An Attachment to be Employed in connection with the Opening and Closing of Fanlights and Analogous Lights and Ventilators.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Sept., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 3rd June, 1897-Accepted, 24th July, 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Attachment to be Employed in connection with the Opening and
Closing of Fanlights and Analogous Lights and Ventilators.
I, GEORGE FREDERICK NEWMAN of the firm of William Newman and Sons, of
Hospital Street, in the City of Birmingham, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a supplementary attachment to be employed in
operating mechanisms for the opening and closing of fanlights and other lights,.
ventilators and similar frames which require to be opened from a distance.
My invention is particularly applicable for use in asylums, where it is desirable
that the operating mechanism should be out of the reach of the inmates, although
my improvements are applicable for use in other dwellings where down-rods cords
and other media for communicating motion from a distance are objectionable.
According to my invention, the said attachment consists of a rod having a
key or other connector at one end and a carrying sleeve containing multiplying
gear at the other end, which, when taken hold of by one hand and a handle rotated
by the other, causes the mechanism to which the key or the like at the other end
is connected to rotate and so open or close a fanlight or the like.
In carrying out one form of my improvements, assuming the fanlights to be
opened and closed are at a considerable distance from the ground, I may arrange a
horizontal shaft under the frames of the lights working in bearers or hangers and
with each side of the frame provided with two pairs of jointed links, with the outer
ends of each pair of links respectively made fast to the rotating shaft and jointed
to the frames, each of which is pivoted at its bottom. At the end of the shaft
is a crank or arm, to the outer end of which a link is jointedly connected whilst
the other end is jointedly connected to a non-rotating screw box arranged to rise
and fall upon a vertical screwed rod working within eyes or brackets.
The lower end of the rod is formed with a key, socket, loop or equivalent and
may also be fitted with a lead or guide so that the end of the loose attachment,
which is of a key or socketted figure for taking into or on to the end of the said
rod is conducted up to the same and when home becomes fast on the said end
but has a slight angular play thereon. The lower end of the loose attachment,
which may consist of a rod or pole is fitted with a sleeve, capable of being laid
hold of by one hand and containing within it multiplying gear consisting of a:
bevel wheel on the inner end of the shaft of an outside handle intergearing with
a pinion made fast on the rod or pole, which works within the sleeve or body as
a bearing.
The end of the rod or pole is keyed on to the rotating rod of the fanlight opening
mechanism, the handle turned and the necessary rotatory motion communicated
for opening or closing the fanlight. After the.fanlight has been opened or closed
then the attachment is removed and applied to another fanlight.
As another form of my improvements, I mount near the end of the shaft or
its equivalent, a pair of bevel wheels beyond which the shaft is slightly extended,

page_text: and upon the extreme end of which a bevel wheel having a flared eye and turning
within a bracket surmounting the end of a pole, passes and is rotated by a pulley
on the bevel wheel axis communicating motion through a cord or band, so that
to open a window, a person has only to pass the end of the attachment on to the
shaft and pull the cord when the bevel wheel is rotated, communicating motion
through the other bevel wheels to the fanlight opener.
I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to the exact mechanism
herein described for opening and closing the fanlights or the like, or for imparting
a rotatory motion to the pole or shaft of the attachment nor to the means for
connecting the said attachment to the fanlight opening apparatus, which may be
varied in construction and detail without departing from the nature of my
invention.
Dated this 18th day of Santomer 1906
An Attachment to be Employed in connection with the Opening and
Closing of Fanlights and Analogous Lights and Ventilators.
I, GEORGE FREDERICK NEWMAN of the firm of William Newman and Sons, of
Hospital Street, in the City of Birmingham, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to a supplementary attachment to be employed in
operating mechanisms for the opening and closing of fanlights and other lights,
ventilators and similar frames which require to be opened from a distance.
My invention is particularly applicable for use in asylums, where it is desirable
that the operating mechanism should be out of the reach of the inmates, although
the same are also applicable for use in other dwellings where down-rods cords
and other media for communicating motion from a distance are objectionable.
According to my invention the said attachment consists essentially of a portable
rou or pole, having a key or other connection at one end, adapted to engage with
a part of the actuating mechanism of the fanlight opener, and a carrying sleeve
or handle provided with gear or mechanism for giving a rotary motion to the
said rod or pole at the other end, so that on the said rotary motion of the pole
being set up, the fanlight-opening mechanism at its upper end is actuated and
the fanlight or the like is opened or closed. After one fanlight has been opened,
the key or connection is disengaged from the mechanism and the pole may be
carried and coupled to a further opener which is opened in like manner.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents a perspective view of a series
of lights or windows, the operating mechanism of which is in engagement with
my portable attachable appliance for actuating the same for opening or closing
the windows.
Figure 2 is a front elevation upon a larger scale, of one of the said lights with its
opening and closing gear and the operating attachment the middle part of the
pole or rod being broken away.
Figure 3 is a side elevation of Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a front elevation upon a further enlarged scale, of the fanlight
opener and operating attachment showing the hook connection at the upper end
of the latter in engagement with the cross piece terminating the lower end of the
operating screw of the former.

page_text: Figure 5 is an edge view of Figure 4.
Figure 6 is a front elevation of the portable appliance, separately, but with
a middle portion of the rotating pole or shaft broken away.
Figure 7 is a side elevation of Figure 6 and Figure 8 a vertical section of a
portion of the same, upon the dotted line..
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several
Figures 1 to 8.
Thus, the said attachment, as shown in the drawings, consists of a rotatable
rod, pole or shaft a, the upper end a¹, of which has jointed to it, the coupling b,
by which connection is made between the said shaft, and the fanlight or window
opening and closing apparatus, whilst the lower end, is mounted in a sleeve c,
carried in a casing cl, enclosing the gear, by which the said shaft is rotated
and mounted upon a carrying plate e, the part e, of which is formed into a
shape convenient for the grasping of the same by one hand of the person using
the appliance. The said driving gear consists of a bevel wheel e, keyed upon the
part as, of the shaft and being in operative engagement with a second bevel wheel co
secured to the inner end of the bush, mounted in the walls of the casing and
having in its outer end, a hole or sinking c", adapted to receive the keyed or
square end of a handle es, by the rotation of which the gearing is driven and
the shaft with it.
Assuming the fanlights to be opened and closed are at a considerable distance
from the ground, then the apparatus for opening and closing the same may consist
of a horizontal shaft arranged to run under the frames e of the lights e, which
work in bearers or front hangers and each of which is provided with a pair of
jointed links, es, e, whose outer ends e, e, are respectively made fast to the
rotating shaft ', and jointed to the hanging or swinging fanlight frame. At
the end d, of the shaft is a crank or arm, to which the upper end of a link d*,
is jointedly connected, the other and lower end of the same being jointed at d³,
to a non-rotating screw box arranged to rise and fall upon a vertical screwed
rod 7, having plain parts working within eyes or brackets d, d, and being
guided in its vertical movement by a feather or extension (10, traversing up and
down within an upright slot ", of the carrying plate 12.
The lower end d, of the screwed rod, has jointed to it, a cross piece elo,
with which the hook parts 6, of the coupling b, surmounting the upper end of
the loose attachment engage on being placed thereover by the person using the
appliance, and when home the attachment. becomes fast to, and is, for the time
being, practically a part of the fanlight opening apparatus to admit of the same
being more conveniently applied and operated, and when the end of the rod or
pole is thus engaged with the rotating rod the handle 8, is turned and the necessary
rotatory motion communicated for opening or closing the fanlight. After the
fanlight has been opened or closed then the attachment is removed and applied
to another fanlight.
Figure 9 represents a modified form of coupling for temporarily connecting
the portable appliance with the fanlight opener.
Thus, the lower end 8, of the screwed rod or stem d, whereon the screw box do,
travels, has jointed to it, a key or square-tapered end, which is adapted to take
into the socket 1, of the part b, jointed to the upper end of the rotatable shaft a,
the mouth of the said socket being preferably formed with a good lead to
facilitate the placing of the the same over the key end 10.
Another form of connection which I may employ is represented in front
elevation in Figure 10.
In this arrangement I mount near the end of the shaft e, or equivalent, a pair
of bevel wheels el, e; the end e, of the shaft runs in a bracket e, which has an.
extending parte, upon which a bevel wheel f, having a flared eye f¹, and turning
within a bracket f, surmounting the end of a pole f, passes and is rotated by
double pulleys f, f, on the bevel wheel axis f, communicating motion through
a cord or band f, so that to open or close a window a person has only to pass the

page_text: flared eye f', of the attachment on to the shaft, and cause the wheel f, to intergear
with the wheel e, then pull the cord when the said bevel wheel f', is rotated,
communicating motion through the other bevel wheels to the fanlight opening
mechanism.
I wish it to be understool that I do not confine myself to the exact mechanism
herein described for opening and closing the fanlights or the like, or for imparting
a rotatory motion to the pole or shaft of the attachment, nor to the means for
connecting the said attachment to the fanlight opening apparatus, which may be
varied in construction and detail without departing from the nature of my
invention. For instance, instead of employing gearing at the lower end of the
shaft for communicating motion thereto, the said lower end may run in a suitable
bearing and be provided at its extremity with a handle whereby rotatory motion
is imparted directly thereto.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
First: A portable attachment or appliance to be employed in connection with
the opening and closing of fanlights and other analogous lights; ventilators and
the like from a distance, consisting of a rotatable shaft, axis or pole, having at one
end, a connection or coupling by which it is engaged with the fanlight or like
opener, and at the other gear or means for directly or indirectly imparting a
rotatory motion to the said shaft and coupling or connection.
Secondly: The portable attachment or appliance to be employed in connection
with the opening and closing of fanlights and the like, consisting of a rotatory
shaft or rod, having a hanging coupling or hook connection. jointed to its upper
end for engaging with a cross piece or equivalent part on the operating screw
or motion-communicating device of the fanlight or like opener, and bevel or
similar gearing at its lower end for imparting a rotatory motion thereto, said
gear being preferably enclosed in a casing mounted upon or attached to a holder,
substantially as described and set forth in Figures 1 to 8
Thirdly: The portable attachment or appliance for use in opening and closing
fanlights and the like, with the parts arranged, combined and operating substan-
tially as described and set forth in Figure 10.
Dated this 2nd day of June 1897.
GEORGE FREDERICK NEWMAN,
By Henry Skerrett, 24 Temple Row, Birmingham,
Agent for Applicant,