IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO WINDOW SASHES OR SHUTTERS
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas M'Nally, of William Street, Bridge Street,
Blackfriars, in the City of London, Carpenter and Builder, for the Inven-
tion of "IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO WINDOW SASHES OR SHUTTERS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas McNally at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
29th August 1854.
I, THOMAS MCNALLY, of William Street, Bridge Street, Blackfriars, in the
City of London, Carpenter and Builder, do hereby declare the nature of tho
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO WINDOW SASHES OR SHUTTERS
to be as follows:-
My Invention of improvements applicable to window sashes or shutters has
for its object the so constructing and hanging the same, that they may with
facility be taken out of the window frames or turned over therein when required,
as, for instance, when they require cleaning, without the necessity of detaching
the suspension cords from the sashes. The sashes or shutters are suspended
as usual from cords, having counterbalance weights at their ends, and the
cords are connected to the sashes by passing a knot at the end of the cord.
through an eye made in a metal centre, which is placed in a recess or socket
made in the side of the sash frame.
I prefer to form these metal centres with a hollow socket or barrel, which
has a hole made therein to receive the knot of the cord, and this barrel is

page_text: placed in the case, in which it is secured in such a manner that it may turn
therein; so that the sash or shutter may, if required, be turned bottom side up,
so as to bring the outside of the window, inwards, or vice versa, without
detaching it from the cord.
The metal centres to which the cords are attached may be constructed in
various other manners, and will give a similar result, but I prefer the plan
above mentioned. The sashes or shutters are confined in their places in the
window frame by beads in the ordinary manner; but instead of these beads
being fixed as usual, they are inserted in grooves extending from top to bottom
of the frame, and are moveable therein, being so arranged that they may be
pushed back into the grooves when the sashes are required to be taken out or
turned in the window frame. The beads are kept out by springs, which are
placed behind them in suitable recesses in the window frame; but when it is
required to remove the sashes or shutters, the beads must be pushed back into
the grooves, and there retained by means of slip bolts, buttons, or other
contrivances, so as to allow the sash or shutter to pass or be removed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas McNally in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
28th February 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
MCNALLY, of William Street, Bridge Street, Blackfriars, in the City of
London, Carpenter and Builder, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Thomas NeNally, Her special license that I, the said Thomas McNally, my exe-
cutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas McNally,
niy executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and
no others, from time to time, and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO
WINDOW SASHES OR SHUTTERS," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Thomas McNally, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-

page_text: tion, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same
to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas McNally, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement,
reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and
figures marked thereon (that is to say) :—
My Invention of "Improvements applicable to Window Sashes or Shutters,"
has for its object the so constructing and hanging the same that they may with
facility be taken out of the window frames or turned over therein when required,
as, for instance, when they require cleaning, without the necessity of detaching
the suspension cords from the sashes.
The sashes or shutters are suspended as usual from cords, having counter-
balance weights at their ends, and the cords are connected to the sashes
by passing the end of the cord through an eye made in a metal centre or
swivel, and making a knot in the end of the cord. This swivel or centre is
placed in a recess or socket made in the side of the sash frame. I prefer to
form these metal centres or swivels with a hollow socket or barrel which has
a hole made therein to receive the knotted end of the cord, and this barrel is
placed in the case in which it is secured in such a manner that it may turn
therein; so that the sash or shutter may, if required, be turned bottom side up,
so as to bring the outside of the window inwards, or vice versa, without detaching
it from the cord.
The metal centres or swivels to which the cords are attached may be con-
structed in various other manners that will give a similar result, but I prefer
the plan above mentioned, and hereafter more particularly explained.
The sashes or shutters are confined in their places in the window frame by
beads in the ordinary manner; but instead of the parting beads being fixed as
usual, one of them is inserted in a groove extending from top to bottom of the
frame, and is moveable therein, being so arranged that it may be pushed back
into the groove when the sashes are required to be taken out or turned in the
window frame. The bead is kept out by springs, which are placed behind it
in suitable recesses in the window frame; but when it is required to remove
the sashes or shutters, the bead must be pushed back into the groove, and there
retained by means of slip bolts, buttons, or other contrivances, so as to allow
the sash or shutter to pass or be removed.
Fig. 1 is a front view of a window frame and sashes with my improvements
adapted thereto; Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section of the same; and Fig. 3 is

page_text: ・
a similar view, shewing the sashes removed from their grooves; Fig. 4 is a front
view of one of the sashes and other contiguous parts drawn upon an enlarged
scale; Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view of one of the sashes detached; Fig. 6 is
a longitudinal section, and Fig. 7 a cross section, of the swivel or centre to
which the suspending cords are to be attached. a, a, (in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4)
represent the sash frames, which are suspended by cords b, b, from pullies
mounted in the side of the window frame in the ordinary manner, but instead
of the cords being fastened to the sides of the sashes, as usual, the ends thereof
are passed through a hole made in a small barrel or cylinder c, (Figures 6 and 7,
which are drawn full size,) and a knot being made in the cord, it is thereby
prevented from being pulled out again. This barrel or cylinder is placed in
an outer case d, which has been previously fixed or secured in a suitablo
recess in the sash frame by a screw e. The barrel c is then secured in the
outer cased by an end plate f, which is screwed in, as shown in Fig. 6, and
as a slot or groove extending from 1 to 2 is made in the outer case to allow
the cord to pass through, it will be evident that the barrel c or inner cylinder
will be free to move therein when required.
Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view, and Fig. 9 a transverse section, of
another swivel centre, which is somewhat different in construction to the last.
In this instance the end of the cord, after being passed through a hole in the
case or barrel d, (of which there is only one,) is knotted, and the barrel is
screwed into the end plate f, which is fastened to the sash frame by a screw,
as in the former instance. When the frame is turned over, the barrel d turns
on the screw or thread of the end plate.
"It will now be seen that as the inner cylinder c, which holds the knotted
end of the suspending, cord, is free to move in its case, there is nothing to
prevent the sashes from being turned over or upside down, so as to get at the
outer side of the glass without getting out of window. The sashes are kept in
their grooves by beads as usual, but in order to admit of the sashes being taken
out of the frames when required, one of the parting beads or a part thereof is
made moveable, as shewn in Figures 3 and 4. This may be done in various
ways. In Fig. 8 a part of one of the outer beads 7 is fastened to the lower
part of the frame or window sill by a hinge, so that it may be turned down, as
shewn in the Fig. 3, when required; but when the sashes are replaced, the
moveable part of the bead is to be turned back, and secured in its place by bolts
or otherwise.
It will be seen by referring to Figures 3 and 4 that one of the centre or
parting beads h, h, is made in two distinct parts, the lower part h* being
placed in a recess in the window frame, and is forced outwards by springs. i, i,

page_text: so that when it is required to remove the window sashes from their frames for
the purpose of cleaning the windows, the lower or moveable part of the bead h
is forced back into its recess, and retained there by bolts or other fastenings k, k,
until the sashes are again replaced within their frame.
It will be evident that shutters may be mounted in precisely the same way
(if required) as that above described in reference to window sashes. I do
not, however, consider it necessary to give any further description in reference
to shutters.
Having now described my Invention of "Improvements applicable to Window
Sashes or Shutters, and the means of carrying the same into effect, I claim in
conclusion,
First, connecting the suspending cords of window sashes to the sashes by
means of a swivel joint, which will admit of the sash being turned over when
required, as above shewn and described.
And I also claim the use and application of a moveable parting bead, as
above described, which will admit of the sashes being taken out of the frames
with facility when required.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas McNally, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Twenty-eighth day of February, in the
year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
.66, Chancery Lane.
THOMAS MONALLY. (L.S.)