US242381A - Shutter-fastener - Google Patents

Description

(HoModeI.)

H. B. SHATTUCK.

Shutter Fastener.

No. 242,381, Patented may 31,1881.

n @is I m G5 BHQ' a i Wmaaas Mwexm N PETERSA mclo-Lmwgmpmr. Nimh-.gian DA t;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HORACE B. SHATTUGK, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS.

SHUTTER-.FASTENER SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 242,381, dated May 31, 1881.

Application tiled March 1G, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, HORACE B. SHA'rrUoK, ofthe city of Lowell, county of Middlesex, and State 0f Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Tindow -Blind Fastenings, of which the following is a speciiication.

My improvement relates to spring-fasten ings for blinds or shutters, made of wire; and its objects are to provide a wire spring-fastening which shall be supported upon an unyielding bearing to make a quick-actin g spring, and to prevent its becoming indented into the wood of the blind to which it is attached, and at the same time to support it transversely, to permit of a greater proportion of the entire length of the wire forming the fastening being used for the spring-arm than has been heretofore done, and to provide a fastening-spring little liable to get out of order. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is an elevation showing my device attached to a window-blind in position. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the fulcrum or bridge seen in Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a plan view ofthe spring, showing the eye and loop, not seen in Fig. l.

A is the building to which the blind B is attached.

O is a wire spring designed to engage with a catch, D, placed upon the sill of the window when the blind is closed, and asomewhat si milar catch placed upon the side of the house when the blind is open. These catches are inclined upon their outer and upper sides, and provided with a notch at the upper end of the incline, and so placed upon the side of the building and upon the window-sill that the spring-fastener will, as the blind is swung toward the one or the other, come into contact with the inclined side, and be sprung as it slides upward toward the notch7 reaching which the wire spring drops into it and holds the blind. The spring-fastenin g is attached to the under edge of the lower cross-bar of the blind by a screw, e, which passes through an eye, c2, formed by bending the end of the wire forming the spring-fastener. The wire forming the spring is bent so as to have a short inclined brace-arm, o, reaching obliquely away from the eye through which the screw e passes, and

when thus raised from the surface of the wood it is continued parallel with it, forming the spring-arm c2, whose extremity is bent into a loop or ring, which can be readily taken hold of to unfasten the spring from the catches.

Under tbespring, at the point where the long and short arms unite, is placed the fulcrum f, which has a hollow, f', formed upon its crown to receive the wire, a tang, f2, to drive into the wood to hold it in place, and shoulders f3 to prevent its sinking farther into the wood than it is at rst placed.

g is a staple placed over the springarm of thefastener, near its end, to hold it from vibrating when not engaged with the catches upon the building, and to prevent its being bent sidewise beyond its limit of resilience when brought into contact with any object bearing transversely against it.

Heretofore wire blind-fasteners have been made with a portion of the wire next to the point of attachment to the shutter lying parallel with and upon the surface of the wood t0 which they are attached, to give support to the spring-arm comprising a continuation of the wire elevated above such surface. Such part which supported the spring-arm ithas been found necessary to make of a considerable length, because otherwise it became embedded in the wood, and the end of the spring-arm was not then maintained with resilient force sufiicient to make an active and efficient spring. Another way of obtaining a greater elasticity, and providing for the depression of the supporting-point of the wire in contact with the wood into it, which is very likely to occur when the wood is wet, or to result from wear after the spring has been some time in use, is by forming a loop in the wire, to act as a fulcruln and come into contact with the wood, as shown in Patent No. 166,819; but all these methods require, to form an effective and durable spring,

that the part of the wire coming in contact with the wood and forming the support for the spring-arm bear at a considerable distance from the point of attachment; but the lengthening of the supporting part or the arm between it and the point of fastening, or the forming of a wire-loop support, must be effected either by increasing the length of the entire device or the wire used in its construction, or

IOO

they are supported upon a fulcrum which is un yieldi n 0.

1 provide a metal fulerum having sufficient hold and bearing upon the wood to always remain where placed, and, by reason of its incolnpressible nature, I can maintain a support always unyielding, regardless of the condition ofthe wood into which it is placed, and therefore that can be placed very close to the point of attachment of the fastener, and the shorter arm from the point of support to such point of attachment may be -made of the least possible length without impairing the permanence of the structure; and therefore, without increasing the length of the fastener or the wire required to form the fastener, the spring-arm may be made longer, because of such better support; anda greater quickness of action be obtained in the spring'arm also.

By providing the fulcrum with a tang which is driven a eonsiderabledistanee into the wood, and a hollow in the crown into which the wire is seated, a side support is given to the springarm, and it is prevented from pushingor crowding over and coming into contact with the staple placed over it near its extreme end.

What I claim is- A spring-wire fastener having a fasteningeye, e2, inclined brace-arm c, and horizontal spring-arm e', in combination with the fulerum j', provided with the tang f2, and shoulders f, extending each way from the tang transversely to the line of direction ofthe spring-arm, substantially as described.

HORACE B. Sl-IATTUCK.

Witnesses HOWARD S. ADAMS, LEPINE (J. RICE.

Images