IMPROVEMENTS IN SASH FASTENINGS AND IN MECHANISM OR APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edmund Tonks and William Henry Tonks, of Birmingham,
in the County of Warwick, Manufacturers, and Joseph Timothy Hopkinson,
of No 25, Tavistock Place, Tavistock Square, in the County of Middlesex, Com-
mercial Traveller, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SASH FASTENINGS
AND IN MECHANISM OR APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH
33
Sealed the 4th May 1877, and dated the 26th January 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edmund Tonks, Williain
Henry Tonks, and Joseph Timothy Hopkinson at the Office of the Com-
missioners of Patents on the 26th January 1877
EDMUND TONKS and WILLIAM HENRY TONKS, of Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, Manufacturers, and JOSEPH TIMOTHY HOPKINSON, of No 25, Tavistock
Place, Tavistock Square, in the County of Middlesex, Commercial Travelle
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SASH FASTENINGS AND IN MECHANISM OR APPARATUS CON-
NECTED THEREWITH."
Our Invention relates to those kinds of sash fastenings commonly called
"balanced sash drops," and consists of the improvement herein-after described in
the said sash diops, and further, of the mechanism or apparatus herein-after
described to be used for operating or releasing our improved sash drops, and also
for operating or releasing ordinary sash diops
The ordinary balanced sash diop consists of an arm or lever, hung or centred at
its upper end to a fixing plate secured to the upper sash above the meeting rail, the
weight of the said sash drop being so disposed that when the said sash drop is in
its normal or vertical position its front edge or striking part protrudes through a
slot in the fixing plate and projects over the meeting rails of both sashes, the
bottom of the said diop consituting a stop, which prevents the descent of the top
sash or the ascent of the bottom sash
In the ordinary sash drop the front edge or striking part is bevilled or inclined
fiom its bottom upwards to the joint on which it is hung
Our improvements in sash drops consists in constructing the said sash drop with
a shoulder or guard, whereby the releasing of the sash diop by a knife or other

page_text: instrument inserted between the sashes is prevented The said shoulder or guard
is situated at or about the middle of the sash drop, the said shoulder being formed
by reducing the width of the upper part of the front edge or striking part of the
sash drop, the reduced part of the said diop joining the acting lower part of the
drop by the shoulder or guard described
When the sash drop is furnished with the shoulder or guard described the bottom
or acting part of the drop resembles generally the bevilled head of a latch bolt
When a knife or other like instrument is introduced between the sashes to release
the sash drop the said knife or instrument comes in contact with and bears against
the shoulder or guard on the said sash diop but has no power to release the said
diop, the vertical pressure which is put upon it by the knife or instrument main-
taining it more firmly in its normal or fastening position
Our improvements in mechanism or apparatus to be used for operating_or
releasing our unproved sash diops and ordinary sash drops are as follows -The
said mechanism or apparatus being fixed on the meeting rail of the lower sash and
opposite the sash drop on the upper sash The said apparatus consists of a vertical
arm or lever jointed at its upper end to an upright or support fixed by a base plate
to the lower sash sufficiently back from the edge of the meeting rail to allow the
sash drop to act as a stop An arm projects from the back of the vertical arm or
lever and caries a bracket, against which a spring acts By means of this spring
the vertical arm or lever is pressed inwards and made to lie against the upright or
support to which it is jointed
When the window has to be opened pressure is applied to the bracket at the
back of the vertical arm oi lever, the lower front edge of the vertical aim or lever
is thereby brought to the edge of the meeting rail, the said aim or lever taking
an inclined position and forming a striking plate for the lower striking part of the
balanced sash drop to strike against and ielease the drop, and prevent it from
forming a stop to the descent or ascent of the sashes. On removing the pressure
from the bracket at the back of the vertical arm or lever the latter is forced to its
normal position by the sping. The said arm or lever may be be operated by hand
01 by a hand cord acting upon the bracket at the back of the said aim or level.
O a plate inclined from its lower front edge upwards, forming a striking plate for
the lower striking part of the balanced sash drop to strike against, may be attached
to a od sliding in a case fixed by a base plate to the lower sash
By means of a coiled spring the sliding iod and staking plate are maintained in
then normal positions When the window has to be opened a button or knob at
the outer end of the sliding 10d is pressed by hand or by means of a hand cord.
By the motion of the said rod the striking plate is pushed to the edge of the
meeting rail for the lower striking part of the balanced sash drop to strike against
and release the drop, and prevent the latter from forming a stop to the descent or
ascent of the sashes
Instead of using a spring level, as herein-before described, a weighted aim or
lever may be emploved to form a stukını plate for releasing the sash dron.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Edmund Tonks, William Henry Tonks, and Joseph Timothy 4
Hopkinson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 7th July 1877
EDMUND TONKS and WILLIAM HENRY TONKS, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Manufacturers, and JOSEPH TIMOTHY HOPKINSON, of No 25, Tavistock
Place, Tavistock Square, in the County of Middlesex, Commercial Traveller
"IM-
PROVEMENTS IN SASH FASTENINGS AND IN MECHANISM OR APPARATUS CONNECTED 5
THEREWITH"
Our Invention relates to those kinds of sash fastenings commoly called balanced

page_text: sash drops, and consists of the unprovement herein-after described in the said sash
drops, and further, of the mechanism or apparatus herein-after described to be used
for operating or releasing our improved sash diops, and also for operating or
releasing ordinary sash drops
The ordinary balanced sash drop consists of an arm or lever hung on centred at
its upper end to a fixing plate secured to the upper sash above the meeting rail, the
weight of the said sash drop being so disposed that when the said sash drop is in
its normal or vertical position its front edge oi stuking part protrudes though a
slot in the fixing plate and projects over the meeting inils of both sashes, the
bottom of the said diop constituting a stop which prevents the descent of the top
sash or the ascent of the bottom sash
In the ordinary sash drop the front edge or staking part is bevelled or inclined
from its bottom upwards to the joint on which it is hung
Our improvement m sash drops consists in constructing the said sash drops with
a shoulder or guard, whereby the releasing of the sash diop by a knife or instru-
inent inserted between the sashies is prevented The said shoulder or guard is
situated at or about the middle of the sash drop, the said shoulder being formed by
reducing the width of the upper put of the front edge or staking part of the sash
diop, the reduced part of the said drop joining the acting lower part of the drop by
the shoulder or guard described
When the sash drop is furnished with the shoulder or guard described the bottom
or acting part of the drop resembles generally the bevelled head of a latch bolt
When a knife or other like instrument is introduced between the sashes to releaso
the sash drop the said knife oi instrument comes in contact with and beais against
the shoulder or guard on the said sash diop, but has no power to release the said drop,
the vertical pressure which is put upon it by the knife or instrument maintaining
it more finly in its normal or fastening position
Our improvements in mechanism or apparatus to be used for operating or
releasing our improved sash drops and ordinary sash drops are as follows, the said
mechanism or apparatus being fixed on the meeting rail of the lower sash and
opposite the sash diop on the upper sash -The said apparatus consists of a vertical
aim or level jointed at its upper end to an upright oi support fixed by a base plate
to the lower saslı sufficiently back from the edge of the meeting nail to allow the
sash drop to act as a stop An aim projects from the back of the vertical arni or
lever and carries a bracket, against which a sping acts By means of this spring
the vertical aim or lever is pressed inwards and made to lie against the upright or
support to which it is jointed
When the window has to be opened pressure is applied to the bracket at the
back of the vertical arın or level, the lower front edge of the vertical arm or lever
is thereby brought to the edge of the meeting rail, the said arm oi lever taking an
inclined position and forming a striking plate for the lower striking part of the
balanced sash drop to strike against and release the drop, and prevent it from
forming a stop to the descent of ascent of the sashes On removing the pressure
from the bracket at the back of the vertical arm or lever the latter is forced to its
normal position by the spring The said arm or lever may be operated by hand,
or by a hand cord acting upon the bracket at the back of the said arm or lever
Instead of using a spring lever, as herem-before described, a weighted arm or
lever may be employed to form a striking plate for releasing the sash drop Or a
striking plate, inclined from its lower front edge upwards, may be attached to a
rod sliding in a case fixed by a base plate to the lower sash By means of a coiled
spring the sliding rod and stuking plate are maintained in the normal positions
When the window has to be opened a button or knob at the outer end of the
sliding rod is pressed by hand or by means of a hand cord By the motion of the
said rod the striking plate is pushed to the edge of the meeting rail and the sash
diop icleased and prevented from forming a stop to the descent or ascent of the
sashes.

page_text: We will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings
the manner in which our Invention may be performed
-
Figure 1 represents in side elevation, Figure 2 in front elevation, and Figures 3
and 4 in section, a balanced sash drop constructed according to our Invention,
Figures 1, 2, and 3 representing the sash di op in its vertical or normal position, and
Figure 4 the same with the striking part of the drop pushed back to release the
sashes.
a is the sash drop hung or centred at its upper end b to the fixing plate c, which
plate c is secured to the upper sash above the meeting 1ail as usual. By an examı-
nation of the Drawing it will be seen that the weight of the said diop is so disposed
that when the said drop is in its normal position its front edge or striking part a
protrudes through the slot d in the fixing plate c and as seen in Figure 5 and the
other Figures herein-after descubed, projects over the meeting 1ails of both sashes
and prevents the descent of the top sash or the ascent of the bottom sash, e is the
shoulder or guard of the sash drop for preventing it being released by a knife or
other instrument inserted between the sashes The position of the said shoulder or
guaid e on the front edge or striking part of the sash drop is seen in the Drawing,
the said shoulder or guaid in combination with the bottom curved edge f resembling
generally the bevelled head of a latch bolt The curved end or bottom f of the diop
is struck from the centie b on which the diop tuins, and in consequence works
closely in and nearly fills up the slot d in the fixing plate c in which it moves as
represented
By an examination of Figure 5 of the Drawing it will be seen that when a knife
or other like instrument is inserted between the sashes to release the sash diop, and by
a descending motion the said knife or instrument is diawn over the front edge of
the diop the said knife or instrument comes in contact with and 'bears against the
shoulder or guaid e on the said diop, but it will also be seen that the knife or
instrument has no power to release the drop by pushing it inwards, the vertical
pressure which is put upon the diop by the knife or instrument maintaining it more
firmly in its normal or fastening position
Figures 5 and 6 represent in vertical section portions of the two sashes of a
window to which sashes balanced sash diops constructed according to our Invention,
in combination with mechanism on apparatus constructed according to our Invention
for releasing or operating the said sash diops are applied In the said Figures 5
and C a double or compound drop is applied to the upper sash, the lower drop being
used for fastening the two sashes when closed, and the upper drop being used for
preventing the sashes being opened beyond a limited distance.
In Figure 5 the releasing mechanism is represented in its normal position, and in
Figure 6 un action, the lower sash drop in the said Figure 6 being represented
pushed back or released so as to permit the sashes being opened
Figure 7 respresents in side elevation, and Figure S in front elevation, the
eleasing mechanism detached from the sash, and Figure 9 represents a part of the
same detached
The same letters indicate the same parts
g, h, are the two balanced sash drops constructed as herein-before described, and
canned by the same fixing plate 2, the said fixing plate being secured to the upper
sash, above the meeting rail of the said upper sash m is the meeting rail of the
lower sashi n On the meeting rail m the releasing apparatus is fixed opposite the
lower sash drop g on the upper sash k. The said releasing apparatus consists of
a weighted level 2 (shown separately in Figure 9) working in the case q fixed by
the base plate to the meeting all m The sud weighted level p tuins on the
centie or pin på which is supported in the sides of the case q The weight of the
lever is so disposed that when at liberty to move it takes the vertical position
represented in Figure 5, the front vertical edge or face p' of the said weighted level
in its normal position being situated at such a distance from the edge of the meet-
ing rail mas to allow the sash drop g (01 the one h above it) to enter the open

page_text: The sasli
front of the caso q and cross the meeting 1ails of both sashes, thereby constituting
a stop and preventing the descent of the top sash or the ascent of the bottom
sash n. The front edge or face p' of the weighted lever p forms a moveable striking
plate for pushing back or releasing the diop g or h when required, and also as a
stationary striking plate for the same purpose as herein-after described
drop g is released to open the sashes in the following manner -A cord 8, the lower
end of which is within reach of the hand, is passed through an opening q* in the
back of the case q over a pulley t'in the said case, and under a pulley u cared by
the forked bracket or aim at the back of the weighted lover p The cord is then
passed though the open top of the case q and its upper end is fastened at w³ near
the top of the upper sash By means of the hand cord 8 the iclcasing apparatus
When it is
is brought into action and the upper sash simultaneously lowered
wished to open the upper sash the said cord 8 is pulled down By the tension
put upon the cords it presses against the inner side of the pulley u and the
weighted lever is thereby tuned on its centre p and made to take the inclined
position represented in Figure 6 In taking this position the front edge or face p*
of the weighted lever p acting as a stuking plato releases the sash drop g, that
18, pushes the drop back into its opening in the fixing plate a so as to cause it to lic
flush with the said fixing plate as represented in Figure 6 The drop being thus
released the pressure on the hand cords pulls down the upper sash h, the upper sash
drop during the descent of the sash stinking against and being pushed back
by the inclined fiont edge or striking plate p' of the now stationary weighted
lever P.
When it is wished only to open the sash to the extent permitted by the second
or top drop the pull on the cord 8 15 relaxed as the drop approaches the meeting
ail m of the lowei sash n, the weighted lever p thereby takes the normal position,
Figure 5, and the second diop his permitted to cross the meeting rails of the sashes
acting as a stop and preventing the further descent of the upper sash, as herein-
before described with respect to the bottom drop g The upper sash may be raised
by one or more cords connected to the top of the sash, and passing over pulleys at
the top of the window fiaine in the usual manner. The window having been
opened by releasing the sash drops the said drops resume their normal positions, and
on the window being closed they refasten the window
Any number of sash drops may be used, either in separate fixing plates or in one
fixing plate, and ananged at the desired distance apart, the staking plate of the
mechanism releasing all the drops in succession Instead of operating the releasing
mechanism by the same hand cord by which the sash is lowered the said mechanisın
may be operated by an independent cord, or directly by hand
Figure 9 represents the releasing mechanism operated by an independent hand
coid In this airangement the cord 8, after it has been passed through the opening q'
in the back of the case q, passes over the pulley t (oi a bar), and is then passed
through a hole in and fastened to the pulley or bar u' By pulling the colds the
weighted level p is inade to release the sash drop and act as a striking plate, as
herein-before described with respect to Figures 5 and 6
Figures 9 and 9 represent a release to be operated by pressure of the finger upon
a finger plate, Figure 9³, showing the releaser in its normal position, and Figure 9° the
same in action In this arrangement an arm or finger plate po projects from the back
of the lower part of the weighted lever p, and is pressed upon by the finger when it
15 wished to release the drop
Figure 10 represents the arrangement of our Invention in which a spring arm or
level for releasing the drop, and for acting as a striking plate is employed in place
of a weighted aim or lever, as last described Figure 11 represents a side elevation,
and Figure 12 a back elevation of the spring lever and parts connected therewith
detached from the sash t is the spring lever jointed at t to the forked upright u
carried by the base plate vi fixed to the meeting rail m of the lower sash n A
portion of the said sping levert works between the fork of the upright u, as seen
in the section, Figure 10. An arm w projects from the back of the lever t and

page_text: carries a bracket x, against which the spring y acts, the said spring giving the back
motion to the said level t, and maintaining it in the normal or vertical position
epicscnted The bracket carries a roller and the upught u canes a roller t³,
between which rollers and the hand cords for operating the releasing inechanism
and for lowering the upper sash passes, as represented
8
The action of this arrangement is the same as that represented in Figures 5, 6,
and 94, and corresponding parts are marked with the same letters of reference, and
the said arrangement may be worked by an independent cord or by a finger plate,
as described with respect to the weighted level arrangement
Figure 13 represents our an angeinent for releasing the sash drop by means of a
sliding striking plate, and Figure 14 is a plan of the sliding striking plate detached fiom
the sash The releasing mechanism or sliding striking plate, Figure 13, is represented
in conjunction with sash diops of the ordinary kind, but we wish it to be under-
stood that the releasing arrangement, Figures 13 and 14, may be used in conjunction
with our improved sash diops, and that the arrangements, Figures 5, 6, 94, 9, 9º,
and 10, foi releasing our improved sash drops, and for acting as striking plates for
the said drops, may be used in conjunction with ordinary sash drops
The ordinary sash drops are marked 3 and 4 in Figure 13, and the sliding striking
plate is marked 2 in Figures 13 and 14 The said sliding striking plate 2 is inclined
at its fiont face, and is carried by the 10d 5 working in the guides or bearing 7, 7,
on the base plate fixed to the meeting rail m 8 is a coiled spring around the rod 5,
one end of the said spring taking its abutment against one of the guides 7, and the
other end against a collar on the said 10d 5 By means of the said spring 8 the
inclined striking plate 2 is maintained in the norinal position represented When
the window is to be opened the button or knob at the outer end of the sliding rod 5
is pressed inwards by hand, the striking plate 2 is thereby made to take the
position indicated in dotted lines in Figure 13, pushing before it the sash diop 4,
and thereby releasing the said drop, as before described with respect to the arrange-
ment where a weighted lover or a spring lever is used On removing the pressure
from the rod 5 the striking plate 2 ieturns to its normal position by the action of
the spring 8
The sliding striking plate 2, Figures 13 and 14, may be operated by hand cord,
which cord may either be used for operating the striking plate or for operating the
striking plate and opening the sash, as described with respect to the weighted and
spring leven aangements
Figure 15 represents the sliding striking plate operated by a cord which also
lowers the sash In this case the rod 5 carries at its end a roller, and the upright 7ª
of the base plate canies a similar roller, over and under these olleis the cold 10
passes, as represented By the tightening of the cord 10 the striking plate 2 is
operated and the sash opened When the cord is used to operate the sliding stuking 4
plate only the cord 10 is secured to the upright 7 of the baso plate
Having now described the nature of our Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, we wish it to be understood that we do not limit
ourselves to the precise details berein described and illustrated, as the samo may be
vailed without departing from the nature of our Invention, but we claim as out 4
Invention of improvements in sash fastenings and in mechanism or apparatus
connected therewith,-
Fust The improvement herein-before described and illustrated in the accom-
panying Drawings in balanced sash diops, that is to say, constructing the said sash
drops with a shoulder or guard for the purpose, and substantially as described and 5
illustrated
Secondly The improvements in mechanism or apparatus herein-before described
and illustrated in the accompanying Diawings, for operating or releasing our
improved sash diops and ordinary sash drops, that is to say, fixing on the meeting
1ail of the lower sash a weighted aim or level, or a sping arm or lever for forming 5
a striking plate for releasing the sash diops for opening the sashes, and for the sash
drops to stike against during the opening of the sash, the parts of the said weighted

page_text: aim or lever and spring arın oi lever being constructed, combined, and used, sub-
stantially as described and illustrated also, the inclined spring sliding striking
plate herein-before described and illustrated in Figures 13, 14, and 15, for the same
purpose
In witness whereof, I, the said William Henry Tonks, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thud day of July, in the year of our Loid One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-seven
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT,
Clerk to George Shaw,
Birmingham
WILLIAM HENRY TONKS. (LS)