Improvements in Means or Apparatus for Securing Door Knobs or Handles on their Spindles.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 11th May, 1895 -Accepted, 15th June, 1895
Improvements in Means or Apparatus for Securing Door Knobs or
Handles on their Spindles.
A communication from abroad by NORMAN TAYLOR MILLS, residing at
206, Auburn Street, Cambridgeport, in the County of Middlesex, State of
Massachusetts, United States of America, Inventor.
I ALFRED George Brookes of 55 & 56 Chancery Lane in the County of
London, Chartered Patent Agent, 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:—
Door knobs or handles are usually provided with a spindle receiving socket or
boss, usually of polygonal shape in cross section interiorly, into which the similarly
shaped end of the spindle is inserted and held in place by a set screw, entering a
threaded hole in the spindle.
Inasmuch as doors vary in thickness provision for adjusting the amount of
insertion of the spindle into the knob socket is necessary, but it is well known that
however tightly the set screw may be screwed, constant use will cause it to work
loose, and the threading of the screw holes in the spindle adds to the expense of
construction.
This invention has for its object the production of an adjustable spindle which
will not work loose and drop out by continued use, the spindle being applicable to
any usual door knob, and readily adjusted with great nicety to any extent without
the necessity of making a series of threaded holes in the spindle.
In accordance therewith my invention consists in the construction and arrange-
ment of parts to be hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the
claims.,
Fig. 1, in elevation and partly in longitudinal section, represents a spindle and
knob in position, and embodying one form of my invention.
Fig. 2 is a transverse section thereof taken on the line - Fig. 1;
Fig. 3. is a perspective view of one end of a spindle embodying my invention;
Fig. 4 is a modified form of clamping device, the knob boss and spindle being
shewn in transverse section ;
Fig. 5 is a similar view of yet another modification;
Fig. 6 represents in side and end elevation the clamping member shewn in
Fig. 5, and
Fig. 7 is a plan view of the retaining nut.
Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the knobs or handles a of usual construction, provided
with spindle receiving hubs or bosses a', bear against the recessed annular sockets b
secured to the door A in well known manner.
Instead of employing the usual spindle I slot preferably each end of a spindle c
at c', to form a V-shaped recess c³, see Fig. 3 to receive therein the conical shank d'
of a screw d, adapted to be screwed into the usual but threaded hole in the knob
boss a¹.
The knob boss is slid onto the slitted end of the spindle as shewn in Figs. 1
and 2, the tapering shank d entering the V shaped recess in the spindle, and it
will be obvious that when the screw d is rotated to force it into the said recess the
sides thereof will be pressed apart with great force against the sides of the boss a',
holding the knob a rigidly to the spindle at any desired point.
F

page_text: If desired the split ends of the spindle may be roughened exteriorly, as at c'
Fig. 3, to the more firmly engage the bose of the knob.
The recess is of sufficient length to permit of considerable adjustment of the
knob longitudinally, and owing to the wedge-like character of the clamping member
the latter will not be loosened by use.
In order to adapt the invention to knobs of usual construction my improved
spindle is inserted in place of the ordinary spindle, and the clamping device
described takes the place of the usual set screw, the hole in the knob boss being
threaded.
Instead of the foregoing construction I may slot the spindle at one or both ends
to leave two prongs e, Fig. 4, slightly bevelled at their inner faces, as at e¹, and
opposite the set screw opening a in the knob boss a* a hole is drilled to receive
the head of the clamping member, having a tapering shank f, to enter between
the spindle prongs e, and threaded at fto screw into the usual hole a², the head
having a suitable nick /* therein.
The hole a is threaded also.
Rotation of the clamping member in one or the other direction will spread or
allow the prongs to approach each other, to enable the knob to be adjusted
longitudinally therein.
:
To the modification Figs. 5 to 7 inclusive, is slabbed off oppositely the cylindrical
shank g of the clamping member to form converging sides 9', to' enter between the
spindle prongse, a hole being drilled through the knob boss a to receive the
head of the clamping member, and a retaining nut h, screwed onto the threaded
end of the clamping member.
By this construction the threading of the hole in the boss of the knob is
obviated, the clamping member and its retaining nut being easily and cheaply
made..
The wedge-like clamping member, whatever its exact form, acts. with great
power to retain the knob in adjusted position on the spindle, and longitudinal pull
on the knob acts in the same direction on both sides of the centre of the clamping
member, preventing any tendency to turn on its axis and so become loose."
The construction shewn in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 is preferable for use with ordinary.
knobs, as they may be utilised by the substitution of my improved spindle and
clamping member for the old form of spindle and set screw by threading the usual
hole for the latter in the knob.boss...
J
Less metal is removed from the spindle in the construction shewn in the said
figs. than in the forms shewn in Figs: 4 and 5, bit the various forms may 'be used
wherever best suited to circumstances with good results.
In any case the spindle can be clamped at any point, instead of at any one of a
series of predetermined points as is now common.
"
Furthermore, to adjust the spindle or to remove the knob it is unnecessary to
remove the clamping member from the knob, thereby obviating all chance of its
being lost or mislaid.
!
. : A
:
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:
1"
.
1. The use, with a recessed door knob, of a spindle having a longitudinally
slitted portion to enter the knob, the spindle being retained in the knob by means
of a clamping member supported by the knob, substantially as described.
2. Theluse, with a recessed door knob, of a spindle having separable prongs at
one end, bevelled on their inner sides; and a clamping member supported by the
knob and having a tapering shank to expand the prongs and hold the spindle in
the knob, substantially as described.
;
3. A door knob spindle having a longitudinally slitted or slotted end forming
prongs which may be separated by a suitable device, to retain a knob on the
spindle, substantially as described.

page_text: 4. The use, with a door knob having a spindle boss, of a spindle having a
longitudinally slitted end forming separable prongs, a clamping member threaded
into the boss and having a tapering shank to enter between and spread the prongs.
when inserted in the knob boss, substantially as described.
5. The construction and arrangement of parts of apparatus for securing door
knobs or handles to their spindles as set forth and shewn by the drawings.
Dated the 10th dow of M. 1905
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.