Novel or Improved Appliances for Use in Supporting Vertically- sliding Window Sashes and Doors.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Oct., 1895
Complete Specification Left. 15th July, 1896-Accepted, 15th Aug., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Novel or Improved Appliances for Use in Supporting Vertically-
sliding Window Sashes and Doors.
We, THOMAS BAILEY, of Walsall Road, Willenhall in the County of Stafford,
Grocer, and JoHN LOWE and THOMAS ALBERT EDWARD FLETCHER, both of
23 Hall Street, Willenhall, aforesaid, Lock Manufacturers, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows :
:―
This invention has for its object novel or improved appliances for use in
supporting vertically-sliding window sashes and doors which will render unnecessary
the employment of lines, pulleys and weights, and consequently also the casing or
boxings which are usually formed in the frames for the weights to move in.
An appliance constructed according to this invention, for the purpose set forth,
consiste, primarily, of a spring catch which is fixed to the edge of a window sash
or door, and of a rack which is fixed to the side of the frame. The nose of the,
catch is formed bevelled at its upper and lower faces, and the rack is formed as a
strip of metal with holes formed therein, and the upper and lower edges of each
hole are bevelled. A spring catch is, of course, fixed to each side of the window
sash or door, and a rack is fixed to each side of the frame for each sash or door.
When the sash or door is moved into any position which admits of the spring
catches engaging with holes in the racks, it will be retained in such position by the
racks unless force is used to remove it therefrom; but by the exertion of a moderate
degree of force the sash or door may be raised or lowered into position for the
catches to enter other holes of the racks, and may then be retained by the racks in
Euch other position. The construction of the catches and their engagement with
the racks are such that the catches cannot be forced out of such engagement by the
pressure due to the weight of the sash or door, but admit of the catches being
ferced out of engagement with the racks by the pressure exerted by the bevelled
ends of the holes against the bevelled faces of the catches under moderate degree
of force. The catches, of course, spring automatically into the holes as they are
brought opposite thereto.
The catches may be varied considerably in detail, but according to a convenient
construction thereof each catch consists of three distinct parts, viz., a plate which
to fix the catch is let in flash with the edge of the window sash or door and is held
by screws, a double-bevelled catch head of which the nose projects through an
opening formed therefor through the plate when it is in engagement with the rack,
and a spring which is fixed at one end to the back of the plate and bears at its
outer or free end against the back of the catch head. A pair of ears or brackets
project frein the back of the plate at each side thereof, and have open-ended slots
formed therein, and the catch head is formed with lugs which pass into the slots
and are guided therein as the catch head moves inwards and outwards. Shoulders
are formed at the ends of a portion of the catch head which is always behind the
plate, and form stops against the back of the plate, and also maintain the catch
head in proper position. When sufficient pressure is brought against one of the
bevelled faces of the catch head, the catch head is forced inwards and also
backwards in the direction of the pressure, the lugs within the slots aforesaid being
formed circular in section so that they may turn axially as they move to-and-fro
within the slots. As the catch head is turned in this manner the cuds of the

page_text: shoulders, aforesaid, hear against the back of the plate and move therealong, and
being thus guided by the plate prevent the catch head from getting out of proper
position. The movement of the catch in a backward as well as inward direction
gives an easy action as the sash or door is moved from any position in which it has
been held by the racks.
The racks are conveniently made of strips of sheet metal, such as sheet brass or
sheet steel, and the bevelled ends of the openings are formed by bending back
portions of the sheet metal in the form of tongues.
It is preferred to form the bevelled portions of the catches, and the bevelled ends
of the holes in the racks, somewhat curved in shape, to facilitate the action of the
catches.
Dated this 12th day of October 1895.
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton, Agent for the Applicants.
Novel or Improved Appliances for Use in Supporting Vertically-
aliding Window Sashes and Doors.
We, THOMAS BAILEY, of Walsall Road, Willenhall in the County of Stafford,
Grocer, and Jons Lowe and THOMAS ALBERT EDWARD FLETCHER, both
of 23 Hall Street, Willenhall, aforesaid, Lock Manufacturers, 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:-
This invention has for its object novel or improved appliances for use in
supporting vertically-sliding window sashes and doors which will render unnecessary
the employment of lines, pulleys and weights, and consequently also the casings or
boxings which are usually forined in the frames for the weights to move in.
n
An appliance constructed according to this invention, for the purpose set forth,
consists, primarily, of a spring catch which is fixed to the side of the window or
door frame, and of a rack which is fixed to the edge of the window sash or door.
The nose of the catch is formed bevelled or curved at its upper and lower facen,
and the rack is formed as a strip of metal with holes formed therein to receive the
catch, and the upper and lower edges of each hole are bevelled.
A spring catch
is, of course, fixed to each side of the window or door frame, and a rack is fixed to
ench side of the sash or door.
When the sash or door is moved into any position which admits of the spring
catches engaging with holes in the racks, it will be retained in such position by the
catches unless force is used to remove it therefrom; but by the exertion of a
moderate degree of force, the sash or door may be raised or lowered into position
for the catches to enter other holes of the racks, and may then be retained by the
catches in such other position. The construction of the catches and their engage-
ment with the racks are such that the cathes cannot be forced out of such
engagement by the pressure due merely to the weight of the sash or door, but
admit of the catches being forced out of engagement with the racks by the pressure
of the bevelled ends of the holes against the bevelled or curved faces of the catches
under moderate degree of force. The catches, of course, spring automatically into
the holes as the holes are brought opposite thereto.
The catches may be varied considerably in detail, but in order that the invention
may be readily and clearly understood, we will proceed to describe a convenient
practical application thereof by the aid of the accompanying drawings, of which
Figure 1 is a vertical section through the centre of a catch constructed according
to this invention and a short length of the rack with which it engages, the catch

page_text: and rack being shown in their positions in relation to one another due to the
engagement of the catch with one of the holes of the rack.
Figure 2 is a corresponding view to Figure 1, but shews the catch to be out of
engagement with the rack, that is to say, with the catch-head hereinafter described
in its inward position.
Figure 3 is a side elevation of the catch and short length of rack as shewn by
Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a front or outer face view of the portion of rack.
Figure 5 is a back view of the catch.
Figure 6 is a section taken on line of Figure 3 ; and
Figure 7 shews a lower window sash and lower portion of the window frame,
with a pair of racks and catches applied thereto, respectively.
A is the catch-plate having an opening a therethrough for the passage of the
catch-head B and C is a spring, formed conveniently from flat steel, which is
fixed at its inner eal to the plate A by means of the screw and bears at its outer
or free end against the back of the catch-head B. D is the rack, having openings d
therethrough. When the catch-head B is not pushed inwards against the pressure
of the spring C, a portion of it projects from the outer face of the catch-plate A,
as shewn by Figures 1, 3 and 6, being in such case (when the rack and catch are
fixed, respectively, to the sash and frame of the window) within one of the holes d
of the rack, as shown. The upper and lower ends of each hole d through the rack
are bevelled, as shewn, and when the rack is made from a strip of wrought iron,
steel, or brass, as is preferred, the bevelled ends are conveniently formed by
bending back tongues of metal. The upper and lower faces of the portion of the
catch-head B which projects beyond the face of the catch-plate A are bevelled or
curved as shewn, the catch-head being thus what is technically known as a double-
bevelled head. A shoulder (see specially Figure 6) projects at each side of the
back of the catch-head B and extends the whole depth of the head. These
shoulders form stops against the back of the catch-plate A to the outward
movement of the catch-head, and also, by bearing flat against the plate, maintain
the catch-head in proper position in relation to the catch-plate, when the catch-
head is in its outward position. An car or bracket a projects from the back of the
catch-plate A at each side thereof, and in each ear is formed an open-ended slot h.
A round lug projects sideways from each shoulder into and through the slot h
on the corresponding side of the catch-plate.
The catch, comprising the catch-plate A, catch-head B, and spring C, is let into
the face or jamb of the window frame, until the outer face of the catch-plate is
flush with the woodwork, and is fixed thereto by means of screws which pass
through the catch-plate; and the rack is screwed against the edge of the sash, and
runs the full length thereof, or nearly so. The pair of catches A and racks D,
as used for a window sash, are shewn in position by broken lines Figure 7.
When the catch-heads of a pair of catches constructed according to this invention
are in engagement with holes in the corresponding racks, the sash is held thereby
from falling (if, in the case of the lower sash, it is not already down upon the sill)
or from being accidentally raised; but if sufficient force is exerted to move the
sash, the corresponding bevelled ends of the holes through the racks with which
the catches are at the time engaging are thereby brought against the corresponding
bevelled faces of the catch-leads, and the catch-heads are thus pressed back,
against the pressure of their springs, out of engagement with the holes through
the racks. The sash may thus be moved into any position desired, in which the
catch-heads can engage with two of the holes through the racks. The lugs i are
guided by the slots has a catch-head is pushed inwards, and the catch-head turns,
as it is pushed in, about the axis of the lugs. It will thus be seen that, in raising
or lowering the sash, the pressure of the end of a hole through the rack against
a bevelled face of the catch-head causes the head to move backwards as well as
inwards, whereby an easy action is ensured. The back of the catch-head is
formed flat, as shewn, and thus the pressure of the spring thereagainst tends to

page_text: cause the catch-head to assume its proper position as it moves into engagement
with a hole of a rack.
In order that the catch-hend may have sufficient hold within a hole of the rack
to support its share of the weight of the window sash or door, without necessitating
undue force to be used to raise the sash or door, horns & are formed as upward
extensions of the shoulders, and the upper face of the portion of the catch-head B
which projects from the catch-plate is formed with a less bevel than the lower face.
This formation of the upper face, together with the use of the horns k, in effect
shortens the leverage through which the downward pressure of the rack acts in
moving in the catch-head, compared with the leverage through which the upward
pressure of the rack acts. This shortening of the leverage may be effected to
some extent simply by the formation described of the upper face of the catch-head,
or by the use of the forms apart from such formation of the face; but it is preferred
to use both means in combination, as shewn. The tilted position of a catch-hend,
when pushed inwards by the force exerted in moving down the sash or door to
which the corresponding rack is applied, is clearly shewn by Figure 2.
It is preferred to fix the catches to the frame and the racks to the sash or door,
as above described, as in such case the faces of the racks are, in use, never exposed
to view but the entches may be fixed to the sash or door, and the racks to the
trame, if desired, in which case, however, the catches should be fixed the reverse
way up to that shewn by the drawings (or the entch-heads be reversed in relation
to the catch-plates) to ensure sufficient hold of the catch-heads within holes of the
racks to support the weight of the sash or door, as will be obvious.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. A novel or improved appliance, for use in supporting a vertically-sliding
window sash or door, which comprises a spring catch for fixture to the frame of
the window-sash or door (or to the edge of the sash or door) and a ruck for fixture
te the edge of the sash or door (or to the frame of the window or door), substan-
tially as described.
2. A novel or improved appliance, for use in supporting a vertically-sliding
window sash or door, which comprises a spring catch of which the entch-head is
double-bevelled or correspondingly-shaped, and a rack with which (when the parts
are in use) the enteh-hend will automatically engage as an opening thereof comes
opposite to the catch (or the catch comes opposite to an opening thereof) and by
means of which the catch-head will be automatically moved out of such engagement
when the sash or door which carries the rack (or ratch) raised or lowered with
sufficient force, the catch-hend being pressed outwards by an elastic force which
will maintain it in engagement with the rack under the pressure due simply to the
weight of the sash or door, substantially as describel.
3. In an appliance for use in supporting a vertically-sliding window sash or door,
a double-bevelled or correspondingly-shaped catch-head which is pressed outwards
by a spring and is constructed and mounted to the catch-plate in a manner which
causes it to yield backwards as well as inwards from pressure brought against
either bevelled or correspondingly-shaped face by the end of an opening in the
rack with which the catch head engages and which pressure is due to the force
exerted in raising or lowering the sash or door, substantially as described.
4. In a spring catch, for use, in combination with a rack, in supporting a
vertically-sliding window sash or door, a catch-head constructed and mounted to
the catch plate in a manner which causes it to yield backwards as well as inwards
under a sufficient force acting in a vertical direction, upwards or downwards,
against the buse or projecting portion of the hund, and having horns or projections,
such as, fer the purpose set forth, substantially as described.
5. In a spring catch, for use, in combination with a rack, in supporting a
vertically-sliding window sash or door, a catch-head constructed and mounted to the

page_text: catch-plate in a manner which causes it to yield backwards as well as inwards.
under a sufficient force acting in a vertical direction, upwards or downwards,
against the nose or projecting portion of the head, and having the side of the nose
which receives the pressure of the rack in supporting the weight of the sash or
door formed with a less bevel than the opposite side for the purpose set forth,
substantially as described and shewn.
6. In an appliance for use in supporting a vertically-sliding window sash or door,.
a double-bevelled or correspondingly-shaped catch-head formed with shoulders
such as and with lugs such as i, in combination with a catch-plate such as A
having cars such as g and slots such as, and a spring which presses against the
back of the catch-head, substantially as described.
7. A novel or improved appliance, for use in supporting a vertically-sliding
window sash or door, constructed and operating substantially as described and
shewn by the drawings herewith.
Dated this 14th day of July 1896
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton, Agent for the Applicants.