IM- PROVEMENTS IN SUPPORTING AND FIXING WINDOW SASHES, WHICH IMPROVE- MENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE SUPPORTING AND FIXING OF THE WINDOWS OF RAILWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES AND SUSPENDED DOORS AND SHUTTERS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward David Ruston, of Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Warehouseman, and William Wood Mills, of
Birmingham aforesaid, Accountant Clerk, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN SUPPORTING AND FIXING WINDOW SASHES, WHICH IMPROVE-
MENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE SUPPORTING AND FIXING OF THE WINDOWS
OF RAILWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES AND SUSPENDED DOORS AND SHUTTERS."
Sealed the 20th July 1869, and dated the 26th January 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward David Ruston
and William Wood Mills at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 26th January 1869.
We, EDWARD DAVID RUSTON, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Warehouseman, and WILLIAM WOOD MILLS, of Birmingham,
aforesaid, Accountant Clerk, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SUPPORTING AND FIXING WINDOW SASHES,
WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE SUPPORTING AND FIXING OF
THE WINDOWS OF RAILWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES AND SUSPENDED DOORS AND
SHUTTERS," to be as follows:-
Our Invention consists of the improvements herein-after described
in supporting and fixing window sashes whereby the use of the

page_text: with,
Our Invention is also applicable to the supporting and fixing of the
windows of railway and other carriages and suspended doors and
shutters,
We make
We will describe our Invention in connection with an ordinary
window sash. On either side the sash and projecting slightly from the
edge thereof we place a toothed wheel turning in a frame fixed to the
said sash. The teeth of these toothed wheels are inclined to their axes,
the said wheels somewhat resembling ordinary worm wheels. Working
in slots in the sash are spring clicks or catches which engage with the
toothed wheels and prevent their rotation. On either side the sash
frame and in the line of the motion of the sash strips or ribs of vulcanized
india-rubber or other similar elastic material are fixed.
these elastic strips or ribs by preference of a nearly semicircular
figure in cross section, the convex side of the strip or rib being situated
outwards, and being presented to the projecting parts of the toothed
wheels fixed on either side the sash, When the sash provided with
the toothed wheels described is in its place in the window frame the
said toothed wheels compress and flatten the india-rubber strips or ribs.
By the elasticity of the said strips or ribs such an amount of resistance
is offered to the said toothed wheels as to support the said sash in any
position in which it is placed. In order to raise or lower the sash the
spring catches described are lifted from the toothed wheels so as to
permit them to rotate. We prefer to arrange the handles of the catches
under projecting or lifting pieces on the sash, so that the disengaging
of the catches and the lifting or depressing of the sash are effected at
one operation; or the catches may be geared together in any convenient
way, so that pressure at one part of the sash may simultaneously release
both catches, As the sash is raised or lowered the toothed wheels rotate,
and their teeth work upon and compress the india-rubber strips or ribs,
the inclination of the teeth enabling a portion of one or more of them
to be always in gear with the said strips or ribs, and the sash is con-
sequently supported during the whole of its travel. When the sash
has been adjusted at the required height or has been closed, by then
removing the hand or hands from the lifting parts of the sash the spring
patches again fall between the teeth of the toothed wheels, thereby

page_text: preventing their rotation and fixing the sash in its raised position or
closed position.
The position of the mechanism described may be reversed with nearly
the same effect, that is, the toothed wheels may work in the window
frame, and the india-rubber strips or ribs may be fixed to the edges of
the sash.
We prefer to make the frame in which the toothed wheel works
of two longitudinal halves, the end of one half engaging under the
end of the other half, so that the same screws that fasten the said frame
to the sash or sash frame fix the two halves together.
The improvements described are applied to the windows of railway
and other carriages and to suspended doors and shutters, essentially in
the way described with respect to a window sash.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said Edward David Ruston and William Wood Mills in
the Great Seal Patent Office on the 24th July 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, EDWARD
DAVID RUSTON, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Ware-
houseman, and WILLIAM WOOD MILLS, of Birmingham aforesaid,
Accountant Clerk, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said Edward David Ruston and William Wood
Mills, Her special licence that we, the said Edward David Ruston and
William Wood Mills, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said Edward David Ruston and William Wood Mills,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SUPPORTING AND FIXING WINDOW SASHES, WHICH IMPROVE-

page_text: MENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE SUPPORTING AND FIXING OF THE WINDOWS
OF RAILWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES AND SUSPENDED DOORS AND SHUTTERS," upon
the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Edward David Ruston
and William Wood Mills, our executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under our or their hands and seals, or under the hand
and seal of one of us or them, 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
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent,
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Edward David Ruston and
William Wood Mills, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof,
that is to say:-
Our Invention consists of the improvements herein-after described
in supporting and fixing window sashes whereby the use of the ordinary
balance weights and sash lines and sash fasteners are dispensed with.
Our Invention is also applicable to the supporting and fixing of
the windows of railway and other carriages and suspended doors and
shutters.
We will describe our Invention in connection with an ordinary
window sash. On either side the sash and projecting slightly from
the edge thereof we place a toothed wheel turning in a frame fixed
to the said sash. The teeth of these toothed wheels are inclined to their
axes, the said wheels somewhat resembling ordinary worm wheels.
The teeth of the wheels may however be parallel with their axes.
Working in slots in the sash are spring clicks or catches which engage
with the toothed wheels and prevent their rotation. On either side
the sash frame and in the line of the motion of the sash strips or
ribs of vulcanized india-rubber or other similar elastic material are
fixed. We make these elastic strips or ribs by preference of a nearly
semicircular figure in cross section, the convex side of the strip or rib
being situated outwards, and being presented to the projecting parts
of the toothed wheels fixed on either side the sash. When the sasha
provided with the toothed wheels described is in its place in the window
frame the said toothed wheels compress and flatten the india-rubber
strips or ribs. By the elasticity of the said strips or ribs such an

page_text: amount of resistance is offered to the said toothed wheels as to support
the said sash in any position in which it is placed. In order to raise
or lower the sash the spring catches described are lifted from the toothed
wheels so as to permit them to rotate. We prefer to arrange the handles.
of the catches so that the disengaging of the catches and the lifting
or depressing of the sash are effected at one operation; or the catches
may be geared together in any convenient way, so that pressure at
one part of the sash may simultaneously release both catches. As
the sash is raised or lowered the toothed wheels rotate, and their teeth
work upon and compress the india-rubber strips or ribs and support
the sash during the whole of its travel. When the sash has been
adjusted at the required height or has been closed, by then removing
the hand or hands from the lifting parts of the sash the spring catches
again fall between the teeth of the toothed wheels, thereby preventing
their rotation and fixing the sash in its raised position or closed position.
The position of the mechanism described may be reversed with nearly
the same effect, that is, the toothed wheels may work in the window
frame, and the india-rubber strips or ribs may be fixed to the edges
of the sash.
The improvements described are applied to the windows of railway
and other carriages and to suspended doors and shutters, essentially in
the way described with respect to a window sash.
Having explained the nature of our Invention we will proceed to
describe, with reference to the accompanying Drawings, the manner in
which the same is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in front elevation (partly in vertical section)
a portion of a window frame and sash to which one arrangement of
our Invention is applied, the sash being represented fastened; Figure 2
is a plan of the same partly in horizontal section; Figure 8 represents
a front elevation and section in which the sash is unfastened and ready
to be raised or lowered in the frame; Figure 4 represents an edge view
of the sash separately, and Figure 5 represents one of the spring catches
separately. The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in
Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.
a is the window sash, and b is the window frame in grooves 6* in
which the said sash slides.

page_text: On either side of the sash and projecting slightly from the edge
thereof is a toothed wheel c turning in the box or frame d fixed in the
sash in the manner best seen in Figure 1. e, e³, e, e³, are spring catches
which engage in the manner represented in Figure 1 with the teeth
of the wheels c, c, and when so engaged prevent their rotation and fix
the sash. These spring catches consist of levers turning on the
centres e³, es, their inner ends being connected together by the axis and
knob at f, the said axis working in slots in the said inner ends and
in the sash a. By this arrangement both catches can be operated
simultaneously. The acting end e³ of the catch has a spring e' on
its under side made out of the same piece of metal. The ends of e* and e*
are situated in a slot at as in the sash a. One of the levers or
catches e, e, is shown separately in Figure 5.
On either side the sash frame b and in the grooves at 62 in which
the sash a works strips or ribs g of vulcanized india-rubber or other
similar elastic material are fixed. The toothed wheels c, c, in the
sash a are so arranged that they compress and flatten the india-rubber
strips or ribs g, g, the elasticity of the said strips or ribs offering such
an amount of resistance as to support the sash in any position in which
it is placed. When the parts are in the positions represented in
Figures 1 and 2, the sash a is fixed by the acting ends e³, e³, of the
levers or catches engaging with the teeth of the wheels c, c, and
preventing their rotation. When it is wished to raise or lower the
sash a the knob f is lifted. Both of the levers or catches e, e³, e, e²,
are thereby withdrawn from the teeth of the wheels c, c, and the
The sash
said wheels allowed to rotate and the sash a unfastened.
may now be raised or lowered by means of the knob f, the said sash
being supported during the raising or lowering by the rotating wheels c, c,
engaging or gearing with the india-rubber strips or ribs g, the said
wheels c, c, being in gear with the said strips or ribs during the whole
of the travel of the said sash. On loosing the knob f after the sash a
has been raised or lowered the ends es, es, of the catches are forced
into gear with the toothed wheels c, c, by the springs et, e, and the
sash again fixed. By arranging the catches in the manner represented
the disengaging of the said catches and the lifting or depressing of
the sash are effected at one operation.
Figure 6 represents vertical sections taken at right angles to one
another of a window of a railway carriage provided with our Invention.

page_text: The parts are marked with the same letters of reference as corresponding
parts in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4. In one of the sections the window a is
shown partly raised, and in the other section the said window is shown
lowered to the bottom of its frame. Instead of gearing the catches
e, es, e, es, together, as represented in the Drawing, each catch may be
independent of the other, and be provided with a lifting piece, as
represented in Figure 14, where the toothed wheel is shown applied to
the sash frame. Instead of employing toothed wheels, the teeth of
which are situated parallel to the axis, as in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4,
toothed wheels having inclined teeth, as illustrated in front elevation in
Figure 7 and side elevation in Figure 8, may be employed. When
toothed wheels of this kind are used the inclination of their teeth enables
a portion of one or more of the teeth to be always in gear with the india-
rubber strips or ribs during the travel of the sash. Instead of employing
india-rubber strips or ribs in combination with toothed wheels having
inclined teeth, a metallic rack having inclined teeth may be fixed on
either side the window frame for the toothed wheels to gear with, as
illustrated in front elevation (partly in section) in Figure 9 and plan
(partly in horizontal section) in Figure 10. h, h, are the toothed wheels
rotating in the frames ; fixed to the sash a, the said wheels having
threads or teeth very much inclined, the said threads resembling those of
a quick threaded screw; k, k, are the metallic racks having inclined
teeth with which the toothed wheels h, h, gear. The racks are fixed to
the side of the frame b. The arrangement of the catches for fixing and
releasing the wheels h, h, and sash is the same as that previously
described, and the parts are marked with the same letters of reference.
By the engaging of the wheels h, h, with the racks k, k, the sash a is
supported in the frame 6 at any required height. As the sash a is raised
or lowered the wheels h, h, work upon the rack k, k, as will be understood
by an examination of the Drawing.
Figure 11 represents in front elevation (partly in section) a window to
which a modification of the arrangement of our Invention represented in
Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 is applied; Figure 12 represents a plan of one of
In this
the sashes, and Figure 18 represents an edge view of the same.
modification of our Invention we secure the india-rubber strips or
ribs l, l, to the edges of each of the sashes m, m, instead of to the sash
frame, and in place of rotating toothed wheels we use rotating plain
wheels n, n. We fix the india-rubber strips to the edges of the sash by

page_text: means of longitudinal pieces p, p, as represented in Figures 12 and 13,
the said india-rubber strips being preserved in their places by the
beadings q, q, of the window frame. In Figure 11 one of the beadings is
removed. The plain wheels n, n, turn loosely on the axes & fixed in
metal frames secured in the window frame. The said wheels are so
adjusted in their frames that their edges press with considerable force
against the india-rubber strips 1, l. The wheels n, n, occupy slots formed
between the fixing pieces p, p. As the sash is raised or lowered the
elasticity of the india-rubber strips causes them to press against the
rotating wheels n, n, and offer such an amount of resistance to the
motion of the sash as to support the latter in any position in which it is
placed. The position of the plain wheels n, n, against the india-rubber
strips 1, 1, may be adjusted with great nicety by making the axis of the
wheel excentric, as will be understood by an examination of Figures 14ª,
15, and 16, Figure 14* representing on a larger scale one of the wheels n,
Figure 11; Figure 15, the said wheel and its frame detached; and
Figure 16, the said wheel separately. The middle part of the axis 8 of the
wheel n is made excentric, or is provided with a camt (see the separate
view of the axis, Figure 144), the excentric or cam portion t of the axis
passing through a hole in the wheel n concentric with the said wheel.
The wheel n turns loosely on the cam portion t of the axis, the ends 8 of
the axis being fixed in the frame u, u. By turning the axis & by means
of the cross slot in one end the cam or excentric part of the axis can be
made to move the wheel n nearer to the india-rubber strip, and cause the
said wheel to press against the said india-rubber strip with the required
pressure. In Figure 14 the wheel n is indicated by dotted lines moved
outwards by the cam t to its full extent. The arrangement described
for adjusting the positions of the plain wheels against the india-rubber
strips is also applicable to toothed wheels. The frame in which the
wheel n works is made of two longitudinal halves u, u, the end of one
half engaging with the end of the other half in the manner represented
in Figure 15. The same screws which are employed to fasten the
two parts u, u, of the frame together also serve to fix the frame to the
sash or sash frame. The toothed wheels herein-before described and
illustrated may be mounted in frames made in halves, as represented in
Figures 15 and 16.

page_text: we do not limit ourselves to the precise details herein described, as the
same may be varied without departing from the nature of our Invention;
but we claim as our Invention, the improvements in supporting and
fixing window sashes, the windows of railways and other carriages, and
suspended doors and shutters herein-before described and illustrated in
the accompanying Drawings, that is to say, the combination of strips
or ribs of india-rubber or other elastic material with toothed or plain
wheels for the purpose of supporting the said sashes, windows, and
suspended doors and shutters in their frames, substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated.
Also the modification or arrangement of parts described and repre-
sented in Figures 9 and 10 for effecting the same object.
Also the combination with the said toothed wheels of levers or catches
constructed as described and illustrated for preventing the rotation of
the said wheels, and fixing the window, window sash, suspended door or
shutter in its frame.
Also making the metal frames in which the said toothed and
plain wheels are mounted in halves, substantially as described and
illustrated.
In witness whereof, we, the said Edward David Ruston and William
Wood Mills, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Nine-
teenth day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-nine.
25
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
EDWARD DAVID RUSTON (L.S.)
WILLIAM WOOD MILLS.
(L.S.)