Improvements in Screw-fastenings for Windows.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Feb., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 15th Sept., 1890-Accepted, 18th Oct., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Screw-fastenings for Windows.
I, ROBERT CRONE WILFORD M.A. of Laurel Bank Birchencliffe Huddersfield Clerk
in Holy Orders, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows
It consists of an ordinary thumb screw on the point of which a shoulder is fixed
which shoulder is bevelled on the inner side towards the thread.
On the cylinder of the screw an ordinary plate with loop hole is placed for the
purpose of fixing the screw to the sash, but in the loop hole threads are turned
corresponding to the threads on the cylinder, which regulate the motion of the
screw.
There is also a socket to be fixed to the upper or opposite sash with a groove in it
corresponding to the size of the cylinder,
°
The usual position of the screw is that of projecting over this socket and it drops
into it or rises out of it according as the window is being closed or opened. On that
side of the socket, when fixed, which is next to the window pane a larger hollow than
the above mentioned groove is formed corresponding to the shoulder on the end of the
screw and into it the shoulder can be tightly drawn by one or two turns of the screw
and in this way the window is securely fastened.
The fastener is made or becomes automatic by inserting in one side of the socket a
tongue swinging on a pin with the heaviest portion downwards and shaped so as to
project over the screw when the latter is in the bottom of the socket. Being swung
on a pin the tongue moves backwards when the window is being closed being driven
thus by the screw entering the socket, but as soon as the screw gets to the bottom of
the socket and consequently below the tongue-the tongue swings forward again and
by projecting over the screw fastens the window.
The screw is released and the window left free to be opened by placing the finger
on the top of the tongue and causing it to swing backwards almost completely over i.e.
until the lower and heavy portion is stopped by the opposite side of the socket. The
screw on the raising of the window strikes the tongue thus thrown across the groove
and causes it to revolve again into its original position; when it is again ready to act
automatically in fastening the window.
The advantages of this invention aro→
The screw is fastened to the sash and therefore cannot be lost or misplaced-it is
always in position to fasten the window on being closed-it draws the sashes closely
together in one or two turns-and when the automatic portion is added-closing the
window also fastens it.
Dated this 4th day of February 1890.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Screw-fastenings for Windows.
I ROBERT CRONE WILFORD M.A. Laurel Bank Birchencliffe, Huddersfield Clerk in
Holy Orders do hereby declare the nature of my invention and the manner in which the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
My invention consists of fastenings for the sashes of windows the parts of which
fastenings are constructed and combined and act substantially as hereinafter described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
One part of the fastening constructed according to my invention consists of a thumb
screw having a bevelled or inclined collar on its inner end the said screw working in

page_text: a screw box or screwed loop on one of the sashes and the other part of the fastening
fixed on the other sash consists of a trough seat or groove for the rod of the screw to
pass into or rise out of according as the window is being closed or opened and also of
a swinging tongue or arm for fixing down the screw the said tongue or arm having an
inclined shoulder which in its normal position projects over the seat or socket. The
inner end of the seat or socket described has an inclined face for receiving the inclined
collar of the screw for drawing together and fastening the two sashes. The fastening
is made automatic by so weighting the swinging tongue or arm that in its normal posi-
tion it's inclined shoulder projects over the screw, the swinging tongue or arm moving
backwards when the window is being closed and swinging forward again over the
screw when the window is closed for fastening the window. The screw is released and
the window left free to be opened by placing the finger on the top of the swinging
tongue or arm and causing it to swing backwards almost completely over that is,
until the lower and heavier portion is stopped by the opposite side of the socket. The
screw on the raising of the window strikes the said swinging tongue (thus thrown
across the socket) and causes it to return to its original position when it is again ready
to act automatically in fastening the window.
The advantages of this invention are:-The screw is fastened to the sash and hence
cannot be lost or misplaced; it is always in position to fasten the window on its being
closed;
it draws the sashes closely together and by the use of the automatic portion
the mere act of closing the window also fastens it.
Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings represent elevations taken at right
angles to one another and Figure 3 represents in plan a window sash fastening con-
structed according to my invention the meeting rails being represented in section in
Figure 2 and also a portion of the trough seat on the meeting rail of the upper sash;
Figure 4 represents the swinging tongue or arm of the fastening inverted prior to
opening either of the sashes and Figure 5 represents the lower sash partly raised the
screw is represented in cross section in Figures 4 and 5.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of the
drawings.
The
a is the meeting rail of the lower sash and 6 the meeting rail of the upper sash. On
the meeting rail a is a screw e turned by the milled head and carried by and
working in the screw box or internally screwed loop d fixed on the said rail a.
said screw e crosses the rail a and its inner end projects in its normal position over a
portion of the meeting rail of the upper sash. On the inner end of the screw c is an
inwardly bevilled or inclined collar for the purpose hereinafter described.
Fixed on the meeting rail of the upper sash is the other part of the fastening
consisting of the socket seat or trough groove e for receiving the projecting end of the
screw and a pair of uprights, f between which the weighted swinging tongue or
armg works, the said tongue or arm g swinging or moving on the pin or centre 7.
The front of the tongue or arm is provided with an inclined shoulder and
the weight of the said tongue or arm is so disposed or arranged that when
at liberty to fall it takes automatically the fastening position represented in
Figures 1, 2 and 3, that is its inclined shoulder projects into the trough seat
or groove e and over the fastening screw c therein. The upper part of the
weighted tongue or arm is formed into a finger plate 2 for inverting it imo
the position represented in Figure 4 prior to opening either sash. The distant end of
the trough spat e is inclined inwards at k (see Figure 2) for receiving the inwardly
inclined face of the collar c³ on the inner end of the screw c. When the sashes
are fastened the parts of the sash fastening have the respective positions shown in
Figures 1, 2 and 3, the projecting end of the screw e on the rail a partly crossing
the other rail and resting in the trough seat a and being prevented from rising out
of the said seat e by the horizontal bottom of the inclined shoulder on the swinging
tongue or army; the two sashes are also drawn and fastened together by the collar
on the inner end of the screw having been seated in the inclined distant end of the
trough seat e.
a,
In order to unfasten the sashes the screw c is first relaxed so as to remove it from

page_text: the inclined face k of the seat e and the swinging tongue or arm g is then inverted
or swung backwards into the position represented in Figure 4 so as to remove the
projecting inclined shoulder from over the screw c. The screw c is now free to rise
in the trough seat e and the lower sash a can be raised as represented in Figure 5, or
the upper sash b may be lowered. In either case the movement of the sash causes
the screw c to lift the swinging tongue or arm g and turn it into its normal position.
as represented in Figure 5, thus again causing its inclined shoulder i to project into
the trough groove or seat e. On closing the sash the screw c bearing against the
inclined shoulder of the swinging tongue or arm g presses the latter inwards thereby
permitting the screw e to pass into and seat itself in the trough groove or seat e and
when the screw has passed the shoulder i the weight of the swinging tongue or arm
moves it forward into its normal position with its shoulder i projecting over the screw c
as represented in Figures 1, 2 and 3. The two sashes are thus automatically fastened.
By now turning the screw c in its screw box d in a direction proper to cause it to move
inwards or towards the person operating it, its collar c³ seats itself against the inner
inclined face of the trough seat e and draws the two sashes forcibly together and
securely fastens them.
The screw e serew box d and seat e with the conical face k, may be used for drawing
together and fastening the sashes apart from the swinging tongue or arm g for
automatically fastening the sashes, but I prefer to use the parts in combination as
herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Instead of making the screw rotate and work in a screw box on the meeting rail a
it may be fixed to the part of the fastening on the said rail a and the binding or
drawing together and fastening of the sashes may be effected by a screw nut working
on the inner end of the fixed screw, the said nut seating itself on an inclined shoulder
or seat at the distant end of the trough groove e.
where is the screw fixed to
This modification is represented in plan in Figure
and carried by the part d of the sash fastening and m is the screw nut working on the
inner screwed end of the said screw. The screw nut m is milled on its edge and has
an inclined face inwards for seating itself on the inclined end of the trough seat e for
binding or drawing together and fastening the two sashes. The action of this fastening
is the same as that first described and corresponding parts are marked with the same
letters of reference.
Where no binding or drawing together of tho sashes is required the fixed screw /
Figure 6 may be replaced by the fixed plain or unscrewed rod n represented in plan
in Figure 7 of the drawings.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and the manner in which the same is to be performed I declare that I
claim as my invention :-
Fastenings for the sashes of windows consisting essentially of the crossing screw c
working in and carried by a screw box on the meeting rail of the lower sash in
combination with the trough seat e and inclined shoulder k on the meeting rail of
the upper sash for receiving the said screw for the purposes described, together
with the weighted swinging tongue or arm g 92 on the meeting rail of the upper
sash for automatically fastening the sashes, the several parts of the fastening being
constructed and combined and acting substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings; also the
modifications of the said fastenings hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figures 6
and 7 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated the 8th day of September 1890.