An Improved Portable Balcony.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Mar., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 4th May, 1894-Accepted, 7th July, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Portable Balcony.
THOMAS DOUGLAS CRAWFORD, Fort Breda Belfast, Wine and Spirit Merchant,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention has for its object the fixing of a movable window balcony so as
to be easily removed from one window to another, to be used by persons standing
on the window stone or sill outside the window, the fixing of the balcony is by
two weights and two wooden wedges, the base of the balcony is an iron frame made
with two bars, one at each side, and two cross bars, and rests partly on the window
stone outside of the window, and to the ends of the side bars of this frame the
outside guard is attached, the ends of the side bars next the window are cranked at
right angles so as to rise up and over the wooden sill or frame of the window into
the room, and when clear of the wooden frame bent down towards the floor, a
spring hook is attached to the end of each of these arms. A weight with a chain
attached is hung on to each of these hooks, two wooden wedges are inserted between
the iron frame and the wooden sill outside of the window at the bend in the iron
frame, so as to cause the iron frame to clasp the wooden sill and frame of the
window firmly.
Dated this Seventh day of March 1894.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Portable Balcony.
I, THOMAS DOUGLAS CRAWFORD, of Fort Breda, Belfast, Ireland, Wine and
Spirit Merchant, 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 An Improved Portable Balcony and more particularly to
a method fixing such balconies.
The object of my invention is to construct a readily portable balcony, adapted
to be used by persons standing on the window stone or sill outside a window.
Such a balcony is of great service in the cleaning of the outsides of windows, as
it can be securely fixed in the window-opening with great facility, and can as readily
be removed and folded up for transport.
In order that my said invention may be clearly understood I will now proceed to
describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein
Figure 1 is a perspective view of one construction of balcony according to this
invention.
Figure 2 is a section through the sills of a window with the balcony securely
fixed thereon.
:
Like reference-letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
A', A, A, A are strong bars which are rigidly connected together by suitable
fastenings to form the base of the balcony. I prefer that the ends of the bar A
should be so bent that the larger portion thereof is in the same plane as the
bars A', A. B is a guard or railing, hinged to the base aforesaid by a bolt C,

page_text: i
which passes through eyes A formed by suitably bending the ends of the
bars A, A². The bars A1, A2 are bent at the ends opposite to the said eyes, to
form claws A which are provided with holes A' as shown, to enable spring
hooks D to engage therewith for a purpose hereinafter specified.
I sometimes extend the claws A so that they project a short distance into the
room; the hooks D being then secured at the ends of said claws at a distance
from the wall suspend the weights hereinafter mentioned so that they swing clear
of the wood work.
"
B is the
The claws A are preferably faced with india-rubber or leather.
guard or railing which is made by suitably bending a single strip, which, at its
opposite ends is provided with holes in order that it may be attached to the
base by the bolt C, about which it can turn. The said ends should be given a
slight "set in order that they may lie snugly against the eyes A. The middle
part E of the guard or railing is preferably curved outward. E' is a cross-bar
for the guard or railing, slightly curved outward like the part E', passed through
the side parts E3 of the guard or railing, and riveted over at the ends to retain
lugs F in place. The said lugs F form convenient points of attachment for side
stays G, which retain the guard or railing in proper position. These stays are
preferably of circular cross-section and are bent at opposite ends to form hooks G¹
and eyes G. The former enter holes formed in the bars A', A; the latter engage
with the lugs F. H, H are pins which are passed through the hooks G¹ to prevent
them from becoming accidentally unhooked. It will be seen from Figure 2 that
even if the pins should come out after the balcony is in place, the hooks G¹ are of
such a length that they cannot be unhooked so long as the balcony is kept upon the
sill. I is a lattice-work formed of strong wires which are passed through holes
formed in the guard.
J, J are weights suspended from the hooks D, D at the ends of the claws A' by
chains J¹.
K, K are wedges, for a purpose hereinafter specified which are preferably
attached to the balcony by chains K' or other flexible connections.
When the balcony is to be used, the claws A before the weights are suspended
therefrom are placed over the wooden sill. The bars A', A' will then rest upon the
window-ledge or stone sill and the balcony will project outside the wall in which
the window-opening is made, as shown in Figure 2. The weights J J are then
suspended from the claws, the length of the chains J' being so adjusted by means
of the spring hooks D that the weights do not rest upon the floor inside the window,
and the wedges K K are driven between the parts a of the claws and the exterior
face of the wooden sill so as to cause the parts a¹ of the claws to be pressed close
against the interior face of the sill. The bearing of the parts a' against the sill,
together with the resistance of the pendent weights J will prevent the balcony from
moving. The part a² of each claw is intended to clear the top of the wooden sill
so as not to spoil the paint on the latter. The person using the balcony stands
upon the stone sill of the window. The balcony has been 'tested and found to be
perfectly safe, even with an extremely narrow stone sill.
To enable the balcony to be folded up the pins H are pulled out of the hooks G₁
which can then be disengaged from the bars A' A', whereon the guard or railing
can be turned about the bolt C and the stays G about the lugs F as about a
hinge, and folded upon the base.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed,
I claim is :-
:-
nature of my said
declare that what
1. A portable balcony adapted to engage with the window sill and provided with
suspended weights, and with wedges, substantially as herein before described for the
purpose specified.
2. The combination, with such a portable balcony, of stays having long hooks,
substantially as and for the purpose specified.

page_text: 3. A portable balcony constructed and arranged to be fixed substantially as
berein before described with reference to the accompanying drawings, for the
purposes specified.
Dated thie 2nd day of May 1894
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.