IMPROVEMENTS IN HINGING RAILWAY CARRIAGE AND OTHER DOORS, AND IN GUARDS FOR THE PREVENTION OF ACCIDENTS IN CLOSING SUCH DOORS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN HINGING RAILWAY CARRIAGE AND OTHER DOORS, AND IN
GUARDS FOR THE PREVENTION OF ACCIDENTS IN CLOSING SUCH DOORS."-A
communication from abroad by Pierre Ernest Gégnon, of Paris,
France.
Sealed the 26th April 1876, and dated the 28th October 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville
Clark at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 28th October 1875.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lanc, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HINGING RAILWAY CARRIAGE AND
OTHER DOORS, AND IN GUARDS FOR THE PREVENTION OF ACCIDENTS IN CLOSING SUCH
DOORS," to be as follows:-
:-
This Invention relates to the doors. of all kinds of carriages as well as

page_text: to those of houses, and it has for its object to prevent the mangers of
being caught or pinched between the door and its frame when the door
is closed.
The invention consists in an improved method of hinging or hanging
the door to its post or frame, also in a movable guard or shield placed at
the opposite edge of the door.
According to this improved method of hanging doors, there is no
space left between the frame and the edge of the door on the hinged
side when open, as in ordinary, the door and frame fitting closely
together throughout their height in all positions of the door, by making
the edges of the door and frame semicylindrical or nearly so, the one
concave, and the other convex, and working the one in or upon the
other, the two surfaces being constantly held in contact by hinges of the
following construction. Each hinge is made in two parts, male and
female, jointed together, their axis coinciding with the axis of the semi-
cylindrical edges of the door and frame. The plates of the hinge are
also made curved or circular to correspond with the surface of the door
and frame to which they are attached, and in which they are recessed
flush with the surfaces thereof. The female portion of the hinge has a
mortise in which the male portion works, and to cover this mortiso when
the door is open, there is a thin flexible metal plate or shield attached to
the hinge pillar of the door frame, and received in a slit made in the
"hinge stile" of the door in which it works freely, so as not to interfero
with the opening or closing of the door. One great advantage of this
improved method of binging is that it may be applied equally to railway
and other carriage doors, either of a flat form or curved in the direction
of their height as the connection is made by two partly cylindrical
surfaces, it being understood that the axis or common centre of these
cylindrical surfaces shall fall always within the curve of the door.
•
The means employed to prevent the fingers or dress being inserted
between the door and frame on the opposite side to the hinges, consists
of a guard or shield composed of a strip of metal or other material
extending the whole height of the door frame, and mounted on vertical
pivots near the inner edge of the door frame. It is so operated that
when the door is opened the guard folds over and covers the rebate of
the frame, and when the door is closed the guard is thrown back again,
thereby keeping the fingers or dress clear of the door and frame. This

page_text: guard is operated by the act of opening and closing the door itself,
which may be effected in various ways; for example, the guard may be
caused to fold over the rebate by springs, and on the guard axis a pro-
jecting lever arm may be so mounted that the door in the act of closing
will strike the same, and throw the guard back again. Or in lieu of the
above the guard may be operated by connections from the hinge axis
enclosed within the panelling above the door, or it may be otherwise

page_text: In all these figures the same letters and numbers indicate similar.
parts.
a, door frame; and b, door hinged thereto, both the "hinge stile" of the
door and the hinge pillar or jamb of the frame being partly cylindrical,
the one working on the other as shown; c, male part of hinges fixed by
its curved plate (let into the concave edge of the door and having a pro-
jecting knuckle 2; d, female portion of the hinges fixed by its curved
plate 3 let into the convex or cylindrical edge of the hinge pillar or
jamb of the door frame a, and having two projecting knuckles 4,
between which that of the male half of the hinge is received; e is the
hinge axis coinciding with that of the curved or cylindrical surfaces of
the door and jamb; f, rectangular mortise; 2 is the plate of the female
half giving passage to the knuckle of the male half, which plays therein
when the door is opened and closed; g, metal shield covering mortise f
fixed to the hinge pillar or jamb, and received and working in slit / in
the hinge stile of the door, as shown in Figures 6 and 7; i, thin metal
plate fixed to the inside of door in such a position as to work against the
rounded or cylindrical surface of the jamb or pillar. The edge of this
plate is rounded so that should the band be in contact with the jamb,
the plate will remove it as the door is closed without any danger of
injury. The semicylindrical surfaces both of door and frame may bo
covered with sheet metal if required.
I may reverse the arrangement shown in the Drawing, and fix the
male parts of the hinges to the frame, and the female parts on the
door; j, Figures 13, 15, and 16, is the guard or shield for the opposite
edge of the door, as shown in Figure 16, it covers the rebated door frame
or jamb when the door is open. This plate is pivoted at one edge to a
vertical rod k; 1, Figure 14, is a spiral spring attached to one of the
extremities of the rod k, and acting to throw the guard j across the jamb
or pillar of the frame.
One way of operating the guard is shown. It consists of a curved
arm m fixed on rod k, so as to project outwards through the doorway
when the door is open and the guard in the position shown in
Figure 16. In this position it will be struck by the door in closing,
and the guard will thus be thrown back; n is a friction roller on the
door which comes in contact with arm m. When the door is closed the
guard also serves as a weather strip, as shown in Figure 15.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 27th April 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Alexander Melville Clark, Her special
license that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, my executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alexander Melville
Clark, 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 "In-
PROVEMENTS IN HINGING RAILWAY CARRIAGE AND OTHER DOORS, AND IN GUARDS
FOR THE PREVENTION OF ACCIDENTS IN CLOSING SUCH DOORS," a communication
to me from abroad by Pierre Ernest Gégnon, of Paris, France, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark,
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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, do hereby
declare the nature of the 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 two accom-
panying Sheets of Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to the doors of all kinds of carriages as well as
to those of houses, and it has for its object to prevent the fingers or

page_text: dress being caught or pinched between the door and its frame when the
door is closed.
The invention consists in an improved method of hinging or hanging
the door to its post or frame, also in a movable guard or shield placed at
the opposite edge of the door.
According to this improved method of hanging doors there is no space
left between the frame and the edge of the door on the hinged side when
open as in ordinary, the door and frame fitting closely together through-
out their height in all positions of the door, by making the edges of the
door and frame semi-cylindrical or nearly so, the one concave and the
other convex, and working the one in or upon the other, the two
surfaces being constantly held in contact by hinges of the following
construction. Each hinge is made in two parts, male and female, jointed
together, their axes coinciding with the axis of the semicylindrical edge
of the door and frame. The plates of the hinge are also made curved or
circular to correspond with the surface of the door and frame to which
they are attached, and in which they are recessed flush with the surfaces
thereof. The female portion of the hinge has a mortise in which the
male portion works, and to cover this mortise when the door is open
there is a thin flexible metal plate or shield attached to the hinge pillar
of the door frame, and received in a slit made in the "hinge stile" of
the door in which it works freely, so as not to interfere with the
opening or closing of the door. One great advantage of this improved
method of hinging is that it may be applied equally to railway and other
carriage doors, cither of a flat form or curved in the direction of their
height as the connection is made by two partly cylindrical surfaces, it
being understood that the axis or common centre of these cylindrical
surfaces shall fall always within the curve of the door.
The means employed to prevent the fingers or dress being inserted
between the door and frame on the opposite side to the hinges, consists
of a guard or shield composed of a strip of metal or other material
extending the whole height of the door frame, and mounted on vertical
pivots near the inner edge of the door frame. It is so operated that
when the door is opened the guard folds over and covers the rebate of
the frame, and when the door is closed the guard is thrown back again,
thereby keeping the finger or dress clear of the door frame. This
guard is operated by the act of opening and closing the door itself and

page_text: may be effected in various ways; for example, the guard may be caused
to fold over the rebate by springs, and on the guard axis a projecting
lever arm may be so mounted that the door in the act of closing will
strike the same and throw the guard back again. Or in lieu of the
above the guard may be operated by connections from the hinge axis
enclosed within the panelling above the door, or it may be otherwise
onerated

page_text: In all these figures the same letters and numbers indicate similar
parts.
a, door frame; and b, door hinged thereto; both the "hinge stile" of
the door, and the hinge pillar or jamb of the frame being partly cylin-
drical, the one working on the other as shown; c, male part of hinge fixed
by its curved plate let into the concave edge of the door and having
a projecting knuckle 2; d, female portion of the hinge fixed by its
curved plate 3, let into the convex or cylindrical edge of the hinge
pillar or jamb of the door frame a, and having two projecting knuckles
between which that of the male half of the hinge is received; e is
the hinge axis coinciding with that of the curved or cylindrical surfaces
of the door and jamb; f, rectangular mortise in the plate of the female
half, giving passage to the knuckle 2 of the male half which plays
therein when the door is opened and closed; g, metal shield covering
mortise ffixed to the hinge pillar or jamb and received and working in
slit in the hinge stile of the door as shown in Figures 6 and 7; i, thin
metal plate fixed to the inside of door in such a position as to work
against the rounded or cylindrical surface of the jamb or pillar. The
edge of this plate is rounded so that should the hand be in contact with
the jamb, the plate will remove it as the door is closed without any
danger of injury. The semi-cylindrical surfaces both of door and frame
may be covered with sheet metal if required.
I may reverse the arrangement shown in the Drawing and fix the
male parts of the hinge to the frame and the female parts on the door j;
Figure 13, 15, and 16 is the guard or shield for the opposite edge of
the door, as shown in Figure 16; it covers the rebated door frame or
jamb when the door is open. This plate is pivoted at one edge to a
vertical rod k; 1, Figure 14, is a spiral spring attached to one of the
extremities of the rod k, and acting to throw the guard j across the jamb
or pillar of the frame.
One way of operating the guard is shown. It consists of a curved
arm m fixed on rod k so as to project outwards through the doorway
when the door is open and the guard in the position shown in Figure 16.
In this position it will be struck by the door in closing and the guard
will thus be thrown back; n is a friction roller on the door which comes
in contact with arm ጎ. When the door is closed the guard j also serves
as a weather strip, as shown in Figure 15.

page_text: Having described the nature of the Invention and the manner of
performing the same, I delare that what I claim as the Invention to be
protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
1st. Making the hinge joint of doors semi-cylindrical; that is to say,
the pillar or frame being convex, and the hinge stile of the door concave,
in combination with hinges of suitable construction, as shown and
described for the purpose specified.
2nd. The application of a movable guard or shield so arranged and
operated as to cover the rebate or reveal of the door frame at the
opposite side to the hinge when the door is open, the said guard being
pivoted and caused to swing inwards by the act of closing the door, as
and for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have
hercunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of April,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
six.