IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR SECURING WINDOW SASHES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Timothy Hopkinson, of 110, Newington
Causeway, in the County of Surrey, Tool Maker, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR SECURING WINDOW
SASHES."
Scaled the 11th July 1873, and dated the 16th January 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Timothy Hop-
kinson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 16th January 1873.
I, JOSEPH TIMOTHY HOPKINSON, of 110, Newington Causeway, in
the County of Surrey, Tool Maker, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR
SECURING WINDOW SASHES," to be as follows:-
66
The object of my Invention is to prevent sash fasteners being opened
from the outside of the window by means of a blade or other instru-
ment passed up between the sashes or through a hole bored in the
sash.

page_text: According to one part of my Invention I attach to the front or inner
half of the fastener a supplementary plate which is free to move
horizontally on a pin or stud. This plate has a projection, and the arm
which secures the sashes has a corresponding projection, so that when the
arm is pulled forward in the ordinary manner to secure the sashes the pro-
jection thereon acts upon the projection on the plate, and thereby causes
the plate to move backwards on its pin and cover the opening between
the sashes. When the arm is moved back to release the sashes the
plate is returned to its first position by a spring. This spring may be
protected by a guard on the front half of the fastener; or the pro-
jection on the arm may be dispensed with, the arm itself in this case
acting upon the projection of the supplementary plate. The supple-
mentary plate may carry a guard such as is described in the Provisional
Specification lodged by me on the 9th day of November 1872, No.
3339, to protect the side and top or bottom of the arm.
According to another arrangement I substitute for the supplementary
plate a spring which is attached to a projection on either the top or
bottom plate of the front half of the fastener and is acted upon by a
projection on the arm in the manner above described. This spring
carries a guard such as is described in my Provisional Specification above
named.
According to another arrangement I attach a guard of
shape to the
top plate of either the front or the back half of the fastener in such
manner that the arm on being moved round to secure the sashes acts
upon a tail piece of this guard and causes it to tilt or turn over upon
the arm so as to protect the top and the left side thereof. As the arm
is being returned the guard is drawn up clear of it by a spring. The
arm is suitably shaped to allow it to catch and escape the guard at the
proper times.
-
According to another arrangement I attach a supplementary plate
to the back half of the fastener this plate being free to move horizontally
on a pin or stud. It has an opening or slot cut in it, or a projection on
it to receive a projection or key on the arm, so that when the arm is
moved forward to secure the sashes it brings this plate over the opening
between them, and when the arm is returned it moves back the plate.
Or the plate may be moved back by the ordinary spring being made to
take against one or more projections on the supplementary plate; or the
plate may be moved both ways by means of the ordinary spring; or it

page_text: may be moved one way by the ordinary spring, and the other way by
an additional spring. This supplementary plate may carry a guard such
as is described in my said Provisional Specification.
The next part of my Invention relates to means whereby the arm
when moved forward to secure the sashes is kept up or down behind a
catch or projection on the under side of the top plate or on the bottom
plate of the front half of the fastener, but can at the same time be
readily pressed down or up clear of the catch when the said arm is to
be moved back from the inside. For this purpose I form the hole in the
arm for the pin on which the arm works, at a slight inclination from the
vertical, and I enlarge the lower (or upper) part of this hole, so that the
arm can receive a slight up and down movement on this pin; or the
hole may be vertical but of slot form or a large round hole; and I
incline or bevel the back or pulley end of the arm so that the ordinary
spring by pressing upon the bevel keeps the front end of the arm in the
catch. The arm is thus retained in the catch until pressed down or up,
as the case may be, by the finger; this movement being permitted by
the inclination and enlargement of the hole for the pin; or instead of
inclining the pulley end of the arm the spring may be twisted so as to
bear against one edge of the said pulley end. There are bevels on the
upper and lower sides of the pulley end to allow of the up and down
movement.
The next part of my Invention consists in forming the stop or side
plate and the top plate of the front half of the fastener so that they
come up to the back edge of the inner sash, that is to say, up to the
opening between the sashes for the purpose of guarding the arm and the
guard before mentioned. The bottom plate may also be made to come
up to the said back edge. I also protect the arm and other parts by
means of a vertical curved piece fixed to the front half of the fastener;
and I protect the ordinary spring and adjoining parts by enlarging the
upper plate of the back half of the fastener so as to cover the whole
space up to the front half except so much as is required for the movement.
of the knob or handle of the arm; and I enclose both ends of the space
between the top and bottom plates of the back half. I also in some
cases protect the ordinary spring by a vertical plate or a screw
or pin.
In order to prevent the arm being pulled back by a string passed
through the opening between the sashes or through a hole bored in the

page_text: sash and then over the knob of the arm, I attach one or more pins or
projections to the upper side of the top plate of the front half, so that
if a string should be passed over the knob, the said pin or projection by.
catching the string will prevent the knob being pulled round. And I
taper the knob from the top so that a string if passed round it must
slip down to the lower part, whereby it will catch the pin. This tapering
of the knob will also prevent the arm being pulled down by a string to
free it from a catch on the under side of the top plate, such as herein-
before mentioned.
I also employ a fixed pin or guard on the top plate of the front half
to the left of the knob of the arm when pulled round for the purpose
of preventing a lever or other instrument being passed through the
opening between the sashes or through a hole in the sash, and pushing
the said knob and arm back to unfasten the window. Or I form the
arm itself with a projection at the left immediately behind the said
opening to prevent the arm being pushed back by an instrument passed
through the opening.
In order to prevent holes being bored through the sashes for the
purpose of getting at the fasteners I extend or elongate the bottom
plates of the front and back halves to such a distance as may be necessary
for that purpose even to the full length of the meeting rails if thought
requisite; or instead of elongating these plates I fix separate plates to
the meeting rails for the same purpose.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Joseph Timothy Hopkinson in the Great Seal Patent 2
Office on the 16th July 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
TIMOTHY HOPKINSON, of 110, Newington Causeway, in the County of
Surrey, Tool Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her a
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Joseph Timothy Hopkinson,

page_text: Her special licence that I, the said Joseph Timothy Hopkinson, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Joseph Timothy Hopkinson, my 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 THE MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR
SECURING WINDOW SASHES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Joseph Timothy Hopkinson, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, 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 I, the said Joseph Timothy Hopkinson, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement thercof, reference being had to the
accompanying Drawings, that is to say :-
The object of my Invention is to prevent sash fasteners being opened
from the outside of the window by means of a blade or other instrument
passed up
between the sashes or through a hole bored in the sash.
The first part of my Invention relates to means whereby the arm
when moved forward to secure the sashes is kept up (or down) behind a
catch or projection on the under side of the top plate (or on the bottom.
plate) of the front half of the fastener, but can at the same time be
readily pressed down (or up) clear of the catch when the said arm is to
be moved back from the inside. For this purpose I form the hole in
the arm for the pin on which the arm works at a slight inclination from
the vertical, and I enlarge the lower (or upper) part of this hole so that
the arm can receive a slight up and down movement on this pin, or the
hole may be vertical, but of slot form, or a large round hole, and I
incline or bevel the back or pulley end of the arm so that the ordinary
spring by pressing upon the bevel keeps the front end of the arm in the
catch. The arm is thus retained in the catch until pressed down (or up,
as the case may be) by the finger, this movement being permitted by

page_text: the inclination and enlargement of the hole for the pin. Or instead of
inclining the pulley end of the arm the spring may be twisted so as to bear
against one edge of the said pulley end. There are bevels on the upper
and lower sides of the pulley end to allow of the up and down move-
ment.
This part of my Invention will be fully understood on reference to
Figures 1 to 7 of the annexed Drawings, which shew it applied to a
fastener having a guard to the arm, according to the Invention patented
by me on the 9th November 1872, No. 3339. Figure 1 is a front view,
and Figure 2 a plan of the back half of the fastener, the arm being in
the position it occupies when the sashes are unfastened. Figure 3 is a
front view, and Figure 4 a plan of the front half of the fastener.
Figure 5 is a section of the whole fastener taken from front to back,
and shewing the arm in the position it occupies when the sashes are
fastened. Figure 6 is a detached view of the arm. Figure 7 is a
detached view of the guard of my previously patented sash fastener
carried by a prolongation of the ordinary spring.
1
a is the bottom plate; b, the top plate; and c, the back plate of the
back half of the fastener; d is the bottom plate; c, the top plate; and f,
the stop or side plate of the front half of the fastener; g is the ordinary
spring secured at one end to the back plate e in the usual manner; / is
the guard to the arm carried by a prolongation of the spring 9; i is a
catch on the under side of the top plate e; k is the arm; 1, the knob;
and m, the pin on which the arm works. It will be seen that the hole n
in the arm through which the pin m passes is made at a slight inclination
from the vertical, and that the lower part of the said hole is enlarged so
that the arm k can receive a slight up and down movement on the pin.
It will also be seen that the back or pulley end o of the arm is inclined
or bevelled so that the spring g by pressing upon the lower or most
prominent part of the bevel keeps the front end of the arm in the
catch i. Thus when the sashes are fastened the arm is retained in the
catch until pressed down by the finger into the position shewn by dots
in Figure 5, this movement being permitted by the inclination and
enlargement of the hole n. As has been before mentioned the hole n
instead of being inclined may be vertical and of slot form, or simply a
large round hole, so as to allow the necessary play to the arm on the pin;
also instead of the pulley end of the arm being bevelled the spring g
may be twisted so as to press upon the lower edge of the said pulley arm.

page_text: If the catch i be upon the bottom plate d instead of on the under side
of the top plate e the other parts must be reversed to correspond, that is
to say, the hole n must be enlarged at the upper instead of at the lower
part, and the spring 9 must bear against the upper instead of the lower
edge of the pulley end of the arm. The upper and lower sides of the
pulley end are bevelled, as seen at p, p, to allow of the up and down
movement of the arm.
The next part of my Invention consists in forming the stop or side
plate and the top plate of the front half of the fastener so that they
come up to the back edge of the inner sash, that is to say, up to the
opening between the sashes for the purpose of guarding the arm and the
guard before mentioned. The bottom plate may also be made to come
up to the said back edge. I also protect the arm and other parts by
means of a vertical curved piece fixed to the front half of the fastener,
and I protect the ordinary spring and adjoining parts by enlarging the
upper plate of the back half of the fastener so as to cover the whole
space up to the front half except so much as is required for the move-
ment of the knob or handle of the arm, and I enclose both ends of the
space between the top and bottom plates of the back half. I also in
some cases protect the ordinary spring by a vertical plate or a screw or
pin. By these means the arm and other parts are so to say quite boxed
in so that no instrument from the outside can touch them. Figure 8 is a.
plan view of a fastener constructed in this manner. On reference to the
Figure it will be seen that the stop or side plate f, the top plate e, and
the bottom plate d of the front half of the fastener come quite up to
the edge of the inner sash q; also that there is a vertical curved piece »
fixed to the said bottom plate d for the purpose of protecting the arm
and other parts. The top of this piece » should be about on a level with
the top plate e. It will also be seen that the spring and adjoining
parts are protected by enlarging the top plate 6 of the back half of tho
fastener so as to cover the whole space up to the front half except so
much (as seen at S) as is required for the movement of the knob of the
Also that both ends of the space between the plates a and b of
the back half are enclosed by vertical pieces t, t, and that the spring g
is still further protected by a vertical piece shewn in dots at u.
arm.
In order to prevent the arm being pulled back by a string passed
through the opening between the sashes or through a hole bored in the
sash, and then over the knob of the arm, I attach one or more pins or

page_text: projections to the top plate e of the front half of the fastener, as seen
at v, v, in Figures 9 and 10, which are respectively an elevation and a
plan of the back half, so that if a spring should be passed over the knob
the said pins or projections by catching the string will prevent the knob
being pulled round. And I taper the knob from the top, as seen in
Figure 11, so that a string if passed round it must slip down. to the
lower part, whereby it will catch the pins or projections v. This tapering
of the knob will also prevent the arm being pulled down by a string to
free it from a catch on the under side of the top plate such as herein-
before mentioned.
I also employ a fixed pin or guard to the left of the knob of the arm
when pulled round for the purpose of preventing a lever or other instru-
ment being passed through the opening between the sashes or through a
hole in the sash, and pushing the said knob and arm back to unfasten
the window. This guard may be attached to the bottom plate d, stop
or side plate f, or other convenient part, but I prefer to attach it to the
top plate e, as shewn at w in Figures 9 and 10. It will readily be seen
that a guard thus situated at the left of the arm will prevent any
ordinary instrument passed between the sashes getting to the knob to
push the arm back.
Another improvement consists in forming the arm itself with a pro-
jection at the left immediately behind the opening between the sashes to
prevent the arm being pushed back by an instrument passed through
the sashes. This improvement is represented in Figure 12, which is a
plan view of the back half of a fastener, and in Figure 13, which is a
plan of the arm detached; x is the projection on the arm /, which pro-
jection is situated immediately behind the opening between the sashes.
Should a knife or other like instrument be passed up through the opening
and be forced against the arm so as to push it back the slightest move-
ment of the arm will bring the projection a over the said opening so as
to jam the knife and prevent it pushing the arm any further.
I have herein-before described and shewn the fastenings as made to
work from right to left in securing the window as is usually the case,
but if they be made to work from left to right the position of the parts
must of course be made to correspond.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as my

page_text: JOSEPH T. HOPKINSON. (L.S.)