IMPROVEMENTS IN HINGES
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Starr, of Liverpool, in the County of Lan-
caster, Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN HINGES." -
A communication.
Scaled the 12th January 1858, and dated the 18th July 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Starr at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
18th July 1857.
I, HENRY STARR, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Merchant, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
HINGES," (a communication from a foreigner residing abroad,) to be
follows:-
This Invention relates to the construction of ordinary hinges used for
hanging doors and other similar purposes, and by a simple alteration or addi-
tion in the pattern from which they are cast, or in the mode of fitting them
together, they may be converted into spring or re-acting hinges for the
purpose of keeping doors closed. This is effected by casting an angular or any
other shaped socket or projection on the end or ends of the nuckle of the
ordinary hinge, or such socket or projection may be fixed on or adjusted

page_text: thereto, or the pin of such binge may be similarly formed at its end or ends.
Such angular socket or projection is intended to receive and hold the end of
a tortion bar, or the projection from or fitting of any suitable form of spring,
which being acted upon by the forcible opening of the door is free to re-act
when the door is released, and throws it back into the door frame, and thus
closes the opening.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Starr in the Great Scal Patent Office on the
12th January 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
STARR, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Merchant, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the
year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Henry Starr, Her special licence that I, the said Henry Starr, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry
Starr, my exccutors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
yend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HINGES," (a
communication), upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Henry
Starr, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hand
and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause
the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Starr, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to bo
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, with accompanying Drawing:-
This Invention relates to the construction of ordinary hinges used for
hanging doors and other similar purposes, and by a simple alteration or
addition in the pattern from which they are cast, or in the mode of fitting

page_text: them together, they may be converted into springs or re-acting hinges, for the
purpose of keeping doors closed or open. This is effected by casting an angular
or any other shaped socket, or a projection, if preferred, on the end or ends
of the nuckle of the ordinary hinge, or such socket may be cut therein. Such
angular socket or projection is intended to receive and hold the end of a
tortion bar, or the projection from or fitting of any suitable form of spring,
which being acted upon by the forcible opening of the door is free to re-act
when the door is released, and throws it back into the door frame, and thus
closes the opening, or the operation may be reversed when required for the
purpose of keeping doors or shutters open.
The tortion bar may be of steel or any other suitable material, having its
ends formed square, angular, dovetail, or of any other form corresponding
to the shape of the socket in the end nuckle of the hinge to which it has to
be fitted.
In applying the binges to the door, care must be taken to reverse the flaps
of such hinges, so that the door has the odd number of nuckles in the top
hinge when it has the even number below, as by this means the tortion of the
bar is effected, and which would not take place if the hinges were applied, as
is ordinarilly done, when the even or the odd nuckles are respectively placed
on the door or the hanging post. The sockets may be cast or formed at
each end or one end only of such hinges.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING.
Fig. 1 is a section of an ordinary door hinge having my improvements
applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a plan of the same; Fig. 3, a view of the tortion
bar; Fig. 4 shews a door fitted with the improved hinges.
In Fig 1, a is the hinge; b, the nuckle joint; c, the angular or other form
of socket, into which the end of the tortion bar is fitted; d is a portion of
the tortion bar, better shewn in Fig. 3, having square or other form of ends
e, e, to suit the form of socket into which it has to be fitted.
Fig. 4 shews the hinges as fitted to a door, of which fis the door frame
shewn in section, with the hinges attached thereto, the door 9 being shewn as
open.
Having now described my Invention, I wish it to be understood that I
make no claim for the tortion bar herein described, as tortion bars have
heretofore been used in connection with independant fittings; but what I
claim is,―
Firstly, hinges constructed in the manner herein described.

page_text: Secondly, the application of a tortion bar to such hinges, in the manner
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Starr, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Sixteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
GEORGE CHURCHILL,
10, Salisbury Street, Adolphi.
HENRY STARR. (L.S.)