An Improved Sash Fastener.
Year: 1897

page_text: JAMES HENRY WATSON Stanley Villa, South Road Erdington, Warwickshire,
Brassfounder do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to an improved sash fastener which is so constructed
that when the sashes are closed they are automatically locked and held by the
fastener.
For the purposes of my invention I provide a box made of sheet brass, cast brass,
or other metal as the case may be and which is affixed to the upper sash in the
ordinary way by means of screws. I also provide an arm or catch which is of such
a size as to work easily and freely between the sides of the box to which it is secured
by means of a pin passing through it at or near its centre in such a manner that the
arm or catch rocks easily upon the pin, the said arm or catch being weighted at its
lower end in such a manner as to cause it to project beyond the face of the box.
I may also provide a spring for the purpose of causing the arm or catch to project
beyond the face of the box."
The fastener above described is used as follows:-The box is affixed to the lower bar
of the upper sash close to its inner edge in such a manner that the arm or catch
projects beyond the edge of the sash. To fasten the window it is only necessary to
close the sashes when they are fastened by the arm or catch projecting over the edges
of both sashes thereby preventing either of them being raised or lowered from the
outer side.
DL: 1 day of Tonuary 1807
An Improved Sash Fastener.
I, JAMES HENRY WATSON, of Stanley Villa, South Road, Erdington, Warwickshire,
Brassfounder, 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 relates to means for fastening the meeting and like rails of window
sashes, commonly called sash fasteners, and has for its object, an automatic catch,
which normally lies within the path of, and overhangs, one or other of the sashes, so
that when either the upper sash is lowered or the lower sash is raised, the catch, which
is loosely mounted upon a pivot supported by an upright bracket and is counterpoised
at its lower end, is turned or is pushed out of the way by the impingement of it
against the upper bar of the bottom sash in the case of the lowering of the upper sash,
or by the impingement the top rail of the bottom sash against it in the case of the
raising of the said bottom sash.

page_text: igure or the accompanying drawings represents a front elevation of one form
of sash fastener constructed according to my invention.
Figure 2 is a back elevation of the same and
Figure 3 is a topside plan showing the foot of the counterpoised catch arm over
hanging the edge of the meeting bar of the lower sash.
Figure 4 represents a vertical section of Figure 3 upon the dotted line
view also showing in dotted lines the position which the catch arm would take wher
X', the said
pushed back by hand in order to remove its foot end from the overhanging position
shown in dotted lines.
:
The lower sash is also shown in dotted lines in its raised position.
Figure 5 represents a vertical section upon the dotted line a Figure 3, showing
the means employed in combination with the counterpoised catch arm for drawing
together the sashes.
In Figures 1 to 5, a is the lower bar of the top sash having mounted upon its
upper side a², a counterpoised catch arm b, loosely swinging upon a pivot c, carried
by an upright box or bracket d, secured to the said bar by small screws or otherwise.
The counterpoise catch arm has a lever top 61, a back counterpoised part 63 and an
overhanging foot 2, normally coming within the path of an attached plate e, secured
at the back edge of the upper side of the lower sash bar f.
Assuming that the lower sash is raised and the counterpoised catch arm is resting
in its normal position, then on the lowering of the sash, the lower part of its
inner side, strikes the foot 6, of the catch b, which lies within the path of the
said rail, and pushes the said foot back, thereby turning the arm into the position
represented by the dotted lines in Figure 4, and immediately the sashes come together,
the catch foot clear of the sash swings forward into the position shown in full lines
in Figure 4, and by it overhanging the edge of the lower sash, the meeting rails are
locked or the one prevented from being lowered and the other from being raised.
To unfasten the sashes, push back the upper lever end 6', of the arm b, when the
sashes may be either lowered or raised, and in order that both hands of a person may
be left free to open the window, I propose that a supplementary catch-should-be
arranged to retain the said arm in a completely pushed back position for a time and
be automatically released by one of the meeting rails striking the upper end of the
counterpoised catch arm, or by the upper end of the arm striking a meeting rail.
To draw together the meeting rails, the base of the box or bracket d, has inclined
planes or hooks d, with which overhanging hooks e', carried by or attached to the
plate e, engage on the meeting rails of the sashes coming together, and thus it will be
seen that the inclined contacts a², e², of the said hooked parts, on sliding over each
other, draw together, by a wedge action, the opposed edges of the meeting rails.
Figure 6 shows a modification in which the catch arm, instead of being counter-
poised, is drawn into its acting or fastening position by a coiled spring.
.
a and fare the meeting rails of the top and bottom sashes, 6 is the catch swinging
loosely on the pivot c, with the ends of a spring h, connected respectively to the arm b,
above its pivot centre, and to an arm of the fixed bracket d.
The operation of this fastener is the same as in the preceding counterpoised form.
The spring, instead of pulling at the upper part of the catch, may be arranged to
push against the back of the same at a point below the centre.
Figure 7 represents another modification of fastening in which a counterpoised.
arm d is employed, excentrically hung and swinging from a pivot c, carried in a
bracket d.
Figure 8 represents a front elevation of another form of my invention, having a
modified arrangement for drawing together the meeting rails of the sashes and
Figure 9 is a back elevation of the same.
Figure 10 is a topside plan of the fastener.
Figure 11 is a vertical section of the sashes and their fastener upon the
dotted line Figure 9 showing the same closed and Figure 12 is a like section, 5
but with the parts in the positions they assume when the meeting rails are
separated.

page_text: Figure 13 is a vertical section upon the dotted line ³, Figure 9.
arm,
a, are the meeting rails of the top and bottom sashes, b is the counterpoised
catch 6¹ the upper lever end, 2 the counterpoise or weighted part and 63 the
foot. c is the pivot and d the supporting bracket whose base d' is attached by small
screws or otherwise to the rail a, and whose ends have turned up horns or ears d²,
with inclined back edges d³, over which pierced extensions e¹, of the plate e, attached
to the inner edge of the rail f, take when the sashes are brought together, and by
the said pierced parts e', of the one part of the fastener sliding down the inclined
backs of the horns on the other part, the said meeting rails are drawn closely
together.
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 :-
First. An automatic sash fastener consisting essentially of a counterpoised and
swinging catch arin, loosely mounted or pivoted to a bracket or equivalent on one
of the meeting sash bars and arranged to turn or swing forwards and so overhang
or overlap the edge of the other sash bar on the said bars coming together, and
to be pushed back on the said bars approaching one another, substantially as
described and set forth.
Secondly. An automatic sash fastener consisting essentially of a spring-actuated
catch arm, loosely mounted or pivoted to a bracket or equivalent on one of the
meeting sash bars and arranged to be turned forwards and overhang or overlap
the edge of the other sash bar on the said bars coming together, and to be pushed
back on the said bars approaching one another, substantially as described and set forth
in Figure 6.
Thirdly. The combination with the counterpoised or spring-actuated arm of an
automatic sash fastener as referred to in the preceding claims, of the means herein
described for drawing together the meeting sash bars, substantially as described and
set forth.