IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRING CENTRES FOR DOORS AND OTHER PURPOSES."
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Barker, of Ratcliff Cross, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRING
CENTRES FOR DOORS AND OTHER PURPOSES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Barker at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 6th April
1867.
I, JAMES BARKER, of Ratcliff Cross, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SPRING CENTRES FOR DOORS AND OTHER PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in the combination, as hereafter described, of two flat
springs or spring plates and a spiral spring; also in the combination with these
springs of two rollers or circular blocks and other parts, as hereafter described,
to form a spring centre; also in the employment, as hereafter described, of
blocks of india-rubber or other elastic material to diminish the jar or con-
cussion against the flat springs, and to assist in returning the parts to
position.
The ordinary shoe at the lower corner of the door or other object to which
the spring centre is applicable is fitted to work on a square portion of a stud
carried down into a box below in the ordinary manner, such box containing
the spring centre, composed of the parts now about to be described. The
lower end of the stud carries a horizontal plate, below this plate are two.

page_text: rollers or circular blocks, and again below the rollers is another horizontal
plate. Pins pass through the centre of each roller and through the top and
bottom plates. The bottom plate has a pivot working into a step or bottom
The rollers are placed one behind the other, and the front roller is of
larger diameter. Two flat spring plates, the front ends of which are secured
at the front corners of the box, are carried back at an angle so as to clip each
roller, and their back ends are free. From the front of the bottom plate a
strong spiral spring is carried and fixed to a pin near the front of the box.
When the door is swung or moved on this centre the larger roller is forced
against the flat spring at the side to which the door is moved, so as to bend
this spring, while the smaller roller acts in a similar manner against the other
flat spring, and as the bottom plate below the rollers moves with the rollers the
spiral spring is stretched. When the pressure against the door is removed,
the three springs all returning to their normal position at once close the door.
If it be preferred to make the rollers of the same diameter the two flat springs
will be parallel. At each side of the box I fit one or more blocks of india-
rubber or other elastic material, against which the flat springs press when the
door is opened, and vibration is thus obviated.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filel
by the said James Barker in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th October 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
BARKER, of Ratcliff Cross, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said James Barker, Her special licence that I, the said James Barker,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James
Barker, 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 CENTRES
FOR DOORS AND OTHER PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,

page_text: the said James Barker, 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 Barker, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say :-
My Invention consists in the combination, as hereafter described, of two flit.
springs or spring plates and a spiral spring; also in the combination with
these springs of two rollers or circular blocks and other parts, as hereafter
described, to form a spring centre; sometimes I employ, as hereafter described,
blocks of india-rubber or other elastic material to diminish the jar or con-
cussion against the flat springs, and to assist in returning the parts to
position.
My Invention will be fully understood by the accompanying Drawings and
the following description.
Figure 1 is a plan of the spring centre with the top plate and the shoe
removed; Figure 2 is a section through the line A, B, of Figure 1.
The ordinary shoe a at the lower corner of the door or other object to which
the spring centre is applied is fitted to work on a square portion of a stud b
carried down into a box c below, such box containing the spring centre com-
posed of the parts now about to be described. The lower end of the stud b
carries a horizontal plate d; below this plate are two rollers or circular
blocks e and f, and again below these rollers is another horizontal plate g.
Pins marked respectively hand i pass through the centre of each roller and
through the top and bottom plates d and g. The bottom plate g has a pivot k
working into a step or bottom centre l. The rollers e and fare placed one
behind the other, and the front roller e is of larger diameter, as shown. Two
flat spring plates m, m, the front ends of which are secured at the front
corners of the box c at n, n, are carried back at an angle, so as to clip each
roller, and their back ends are free. From the front of the bottom plate g,
and preferably from a grooved part forming a portion of the pin h, as shown, a
strong spiral spring is carried and fixed to a pin p near the front of the box.
When the door is swung or moved on this spring centre the larger roller e is
forced against the flat spring m at the side to which the door is moved, so as

page_text: to bend this spring, while the smaller roller facts in a similar manner against
the other flat spring, and as the bottom plate g below the rollers moves
with the rollers the spiral spring o is stretched. When the pressure against
the door is removed the three springs m, m, and o all returning to their
normal position at once close the door. If it be preferred to make the rollers
e and fof the same diameter the two flat springs m, m, will be parallel. In
order to increase the power to be overcome during the first portion of the opening
movement of the door, I in some cases 'add the parts represented at q, r,
and s; q is a spring, the ends of which bear against the projections n, n, while
The
its middle portion presses against a plater fitted loosely in a guide 8.
back end of the plate is curved to receive the roller e, and the corners are
chamfered, as shewn, to allow the roller e to pass. When the door is being
opened the roller e in passing the chamfered corners forces back the plate r, and
in doing so has to overcome the power of the spring ; as the door is closing
the roller e again presses against the chamfered corners, and when it has
passed them the spring a forces back the plate r, and thus assists in the latter
part of the closing movement of the door. At each side of the box c I soine-
times fit one or more blocks t, t, of india-rubber or other elastic material in
projecting lugs, as shewn, against which blocks the flat springs m press when
the door is opened, and vibration is thus obviated.
.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as my "improve-
ments in spring centres for doors and other purposes,―
First, the combination of the flat springs or spring plates m, m, and a
spiral spring o, substantially as herein-before described and represented in
the accompanying Drawings.
.
Second, the combination with the springs m, m, and o of the rollers or
circular blocks e and f and other parts, arranged and acting substantially as
herein-before described and represented in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Barker, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifth day of October, One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-seven.
J. BARKER. (L.S.)