and to Windows and Shutters.
Year: 1886

page_text: and to Windows and Shutters.
I THOMAS HARBY Manager of Milners Safe Company Limited of Phoenix Safe
Works Liverpool in the County of Lancaster do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
-
This invention is designed principally for the purpose of providing fire-proof
party wall doors, absolutely closed all round, and perfectly secured, without catches
or bolts or other similar projections: but the same principle of construction may
also be applied to the construction and fastening of other doors and also to French
or casement windows and to shutters.
I will here describe the application of my invention to double doors in the party
wall of a fire proof building.
I make a recess or rebate in the two side pieces and the lintel of the door-frame
of a width sufficient and in such a position as to receive the thickness of the door,
and I mount the two doors upon hinges or pivots placed at such a distance from
the outer edges of the doors as to allow of sufficient sweep to throw the outer edges
of the two doors into the side recesses or rebates as the doors are closed, so as to
make a perfectly tight joint between the outer edges of the doors and the sidepieces
of the frame.
The inner edges of the doors are made one with a tongue and the other with a
groove so as to make a close joint also at their inner edges.
I prefer to make the doors of two plates of steel or iron with distance pieces
between them so as to leave an air space which may either be left open or filled
with any fire resisting material or composition, and to cover the inner or outer side
(or both) with panels of wood as a further protection against the sudden impact of
cold water against the heated metal.
The sill of the door frame is made with a deep recess corresponding in position
with the recesses or rebates in the side pieces, but of a less width, and in this recess
I place a loose rising bar which fits therein and, when in its normal position, is
flush with the surface of the sill.
This bar is fitted beneath with two rollers attached thereto and supported upon
a second or lower bar made with inclined planes, and it will be evident that if this

page_text: latter bar be moved longitudinally, these inclined planes will raise the first named
bar up, and cause it to project above the surface of the sill: a corresponding
rebate or recess is made in the under side of each door, into which this rising upper
bar locks, and thus forms a secure joint along the bottom edge of the doors.
Upon a further horizontal movement of the lower bar, the upper bar will be
raised still further, and will carry both doors with it, causing the top or upper edge
thereof to enter into the recess or rebate in the lintel; and it will be evident that
the doors are then perfectly secured with a rebated joint all round, and require no
other kind of fastening. The hinges or pivots must be made with elongated pins to
allow of the rising movement of the doors.
'
If the lower bar is made with inclined planes also on the under side resting
upon other rollers so as to form a kind of double wedge, the horizontal movement
of this bar required for raising and fastening the doors as above described will be
reduced by one half.
The horizontal movement of the lower bar may be effected in a variety of ways
which will suggest themselves to any competent mechanic such as a hand lever and
link, a rack and pinion, or a screw, but an arrangement which I have found both
simple and efficacious is to connect thereto the lower end of a lever which is
provided at its upper end with a toothed quadrant in gear with a worm fixed on a
short shaft or spindle.
At the other end of this shaft is a mitre wheel gearing with a similar wheel
keyed upon a cross shaft which passes through the wall and is squared at each
end, so that it can be turned by means of a winch handle from either side of
the wall.
I would also remark that instead of the inclined planes other known mechanical
devices such as excentrics or cams may be employed for raising up the sill bar and
the doors.
The recessed part of the sill is made with two flat bars of a suitable depth having
a narrower bar between them at the bottom and distance pieces at each end all
rivetted together.
The rebated door frame is made of a combination of tee-iron, and angle iron or
channel-iron with flat bar iron rivetted together so as to form the required rebate
or recess.
I may here observe that it will be evident that if preferred the rebate or recess
may be made in the sides and top of the door, and fit onto a tongue or projection
formed on the side pieces and lintel, but I prefer the former arrangement.
When it is desired that the door shall open only to one side, the door must be
made of two leaves hinged together and only be attached by hinges or pivots at
one side to the door frame.
If required any kind of lock or fastening may be applied to any portion of the
mechanism which raises the doors as an additional security, but in most cases the
removal of the lever or winch handle will be sufficient.
It will be evident that the same system of effecting a rebated joint all round by
the means above described is applicable to fastening other doors and shutters, and
also as a means of excluding draughts and fastening casement windows.

page_text: Improvements in the Construction and Fastening of Party wall.
Doors for Fire-proof Buildings, Applicable also to other Doors
and to Windows and Shutters.
I THOMAS HARBY, Manager of Milners Safe Company Limited of Phoenix Safe
Works Liverpool in the County of Lancaster do hereby declare the nature of my
invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND FASTENING OF PARTY
WALL DOORS FOR FIRE-PROOF BUILDINGS APPLICABLE ALSO TO OTHER DOORS, AND
TO WINDOWS AND SHUTTERS and in what manner the same is to be performed, to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention is designed principally for the purpose of providing fire-proof
party wall doors, absolutely closed all round, and perfectly secured without catches
or bolts or other similar projections; but the same principle of construction may
also be applied to the construction and fastening of other doors such as those in the
water-tight bulkheads of ships and also to French or casement windows and to
shutters.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood I have hereunto annexed
two sheets of drawings, and have marked the same with figures and letters of
reference corresponding with those in the following explanation thereof.
Sheet 1. of the annexed drawings illustrates the application of my invention to
double doors in the party wall of a fire proof building and sheet 2. illustrates the
application of the same to a French or casement window.
In Sheet 1. Fig. 1. is an elevation (drawn partly in section) of a pair of party
wall doors constructed according to my invention and shown in the unfastened
position.
Fig. 2 a horizontal section of the same through the line A. B. and Fig. 3. a
vertical section through the line C-D.
Fig. 4 is a similar section of the same in the locked position.
In making fire proof party wall doors according to my invention I make a
recess or rabbet a a in the two side pieces b, b and the lintel c, c of the door frame
of a width sufficient and in such a position as to receive the thickness of the
door d, d and I mount the two doors upon hinges or pivots e, e placed at such a
distance from the outer edges of the doors d, d as to allow of sufficient sweep to
throw the outer edges of the two doors into the side recesses or rabbets a, a as the
doors d, d are closed (see Fig. 2) so as to make a perfectly tight joint between the
outer edges of the doors d, d and the side pieces b, b of the frame.
The inner edges of the doors are made one with a tongue and the other with a
groove (see Fig. 2) so as to make a close joint also at their inner edges.
I prefer to make the doors of two plates of steel or iron with distance pieces
between them so as to leave an air space which may either be left open or filled
with any fire resisting material or composition and to cover the inner or outer side
or both with panels of wood as a further protection against the sudden impact of
cold water against the heated metal.

page_text: The sill ff of the door frame is made with a deep recess corresponding in
position with the recesses or rebates in the side pieces but of a less width and in
this recess I place a loose rising bar g, g, which fits therein and when in its normal
position is flush with the surface of the sill f, f.
This bar g,
is fitted beneath with two rollers h, h attached thereto and
supported upon a second or lower bar i i made with inclined planes, and it will be
evident that if this latter bar be moved longitudinally to the right these inclined
planes will raise the first named bar g up and cause it to project above the surface
of the sill ffa corresponding rabbet or recess k, k is inade in the under side of
cach door d, d into which this rising upper bar g, g locks and thus forms a secure
joint along the bottom edge of the door d, d.
Upon a further horizontal movement to the right of the lower bar i, i (see
detached view Fig. 1a) the upper bar g g will be raised still further and will carry
both doors d, d with it (see Fig. 4) causing the top or upper edge thereof to enter
into the recess or rabbet a, a in the lintel c, c and it will be evident that the
doors d, d are then perfectly secured with a rabbet joint all round and require no
other kind of fastening; the fastening being entirely independent of the hinges
and the doors securely held at all points. The hinges or pivots e, e must be made
with elongated pins to allow of the rising movement of the doors d d.
If the lower bar i, i is made with inclined planes also on the under side (as
shown at Fig. 1.) resting upon other rollers h¹, h¹ so as to form a kind of double
wedge, the horizontal movement of this bar i, i required for raising and fastening
the doors as above described will be reduced by one half.
The horizontal movement of the lower bar i i may be effected in a variety of
ways which will suggest themselves to any competent mechanic, such as a hand
lever and link, and rack and pinion, or a screw, but an arrangement which I have
found both simple and efficacious is shown at Figs. 1 and 2 sheet 1. and consists in
connecting to the said bar the lower end of a lever 1, which is provided at its
upper end with a toothed quadrant m, m in gear with a worm n, n fixed on a
short shaft or spindle o, o (see also detached horizontal section Fig. 2º).
At the other end of this shaft o, o is a mitre wheel p, p gearing with a similar
wheel q, q keyed upon a cross shaft r, which passes through the wall and is
squared at each end so that it can be turned by means of a winch handle from
either side of the wall.
I would also remark that instead of the inclined planes other known mechanical
devices such as excentrics or cams may be employed for raising up the sill bar g, g
and the doors d, d.
The recessed part of the sill f,f may be made with two flat bars of a suitable
depth having a narrower bar between them at the bottom and distance pieces at
each end all rivetted together.
The rabbeted door frame is also made of a combination of tee-iron and angle iron,
or channel iron with flat bar iron rivetted together so as to form the required
rebate or recess.
I may here observe that it will be be evident that if preferred the rabbet or
recess may be made in the sides and top of the door and fit onto a tongue or
projection formed on the side pieces and lintel but I prefer the former arrangement.
When it is desired that the door shall open only to one side the door must be of
two leaves hinged together and only be attached by hinges or pivots at one side to
the door frame.
If required any kind of lock or fastening may be applied to any portion of the
mechanism which raises the doors as an additional security, but in most cases the
removal of the lever or winch handle will be sufficient.
It will be evident that the same system of effecting a rabbeted joint all roun
by the means above described is applicable to fastening other doors such as the
bulkhead doors of ships, for example and to shutters and also as a means of
excluding draughts and fastening casement windows.

page_text: On Sheet 2 of the drawings Fig. 5 is an elevation partly in section of a
casement window with my invention applied thereto; Fig. 6. a vertical section of
the same unfastened and Fig. 7. a similar view fastened, a, a are the casements
b, b the side frames c, c the lintel, and d, d the sill, e, e are the hinges which are
so made as to allow of the rising sill bar which is attached to the lower bar i, i by
links h h, the lower bar i, i being supported on rollers k, k and moved sideways by
a rack and pinion motion. For the purpose of ventilation I prefer to cut away a
portion of the top bar of the casement so as to leave open spaces as at 1, 1 and it
will be evident that the casement can be securely fastened without closing these
ventilating spaces by only partially raising the sill bar g, g, but when desired the
latter may be closed by raising the sill bar to its full extent as shown at Fig. 7.
It will be evident that this invention is applicable also (in a horizontal position)
as a "Dutch" window fastener and draught excluder.
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. The general construction of and mode of fastening fire-proof party wall
and other doors windows and shutters, substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated by the drawings annexed.
Secondly. I claim the method substantially as described and illustrated of
making a rabbeted joint all round a door or doors.
Thirdly. I claim the construction and use of a raising sill bar which on being
slightly raised makes a rabbeted joint at the bottom of the door window or shutter
and on being raised further lifts the door window or shutter bodily and makes a
rabbeted joint at the top also substantially as described and illustrated.
Dated this 24th day of August 1886.