IMPROVEMENTS IN DOOR AND GATE SPRINGS, HINGES, AND CENTRES, THE IMPROVED SPRINGS BEING APPLI- CABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES FOR WHICH SPRINGS ARE EMPLOYED
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Chesterman, of Sheffield, in the County of
York, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN DOOR AND
GATE SPRINGS, HINGES, AND CENTRES, THE IMPROVED SPRINGS BEING APPLI-
CABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES FOR WHICH SPRINGS ARE EMPLOYED."
Sealed the 14th June 1861, and dated the 18th December 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Chesterman at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 18th
December 1860.
I, JAMES CHESTERMAN, of Sheffield, in the County of York, Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
DOOR AND GATE SPRINGS, HINGES, AND CENTRES, THE IMPROVED SPRINGS BEING
APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES FOR WHICH SPRINGS ARE EMPLOYED," to be as
follows:-
My Invention consists in the employment of levers, sliding or inclined.
planes, and eccentric cams, acted upon by one or other of certain improved
forms of springs, which constitute part of my Invention, and which are appli-
cable to other. purposes where springs are required. The improved springs
are formed in some cases of flat twisted tempered steel plates or bands, and in
other cases of flattened or twisted tempered steel wire, suitably twisted or
strained for the purpose. I apply such springs to doors, gates, and other like
objects in such manner as to suspend the same thereby, and to cause them

page_text: to retain given positions when not acted upon by any external force, and to
return to them when any external force which has been applied to them is
removed. By these means self-acting door and gate springs, hinges, and
centres are produced.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Chesterman in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th June 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
CHESTERMAN, of Sheffield, in the County of York, Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
James Chesterman, Her special licence that I, the said James Chesterman, my
executors, administrators, and-assigns,_or_such others as I, the said James
Chesterman, 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 DOOR AND GATE
SPRINGS, HINGES, AND CENTRES, THE IMPROVED SPRINGS BEING APPLICABLE TO OTHER
PURPOSES FOR WHICH SPRINGS ARE EMPLOYED," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said James Chesterman, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
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 James Chesterman, 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 thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say-
My Invention consists in the employment of levers, sliding or inclined
planes, and eccentric cams, acted upon by one or other of certain improved

page_text: forms of springs, which constitute part of my Invention, and which are appli-
cable to other purposes where springs are required. The improved springs
are formed in some cases of flat twisted tempered steel plates or bands, and
in other cases of flattened or twisted tempered steel wire suitably twisted or
strained for the purpose. I apply such springs to doors, gates, and other like
objects in such manner as to suspend the same thereby, and to cause them
to retain given positions when not acted upon by any external force, and to
return to them when any external force which has been applied to them is
removed. By these means self-acting door and gate springs, hinges, and
centres are produced...
Eigure 1, of the accompanying Drawings is a front, and Figure 2 an edge
view of three pieces of flat tempered steel bands or plates for forming springs
according to my Invention in their simplest form. These bands are inserted
Figure 3 is a front view
at each end in studs a, a', and firmly held therein.
of the bands or plates twisted to form a spring; the twist is regulated according
to the power the spring is required to exert; Figure 4 is a front view of part
of a door post, and door fitted with a spring made in the manner before
described, representing the position of the parts when the door is closed; and
Figure 5 is a back view thereof, showing the position of the parts when the
door is open; a, a', are the studs carrying the springs b; c is the door, and d
the door post; e, e¹, e, are brackets or lugs, e, e', of which are screwed to the
door post d, and e¹¹ to the door; the stud a is inserted and held in the bracket
or lug e, and the stud a' in a similar manner in the bracket or lug e", the spring
6 passing through the bracket or lug e¹; the edge of the door as well as that
of the door post is bevilled off so that the spring may lie between them. The
tension of the spring always keeps the door closed until some power opens it ;
when this takes place the tension of the spring is increased by reason of its
receiving an additional twist, and this is gradually increased until the door is
opened to the fullest extent, or until it is released, when the spring imme-
diately returns to its former position, closing the door with it. Figure 6 is a
front, and Figure 7 an end view of part of a door and post fitted with a
spring arranged in a somewhat modified manner to that before described,
representing the door closed; Figure 8 is a front, and Figure 9. an end view
of the same door post and door showing the door open; the spring bis.held in
studs a, a, as before; h is a collar embracing the stud a¹, and connected to an
eccentric lever i by means of the chain ; this lever i is connected to the door
c, and is free to move about the point thereon; the spring 6 acts in a similar
manner to that before described; but in this case, when the door is opened,
the lever i and chain k move with it into the position shown at Figure 9, so

page_text: that when the door is released the reaction of the spring takes place in a
similar manner to that in the other arrangement, but by means of the lever
the power exerted by the spring is increased with the closing of the door.
Figure 10 is a plan, with the top plate removed, of an arrangement in which
a twisted spring is made to act on folding or double-acting doors through a
box fitted to the lower or upper part of the same; a is the spindle on which the
door is mounted, carrying a cam b, free to turn either way with the spindle
and door; c is a bent lever, centred about the point d, one arm of which car-
ries a roller e free to act against the cam b, while the other arm comes against
a roller f, which is mounted on an arm h free to turn about the point g; a
twisted spring is inserted in a socket formed at g, and connected to the door
post in a similar manner to that previously described. Upon opening the door
either way the cam 6 presses against the roller in the direction indicated by
the arrows, at the same time the other arm of the lever c presses down the
roller f, which increases the twist of the spring in the socket g in proportion
to the distance the door is opened; on releasing the door the reaction of the
spring brings the parts to the position shown in the Drawing, thereby closing
the door. In some cases I employ the arrangement of lever and chain illus-
-trated_at_Figures 6, 7, 8, and 9, in combination with the arrangement just
described.
Figure 11 is a plan, with the top plate removed, of a box fitted with plate
springs, in which the plates or bands forming the springs are not twisted; a is
the door spindle, and 6 the cam mounted on it to act either way, as in the
previous case; c is a bent lever free to move about the point d, carrying on
one arm a roller e acting against the cam b; f, f, are bent plate springs con-
nected at one end to the box at g, and taking into a notch formed in the other
arm of the lever c. Upon opening the door either way the cam 6 acts against
the roller e in the direction of the arrows, presses down the other arm of the
lever c, and bends the plate springs; upon releasing the door the reaction of
the springs f, f, brings the parts back to the position shown in the Drawing,
and closes the door. The box in which the parts are fitted may be sunk in
the floor, or it may be fitted to the floor with the spindle: running through it,.
or the box may be fitted to the top of the door, or reversed to suit the place to
which it is applied.
Figure 12 is a plan with the top plates removed, and Figure 13 a.similar
view, with the top plates on, of a box fitted with plate springs arranged to act
in a somewhat different manner to the plates just described, and intended for.
folding or swing doors; a is the door spindle carrying a cam b; a' is a socket
or shoe mounted, on the spindle a, and in which, the. bottom of the door. is

page_text: inserted and held; this shoe is equally applicable to the spindles of the circular
boxes before described, although I have not shown it in the Drawings; c is a
lever free to move about the point d, and carrying a roller e; f, f, are the bent
plate springs, one end of which takes into a notch formed in the lever c, and
the other in a socket g; h is a screw passing through the box and abutting
against the socket g, by which the tension of the spring. is regulated. Upon
opening the door either way the cam 6 passes the roller e and lever c in the
direction of the arrows, which opens or increases the tension of the springs;
upon releasing the door the reaction of the springs brings the parts back to
the position shown; k, k', are the top plates of the box; they are divided as
shown in order that by opening the door to its full extent the plate k may be
removed for repairing the internal parts of the box without removing the
door.
Figure 14 is a vertical section of a box in which one or more helical springs
are employed instead of plate springs as before. a is the door spindle stepped
as shown in the box b; c is an arm projecting at right angles or nearly so
from the spindle a; this arm carries a roller d free to run on an inclined plane
e, which is free to move about the point f; g is one or more helical springs
acting between the point h of the box 6 and the under side of the inclined plane
e; it will be seen that on opening the door the roller d runs up the inclined
plane and depresses the spring or springs g; as soon as the door is released
the parts return to their original position. ' is a small groove formed in the
inclined plane in order that the door may be kept partially open when required
by allowing the roller d to rest in it. Although I have described the Inven-
tion as applied to doors, yet it is equally applicable in all cases where springs
are used.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim-
First, the employment of two or more flat tempered steel plates or bands
twisted so as to form springs substantially in manner herein-before described
with reference to Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the accompanying Drawings.
Second, the method or methods of fitting springs to doors and other articles
to which springs are applied substantially in manner herein-before described
with reference to Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 of the accompanying Drawings.
Third, the particular arrangement described with reference to Figure 10 of
the accompanying Drawings for actuating the twisted springs.
Fourth, the employment of plate springs made to act through a single lever,
cams, and rollers, on the spindles of doors substantially in manner described
with reference to Figures 11, 12, aud 13 of the accompanying Drawings.

page_text: And, last, the employment of one or more helical springs made to act on
inclined plane as herein-before described with reference to Figure 14 of the
accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Chesterman, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of June, One; thousand eight hundred
and sixty-one.
JAMES CHESTERMAN. (L.s.)