Improved Means for Effecting an Air Tight Closure and for Lessening the Transmission of Sound in Windows and Doors.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Aug., 1893-Accepted, 7th Oct., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Effecting an Air Tight Closure and for
Lessening the Transmission of Sound in Windows and
Doors.
I, HERMANN CHRISTIAN WILHELM WEYHE, of Stephanithorsteinweg 1. 1.
Bremen, Germany, Architect, 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 :-
Up to the present time a perfect and durable air tight closure has not been obtain-
able either for wooden or iron windows, sashes or casements. The wooden frames
shrink and warp, while the iron ones, even when most carefully prepared, have only
approximately a tight fit and both kinds if made to fit tight, are necessarily very
difficult to open or close.
The present invention relates to improved means for effecting a perfect closure
of such sashes or casements, which is equally applicable to doors and which will
not only insure perfectly air and water tight fit but shall also admit of a ready
opening and closing of the sashes or casements and doors to which it is applied.
The arrangement and mode of applying this closing device is very simple, and
can be readily applied to old or new sashes or casements, whether they open
outwards or inwards on hinges, or. whether they are arranged to slide, and whether
secured by means of espagnolette, tumbler or other fastenings, it is also applicable
to the fixed frame work of such sashes, casements or doors.
When double panes are employed, the closing device affords a complete substitute
for double windows and it actually affords a better closure against air, water and
sound than all existing constructions of double windows, while at the same time it
is much cheaper.
I will describe the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, which
shew its application to iron window frames at Figures and 2 and at Figures à
and 4 to wooden frames. A broad shallow groove is formed all round the meeting
edge of the window frame A or around the casement and in this groove is secured
a correspondingly wide and flat tube a of flexible air tight material, the fixing being
effected by waterproof cement or the like. The frame or casement has a hole
formed transversely through it and through this opening is passed the one end of
the tube a to the inner side of the window where it is connected to an air com-
pressing ball B, while the other end of the tube is closed at the point where it
meets the first named part. By the compression of the ball B, air is forced into
the tube a whereby this is expanded so as to fit air tight against the sash or case-
ment and the surrounding framework of the window, the air pressure being also
made to close the check valve device of the ball. This valve device may be of
any known construction suitable for retaining the air pressure in the tube a.
shewn in the drawing it consists of a bent metal piece b which can be turned on a
pivot and is thereby made to compress the tube a thus closing the communication
between the tube and the ball.
A.s
When the window requires to be opened, the piece b is turned back whereupon
the air pressure will escape from the tube a through the ball and the window can
then be opened with the greatest ease.
A separate discharge valve or cock may also be applied for discharging the air
from the tube.
Figures 3 and 4 shew the above described arrangement as applied to wooden
window sashes, but with some modifications. It may however be stated that precisely
the same arrangement as described for iron casements can also be used for
wooden ones

page_text: The window is in this case made with double glass panes as a substitute for
double windows. The two panes are in this case preferably not secured by putty
but by means of a slit caotuchouc tube, fitted on the edge of the pane as
shewn at Figure 34, which is then introduced into the rebate of the casement or
sash and is pressed flat so as to form a tight fit, by means of wood or metal fillets,
secured by screws.
The body of air contained between the two frames is by preference more or less
exhausted through the suction tube a by means of the suction ball B', which at the
same time forces it into the compressed air tube a as in the first described
construction.
By this means a perfectly air tight joint of the panes and of the whole surface
of the window will be obtained.
In order to prevent the bursting inwards of the window panes by the pressure of
the atmosphere owing to too great a reduction of air in the space between the
panes, a safety device is provided, consisting of a flexible diaphragm fixed on a
cup that communicates by a tube with the said space, so that on the exhaustion of
the latter the diaphragm will be bulged inwards and will thus indicate the degree
of exhaustion.
The closure of such sashes or casements with double panes is both durable and
reliable and is not affected by frost or raid. It is very easy to manipulate.
From the above description it will be seen that the introduction of air pressure
into and its discharge from the tube a can be effected in a variety of ways, the
described constructions only serving as example. The invention is also applicable
in precisely the same manner to doors.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manuer the same is to be performed "I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. For effecting an air tight closure of windows and doors, the application of a
flexible air tight tube fitted round the window or door and its expansion by forcing
air into the same, substantially as described.
2. In combination with the device for effecting an air tight closure of windows
referred to in the preceding claim, the provision in windows with double panes, of
means whereby the air contained between the frames can he more
exhausted for the purpose of lessening the transmission of sound, substantially as
described.
Dated this 2nd day of August 1893.
or less
ABEL & IMKAI,
Agents for the Applicant.