Improvements in Window Sash Holding and Balancing Devices.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 24th July, 1891-Accepted, 26th Sept., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Window Sash Holding and Balancing Devices.
We, SAMUEL COLLINS of 2232 Catherine Street, JOHN BERESFORD LOVE,
and Samuel Arthur Love, both of 500 Locust Street, all of Philadelphia in
the County of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, United States of America,
Gentlemen, 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, reference being made to the accompanying drawings,
in which :-
Figure 1 is a front view of a car window sash, and a part of its frame, portions
of both being broken away and section lined to show one form of our improved
metallic spring acting means for easing and holding the sash.
Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view of the frame, and a top view, in part, and
a horizontal section, also in part, of the sash.
Figure 3 is a vertical section of a portion of the spring acting friction plate.
Figure is an elevation of the two metal strips, one of which being shown by
dotted lines, and the friction plate, bar or strip being horizontally corrugated to
match similar corrugations of the window frame A, which is shown in dotted lines.
Figure 5 is a broken vertical section showing serpentine springs, instead of spiral
springs and pintles, applied between the metal plates.
Figure 6 is an edge view of the sash and springs shown in Figure 5.
Figure 7 is a broken vertical section of the sash and frame shown in Figure 1,
but showing the pintles and springs constructed and applied in a different way.
Figure 8 is a broken horizontal section of Figure 7.
Figure 9 is a perspective view of two plates as adapted to be applied at one, two
or more points between the sash and frame.
Figure 10 is a broken section showing the spring acting plate in position between
the sash and frame.
Figure 11 is a vertical section of the device shown in Figure 9, but both plates
made of unchannelled metal; and
Figures 12, 13 and 14, views of balancing mechanism.
Our invention relates especially to sliding window sashes of railroad cars, but is
applicable to like sashes of buildings; its object is to avoid the liability of the
sashes binding in their frames, and thereby becoming very inconvenient for being
raised and lowered; and at the same time afford a means for holding up the
sashes ; and its nature consists in certain novel constructions, combinations and
arrangement of spring acting friction plates, strips or bars applied between the
window frame and edge or edges of the sash or sashes. The plates present a
smooth metallic bearing surface against the frame, and are yielding, and serve to
relieve the sash of all objectionable binding action upon the frame, thus easing and
assisting the operator in raising and lowering the sash, while serving for holding
up the sash while it is raised. The invention also consists in an arrangement of
a watch spring-like balancing mechanism, with the spring acting metallic plates,
whereby the labor of operating the sash is lessened.
A in the drawings designates a portion of a car or other window frame, and B a
sash adapted to slide up and down in the same. a is a fastening bolt and ba
lifting handle. The sash may either descend or rise above the window recess or
opening, as is common on cars. As shown in Figures 1 and 2 the sash B is made
narrower than the window opening between the recessed portions c, c¹ of the
frame A and a vertical channel d, extending from its top to bottom is cut in one
or both of its edges, and upon the back wall of the channel a stiff metal plate f
is fastened with screws g. This plate is, preferably, provided with horizontal
.

page_text: branches which lap a suitable distance upon the top and bottom corner portions
of the sash. These branches fit into channels d¹ so as to lie below the top and
bottom edges of the sash, and are confined by screws g'. In the vertical face of
this bar suitable short pintles for retaining spiral springs m are provided. In
connection with the barf a similar angular bar f with pintles is employed.
This bar is set parallel with the bar f, and far enough from it to leave play room
between the ends of the pintles h, h. The horizontal branch portions f³ of this
bar lap upon the branch portions f¹, and occupy positions in the channels d¹, and
thus they lie flush with the upper and lower edges of the sash. These branches f
slide on top of the horizontal branches f¹ to a sufficient extent for avoiding binding
or sticking of the vertical part of the bar upon the window frame. The branch
portions are connected to the branch portions f¹ by means of oblong slots f
cut in then, and vertical pintles p' fastened in or formed on the branches f¹.
The
length of the slot and the spaces between the rear ends of the channels and of the
branch portions are such relatively that provision is made for the requisite back 1
and forward movement of the plate or barf. The tubular spiral springs m have
the pintles h, extended into their ends far enough to be retained in place, and
yet not have their capability of being compressed to ensure a spring action upon
the friction bar or plate which bears against the window frame. The force of the
springs is sufficient for holding up the sash when it is raised, and yet so slight that 2
it does not interfere with the easy sliding of the sash when the force of the hand is
applied to it. The horizontal branches of the bars or plates keep the friction
bars in a true position, up and down, and avoid undue friction by a deflection
thereof out of a parallel line with the sash and window frame. In Figure 4 is
shown a friction plate with corrugations d running horizontally and matching 2
similar corrugations d', shown in dotted lines, formed in the bearing surface
of the window frame Á. This construction serves a better purpose for holding
up the sash than a flat surfaced plate, and may render unnecessary an auxiliary
bolt for this purpose. In Figures and 6, a two part serpentine spring as a
substitute for the spiral springs and pintles is placed between the unchanneled
metal plate and the channeled plate. Each part of the spring is provided with a
slot at top and bottom so as to be capable of shortening and lengthening to the
extent necessary and confining screws are passed through the spring and plate
and into the sash opposite the points where the slots are formed; and at inter-
mediate points guiding and steadying pins g³ are provided. In applying this spring,
it is compressed sufficiently to ensure the proper frictional bind of the plate or bar
upon the window frame, and thus it performs the same office as the spiral spring.
In Figures 7 and 8, both of the plates or bars are formed of channeled iron, and
one is constructed to slide within the other horizontally; and instead of the pintles
being formed on each plate, they are made longer and all attached to the friction
plate, and their free ends pass through holes or sockets bored in the sash plate
and in the sash as indicated at y. The holes are counterbored as at y', and spiral
springs, which are placed around the pins at points between the plates, are
seated therein. The plates or bars may be lapped upon one another, or they may
be made without the branch extensions, f¹ƒ³, and one of them may be formed with
stops at its upper and lower ends so as to keep the plates or bars from separating
vertically. The plates or bars might be made of flat unchanneled metal, and the
springs may have a metallic washer to bear against as indicated at y³. The plate f
might be dispensed with, and simply the friction plate employed when the
construction shown in Figures 7 and 8 is adopted. In Figures 9 and 10, a short
metal plate having screw holes d' through its ends and transverse slots d³ d®, one
of which is of greater area than the other, and cylindrical passages d midway
between the slots; and an angular metallic barf having right angular ends
narrower than the face of the strip and bent down so as to form retaining lips
which are about parallel with the bar as indicated at f', are shown. The right
angular ends of the bar are inserted through the slots of the plate fand the
slot d' by being made larger than the slot d admits of the right angular ends being

page_text: thus inserted through the slots. Coinciding with the cylindrical passages d',
holes are swaged in the bar f, and thereby tubular teats ds are formed on the
bar. In the cylindrical passages d', cup shaped devices f' are inserted and retained
by lips formed on the cups at their open ends by swaging Into these sockets
and around the teats a spiral springs in are applied as represented. The bar ƒ³
moves back and forth in the slots d³, d, against the spiral springs, and the extent
of its movement is limited by means of shoulders d' formed on the friction holding
bar by the reduction in width of the angular portions of the bar f³. The action
of the spiral springs against the bar f³, produces the necessary force for binding it
against the window frame. In Figure 10 this device is shown fastened by means
of screws to the edge of the sash B, and a recess B³ is cut into said edge of the
sash to accommodate the inward movement of the angular ends of the bar f³, such
movement being necessary in order to introduce the sash with the friction holding
device into the recess of the frame A, and thereby compress the springs sufficiently
to ensure the necessary bind against the frame. In Figure 9 the bar f is
represented as constructed of angle iron in which notches q³ are provided to receive
the shoulders. This gives strength and stiffness to the bar, and when the bar is in
position on a window frame and sash, a closed joint against dust and cinders is
secured. In carrying out the invention it is contemplated to employ plates or
bars of metal; celluloid or other hard material; and to have the metal bars nickel
plated so as to be very smooth on their surfaces. It is also contemplated to shape
the sash at its edges so as to form tight joints against dust and cinders; and the
preferable construction of the bars is that shown in Figure 8, so that one bar fits in
the other and slides horizontally back and forth. In Figures 12, 13 and 14 a
watch spring-like balancing mechanism is shown. This comprises a coil, barrel, or
clock spring C, set into the car or other framework near one edge of the sash, and
connected by flat chains C¹ to the lower end of the sash B, said chains being fitted
into corner rabbets C in one edge of the sash and passed over a grooved barrel
pulley C also attached to the said framework as shown. By pulling down the
sash the spring is coiled more tightly upon its shaft C to which it is attached, and
thus an accumulated power is secured, which will aid in raising the sash when hand
force is applied to its lifter. The same contrivance can be applied to sashes which
are first raised instead of lowered. In practice it is contemplated to employ the
relief mechanism on either one or both edges of a sash whether the spring balancing
mechanism is employed or not.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :—
1. The spring acting friction plate, connected to a sliding sash and binding
against the frame of the window, substantially as described.
2. The combination of the spring acting friction plate or bar with the fixed
plate or bar, both of said plates being connected to the sash, substantially as
described.
3. The combination of a channeled iron bar or plate, springs, and an unchanneled
bar or plate with a sash and window frame, substantially as described.
4. The combination, with the spring acting friction sash holder, and the coiled
spring balancing mechanism, substantially as described.
5. The combination with a sash and a window frame, of two channeled iron bars
or plates, springs and pins, substantially as described.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicants.