IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENING DEVICES FOR WINDOW-SASHES, BOXES, AND OTHER ARTICLES
Year: 1880

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Thomas Henry Austin at the Office.
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th July 1880.
THOMAS HENRY AUSTIN, of Stratford Road, Kensington, in the County of
Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENING DEVICES FOR WINDOW-SASHES,
BOXES, AND OTHER ARTICLES."
My Invention relates to improvements in sash-fasteners, and is also applicable.
for fastening or securing trunks, doors, and other articles.
}
In constructing a sash-fastener according to my Invention, I provide two pieces
of brass or any other suitable metal, so curved that together they forum a complete.
circle or ring, which is flat upon its lower and upper faces. Each of these two
pieces has flanges at its lower part which extend outward, and are provided with
counter-sunk boles to receive screws, by means of which the said flat curved metal.
pieces are secured to the window-sashes. The curved piece designed to be attached.
to the lower sash forms about two-thirds of the complete circle, more or less,
the piece forming the other third being designed to be secured to the upper sash..
A central hole, circular in 'transverse section, is formed in the body of both of the
metal pieces, and extends completely through and around them. A curved bolt is
fitted within the hole in the larger curved piece, the length of the bolt being such
that it extends in a curved form from one end to the other end of this hole. The :
said bolt is pointed at one end, and when operated to lock the device a portion of
the bolt passes into the hole in the smaller curved metal piece, and the pointed end
being much sinaller than the transverse area of the hole provision is thus made to
ensure the passage of the bolt, even if the two curved pieces are not accurately.
adjusted with regard to each other. The said bolt has a notch cut in it at a short
distance from one end thereof, and one end of a strong flat spring secured within
the hole engages in this notch whenever the bolt is caused to pass around into the.
position for locking, and thus the said bolt is locked. The larger curved metal
piece has a slot in its periphery extending through to the central hole, and through
this slot passes a piece which is attached to the bolt, and serves for operating the
latter forward or rearward when the device has to be locked or unlocked. This
operating piece is pivotted to the bolt loosely, and is arranged in such a manner
that when moved by the hand it works a short distance on its pivot before it
operates the bolt, and in moving over this short distance, when the bolt is to be
unlocked, this operating piece presses down the end of the flat spring, so that the
latter is clear of the notch in the bolt, which then is free to slide around in its hole
as the operating piece is pushed along. The great advantage of this arrangement
consists in the fact that the person unlocking the bolt has only one movement to
make, that is to say, he has only to press the operating piece along from one end
to the other of the slot, whereas in all locking sash-fasteners heretofore made two

page_text: distinct movements are necessary for unlocking, namely, one for releasing the
spring or holding device, and the other for moving the piece, whatever it may be,
which passes from one sash to the other to hold the same together. It will
therefore be seen that both for locking and unlocking my improved fastener it is
only necessary to make one movement, that is to say, to slide the operating or
projecting piece along in the slot provided in a portion of the periphery of the
larger flat curved part, the movement being in one direction. for locking, and in the
contrary direction for unlocking.
The flattened form of this device renders the same very advantageous in use,
inasmuch as there is no vertical projection similar to the ordinary knob to be in
the way of Venetian or other blinds; the blind may be raised and lowered without
fear of its catching against any part of my improved fastener.
This improved fastener may also be used with slight modifications for securing
the lids of trunks, doors, and the like. For this purpose I provide in the centre of
the annular piece formed by the two curved pieces a square or other shaped spindle
or piece of metal, so connected with the curved bolt that a key fitting upon this
central piece will cause the said bolt to move in the same manner as it is operated
by the said operating piece when the device is used as a sash-fastener. In some
cases, such for instance as when the device is to be applied to a trunk, I combine
with the circular metal pieces and other parts above described two long bolts
extending to the right and left hand, and arranged to shoot into apertures provided
at the ends of the trunk, so that the latter will be fastened at three points by one
operation. To accomplish this I furnish the central square spindle with a toothed
wheel which gears into corresponding teeth on the inner ends of the right and
left hand or lateral bolts. By turning the central spindle with the key, the
circular bolt will be shot around into the smaller circular flat metal piece, and the
toothed wheel rotating at the same time will shoot one lateral bolt to the right
hand and the other to the left hand. A movement of the key in the opposite
direction will necessarily operate the three bolts in a contrary direction, so that the
trunk will then be unlocked.
In adapting my Invention to an ordinary sash-fastener, I provide upon the free
end of the bar which passes across the two sashes to secure them an oscillating
piece fixed loosely on the bar, so as to have a free movement to the right and left
hand. A knob or stud is fixed upon, or forms part of, the upper portion of this
oscillating piece, and at the lower part thereof there is a downwardly-projecting
spur, which, when the knob is moved in the direction for unfastening the sashes,
presses down a flat spring. This spring is so fixed that it locks the bar when the
latter is moved to its full extent across the sashes, and when it is desired to unlock
the same it is only necessary to grasp the knob and move the bar around on its
pivot. The first movement when the knob is operated causes the oscillating piece
to rotate slightly without moving the bar; this slight rotation causes the spur or
projection to descend and press the end of the flat spring out of the path of the bar,
and the latter in the further movement of the knob is carried around on its pivot,
and the sashes are thus unlocked. One movement only is necessary to effect the
unlocking, the depression of the spring being effected at the commencement of the
said movement without any separate operation on the part of the person desiring
to open the sashes. In some cases instead of a spring-catch I may employ a lever-
catch.
It will be seen that by means of my Invention the sashes are firmly locked or
secured in a very simple manner, and the unlocking is effected in one movement,
and with as little trouble as is required for an ordinary fastening which has no
lonking action.