Certain Improvements in Window Sash Fasteners.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Feb., 1899-Accepted, 8th Apr., 1899
.
Certain Improvements in Window Sash Fasteners.
I, JOIN EBENEZER HILL, of Church Villa, High Street, Lye Stourbridge, in the
County of Worcester, Commercial Traveller, 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 consists of the herein described improvements in window sash
fasteners which when made in accordance with this invention are so arranged as
to be self-acting on the closing of the window.
One arrangement of my invention is illustrated by Figs. 1 to 6 both inclusive
of which Fig. 1 shews a window sash fastener in cross section fixed on the window
sashes of which the bottom sash is represented as raised slightly the fastening being
unfastened; Fig. shews the same parts as Fig. 1 but with the bottom sash
lowered and the lever arm of the fastening turned down by a spring on the closing
of the window; Fig. 3 shews the same parts as Figs. 1 and 2 with the sashes
completely fastened; Fig. 4 is a sectional front elevation of part of the sash
fastening which is fixed to the bottom rail of the top sash; Fig. 5 is a front
sectional elevation of the part of the fastening which is fixed to the top rail of the
bottom sash; and Fig. 6 is an inverted plan of the part of the fastening represented
by Fig. 5.
Another arrangement of my invention is illustrated by Figs. 7 to 12 both
inclusive of which Fig. 7 shews the window sash fastening in cross section fixed on
the window sashes of which the bottom sash is represented as raised slightly the
fastening being unfastened; Fig. 8 shews the same parts as Fig. 7 but with the
bottom sash lowered and the lever arm of the fastening turned down by a spring
on the closing of the window; Fig. 9 shews the same parts as Figs. 7 and 8 with
the sashes completely fastened; Fig. 10 is a front elevation of the part of the sash
fastening which is fixed to the bottom rail of the top sash; Fig. 10* shews a portion
of the fastening separately; Fig. 11 is a front sectional elevation of the part of
the fastening which is fixed to the top rail of the bottom sash; and Fig. 12 is an
inverted plan of the part represented by Fig. 11.
The same letters of reference indicate the same or corresponding parts in all the
figures of the drawings.
"I will first describe the arrangement of my invention illustrated by Figs. 1 to 6
both inclusive.
A is a lever arm hinged on the base B by turning on the pin C which passes
through the arm A and through the lugs 6162 of the base B which latter is fixed
to the bottom rail D of the top sash. Acting of the arm A. so as to turn the same
down across the top rail of the bottom sash there is a coiled spring F contained
in the lug bone end f¹ of this spring fitting in a hole in the latter and the other
In order to maintain the
end of the spring being fixed into the lever arm.
lever arm A in its upright position against the action of the spring F there is
fixed on the base A a spring tongue G which is turned upwardly somewhat and on

page_text: the boss of the lever A there is a projecting peg or pin a¹ so arranged that when the
lever arm A is turned to its upright position (shewn in Figs. 1 and 4) the pin a¹
engages in a hole in the spring tongue G and thus the lever A is retained in its
upright position against the action of the spring F. The fore end of this
spring G projects slightly over the front of the sash bar D so as to be acted on by
the striking piece h' formed on the base, H of the part of the fastening which is
fixed to the top rail E of the bottom sash, so that the act of closing the sashes causes
the striking piece h¹ to strike and depress the spring tongue G and thus to release
the pin a¹ of the lever arm A which is then by the spring F turned down across the
top rail E of the bottom sash as shewn in Fig 2. The lever A has a longitudinal
slot a² in it which when the lever A is turned down as aforesaid and as shewn in
Fig. 2 engages over the upwardly projecting catch piece I and thus the sashes are
fastened; but in order to make them perfectly, secure the lever A has to be pressed
farther down as shewn in Fig. 3 until the end 'a of the slot a² takes under the
notch of the. catch piece I. The lever A is made with two shoulders a' which,
when the lever A is turned down as shewn in Fig. 3, act against the upwardly
projecting curved pommels 5 h2 formed with the base H and thus draw the
sashes together. The catch piece I is not rigidly fixed to the base H but is made
to slide thereon by having a shank at the bottom which engages in a slot h³ in
the base H and is there secured by being rivetted over a washer i underneath the
base. H. is a spring fixed-to the underside of the base. H and arranged to act
upon the catch piece I so as to force the same outwardly to engage with the lever A
and secure the same as shewn in Fig. 3.
It will thus be seen that the fastening above described is self-fastening as
upon the closing of the sashes the catch-piece depresses-the-spring-tongue-G-and
releases the lever A which by its spring then turns down over the bottom sash H
and engages with the catch piece I as shewn in Fig. 2 and then the fastening is
completely secured and the sashes are drawn together by depressing the lever A
under the notch 2 of the catch piece I shewn in Fig. 3. If it is desired to make the
fastening-still-more-secure the catch-piece-I-may, as shewn in Figs. 1, 2 and 3,
have a hole in its upper part through which a chain or pin or the like may be
threaded or a padlock may be threaded and secured.
To open the fastening the catch piece I has to be pushed back in the direction
indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3 and then the lever A can be turned up to the
position shewn by Figs. 1 and 4 where if the sashes are opened a little way it will
be retained by the pin a¹ of the lever engaging in the hole g¹ of the spring
tongue G. The small projection 2 on the front of the bottom part of the catch
piece I is to be pressed against by the thumb when pushing the catch picce I
back to open the fastening.
In the modification of my invention illustrated by Figs. 7 to 11 both inclusive
the spiral spring F is dispensed with and the spring tongue G and the lever A are
so arranged that the spring tongue serves the double purpose of maintaining the
lever A in its turned up position as in Figs. 7 and 10 and also causes the lever to turn
down over the catch piece I as in Fig. 8 after the said lever has been turned down
through a short distance. It will be seen that this is accomplished by the spring
tongue G being turned backwardly and upwardly in a slanting direction from
the front edge of the base B and the lever A has a small roller k in its heel a
to act upon the spring tongue G so that the spring tongue G will act upon the
roller and maintain the lever A raised as in Figs. 7 and 10 and when the lever
has been turned forward slightly (by the closing of the window as hereinafter
described) to about the position' indicated by the line l'in Fig. 8 the spring G
acts upon the roller k and causes the lever A to turn down to the position shewn in
Fig. 8. In order to cause the act of closing the sashes to turn the lever A into
the position indicated by the line 7 in Fig. 8 as aforesaid, I provide two hooked
pieces M1 M² (one of which namely M¹ is shewn separately in Fig. 10+) which are
respectively fixed on the ends of the fulcrum pin C of the lever A and are each
made with a lower projection m¹ adapted to be acted upon by side pins h h formed

page_text: on the pommels ho h² of the base plate H. Each of the hooked parts M¹ M² has a
horn m² at the top curved over at the front so as to engage with the said side
pins hh when the fastening is closed.
When the lever A is turned up as shewn in Figs. 7 and 10 the side pins h+h
will clear the horns m² but will strike the lower projections m¹ (see Fig. 7). Thus
the act of closing the sashes causes the pins h¹h to strike the projections m¹ and
to turn the lever A into the inclined position indicated by the line in Fig. 8.
The spring G now acts upon the roller and causes the lever A to turn down to the
position shewn in Fig. 8 engaging with the catch piece I, and at the same time
the horns m2 turn down over the pins h h as shewn in Fig. 8. The lever A has
now to be pressed down by the hand to its locked position shewn in Fig. 9 so
as to engage under the notch 22 of the catch piece I and this further movement of
the lever makes the curved horns m² act upon the pins h h and draw the sashes
together. The fastening is unfastened by pressing back the catch piece I and
turning up the lever A.
The drawings shew what I consider to be the best ways of carrying my invention
into practice but it is to be understood that my invention is not limited to the
precise details shewn.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. In a window sash fastener, the combination of a base adapted to be fixed on
the bottom rail of the top sash, a lever jointed to said base so as to turn up or turn
down across the sash rails, a spring arranged to turn said lever down, a projecting
spring tongue fixed on said base made to engage said lever and maintain it turned up,
a base to be fixed on the top rail of the bottom sash and having a striking piece
arranged to depress said spring tongue on the closing of the sashes so as to release
said lever which then turns down and engages with a catch piece provided on said
base on the top rail of the bottom. sash, all substantially as set forth.
2. In a window sash fastener, the combination of a base adapted to be fixed on
the bottom rail of the top sash, a lever jointed to said base so as to turn up or turn
down across the sash rails, a spring arranged to turn said lever down, a projecting
spring tongue fixed on said base made to engage said lever and maintain it turned
up, a base to be fixed on the top rail of the bottom sash and having a striking piece
arranged to depress said spring tongue on the closing of the sashes so as to release
said lever which then turns down and engages with a sliding catch pièce provided
on said base on the top rail of the bottom sash said last named base part having
also curved pommels or parts which are acted upon by shoulders on the lever to
draw the sashes together when the lever is turned down into its locked position, all
substantially as set forth.
3. A window sash fastener constructed arranged and operating substantially as
herein before described and illustrated by Figs. 1 to 6 both inclusive of the
accompanying drawings.
4. In a window sash fastener the combination of a base adapted to be fixed on
the bottom rail of the top sash, a lever made with a heel and roller jointed to
said base so as to turn up or turn down across the sash rails, a spring tongue on said
base made to act upon the roller in the heel of the said lever and turn the lever up
or down and maintain it in either position, hooked pieces M1 M² fixed on the
fulcrum pin of said lever to turn therewith, a base adapted to be fixed on the top rail of
the bottom sash having striking pins arranged to act upon the lower portions of
the hooked pieces M₁ M² and turn said lever into an angular position on the closing
of the sashes which lever is then by the spring tongue turned down so as to engage
with the sliding catch piece provided on said base so that the hooked pieces will
then engage with the striking pieces of the base on the bottom sash and draw the
sashes together when the lever is turned into its locked position, substantially as
set forth.

page_text: 5. A window sash fastener constructed arranged and operating substantially
as hereinbefore described and illustrated by Figs. 7 to 12 both inclusive of the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 16th day of February 1899.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.