Improvements in Sash Locks or Fasteners.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Feb., 1897--Accepted, 10th July, 1897
[Communicated from abroad by MILLER LOCK COMPANY, of Laclede Buildings,
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A., Lock Manufacturers.]
Improvements in Sash Locks or Fasteners.
I, HUGH DONALD FITZPATRICK of 70 Wellington Street, Glasgow, Registered
Patent Agent, 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:-
-
The invention relates to sash locks or fasteners, more particularly to that class
in which provision is made for locking either the top or bottom or both in one
or more positions, the locking means of both sashes being concealed from view
The object of the invention is to provide simple and efficient means whereby the
sashes may be locked in their various adjustments without liability of the locking
means being tampered with from the outside for the purpose of moving either sash
so as to give an entrance from the outside to the inside of the room. It has also
for its object to provide efficient means for causing the opening of the top sash to
be dependent upon the operation of the lower sash, the top sash when closed
being locked in that position and incapable of being moved without first moving
the lower sash so as to unlock the top sash, the top sash being capable of movement
up or down so long as the bottom sash holds the locking means out of engagement
with the top sash, and capable of movement in only one direction, that is in the
direction to close the sash when the lower sash is out of operative connection with
the locking means of the upper sash. It has further for its object to provide
efficient means under control of a person in the room for throwing and holding
out of operative position the locking means for the lower sash so as to permit that
sash to be raised, said means being automatically thrown into operative position.
on the reverse movement of lowering of the bottom sash so as to engage a part of
that sash and prevent it from being raised yet at the same time permitting it to
be lowered. These two features of the invention enable either or both of the
sashes to be opened to the extent desired for ventilation without the possibility
of either sash being further opened from the outside, although either sash can be
moved in the direction to close the sash.
The invention has further for its object to generally improve the construction.
of the locking means so as to make them comparatively simple in application and
so that they will compensate for slight variations in dimensions of sashes and
frames supposed to be a uniform size of standard.
Referring to the drawings:
Fig. 1 is a perspective of side of sash-frame and two sashes, in section;
Fig. 2 is a side view of locking parts for bottom sash, shell in section and parts
of frame and sash omitted;
Fig. 3 is a detail view of bottom sash lock with shell in section looking from the
bottom of Fig. 2;
Fig. 4 a plan view of bottom sash lock with face plate removed and guard-
catch engaging latch:

page_text: •
Fig. 5 a detail of latch and guard-catch turned around;
Fig. 6 a perspective of the same parts separated;
Fig.
a plan view of lock for top sash with face plate removed;
Fig. 8 a perspective of latch and operating fingers separated;
Fig. 9 a perspective of one corner of sash showing one form of attaching push 5
button;
Fig. 9 a perspective of portion of rack-bar shown in Fig. 9;
Fig. 10 a front view of modified form of bottom sash latch and guard-catch;
Fig. 11 a side view of the same parts:
Fig. 12 a perspective of part of a window frame showing modified form of lock
for top sash;
1
Fig. 12 a perspective of plate and cam used with, the modified form;
Fig. 13 a perspective of the modified lock with top plate removed and parts
broken away, the lock being inverted from position shown in Fig. 12;
Fig. 14 a detail in cross section through the pintle, of parts shown in Fig 13;
Fig. 15 a detail perspective with parts separated to show more clearly the
construction of pintle and attached parts;
Fig. 16 a perspective of a modification showing lock for both top and bottoni
ashes combined in one shell;
Fig 17 a side view of parts of bottom sash and sash frame with parts broken
away showing application of the form illustrated in Fig. 16;
Fig 18 a detail of the two latches and guard-catch removed from shell;
Fig. 19 a side view of latch and guard catch used in Fig. 16;
Fig. 20 a side view of latch for top sash used in Fig. 16;
Fig. 21 a front view of the same parts; and
Fig. 22 a side view of modified form of latch for bottom sash.
In the drawings the numeral 1 designates a portion of a window frame and 2
and 3 portions of a top and bottom sash to the frame. The bottom sash is pro-
vided along one edge with a rack bar 4 and along the same edge but next to the
rear face of the sash with a cam 5 which is preferably made at the lower end of
a plate 6 which forms a metallic face plate along the edge of the sash just
described.
In the sash frame at a point opposite the rack or stop bar 4 secured to the
stile of the bottom sash, is set the shell 7 which contains the locking means which
secures the bottom sash. The form of the locking means shown in Figs. 2 to 6 of
the drawing consists of a movable latch 8 located in the shell 7 and adapted to
be projected through an opening 9 in the face plate 10 of the shell so as to
engage with the stop or rack bar 4 of the bottom sash. This latch is suitably
supported in the shell so as to slide back and forth therein, for instance by means of
pin 11 passed through the latch and having its bearings in the front and back
walls of the shell, the latch having movement on that supporting pin. The latch
is normally held so as to project through the face plate of the shell and engage the
rack bar 4 as shown in Fig. 1 by means of a spring 12 which may fit in a cavity 13
formed in an off set 14 of the latch and have its outer end bear against the rear
wall of the shell as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing. In connection with this latch 8
there is employed what for convenience is designated a guard-catch 15, which is
illustrated as consisting of a shank 16 which plays in a slot 17 in the latch 8,
a hecl 18 which will lie back of the latch and play in the slot 17, and nose piece 19
adapted when the latch is pushed inward to lie in front of the latch and engage the
same so as to serve as a catch to hold the latch in its inward position and guard
it from engagement with the rack bar as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing. The
guard-catch is under the influence of a spring 20 which bears at one end against
the heel 18 and lies at the other end in a cavity 21 formed in the latch, a stud 22
preferably being formed on the heel so to receive one end of the spring 20 and
prevent it slipping from its place. The tension of this spring: 20 serves to hold
the guard catch in place, and exerting a pressure against the heel thereof tends to
press upward and inward the nose piece against the end of the latch as shown in
ו་..

page_text: Fig. 2 when the latch is pressed inward. When the nose piece is pressed
downward so as to move it from engagement with the front of the latch, the
expansion of the spring 20 tends to draw the guard catch backward beneath the
latch at the same time that the latch is projected outward by the expansion of
its spring 12, the position of the guard-catch in its retracted and normal
position is illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawing. The normal position of
the latch and its guard catch is that illustrated in Figs. 1 and 5 of the drawing
in which position the guard-catch lies back of the face of the shell 7 and the
latch projects beyond said face so as to engage with the stop or rack-bar 4 as
shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, thus preventing the bottom sash from being
raised. A push button 23 passes through a sleeve 24 fitted in the front bead 25 of
the sash frame and is in line with the off set 14 of the latch so that when the push
button is pushed inward it will contact with the off set 14 or a boss 26 which may
be formed thereon and thus enable the latch to be pressed inward against the
tension of spring 12 and so as to move the latch out of engagement with the stop
or rack bar 4. As the latch is pressed inward its front end is carried to the back
of the nose piece 19 of the guard catch and as soon as it passes to the rear thereof the
tension of spring 20 throws the nose piece up in front of the latch into the position
shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing, thus holding back the latch and permitting the
bottom sash to be raised, the face of the stop rack bar 4 pressing against the
nose piece and the spring 12 permitting the latch and guard catch to yield so that
there will be no binding between the rack bar and nose piece. In this way the
bottom sash can be raised to the height desired without interference with its move-
ment. As soon however as the bottom sash moves downward to any extent, the
pressure of the stop or rack bar 4 against the face of the nose piece 19, presses
down the guard catch so as to move its nose piece from in front of the latch
whereupon the expansion of spring 12 immediately projects the latch so that it
will contact with the rack bar 4, not however interfering with downward move-
ment of the sash because the yielding of the spring 12 allows the latch to yield
backward in the movement of the sash. The sash however cannot be lifted because
the spring 12 is constantly pressing the latch outward so that it engages the notches
in the rack bar and the moment that the bottom sash is attempted to be lifted
the latch by reason of its engagement in a notch of the bar prevents the lifting
of the sash as is apparent from inspection of Fig. 1 of the drawing. If it is
desired to raise the sash the push button 23 must be pressed inward so as to force
the latch back out of engagement with the rack bar as before mentioned, which
movement brings the parts into the position shown in Fig. 2.
The push
button 23 being located near the upper part of the bottom sash it cannot be reached
from the outside. The push button 23 is adapted to be turned in its sleeve or
collar 24 and is provided with a lateral pin 27 so thai when the button is to be
pressed inward that pin is brought into alignment with a slot 28 formed in the
sleeve 24, the push button at other times being turned so as to bring the pin to
one side of the slot and thus prevent the button being pressed inward.
desired the push button 23 might be provided with a spring adapted to retract the
button as soon as its pressure on the latch is released but as this forms no part of
the invention and is a well known mechanical construction it is not illustrated.
For the purpose of locking the top sash 2, that sash is provided along one of
it stiles with a rack or stop bar 29, and a shell 30 containing a latch 31 is set into
the -side of the sash frame so that the latch will engage the teeth of the stop or
rack bar. This shell like the shell 7 is set in the frame so that its face will be
flush with the frame, and it is located adjacent to the two sashes, the shell pre-
ferably being formed with ears 32 which may lie in the groove made for the
parting bead between the two sashes, the parting bead being cut away at the
point where the ears lie in the groove as indicated in Fig. 1, the parting bead being
omitted from that figure for clearness of illustration. One form of the latch for
the top sash and its operating parts is clearly illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8 of the
drawing and as there shown the locking means consist of the latch 31 having
If

page_text: a pintle 33 journaled in bosses 34 formed on the inside of the shell 30, the end of
the latch which engages the rack bar 29 (see Fig. 1) normally projecting through
an opening in the face plate of the shell so as to engage the rack bar and being
held in that position preferably by a spring 35 which in Fig. 7 of the drawing
is shown as coiled around the pintle 33. The latch 31 is formed with a heel piece
or extension 36 which is adapted to be engaged by a finger 37 the shank 38 of
which is suitably journaled in the shell 30 and has a pin 39 connected
to it for instance by an extension 40, the pin 39 extending through
a curved slot 41 in the face plate of the shell so that the pin may move therein.
Inasmuch, as the finger 37 bears against the heel piece 36 of the latch and the
latch is normally thrown outward by the spring 35, said spring through the heel
piece 36 will exert a pressure on the finger 37 so as normally to hold its pin 39
in the position indicated in Fig. 1 of the drawing. The pin 39 lies in the path
of the cam 5 (see Fig. 1) secured to the bottom sash 3 so that when that sash.is
raised the cam comes in contact with the pin 39 and turns the finger 37 so as to
press on the heel piece 36 against the tension or spring 35 and throw the latch 31
so that the top sash may be lowered. It will thus be observed that the bottom sash.
must be raised for a certain distance in order to permit the top sash to be lowered.
Consequently when the bottom sash is closed, or even when it is lowered
sufficiently that the cam 5 is out of contact with the pin 39, the top sash is locked
in its position against downward movement and consequently cannot be moved
from the outside for the purpose of making an entrance over the top sash. It
is to be observed however that if the top sash is lowered entirely or partially, it
can be raised without the necessity of first operating the bottom sash, for the
reason, that when the top sash is moved upward, the teeth on the rack bar will
press against the under side of the latch and thus throw the latch backward or
inward against the tension of the spring 35, said spring however pressing the
atch outward after the passage of each tooth of the rack bar so that the top sash
cannot be lowered although it may be raised. The advantage of this is apparent
to any one having occasion to close the top sash. It will thus save labor while at
the same time affording security and protection against manipulation of the sash
from the cutside for the purpose of gaining an entrance either while the sash is
open for ventilation or entirely closed.
If desired, the push button 23 instead of being passed through the front bead
as before described, may be located as indicated in Fig. 9 at the top rail of the
bottom sash, a portion of the rail being cut away as indicated in 41* of that figure.
In this case the push button will play through a hole 42 made in the top of the
rack bar 4 and a slot 43 may be made in that bar to receive the pin 27 of the push
button when turned to registered therewith. In this form of construction and opera-
tion of the latch and the connecting parts will be the same as described in
connection with Figs. 1 to 6 with the exception that the off set 14 and the position
of the spring 12 will be shifted about one quarter around or brought to the top
as shown in Figs. 10 and 11 instead of to the side as shown in Figs. 1 to 6, and
a slight shifting of the ears 44 of the shell 7 as will be obvious to the skilled in
the art from the illustration given. It is necessary, of course, whenever it is
desired to lock the latch in the inoperative position to so move the sash that the
push button will be brought in line with the off set 14.
In Figs. 12 to 15 is illustrated a modified form of locking means that may be
employed for the top sash. In this form the shell is designated by the numeral 45.
In this shell is suitably journaled a pintle 46 which has attached to one part
thereof so as to turn therewith a latch 47 normally projecting through an
opening 48 in the face plate 49 of the shell so as to engage the rack bar 29 of the
top sash. This latch may have a side flange or projection 50 on its side adapted to
contact with the rear of the face plate so as to limit the outward throw of the
Jatch against the tension of the spring 51. On the same pintle 46 is mounted a
pin 52 preferably of the form illustrated, said pin having a segmental hub 53
which fits to the pintle 46 so that the pin will have a slight movement across the
4
4

page_text: pintle, the pintle being formed with a shoulder 54 on each side so as to limit the
movement of the hub of the pin on the pintle and cause the pin to turn the pintle
when the edge of the hub is brought into engagement with said shoulder on the
pintle. The pin 52 has formed on one side a flange or projection 55 adapted to
contact with the back of the face plate 49 so as to limit the outward movement of
the pin against the tension of a spring 56 which normally presses the pin through
a slot 57 in the face plate 49. A pawl 58 preferably of the form illustrated in
Fig. 13 is pivoted inside of the shell 45 so as to hang down and normally contact
with the rear of the latch 47 which is formed with a number of serrations 59 for
the pawl to engage with so as to prevent the backward movement of the latch when
the pawl is engaged therewith and thus hold the latch in such projected position
that it will engage with the teeth of the rack bar 29 and thus prevent the top sash
from being lowered. This pawl 51 extends across the shell so as to be in the path of
the pin 52 in order that when the pin is pressed back it may lift the pawl from
engagement with the latch and allow the latch to be pressed back into the shell
when the hub of the pin comes in contact with the shoulder of the pintle 46 and
thus permit the top sash to be lowered. The initial movement of the pin 52 per-
mits the pawl to be disengaged from the latch before the pin exerts its pressure
on the pintle for throwing back the latch. The moment that pressure is taken
off the pin, the spring 56 will throw the pin into its normal position and the
spring 51 will throw the latch 47 outward into engagement with the rack bar,
the pawl 58 at the same time dropping so as to engage with the ratchet teeth on
the rear of the latch 47 and thus hold the same in its adjusted position and in
engagement with the rack bar so that the sash cannot be lowered. The pin 52 is
pressed inward by a cam 60 formed as part of a channel plate 61 which will be
secured to the stile of the bottom sash in the same position that the plate 6 with
the cam 5 is shown attached thereto in Fig. 1 of the drawing. It will thus be
seen that the bottom sash must be lifted far enough to bring the cam 60 into
engagement with the pin 52 so as to move the same in order to throw the latch 47
out of engagement with the rack bar before the top sash can be lowered. To this
extent the principle operating the two sashes is the same as in the form first
described. The differences between this form and the form first described
is that in the present case the top sash cannot be lifted without first
lifting to some extent the bottom sash where as in the first form the top sash is at
all times free to be lifted although not to be lowered. But the pawl in this second
form may be omitted entirely and in that event the operation will be just the same
as under the first form, that is, the top sash can be lifted at any time so as to close
the same without moving the bottoni sash at all although it cannot be lowered
without first lifting the bottom sash. The pawl therefore is not an essential
element and may be omitted except where for any reason it might be wanted to
lock the top sash against upward movement.
In Figs. 16 to 22 of the drawing is illustrated a form of the same invention in
which the locking means for both the top and bottom sashes are embodied in a
single case or shell, the operation however being the same in principle as in the
first form described, and the construction of the parts being the same except as
the differences are pointed out. In this form of the invention the numeral 62
designates the shell or case containing the parts and provided with the ears 63,
the shell to be inserted in the part of the sash frame beneath the parting bead
which will separate the two sashes which is the position occupied by one of the
shells illustrated in Fig. of the drawing. In the present form the latch 8, the
guard-catch 15 and their operating springs are all constructed and applied and
operate in the same manner as the same parts shown in Figs. 1 to 6 of the drawing,
the only difference being that the off set 14 against which the push button bears
and back of which is the spring 12 for pressing the latch outward are made at the
top of the latch instead of to one side as shown in the first form, these changes
being made merely that the push button may be applied in the top face of the
stile to the bottom sash as shown in Fig. 17. These are purely changes within the

page_text: skill of the mechanic and as the construction is the same the same reference
numerals are used for those parts. In the same shell with the latch for the bottom
sash is mounted the latch for the top sash which in this illustration of the inven-
tion is designated by the numeral 64. This latch is mounted so as to turn on a
pintle 65 which will have its bearings in bosses formed on the inside of the shell.
This latch is formed on its side next to the latch 8 with an off-set or shoulder 66
in front of which lies a flange 67 which extends from the side of the latch 8 and
which is adapted to press against the off set or shoulder when the latch 8 is
pressed in by the push button 23 so as to throw the latch 64 out of engagement
with the rack bar 29 of the top sash in order to permit that sash to be lowered.
For the purpose of normally holding the latch 64 outward under a yielding pressure
and in engagement with the rack bar 29, so that the top sash cannot be lowered
when the latch 64 is pressed outward, a spring 68 is employed which fits at one
end of the cavity 69 made in the under part of the latch 64 and which at the other
end will bear against the wall of the shell 62. When this form of the invention is
used the metal plate 6 and its cam 5 illustrated in Fig. 1 is omitted and the stop
or rack bar 4 is put in its place so as to bring it opposite to the latch 8, the function
of the cam 5 being served by the flange 67 on the latch 8 so that when it is pressed
against the off set on the latch 64 by the push button that latch will be pressed back
to allow the top sash to be lowered as just previously described. It will be
observed however that the mode of operation of the parts and the function which
they serve and the manipulation of the top and bottom sash, and the security
afforded by the invention, are, to a certain extent, the same as that set forth in
describing the particular form shown in Figs. 1 to 6 of the drawing, this particular
form having the advantage that both latches are contained within a single shell
which in some instances may be preferred over the employment of two shells. In this
form however it is to be noted that it is not necessary to lift the bottom sash in
order to unlock the top sash so that it may be lowered, as the top sash is unlocked
by simply pressing in the push button so that it will force the locking latch
backward as already described. The moment however that pressure is taken off
the push button, the latch 64 is thrown outward so as to engage the rack bar 29.
It may also be noted that the parts will be so proportioned that the latch 64 will
be thrown out of engagement with its rack bar by pressure on the push button
before the other latch 8 has been pressed so far backward as to have its guard
catch engage with the same, thus avoiding the engagement of the guard-catch
with its latch S and the consequent holding of the latch out of engagement with
its rack bar in the manipulation of the other latch 64 for the top sash.
In Fig. 22 of the drawing in addition to the flange 67 on the latch 8 for pressing
against the front of the off set 66 of the latch 64, is shown a second flange 70
located back of the flange 67 so that the off set 66 will fit between the two flanges
and thus move the latch 64 back and forth in the back and forth movement of the
latch 8, thus enabling to dispense with a separate spring 68 for the latch 64 as
under the construction just described the spring 12 to the latch 8 may be made
to serve the purpose of the two springs.
The preferred details of construction to each one of the different forms of the
invention are fully illustrated and described but changes can be made in each
without departing from the essential features of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. In a sash lock, or fastener, the combination with mechanism for locking a
top sash against downward movement while permitting it to move upward, of
mechanism for locking the bottom sash against upward movement while permitting
it to move downward, and means for unlocking the top and the bottom sash so that
while unlocked they may be moved, respectively up and down, the portion of said

page_text: means which operates in connection with the bottom sash being mechanically held
out of operative relation substantially as and for the purposes described.
2. In a sash lock or fastener, the combination with mechanism for locking a top
sash against downward movement while permitting it to move upward, of
mechanism for locking the bottom sash against upward movement while permitting
it to move downward, means for unlocking the mechanism of the bottom sash
to permit it to be raised, and means carried by the bottom sash and in the upward
movement of said sash brought in contact with a part of the locking mechanism
of the top sash for actuating the same to permit the top sash to be lowered,
substantially as and for the purpose described.
3. In a sash lock or fastener, the combination with mechanism for locking a
top sash at various adjustments and in a closed position, of mechanism for locking
the bottom sash at various adjustments and in a closed position, said mechanism
of the bottom sash comprising a latch to engage a stop or rack bar on the sash, a
guard catch adapted to fit over the end of the latch when retracted to hold it out
of engagement with said stop or rack bar, and to be moved from the end of the
latch in the downward movement of the sash to permit the latch to engage the
stop or rack-bar, and means for unlocking the locking mechanism respectively of
the top and bottom sashes, substantially as and for the purposes described.
4. A sash lock or fastener, comprising a stop or rack bar for the sash, a latch to
engage said stop or rack bar, a guard catch adapted to fit over the end of the latch
when retracted to hold it out of engagement with said stop or rack-bar and to be
moved from the end of the latch by the sash in its movement in one direction, and
means for retracting the latch from the stop or rack bar, substantially as and for
the purposes described.
5. A sash lock or fastener, comprising a stop or rack bar for the sash, a spring
actuated latch to engage said stop or rack bar, a spring actuated guard
catch having a shank, a heel, and a nose-piece to fit over the end of the latch
when retracted to hold it out of engagement with the stop or rack-bar, and means for
retracting the latch from the stop or rack-bar, substantially as and for the purposes
described.
6. In a sash lock or fastener, the combination with mechanism for locking one
sash, of mechanism for locking the other sash and comprising a stop or rack-bar
attached to said other sash on the side next to the sash frame, a spring actuated
Hatch adapted to be thrown in and out from the sash frame next to said stop or rack-
bar, a finger to engage a part of said latch and having a pin projecting into the
math of a cam carried by the other sash, substantially as and for the purposes
described.
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