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The most common type of side lock in historic houses emerged after the Civil War. In 1878, Ira Cogswell received patent #199265. His side lock design used a rotating arm that engaged an anchor to hold the sash in place. The original design for the rotating arm had a slight S-shape, which was replaced in the late nineteenth century with what is often described as a “banjo” shape on various websites but which has more the shape of a tiny tennis racket. These side locks entered into mass production fairly quickly, with an early appearance in the Strelinger hardware catalog of 1880. Catalogs from the 1890s often show the moveable arm with Eastlake decoration, an indication of its date of production. In the twentieth century, the moveable arm was usually undecorated. The Cogswell Side Lock appeared in hardware catalogs regularly until the Barrett catalog of 1953.
Illustration of a Cogswell Side Lock from a hardware catalog of the 1890s. |