Improvements in and relating to Locking and Releasing Mechanism suitable for Windows, Doors, and the like.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Dec., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 15th Sept., 1891-Accepted, 17th Oct., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Locking and Releasing Mechanism
suitable for Windows, Doors, and the like.
We, DAVID ALEXANDER CROMBIE, Architect, 34 St. Andrew Square, and
EDWARD ROBERTSON FLETCHER, of 24 Queens Crescent, Merchant, both in
the City and County of Edinburgh do hereby declare the nature of our invention
to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to and comprises a new or improved construction
or arrangement and combination of the parts of mechanism for locking and
releasing the moving sashes or frames of windows, doors and the like, and
susceptible of considerable modification to suit the different constructions of
moving parts to which the mechanism may be applied, and which will be more
safe and efficient than the appliances heretofore in use for this purpose.
The nature and novelty of the improvements as applied to the ordinary upper
and lower sliding or raising and lowering sashes of windows consist of a small
Begmental moving locker fitted to oscillate wholly within a close case on a
fulcrumed pin at one end, and having a spiral or blade spring acting on its back
edge to push the segmental end outwards from its segmental case on one open side,
into a corresponding separate segmental counter locking part of the case mounted
in the other part of the frame to be locked, the broad segmental end always
forming the locker in the opposite direction to the motion of the sash. This
hollow segmental counter part of the locker would be fitted so that as it and the
moving part of the sash to which it was fitted was moved up or down, it would
automatically press the segmental locker in along its angled outer edge flush on
its open face against the power of the spring until this locking segmental part
came up beyond the circumferential locking end of the bolt, when the spring
would automatically force the segmental locker into the locking groove of the
moving hollow counter locking piece and so lock the parts together. A cord or
light chain would have its one end attached to a pin in the back outer end of the
segmental locker, and be led through a hole in the back of the case and grooves or
eyes in the frame parts of the window and brought out over a small roller in front,
which on being pulled would draw back the locker against the power of the
spring, out of its counter locking part, and allow the sash or moving part of the
window or other frame to be opened to any desired extent.
This locker is thus
suitable for either being secured at the upper or lower parts of moving sashes by
fitting the bolt locker part of the case in the fixed framing of the window at the
bottom of the inner sash or the top of the outer sash to take into the counter
hollow segmental locking part fitted in the moving sash opposite the bolt part in
the closed or locked position of the window. This locker is also suitable for being
secured in the centre, or at one or both sides of the counter checks of the moving
sashes, by fitting the bolt part of the case of the locker in the top rail of the
lower sash, and the counter hollow locking part on the lower rail of the upper
sash, in which case the upper segmental top of the bolt case would have a horizontal
projection or flange with slot formed on it, into which an angled or tapered pin
formed on the upper part of the counter piece would enter and tighten the two
parts of the moving frame together as a wedge when they closed together and
were locked, and thus prevent shaking of the sashes or moving parts. When the
fastener is at the bottom or top of the window or at the side the horizontal flange
with slot and angled or tapered pin will be placed respectively fixed at the top of
the lower and bottom of the upper sashes to secure these together. To enable
the window sashes to be opened a certain distance down or up, as say, two, four, or

page_text: six inches for ventilating purposes, and yet lock them so that they could not be
tampered with, a hollow counter locking part would require to be fitted in any of
these positions desired in one of the moving parts, or in the fixed frame of the
window, when the locking bolt part was carried in the moving sash, to allow the
locking bolt to take into these, and lock the sashes in these intermediate open
positions as well as in their extreme closed down and up positions. This con-
struction of automatic spring locking bolt or fastener might be also used for
casement sash windows oscillating on hinges, or for fanlight or skylight windows,
and for doors, and the like, by mounting the segmental locker that its locking end
would lock in the opposite direction or at right angles to the line of motion of the
window or door whether sliding in guides or oscillating on hinges to lock them as
they reached the closed or desired locked position. For some of these purposes
instead of a cord or chain a small bell-crank or other lever might be fitted to the
bolt locker and its case to directly oscillate the locker out of action against the
power of the spring; and a projecting part may be formed at the fulcrum end of
the locker case to project over the joint counter-locking part making the joint of
the locking parts out of line with the joint of the moving parts of the window
frame and prevent a knife or thin steel instrument being inserted at these joints to
press back the segmental locker. In some cases the spring might be so fitted as to
retain the segmental locking bolt either in its locked or unlocked positions and
make a cord or cords or a lever to oscillate the bolt to either position.
Dated the 13th December 1890.
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Locking and Releasing Mechanism
suitable for Windows, Doors, and the like.
We, DAVID ALEXANDER CROMBIE, Architect, 34 St. Andrews Square, and
EDWARD ROBERTSON FLETCHER, 24 Queens Crescent, Merchant, both in the
City and County of Edinburgh, do hereby declare the nature of our invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement in writing, that is to say:-
This invention has reference to and comprises a new or improved construction or
arrangement and combination of the parts of mechanism for locking and releasing
the moving sashes or frames of windows, doors, and the like, and susceptible of
considerable modification to suit the different constructions of moving parts to
which the mechanism may be applied and which will be more safe and efficient than
the appliances heretofore in use for this purpose.
And in order that our said invention and the manner of performing or carrying
the same into effect or practice may be properly understood, we have hereunto
appended an explanatory sheet of drawings in which the same reference letters, in
the different figures, are used to indicate corresponding parts.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a sliding sash window, showing the application
of our improvements thereto.
Figure 2 is a plan view corresponding to Figure 1 as looking on the central
meeting parts of the upper and lower sashes, fitted with our improved locking
mechanism, showing also in section one of the side locking appliances, while
Figure 3 is an edge elevation corresponding to Figure 1 and showing in section
the improved locking and releasing mechanism.
Referring to these drawings:-The improvements as applied to the ordinary
upper and lower sliding or raising and lowering sashes A, A¹, of windows consist
of a small segmental moving lever or bolt a fitted to oscillate wholly within a close
case b, on a fulcrum pin all at one end, and having a swan bill or other blade
spring a or it may be a spiral spring acting on its back edge to push the segmental

page_text: or upper end a¹ outwards from its segmental case b, on one open side, into a corre-
sponding separate segmental counter locking or retaining part of the case, mounted
in the other part of the frame to be locked, the broad segmental end a¹ always
forming the locker in the opposite direction to the motion of the sash. This hollow
segmental counterpart b' of the locker would be fitted so that as it and the moving
parts of the sash to which it was fitted was moved up or down, it would automatically
press the segmental locker a a¹ in along its angled outer edge flush on its open
face against the power of the spring a² until this locking segmental part came up
beyond the circumferential locking end of the bolt, when the spring a² would
automatically force the segmental locker a into the locking groove of the moving
hollow counter locking piece and so lock the parts together. A cord or light
chain c, would have its one end attached to a pin at c¹ in the back outer end of the
segmental locker a a¹ and be led through a hole in the back of the case and grooves
or eyes in the frame parts of the window and brought out over a small roller or
pulley in front, and on the cord c being pulled would draw back the locker u, a¹,
against the power of the spring a², out of its counter locking part, and allow the
sash or moving part of the window or other frame to be opened to any desired
extent. This locker is suitable for being secured in the centre of the counter-
checks of the moving sashes A, A', as shown in the drawings, or at one or both
sides, by fitting the bolt part a, a', 7 of the case of the locker in the top rail A" of
the lower sash A', and the counter hollow locking part on the lower rail A2 of
the upper sash A in which case the upper segmental top of the bolt case would
have a horizontal projection or flange with slot formed on it at d into which an
angled or tapered pin d¹ formed on the upper part of the counter piece b¹ would
enter and tighten the two parts A, A', of the moving frame together as a wedge
when they closed together and were locked, and a small roller may be fitted at d to
work on the inclined plane at one side of the pin d', and thus prevent shaking of
the sashes or moving parts. When the fastener a, a, b,, is at the bottom or top
of the window or at the side, the horizontal flange with slot d, and angled or tapered
pin d', will be placed respectively fixed at the top of the lower, and bottom of the
upper sashes to secure these together. To enable the window sashes A, A¹, to be
opened a certain distance down or up, as say, two, four, or six inches for ventilating
purposes, and yet lock them so that they could not be tampered with, a hollow
counter locking part would be fitted in any of these positions desired in the fixed
frames Z of the window when the locking bolt a, a', was carried in the moving
sash, as shown in the drawings, to allow it to take into said locking part 6' and lock
the sashes in these intermediate open positions, as well as in their extreme closed
down and up positions. In Figures 1 and 3 the lockers a, a', are shown as secured
to the lower sash A' in their locked position, and are automatically operated by
raising the finger pieces e to which the one end of the chains or cords e are attached,
and which draw the locking bolts a, a', out of their locking cases in the fixed
frame. Instead of the chains c² being attached to the ring pieces e, they may be
led and attached to a treadle lever at the floor to be operated by the foot. This
permits the sash A' to slide up until the side locker a, a, b, which is fitted in said
sash, reaches the corresponding case in the frame at Z into which it would
automatically fall and lock the lower sash A' in this position, as shown dotted in
in Figure 1 and remain there until released by drawing the cord cover the guide
pulley. This side locker may also be correspondingly fitted in the upper
sash A for drawing it down a certain distance from the top for ventilating purposes.
When the lockers are not fitted at the central meeting parts of the upper and lower
sashes A, A', they would preferably be fitted in the upper rail of the top sash A,
equivalent to that shown at the bottom of the lower sash A'. Instead of the counter
locking part b' being formed in the fixed frame Z, as shown, it may be formed in
the moving sashes A¹ or A, and the locking bolt a, a', be fitted in the fixed frame.
This construction of automatic spring locking bolt or fastener might be also used
for casement sash windows oscillating on hinges or for fanlight or skylight windows,
and for doors, and the like, by mounting the segmental locker a, a¹, so that its

page_text: locking end a would lock in the opposite direction or at right angles to the line of
motion of the window or door whether sliding in guides or oscillating on hinges
to lock them as they reached the closed or desired locked position. For some of
these purposes instead of a cord or chain a small bell-crank or other lever might
be fitted to the bolt locker a, a', and its case to directly oscillate the locker out of
action against the power of the spring a²; and a projecting part may be formed at
the fulcrum end a", of the locker case to project over the joint counter-locking part
making the joint of the locking parts out of line with the joint of the moving parts
of the window frame and prevent a knife or thin steel instrument being inserted at
these joints to press back the segmental locker a, a'. In some cases the spring
might be so fitted as to retain the segmental locking bolt a, a', either in its locked
or unlocked positions and make a cord or cords or a lever to oscillate the bolt a a¹ to
either position.
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 :-
First. The construction, or arrangement and combination of the parts of oscil-
lating or moving levers or organs and their retaining cases and operating fittings
to form locking and releasing mechanism for windows, doors, and the like,
substantially as herein described in reference to and shown in the accompanying
drawings.
Second. The construction and use of oscillating or moving segmental levers or
organs and retaining cases fitted or formed respectively in the moving and fixed
parts or vice versa of windows, doors, and the like, to form locking and releasing
mechanism, substantially as herein described in reference to and by way of application
shown in the accompanying drawings.
Third. The construction and use of oscillating or moving levers or organs and
retaining cases fitted at the counter-checks of the upper and lower sashes of windows,
or at their top and lower ends to form locking and releasing mechanism, substan-
tially as herein described, in reference to and by way of application shown in the
accompanying drawings.
Fourth. The construction of oscillating or moving levers or organs a, a', and
retaining cases, ', fitted in connection with the upper and lower sashes of windows
in combination with retaining slots and pins d, d¹, to form locking and releasing
mechanism, substantially as herein described in reference to and shown in the
accompanying drawings."
Fifth. The construction and use of oscillating or moving levers or organs and
retaining cases fitted in the sides or edges of the moving sashes and fixed frame
respectively of windows or vice versu to form locking and releasing mechanism,
substantially as and for the purposes herein described in reference to and by way
of application shown in the accompanying drawings.
Sixth. The construction and use of automatically operated oscillating or moving
levers or organs and their retaining cases to form locking and releasing mechanism
for windows, substantially as herein described in reference to and by way of
application shown in the accompanying drawings.
Dated the 14th September 1891.,
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.