IMPROVEMENTS IN WINDOW SASH AND CASEMENT FASTENERS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Banks, of Cockermouth, in the County of
Cumberland, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WINDOW SASH
AND CASEMENT FASTENERS."-
Sealed the 31st January 1871, and dated the 7th September 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Banks at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th September 1870.
I, JOHN BANKS, of Cockermouth, in the County of Cumberland, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
WINDOW SASH AND CASEMENT FASTENERS," to be as follows:-
:-
According to my improvements I make the lower part or stem of the
knob handle of the fastener in the form of a bracket, the two legs of
which are received and slide in slots made longitudinally in the bolt.
The one leg (that towards the free extremity of the bolt) passes
completely through and projects from the under side of the bolt for the
purpose of locking the latter in position, by engaging in a corresponding
inclined recess or catch provided on each plate of the fastener, at either

page_text: extremity of the course or quadrant described by the free end of the
bolt. The locking of the latter in the closed position is effected by
sliding forward the knob and bracket (the two limbs of the latter
traversing their slots). until the projecting leg engages in the recess
or catch provided on the front or lower sash plate, whereby the bolt is
secured and cannot be thrown back until released by sliding back the
knob and bracket. The second catch is provided on the upper sash
plate to retain the bolt when in the open position in lieu of the spring
usually employed for the purpose. I also pivot the bolt on a pin
rivetted or fixed to the upper sash plate on which the bolt is free to
turn, and on which it is secured by a nut screwed on the pivot with
a washer fixed on a square shoulder interposed to. prevent the nut
unscrewing by the movement of the bolt.
I further provide a series of teeth or serrations on the catch plate or
that carried on the lower sash, a corresponding serrated surface being
formed on the lower surface of the bolt to mesh with the first when the
fastener is closed, and so form a rigid connection between the meeting
hawn of the cusho to warrant the latter haing nattlal by the wind
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Banks in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 7th March 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
BANKS, of Cockermouth, in the County of Cumberland, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Banks, Her special licence that
I, the said John Banks, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I the said John Banks, 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

page_text: Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle
of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WINDOW SASH AND CASEMENT
FASTENERS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John
Banks, 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 John Banks, 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, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that
is to say) :-
According to my improvements I make the lower part or stem of the
knob handle of the fastener in the form of a fork, the two legs of
which fork are received and slide in slots made longitudinally in the bolt.
The one leg (that towards the free extremity of the bolt) passes
completely through and projects from the under side of the bolt for the
purpose of locking the latter in position by engaging in a corresponding
inclined recess or catch provided on each plate of the fastener at either
extremity of the course or quadrant described by the free end of the
latch or bolt. The locking of the latter in the closed position is effected
by sliding forward the knob handle (the two limbs of the latter
traversing their slots) until the projecting leg engages in the recess or
catch provided on the front or lower sash plate whereby the bolt is
secured and cannot be thrown back until released by sliding back the
knob handle. The second catch is provided on the upper sash plate,
to retain the bolt when in the open position, in lieu of the spring
usually employed for the purpose. I also pivot the bolt on a pin
rivetted or fixed to the upper sash plate, on which the bolt is free to
turn and on which it is secured by a nut screwed on the pivot with
a washer fixed on a square shoulder interposed to prevent the nut
unscrewing by the movement of the bolt.
I further provide a series of teeth or serrations on the catch plate
or that carried on the lower sash, a corresponding serrated surface being
formed on the lower surface of the bolt to mesh with the first when

page_text: the fastener is closed and so form a rigid connection between the
meeting bars of the sashes to prevent the latter being rattled by the
wind when loosened by the shrinking of the woodwork.
"
"
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows in elevation my improved fastener as applied to the
meeting bars of an ordinary window sash, the fastener being in the
'open' or unlatched position; Figure 2 is a plan of the fastener;
Figure 3 is a plan of the fastener in the closed or locked position;
Figure 4 is a section of the sash and fastener taken on line 1, 2,
Figure 3; and Figure 5 is a back view of the front plate showing the
slope of the rack teeth.
a is the latch of the fastener pivoted-at-b-to-the-latch-plate-c, which
is screwed to the mecting bar of the upper sash in the usual manner.
d is the knob handle by which the latch a is turned on its pivot b.
The lower part of the knob handle is bifurcated or made of bracket
form (see Figure 6), having two legs e, f, which are received in
longitudinal slots g, h, in the latch a. The shorter lege is dovetailed
into its slot or groove g, which is made to correspond so as to retain it
therein, and the other and longer leg passes completely through the
latch and projects from its under side for the purpose of engaging with
a corresponding catch i cast on the front plate of the fastener by
which the latch is held in the closed or latched position. The knob
handled thus forms a bolt capable of being slid along its slots in the
latch a in order to engage or disengage the projecting leg from the
catch i. A similar catch may be cast on the back plate c to hold
the latch in the unlatched position, as shown in Figure 2 (when a
spring is not employed for the purpose) and prevent the latch being
accidentally thrown partially forward into an intermediate position by
the shaking of the sash, or an ordinary spring may be used, as shown
in red lines. is the usual cover fixed on the plate k to prevent the
latch being raised when in the locked position. In order to lock the
fastener the knob handle d is first slid back along the latch towards
the pivot b; the latch is then turned forward on its pivot to the
position shown in Figures 3 and 4, so as to bring the latch beneath
the cover l, which passes between the legs of the knob handle. Just as
the latch arrives at the extremity of its course the knob handle comes
in contact with the inclined edge of the cover 1, and being at the same
time slid forward the leg enters the curved recess of the catch i, thus

page_text: securing the fastener in the locked position, so as to prevent its being
opened from the outside. The lege is dovetailed as before mentioned,
and the leg being provided with an enlarged end or head, as shown,
to prevent the knob handle being raised out of the slot. The slot g
extends along the latch to the pivot hole in which the leg e is inserted
to introduce it into said slot g, the leg or pin f being afterwards inserted
in its slot from the under side of the latch a and screwed or riveted
into the bracket & which is thus securely attached to the latch.
The rack forming the second part of my Invention for preventing the
rattling of the window sashes is also illustrated in the Drawings. mis
a curved rack or series of teeth cast on the plate as shown, each tooth
being curved to an arc of a circle described from a centre at the distance
of the pivot or centre of motion of the latch but a little the left of the
same. n is a corresponding series of teeth or serrations cut on the
under surface of the latch a. These teeth may be straight if the latch
be narrow or if wide as shown in the Drawing and the teeth extend
entirely across, they should be slightly.curved so as to mesh with those
of rack m, which being further from the pivot b at one side than at the
other will draw the two plates c, k, and the meeting bars to which they
are fixed slightly together, and tighten the connection between the
latch a and the rack m so as to prevent the objectionable rattling of the
sashes when loosened by the shrinking of the woodwork. The rack m
is slightly inclined or lower at the side first entered by the teeth n of
the latch as shown in the rear view, Figure 5, to facilitate the engage-
ment of the two racks which are kept firmly wedged or locked in one
another by the cover l. It will be understood that one tooth or pro-
jection on the under side of the latch engaging with a corresponding
tooth on the plate would be sufficient to hold the sashes together, but by
having a series of teeth on each provision is made for drawing the sashes
close together as the woodwork shrinks, by the teeth on the latch taking
into others on the plate.
Having described the nature of my Invention and the manner of
performing the same, I declare that what I claim as my Invention to
be protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
1st. The combination with the latch of a window fastener above
described of a sliding knob handle for securing said latch when in the
locked position by engaging with a fixed catch, substantially as herein-
before set forth and illustrated in the Drawings.

page_text: 2ndly. I claim providing the latch with one or more rack teeth or
serrations on the under side to mesh with corresponding teeth on the
catch plate, substantially [as herein-before described and shown in the
Drawings for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Banks, have hereunto set my t
hand and seal, this Sixth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.