IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENINGS FOR MEETING RAILS OF SASHES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills, of the Firm of Harris
and Mills, of 23, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, Patent
Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENINGS FOR MEETING
RAILS OF SASHES." A communication from abroad by John Benjamin
Morris, of Cincinnati, in the State of Ohio, in the United States of America,
Watchmaker.
Sealed the 6th May 1879, and dated the 24th January 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard
Mills at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th January
1879.
BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS, of the Firm of Harris and Mills, of 23,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN FASTENINGS FOR MEETING RAILS OF SASHES." A communication from
abroad by John Benjamin Morris, of Cincinnati, in the State of Ohio, in the United
States of America, Watchmaker.
The Invention relates to an improved form for fastenings for the meeting rails
of window sashes.
The improvement hereinafter described is designed to enable the latch bar to
be securely set or fastened in the unlocked or locked position at will and to be
usable with sashes of various sizes. The improvement further comprises a con-
struction of latch bar and supporting plate which secures the arrest of the bar at
the extremities of its stroke or swing, without the use or necessity of any pro-
jection from the general level of the plate-top. The improvement further comprises
a construction of latch-bar and of the engaging spur or hook whereby the heel of
the bar is duly supported without necessitating the use of a hard core in moulding
the said hook.
An elevated plate is employed of, for the most part, circular contour, and having
a central orifice for the stud or pivot of the latch bar. Said plate has in front a
rectangular jog or notch to receive and retain the pivotted handle or pendant of
the fastener in the closed condition of the said bar. Said plate has further on its
right side a sloping jog or bend that terminates abrubtly at its front end to receive
and retain said pendant in the open condition of the said bar. Said plate has
further on its left side, and occupying about a fourth of its circuit, a bevel jog, to.

page_text: receive a seat or projection from the underside of the latch bar, whose impact with
the abrubt extremities of the jog operates to properly limit the swing of the said
bar-The-latch-bar-has-the-usual-lip-for-engagement behind a hook or spur, whose
rear edge being cam-formed, the closure of the latch bar operates to draw together
the two meeting rails by the act which locks them.
---The-base-plate of the hook-is-cut-away-in-the- sloping-form-so-as-to--leave--an
entirely open space beneath the hook in order to enable this member to be moulded-
without a core, and inasmuch as this shape would leave unsupported the rear end
of the latch bar, there is formed on such rear extremity a heel or prolongation
which rests upon the bed plate in the locked condition of the fastening. For con-
venience in handling the fastening, a lip operates as a stop to prevent the pendant
being elevated beyond a horizontal position.
The height of the elevated plate affords room for the bevel jogs and enables the
pendant to hang clear of the sash rail, which latter may consequently be of less or
greater thickness without disturbing the operations of the fastenings.
Suitable orifices enable the attachment of the members of the fastening to their
respective sashes.
The fastener may be so arranged as to lock by a right hand and unlock by a
left hand turn of the latch bar, but it is evident these movements may be reversed
if desired.
The above description illustrates the Invention in the best form known to the
inventor for embodying its principle, but the form of the same may be somewhat
varied without departing from the peculiar character of the Invention.
-

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 24th July 1879.
BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS, of the Firm of Harris and Mills, of 23,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent. " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN FASTENINGS FOR MEETING RAILS OF SASHES." A communication from
abroad by John Benjamin Morris, of Cincinnati, in the State of Ohio, in the United
States of America, Watchmaker.
The Invention relates to an improved form for fastenings for the meeting rails
of window sashes.
The improvement hereinafter described is designed to enable the latch-bar to be
securely set or fastened in the unlocked or locked position at will and to be usable
with sashes of various sizes. The improvement further comprises a construction of
|latch-bar and supporting plate which secures the arrest of the bar at the extremities
of its stroke or swing, without the use or necessity of any projection from the
general level of the plate-top. The improvement further comprises a construction
of latch-bar and of the engaging spur or hook, whereby the heel of the bar is duly
supported without necessitating the use of a hard core in moulding the said
hook.
In the accompanying Drawings, Figures 1 and 2 are perspective views of the
fastening in the closed and open positions respectively; Figures 3 and 4 are top
views of the same; Figure 5 is a section in the line x-x and Figure 6 is a
top view of the supporting plate; Figures 7 and 8 are respectively a top view and
a vertical section of a modification of the improvement.
A and B may respectively represent portions of the meeting rails of a lower and
of an upper sash; C is an elevated plate of, for the most part, circular contour, and
having a central orifice c for the stud or pivot E of the latch-bar F. Said plate has
in front a rectangular jog or notch c¹ to receive and retain the pivotted handle or
pendant H in the closed condition of the said bar. Said plate has further on its
right side a sloping jog or bend that terminates abruptly at its front end, to
receive and retain said pendant in the open condition of the said bar. Said plate
has further on its left side and occupying about a fourth of its circuit a bevel
jog c¹¹, to receive a seat or projection f' from the under side of the latch-bar,
whose impact with the abrupt extremities of the jog operates to properly limit the
swing of the said bar.
The latch-bar F has the usual lip f for engagement behind a hook or spur G,
whose rear edge being cam formed, the closure of the latch-bar operates to draw
together the two meeting rails by the act which locks them. The base plate G¹
of the hook is cut away in the sloping form shown at g in Figure 5, so as to
leave an entirely open space beneath the hook in order to enable this member to
be moulded without a core, and inasmuch as this shape would leave unsupported
the rear end of the latch bar, there is formed on said rear extremity a heel or
prolongation f which rests upon the bed plate G' in the locked condition of the
fastening. For convenience in handling the fastening, a lip h operates as a stop to
prevent the pendant H being elevated beyond a horizontal position as indicated by
dotted lines in Figure 5.
The plate C is formed hollow on its under side as seen in Figure 5.
The height of the plate C affords room for the bevel jogs c¹ and c¹¹, and enables
the pendant H to hang clear of the sash rail, which latter may consequently be
of less or greater thickness without disturbing the operations of the fastenings.
Suitable orifices J enable the attachment of the members C and G to their res-
pective sashes.
In the present illustration the device is so arranged as to lock by a right hand,

page_text: and unlock by a left hand turn of the latch bar, but it is evident these movements
I may be reversed if desired.
The above description-illustrates.the.Invention in the best form known to the
inventor for embodying its principle, but such form may be somewhat varied
without departing from the peculiar character of the Invention, as for example,
in-the-modification shown-at-Figures-7-and-8..
Having thus described the-nature-of-the-said-Invention,-and-the-mode-in.
which the same-is carried into effect, I would have it understood that what I
claim is,
First. The improved sash lock or fastening comprising the notched and shouldered
elevated disc C, c, cl, cl, cl, having the pivot E for the swinging latch-bar F, f,
and the hinged pendant H for attachment to the lower sash, to operate with a
stationary spur or cam-hook upon the upper sash, substantially as described.
Second. In combination with the described spur or cam hook G, G', I claim
the swinging latch-bar F, f, having the heel or rear prolongation fil for the
purpose designated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty third day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.