Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Sept., 1888
Specification Accepted, 19th Oct., 1888
1, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to hinges for doors, and more particularly does it relate to
that class of spring hinges intended to be applied to doors designed to be opened in
either or both directions and adapted to bring the door to its normally closed position
after it has been opened. My invention consists in the novel features of construction
hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which,
4
Figure 1 is a face. view of a double spring-hinge embodying my invention, the parts
being shown in their closed position.
Figure 2 is a face view of the double spring hinge with one set of leaves opened.
Figure 3 is a view in cross.section on lines x, x of Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a view in cross section similar to Figure 3 showing the hinge opened
in the opposite direction.
Figure 5 is an enlarged detail view in perspective of the two halves of the spring-
holding spindle.
Figure 6 is a face view of a single acting spring hinge.
Figure 7 is a face view of a single acting hinge with the leaves in unfolded
position.
and
Figure 8 is a view in transverse section on line y, y of Figure 7.
Figure 9 is a perspective view of the spring-holding spindle.
Figure 10 is a view in side elevation of one half of the spring-holding spindle
Figure 11-is a view in horizontal section on line z, z of Figure 7.

page_text: :
Referring to the construction shown in Figures 1 to 5 of the drawings; A and B
denote what for convenience may be termed the door and jamb leaves of the hinge,
since when applied to use, one of these leaves will be attached to the door as at W and
the other will be fastened to the jamb as at W; and A and B¹ denote a lower
corresponding set of door and jamb leaves, these upper and lower sets of leaves being
by preference united together by suitable connections C and C, the connections
uniting the upper and lower leaves A and A¹ whilst the connection unite the upper.
and lower leaves B and B¹..
Between the door and jamb leaves A and B is held the centre or intermediate leaf D
this leaf being pivotally connected by a pintle d with the leaf A and by a pintle d¹
with the leaf B, the pintles d and passing respectively through a suitable knuckle
joint a of the leaf A and through a knuckle joint 6 of the leaf B as clearly shown in
Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings. Between the door and jamb leaves A¹ and B¹
and pivotally connected thereto respectively by pintles d² and d³ is held the lower
intermediate or centre leaf D₁ corresponding in construction and function with the
upper intermediate leaf D between the leaves A and B of the hinge. Near the base
of the upper intermediate leaf D is the bearing e¹ that receives the upper portion of
the spring-holding spindle F. This spring-holding spindle F is formed as separate
sections (see Figure 5) that are subsequently united together by means of a rivet that
passes through the holes f of the sections. The object of thus forming the spring-
holding spindle is to permit the several holes therein to be readily formed in the process
of casting the sections, since it has been found in practice that when the spindles are
cast as a single piece, and the holes afterwards drilled, there is constant danger of
breaking the drill points in drilling the last set of holes at right angles to those
previously formed.
It will be observed that one of the sections of the spindle F is provided with a lug f¹
adapted to enter a corresponding seat in the opposite section in order to more
firmly secure the sections when they have been rivetted together. Upon the lower
portion of the spindle F is held the upper end of the coiled spring G, the bent end of
this spring being retained within the seat or recess 2 formed in the spindle F and
the opposite end of this spring G is held upon the stud H that rises from the upper
edge of the lower intermediate leaf D', the lower end of this spring being fitted within
a suitable recess formed in this stud. It will be observed that the spring-holding
spindle F is provided with the holes f and formed at right angles to each other in
the process of casting the sections (as seen in Figure 5) and beneath these holes and
formed in like manner, are preferably formed also the holes f and f7. The object in
thus providing the spindle F with the holes fand f is to permit a pin to be
inserted therein for the purpose of retaining the spring at the desired tension. And
it is obvious that after the lower end of the spring has been fixed upon the stud H
and the upper end has been fixed upon the spindle F the tension of the spring can be
wound to the desired degree by inserting a suitable wrench bar in the holes and f
and turning the spindle to the requisite extent; after which the proper tension of the
spring can be maintained by inserting the pin through one of the holes for f" so
that it shall bear against the face of the leaf D and check the backward turning of
the spindle. By this means the tension of the spring can be readily adjusted to
properly swing a light and heavy door.
From the foregoing description, it will be seen that if a door W, having the
improved hinges thereon, be swung from a closed position into the open position
shown in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings, the leaves of the hinge will turn upon the
pintles d and d³ and the centre or intermediate leaf D, as it moves away from the
leaf A, will pull outwardly and at the same time tend to wind or coil the coil-spring G,
so that this spring opposes the outward movement of the leaf D, both by its pulling
and its. torsional force; so, also, it is plain that when the door is swung from its
closed position into the open position shown in Figure 4 the leaves of the hinge turn
upon the pintles d' and d², and the centre or intermediate leaf D' in moving away
from the leaf A¹ pulls the lower end of the coiled spring outwardly and at the same
time tends to further coil or wind this spring; so that in whichever direction the door

page_text: be swung, the coiled spring will exert both a pulling and a torsional force to restore
it to its normally closed position.
In order to guard against the accidental working of the pintles d, d', from their
proper positions, I provide each pintle with a groove 2, within which rests the lower
end of a suitable key K, that lies within an appropriate slate of the hinge leaf, the
upper end of this key engaging with a stop or shoulder k¹ affixed to or formed in
piece with the upper portion of the leaf. It will thus be seen that if the pintle tend
to rise, its upward movement will be checked by the key K, the lower end of which
will engage with the groove of the pintle whilst its upper end engages with the stop or
shoulder. If, however, it is desired to withdraw one or more of the pintles for any
purpose (as, for example, to unhang the door or permit it to swing in either direction
without effecting the spring) either of the keys K can be readily removed by means
of an awl or like pointed tool.
•
The construction of hinge illustrated in Figures 6 to 11 of the drawing, is of the
kind known as the single hinge; since it is designed to swing in one direction only.
In this hinge there are but two leaves A and B provided respectively with the
extensions and C₁ recessed or cut away, as at c, to receive the coiled spring G,
these leaves A and B being pivotally connected by a pintle &, that passes through the
usual knuckle joints a and b. In this construction the lower end of the coiled spring
is held upon the stud H at the upper end of the casuing H', that is formed separate
from the leaf A, and rivetted thereto. The reason for thus forming the stud H upon
a separate casting is that the leaf A and its extension C can thereby be much more
cheaply cast than if the stud H were formed integral therewith. In the last described
form of hinge, as in that illustrated in Figures 1 to 5 of the drawings, the upper end
of the coiled spring is held upon a spindle F that passes through a suitable bearing el
formed integrally with the extension C¹, and beneath the cut away space e thereof.
This spindle F like that illustrated in Figure 5 of the drawings, is formed of separate
sections rivetted together, the pin holes and f being formed in the sections in the
process of casting to receive the pin that serves to retain the spindle in position
after it has been swung to the desired extent and consequently to prevent the unwind-
ing of the coiled spring. In order to enable the spindle to be readily turned for the
purpose of giving to the coiled spring the desired degree of tension, I prefer to
form the upper part of this spindle with a seat or socket adapted to receive a
suitable key, as shown by dotted lines in Figure 7 of the drawing; and it is obvious
that when this key has been inserted in the end of the spindle and the said pin fhas
been withdrawn, the spindle can be turned by the key in such manner as to wind the
coiled spring to the requisite extent to give the proper degree of tension.
From the foregoing description it will be seen that when the leaves of the hinge are
swung apart in the act of opening the door, the separation of the leaves will occur
against the pulling and also against the torsional action of the coiled spring, the force
of which will serve to restore-the door to its normally closed position.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent I declare that what I claim is :-
First. In a spring hinge, the combination with two or more leaves pivoted together,
of a coiled spring G, a stud H and a spindle F, constructed and arranged, substantially
as described.
Second. In a spring hinge, the combination with two or more leaves pivoted
together, of a coiled spring G, a stud H, and a spindle F, said spindle being formed of
the perforated sections united together, substantially as described.
Third. In a hinge, the combination of the leaves recessed to receive a key, and
provided with a stop or shoulder to engage said key, a grooved pintle and a key for
retaining said pintle in place, substantially as described.
Fourth. In a spring hinge, the combination of the leaves pivoted together, the coiled
spring G, a spindle for holding one end of said spring and a stud for holding the

page_text: opposite end of said spring, said stud being formed as a separate casting, substantially
as described.
Fifth. In a spring hinge, the combination of the leaves pivoted together, the coiled
spring G, a stud for holding one end of said coiled spring, and a spindle for
holding the opposite end of said coiled spring, said spindle having pin-holes in its
periphery and having a key-socket in its end, substantially as described.
Dated this 3rd day of September 1888.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.