IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENERS AND ADJUSTERS FOR SHUTTERS, WINDOWS, TRUNK AND OTHER LIDS, STEP LADDERS, AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
FASTENERS AND ADJUSTERS FOR SHUTTERS, WINDOWS, TRUNK AND OTHER
LIDS, STEP LADDERS, AND OTHER PURPOSES." A communication from abroad
by Thomas Broughton Rogers, junior, of Brooklyn, in the County of Kings,
and Peter Cooper, of New York City, both in the State of New York, United
States of America.
Sealed the 9th April 1878, and dated the 14th November 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th November 1877.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENERS AND ADJUSTERS FOR SHUTTERS,
WINDOWS, TRUNK AND OTHER LIDS, STEP LADDERS, AND OTHER PURPOSES." [A
communication from abroad by Thomas Broughton Rogers, junior, of Brooklyn, in
the County of Kings, and Peter Cooper, of New York City, both in the State of
New York, United States of America.]
The object of this Invention is to provide a convenient and reliable adjuster and
fastener for shutters, windows, step ladders, flagstaffs, and other purposes.
According to this Invention the shutter is provided with a slotted bar, having
one end curved and jointed to an ear that projects diagonally from the shutter
towards the window casing, and at the sides of the slot countersunk or concave
places for receiving the convex portion of a thumbscrew, the threaded portion of
which is received by a plate secured to the window sill. A catch pivoted between
ears on the shutter engages the bar when the shutter is closed, and prevents the
same from being opened until it is disengaged. The inner surface of the nib of the
catch is serrated, so that it may engage the slotted bar with certainty. The shutter
is adjusted by means of this device by loosening the thumbscrew, releasing the
Prins 677

page_text: catch, and swinging the shutter open to the desired point, and clamping it by means
of the screw. The engagement of the convex portion of the screw with the con-
cavities of the bar ensure the fastening of the shutter in any desired position. The
inner end of the slotted bar is curved upward, so that it may readily pass over the
stop bead of the window sill.
A modified form of the device consists of a pair of bars, jointed together, the one
bar having formed on it a boss, which is received by a flange or lip formed on a
disc, which is attached to the window sill; the lever is further secured to the disc
by means of a rivet. The other bar is pivoted between ears that are attached to
the shutter, and project diagonally toward the window casing, a slotted bar serving
to connect the two bars, being jointed to the one bar and secured to the other by a
clamping screw. This screw has upon its under surface a convex projection that is
received by concavities formed in the surface of the connecting bar along the slot.
The bar that is attached to the shutter is provided with a nib that is capable of
engaging the other bar when the shutters are closed. The space between the ears
on the shutter is sufficient to admit of springing the bar so as to disengage the nib.
The centres of the joint in the ears and the centre of the joint in the disc are
arranged in relation to each other in such manner as to lock the bars when parallel
to the shutter, and to prevent the shutters from being opened until the window is
raised and the bars moved together toward the inner edge of the window sill. The
bars, and consequently the shutter, may be clamped in any position by means of
the slotted bar and the clamping screw.
When the shutters are wide open the bar attached to the shutter is engaged by a
catch, which is pivoted between ears that project from a plate attached to the
shutter. This catch is provided with a shoulder which prevents it from dropping
below a horizontal line drawn through its pivot, and the same shoulder projects
sufficiently to touch the bar when the shutter is open and throw the catch over in
case the catch should remain in a vertical position when disengaged from the bar.
A plate is attached to the window sill to receive the end of the screw when the
shutters are closed.
If necessary one bar of the adjuster may be made longer than the other bar to
adapt the adjuster to shutters having long hinges, the connecting bar being inverted
to receive a convex projection formed on the first bar, a threaded stud extending
from the centre of the convex projection through the slot in the slotted bar to
receive a wing nut. A plain washer is placed between the end of the first bar and
the window sill, and the said bar and washer are secured in place by a common
wood screw. An eccentric, pivoted to the threaded stud before mentioned, may be
employed in place of the wing nut for clamping the connecting bar. The one bar
in the present case is curved to receive the clamping screw; but by providing an ear
on the other bar this curve may be avoided.
The slotted bars are described as having concavities in their upper surface, but
they may be made plain, or notches may be formed in the bar for receiving the
thumbscrew that clamps the said bar.
Although the improvements have been described as applied to shutters the
Invention is not limited to such application, as the fastener and adjuster may be
attached to scuttle lids, fan-lights, doors, trunk lids, step ladders, flagstaffs, &c.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
3rd May 1878.
"
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent.
IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENERS AND ADJUSTERS FOR SHUTTERS,
WINDOWS, TRUNK AND OTHER LIDS, STEP LADDERS, AND OTHER PURPOSES." A
communication from abroad by Thomas Broughton Rogers, junior, of Brooklyn, in
the County of Kings, and Peter Cooper, of New York City, both in the State of
New York, United States of America.
The object of this Invention is to provide a convenient and reliable adjuster and
fastener for shutters, windows, step ladders, flagstaffs, and other uses.
The Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawings, in which,-
Figures 1 and 2 are plan views of one form of the improved shutter adjuster and
fastener; Figure 3 is a vertical section, taken on line x, x, in Figure 1.
Figures 4, 5, and 6 represent modified forms.
Figure 7 is a plan view.
Figure 8 is a plan view showing the shutter open.
Figure 9 is a detail view of the catch that holds the shutter open.
Figure 10 is a modified form of adjusting bar.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
In Figures 1, 2, and 3 A. is the shutter; B, the window frame; C is a bar, having
one end curved and jointed to an ear D, that projects diagonally from the shutter
towards the window casing. In the bar C there is a slot a, and at the sides of the
slot countersunk or concave places are formed for receiving the convex portion of
the thumbscrew E, the threaded portion of which is received by a plate b, secured
to the window sill. A catch c, pivoted between ears d, engages the bar when the
shutter is closed, and prevents the shutter from being opened until it is disengaged.
The inner surface of the nib of the catch is serrated, so that it may engage the
bar C with certainty. The shutter is adjusted by means of this device by loosening
the thumbscrew E, releasing the catch c, and swinging the shutter open to the
desired point, and clamping it by means of the screw. The engagement of the
convex portion of the screw with the concavities of the bar ensure the fastening of
the shutter in any desired position. The inner end of the bar C is curved upward,
so that it may readily pass over the stop bead of the window sill.
The device represented in Figures 4, 7, 8, and 9 consists of two bars A¹, B¹,
jointed together at a², the fastening bar C¹, cars D¹, and catch E. The bar A¹ has
formed upon it a boss b¹, which is received by the flange or lip c¹ formed on the
disc F¹, which is attached to the window sill. The lever is further secured to the
dise by the rivet d¹. The bar B₁ is pivoted between the ears D' that are attached
to the shutter, and project diagonally toward the window casing. A slotted bar C¹
is jointed to the bar B' at e', and is secured to the bar A¹ by a clamping screw f':
The screw f¹bas upon its under surface a convex projection, that is received by
concavities formed in the surface of the bar C¹ along the slot. The bar B' is pro-
vided with a nib g, that is capable of engaging the bar A¹ when the shutters are
closed. The space between the ears D' is sufficient to admit of springing the bar B¹
so as to disengage the nib g' from the bar A'. The centre of the joint in the ears D¹,
and the centre of the joint in the disc F¹, are arranged in relation to each other in
such a manner as to lock the bars when parallel to the shutter, and to prevent the
shutters from being opened until the window is raised and the bars moved together
toward the inner edge of the window sill. The bars, and consequently the shutter,
may be clamped in any position by means of the slotted bar C² and the clamping
screw f¹.
When the shutters are wide open the bar B₁ is engaged by a catch E', which is
pivoted between ears that project from a plate attached to the shutter. This

page_text: catch is provided with a shoulder ', Figure 9, which prevents it from dropping
below a horizontal line drawn through its pivot, and the same shoulder projects
sufficiently to touch the bar B' when the shutter is open, and throw the catch over
in case the catch should remain. in a vertical position when disengaged from the
bar. A plate is attached to the window sill to receive the end of the screw fi
when the shutters are closed.
In Figure 5 the bar A³ of the adjuster is made longer than the bar B³ to adapt
the adjuster to shutters having long hinges, and the bar C3 is inverted to receive a
convex projection a³, formed on the bar A³, and a threaded stud 63 extends from the
centre of the convex projection a³ through the slot in the bar to receive a wing
nut. A plain washer d³ is placed between the end of the bar A³ and the window
sill, and the said bar and washer are secured in place by a common wood screw.
In Figure 6 an eccentric e³ is pivoted to the stud 63, and is employed in place of
the wing nut for clamping the bar C³. The bar B' before referred to is shown
curved to receive the screw f¹, but by providing an ear on the bar A¹ this curve
may be avoided.
The slotted bars C, C', are described as having concavities in their upper surface,
but they may be made plain, or the bar C², shown in Figure 10, may be substituted
for them. In this bar notches a² are formed for receiving the thumbscrew that
clamps the said bar.
Although the improvements have been described as applied to shutters the
Invention is not limited to such application, as the fastener and adjuster may be
attached to scuttle lids, fan-lights, doors, trunk lids, step ladders, flagstaffs, &c.
Having described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
1st. A fastener and adjuster provided with a slotted curved bar C or C¹, having
concavities for receiving the convex portion of the thumbscrew E, substantially as
shown and described.
2nd. The bars A¹, B¹, jointed together as described, the slotted bar C', and
clamping screw f' in combination, as set forth.
3rd. The nib g¹ in combination with the bars A¹, B', as and for the purpose
specified.
4th. The catch E¹, having the shoulder ¹, in combination with bars A¹, B¹, sub-
stantially as shown and described.
5th. The bar C2, having notches a³, in combination with the the bars A³, B¹, sub-
stantially as shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Second day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
A. M. CLARK. (L.S.)