Centre pivot windows

[Feltwell]

Feltwell Towers has a few small windows with centre-pivot top openers, as per the below, which look to be original.

Has anyone come across these before, and how do you remove the opener? There is no visible pivot mechanism, it's hidden on both sides. The opener can move up and down on it's pivot by about an inch, but this makes it no easier to remove.

Were they fixed in place with spring-loaded pivot pins in the sides of the opener or frame, which spring out to hold the window in place? If so I bet they'll be well and truly seized after more than 100 years of being undisturbed

I'd like to get the openers out to renovate the windows. If I have to I'll do them in-situ, but it would be good to get them out to machine a brush pile draught sealing strip around the edge, they are quite draughty windows.

 

[Lime]

I did this many years ago, therefore cannot be absolutely certain of the detail.
However from memory, pull the window up on its pivot as far as it will go, open the window to its extreme/maximum angle then lift the window vertically upwards.
The window should lift out.
I hope my memory serves me well and that your windows are the same.

 

[Feltwell]

No joy I'm afraid Lime, but thanks for the suggestion.

The strip around the window - which looks like a bit of sash staff bead - will come off I reckon, which might give a bit more access. I think I'll wait until spring and then have a go, when I can refurb the outside of the window properly.

 

[plasticpigeon]

Modern practical joinery by Ellis shows the construction of this type of window. The description is not great. I shall scan it later.

 

[Feltwell]

Oooo, does it? Don't worry, I've got that book, should have thought of that earlier

 

[Feltwell]

From the book, looks like if I prise the moulding off that stands proud around the inside edge of the top half of the opener, I may find that it covers a slot which allows the pivot pin to come out of the opener, if the pivot pin is mounted on the frame. Sounds plausible..........

 

[Feltwell]

From the book, looks like if I prise the moulding off that stands proud around the inside edge of the top half of the opener, I may find that it covers a slot which allows the pivot pin to come out of the opener, if the pivot pin is mounted on the frame. Sounds plausible..........

Wrong! But I wasn't the only one to think that - damage to the moulding showed where someone else had taken it off in the past with the same thought!

The pin is mounted on the opener. For anyone else who ever needs to get one of these type of windows off, look very carefully on the external side of the frame, about an inch above where the pivot pin is. On mine there was a slot to the outside that had been filled with glazing putty, then umpteen coats of paint over the top. Scraping out one side was enough the get the opener out.

 

[Lime]

Well done.
Without too much damage I hope.
Doesn't it strike you that the hinge was used the "wrong way round"?
i.e. the slot that releases the window should be facing inside rather than out?
If the slot faced inside it would be obscured by the window edging most of the time so would not need to be filled.

Fitted as it is, the slot is an access for rain directly into the pivot.

 

[Feltwell]

I agree Lime. The putty in the gap would have kept the rain out, a slot to the inside would have been better, but really the whole design isn't great and lends itself to draughts. I've now machined in brush pile strip carrier all around the window to stop this, but as it was - i.e. as the house was built - you could see daylight through the gaps and there was no way to seal it.

A top-hinged opener is better in every respect from what I can see. The centre pivot is better balanced but these windows are very small, it doesn't matter.

1 done, 2 more to go. First one was done with no damage.