improved Means for Enabling Window Sashes to be Temporarily Removed from their Frames and Reversed.
Year: 1891

page_text: This Specification was, upon the 16th day of May 1892, Amended under
Sections 18 to 21 of the Patents, Designs, and Trade Marks Act, 1883
Date of Application, 13th Aug., 1991-Accepted, 19th Sept., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (AMENDED).
improved Means for Enabling Window Sashes to be Temporarily
Removed from their Frames and Reversed.
I, WILLIAM HUTCHINS of No. 257 Rathdowne Street Carlton, near Melbourne
in the Colony of Victoria Storeman do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
-
This invention has been devised for the purpose of providing means for enabling
window sashes to be temporarily removed and turned over or reversed on their
supporting cords, so as to admit of both the inside and the outside faces being
cleaned from within the building, thereby obviating the dangers attending the
operation of window cleaning in the upper stories of houses, and at the same time
allowing the operation to be accomplished in an easier and quicker manner than
heretofore.
My invention consists, 1st, in making the lower half of the inner stop bead on.
one side of the window frame removable, by cutting it a short distance above the
top of the lower sash and by securing said lower half of such cut stop bead by
means of countersunk or other wood screws. The lower part of the parting bead
down the same side of the window frame is also made removable, in order that the
upper sash may be removed from, and be replaced within the frame as hereinafter
described.
I pivotally suspend or mount the window sashes at about their centres from the
lower end of the sash cords or lines so that when removed from the window frame it
can be turned over or reversed.
Instead of attaching the weight cords to the sashes by brads as at present, I pass
the end of each of said cords through a hole in a plate or flush-centre, let into the
respective side rails of each sash, and when a knot is formed on the end of said
cord, it is retained in connection with the sash, whilst at the same time it allows the
latter to be turned over when removed from its frame, the ends of said cords being
used as centres, the result being that the sash can be handled inside the room, and
can be reversed or turned over, so that its two sides can be conveniently
cleaned.
Referring to the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the inside of a window-frame, fitted with a pair of
sashes supported therein according to this invention.
Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section on line 2, 2, Fig. 1, but showing the lower
sash removed from the frame, for convenience of cleaning.
Fig. 2 is a view of the lower part of the inner stop bead, showing same removed
from the window frame.
Fig. 3 is a similar view to Fig. 2, but showing both the upper and the lower
sashes removed.
Fig. 3. is a view of the lower part of the inner stop bead and parting bead,
removed from the frame.
Fig. 4 is a front elevation, and
Fig. 5 a rear elevation, of one of the plates or flush-centres, through a hole in

page_text: which the ends of the sash cords are passed and made secure, said figures illustrating
said cords attached to said plates.
Fig. 6 is a side elevation of one of said plates or flush-centres, showing same
fitted within one of the side bars of a window sash.
Fig. 7 is a vertical transverse section on line 7, 7, Fig. 4, whilst
Fig. 8 is a horizontal section on line 8, 8, Fig. 4.
The same letters of reference are used to indicate the same parts in all the
figures.
A represents the lower half of the inner stop bead on one side of the window-
frame, said bead being cut at a, and connected to the window frame by recessed or
other wood screws a' so that said lower half can readily be removed, or be replaced
in position when required. B represents the lower half of the parting bead, which
is likewise made removable, in order to allow of the top sash C being removed, as
well as the lower one D. E represents one of the plates or flush-centres which is
constructed, as illustrated in Figs. 4 to 8, that is with a hole e through which the
lower end of a sash cord F can be passed and be secured by a knot fas shown.
A groove or channel el is formed in the plate or flush-centre É from the hole e to
the upper end of said plate in which the sash cord F fits snugly when the sash is in
its working position.
In order to minimise the friction between the sash cord F and the plate or flush-
centre E, I place a small metal ring or collar G formed with a shoulder as shown
around the end of said cord between the knot thereon and said plate E, said metal
ring being constructed in such a manner and of such a size as to fit within the
hole e, through which as above mentioned said cord F is passed.
When it is required to clean the outside of the window sashes C and D, it is
merely necessary to remove the lower part A of the front stop bead, when said
lower sash can easily be removed from the window frame into the position
illustrated in Fig. 2. Owing to the manner of connecting the sash cords to it, said
sash can readily be turned over so as to admit of the outside as well as the inside
of said sash being cleaned from the inside of the building. This having been done
the lower sash D can be moved up out of the way into the position shown in
Fig. 3. The lower part B of the parting bead is then removed, and if the top
sash C be lowered to the bottom of the frame it can be withdrawn in the same way
as the lower sash as illustrated in said Fig. 3, and can be turned over using the
ends of the sash cords as centres, thus allowing the outside of said sash to be
cleaned from the inside of the building without entailing any more trouble than is
involved in removing two wood screws and the lower part B of the parting bead.
When it is required to replace the sashes in their working positions it is merely
necessary to reverse the operations above described, the upper sash being first
replaced within said frame, the lower half B of the parting bead being then fitted
in position, the lower sash then replaced, and finally the lower half A of the stop
bead being again fixed in its proper position within the window frame.
It will be readily understood by all persons who have had much experience with
ordinary window sashes that the herein described means for connecting the lines to
such sashes has many advantages over the ordinary arrangement, it being obvious
that there will not be the amount of chafing that is incidental to the ordinary
arrangement, and, moreover, there is not so much likelihood of careless workmen
wasting the cord.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1
claim is,
1st. The herein described means for enabling window sashes to be temporarily
removed from their frames and reversed, such means consisting of a window sash
pivotally suspended or mounted in making the lower half of the inner stop bead and
the lower half of the parting bead on one side of the window removable and in pivotally
suspending or mounting the window sash at about its centre upon the lower ends of

page_text: the sash cords or lines, so that when removed from the window frame it can be
turned over or reversed, substantially as and for the purposes herein described and
explained and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2nd. The herein described means for enabling window sashes to be temporarily
removed from their frames and reversed, said means consisting of a plate or flush
centre (such as E) let into each side of the sash and having a hole through which
the end of the sash line or cord is passed and then secured by tying it into a knot,
substantially as and for the purposes specified and as illustrated in the accom-
panying drawings.
Dated this Second day of July One thousand eight hundred and ninety-one.
WILLIAM HUTCHINS.