Year: 1888

page_text: We, FREDERICK ALBERT HENNINGER, Watchmaker, and JOHN THILO FYFER,
Merchant, both residing at Columbia, in the County of Boone and State of Missouri,
one of the United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Our invention relates to that class of fasteners designed to be attached, usually, to
the meeting rails of sashes and it consists in a novel construction and arrangement of
parts as hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed, by which a more effective and
otherwise desirable article of this character is produced than those now in common
use.
The invention particularly consists in a peculiar form of the locking toe of the
fastening lever and catch or socket by which a burglar will be prevented from mani-
pulating the sash from the outside and children from tampering with the sashes and
changing their relative positions when arranged for ventilating purposes.
It further consists in a peculiar arrangement of rubber to prevent the rattling of
the sashes by the wind or the usual jarring of the house in walking or closing
the doors.
It further consists in a novel arrangement of locking pin in such relation to the
lever that it will either lock said lever or hold it so that it will not interfere with
the movement of the sashes past each other.
The nature and operation of the improvement will be understood from the following
explanation.
In the accompanying drawings:-
--
Figure 1, is a side view of one form of our improved sash-fastener, in use and
partly unlocked, and the lever ready to be withdrawn from the keeper or catch which
is shown in section.
Figure 2, is a vertical longitudinal section of one form of our fastener applied to
the vertical side stile of the sash and shown in a locked position.
Figure 3, is a perspective view of the fastener unlocked and the lever, fastened
back out of the path of the sashes. This form is also applied to the side stile.

page_text: Figure 4, is a perspective view of the catch or keeper which may be used when the
sash has two panes of glass only and is intended to be placed on the upright
which divides the window in the middle. Several of these may be used one above
another.
Figure 5, is a perspective view of another form which may be used when desired.
The beveled end or toe of the locking lever permits the upper sash to be unfastened
and raised without handling the lever.
A, represents an upper sash and, B, a lower one: A¹, the bottom or meeting rail
of the upper sash and, B¹, the top or meeting rail of the lower sash. C, is the frame
or stile of the lower sash and, D, the side frame of the upper one; E, is a metallic
base plate from which arise two vertical standards, F, and, F¹, between which is
pivoted the locking lever, G, which has a somewhat heavy or weighted handle or
cross-piece, H. K, is a metal strip to be secured either to the vertical side frame of
the sash, or to the middle stile or dividing piece when the sash is composed of two
panes of glass. This strip is, of course, furnished with openings into which the end
of the fastening lever takes to secure the sash. This series of openings may extend
as far as desirable, but six or eight inches will usually be found sufficient. L, is a
form of catch or keeper which may be placed in the center of the meeting rail of the
upper sash when the sash is of a single pane of glass.
M, Figure 4, is a single keeper to go upon the dividing frame of the sash; a, a, are
small holes or openings in the vertical standards into which may be passed a locking
pin, b, which can be secured by a small chain to the rail. A shingle nail or small
wooden pin will readily serve for this purpose. d, d, are extensions on each side of
the locking end of the lever which make it what is commonly termed T-shaped;
ff, are little recesses at the upper and lower ends of the lever opening in the catch
or keeper, in one of which recesses one of the ends, d, d, of the lever will rest
according as the sash is pulled up or down. When the sash is at just the proper
position the lever end can be withdrawn by raising the handle, H. g, g, are the
journal pins on which the locking levers are pivoted. h, h, are pieces of rubber
secured directly beneath the base plate, H, of the fastener. The free or outer ends
of these may either project directly forward against the meeting rail of the upper
sash or be turned down as shown in Figures 1 and 2, and lie along the vertical faces
of the rail.
When the sashes are locked the pressure of each rail against this yielding rubber
prevents noise or rattling. We are aware that cork and plugs of rubber have been
inserted at various points to prevent rattling, and that rubber rollers are used for that
purpose, we are, however, unaware of anything of the extremely simple nature of the
sheet of rubber simply laid underneath the base plate of the fastener and secured by
the screws holding the latter on the rail. This piece also serves the double purpose
of hindering the free movement of a knife blade inserted from the outside to move the
locking lever, and relieve it from the catch or keeper.
It is well known that burglars insert a knife blade between the meeting rails of a
sash and ingeniously manage to crowd one side and swing open the locking lever that
swings in a horizontal plane at right angles to the path of the sashes. They also, with
inserted wires, often unlock a lever which moves like the present one in a vertical
plane.
The one great purpose of our particular locking lever is to foil or baffle the
burglar.
This we accomplish by means of the peculiar T-shape of the toe or locking end of
the lever and the two small recesses in the catch above and below the rectangular
opening or recess in the face of the keeper.
In Figure 2, the lever is shown locked in the sash opening. The projection, d, of
the T-head rests in the recess, f, above the face opening in the keeper bar, and of
course prevents the withdrawal of the lever.
Suppose a burglar or a child pushes up the upper sash either from the outside or
the inside, he will push the T-end down into the lower recess, †, which will in the
same manner prevent the withdrawal of the lever.

page_text: For greater security a pin of any sort, either attached by a cord or chain to the sash
or not, may be passed through the hole, a, in the uprights in which the locking lever
is journaled.
It is also very convenient at times to have the lever end entirely out of the way, so
that the sashes may be freely moved, and in this case the lever is entirely withdrawn
and the pin inserted to hold it back."
It is too readily seen to require illustration or much explanation that the small
keeper or catch of Figure 4, may be secured, either by a hole in the base to the
meeting rail, or by the two holes in its back against the dividing stile of the sash.
This keeper may also take the place of the long metal bar which is also used, either in
the middle or at the side vertical frame.
The catch shown in Figure 5, with a beveled toe, d, may also be used in any of the
various positions indicated and when this form is used the upper sash may be pushed
up and automatically unfastened if desired, by simply removing the pin b.
The metal bar, it will be seen in Figure 3, where it is attached to the side frame,
has a bevel in the lower face of the rectangular keeper or catch opening. This
fastener then may be used on the middle or side vertical rail and on the upper side of
the meeting rail. It may be screwed directly upon the rail, and of the form in
Figure 4; or a single recessed opening may be mounted on a base plate with vertical
support as in Figure 1.
This fastener is particularly serviceable with sashes that are balanced with weights
or by springs, or where the two sashes balance each other by a cord passing over a
pulley in the frame above.
The lower sash may be opened to the proper point, and the upper one lowered, and
then firmly secured together for the purpose of ventilation.
Even if now the sashes be forced up as far as possible, or down until the lower sash
strikes the sill, yet an opening will not be afforded for a burglar.
The handle of the locking lever may be bent, either to the right or left or downward,
as convenient, and the particular position it is placed in will require. Of course the
material from, which the fastener is made and the size can be varied at will.
The T-shaped toe on the lever is particularly adapted to sashes with weights. The
parts that meet and move over each other are all of metal and thus the sashes are not
scratched, worn or disfigured.
When sashes have no weights there would be no object in having the keepers or
catches extend over eight or nine inches in length.
It is evident that our fastener may be used on both sides of the sash if desired. The
pin, of course, may be dispensed with at will.
It is too evident to require illustration, that the metal keeper strip may, be screwed
by a bent end upon the upper frame of the window and hang in the middle free of the
sashes. Now if recesses are made in the upright of the upper sash, and the fastener
secured to the lower, both sashes without weights, springs or balancing devices, may
be locked securely to this long strip or metal bar or keeper furnished with a series of
rectangular openings.
The fastener may be thus used, it is thus seen, in almost any desirable position.
The rubber anti-rattling piece may be recessed into the under side of the base plate
of the fastener, or a recess may be made in the wood of the rail under the base plate of
the fastener, and thus thicker pieces of rubber be used.
We are unaware of any simple fastener of this sort that, while being unlocked, will
by one ignorant of its character, be forced to the other side of the keeper and again
locked as securely as ever.
Any flexible and soft material may be used in place of the rubber.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is
1. In a sash fastener the combination of a locking lever journaled in uprights
secured to the meeting rail of the lower sash, and swinging in a vertical plane at right

page_text: angles to the path of the sashes, and furnished with a T-shaped locking toe or end.
with a keeper or catch having recesses, f, f, extending above and below the entrance
opening, substantially as described.
2. In a sash fastener the combination of a locking lever journaled in uprights
secured to a sash rail and swinging in a vertical plane at right angles to the path of
the sashes, with locking pin openings in the rear of the bend or elbow of said locking
lever, and extending through said uprights, whereby the said lever may be securely
held in a locked or unlocked position at will, substantially as and for the purpose
described.
3. In a sash fastener to be secured to the meeting rail of a lower sash, the combina-
tion of the base plate with a sheet of rubber secured directly underneath the same, with
its free end extending against the upper sash to prevent rattling, all as and for the
purpose described.
4. In a sash fastener the combination of a locking lever journaled in uprights
secured to the meeting rail of the lower sash and swinging in a vertical plane at right
angles to the path of the sash, and furnished with the locking end or toe as described,
with a recessed catch or keeper bar, with rectangular recesses beveled only on their
lower sides to permit the upper sash to be pushed up and the lower saslı pushed down
without manipulating the lever, substantially as and for the purpose described.
Datad thin 19th Jan of T... 1000
FREDERICK ALBERT HENNINGER.
JOHN THILO FYFER.
By Jensen & Son,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Patent Agents.
FREDERICK ALBERT HENNINGER.
JOHN THILO FYFER.
By Jensen & Son,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Patent Agents.