IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF WINDOW SASHES, WHEREBY THE SAME ARE RENDERED MORE WEATHER-PROOF AND SECURE AGAINST DRAUGHTS AND BURGLARS AND PERMIT THE OUTSIDE TO BE CLEANED WITH THE FACILITY OF THE INSIDE
Year: 1863

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Stokes at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 4th February
:-1863.
I, WILLIAM STOKES, Builder, of Edgbaston, in the Borough of Birmingham, in
the County of Warwick, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF WINDOW SASHES, WHEREBY THE SAME
ARE RENDERED MORE WEATHER-PROOF AND SECURE AGAINST DRAUGHTS AND BURGLARS
AND PERMIT THE OUTSIDE TO BE CLEANED WITH THE FACILITY OF THE INSIDE," to be
as follows (that is to say):-
My improvements consist in making the sash proper a little less than the
window frame between the beads, and occupying the difference on each side
with additional stiles to which the cords are to be attached in the ordinary
way for counterpoising the weight of the sash, and these outer stiles are
attached at or near the bottom or lower inner edge of the sash by suitable
hinge joints, which permit the sashes when liberated by the fastener to fall
inward, say, into a horizontal or other convenient slanting position, thereby
rendering it as convenient to clean or renew the glass in case of breakage as
if the sash was removed from the window frame altogether. On the edges
of the sash and corresponding edges of the outer or hanging stiles I apply
metal strips that overlap each other, thereby rendering the joints entirely
weather-tight and secure from draughts, and this same principle I apply to
the outside of the top rail of the lower sash and the inside of the bottom rail
of the top sash, by which means the overlapping of the metallic strips not only
excludes the draught but also prevents the insertion of any knife blade or

page_text: other contrivance to undo the sash fastener, which may be of any ordinary
construction; and to prevent the sashes falling forward into the room from
the pressure of the wind or otherwise, should the fastener be left undone and
the lower sash slightly elevated, I purpose using spring or other suitable
catches or detents that are brought into action for uniting the sash with the
hanging stiles, that when the sash is in position the outer stiles shall be united
to it at the top end either of the lower or top sash, although it is not essential
to the top sash as metallic pins may be secured to the top rail fitting metallic
sockets correspondingly applied to the top of the sash frame, that as the top
sash is slid up the pins will enter the metal sockets, and thereby hold it in
position, not that it is actually essential for the convenient cleaning of windows
that both sashes should be treated in the manner here described, or that the con-
nection of the sash with the hanging stiles should be at the bottom end, for it
may be convenient to make the upper or both sashes swing inward from the
top, or one from the top and the other from the bottom.
From this description it will be seen that my improvements are applicable
to every description of ordinary window composed of a pair of sashes, and
admit of every facility of old sashes being refitted and hung upon my improved
plan.