Improvements in or relating to Fastenings for Windows and the like.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Fastenings for Windows and the
like.
I, ALFRED EDWARD APPLETON, Trinity Walk, Tewkesbury in the County of
Gloucester, Builder, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has reference to a fastening for window sashes and the like.
To carry out my invention I fix to the meeting rail of the lower sash a plate or
bracket through one part of which passes a rotatable but non-travelling screw, the
stem of which also passes into a nut or threaded follower connected to two hooked
arms or catches having on one of their surfaces one or more pins adapted to follow
the curvature or shape of a slot in either the base or cover plate in which said pin or
pins are located.
The said arms or catches, when in their withdrawn position, so as to allow the
window sashes to be opened, lie end to end longitudinally of the base plate, but
by rotating the screw the said arms or catches are brought together side by side
in doing which they embrace a projection on the meeting rail of the upper sash
and draw the two rails tightly together and lock them so that a knife or other
instrument cannot be inserted between the same.
If however a knife or other instrument should be passed between the meeting
rails the arms could not be sprung or moved aside thereby.
The head of the screw may be substituted by a cord pulley so that the screw
can be rotated by means of an endless cord.
Dated this 6th day of October 1898.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Fastenings for Windows and the
like.
I, ALFRED EDWARD APPLETON, Trinity Walk, Tewkesbury, in the County of
Gloucester, Builder, do bereby 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:-
This invention has reference to fastenings for window sashes and the like.
The invention consists of a device provided with two hooked arms located on the
meeting rail of one sash combined with means for closing and tightening the

page_text: said arms around a catch or engaging piece on the meeting rail of the other
sash.
The invention will be understood from the following further description in
reference to the accompanying in which,
Figure 1 is a plan of the sash fastener constructed according to this invention and
with the two sash bars locked thereby.
Figure 2 is a plan with the casing removed and showing the two sash bars
unlocked.
Figure 3 is an underside plan with the base plates shown in dotted line only.
Figure 4 is a central longitudinal section.
Figure 5 is an elevation of the catch piece on the upper sash bar.
Figure 6 is a detail showing a cord pulley for rotating the screw C.
Figure 7 is a detail of one of the arms E showing the pin connection to the
follower D.
Figure 8 is a detail of the base showing the cain slots therein for guiding the arms
in expanding and contracting.
A fastener constructed in accordance with this invention consists of a base plate A
which is attached by screws A¹ to the meeting rail of a lower window sash A³.
B is a casing which is attached to the said base plate preferably by screws or
rivets B¹ passing through lugs B2 formed integrally with the casing and into the
base plate.
The ends of the said casing form bearings Fig. 4 for a screw C provided with a
milled edged head C¹ by which the rotation of the screw is effected.
The boss C² of the head C is located against the exterior of one end of the casing B
and the other end of the screw which passes through and out of the latter is
furnished with a loose washer C³ thereon which is maintained on the end of the
screw and against the opposite end of the casing by the end of the screw C being
hammered up or burred.
The construction permits the screw to be rotated within the casing without
travelling to and fro.
Mounted on the screw C is an internally threaded nut or follower D which travels
to and fro thereon upon the rotation of the screw.
On the lower surface of the said nut are two downwardly depending pins D₁ fitting
loosely into the rear ends of two hooked arms E each of which is also furnished with
a downwardly projecting pin E¹ located in a cam or guide slot A² in the base
plate A.
The two cam slots for some portion of their length are straight and parallel and
each terminates in a curvilinear slot extending in opposite directions.
When the pins E¹ are travelling along the straight portion of the slots the arms E
move forward outwardly together side by side in a straight line but as the said pins
enter the curved slots the hooked ends of the arms E diverge and the movement
being continued the said arms are brought end to end as in Fig. 2 which is the with-
drawn position.
On the meeting rail of the upper sash F there is fastened by screws F1 a base plate
furnished with a catch piece or engaging piece F³ which is embraced by the two
hooked arms herein before mentioned.
In the present case the plate F2 has formed with it a narrow vertical plate F³ with
a horizontal extension F on each side of the upper end.
In actual practice when the window is fastened the hooked arms E embrace the
neck of the catch piece F3 and the upper horizontal extensions F+ bear on the upper
edges of the pivotted arms E and thus prevent the upper sash F being lowered when
the fastener is in its closed position.
The invention is not limited to the use of a catch piece of the construction shown
as it is obvious that any suitable form of catch piece may be employed.
In the modification shown in Fig. 6 a cord pulley G is substituted for the head C¹
and a spring plate B³ fastened by screws or rivets B* to the casing B and having a

page_text: curved plate B5 extending over and partly around the said pulley G is employed to
prevent the cord accidently getting off the pulley.
The operation of the fastener is as follows:-
Assuming the hooked arms to be in their withdrawn position as indicated in Fig. 2
so that the window can be opened, the turning of the milled edged head C¹ will
rotate the screw C thereby causing the nut D to travel thereon towards the head of
the latter and bring with it the ends of the hooked arms E.
The pins E on the latter in following the curvature of the said slots A2 cause the
hooked ends of the arms E to converge and come together and in doing so they
will embrace or close around the neck F³ of the catch piece F* on the upper sash
bar F.
As the pins E enter the parallel slots A the hooked arms E will be withdrawn
partly into the casing B and in doing so tighten around the catch piece and draw it
towards it thus closing the two meeting rails of the top and bottom sashes.
When it is desired to open the window the hereinbefore described action is
reversed.
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. A sash fastener consisting of a catch piece, a pair of pivotted and contractible
and expansible arms, a screw and connections for actuating the said arms, and
means to guide the latter to embrace or release the catch piece in the manner
described.
2. A sash fastener consisting of a catch piece, pivotted arms, rotatable screw, a nut
thereon with pin connections to the said arms, base plate and cam slots therein for
the guidance of the pivotted arms.
3. The improved sash fastener consisting of the parts constructed, arranged and
operating substantially in the manner described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.