Improvements in the Apparatus for Raising, Lowering, and Balancing Windows of Railway Carriages and all Sliding used in Railway, Windows, Shutters, or Panels, whether Tramway, or Road Vehicles, or in Buildings, or elsewhere.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Apr.. 1894
Complete Specification Left. 31st Dec.. 1894-Accepted, 2nd Mar., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Apparatus for Raising, Lowering, and
Balancing Windows of Railway Carriages and all Sliding
used in Railway,
Windows, Shutters, or Panels, whether
Tramway, or Road Vehicles, or in Buildings, or elsewhere.
BERNARD RUSSELL WILLS, of 29 Gayton Road, Hampstead, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
By my invention, I propose to balance the weight of the sliding window in an
ordinary railway carriage door, (or any sliding window, shutter, or panel, whether
used in railway, tramway, or road vehicles, or in buildings or elsewhere), by means
of two flat weights, placed on either side of the window, in the well of the door, the
said weights being suitably guided in such a way as to move freely in a vertical
direction. The said weights are so connected to the window, that when the window
is raised by the hand they descend, and vice versa; and this result is obtained by
means of a novel application of that system of jointed rods which is well known as
the pantagraph.
This system consists of four rods of suitable lengths, freely jointed together so as
to form a parallelogram, the angles of which can be altered at will, but having two
of its sides adjacent to each other produced beyond the parallelogram to such
distances that a straight line drawn between their extremities (which we may for
convenience call the ends of the arms of the pantagraph) shall intersect the joint
or angle of the parallelogram which projects between them; and the property of
this system is this, that if the last mentioned angle of the parallelogram be freely
attached to a fixed pin or point, it is possible to give to the system two independent
motions, namely (i) a motion as a whole round the fixed pin, and (ii) an expanding
and contracting motion by which the distances of the ends of the respective arms of
the pantagraph from the fixed point are increased or diminished, with this special
result, that the ratio of the distances of the respective ends aforesaid from the fixed
point always remains constant. The result is that the pantagraph forms the exact
equivalent of a simple lever, (in which the "fulcrum lics between the points of
application of the "power" and of the "weight") in which the distance between the
points of application of the "power" and of the "weight can be altered by
extending or closing the system, while under all circumstances the ratio or leverage
of the system remains constant.
"
"
According to my invention this system is applied as follows:-suitable pins are
attached to suitable points on opposite sides of the bottom edge of the window-
frame; pins are also attached in a suitable manner to the weights in the vertical
lines through the respective centres of gravity of the said weights, or as near thereto
as possible; and pantagraphs, of which the respective ratios or leverages are equal
to the ratios which the travel of the window bears to the travels which it is desired
to give to the said weights respectively, are placed with the extremities of their
arms connected to the said pins respectively, so that one pantagraph is connected
to the weight and to the pin on the window on the one side of the window, and the
other pantagraph is connected to the corresponding weight and pin on the other
side of the window, while the joints in the respective pantagraphs which are in
alignment with the extremities of their arms, and which correspond to the fulcrums

page_text: of the equivalent simple levers, are suspended on suitable pins fixed at proper
points, and in any suitable manner to the framework of the door.
The said weights are so designed and constructed that the resultant upward force
which they produce on the window through the medium of the pantagraphs shall act
in the vertical centre-line of the window, which is then evenly balanced, and
requires no force to raise or lower it by the hand except the very small amount
necessary to overcome the friction of the apparatus.
or
The arrangement of pantagraphs and weights, wherever it is necessary
convenient, can be varied to suit whatever conditions have to be fulfilled, as, for
instance, to vary the travels of the weights, the consequent ratios of the
pantagraphs, the points of connection of the pantagraphs with the window-frame,
and so forth.
According to my invention, I also propose, whenever desirable, to attain the
same object of raising, lowering, and balancing the sliding window, by substituting
for the pantagraph a novel application of that system of freely jointed rods or levers
which is well known as the lazy-tongs.
It is a property of this mechanical system also, that if any one of the joints of
the system be chosen at which any two of the rods or levers not only meet but
cross one another, and if the pin forming such a joint be fixed to some suitable
support, it is possible to give to the system two independent motions, namely (i) a
motion as a whole round the fixed pin, and (ii) the expanding and contracting
motion which is the principal feature of the lazy-tongs, with this special result, that
to whatever extent the ends or extremities of the lazy-tongs may be shifted in
position by imparting to it either or both of the aforesaid motions, the ratio of the
distances between the fixed joint of the system and each of its two extremities
respectively, will remain invariable; or in other words, the system may be
considered as the exact equivalent of an imaginary simple lever of variable length,
having for its extremities the extremities of the lazy tongs, while the fulcrum is at
the fixed point aforesaid, which is always situated at a point in the straight line
which joins the aforesaid extremities.
The lazy-tongs, when thus substituted for the pantagraph, may be so arranged
that the straight line between its extremities shall be oblique to the vertical, its
obliquity, of course, varying with its motion (which is the method of application
preferred for the pantagraph); or, on the other hand, it may be arranged so that
the straight line between its extremities shall remain vertical throughout its
motion.
Of the two afore described systems of rods or levers, I prefer to use the
pantagraph.
Dated this 2nd day of April 1894.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
Improvements in the Apparatus for Raising, Lowering, and
Balancing Windows of Railway Carriages and all Sliding
Windows, Shutters, or Panels, whether used in Railway,
Tramway, or Road Vehicles, or in Buildings, or elsewhere.
I, BERNARD RUSSELL WILLS, of 29 Gayton Road, Hampstead, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to those sash windows, panels, doors or the like arranged to
slide vertically and has for its object to connect such windows, panels, doors or the

page_text: like to one or more counterbalancing weights by a system or systems of levers or
rods of such a nature that each system is the equivalent of a simple lever in which
the distance between the fulcrum and points of application of the power and the
weights are variable but in such a manner that the ratio of those distances or the
leverage always remains constant.
For the purposes of my invention I connect the sliding window, panel, door or
the like, or a bar or slide on which it is arranged to rest, to a counterbalancing
weight by the aid of four rods or levers hinged together, as in the pantograph, to
form a parallelogram the angles of which may be altered at will and whose adjacent
sides are proportional in length to the stroke or travel it is desired to give the
window or the like and counterbalancing weight respectively. Two adjacent sides
of this parallelogram are extended beyond the points at which they are hinged to
the ends of the remaining two sides so that a line connecting the free ends intersects
the joint or angle of the parallelogram extending between them.
The free ends of these extended sides of the parallelogram are connected
respectively to the counterbalancing weight and to the sliding window, panel, door
or the like, whilst the angle of the parallelogram projecting between these extended
sides is freely attached to a fixed pin or point.
The result of this arrangement is that the system of rods is capable of two distinct
movements uamely:-A motion as a whole round the fixed pin or point and an
expanding and contracting motion, and consequently is not only enabled to adapt
itself to the respective positions of the weight and window or the like to be counter-
balanced but necessitates these travelling in opposite directions always at speeds
bearing to one another a constant ratio (which ratio also represents the leverage of
the pantograph).
A similar result may be obtained by employing that well known system of
articulating levers known as lazy tongs the opposite ends of the lazy tongs in this
case being connected respectively to the window, panel, door or the like, and to the
counterbalancing weight, whilst a point at which two of the levers are not only
hinged together but cross one another, is freely attached to a fixed point or pin.
And in order that my invention may be more fully understood and carried into
practice I will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying
drawings of which
Fig. 1 is an elevation of a railway carriage door, with the front of the sash well
removed, having the sash thereof connected to each of two counterbalancing weights
by rods arranged according to my invention.
Fig. 2 a vertical section on line - (Fig. 1); Fig. 3 horizontal section in
line y-y (Fig. 1), and Fig. 4 a diagram of the modified form of connection.
The sash a of the door illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 is constructed and arranged
as heretofore but instead of the usual strap or like device to hold it in the required
position it is counterbalanced by two weights bc, so situated in the sash well that
the sash may pass between them, and connected to the opposite ends of a bar or
slide d upon which the sash normally rests, when not completely raised and forced
forward, off said bar, onto the fence rail in the usual manner.
The weight b which is arranged to slide upon guides bis connected to the
bar d by four rods e e e e hinged together to form a parallelogram two adjacent
sides ee of which extend beyond the points at which they meet the ends of the
remaining two sides ee to such an extent that a line connecting the free ends of
the extending portions would intersect the angle of the parallelogram extending
between them. At the latter point the system of rods is connected freely to a pinf
projecting from the stay plate " through a slot in the weight b, whilst it is
connected to said weight at or near its centre of gravity and one end of the bar d
respectively through the medium of the extended portions of the sides e¹e. The
result of this arrangement is that the system is capable of two distinct motions
namely: A motion as a whole round the pin f, and an expanding and contracting
motion, consequently it may so adapt itself that the ratio of speeds of travel of the
weight and sash or the leverage between the two, which is equal to the ratio in

page_text: which the rods e e² are divided by the points at which they are jointed to the rods e*
and respectively, remains constant.
The weight e which moves between guides cl c2 is connected to the opposite end
of the bar d by four rods g³ gg³ arranged and freely connected to a fixed pin h
in the same manner as above described, the two systems or rods being preferably
duplicates of one another.
In the modified form of connection illustrated in Fig. 4 the weight and sliding
window, shutter, door or the like m are connected to the opposite ends of a system
of rods n' n² n³ n n n hinged together as in lazy tongs the system being freely
connected to a fixed pin at the point o where the two rods n' n² are hinged together
and cross one another.
The rods thus arranged form a connection between the sliding part and counter-
balancing weight capable of expanding and contracting and revolving round the
fixed point the same as where arranged in the form of a parallelogram or pantograph
the difference in the relative travel of the parts connected being here proportional
to the lengths of the rods and parts thereof situated at the opposite sides of the
fixed point to which the system is freely connected.
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 :-
(1.) The system for connecting vertically sliding windows, shutters, doors or the
like to counterbalancing weights consisting of four rods hinged together so that
they form a parallelogram, two adjacent sides of which extend beyond the point at
which they are hinged to the remaining two sides, the whole connected, arranged
and operating substantially as described and illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the
accompanying drawings.
(2.) The system for connecting vertically sliding windows, shutters or the like to
counterbalancing weights consisting of a number of rods hinged together similarly
as in lazy tongs the whole connected, arranged, and operating substantially as
described and illustrated in Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 27th day of December 1894.
CASTLE SMITH,
"Invention" Office, 54, Fleet Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.