Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Feb., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 5th Oct., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 15th Jan., 1889
1 SAMUEL HENRY RIDGE of 60 Parkside Street, Battersea Park Road, Battersea in
the County of Surrey, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:
--
This Invention relates to improvements in door springs and is as follows:
In a metal framework of any desired form is enclosed a piston around the rod
whereof is a strong spiral spring. At the end of this piston is an air valve. The
piston rod is attached to a crank which works in bearings in the outer framework
and to an extension of the crank rod outside the framework is fitted the door in any
convenient manner. The piston works in swivel bearings so that the door can be
moved one way or the other.
HUGHES & SON,
5, Chancery Lane,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: I SAMUEL HENRY RIDGE, of 60 Parkside Street, Battersea Park Road, Battersea,.
in the County of Surrey, Engineer, 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 :—
My invention relates to improvements in door springs and refers to an improved
double acting door closing device or apparatus, which is placed out of sight, being
sunk in the flooring and which acting upon the bottom of a door thoroughly controls
the same.
It can be made to release the door to which it is applied, by a mere turn of a
screw valve, either slowly or rapidly closing it with a slight jerk, which may be
sufficient to make the door lock.
Although my improved device is double acting, that is to say, applicable to doors
moving in both directions, it can by a slight alteration, be made to have only a singlo
action when applied to doors closing against a rebate.
My improved device consists chiefly of an oscillating cylinder in which moves a
piston upon whose rod is coiled a strong spiral spring.
Below the piston is formed an air chamber, the bottom of which communicates with
the atmosphere by means of zig-zag channel or passage, closed by a screw valve,
which is released or unscrewed to allow the air to escape when it is desired that the
door should move to and fro rapidly, and which is tightened on the contrary when the
door has to move slowly.
The top of the piston rod is connected to a cross head oscillating upon two pivots
moving upon an inclined path.
The whole apparatus is covered over by a cover plate of brass or other suitable
material.
And in order that my invention may be more fully understood, I have shown the
same on the accompanying sheet of drawings in which Fig. 1. is a sectional plan of the
apparatus or device with the cover plate removed, Fig. 2 is a section on line A B of
fig. 1 with the shoe in position at the bottom of a door.
Fig. 3 is an underside view of the cylinder. Fig. 4 is a plan of the upper part of
the box or case of the apparatus with the bridge plate and mechanism removed,
shewing the regulating plato. Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line E F of fig. 4 shewing
the inclined path upon which the pivots travel when the cross head oscillates, Fig. 6
being a section on line CD of Fig. 2. My apparatus consists of a box or caso B of
cast iron or other suitable metal having a circular boss on the bottom and upper part
thereof. Over this boss is placed the regulating plate A and wedges to w³ whose
object is to regulate the opening of the door to which the apparatus is applied.
Upon this plate is placed the cross head or piece H having two flanges or pro-
jections between which is secured by means of a pin passing through perforations
This rod enters the
formed in the said flanges, the top end of the piston rod r.
cylinder C which is capable of pivoting by means of trunnions upon the bottom of
the box and the bridge plate P, and carries at its other end a piston composed of a

page_text: disc D whose under surface is covered over by a flanged leather or india rubber
disc d' and a metal disc d² bolted to the first disc D. A valve controlled by a hair
spring y wound upon the spindle s thereof, passes through the discs d' d' and D and
enables the air chamber to communicate with the upper part of the cylinder.
Upon the piston rod is coiled the spiral spring S, one end of which rests upon
the upper end of the cylinder, while the other end bears upon the upper surface
of the disc D.
An air chambor O is thus formed below the piston D which has an air channel a
bulging out at the end or bottom thereof (Fig. 3) connecting the chamber with
the atmosphere by means of a zig zag passage whose two openings o o' in the
chamber and bottom of cylinder respectively, are shewn in Fig 3.
The channel a has its opening closed by a screw valve clearly shewn in the
drawings.
The pivots p p Fig. 6 placod within the cylinders cand c' of the cross head H are
pressed downwards by the spiral springs Fig. 6 and travel each on an inclined path I
Fig. 5 until it reaches the socket g which it enters with a click sufficiently strong
to make the door lock.
The top of the cross head H carries the pivot M over which is placed a ring R
having a circular groove n which is filled with cotton imprognated with suitable
lubricant and supplies the same where friction is developed.
A shoe T is fixed to the bottom of the door V whose hinges may thus be
dispensed with, the top of the door pivoting in such case upon a pin driven in the
framework thereof.
This shoe has a perforation at the bottom by means of which it is placed upon the
pivot M. as shown. As the door is opened the cross head turns, causing the cylinder
to oscillate, air being drawn in through the valve h.
When the door is released, the spring causes the piston to travel back, the
speed of such travel being checked by the air in the air chamber O as the valve h
is now closed.
ว
According as the screw valve is more or less open, the air will escape quickly or
slowly from the chamber O and the door will close accordingly rapidly or slowly, a
final jerk being given at closing by reason of the pivot p entering the socket g as
already stated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
My improved door closing device or apparatus consisting of a box or case con-
taining a regulating plate A and wedges w w¹, a cross head H with two pivots p. p'
moving on inclined paths I, a piston rod r fastened to the said crosshead, carrying a
spring coiled around it and working in a cylinder by means of the piston D composed
of the discs D d' d provided with a valve h, the lower part of the said cylinder
forming an air chamber provided with a zig-zag passage controlled by a screw
valve all substantially as hereinbefore described and shown, and for the purpose
set forth.
Data thin 8th day of Ontabor 1888