IMPROVEMENTS IN SASH FASTENINGS, AND IN THE MEANS AND APPLIANCES FOR VENTILATING SASH AND OTHER WINDOWS
Year: 1878

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Charles Brothers at the Office of tho
Commissioners of Patents on the 10th April 1878.
CHARLES BROTHERS, of Saint Pancras, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SASH FASTENINGS, AND IN THE MEANS AND APPLIANCES FOR
VENTILATING SASH AND OTHER WINDOWS."
The object of my Invention is,--
Firstly. To afford greater security to the occupants of sleeping and other
apartments.
And, Secondly. To better ventilate the rooms and buildings where sash or other
windows or casements are fitted.
To carry out the first part of my Invention I affix to any convenient part of the
stile or stile of the window sashes, or to the pulley stiles of the sash frames a
suitable mortice lock. Such lock may be made either with a single spring bolt and
catch, or it may combine two or more spring bolts or catches, as preferred; and when
fitted in the latter manner such spring bolts or catches may either be actuated by a
single combined movement, or may each be fitted so as to act separately and inde-
pendently of each other, and I fit one of such catches so that when the sash is
raised to a given height (say, five inches) this spring catch locks either into an
enclosed metal box, or into an ordinary face plate, thus effectually preventing the
sash from being raised any higher so as to effect ingress or egress to or from the
room, but permitting the same to be closed, either wholly or partially, owing to
the pressure on the spring catch produced by the downward movement of the sash,
causing the same to recede.
In order to provide for raising the sash to its full height, when desired, I lock
back such catch by means of a key from the inside, so that when so locked back the
window sash can ascend freely.
In order to securely fasten down the sash when closed a suitable spring or other
bolt, which is either separate from or combined with the mortice lock before
mentioned, is fitted to the stile of the window sash, or on the window frame in
some convenient position, so that when the window is closed, by moving such bolt
forward, which is done by releasing a suitable catch, it shoots into a suitable box

page_text: or plate, and the window is thus rendered burglar-proof; and for greater safety I
provide a master key, by which such bolt can be securely locked, and the window
cannot again be opened until such master key is applied to the unlocked bolt, and
fasten it backward, so as to allow the window sash to ascend freely.
By my improved arrangement I entirely dispense with all necessity for the ordinary
sash fastenings now in use.
My improvements in ventilating window sashes, casements, and other similar
openings consist in providing at the top of the sash frame a movable door or flap.
Such door or its equivalent is opened and closed by means of suitable springs,
cranks, and pulleys, or other suitable mechanical arrangement placed in any con-
venient position at the head of the sash frame, and controlled and regulated by
cords, wires, or other suitable means.
In order to allow of the free passage of air through the head of the window frame,
when such door is open, I form any convenient number of suitable apertures in the
inside and outside linings thereof; and in order to prevent theso apertures becoming
choked with dust and dirt I fasten over the same a netting of wire gauze or other
suitable material; also, when desired, any suitable draft regulator may be fitted
inside the head of the window frame; or, in lieu of such movable door or flap as
just described, the same may be dispensed with, and in lieu thereof a fixed screen
may be placed at any convenient angle, so as to intercept the downward draught
of the current of air passing through the window head, as before mentioned, and,
instead of the apertures before described, a hit-and-miss sliding arrangement may
be substituted therefor, and regulated by cords and pulleys or other mechanical
equivalents; or, if preferred, the screen may be dispensed with, and the hit-and-
miss arrangement only employed.
The head of the sash frame may be so fitted that the apertures made through the
outside lining of the window frame fall either below the soffit; or, if preferred, the
soffit may be so constructed by leaving it partly hollow with apertures formed
therein that a free current of air may pass through the same, and if this latter
method be adopted the head of the sash frame may be constructed in the ordinary
manner.
It will be obvious that my improved ventilating arrangements in no way interfore
with or lessen the security of the window sash.
Both my improved sash fastenings, as also my improved ventilating arrange-
ments, may be readily fitted to existing windows and other openings.