IMPROVEMENTS IN WINDOW FASTENINGS
Year: 1856

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application for Letters Patent was not given within the time prescribed
by the Act.)
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Naylor at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 20th September
1856.
I, JOHN NAYLOR, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Brassfounder,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
WINDOW FASTENINGS," to be as follows, that is to say:―
My Invention consists of improvements in fasteners for sash, and French,
or casement windows, by which such fasteners are rendered self-acting, thus
providing against the chances arising from the neglect and inattention of
servants, by causing a sash or casement to lock itself at the time it is closed;
and as regards casements, the fastener is also self-acting in holding the window
open against the wind.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying Drawings represents one of my improved sash
fasteners. (a, a¹,) are the meeting stiles of the upper and lower sashes;
(b, 6), the metal base plates of the fastenings; the dotted lines shew the
position of the bolt when unlocked. The bolt (c) is connected at one end
to the box (d), which turns on a pivot passing through its centre into the base
plate (); this box (d) contains a spring which actuates the bolt (c),
when the catch (e) on the box (d) is released from the pressure of the block-
piece (f), which turns on a pin passing into the base plate; a similar

page_text: block-piece (f) is attached in the same manner to the base plate (b), and
each of these blocks is furnished with a projecting peg (g, g',) of such form
that in throwing up the lower sash the peg (9) would pass the peg (9') without
affecting the bolt, but on the descent of the sash the peg (9) forces back
the peg (9), releasing the catch (e) from the block piece (f¹), and con-
sequently allowing the spring in the box (d) to throw the bolt round under
the plate (h), where it is caught by a spring catch (i), and thus secured.
Instead of this spring catch (i), which is merely for the purpose of preventing
any surreptitious opening of the fastener by the introduction of an instrument
between the meeting stiles, a strong retaining spring may (if preferred) be
attached at the back of the box (d), so as to require considerably more power
to throw back the bolt. Each of the blocks (ff) is furnished also with
a spring, as at (k), to allow it to resume its original position. To release the
bolt (c) and unfasten the sash, the small knob (L) which is attached to
the spring catch must be held back, when the bolt will be free to move into
the position shewn in dotted lines.
Fig. 2 shews a fastener for casement or French windows, and is represented
as it would appear when the window was partially open. The improvement
in this lies more particularly in the following parts:-(a) is a tube, formed on
a sliding box (6), which turns on a pivot on the base plate (c). In the
tube (a) a small bolt is contained, which drops into any one of the holes (d) by
the simple weight of the head (e); a thumb-piece (f) embraces this bolt
under the head (e), and being pinned, as at (9), to a fulcrum on the box (b),
acts by the pressure of the finger as a lever to raise the bolt in the tube (a)
out of the hole in which it may be whenever it is required to open farther
or to close the casement; but if it be desired to open the casement to its
fullest extent, by throwing it rapidly back, the bolt will run over all the holes
until the box (6) meeting the butt (h) on the end of the bar (i) can proceed
no further, and the bolt drops into the last hole.
A fastener thus constructed consequently holds a casement firmly open
at any distance required against a strong wind.
On closing the window a spring catch (k) clasps the peg (L) and keeps
it firmly closed. The pressure of the thumb on the head of the catch will
release it from the peg (L) when it is desired to open the window.