IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRING HINGES OR DOOR SPRINGS."
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Adams, of 25, Falmouth Road, Great
Dover Street, Southwark, in the County of Surrey, for the In-
vention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRING HINGES OR DOOR SPRINGS."
vention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRING HINGES OR DOOR SPRINGS."
Sealed the 31st August 1875, and dated the 4th March 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Adams at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
4th March 1875.
I, ROBERT ADAMS, of 25, Falmouth Road, Great Dover Street,
Southwark, in the County of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRING HINGES OR DOOR
SPRINGS," to be as follows:-
This Invention applies to the spring hinges employed for causing
doors to close when opened in either direction, and which are generally
known as door springs, which when sunk or let into the sill of the door
to which they are applied are enclosed in a box under the level of the
sill or tread.

page_text: Now, the object of my Invention is to construct a door spring so that
it can be applied in any position and to any object requiring to be
closed, and that it shall have greater power over the door when in its
middle or closed position than at any other, notwithstanding wear; tho
springs have direct action on slips (of peculiar form, and hardened to
resist wear) pressing them tightly on the lever of pivot and bearings by
collapsing, thereby taking up the wear as it occurs, that this middle
position can be very readily determined by or without altering the
circular position of the box, and repaired without displacing the hinge
box, or by the herein-after mentioned Invention as arranged in the shoe
or lever which carries or is attached to the door.
The construction which I adopt is as follows:-The pivot on which
the door turns, working in a cup or other bearing, can be freely turned
either way more than a quarter of a revolution, is squared at the upper
part to receive a shoe lever or boss with or without a lever which is
fixed to the lower angle of the door which turns on and with this pivot
as an axis. On the axis or, pivot is a projecting lever, each side of
which is hollow, curved vertically to receive a slipper, to receive the ends
of a spring or springs; these springs are contained in a box of peculiar
'form for the same and to facilitate the fixing and adjusting of the hinge
and door, which may be done by set screws or wedges, at the upper
part and fixed to the box crosswise by screws or other arrangement is a
bearing plate through which the upper part of the pivot passes.
This plate has a bearing similar to a bearing in and at the bottom of the
box corresponding to and between which the lever of axis passes either
way, the ends of the springs in the said slippers facing and closing
tightly toward each other are placed against the lever of axis and
bearings vertically. By removing the said bearing plate the springs are
readily removed for repairs and replaced with new ones without dis-
placing the box, and secured by the said plato. Now, when the pivot
or axis is made to turn either way by the door or lever the springs will
become expanded by the projecting lever on the pivot and leave the said
bearings on one side or the other. When the door or lever is let frco
the springs will again bring it to its original position and at rest.
Projecting shoulders are made on the bearings to propel the slippers
containing the ends of the springs from the centre of axis, giving the
springs greater power over the door or lever in coming to, and at its
closed position, whereby strong currents of air are more effectually

page_text: resisted; the spring arrangement is covered in the usual way. Also for
adjusting the door, when fixing it or afterwards, I make a boss with a
lever, which when fitted in the shoe and squared through to receive the
upper part of the hinge pivot can be turned to or fro by a set screw or
screws applied in various ways in and against tho said lever of boss; but
I prefer to fix a screw in the shoe at right angles passing through a
nut, which being united to the said lever, by operating on the said set
screw, is forced from side to side, carrying or moving the boss lever with
it, thus when placed on the hinge by turning the scrow the door is
instantly adjusted to its required centre, thus doing in less than one
minute more than a skilled workman and an assistant can do in a day
by the usual method. By a steel facing process all the working parts
are made very durable. By making hinge bearings moveable I can
adjust the door by means of a set screw or screws or wedges of any
description.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Robert Adams in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 2nd September 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
ADAMS, of 25, Falmouth Road, Great Dover Street, Southwark, in the
County of Surrey, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-eighth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Robert Adams, Her special licence that I, the said
Robert Adams, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others.
as I, the said Robert Adams, 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 SPRING HINGES OR
DOOR SPRINGS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Robert Adams, my exccutors or administrators, by an instrument in

page_text: writing under, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 Robert Adams, 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 Invention applies to spring hinges employed for causing doors to
close when opened in either direction, and which are generally known
as door springs, which when sunk or let into the sill of the door to
which they are applied are enclosed in a box under the level of the sill
or tread.
Now, the object of my Invention is to construct a door spring so that
it can be applied in any position and to any object requiring to be
closed, and that it shall have greater power over the door when in its
middle or closed position than at any other, notwithstanding wear; the
spring having direct action on slippers (of peculiar form and hardened
to resist wear) pressing them tightly on the lever of pivot and bearings
by collapsing, thereby taking up the wear as it occurs, that this middle
position can be readily determined by or without altering the circular
position of the box by the herein-after mentioned arrangement in the
shoc which carries or is attached to the door.
The construction which I adopt is as follows:-The pivot on which
the door turns, working in or on a cup or pin, can be freely turned more
than a quarter of a revolution, is squared at the upper part to receive a
socket to fit, to which is attached a lever or shoe which carries the door.
The pivot on which the door turns has a lever curved on each side
vertically to receive slippers to receive the ends of the spring which is
contained in a box to facilitate the fixing and oiling. At the upper
part I fix a bearing plate through which the pivot passes, the springs
and slippers closing toward cach other against the top and bottom bearing
and lever of axis, which in passing either way between the said bearings
by turning the door causes the spring to leave the bearing on one side
or the other. When the door is let free the spring will again bring it
to its original position and at rest. Projecting shoulders are made on

page_text: the bearings by which the springs offer greater resistance at the closed
position of the door. To adjust it centrally I fit an axis socket with a
lever in the door shoe, which lever is moved to or fro by a set screw or
screws in the shoe (and a traveling slotted nut) to carry the said lever is
most effective. To adjust the door without the adjustable shoc I use a
set screw or screws in the hinge box, which are also used for fixing the
same by turning them in any desired direction in or against a special
fixture or the ordinary floor or spring hinge levers.

page_text: or the size, leverage, or proportions represented on the Drawings, as
variations may be necessary for certain requirements.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Adams, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
ROBERT ADAMS. (L.S.) *