AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF WINDOWS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Shaw, of Wellington, in the County of
Salop, Builder, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF WINDOWS."
Scaled the 4th June 1858, and dated the 8th December 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Shaw at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 8th
December 1857.
I, BENJAMIN SHAW, of Wellington, in the County of Salop, Builder, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT OR
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF WINDOWS," to be as follows:-
My said Invention consists in fixing the window upon an axis or centres in
such a manner that the said window, on being made to make a semi-revolution
upon the said axis or centres, will present to the inside of the room the side
which was previously outside. By this method of construction great facility is
afforded for cleaning and repairing.
I will explain my Invention as applied to a sash window. The sash cords
are attached to two loose pieces or strips, which slide in the recess in the
window frame. The sash has on either side a projecting pin or centre,
situated midway between the top and bottom of the sash. These pins or
centres engage in bearings in the loose pins or strips. The sash is fixed in its
vertical position by screws passing through the sash stile, and engaging in the
loose pieces suspended to the sash cords. Ou withdrawing the said screws

page_text: the sash is at liberty to turn upon its centres. Instead of fixing the window
by means of screws, 1 sometimes effect the same object by making the inside
bead open and shut against the sash, and thereby liberate or fix it.
.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Benjamin Shaw, in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th June 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BENJAMIN
SHAW, of Wellington, in the County of Salop, Builder, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Iler Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first
year of Ifer reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
graut unto me, the said Benjamin Shaw, Iler special licence that 1, the said
Benjamin Shaw, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
1, the said Benjamin Shaw, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT OB
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF WINDOWS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Benjamin Shaw, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their bands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to
be filed in the Great Seal Patent Oflice within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Benjamin Shaw, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed; to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say :-
My Invention consists in fixing a window upon an axis or upon centres in
such a manner that the said window, on being made to perform a somi-revolution
upon the said axis or centres, will present to the inside of the room the side
which was previously outside. By this method of constructing windows great
facility is afforded for cleaning and repairing the said windows.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing represents in elevation (partly in

page_text: section) a window constructed according to my Invention; Figure 2 repre-
sents a section of the same taken in a horizontal plane; and Figures 3 and 4
represent vertical sections of the same. The sash cords a are attached to
loose pieces or strips b, which slide in the recesses c in the window frame.
The sashes d have on either side a projecting pin or centre e, as seen in
Figure 1, in the lower sash only. The said centres e are situated nearly mid-
way between the top and bottom of the sash; the pins or centres e engage in
bearings in the loose pieces or strips b. I prefer to place the centres a little
lower than the middle of the sash, so that when the sash is reversed it shall
have no tendency to return of itself. In order to preserve the sashes in a ver-
tical position, serows 9 are passed through the sash stile, and made to engago
in the pieces fixed in the strips b.
The sash thus forms virtually one piece with the loose pieces or strips b,
and the said sash may be raised and lowered as an ordinary sash. On with-
drawing the screws g, the sash d may be turned upon the centres or pins e, as
will be understood by reference to Figure 3. Each of the sashes is capable of
performing a nearly semi-revolution, and thus turning the outside of the
window temporarily inside, so that the said window may be conveniently
cleaned or repaired.
The sashes d, when restored to their vertical position, are fixed in their
places by means of the screws g; by making the screws 9 enter the window
stile in an oblique direction, as represented in Figure 2, the said screws can
be inserted and removed more conveniently than if they were parallel to the
window, and without risk of breaking the window. Instead of fixing the
window by means of screws, I sometimes resort to the method represented in
elevation in Figure 5, in vertical section in Figure 6, and in horizontal section
in Figure 7. Vertical strips or beading i turn upon pivots or centres k, the
said strips or beading shutting against and overlapping in part the sash stile 7,
and preventing the sash from assuming the position represented in Figure 6.
When, however, the strips or beading i are turned from the position in which
they are represented in Figure 7, and made to lie flat upon the part m of the
window frame, the sash may turn upon the centre n, as represented in
Figure 6. When the window is closed, the beads i are secured in their places
by flush bolts at top and bottom. When single sashes are constructed in the
manner represented in Figures 5, 6, and 7, a strip o, jointed to the lower edge
of the sasb, may be turned down into the position p, and made to bear against
the sill of the window frame q. When the part o is in the position indicated
at p, the window is held partially open at top and eflects the ventilation of the
roolll.

page_text: Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not liniit
myself to the preciso details heroin described and represented, as the same
may be varied without departing from the nature of my Invention; but I
claim as my Invention,-
Firstly, the improvement or improvements in the construction of windows
herein-before described, and represented in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the accom-
panying Drawing, that is to say, connecting the sashes of windows having
sliding sashes to sliding pieces attached to the sash cord, the said sashes being
connected to the said sliding pieces by means of centres, and fixed by means of
screws, when the sashes are not required to turn upon the said centres.
Secondly, the improvement or improvements in the construction of windows
herein-before described, and represented in Figures 5, 6, and 7 of the accom-
panying Drawing, that is to say, fixing and liberating sashes turning upon
centres, by means of strips or beading shutting against and opening from the
said sashes.
In witness whereof, I, the said Benjamin Shaw, have hereunto set my
band and seal, this Third day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand oight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,
JNO. BROOKES.
BENJAMIN SHAW. (L.S.)