IMPROVEMENTS IN SLIDING DOOR ROLLERS, ALSO APPLICABLE IN OTHER CASES WHERE RECIPROCATING MOTION
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Griffith Hatfield, of 53, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, and of New York, in the United States
of America, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SLIDING DOOR
ROLLERS, ALSO APPLICABLE IN OTHER CASES WHERE RECIPROCATING MOTION IS
Scaled the 9th October 1868, and dated the 24th July 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Griffith Hatfield
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 24th July 1868.
I, ROBERT GRIFFITH HATFIELD, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, and of New York, in the United States of America, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SLIDING DOOR ROLLERS, ALSO APPLICABLE IN OTHER CASES WHERE RECIPROCATING
MOTION IS EMPLOYED," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in fitting the axis of a sliding door roller to run
in a slot in the casing in which said roller is mounted instead of its

page_text: turning in a confined socket or bearing as heretofore, whereby a per-
manently easy motion of the door is ensured. In the ordinary roller the
socket in which the axle works is rapidly worn away, together with the
axle, causing the door to settle down on the floor or guide rail on which
the grooved roller runs, whereby its sliding motion is obstructed. The
roller casing which is recessed into the door in the usual manner is
provided on each side with a slot, in which work the ends of the roller
axle, the length of the slot being determined by the distance the door
has to travel and the relation between the circumference of the wheel
and the axle. By this means the axle is caused to roll upon a hori-
zontal plane, thus greatly diminishing the friction and obviating the
necessity of lubricating the working parts. In this manner a per-
manently easy motion is ensured with a minimum of friction, the axle
bearings not being worn away as heretofore.
In some cases it is preferable to mount the roller at the top of a
door in order to have the floor free for laying a carpet beneath it or for
other reasons. For this purpose I mount two rollers in a bar or plate
placed above the door frame carrying the guide rail, the axes of which
rollers run in horizontal slots made in said bar. The door is suspended
by iron straps on either side of the sliding bar, each embracing said bar
in the manner of an inverted stirrup. By inserting a screw in each
stirrup piece at the top of the sliding bar the door may be readily raised
or lowered as desired.
In some cases to facilitate access to the screw above mentioned I place
it just above the door, the stirrups being secured in this case to the
sliding bar and made movable on the door. These modes of raising and
lowering are of advantage for adjusting the joint between doors when in
pairs, as also for adjusting the door to the level of the floor.
These improvements are also applicable to the rollers used for moving
the bed of a printing press, and in other similar cases where rollers are
employed to facilitate the reciprocating motion of heavy weights.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Robert Griffith Hatfield in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 4th January 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
GRIFFITH HATFIELD, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
and of New York, in the United States of America, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Robert Griffith Hatfield, Her special licence
that I, the said Robert Griffith Hatfield, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Robert Griffith Hatfield, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SLIDING DOOR ROLLERS, ALSO APPLICABLE IN OTHER CASES WHERE RECIPROCATING
MOTION IS EMPLOYED," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Robert Griffith Hatfield, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, 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 Robert Griffith Hatfield, 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, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say):
:-
My Invention consists in fitting the axis of a sliding door roller to run
in a slot in the casing, in which said roller is mounted instead of its turn-
ing in a confined socket or bearing as heretofore, whereby a permanently

page_text: easy motion of the door is ensured. In the ordinary roller the socket
in which the axle works is rapidly worn away together with the axle by
the grinding motion, causing the door to settle down on the floor or guide
rail on which the grooved roller runs, whereby its sliding motion is
obstructed. The roller casing which is recessed into the door in the
usual manner is provided on each side with a slot in which work the
ends of the roller axle, the length of the slot being determined by the
distance the door has to travel and the relation between the circum-
ference of the wheel and the axle. By this means the axle is caused to
roll upon a horizontal plane, thus greatly diminishing the friction and
obviating the necessity of lubricating the working parts. In this manner
a permanently easy motion is ensured with a minimum of friction, the
axle and its bearings not being worn away as heretofore.
In some cases it is preferable to mount the roller at the top of a door
in order to have the door free for laying a carpet beneath it or for other
reasons. For this purpose I mount two rollers in a bar or plate placed
above the door frame carrying the guide rail. The door is suspended
by iron straps on one or both sides of the sliding bar, each embracing
said bar in the manner of an inverted stirrup. By inserting a screw in
each stirrup piece at the top of the sliding bar the door may be readily
raised or lowered as desired.
In some cases to facilitate access to the screw above mentioned I
place it just above the door, the stirrups being secured in this case to
the stirrup bar and made movable on the door. These modes of raising
and lowering are of advantage for adjusting the joint between doors when
in pairs as also for adjusting the door to the level of the floor.
These improvements are also applicable to the rollers used for moving
the bed of a printing press, and in other similar cases where rollers are
employed to facilitate the reciprocating motion of heavy weights.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing shows in elevation a sliding
door roller, the axle of which is fitted to run in a slot in the casing or
sheave according to my Invention; Figure 2 is a plan of the same; and
Figure 3 a cross section taken on line 1, 2, Figure 1.
A is the roller, the axle a of which is fitted to run in a slot 6 in the
casing or sheave B, in which the roller A is mounted instead of the
axle a turning in a confined socket or bearing as heretofore. In the

page_text: ordinary roller the grinding action of the axle in the confined socket
in which it works causes both axle and socket to be rapidly worn away,
allowing the door to settle down on the floor or guide rail on which
the grooved roller runs, whereby the sliding motion of the door is
obstructed. The roller casing B which is recessed into the door in the
usual manner and secured thereto by screws at points a¹, a', is provided
on each side with a slot 6 above mentioned in which work the ends of
the roller axle a, the length of the slot being determined by the distance
the door has to travel and the relation between the circumference of the
wheel A and its axle. By this means, supposing the door and casing B to
be moved in the direction indicated by the arrow, the axle a will be caused
to traverse the slot 6 by rolling along the horizontal plane 6' forming the
upper edge of said slot at same time that the periphery of wheel A
traverses the guide rail c, thereby substituting a rolling motion of the
axle for the grinding action of the confined socket heretofore employed,
also causing a great diminution of friction, and obviating the necessity
of lubricating the working parts. By dispensing with oil or other
lubricating substance the dust is prevented from adhering to the
working parts, thus avoiding a great source of wear.
Figure 4 shows the rollers as fitted to an ordinary sliding door, in
which is also seen the position of the rollers in their casings on the
door being opened to the position shown in red. In placing the door
upon the track no care is required in adjusting the position of the wheel
in the slot, as it will find it true position when the door is moved once to
the end of the track and returned, and will then continue to traverse the
slot directly.
In some cases it is preferable to mount the roller at the top of the
door, as seen in Figures 5 and 6, in order to have the floor free for
laying a carpet or for other reasons. For this purpose I mount two
rollers in a bar or plate D placed above the door frame E carrying
the guide rail; the door is suspended by iron straps d on one or both
sides of the frame E, each embracing bar D in the manner of an
inverted stirrup. The door may be readily raised or lowered, as desired,
by means of an adjusting screw e inserted in the top of each stirrup
piece d. In some cases to facilitate access to the screw e I place it just
above the door, as seen in Figure 6, the stirrups d being in this case
secured to the bar D and made movable on the door. These modes of
raising or lowering the doors are of advantage for adjusting the joint

page_text: between doors when in pairs, as also for adjusting the door to the level
of the floor.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, I declare that what I claim as my Invention
to be protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,
fitting the axis of a sliding door roller or of a roller employed to facilitate
the reciprocating motion of heavy weights to run in a slot in its casing
in lieu of working in a confined socket as heretofore, thereby avoiding
the necessity of lubrication and reducing the friction to a minimum,
substantially in the manner shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Griffith Hatfield, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of October,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-eight.
Witness,
A. M. CLARK,
Patent Agent,
53, Chancery Lane,
London.
R. G. HATFIELD. (L.S.)