IMPROVEMENTS IN STOP-HINGES, FOR DESKS, TABLES, AND SIMILAR ARTICLES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN STOP-HINGES, FOR DESKS, TABLES, AND SIMILAR ARTICLES."
A communication from abroad by James M. Dodge, of the City and State
of New York, United States of America.
ealed the 7th May 1880, and dated the 18th November 1879
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th November 1879.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN STOP-HINGES FOR DESKS,
TABLES, AND SIMILAR ARTICLES." [A communication from abroad by James M.
Dodge, of the City and State of New York, United States of America.] .
This Invention relates to a hinge for desks, tables, and other articles in which
one part is movable, and which part it is desired to stop at certain points.
Heretofore stop-hinges have been made by providing for sufficient play on a
pivot to permit the movable part of the hinge to be lifted over projections on the
fixed part which would otherwise arrest its motion. This kind of hinge is
objectionable, for the reason that the entire weight of the movable section to which
the movable part of the hinge is attached, must be lifted over the projections in
order to disengage the stop and permit the further movement of the hinged section,
and also on account of the noise occasioned by the play of the two parts of the
hinge when operated.
The object of this Invention is to provide a hinge in which the movable part
may be stopped and held in the position desired, and may be released by simply
turning the movable member in the proper direction without lifting and without
noise in its operation.
In carrying the said Invention into practice I provide a pintle or stud, and a
knuckle of peculiar construction in combination with a loose ball which operates
to stop the movable part of the hinge at the desired point.
I make the inner portion of the pintle round, but the outer face is cut away
somewhat so as to provide an irregular or cam-shaped portion. The movable part

page_text: of the hinge is provided with a knuckle or socket which is fitted to receive the
pintle or stud, and is closed so as to cover the face of the latter. It is evident
therefore that a passage will be formed around the inner edge of the cam between
the cut-away portion of the pintle or stud and the knuckle. A loose ball is placed
in this passage or vacant space between the knuckle and pintle, and the cam is of
such shape that the opening or passage between it and the knuckle is constricted
toward the lower portion of the cam, and enlarged toward the upper portion
thereof.
The said ball is larger than the lower portion of this space between the cam and
knuckle, but smaller than the upper portion, so that when permitted to roll
down within the lower portion of the space, the ball will be jammed between the
cam and the knuckle, thereby stopping the movement of the knuckle around the
pintle and securely holding it from dropping farther. At the same time the
knuckle may be released simply by elevating it or turning it back, as the stop-ball
will then roll up into the upper enlarged portion of the chamber.
In one side of the knuckle a pocket or recess is made large enough to receive the
stop-ball. When it is desired to drop the lid of a desk to which this hinge is
applied, the lid is first thrown up thereby releasing the ball which drops into the
pocket when the latter is brought around far enough in front by the upward
vibration of the knuckle-piece to permit the ball to fall into it. The knuckle-
piece may now be turned downward, and the ball resting in the pocket will be
carried backward and upward behind the aforesaid cam, permitting the knuckle-
piece to drop into a vertical position. When in this movement the pocket is
brought around above the upper portion of the cam so as to be again uncovered,
the ball will roll out of the pocket and down the incline of the cam until it rests
again between the pintle-cain and the knuckle, so that whenever the knuckle-piece
is again turned upward the ball will be in position to stop it from dropping again
as above described. It will thus be seen that a stop is provided for the hinge
which requires no lifting of any of the parts, being operated by turning the
movable part of the hinge upon its pintle in the ordinary way, that is to say,
always in the same plane.
The construction is very simple and not liable to derangement, and as the ball
is enclosed and therefore protected from dirt the wear is very slight.
In applying this improved hinge to desks the lid or top is fastened to the
knuckle-pieces so as to rise and fall with them. The standards or end pieces may
also be provided with suitable stops to arrest the upward movement of the lid and
hold it in an elevated position if desired.
In some cases I modify the construction of the joint by cutting away the
knuckle for about one-fourth of the distance around in front of the pocket, and
making the projecting portion of the pintle of different form, so that the stop-ball
is caught between a shoulder on the knuckle and the corner of the cam. But the
principle of operation is precisely the same as in the construction first herein
.described.
In applying the said improved hinge to a table of any kind it is desirable to
have the joint between the bed of the table and the leaf as close as possible, and
the two parts of the hinge, that is to say, the part fixed to the table and the part
fixed to the leaf somewhat changed in construction. The pintle-piece is adapted
to be fastened to the underside of the table bed and has an upward turn at the
pintle end. The movable portion of the hinge is adapted to be attached to the
underside of the leaf, and is provided with a curved projection which extends some
distance forward of the attaching foot, and is then bent upward to form a projecting
knuckle. This enables the knuckle end to be carried in ward underneath the edge
of the table-bed for attachment to the pintle, the table bed being provided with a
recess to receive the up-turned ends of the hinge-pieces. With this construction
the joint between the bed and leaf will always be close whatever may be the
position of the latter.
In some cases I modify the construction of the pintle as follows, that is to say :—

page_text: I provide it with a transverse groove through which the stop-ball passes from its
elevated position to its lower or working position. I may also slightly modify the
socket by providing in addition to the pocket a smaller depression or recess which
is arranged close to the large pocket, and in which the ball rests when it operates
against the cam to stop the hinge. In this arrangement very slight elevation of
the leaf is required to catch the ball in the large pocket and permit the leaf to be
lowered.
Other modifications may be made in the construction of the two parts of the
hinge; the passage for the ball across the pintle may be a hole drilled through the
body of the latter, the arrangement of the pocket in the knuckle being changed to
correspond. The knuckle may also have one or more pockets arranged in different
ways to take the ball in different positions.
Instead of a sphere a cylindrical stop may be employed, or an oval-shaped piece
will operate in practice, though I prefer the spherical form, as with it there is less
friction and the movement is more free.
It is also necessary in the construction of the hinge to provide for the jamming of
the stop-ball between the movable and fixed parts at the point where it is desired
to stop the hinge, to provide a pocket or recess in the movable part in which the
ball may be taken from its working position and carried around therein as the
movable part drops, and to provide a passage in the pintle or fixed part along
which the ball may pass from its elevated position to its working position by the
action of gravity.
Whenever these conditions are obtained the principle of this Invention will be
incorporated.
It is obvious that my improvements may be applied not only to desks, but to
many other articles in which there is a vibration of one or more parts in a vertical
or substantially-vertical direction, and in applying the said Invention to various
articles, it will be found necessary to change the form and construction of the parts
to adapt them to the special locations in which they are placed, and the particular
result which it is desired to obtain. These changes may be readily made however
without affecting the simplicity, durability, and cheapness of the hinge.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th
May 1880.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN STOP-HINGES FOR DESKS,
TABLES, AND SIMILAR ARTICLES." A communication from abroad by James M.
Dodge, of the City and State of New York, United States of America.
This Invention relates to a hinge for desks, tables, and other like articles with
one movable part which is designed to be stopped and retained at certain points.
Stop-hinges as heretofore constructed have been made by providing for sufficient
play on a pivot to permit the movable part of the hinge to be lifted over projections

page_text: on the fixed part which would otherwise arrest its motion. This kind of hinge is
objectionable for the reason that the entire weight of the movable section to which
the movable part of the hinge is attached must be lifted over the projections in
order to disengage the stop and permit the further movement of the hinged section,
and also on account of the noise occasioned by the play of the two parts of the
hinge when operated.
The object of this Invention is to provide a hinge in which the movable part
may be stopped and held in the position desired, and may be released by simply
turning the movable member in the proper direction without lifting it over projec-
tions and without noise in its operation.
My Invention consists essentially in a pintle or stud and a knuckle of peculiar
construction in combination with a loose ball which operates to stop the movable
part of the hinge at the desired point.
applied to the same, the movable part of the said hinge and the desk-top being
lowered, and
Figure 2 is a similar view with the top elevated to its highest position.
Figure 3 is a side elevation shewing the top. stopped in proper position for a
desk.
Figure 4 is a front elevation of the same shewing the two parts of the binge.
Figure 5 is a side elevation shewing a modification in the construction of the
hinge.
Figure 6 is a perspective view of a portion of a table, and one leaf having my
improved stop-binge applied to the same.
Figure 7 is a plan of the hinge shewn in Figure 6, and
Figure 8, a sectional view of the same.
In Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, shewing my improved hinge applied to a school
desk, the top or lid of which is intended to be hinged to the upright portion so as
to be raised and lowered, A represents one of the standards or end pieces of the
desk, and B, the pintle of the hinge, which is fixed to the standard; the inner portion
of the pintle is round, as shewn in Figure 4, but the outer face is cut away
somewhat nearly around the pintle so as to provide an irregular or cam-shaped
portion C, as shewn.
The movable part D of the hinge is provided with a knuckle or socket, which is
fitted to receive the pintle B, and is closed so as to cover the face of the latter. It
is evident therefore that a passage will be formed around the edge of the cam C
between the cut-away portion of the pintle and the knuckle. A loose ball E is
placed in this passage or vacant space between the knuckle (and pintle, and the
cam C is of such shape that the opening or passage between it and the knuckle is
constricted toward the lower portion of the cam, and enlarged toward the upper
portion thereof.
The ball E is larger than the lower portion of this space between the cam and
knuckle, but smaller than the upper portion, so that when permitted to roll down
within the lower portion of the space, as shewn in Figure 3, the ball will be jammed
between the cam C and the knuckle, thereby stopping the movement of the
knuckle around the pintle, and securely holding the said knuckle from dropping
farther. At the same time the knuckle may be released simply by elevating it or
turning it back, as the stop-ball will then roll up into the upper enlarged portion
of the chamber.
In one side of the knuckle a pocket or recess F is made large enough to receive
the stop-ball. When it is desired to drop the lid of the desk it is first thrown up
from the position shewn in Figure 3 of the Drawing, thereby releasing the ball
which drops into the pocket F when the latter is brought around far enough in
front by the upward vibration of the knuckle-piece D to permit the ball to fall

page_text: into it.
The knuckle-piece may now be turned downward, and the ball resting in
the pocket will be carried backward and upward behind the cam-shaped projec-
tion C, permitting the knuckle-piece D to drop into a vertical position, as shewn in
Figure 1. When in this movement the pocket F is brought around above the
upper portion of the cam C so as to be again uncovered, as shewn in Figure 1 of
the Drawing, the ball will roll out of the pocket and down the incline of the cam
until it rests again between the pintle-cam and the knuckle, so that whenever the
knuckle-piece is again turned upward the ball will be in position to stop it from
dropping again, as above described.
It will thus be seen that a stop is provided for the hinge which requires no
lifting of any of the parts being operated by turning the movable part of the
hinge upon its pintle in the ordinary way, that is to say, always in the same
plane.
The construction is very simple, and not liable to derangement, and as the ball is
enclosed, and therefore protected from dirt the wear is very slight.
In applying this improved hinge to desks the lid or top H is fastened to the
knuckle-pieces D so as to rise and fall with them. The standards or end-pieces
may also be provided with suitable stops to arrest the upward movement of the
lid, and hold it in an elevated position, as shewn in Figure 2 of the Drawing, if
desired.
In Figure 5 I have shewn a modification in the construction of the joint, the
projecting portion C of the pintle being of different form, and the knuckle being
cut away for about one-fourth of the distance around in front of the pocket F, so
that the stop-ball is caught between a shoulder on the knuckle and the corner of
the cam C, as shown. The principle of operation of this modified form of joint is
precisely the same as that hereinbefore described.
In Figures 6, 7, and 8 I have shewn my improved hinge applied to a table of
any suitable construction. In these Figures I represents the stationary part of the
table, and J the leaf. As it is desirable to have the joint between the bed of the
table and the leaf as close as possible the two parts K and L of the hinge are in
this instance somewhat changed in construction. The pintle-piece K is adapted to
be fastened to the underside of the table bed, and has an upward extension or
turn at the pintle end. The movable portion L of the hinge is adapted to be
attached to the underside of the leaf, and is provided with a curved projection 7,
which extends some distance forward of the attaching foot, and is then bent upward
to form a projecting knuckle. This enables the knuckle end to be carried inward
underneath the edge of the table-bed for attachment to the pintle, as shewn in
Figure 8, the table-bed being provided with a recess to receive the up-turned ends
of the hinge-pieces. With this construction the joint between the bed and leaf
will always be close whatever may be the position of the latter.
In the said Figures I have also shewn a modification in the construction of the
pintle M, it being provided with a transverse groove m, through which the stop-
ball E passes from its elevated position to its lower or working position.
The socket is also modified slightly, being constructed with a pocket F, and also
provided with a small depression or recess ', which is arranged close to the large
pocket; in this recess the ball rests when it operates against the cam C to stop the
hinge, as shown in Figure 8. In this arrangement very slight elevation of the
leaf is required to catch the ball in the large pocket and permit the leaf to be
lowered.
Other modifications may be made in the construction of the two parts of the
hinge; the passage for the ball across the pintle may be a hole drilled through the
body of the latter, the arrangement of the pocket in the knuckle being changed to
correspond.
The knuckle may also have one or more pockets arranged in different ways to
take the ball in different positions.
Instead of a sphere a cylindrical stop may be employed, or an oval-shaped piece
will operate in practice, though I prefer the spherical form, as with it there is less

page_text: friction, and the movement is more free. It is also necessary in the construction of
the hinge to provide for the jamming of the stop-ball between the movable and
fixed parts at the point where it is desired to stop the hinge to provide a pocket or
recess in the movable part in which the ball may be taken from its working
position and carried around therein as the movable part drops, and to provide a
passage in the pintle or fixed part, along which the ball may pass from its elevated
position to its working position by the action of gravity.
Whenever these conditions are obtained the principle of this Invention will be
incorporated. I do not therefore confine myself to the precise construction of parts
herein described and shewn, as it is obvious that my improvements may be applied
not only to desks but to many other articles in which there is a vibration of one or
more parts in a vertical or substantially-vertical direction, and in applying the
said Invention to various articles it will be found necessary to change the form
and construction of the parts to adapt them to the special locations in which they
are placed and the particular result which it is desired to obtain. These changes
may be readily made however without affecting the simplicity, durability, and
cheapness of the hinge.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it under-
stood that I claim,-
First. In a stop-hinge the combination of a pintle, a knuckle, or socket-piece,
and a loose stop-piece, which pintle and knuckle are constructed and arranged to
provide a constricted or cam opening between them, and one of which is provided
with a rest for the loose stop piece, whereby the hinge may be stopped at the point
desired by the loose piece in the cam-opening, and released by moving the knuckle
in the required direction to change the stop-piece from a working position to a
position of rest, in which latter position the movable part of the hinge may be
turned freely in either direction, substantially as above described.
Second. In a stop-hinge, a pintle provided with a passage leading from the upper
to the lower side thereof, and a knuckle or socket-piece, the said pintle and knuckle
being so constructed as to provide a constricted or cam opening between them and
the knuckle, having an enlarged side pocket or recess in combination with a loose
stop-ball larger than the cam opening, whereby the two parts of the hinge are
stopped at the point desired by the ball, caught in the cam opening and released
by raising the knuckle-piece to permit the ball to drop into the side pocket, in
which it is carried round and dropped into the upper end of the pintle-passage by
lowering the knuckle-piece, substantially as above described.
Third. The pintle having a transverse groove or passage in combination with
the movable knuckle or socket provided with a pocket at the side of the socket
and the loose ball, constructed and operating substantially as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.
W. ROBT. LAKE. (L.S.)