IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR CLOSING THE APERTURE OR OPENING AT THE Воттом OF HINGED DOORS, SHUTTERS, AND WINDOWS FOR EXCLUDING DRAUGHTS, DUST, OR RAIN
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Warhurst, of Whaley Bridge, in the
County of Cheshire, Joiner and Builder, for the Invention of
"IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR CLOSING THE APERTURE OR OPENING AT THE
Воттом OF HINGED DOORS, SHUTTERS, AND WINDOWS FOR EXCLUDING
DRAUGHTS, DUST, OR RAIN."
Sealed the 30th November 1869, and dated the 1st June 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Warhurst
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patcuts, with his Petition,
on the 1st June 1869.
I, JOSEPH WARIIURST, of Whaley Bridge, in the County of Cheshire,
Joiner and Builder, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR CLOSING THE APERTURE OR OPENING AT THE
BOTTOM OF HINGED DOORS, SHUTTERS, AND WINDOWS, FOR EXCLUDING DRAUGHTS,
DUST, OR RAIN," to be as follows :—
The object of this Invention is to obviate the inconvenience arising
from the necessary aperture or opening which has to be left at the
bottom of hinged doors in order that they may open without rubbing
upon the carpet, or oilcloth, or other covering of the floor of the room

page_text: to which such doors appertain, which opening especially in outer doors
allows the admission of draughts, rain, or dust, and also to obviate the
necessity of using rising hinges and to allow ordinary butt hinges to be
used instead.
Now this Invention consists in a ready method of closing such
openings or appertures by means of a bar of wood, mictal, or other
suitable material, which is arranged to work in a rabbit formed in an
outer casing, mould, or skirting applied to the bottom of doors, and is
connected to metallic plates to which spiral springs are affixed, so that
as the door closes the end of stich bar comes in contact with a projection
formed on the door jamb, and is thereby pushed forwards and downwards
by the action of the metallic plates which act in the same manner as
cranks and in turning wind up the spiral springs.
The bottom of the bar herein-before mentioned is cut or "scribed" to
the exact shape of the floor in the doorway, and is then covered with
sheet vulcanised india-rubber or other elastic material which acts as a
cushion and makes a perfect joint.
For double doors it is preferred to fix a spring lever in the rabbit of
the door jamb which when the door closes presses out a projection to act
upon the bar.
This Invention is equally applicable for closing the opening or aperture
at the bottom of hinged shutters or windows.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Joseph Warhurst in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 1st December 1809.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
WARHURST, of Whaley Bridge, in the County of Cheshire, Joiner and
Builder, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand cight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for. Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Joseph Warhurst, Her special licence
that I, the said Joseph Warhurst, my executors, administrators, and

page_text: assigns, or such others as I, the said Joseph Warhurst, my executors,
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
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS
FOR CLOSING THE APERTURE OR OPENING AT THE BOTTOM OF HINGED DOORS,
SHUTTERS, AND WINDOWS, FOR EXCLUDING DRAUGHTS, DUST, OR RAIN," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Joseph Warhurst, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or
one of their hands and scals, 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 Joseph Warhurst, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
The object of this Invention is to obviate the inconvenience arising
from the necessary aperture or opening which has to be left at the bottom
of hinged doors in order that they may open without rubbing upon the
carpet or oilcloth or other covering of the floor of the room to which
such doors apertain, which opening especially in outer doors allows the
admission of draughts, rain, or dust; and also to obviate the necessity
of using rising hinges and to allow ordinary butt hinges to be used
instead. To effect this object in a ready way I close such openings
or apertures by means of a bar of wood, metal, or other suitable material
arranged to work in a rebate formed in an outer casing, mould, or
skirting, applied to the bottoms of doors and connected to metallic plates
to which spiral springs are affixed, so that as a door thus provided closes
the end of such bar comes in contact with a projection formed in the
door jamb, and is thereby pushed forwards and downwards by the action
of the metallic plates, which act in the same manner as cranks, and in
turning wind up the spiral springs.
The bottom of the bar herein-before mentioned is cut or "scribed "
to the exact shape of floor in the doorway, and is then covered with sheet
vulcanised india-rubber or other pliable material which acts as a cushion
and makes a perfect joint.

page_text: For double doors it is preferred to fix a spring lever in the rebate
of the door jamb, which when the door closes presses out a projection
to act upon the bar. This Invention is equally applicable for closing
the opening or aperture at the bottom of hinged shutters or windows.
For the better understanding of the manner in which the said Invention
is to be performed or carried out in practice, I will now refer to the
Drawings accompanying these Presents.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1, front view of my apparatus attached to door (door open);
Fig. 2, front view of same (door shut); Fig. 3, back view of same (door
open); Fig. 4, back view of same (door shut); Fig. 5, back view with
piece (a) removed; Fig. 6 section through A, B, of spring piece; Fig. 7,
two discs of spring piece separated.
C, door; D, door frame; E, floor; a, bar of wood, metal, or other
suitable material; b, rabbit or rebate; c, outer casing, mould, or skirting;
d, metal disc or plate connected to outer casing or skirting; c, plate or
disc working against same, fitted with spiral spring; S, spiral spring,
one end of which is attached to disc e, and the other to disc d; g, picce
against which the end of picce a works; h, pin on piece a which
fits in disc e so that when the door is shut the pushing forward of the
piece a causes the springs to be wound up, and the picce a to be set down
to the floor as shown in Fig. 2, and when the door is opened the uncoiling
of the springs causes the piece a to rise clear of the floor. This apparatus
may be fitted with one, two, (as shown in Drawings) or more spring
pieces.
For convenience of carriage I pack my apparatus ready for sale in tho
following manner:-I tack in a groove the piece of india-rubber or
other like material which when the apparatus is fitted to the door should
be secured to the bottom of the piece a. The piece g intended to be
fitted to the door post for the end of piece a to work against. I fix at k,
and the pieces I screw so as to prevent the piece a from falling from
the other piece or skirting c.
The means of packing are shown by brond dotted lines in Fig. 3 and 5,
In some cases I cause the end of the bar a to bear against a latch on the
"latch" side of door.
I may here observe that this apparatus is complete in itself, is self-
acting, and can be aflixed to any description of door, whether external or

page_text: internal, without injury to the door or framework and can be affixed by
anybody. As to fixing the apparatus the following statement in reference
thereto may be of service.
In the first place "scribe" and fit the bottom of apparatus or slide
to the door step, then turn the button back on the back of apparatus,
take out the india-rubber strip (hold the slide fast), turn the buttons on
again, tack or pin the india-rubber flat on the bottom edge of slide with
-inch brass tacks, stretch india-rubber to full length, take brass plate
off back, screw it on bottom of hinged door jamb, then push the slide
back, put a sprig bit in under mould to hold it back, then fix the
apparatus between the door jambs, allowing play or space at each end
for opening, take the buttons (1, 1) off carefully, shut the door (some one
inside holding against it), allow for swelling a little when wet, screw it
to door with 14 inch No. 12 brass screws, work it gently at first, cover
screw heads with coloured putty like wood.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed and
carried out in practice, I hereby declare that I claim the Invention of
"Improved Apparatus for Closing the Aperture or Opening at the Bottom
of Hinged Doors, Shutters, and Windows, for Excluding Draughts, Dust,
or Rain." It being understood that I do not claim the mere mechanical
details per so and apart from the purposes of my said Invention as
herein described; but I claim to vary such details as the exigencies of the
circumstances under which my aforesaid Invention may have to be
applied may require.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Warhurst, have hereunto
set my hand and scal, this Twenty-fifth day of November, in
the year of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and sixty-
nine.