IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SAFETY APPARATUS AND FASTENERS FOR WINDOWS, DOORS, AND OTHER ENCLOSURES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Gall, of Hampden Place, Halifax, in the County
of York, Engineer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OF SAFETY APPARATUS AND FASTENERS FOR WINDOWS, DOORS, AND OTHER
ENCLOSURES"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Gall at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th October 1881.
CHARLES GALL, of Hampden Place, Halifax, in the County of York, Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SAFETY APPARATUS AND FASTENERS
FOR WINDOWS, DOORS, AND OTHER ENCLOSURES."
The object of my Invention is, firstly, to provide a secure, safe, and easily
adjustable sash fastener for windows; secondly, the above window fastener and
alarm combined.
Thirdly. To an improved door fastener and alarm, applicable internally or
externally in any required position.
I construct my window fastener in the form of a dovetail, male and female, one
on each sash; upon the upper or outer sash is fixed a catch box bevelled and hollow,
and on the inner or lower sash I fix a plate carrying two pivotted levers which
engage or enter the hollow of the catch box; one of the levers carries a catch or
drop bolt, and on its under side has a projection which when the catch or lever is
drawn back for the purpose of opening the window engages with the edge of the
plate on the lower sash, and so prevents its return; at the back of the lower lever
and near the pivot is a spiral spring which hold the catch levers forward when the
window is open, so that on its being closed the catch box engages with the lever
and pushes it back until opposite the hollow of the catch box, which it then enters
and secures the same; the plate has two arms bevelled to the form of the catch
box, thus forming a mitre.
When using the window fastener and alarm combined I extend the plate on the
lower or inner sash, on which are placed a suitable spring hammer and anvil; the
hammer is formed so that on lifting it up it depresses the spring and stands at an
Pries 621

page_text: angle; a cap or other detonator is placed upon the anvil, and the window fastener
cannot be opened without depressing a lever bearing against the back of the
hammer, thus releasing the hammer from the spring, and thereby exploding the
detonator and so giving the alarm; a small tumbler is employed for disconnecting
the hammer from the anvil so that the window can be manipulated and cleaned at
will without exploding the cap or detonator.
For securing and fastening doors or other enclosures I use the extended plate,
spring, anvil, and tumbler, as described for windows, but dispense with the male
and female parts, levers, and mitres, and lengthen the heel of the hammer so as to
engage with a two way catch placed upon the door frame. When the hammer is at
an angle it engages with the lower catch which is inclined, so that on opening the
door the heel of the hammer rises the incline and releases the hammer from the
spring, thereby exploding the detonator and giving the alarm; the heel of
the hammer then engages with the upper part of the two way catch, the door is
secured and cannot be opened from the opposite side.
For the use of commercial and other travellers I make the alarm, as above
described, to fix on a plate so as to be easily attached to the lower part of any
ordinary door; at the heel end of the striking hammer I pivot a catch or leg hung
at an angle downwards, and having a screw to adjust it so that when the catch
bears or butts against the floor the door cannot be opened from the opposite side,
but by raising the catch with the screw when the door is opened the hammer will
disengage itself from the spring and explode the detonator leaving the door free;
by reversing the screw the door is made secure by the catch butting against the
floor.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Charles Gall in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th April
1882.
CHARLES GALL, of Halifax, in the County of York, Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN SAFETY APPARATUS AND FASTENERS FOR WINDOWS, DOORS, AND
ENCLOSURES."
OTHER
The object of my Invention is, firstly, to provide a secure, safe, and easily
adjustable sash fastener for windows; secondly, the above window fastener and
alarm combined; thirdly, to an improved door fastener and alarm, applicable
internally or externally in any required position.
I construct my window fastener in the form of a male and female dovetail, one
on each sash; upon the upper or outer sash is fixed a catch box, bevelled and hollow,
and on the inner or lower sash I fix a plate carrying two pivotted levers which
engage or enter the hollow of the catch box; one of the levers carries & catch or
drop bolt, and on its under side has a projection which when the catch or lever is
drawn back for the purpose of opening the window engages with the edge of the
plate on the lower sash and so prevents its return; at the back of the lower lever
and near the pivot is a spiral spring which holds the catch levers forward when the
window is open, so that on its being closed the catch box engages with the lever
and pushes it back until opposite the hollow of the catch box, which it then enters
and secures the same; the plate has two arms bevelled to the form of the catch box
thus forming a mitre or dovetail joint.
When using the window fastener and alarm combined I extend the plate on the
lower or inner Bash, on which I place a suitable spring hammer and anvil; the
hammer is formed so that on lifting it up it depresses the spring and stands at an
angle; a cap or detonator is placed upon the anvil, and the window fastener
cannot be opened without depressing a lever bearing against the back of the
hammer, thus releasing the hammer from the spring, and thereby exploding
the detonator and so giving the alarm; a small tumbler is employed for disconnecting
the hammer from the anvil so that the window can be manipulated and cleaned at
will without exploding the detonator.
For securing and fastening doors or other enclosures I use the extended plate or
spring, anvil, and tumbler, as described for windows, but dispense with the male
and female parts, levers, and mitres, and lengthen the heel of the hammer so as to
engage with a two way catch placed upon the door frame. When the hammer is at
angle it engage with the lower catch which is inclined, so that on opening the
door the heel of the hammer rises the incline and releases the hammer from the
spring, thereby exploding detonator and giving the alarm; the heel of the hammer
then engages with the upper part of the two way catch, the door is secured and
cannot be opened from the opposite side. For the use of commercial and other
travellers I make the alarm, as above described, to fix on to a plate so as to be
easily attached to the lower part of any ordinary door; at the heel end of the
striking hammer I pivot a catch or leg bung at an angle downwards, and having a
screw to adjust it, so that when the catch bears or butts against the floor the door
cannot be opened from the opposite side, but by raising the catch with the screw
when the door is opened the hammer will disengage itself from the spring and
explode the detonator leaving the door free; by reversing the screw the door is
made secure by the catch butting against the floor.
Such being the nature and object of this my said Invention, in order that the
same may be fully understood I have hereunto annexed a Sheet of Drawings
illustrative thereof, and have marked the same with figures and letters of reference,
similar letters of reference indicating the same or corresponding parts throughout
all the Figures of the Drawings.

page_text: Fig. 3 is a plan view of Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a general perspective view of my sash fastener and alarm combined.
Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are perspective views of fastener and alarm for doors in different
positions.
Figs. 8, 9, 10, and 11 shew modifications in perspective of fastener and alarm for
doors.
Fig. 12 is a perspective view of portable fastener and alarm, specially designed for
travellers.
I construct my window fastener in the form of a male dovetail A upon one sash,
and a female dovetail B upon the other sash, the two forming a mitre joint; upon
the upper or outer sash is fixed the male dovetail A forming a bevelled and hollow
catch box C; on the inner or lower sash is the female dovetail B which is attached
to a plate D, and carries two pivotted levers E and F, these engage and enter the
hollow of the catch box 0; the lever E carries a catch or drop bolt G, and on its
under side has a projection H, which when the catch or lever E is drawn back to
its full extent will engage with the edge D¹ of the plate D on the lower sash, and
so prevents its return; at the back of the lower lever F and above its pivot K is a
spiral spring J, which holds the catch levers forward when the window is opened, so
that on its being closed the catch box C engages with the lower lever and pushes it
back until opposite the hollow of the catch box, which it then enters and secures
the two together.
When using the window fastener and alarm combined, as shown at Fig. 4, I
extend or enlarge the plate on the lower or inner sash, on which I place a suitable
spring hammer L and anvil M; the hammer L is formed so that on lifting it, it
depresses its spring and stands at an angle; a cap or detonator is placed upon the
anvil M, the window fastener cannot then be opened without depressing the
lever E, which in turn bears the drop bolt or catch G against the back of the spring
hammer, thus releasing the hammer from the spring, thereby exploding the
detonator and giving the alarm. By placing a small adjustable tumbler or guard P,
as shown at Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11, the hammer can be disconnected from
the anvil at will.
For securing and fastening doors or other enclosures I use the spring hammer L,
anvil M, tumbler or guard P, as above described, and lengthen the heel R of the
hammer so as to engage with a two way catch S which is placed upon the door, 80
that when the hammer is at angle, it engages with the lower inclined catch S¹
upon opening the door the heel R of the hammer rises the incline and releases it
from the spring, thereby expoding the detonator; the heel then engages with
the upper catch S3 and the door is secured and cannot be opened from the opposite
side. When required a key T of peculiar construction can be provided to act upon
a tumbler V so as to set, raise, or lower the hammer at will from the opposite side
of the door (see Figs. 10 and 11).
For the use of travellers I construct a portable fastener and alarm, as shown at
Fig. 12, the hammer and anvil fixes on to a suitable plate which is attached to the
lower part of the door by thumbscrews; at the heel of the spring bammer I pivot a
catch or leg W hanging downwards at an angle, and having a screw X to adjust it,
so that when the hammer is set and the door pushed the leg W butts against the
floor of the room, releases the spring, and explodes the detonator, leaving the door
free; or the leg W may be used without the hammer being set by adjusting the
leg W by means of the screw X; upon pushing the door the leg will butt against
the floor and so secure it.

page_text: Having thus fully described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same may be carried into effect, I would
have it understood that what I claim as my Invention to be secured to me by the
hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. The combination in the sash fasteners of the male and female dovetails A
and B, substantially as set forth.
Second. The combination in fasteners for windows of levers E and F, drop
bolt G, and catch box C, substantially as set forth.
Third. The combination of the sash fasteners and alarm, arranged and constructed
substantially as set forth.
Fourth. The combination in a fastener and alarm for doors of the two way catch S,
hammer L, with its heel R and anvil M, with or without the key T and tumbler V,
substantially as set forth.
Fifth. In a portable fastener for doors the combination of the hammer L and
leg W with adjustable screw X, substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Gall, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twelfth day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty two.
Witness,
JOHN E. WALSH,
Patent Agent and Consulting Engineer,
Halifax, Leeds, and Bradford.
CHARLES GALL (L.S.)