CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO THE CLOSING OF DOORS, WINDOWS, AND SHUTTERS
Year: 1850

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
MILWAIN, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Joiner, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by
Her Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing
date at Westminster, the Twelfth day of January, in the thirteenth year
of Her reign, and in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
fifty, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Milwain, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said John Milwain, my exors, admors, and assigns,
and such others as I, the said John Milwain, my exors, admors, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at
all times during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England and Wales and the
Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and in all the Islands of Jersey, Guernsey,
Alderney, Sark, & Man, and also within all Her Majesty's Colonies and
Plantations abroad, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO
THE CLOSING OF DOORS, WINDOWS, AND SHUTTERS;" in which said Letters
Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said John Milwain, shall cause a
particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be enrolled in Her Majesty's High Court
of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the

page_text: date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same,
reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Milwain, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described
and ascertained in and by the Drawings hereto annexed, and the following
explanation thereof, that is to say :-
My Invention of Certain Improvements applicable to the Closing of Doors,
Windows, and Shutters, consists of certain arrangements of apparatus for
more effectually preventing the passage of sound and air, and of dust or
impurities, into rooms, closets, cabinets, bookcases or other receptacles
which are furnished with doors, windows, or shutters.
The peculiar feature of the first part of my Invention consists in the
employment of a moveable strip of indian rubber or gutta percha, so applied
to one part of the joint intended to be secured as to press firmly upon
the other part of the said joint when the door, window, or shutter is closed,
but capable of receding therefrom when it shall be desired to open the said
door, window, or shutter.
The second part of my Invention consists in a peculiar mode of applying
india rubber or gutta percha for the purpose of closing as aforesaid what
are commonly called French windows, and other apparatus which open
and close after the manner of folding doors. And in order that my Invention
may be most fully understood, I have appended to this my Specification certain
Drawings which I will now proceed to describe :-
In Figs. 1, 2, and 3, Sheet 1, I have shewn one mode of carrying out the
first part of my Invention, and as applied to an ordinary room door. Fig. 1 is a
front elevation in section, as it would appear when the door is partly open and
the moveable strip raised from the floor. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, also
in section. To the inside (in this instance) of the door A a brass or other plate
a, a, a, a, is attached by means of screws or other convenient means; to this plate
are fastened, by rivets or otherwise, the upper ends of two pieces of vulcanized
india rubber b, b, the lower ends thereof being affixed to a metal casing c, c, c, c,
within which is also confined, by means of rivets, another strip of vulcanized
india rubber or gutta percha c*, c*, c*, extending throughout the width of the
door. Upon the plate a, a, are affixed certre pins, upon which cams d, d, are
mounted so as to turn freely thereon; the lower ends of these cams are in
contact with the top of the metal casing c, c, c, c, and their upper ends are
connected by means of joints to a longitudinal rod f.ff. Within the door
jamb is placed a screw stud 9 capable of adjustment in the screw box h, h; by

page_text: this arrangement it will be perceived that on closing the door, the end of the
rod f,f,f, will arrive in contact with the stud g, and thereby be forced
inwards, by which action the cams d, d, will be turned upon their centre
pins, and force down the metal casing c, c, which carrying with it the
strip of indian rubber or gutta percha c*, c*, c*, will effectually close the
.bottom of the door. By turning the screw stud 9 in its screw box, and thereby
carrying it nearer to or further from the rod f,f, more or less action will be given
to the cams d, d, and consequently a like variable motion to the strip c*, c*, c*.
When it is necessary to open the door the pieces of vulcanized india rubber
b, b, which by the descent of the strip c*, c*, have become distended, will by
their contraction turn the cams d, d, back again upon their centres, raise the
strip c*, c*, cx, c*, from the floor, and allow the door to open freely.
Fig. 3 shews another method of carrying out my Invention, as.applied to a
door. In this instance, in place of the cams d, d, two sets of toggle jointed
levers are employed, the upper ends i, i, turning upon pins attached to the
plate a, a, and the lower ends i*, *, being connected to centre pins affixed to
the metal casing c, c; the centre pins of the toggle jointed levers work in slots
formed in the rod f.f, as shewn in the Drawing, which rod f, f, in this instance
moves in guides j,j; to the casing c, c, are affixed studs a*, a*, which project
into grooves formed in the plate a, in order to cause the strip c*, c*, c*, to
descend with a parallel motion. According to the position of the parts, as
represented, the door is supposed to be closed, the rod f, f, having been
brought into contact with the screw stud g, and by being thus thrust forward
has partially straightened the toggle jointed levers, and so effected the descent
of the strip c*, cx, c*, c*; on the door being opened the pieces b, b, will act as
before described, raising the casing c, c, and throwing back the toggle jointed
levers i, i*, and rod f.
Figs. 4 and 5 shew a method of applying my Invention so as to close the
meeting of such windows. Fig. 4 is a partial sectional elevation of a
window, and Fig. 5 is a plan view, also in section; the top plate a, a, which
carries the apparatus, being removed, in order more clearly to show the
various parts. The metal casing c, c, c, and strip of india rubber or gutta percha
c, c*, c, are shewn as abutting against the upper window A, A, A, in which
direction they are constantly forced by means of two springs k, k, one end of each
of which is affixed to the sash of the window, the other ends acting against
pieces affixed to the under side of the casing c, c, c. The casing c, c, I have
shown provided with pins l, l, which project into grooves formed in the plate
a, a, so as to form parallel guides, and to it are attacheḍ inclined planes m, m, .
against which pins n, n, affixed to the rod f, f, are caused to work. Upon raising
-

page_text: the lower window B, the rod f, f, will be forced up the inclined plane o (placed
in a recess formed in the frame of the window), and by this means be caused
to move inwards in its parallel guides j, j, thus carrying the pins n, n, along
the inclined planes m, m, and drawing the strip c*, c, c, away from the upper
window A. Upon again closing the window the springs k, k, will force forward
the strip c*, c*, c*, into its former position, the rod f, f, again receding along
the inclined plane o. With reference to the last described Figs. I have sup-
posed that the window is constructed to open at the bottom only; if, however,
my improvements be applied to such as open at top also, means must be
employed to draw back the strip when it is so desired to be opened. In Figs.
6 and 7, Sheet 2, I have shewn a mode of doing this. Fig. 6 is a partial
front view of the two windows; and Fig. 7 is a representation of the inside
of the window frame. The inclined plane o, referred to in the last described
Figures, is mounted upon a short axis q, extending across in the direction of the
width of the two windows, and carries at the opposite end to that t upon which
the inclined plane o is mounted a projecting arm r; to the upper window A an
inclined plane S is attached, which moves in a groove S* formed in the
window frame. Upon commencing to lower the upper window the arm r,
being forced inwards by the inclined plane S moving against the projecting
part **, the axis q will be turned upon its centre, and in so doing force
inward the rod f, and thereby (by the means described in reference to
Figs. 4 and 5) liberate the window from the strip c*, c*.
Fig. 8 shews in sectional plan view (similar to Fig. 5) a method of apply-
ing my improvements to be worked by hand, and as applied to the closing
of windows. In this instance the metal casing c, c, c, is provided as before with
pins 7, 1, moving in parallel guides formed in the plate a, which is removed in
order to expose the parts. To the casing c, c, c, a screw pin D is connected
by means of a socket joint, which pin works in a screw box fixed in the sash
of the window, and by being turned backward or forward causes the strip
c*, c, c, to be tightened upon or loosened from the upper window A, A, A.
Fig. 9 represents a modification of my Invention adapted for closing doors,
windows, or shutters by band, that is to say, by means independant of the
opening and shutting of the said door, window, or shutter. I suppose in this
instance that A and B represent portions of the meeting stiles of the glass
doors of a bookcase or cabinet, the front plate a of the preceding Figures being
removed in order to expose the parts. To the inside of the metal casing c of
the strip of indian rubber or gutta percha c*, c*, (there is attached by means of
a bracket a pin t, which pin is enclosed within an eccentric groove u, formed
within a tumbler turning upon a centre pin v, the said tumbler pin being

page_text: affixed to a noD on the outside or the door; by turming this HOD ше
pin t, and consequently strip c*, cx, will be drawn from contact with the other
door, which will then be at liberty to be opened, and on being again closed
a reversed motion of the nob will cause the strip c* to advance and the
required closing to be affected. In order to cause the strip c* to move in a
parallel direction, guide pins similar to those shewn at 1, Fig. 5, may be
employed.
In concluding the description of the first part of my Invention, I would
remark that it will be obvious that, if desired, the plate a, a, may be placed on
the outside of the door, and that a similar apparatus may be adapted to the
top; also, that springs of any suitable shape or material may be employed,
instead of those formed by the pieces of indian rubber 6, and that the strip
may be withdrawn by the action of the door, and forced forward by
means of springs in a similar manner to that described with reference to
Figs. 4 & 5.
The second part of my Invention is shewn in Figs. 10 and 11 of the accom-
panying Drawings.
Fig. 10 is a partial sectional plan view of a French window, with my
improvements applied. Throughout the length of the side framing a groove
is formed, within which is placed a strip of indian rubber or gutta percha c*,
which strip is confined by rivets or otherwise within a metal casing, as shewn
in the detached view, Fig. 11. There is also a groove w formed in the
window jamb, into which the strip of indian rubber or gutta percha passes
when the window is closed, abutting against the edge of the said groove, and
thereby closing the joint, as shewn in the Drawing. The method of closing
the meet of the window is as follows:-The meeting stile of each window
does not close as in the ordinary construction, but there is a hollow passage
left, as shewn at x in Fig. 10. To each meeting stile is attached a strip of
indian rubber or gutta percha y, y*, firmly inclosed within a metallic case,
and extending throughout the length of its respective window. The outward
edge of one of the strips y presses (when the windows are closed) against the
part of the window C, the other strip y* being in contact in like manner
with the part 2 of the window D. If desired, the method described under
the first head of my Invention may also be applied for the purpose of closing
the tops and bottoms of the windows. I have shewn this part of my Invention
in connection with a French window for the sake of example, but it will be
evident that the same may be applied to other purposes, for instance, to
shutters which open in a similar manner, and to the glass or other doors of
bookcases and cabinets. If desired, the strips of india rubber or gutta percha,

page_text: instead of being enclosed in the metal casings, may be nailed or otherwise
attached to the necessary parts without such casing. I prefer, however,
mounting them as shewn in the Drawing.
Having thus fully described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, I wish it to
be understood that I do not confine myself to the particular construction or
arrangement of parts shewn, as I am aware that many variations may be
made without departing from the principle of my Invention; that which I
claim as secured to me under the above in part recited Letters Patent is,-
Firstly, the use of a moveable strip of indian rubber or gutta percha applied
to the joints of doors, windows, and shutters, for the purposes above set
forth, whether such strip be brought into action by the motion of the said
doors, windows, or shutters, or by a subsequent operation of the hand; nor do
I confine myself to the application of my Invention to those descriptions or
constructions of doors, windows, or shutters, particularly referred to in this my
Specification, such particular reference being merely made for the sake of
example.
Secondly, I claim the mode of applying indian rubber or gutta percha to
French windows and other such contrivances, which open after the manner
of what are commonly called folding doors.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Millwain, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Eleventh day of July, One thousand eight hundred