Improvements in Mechanical Door Checks.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Aug., 1898-Accepted, 8th Oct., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mechanical Door Checks.
I, CLAUDE KENNEDY MILLS, of 23, Southampton Buildings, in the County of
London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a com-
munication to me from Charles Frederick Hanington, of No. 73, West 105th
Street, Borough of Manhattan, in the City, County, and State of New York, one
of the United States of America, Inventor) and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the follow-
ing statement:-
The invention relates to various new and useful improvements in door checks
of the type wherein the checking effect is produced solely by mechanical means,
as distinguished from devices employing liquid or pneumatic cylinders.
The essential object of the invention is to produce a door check which will be
contained entirely within the barrel of the hinge, whereby a neater, more compact
and more durable device is secured than has hitherto been obtained, and at the
same time the parts are effectively protected from dust and dirt.
The improved door check is absolutely certain in its operation, serving, as is
common, to arrest the movement of the door when near the closed position,
irrespective of high velocities with which the door may be moved, and the check-
ing action being always of an elastic character, so that the parts comprising
the check or hinge are in no way strained.
The improved door check, however, possesses an additional advantage, which
is believed to be entirely novel namely, that when the door is closing very slowly,
as when being moved slowly by hand, it will not be checked, but can be moved
directly towards its closed position.
Broadly stated, the invention comprises a spring which is stationary with
the pintle, and a second spring having movement coincident with the movable
leaf, combined with means by which the springs upon the closing of the door
will engage together at the proper moment to elastically check the door, but
which, when the door has rebounded to a limited extent, will allow the springs
to be moved out of their normal planes so as to clear each other and allow the
door to be closed, it being understood that either the hinge having the check
therein, or the other hinge, is provided with a closing, spring, or that a closing
spring suitably located at the side or top of the door is used, or that in some
other way, immaterial to the present invention the door is arranged to have a
tendency to close.
In what the inventor considers the best type of the invention, there is mounted
within the extreme lower portion of the hinge barrel surrounding the pintle,
a collar having a recess therein, one side of which is formed at an angle to
constitute a cam, a small finger-piece projecting through a slot in the barrel being
used for partially rotating said collar. Carried above this collar with the hinge
barrel will be a second collar having a projection at its lower end which normally
engages the recess in the bottom collar, so that the bottom faces of the two
collars will be normally in engagement. The second collar referred to will be

page_text: secured against movement concentric with the barrel, but will be free to move
laterally with respect to the same in any suitable way, as by means of a pin
engaging a slot in the collar. Mounted above the second collar and rigidly
secured to the pintle will be a split collar, the bottom face of which will be
separated from the upper face of the second collar for a distance at least equal
to the depth of the lug on the bottom face of the second collar, as will be explained.
Mounted upon the pintle and capable of lateral movement thereon is a sleeve
having an integral arm which bears between the two adjacent faces of the split
collar and carrying at its lower end a friction roller which is capable of engaging
a recess in the upper face of the second collar to allow the sleeve referred to to
be moved downwardly into engagement with the upper face of the split collar or
with a suitable buffer carried by said upper face. The sleeve referred to will
carry a vertically arranged leaf-spring, which will be firmly supported in a channel
cut in the sleeve, but free to yield slightly at its upper end. A spiral spring
surrounding the pintle will tend to normally depress the sleeve. Carried within
and rigidly secured to the barrel at its upper part, will be a second sleeve carrying
a downwardly extending vertically arranged leaf-spring, the lower end of which
will occupy a plane below the upper end of the first mentioned spring, so that
the two springs may engage together to check the door with an elastic effect.
The friction between the two springs referred to produced by the momentum of
the door, may be utilized to keep the springs in engagement, or the two springs
may be provided with small overlapping lugs which engage together, but which
will be disengaged when the door slightly rebounds to allow the first mentioned
sleeve to move downwardly and thereby carry the springs out of coincident planes,
so that the door may close, the projection on the first mentioned sleeve entering
the recess on the second collar referred to. In order to maintain the engaging
or checking springs in their normal planes until they are almost in contact with
each other, a spring trip or head is employed normally engaging a shoulder but
being moved out of engagement therewith when the checking action requires to
take place.
The invention in its preferred form will be more clearly understood from a
reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification,
and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved hinge, the barrel
being shown in section, and illustrating the checking springs out of engagement;
Figure 2 a front elevation of the hinge, showing the checking springs in engage-
ment; Figure 3 a similar view, showing the checking spring out of engagement
to allow for the closing of the door; Figure 4 a section on the line 44 of
Figure 3 Figure 5 a section on the line 5-5 of Figure 3; Figure 6 a section
on the line 66 of Figure 3; and Figure 7 a vertical sectional view illustrating
the checking springs out of action.
In all of the above views, corresponding parts are represented by the same
numerals of reference.
1 represents the stationary leaf secured to the frame of the door and carrying
arms 2,2 which are secured to the pintle 3 by means of pins 4 in the usual way.
5 is the movable leaf carried by the door and connected to the hinge barrel 6.
Mounted within the barrel 6 at its lower end and surrounding the pintle 3 is
a collar 7 having a recess 8 therein. The forward end 9 of said recess is inclined,
as shown, to form a cam surface. The collar 7 may be moved with respect to
the barrel 6 by means of the pin 10 working in a slot 11 formed in the barrel.
12 is a collar surrounding the pintle 3 and located immediately above the collar 7.
The collar 12 is rotated with the barrel but may be moved vertically with respect
to the same by a screw 13 working in a slot 14. The collar 12 carries on its
lower surface a lug 15 which normally rests upon the upper face of the collar 7
but which will enter the recess 8 in said collar when the latter is partially rotated
upon the pintle by moving the pin 10 in the slot 11, as will be understood. By
reversing the movement of said pin, the collar 7 will move with respect to the
collar 12, causing the latter to be elevated, for which purpose the forward face of

page_text: the lug 15 is inclined to correspond with the surface 9 of the recess 8. A split
collar 16 is mounted above the collar 12 and is pinned to the pintle so as to be held
stationary therewith.
When the lug 15 is in engagement with the upper surface of the collar 7, the
upper surface of the collar 12 may be and preferably is in engagement with the
lower surface of the split collar 16. 17 is a sleeve mounted on the pintle and
carrying an integral projection 18 at its lower end working between the two
portions of the split collar 16, as shown, so that the sleeve 17 will be held station-
ary with the pintle but will be free to move vertically thereon. The collar 12
is provided with a recess 19, the rear end of which constitutes a cam 20, said
recess being so located that when the leaves have been moved together to almost
close the door, the said recess will be in a line immediately beneath the projec-
tion 18 to allow the said projection to enter said recess when the trip to be
hereafter explained has operated. In order that the return movement of the
collar 12 with the hinge barrel may elevate the sleeve 17, the rear face of the
projection 18 is cut away at 21 to engage the cam 20, and to reduce friction
between these parts, it is preferred to carry upon the lower end of said projection
an anti-friction roller 22. The sleeve 17 is provided with a vertical key-way or
slot 23 therein, in which is mounted a heavy leaf-spring 24, there being sufficient
play in the upper part of the slot 23 to allow for the necessarily slight yeilding
of said spring. The barrel 6 carries within its upper end a sleeve 25 secured to
said barrel in any suitable way by means of a screw 26. The sleeve 25 is
provided with a vertical slot, in which is secured a second heavy leaf-spring 27
projecting below the lower face of said sleeve and with its lower end normally
extending in a plane below the upper end of the spring 24, so that these springs
may engage each other to check the door when desired. The sleeve 17 has a
normal tendency to move downwards, as by its weight, or by a spiral spring 28
surrounding the pintle and mounted between the two sleeves 17 and 25. In order
to keep the sleeve 17 normally elevated until an instant before the springs 24
and 27 are in engagement, and to thereby prevent the projection 18 from moving
downwards into the recess 19 of the collar 12, any suitable tripping device may
be employed. In the drawings, there is illustrated a convenient form of tripping
device which may be used in connection with the invention, but it will be under-
stood that many other devices may be used for the purpose. With the form of
device shown,, the sleeve 25 is provided at its lower portion with a reduced
cylindrical section 29, on which is formed, or to which is secured, a circular
shoulder 30 having a flat upper face and a rounded or inclined lower forward
section 31, as shown more particularly in Fig. 6. 32 is a spring latch carried
by the sleeve 17 and normally riding upon the upper flat surface of the
shoulder 30. This latch is provided with a curved or inclined head 33 which is
adapted to engage with the portion 31 of the shoulder 30 to permit the elevation
of the latch and to allow it to re-engage with the upper surface of said shoulder
when the door is again opened, as will be explained. The two springs 24 and 27,
when they have engaged together to check the door immediately before the closing
thereof, may be held in that engagement entirely by their friction, but to secure
absolute certainty of operation it is preferred to form each of said springs at its
extreme end with a small shoulder or lug 34, so that the two lugs will engage
together positively, but upon the rebound taking place, will be disengaged.
The operation of the improved check will be readily understood and is as
follows: With the parts shown in Fig. 1, the check is operative and the door
is closing. Further movement of the leaf 5 rotates the collar 12 to carry the
recess 19 in line with the projection 18. This movement also rotates the sleeve 25
and causes the spring 27 to approach the spring 24. During this movement,
the shoulder 30 is moving beneath the head of the latch 32, but the engagement
of said latch with the shoulder will prevent the spring 28 from forcing the
sleeve 17 downwards. When, however, the two springs 24 and 27 are almost
in engagement with each other, the shoulder 30 will be moved from beneath the

page_text: head of the latch 32, so that the sleeve 17 will tend to descend. An instant after
the disengagement of the latch from the shoulder, the springs 24 and 27 will
engage, and the friction between them, or the actual interlocking of the lugs or
heads 34, will prevent the sleeve 17 from being moved downwards. In engaging,
the springs 24 and 27 will yield slightly to give to the checking action its
necessarily elastic character. Upon the rebound taking place, the leaf 5 returns
slightly to disengage the springs 24 and 27, whereupon the spring 28 will force
the sleeve 17 downwards, the lower end of the projection 18 entering the recess 19
so as to carry the upper end of the spring 24 into a plane below that of the lower
end of the spring 27. The door will then close by reason of the spring, weight,
or other closing motor. When the door is opened, the leaf 5 will be moved in
the reverse direction, partially rotating the collar 12 and causing the cam 20 to
engage with the forward end of and elevate the projection 18 of the sleeve 17.
This movement elevates the latch 32, and its inclined surface 33, engaging the
corresponding surface 31 of the shoulder 30, will move the head of the latch 32
outwards until it snaps into engagement with said shoulder, so that upon the
closing of the door, this engagement between the latch. and shoulder will main-
tain the sleeve 17 in an elevated position until an instant before the checking
springs come into engagement.
The operations which have been explained assume that the velocity of the
closing movement of the door is such that the springs 24 and 27 are engaged
together to check the door before the spring 28 has moved the sleeve 17 downwards
to clear the springs. When, however the closing of the door is effected very
slowly, and particularly when the heads or lugs 34 of the springs are not used,
the spring 28 will move the sleeve 17 downwards to clear the checking springs
before the said checking springs engage each other, so that there will be no
checking action. It will therefore be understood that the inventor has pro-
duced a mechanical door check comprising few parts, all capable of being made
with machine tools at the lowest cost, of great durability, and all the operative
parts being contained within the hinge barrel, whereby a much neater device will
be obtained than any heretofore made, and by which also the operative parts
will be completely protected from dust, dirt and moisture. It will also be
understood that by the invention, when the parts are properly constructed and the
result is desired, a checking action will not take place when the door is closed
slowly. When it is desired to throw the checking device out of operation, the
collar 7 will be moved by means of the pin 10 within the barrel 6 to allow the
recess 8 to be brought in line with the lug or projection 15, whereupon the
collar 12 will be moved downwards to the position shown in Fig. 7. In this
position, it will be observed that the projection 18 will be located always above
the recess 19 in the collar 12, and the opening movements of the door will not
result in the elevation of the sleeve 17 to put the checking device in operation.
It will be understood that the collar 7 may be dispensed with when it is not desired
to throw the checking device out of action, in which case the collar 12 will be
rigidly secured to the hinge barrel at the lower part thereof, as will be understood.
In order to prevent noise in the operation, an elastic buffer 35 may be interposed
between the sleeve 17 and split collar 16, said buffer being preferably composed
of a thin leather washer.
In some instances, it may be desirable to provide means by which excessive
velocities of the door in closing may be overcome, and in Figure 3 is illustrated
a device for accomplishing this end. A collar 36 is secured to the pintle within
the extreme upper end of the barrel and is provided on its lower edge with an
inclined cam surface 37 having a series of projections as shown. Working in
engagement with this cam surface is a spring bolt 38, which fits within a recess 39
in the upper sleeve 25 and is normally pressed in engagement with the cam
surface 37 by means of a spring 40. It will be observed that when the door is
opened, the sleeve 25 in partially rotating will move the bolt 38 relatively to the
stationary sleeve 36 to compress the spring 40. Upon the closing movements of

page_text: the door, the bolt 38 will, in engaging behind each of the corrugations in the
cam surface, tend to give a slight checking action to the door to reduce the
velocity thereof in closing. Manifestly, the device which has been just described
may be dispensed with, although in some instances and with heavy closing springs
it may be of advantage to use it.
While, in order to secure the best result it is preferred to employ two checking
springs 24 and 27, it is manifest that only a single spring may be used, a
stationary checking element being employed in connection therewith in the same
way in which the other spring is employed; that is to say, instead of using
the spring 24 carried by the sleeve 17, the said sleeve may be provided with
an integral upwardly projecting lug occupying the same plane as the upper
portion of the said spring and engaging the checking spring 27 in the same way.
It will also be obvious that instead of using a pair of checking springs 24 and 27,
which engage together, or of using a single one of said springs for engagement
with a stationary or a non-elastic Jug, as explained, it will be possible to provide
the sleeves 17 and 25 with non-elastic interfering lugs, which engage each other,
and to provide a checking spring or springs in connection with either or both of
said sleeves, so that when said lugs come into engagement immediately before
the closing of the door, one or both of said sleeves will be moved slightly with
respect to the pintle and against the effect of the checking spring.
It is preferred however, to use two checking springs, since in that way the
desired yielding effect may be obtained by the employment of very heavy and
durable springs.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. A door check consisting of a hinge having in combination a stationary and
a movable sleeve, interfering projections carried by said sleeves entirely within
the hinge barrel and normally maintained in interfering planes, a tripping
device for maintaining said projections in such normal planes and means for
operating said tripping device immediately before the engagement of said pro-
jections to release the same, substantially as set forth.
2. A door check consisting of a hinge having in combination a stationary and
a movable sleeve, interfering springs carried by said sleeves and normally
maintained in interfering planes, a tripping device for maintaining said springs
in such normal planes, and means for operating said tripping device immediately
before the engagement of said springs to release the same, substantially as set
forth.
3. A door check consisting of a hinge having in combination a stationary and
a movable sleeve, two projections carried by said sleeves and arranged in normally
interfering planes, a shoulder carried by one of said sleeves, and a spring latch
carried by the other of said sleeves for engaging said shoulder, substantially
as set forth.
4. A door check consisting of a hinge having in combination a stationary and
a movable sleeve, two projections carried by said sleeves and arranged in normally
interfering planes, a shoulder carried by one of said sleeves, a spring latch carried
by the other of said sleeves for engaging said shoulder, and means upon the
opening of the door to engage said latch with said shoulder, substantially as
set forth.
5. A door check consisting of a hinge having in combination a stationary and
a movable sleeve, projections carried by said sleeves arranged in normally inter-
fering planes, and interlocking lugs or heads carried by said projections for
engaging with each other before the door is completely closed so as to check
the closing movement, and means for moving said interlocking lugs or heads out
of engaging position after the door is closed and has rebounded to permit the
final closing of the door, substantially as set forth.

page_text: 6. A door check consisting of a hinge having in combination a stationary and
a movable sleeve, elastic projections carried by said sleeves arranged in normally
interfering planes, and interlocking lugs or heads carried by said elastic projec-
tions for engaging with each other before the door is completely closed so as to
check the closing movement, and means for moving said interlocking luga or
heads out of engaging position after the door is closed and has rebounded to
permit the final closing of the door, substantially as set forth.
7. A door check consisting of a hinge having in combination a stationary
and a movable sleeve, checking springs carried by said sleeves and arranged in
normally interfering planes, a tripping device for maintaining the checking
springs in their normal planes until the said springs upon the closing operation
are almost in engagement with each other, a projection carried by one of said
sleeves, and a collar having a recess with which the said projection engages for
resetting the tripping device, substantially as set forth.
8. A door check consisting of a hinge having in combination a stationary and
a movable sleeve, checking springs carried by said sleeves and arranged in
normally interfering planes, a shoulder carried by one of said sleeves, a spring
latch carried by the other of said sleeves for engaging said shoulder, a projec-
tion carried by one of said sleeves, and a collar having a cam recess for engaging
said projection, substantially as set forth.
9. A door check consisting of a hinge having in combination a stationary
and a movable sleeve, checking springs carried by said sleeves and arranged in
normally interfering planes, a shoulder carried by one of said sleeves, a spring
latch carried by the other of said sleeves for engaging said shoulder, a projec-
tion carried by one of said sleeves, a collar having a cam recess for engaging said
projection, and a friction roller on said projection, substantially as set forth.
10. A door check consisting of a hinge having in combination a stationary
and a movable sleeve, checking springs carried by said sleeves and arranged in
normally interfering planes, a shoulder carried by one of said sleeves, a spring
latch carried by the other of said sleeves for engaging said shoulder, a projection
carried by one of said sleeves, a collar having a cam recess for engaging said
projection, and an elastic buffer beneath the movable sleeve, substantially as set
forth.
11. A door check consisting of a hinge having in combination interfering
projections carried by the opposite parts of the hinge engaging with each other
before the door is completely closed so as to check the closing movement, means
for moving said projections out of engaging position after the door is checked
to permit the final closing of the door, and a movable collar for adjusting said
interfering projections, whereby they will be always maintained out of engage-
ment when desired, substantially as set forth.
12. The combination of the hinge, the check carried thereby, a collar having an
inclined cam surface provided with corrugations connected to one element of the
hinge, and a spring pressed bolt connected to the other element of the hinge
and engaging said collar, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 9th dow of Aunct 1900
HARRIS & MILLS,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.