AN IMPROVED SPRING HINGE
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Wood, of Newport, in the County
Monmouth, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED SPRING HINGE."
Scaled the 11th December 1874, and dated the 18th June 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Wood at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
18th June 1874.
I, JAMES WOOD, of Newport, in the County of Monmouth, do hereby
3 declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED SPRING
HINGE," to be as follows:-
My improved hinge is of the simplest construction, and will be found
applicable to the covers of inkstands, tap and vent holes of casks, lids
of grease and other boxes, to the seats of waterclosets, valves for
closing any orifice emitting offensive odours, and to a great variety of
other uses.
It consists essentially of a plate of metal, or of any suitable
material, hinged to a bearing, but with its hinge pin fitted at some
distance from the top thereof; upon this plate I screw, rivet, or other-

page_text: wise attach a spring, one portion of which will rest upon the top of the
bearing to which the plate is hinged, in such a manner that it will press
upon the plate when closing any kind of orifice or article, and that this-
pressure will not be overcome until the said plate is raised beyond a
certain point.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Sheet of Drawing shows in side view
or elevation a cap or cover embodying my Invention, the spring. keep-
ing same closed; Figure 2 is a similar view of same, but with cover
partly raised; Figure 3 is a top plan view of same.
A is the flange or mouth of the opening, to which are attached the
lugs or hinge pieces B, B; C, cap lid or closing plate working in the
lugs B, B; D, spring secured to cap C, and pressing on the lugs B, B;
E, india-rubber washer attached to cap C.
The Drawing is simply illustrative of my Invention, the arrangement
shown being particularly adapted for closing the tap and vent holes to 1
exclude air and water from casks, but applicable wherever it may be
desirable to employ the flange A; it will be evident that in many cases
this flange may be dispensed with, and the bearings B, B, be formed on
the object to which the hinge is applied, and that this bearing may be of
any form and dimensions so that the relative position of the spindle of 2
the covering plate and that of the spring be preserved.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Wood in the Great Scal Patent Office' on
the 15th December 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES 2
WOOD, of Newport, in the County of Monmouth, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent bearing date. the Eighteenth day of June, in. the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, 3
give and grant unto me, the said James Wood, Her special licence
that I, the said James Wood, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said James Wood, my executors,

page_text: 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 "AN IMPROVED
SPRING HINGE," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
James Wood, 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 Wood, 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 :-
My improved spring hinge is of the simplest construction and will be
found applicable to the covers of inkstands, taps to prevent leakage,
tap and vent holes of casks, lids of grease and other boxes, to the scats
of waterclosets, valves for closing any orifice emitting offensive odours,
and to a great variety of other uses. It consists essentially of a plate
of metal, or of any suitable material, hinged to a bearing, but with its
hinge pin or fastening fitted at some distance from the top thereof;
upon this plate I screw, rivet, or otherwise attach a spring, one portion
of which will rest upon the top of the bearing to which the plate is
hinged in such a manner that it will press upon the plate when
closing any kind of orifice or article, and that this pressure will not be
overcome until the said plate is raised beyond a certain point..
Figure 1 of the accompanying Sheet of Drawing shows in side view
or clevation a cap or cover embodying my Invention, the spring keeping
same closed; Figure 2 is a similar view of same, but with cover partly
raised, the spring still acting to bring down the cap or plate if released;
Figure 3, a similar view with cap or cover completely raised and freed
from the pressure of the spring; and Figure 4 is a top plan view of
same.

page_text: lugs B, B; D, spring secured to cap C, and pressing on the lugs B, B;
E, india-rubber washer attached to cap.
The Drawing is simply illustrative of my Invention, the arrangement
shown being particularly adapted for closing the tap and vent holes to
exclude air and water from casks, but applicable wherever it is desirable
to employ the flange A; it will be evident that in many cases this
flange may be dispensed with and the bearings B, B, be formed on the
object to which the hinge is applied, and that this bearing may be of
any form and dimensions, so that the relative position of the spindle
of the covering plate and that of the spring be preserved.
The power of the spring will be regulated by the thickness, length,
and breadth of the plate, the distance between its position on the top of
the bearing or hinge piece or pieces and the pin or spindle of the cover
or cap, and the point at which it is attached to the plate or cover.
Having now described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is or may be performed, I would
have it distinctly understood that I do not limit myself to any particular
shape or precise relative dimensions of parts, or to the use of any special
material or combination of materials, but that I claim as secured to me
by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, the use of the com-
bination of spring D with plate or cover C and bearing lugs, hinge
piece or pieces B, substantially as herein-before specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Wood, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-four.