IMPROVEMENTS IN HINGES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Imray, of 65, Westminster Bridge Road,
Lambeth, in the County of Surrey, Engineer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN HINGES."
Sealed the 2nd May 1862, and dated the 25th February 1862.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said John Imray at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and Declaration,
on the 25th February 1862, pursuant to the 9th Section of the Patent
Law Amendment Act 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, BE IT
KNOWN, that I, JOHN IMRAY, of 65, Westminster Bridge Road, Lambeth,
in the County of Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HINGES," and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
My improvements apply, in the first place, to a mode of constructing cast-
iron hinges, of the kind commonly known as Collinge's, or spherical hinges;
the joint of such a hinge ordinarily consists of a wrought-iron or steel ball-
ended pivot, which is fixed tightly in the knuckle, the ball end of the pivot-
being made true and smooth, so as to turn freely in a cup which forms the
step of the hinge, but instead of making the pivot a separate piece from

page_text: the knuckle and fixing it therein, I chill cast the pivot in one piece with the
knuckle, and afterwards render it smooth by scouring it with emery or other
suitable polishing material.
My improvements apply, in the second place, to the construction of spring
hinges and the shoes, centres, or hangings used in connection therewith, in
describing which I will refer to the accompanying Drawings, and to the letters
and figures marked thereon.
Figure 1 is a section of the spring hinge, and Figure 2 is a plan of the
same, with its cover removed to shew internal parts. a is the case of the
hinge, having a cover a fixed on it by screws, the whole being let into
the floor immediately beneath the heel of the door, so that the upper surface
of the cover a is level with the floor; b is a cylindrical box, containing a
volute spring like that of a clock or watch; the upper edge of the box b is
recessed to receive a cover made in one piece with a spindle, which projects
upwards into a round hole in a bracket d (to be described hereafter) and
downwards through a round hole in the bottom of the box into a cup formed
in the case a, the spindle and cover b.being thus centred.above and below in
the bracket d, and in the case a, and the spring box 6 being also centred on
the edge of the cover b', and on the lower part of its spindle, so that either
the cover and spindle or the box 6 can turn freely on their common vertical
axis; one part of the box b is thickened to receive a screwed pin c, which
projects inwards with an end notched to catch into a hole in the outer end of
the volute spring, and another screwed pin c¹ is fixed in the spindle b, having
its projecting end notched in the same way to catch into a hole in the inner
end of the spring in the usual manner; d is a bracket fitted into slots in the
case a, and held down in its place by the cover a¹; e is a radius, one end of
which is fitted into a fork formed in the bracket d, and has a round hole
fitting the spindle ', so that the radius e can turn freely thereon; the other
end of the radius e carries a roller e mounted thereon, so as to turn freely on
a vertical axis; f is a lever, pivotted below in a cup formed in the bracket d,
and above in a round hole in the cover a', its axis projecting above the cover
with its upper part squared; the arm of the leverf is slotted along its under
side to admit the roller e', which projects up into the slot, and can roll along
it; 2 is a stud, projecting upwards from the outer edge of the spring box b;
and 6 is a pin projecting upwards from the cover 6', and fitting a notch in
the side of the radius c, and a similar notch in the bracket d; these notches
being so adjusted in depth that when the radius e is in its middle position
lying immediately over the bracket d, the stud be and the pin bear against
'the opposite sides of both the bracket and; the radius. The squared top of the

page_text: axis of the lever f. is fitted to a shoe (to be described hereafter), attached to
the heel of the door, so that when the door is turned in either direction the
lever is turned with it, and causes the radius e to turn; this radius when
turned in the one direction bears against the pin 63, and thereby turns the
spindle 6, the box 6 being prevented from turning in the same direction by. its
stud bearing against the side of the bracket d, and the spring being thus
wound up, so that on the door being left at liberty the elasticity, of the spring
pressing the pin against the radius e, turns it, and with it the lever f, and the
door, till, they attain their middle position, where the pin b is stopped by the
bracket d, and the radius e is then held by the force of the spring between
the pin 63 and the stud 62, and retains the lever fand the door in its closed
position; when the door is moved in the opposite direction, the radius e leaving
the pin 63 to bear against the bracket -d carries round the stud. 62 and the
spring box 6, and thereby winds up the spring, which on the door being left at
liberty causes it to return to its middle or closed position; the lever fand the
radius are, mounted on axes, which are eccentric to each other, so that in
turning them the roller e¹ runs along the slot, in the lever f,.and thus varies
the leverage with which the spring acts thereon, so as in some measure to
compensate for the variation in the force of the spring as it is more or less
wound by tho motion of the radius c. I construct the shoe för the heel of
the door and the top centre in such a manner that the door can be readily
removed or replaced. The shoe g, of which Figure 3. represents a plan looked
at from below, is screwed to the lower edge of the door, and is notched or
forked at the back to fit the squared top of the lever f; h is a covering piece,
shaped to suit the back edge of the door fitted to the notch in the shoe g, and
secured to it by a screw '. The top centre, a section of which is represented
in Figure 4, and a plan in Figure 5, consists of a plate screwed to the
framing above the door, having fixed in it a round-ended pivot k³, which
projects downwards into a shoe / screwed to the top edge of the door; this
shoe is notched at the back and formed with a cylindrical recess, which
contains a cup filled to the pivot k¹; when the cup l¹ rests at the bottom of
the recess its upper lip is below the point of the pivot k¹, which is thus left
free to pass through the notch at the back of the shoe l, but the cup ¹ being
formed with an incline at its bottom, a covering piece m, having an inclined
projection, which fits the bottom of the cup, is pushed into the slot and
raises the cup, till it embraces the pivot k', the covering piece m being
retained in its place by a screw m¹; when it is desired to remove the
door from its bangings the covering piece h is removed from the bottom
shoe, and the covering piece m from the top shoe, permitting the cup 1 to

page_text: drop down clear of the pivot k¹, so that the door can be drawn away hori-
zontally, and it may be replaced and the covering pieces secured when desired,
as may be readily understood.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I would have it understood that I do!
not confine myself to the particular details represented in the Drawings; but
I claim as my Invention,
First, the mode of constructing the pivot of the cast-iron hinge, commonly
known as Collinge's, or the spherical hinge, by chill casting it in one piece with
the knuckle.
Secondly, the general construction of the spring hinge herein described.
Thirdly, the general construction of the shoes, and top centres or hangings
of doors, as herein described, whether these hangings be used in connection
with the spring hinge, herein described, or with other hinges.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Imray, have hereunto set my hand 1
seal, this Twenty-fifth day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
JOHN IMRAY. (L.S.)