IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR OPENING, CLOSING, SUPPORTING AND LOCKING WINDOW AND OTHER SASH FRAMES.
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by James Carpenter at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 25th February 1882.
JAMES CARPENTER of 2 Padwell Road Avenue Southampton Coach Builder and
Mechanical Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR OPENING, CLOSING,
SUPPORTING AND LOCKING WINDOW AND OTHER SASH FRAMES.'
"
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for opening, closing,
supporting and locking window and other sash frames.
I let into the side of the frame in which the sashes slide, a surface plate having
flanges at the back. There are holes in the plato through which two bolts (one
for each sash) project. Each sash has a rack with ratchet teeth fixed to its side
and the bolts engage with the racks. I form the racks of sheet brass bent to the
proper form and let into the woodwork. Springs are provided to press the bolts
forward into the teeth of the racks and the bolts are inclined at their ends. The
bolt yields automatically to permit the sash to be closed but engages with the
teeth on the sash to prevent it opening. When it is desired to open the window
the bolt is drawn back by turning a spindle; the spindle is squared at the end and
enters a corresponding hole in a follower or lever carried by the flanges of the
surface plate. The further end of the follower or lever enters a notch or recess in
the bolt so that when the spindle is turned the follower carries the bolt back with
it. The follower may be replaced by a toothed are engaging with teeth upon the
bolt. The two spindles (one for each sash) are carried by a side plate attached to
the exterior of the frame in which the sashes work. This plate may also carry
spring boxes containing springs tending to rotate the spindles and shoot out the
bolts, or the springs for this purpose may be carried upon the back of the surface
plates.
In order to hold the bolts back out of gear with the racks when it is desired to
open the window, the spindles are provided with arms exterior to the side plates
and cords descend from these arms to studs to which at pleasure the cords may be
made fast.
The surface plate also carries two inclines (one for each sash) and there are blocks
on these inclines. The blocks project out through holes in the surface plate and

page_text: bear against the sash frames. Coil springs are applied which tend to carry the
blocks towards the lower ends of the inclines and the blocks press against the sash
frames with sufficient force to prevent the sashes falling by their own weight.
Any downward movement of the sashes also aids in bringing the blocks down
the inclines to such a position as to prevent further movement of the sashes.
In order however that the sashes may be capable of being drawn down when a
regulating amount of force is applied acting in aid of their own weight; the
inclines are not fixed upon the surface plate but are jointed to it at their lower
ends and springs are applied to keep the inclines in place. These springs yield
when sufficient force is exerted to draw down the sashes.
Eccentrics may be substituted for the retaining blocks. In place of providing
two bolts and two retaining blocks upon the same surface plate and to serve for the
two sashes the mechanism may be arranged upon two or more separate plates.
The sash may be worked by a cord attached at the centre and passing up over
a pulley fixed at the top of the window frame. For heavy sashes I employ the
following arrangement of mechanism I fix a vertical rack in the middle of the
upper sash and I gear with this a toothed pinion carried upon the upper rail of
the lower sash. Upon the same axis with the pinion there is a worm wheel and
a worm engages with it. The worm is upon the upper end of a vertical axis fixed
in the middle of the lower sash and this axis can be turned by a handle geared
with it by bevil pinions or by a wheel and cord or otherwise.