Improved Automatic Fastenings for Windows.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Dec., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 19th Oct., 1896-Accepted, 21st Nov., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Automatic Fastenings for Windows.
I, ROBERT CHAMBERS NORMAN, of No. 58 Russell Street, Melbourne, in the
Colony of Victoria, Secretary and Superintendent of the Alfred Hospital,
Melbourne, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide automatic fastenings for windows
which will effectually secure the upper and lower sashes and yet allow the upper
sash to be safely left partly open if desired.
My improved automatic fastenings consist essentially of a pivotted, or hinged,
catch made to engage with a fixed catch or projection either on the sash itself, in
the case of the upper sash, or on the window frame for the lower sash. In either
case it is pivotted out of centre so that it always tends to fall into its normal
position so as to lock the sash, the only essential difference being that in one
case it is pivotted to the window frame and engages with the upper sash whilst
in the other case it is pivotted upon the lower sash and engages with the window
frame.
In the case of the upper fastening the fixed catch or projection on the upper sash
may be dispensed with if so preferred in which case the pivotted catch would
engage with the window sash itself.
The upper fastening is preferably pivotted or hinged upon a plate secured to
the side of the window frame and it is adapted to engage with teeth, projecting
catches, or recesses secured to, or provided for the purpose on the side of, the upper
sash, and it is so constructed and arranged that it can be forced back out of
engagement by merely raising the lower sash. If preferred these teeth or the like
on the side of the upper sash may be dispensed with and the upper pivotted
fastening be made to engage with the sash itself.
The lower fastening is preferably provided with a projecting hook or ring
shaped handle thus enabling it when raised to be used for the purpose of lifting
the sash, and the catch on the bottom of the window frame is so arranged that the
said lower fastening will automatically drop forward into engagement with it when
the said lower sash is lowered into its closed position.
The above described fastenings are intended to be used either in addition to or
in substitution for the ordinary or other fastenings and they admit of the upper
sash being left partially open if required for ventilating purposes, without danger,
because they cannot be forced back from the outside although they can easily be
opened by the occupants of the dwelling.
Dated this 17th day of December 1895.

page_text: I, ROBERT CHAMBERS NORMAN of 58 Russel Street, Melbourne, in the Colony
of Victoria, Secretary and Superintendent of the Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, 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 :-
The object of this invention is to provide automatic fastenings for windows which
will effectually secure the upper and lower sashes and yet allow the upper sash to
be safely left partly open if desired.
My improved automatic fastenings consists essentially of pivotted, or hinged,
catches made to engage with fixed catches or projections on the sash itself, in the
case of the upper sash or on the window frame for the lower sash. In either case
the catch is pivotted so that it tends to fall into its normal position so as to lock
the sash, and in the case of the upper sash, the pivotted catch is fixed to the window
frame and engages with the upper sash whilst in the case of the lower sash the
pivotted catch fixed upon the lower bar of the sash and engages with a loop or
fixed catch on the window frame.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood will further describe
the same with reference to the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 of which
represents the inner side of a window provided with fastenings made according to
iny invention and Figure 2 is a vertical section of the window.
7
The fastening for the upper window sash consists of an arm, pawl, or detent A
pivotted or hinged to a plate a secured by screws or otherwise to the side of the
window frame the free end of the arm, pawl, or detent A being adapted to engage
with teeth, projections, or recesses 6 in a plate B secured to the side frame of the
upper sash.
The arm or detent, A, and the teeth projections or recesses are preferably
so formed that the teeth projections or recesses b move over the arm or detent A,
like the teeth of a ratchet run over a pawl, when the upper sash is being
raised.
If desired the teeth or the like on the side of the upper sash may be
dispensed with and the free end of the arm pawl or detent A be made to bear
against the sash itself. The arm, paw!, or detent A when in its engaged position
prevents the sash from being lowered and in attempting to lower the sash the end
of the arm pawl or detent is more forcibly pressed against the sash and so the
upper sash cannot be lowered from the outside but by disengaging the arm pawl or
detent the upper sash can be lowered from the inside. Stops are provided as at c
to prevent the arms pawls or detents A being moved so far back as not to return
to their proper position when released.
A fastening such as described is preferably arranged on both sides of the said
upper sash as shewn. The fastening for the lower sash consists of an eye or loop
fixed to the frame, and of a pivotted hook C secured to the lower sash and
provided with a projecting handle which is preferably in the form of a hook or
ring so as to serve as a means for disengaging the pivotted hook from the fixed
part of the fastening and also for raising the sash. The meeting faces of the fixed
part C and of the pivotted hook C are so inclined or curved that when the bottom
sash is lowered to its closed position the pivotted catch C will automatically
engage with the said fixed part C and prevent the lower sash from being raised
without first disengaging the catch.
The above described fastenings are intended to be used either in addition to, or
in substitution for the ordinary or other window fastenings and they admit of the
upper sash being left partially open if required for ventilating purposes, without

page_text: danger so long as the lower sash is securely fastened, as the arms pawls or detents A
cannot, from outside the window be forced back, although they can easily be
disengaged and the sash lowered from inside the building. I have shewn but one
catcb C C but there may be more than one if desired say one at each side of the
mid-line of the sash and frame.
Although I have shewn and described the pivotted catch for securing the
lower sash as being carried on the sash itself and the fixed catch with which
it engages as being on the window frame it is obvious that the arrangement may
be reversed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
1. A fastening device for windows, comprising a pivotted or hinged catch, or
pivotted or hinged catches, on the window frame or on the sash the said catch or
catches being arranged so as to automatically engage (when closing the window)
with a fixed catch or fixed catches on the window sash or on the window frame
respectively to secure the window substantially as herein before described.
2. A fastening device for windows consisting of a pivotted arm or detent fixed
to the window frame so arranged as to normally bear at its free end against the
upper sash of the window, or to engage with teeth or projections on the said upper
sash, so as to prevent the sash from being lowered substantially as hereinbefore
described.
3. A fastening device for windows consisting of the combination of a pivotted
or hinged catch on the lower sash arranged so as to automatically engage with a
fixed catch on the window frame when the sash is lowered and a pivotted arm or
detent on the window frame arranged to normally bear at its end against the upper
sash or to engage with teeth or their equivalents on the upper sash so as to prevent
the said upper sash from being lowered from the outside substantially as herein-
before described.
Dated this 17th day of October 1896.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.