into position enters a bevelled segmental groove or
slot D2 formed on or secured to each of the sides D; and the sides D would also.
have stops d to prevent the front falling outwards.
To secure the balcony in position a transverse rod or duplex rod is secured
across the foot of the window either permanent or portably. In the portable form
according to one modification this rod B B', shown in detail in Figures 5 and 6 is
formed in two parts or divisions B and B the outer ends of which have each
secured thereto at right angles a plate B' having one or more pins B³ to take into
the wood work E of window frame F, or preferably into holes in plates G secured
by screws to and flush with the woodwork E between the parting beads E¹ and
outer beads, or outside facings E2 of the sash frame, and for extra security provided
with a small flange projecting under the ends of said beads and facings. To the
inner end of one division B of the duplex rod B B' is secured a U shaped frame b
the lower part of which carries a small toothed pinion b¹ to engage with and actuate
a rack 62 on the inner part of the other division B. One of the upper ends of this
U shaped frame b carries pawl 63 to engage with ratchet teeth 6 formed on the
upper side of rack 63 on the other division B¹. Instead of having ratchet teeth 64
formed on the rack 2 the upper surface of this may be roughened and a block of
india rubber interposed between this and a small block used in this case instead of
the pawl. The other end of said frame b carries a pinching screw 65 and pressing
block 66 to secure the two divisions together even should the pawl 63 be lifted by
any accident. The toothed pinion can be actuated by a small fixed hand wheel 6'
on its axle or by a portable handle applied to a square head 68 on the other end of
its axle. When being secured in position, the pins B³ on the end plates B² are
entered into the holes in the plates G on the window frame F, and the toothed
pinion being turned presses out the rack 62 and expands the whole till sufficient.
pressure is obtained when the pinching screw and block 66 being screwed down
would securely hold the whole in place.
By another modification, shown, partly in section, in Figure 7, one division B of the
transverse rod B, B', is screwed and carries a small hand wheel or nut B4, with
screwed eye, while the other division B' is formed partly as a tube to receive
within it the screwed rod. When being placed in position the screwed wheel or
nut B4 being turned and pressing against the end of the tubular part B¹ provides
the necessary outward pressure.
The rod or duplex rod B B₁ described being placed in position across the lower
part of the window, the balcony is brought to the inside of the window bottom
upwards, and is secured to the rod B B' by a fork H formed on the end of each of
the angled arms A² and furnished with a spring catch H¹ to automatically secure it.
to the rod. The balcony is then turned over on the rod to the outside and the
sides and front erected. A perpendicular adjusting screw I on each of the arms.
pressing on the window sill J is used to partly sustain the weight. For further
security when erected, the inner top of each side of balcony is furnished with a
small inwardly projecting plate K with a slot or eye K' to receive the ends of a
duplex rod L, Figure 8, furnished with points L' to slightly enter the stone at
each side of window, said rod being formed with a screw L² on one part screwed
into the eye of a link L³ on the end of the other part so that the whole can
be expanded or contracted by turning the screw by means of a small hand
wheel L*.
When balconies are constructed for narrow windows the side railings are made

page_text: to fold down in the same manner as the front railing, the upper and lower halves
being hinged together as indicated in dotted lines at D³, in Figure 3. The
strap M used for binding the whole together when folded down would be so attached
to the front of the platform as to be useful for lowering the balcony outside the
window, when preparing same for use.
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 :-
First. The construction and arrangement and combination of the parts of
portable balconies for windows, all substantially as herein described and shown in
the accompanying drawings.
Second. In portable balconies for windows, the constructing and hinging of the
front and side railings, all for the purpose of folding same down compactly on
the floor or platform, all substantially as herein described and shown in the
accompanying drawings.
Third. The construction of the platform or flooring frame of portable balconies
for windows with projecting angled arms, forks, spring catches, and sustaining
screws all substantially as and for the purposes herein described and shown in the
accompanying drawings.
Fourth. The construction and arrangement of the parts of a duplex rod fitted
with rack and pinion, pinching screw, and securing blocks, all substantially as and
for the purpose herein described and shown in detail in Figures 5 and 6 of the
accompanying drawings.
Dated the 7th December 1894
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.