Improvements in Certain Apparatus for Opening and Closing Window easements, Fanlights and Doors, and like Appliances, and for Maintaining such Window-casements, Fanlights ands, and like Apps
Year: 1888

page_text: Improvements in Certain Apparatus for Opening and Closing
Window easements, Fanlights and Doors, and like Appliances,
and for Maintaining such Window-casements, Fanlights and
Doors, and like Appliances in any Desired Position, Certain of
which Apparatus are also Applicable for Maintaining Pictures,
and for Maintaining such Window-casements, Fanlights and
Doors, and like Appliances in any Desired Position, Certain of
which Apparatus are also Applicable for Maintaining Pictures,
Blackboards, and other similar Articles in any Desired Position.
I JOHN WHITTAKER FIRTH of 6 Clegg Street Oldham in the County of Lancaster
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 :-
My invention consists in improvements in apparatus for opening and closing
window-casements fanlights and doors and like appliances and for maintaining such
window-casements, fanlights and doors and like appliances in any desired position
certain of which apparatus are also applicable for maintaining pictures, blackboards
and other similar articles in any desired position.
In order that my invention may be understood and readily carried into effect I have
hereunto appended two sheets of drawings in which drawings Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 7
and 8 show one part of my invention and Figs. 9, 10, 11 and 12 show another part of
my invention Fig. 1 is a side view partly in section and Fig. 2 is an end view of a
portion of that which is shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 3 is a view of a portion of that
which is shown in Fig. 1 when viewed in the direction indicated by the arrow A in
Fig 1: a is a rod or bar upon which are formed screw-threads a¹ and formed upon or
secured to the rod or bar a is a ball b. c is a bracket in which is formed an opening d
through which opening d the rod or bar a is passed before a pulley e is secured upon
ID 71

page_text: the rod or bar a To the bracket c I secure by means of screws f or other suitable
means a cap g-Upon the bracket c I form a concave surface c¹ between which and the
cap g the ball b is retained-The ball b, surface c¹ and cap g together form an
"universal joint" which while allowing the rod or bar a to be rotated and to be placed
in various angular positions relatively to the bracket c prevents such rod or bar a from
being moved in the direction of its length-The pulley e is mounted fast upon the rod
or bar a―Upon the rod or bar a I place a nut h provided with internal screw-threads
which take into the screw threads a¹ formed upon the rod or bar a-The nut h is
provided with pivots h¹ which pass into holes formed in the forked ends j¹ of a swivel j
which is capable of being rotated in a tube formed upon or securrd to a projecting
part formed upon the plate k-The swivel j is prevented from being moved
longitudinally in the tube by the nut or collar 1.
Having now described the construction of this portion of my invention I will
referring to Fig. 4 describe this portion of my invention as applied for opening and
closing a window-casement.-In Fig. 4 the same letters of reference are applied to
parts corresponding to those above described as have above been applied
to the corresponding parts in Figs. 1, 2 and 3-The bracket c is secured
by means of screws or other suitable means to the framework or other convenient
part of the window-casement and the plate k is secured to the casement m.-Around
the pulley e I pass an endless band or cord n which after passing over guide-pulleys o
shown detached in Figs. 5 and 6, passes around a pulley p carried by a part p¹ provided
with screw-threads and passing through a bracket p' secured to the framework 7 of the
window-casement or any other convenient part.
The part p² is provided with a nut p³ by means of which the tension of the band or
cord n may be adjusted-By the rod or bar a being rotated in one direction or the
other by means of the band or cord n and pulley e the casement m may be closed or
opened to any desired extent and when the casement m is closed or opened it will be
retained in such position by means of the screw threads a'-The ball b, cap g,
bracket c, nut h, pivots h¹, swivel and tube allow the rod or bar a to assume the
various angular positions necessitated by the movement of the casement m when such
casement m is being opened and closed-The projecting part k¹ must be made of such
length that when the casement m is closed the nut h will not arrive against the
pulley e.
Fig. 7 shows this portion of my invention as applied to a casement m having a
curved frame the same letters of reference being applied to parts corresponding to
those to which the same letters of reference have been applied in reference to
Figs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6-The endless cord or band n after passing around the pulley e
passes over the guide-pulleys o secured to the frame of the window-casement and
afterwards passes around the pulley p-Although I have only shown two guide-
pulleys o in Fig. 4 and four guide pulleys o in Fig. 7 as being employed it will be
readily understood that by employing a greater number of guide-pulleys o this portion
invention n may be applied -to-window-casements fan-lights, doors and like
appliances of any form and in any situation.
of my
In some cases instead of forming upon the rod or bar a, a ball 6 as previously
described I employ the arrangement shown in Fig. 8 in which the same letters of
reference are applied to the parts as have above been applied to the corresponding parts
shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7-Formed upon the bracket c is a ball q and I
form upon or secure to the end of the rod or bar a. a concave socket r to which is
secured a caps provided with a concave part s¹-The concave socket r and the caps
while securing the rod or bar a to the ball q will permit such rod or bar a to be rotated
upon the ball g and also permit the bar or rod a to assume various angular positions in
relation to the bracket c.
By means of this portion of my invention and by employing guide-pulleys as above
described I avoid the use of pendent cords which not only obstruct the window-casement
or fan-light but are also unsightly and inconvenient in use.
Although I have in the drawings only shown this portion of my invention as applied
to window-casements I would have it understood that this portion of my invention is

page_text: also applicable to maintaining fan-lights and doors and like appliances in any desired
position and this portion of my invention may be employed for maintaining pictures
black-boards and other similar articles in any desired position-I attach the above
described apparatus to the picture blackboard or other similar article to which it is
applied, in any suitable manner and in some cases when the apparatus is so applied,
bands or cords may be dispensed with, the bar or rod a being rotated by hand.
The second part of my invention relates to certain apparatus for opening and closing
window-casements, fan-lights and doors and like appliances or for maintaining such
window-casements, fan-lights and doors and like appliances in any desired position in
which apparatus a bar or rod provided with screw-threads or teeth is jointed to a bracket
secured to the framework or other convenient part of the window-casement, fanlight
or door or like appliance and which apparatus are described and shown in the Specifi-
cation filed in respect of the application of Heury Tosh and Samuel Preston for a
Patent No. 4164 dated February 29th 1884-This second part of my invention
consists in a method of connecting the bar or rod before mentioned to the bracket by
which method I enable the bracket to which the bar or rod is jointed to be secured to
a surface at any angle to the window-casement, fan-light or door or like appliance
and thus avoid having to employ a bracket formed to suit the particular position or
inclination of the surface or part to which it is secured as has hitherto been
necessary.
This second part of my invention is illustrated by Figs. 9, 10, 11 and 12 in which
Fig. is a side view partly in section and Figs. 10 and 11 are views of portions of
that which is shown in Fig. 9 when viewed in the direction indicated by the
arrow B-The bar or rod t which is formed or provided with screw-threads t¹ or may
be provided with teeth 1 form or provide with a ball u-Through the bracket I form
an opening through which the bar or rod t is passed-w is a cap secured to the
bracket by means of the screws w¹-Upon the bracket v I form a concave surface
between which and the cap w the ball u is retained-Secured to or formed upon the
cap w is a pin which pin x projects into a slot or groove y formed in the ball u―The
ball u, concave surface and cap to together form an "universal joint" which while
preventing the rod or bar t from being moved in the direction of its length_allows
such rod or bar t to assume various angular positions relatively to the bracket The rod
or bar tis prevented from being rotated around its axis by the pin x and groove y―z is a
pulley provided with internal screw-threads which take into the screw-threads t¹ formed
upon the rod or bar t-Mounted upon the boss of the pulley z is a bracket 2 provided
with pivots which pass into holes formed in brackets 23 respectively-The pulley z
and bracket z' are similar to those shown and described in the Specification filed in
respect of the above mentioned application of Henry Tosh and Samuel Preston for a
Patent No. 4164 dated February 29th 1884.
Fig. 12 shows this second portion of my invention as applied to a window-casement-
An endless band or cord is passed around the pulley As the action of the parts
is apparent from the drawing no further description is requisite.
Although in regard to both parts of my invention I have above referred to an
endless band or cord as being employed I would have it understood that if desired an
endless chain may be employed instead of an endless band or cord and that in such
cases if necessary or desirable the pulley e or z as the case may be may be provided
with notches or teeth to take into or engage with the links of the endless chain.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is.―
1. In the arrangement of apparatus shown in and described in reference to
Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 of the drawings hereunto annexed the combination of parts
consisting in the rod or bar a provided with the screw-threads a', the ball b, the
bracket C₁ the pulley e, the nut h, the swivel j, the tube and the plate k provided
with the projecting part k', all constructed, arranged, employed and operating for the

page_text: purposes and substantially in the manner herein before described in reference to and
indicated in and by the said figures of the drawings hereunto annexed.
2. In the arrangement of apparatus shown in and described in reference to Fig. 8
of the drawings hereunto annexed, the combination of parts consisting in the bracket c,
caps and ball g, all constructed, arranged, employed and operating for the purposes
and substantially in the manner herein before described in reference to and indicated in
and by Fig. 8 of the drawings hereunto annexed.
3. In the arrangement of apparatus shown in and described in reference to
Figs. 9, 10, 11 and 12 of the drawings hereunto annexed the combination of parts
consisting in the bracket v, cap w and ball u, all constructed, arranged, employed and
operating for the purposes and substantially in the manner herein before described in
reference to and indicated in and by the said figures of the drawings hereunto
annexed.
Dated this Twenty eighth day of March 1888
W. T. CHEETHAM,
Manchester,
Agent to the Applicant