NEW OR IMPROVED MECHANISM FOR SETTING OR ADJUSTING THE POSITION OF SWING LOOKING GLASSES AND OTHER SWINGING ARTICLES."
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Whitfield, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Manufacturer, and Henry William Atkins, of Birmingham afore-
said, Commercial Traveller, for an Invention of "NEW OR IMPROVED
MECHANISM FOR SETTING OR ADJUSTING THE POSITION OF SWING LOOKING
GLASSES AND OTHER SWINGING ARTICLES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Whitfield and Henry
William Atkins at the Office of the Coininissioners of Patents on the 18th
October 1880.
JAMES WHITFIELD, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer,
and HENRY WILLIAM ATKINS, of Birmingham aforesaid, Commercial Traveller.
"NEW OR IMPROVED MECHANISM FOR SETTING OR ADJUSTING THE POSITION OF
SWING LOOKING GLASSES AND OTHER SWINGING ARTICLES."
Our Invention consists in constructing and arranging, in the manner hereinafter
described, mechanism for setting or adjusting the position of swing looking glasses
and other swinging articles.
We will describe our Invention in connection with a swing looking glass.
To the pillar or upright of the looking glass we attach (preferably in the manner
hereinafter described) the pin or axis on which the looking glass swings or turns.
The said axis is carried by a circular disc, the axis being perpendicular to and in
the centre of the disc. The base of the said axis, or that part which joins the disc,
is enlarged into a box or case having a cross chamber or recess parallel to the disc.
In this recess & spring bolt is placed, the said bolt sliding in the recess. The said
bolt is situated radially with respect to the disc, and its outer end projects from the
case in which it slides.
To the side of the frame of the looking glass we attach a circular box, into the
open side of which, when the parts of the mechanism are put together, the disc on
the pillar of the looking glass fits. In the centre of the closed side of the said box
is a hole of a size suitable for the reception of the axis, the said axis turning in the
said hole as a bearing when the looking glass is swinging or its position is changed,

page_text: In the said box is a metallic ring, the exterior of which fits closely upon and is
secured to the hollow cylindrical part of the box. The inner surface of this ring is
not circular, but has an undulating or serrated figure. When the disc is fixed to
the box, the axis engages in its bearing in the said box, and the end of the spring
holt presses against the undulating or serrated surface of the ring. When the
looking glass is turned on its axis, the said undulating or serrated surface_travels
over the end of the bolt, the looking glass being held with considerable firmness
when the bolt is engaged in any of the depressions in the undulating surface. The
firinness with which the looking glass is held in the position it has been brought
to depends on the strength of the spring bolt.
In order to set or adjust the looking glass in a changed position, it is only
necessary to press it in the required direction with a force sufficient to overcome
the pressure of the spring bolt on the undulating or serrated surface.
We prefer to connect the disc carrying the axis to the upright of the looking
glass by means of a dovetail fixed to the latter, taking into a dovetail slide on
the back of the former, but we do not limit ourselves to any particular means of
altachment.
Our Invention is applicable to swinging articles other than looking glassos, such
for example as windows, fan lights, and ventilators.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Whitfield and Houry William Atkins in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 12th April 1881.
JAMES WHITFIELD, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer,
and HENRY WILLIAM ATKINS, of Birmingham aforesaid, Commercial Traveller.
'NEW OR IMPROVED MECHANISM FOR SETTING OR ADJUSTING THE POSITION OF
SWING LOOKING GLASSES AND OTHER SWINGING ARTICLES."
"
Our Invention consists in constructing and arranging in the manner herein after
described, mechanism for setting or adjusting the position of swing looking glasses
and other swinging articles.
We will describe our Invention in connection with a swing looking glass.
To the pillar or upright of the looking glass we attach (preferably in the manner
herein after described) the pin or axis on which the looking glass swings or turns.
The said axis is carried by a circular disc, the axis being perpendicular to and in
the centre of the disc.
The base of the said axis or that part which joins the disc is enlarged into a box
or case having a cross chamber or recess parallel to the disc.
In this recess a spring bolt is placed, the said bolt sliding in the recess. The said_
bolt is situated radially with respect to the disc, and its outer end projects from the
case in which it slides.
To the side of the frame of the looking glass we attach a circular box, into the
open side of which, when the parts of the mechanism are put together, the disc on
the pillar of the looking glass fits. In the centre of the closed side of the said box
is a hole of a size suitable for the reception of the axis, the said axis turning in
the said hole as a bearing when the looking glass is swinging or its position is
changed.
In the said box is a metallic ring, the exterior of which fits closely upon and is
secured to the hollow cylindrical part of the box. The inner surface of this ring is
not circular, but has an undulating or serrated figure. When the disc is fixed to
the box, the axis engages in its bearing in the said box, and the end of the spring
bolt presses against the undulating or serrated surface of the ring. When the
looking glass is turned on its axis, the said undulating or serrated surface travels
over the end of the bolt, the looking glass being held with considerable firmness*
when the bolt is engaged in any of the depressions in the undulating surface. The
firmness with which the looking glass is held in the position it has been brought to
depends on the strength of the spring of the spring bolt. In order to set or adjust
the looking glass in a changed position, it is only necessary to press it in the
required direction with a force sufficient to overcome the pressure of the spring bolt
on the undulating or serrated surface.
We prefer to connect the disc carrying the axis to the upright of the looking
glass by means of a dovetail fixed to the latter, taking into a dovetail slide on the
back of the former; the other part carrying the circular box may be attached to the
frame of the looking glass in a similar way, but we do not limit ourselves to any
particular means of attachment.
Our Invention is applicable to swinging articles other than looking glasses, such
for example as windows, fan lights, and ventilators.
We will now proceed to describe with reference. to the accompanying Drawing
the manner in which our Invention is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in side elevation a portion of a swing looking glass provided
with mechanism constructed according to our Invention for setting or adjusting the
position of the said swing looking glass.

page_text: Figure 2 represents elevations taken at right angles to one another of the said
mechanism detached from the glass, and Figure 3 represents a cross section of the
mechanism taken on the line a, a, Figure 2.
Figure 4 represents elevations taken at right angles to one another of that part
of the mechanism which is attached to the frame of the swing looking glass, and
Figure 5 represents elevations taken at right angles to one another of that part of
the mechanism which is attached to the upright of the swing glass.
That part of the mechanism which is attached to the upright or pillar b, Figure 1,
consists of a nearly disc like plate c having end pieces c², c², which are screwed to
the said pillar b. This plate c carries the pin or axis d, on which the looking glass
swings or turns. In the middle of the disc like plate c is a case e, and from the said
case the pin or axis & projects.
In the said case e a spring bolt f works, the said bolt being situated radially with
respect to the disc o (see Figure 3). The outer end of the spring bolt fis taper or
wedge shaped and projects from the case in which it slides.
The part of the mechanism which is attached to the frame g of the looking glass
consists of a circular box h and a fixing plate i, the said plate i being situated at
right angles to the said box h. By means of the plate the box may be con-
nected to the edge of the looking glass frame y, the said plate being screwed to the
back of the frame. In the middle of the closed side of the box h is a hole h².
When the two parts c and h of the mechanism are fitted together for use, the disc
like plato c bears against and closes the open side of the box %, and the pin or axis d
on the part e fits in the hole ², the said hole constituting a bearing for the pin or
axis d. The protruding end of the pin or axis & is rivetted on the outer face of
the box h, and the two parts of the mechanism are thereby connected together and
are ready to be fitted to the looking glass. In the said box h is a ring & made of
gun metal or other hard and durable metal, the said ring constituting a lining to
the box h. The box is by preference cast upon the gun metal ring or lining k,
but the said box and ring may be made separately and afterwards connected
together in any convenient way. The inner surface of the ring ke has the undulating
or serrated figure represented in Figures 3 and 4.
After the two parts c, h, of the mechanism have been secured together in the
manner before described, the taper end of the spring bolt f presses against the
undulating or serrated surface of the ring %, as illustrated in Figure 3.
When the swing looking glass to which our Invention has been applied is turned
on the axis din either direction, the circular box h on the glass frame g moves
with it, and its undulating surface k travelling over the end of the spring sliding
bolt forces the said bolt inwards as the crests of the undulations pass over it.
When the pressure is removed from the looking glass one of the depressions in the
undulating surface k of the box / engages with the taper end of the spring bolt f
and holds the looking glass with considerable firmness in the position to
which it has been adjusted, as will be understood by an examination of
Figure 3.
The amount of resistance offered to the motion of the swing looking glass may be
varied by varying the strength of the spring of the spring sliding bolt f
The mechanisin described and represented may be applied to both sides of the
swing looking glass, or one side of the looking glass may be furnished with our
Invention, and the other side with the ordinary looking glass mounting.
Instead of connecting the disc part c.carrying the case e and pin or axis & to the
pillar by screws, as represented, the said disc part c may be connected by a dove-
tail arrangement, as represented in Figures 6 and 7, that is to say, we take a
plate, as represented in Figure 7, the outer side of the said plate being provided
with a dovetail m. This plate is fixed by screws at its ends in a horizontal
position on the inner side of the pillar or upright b of the looking glass. At the
back of the disc part c we make a dovetail slide n of a shape and size proper to i
engage with the horizontal dovetail m fixed on the upright b. Figure 6 represents
in back elevation, end elevation, and side elevation the dovetail slide n of the disc

page_text: part c engaged with the dovetail m, which is fixed to the upright. The mechanism
having been fixed to the frame of the glass by the fixing plate i, the said frame
can be connected to the pillar b by engaging its dovetail slide n on the disc part
c of the mechanism, with the fixed dovetail m on the side of the pillar b.
Or the dovetail arrangement may be applied to the circular box part h of the
mechanism, which is fixed on the frame of the glass instead of to the part which is
fixed to the pillar.
This arrangement is represented in Figure S, where p is the dovetail plate fixed
in a vertical position at the back of the frame g of the looking glass, and q is the
dovetail slide made in the plate i of the circular box h.
In this arrangement the incchanism is fixed by the disc part c to the pillar b, and
the frame g of the looking glass can be connected with the mechanisin on the pillar
by engaging the dovetail p on the said frame by a sliding motion with the
dovetail slide g on the part h of the mechanism, as will be understood by an
examination of Figure 8.
In applying our Iuvention to swinging windows, fanlights, ventilators, and other
swinging articles, we construct, arrange, and apply the parts substantially as herein
before described and represented with respect to a swing looking glass.
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 claim as our
Invention, the new or improved mechanism for setting or adjusting the position of
swing looking glasses and other swinging articles, herein before described and
illustrated in the accompanying Drawings, that is to say, mechanism consisting
essentially of a spring sliding bolt f, case e, and pin or axis d, carried by one part
of the. mechanism, and a circular box h with the inner undulating or serrated
surface, against which undulating surface the spring bolt bears, the said
undulating surface travelling over the end of the said spring bolt when the
looking glass or other swinging article is turned on its axis, the setting, fixing, or
adjusting of the looking glass or other swinging article being effected by the
engagement of the end of the spring bolt with a depression in the said undulating
surface, the several parts being constructed, combined, and used substantially as
described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Whitfield, have hereunto set iny
hand and seal, this Eighth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT,
37, Temple Street,
Birmingham.
JAMES WHITFIELD. (L.S.)