AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS ON SPRINGS AND OTHER APPA- RATUS USED FOR CLOSING DOORS AND GATES
Year: 1825

page_text: COLLINGE'S SPECIFICATION.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
COLLINGE, of Lambeth, in the County of Surrey, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present Majesty King George the Fourth, by His Letters
Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Fifteenth day of March now last
past, did give and grant unto me, the said John Collinge, His especial
licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said John Collinge,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, and such others as I, the said John
Collinge, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my
Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS ON SPRINGS AND OTHER APPA-
RATUS USED FOR CLOSING DOORS AND GATES;" in which said Letters Patent there
is contained a proviso obliging me, the said John Collinge, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
and to cause the same to be inrolled in His said Majesty's High Court of
Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of
the said recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being there-
unto had, will more fully appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Collinge, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, is described and ascer-
tained by the Plan or Drawing hereunto annexed, and as follows, that is
to say:-
Before I enter into a description of the various parts, I shall here observe
that the failures which so frequently occur in the springs used for closing doors
has rendered them very objectionable, and it has long been a desirable object to
obtain a door spring that shall be less liable to be out of order than any that
are now in use. The failures in almost all cases have taken place on account
of the shortness of the springs in proportion to the extent of distance they have
to move. To remedy this inconvenience I have invented springs for closing
doors, of such form and construction that they will move to a greater extent,
and with less chance of breaking or setting, than any that have been applied to
such a purpose.
Fig. 1 in the Drawing is a plan of one of my improved springs for closing
doors complete, except the covering plate, which is not shewn in order that
the internal form and arrangement of the parts may be more plainly seen.
A, A, is a cast iron box or .case to contain the acting parts. B is an axis
made square on its upper end to receive a bar or shoe, to which the door is to
be fixed. C is a double lever or cam attached to the axis. The two extreme
ends a, b, receive an equal pressure from the springs when the door is closed;
and by that means it is kept stationary. The axis B has a spherical end
below, upon which the door rests or swings, and this bearing rests in a hemi-
spherical cup, formed in the lower part of the box or base; by this means
the friction is much reduced, and consequently the door may be closed with
greater ease, and of course less power will be required to close or open a door
to which it is attached. D, E, are two springs composed of two, or there may
be more, bars or plates in each. These, it will be seen, are formed similar to
the common spring sugar tongs, which form enables me to use a greater
length of spring, and consequently to obtain a more extensive range of action,
than any other arrangement of the parts would permit, except the common
spiral or barrel spring, and which is only used for closing doors one way.
F, G, shew the upper ends of the strong short cylindrical studs, which serve to
keep the springs D, E, in their proper place when the small keys c, d, are
placed between the studs and the springs; one of these is shewn detached in
Fig. 3. e, f, are two adjusting screws which pass through the sides of the box
or case. These are used to adjust the springs D, E, in position, by which
ineans the door, when in the closed state, may be made to coincide with any

page_text: point that may be required. Each of these screws has a small leather washer
or collar placed upon it, by which means the screws may always be kept tight,
for if it is required to make either screw enter a little further, then the leather
collar may be pared a little thinner, and that will permit the screw to enter
sufficiently to obtain the required. adjustment. As this Figure shews the
position of the parts when the door is closed, it will be necessary to shew them
in the position they assume when the door is thrown wide open.
Fig. 2 represents the same combination of parts, but, in this Figure the door
is supposed to be open to its greatest extent, having passed through the quadrant
of a circle from the closed position.
..Fig. 4 shews a section of the parts combined, and in the same position as
Fig. 1., the section being made upon the line H, I, in Fig. 1.
Figure 5 represents a side elevation of the axis B, and double lever or cam
C, also the spherical bulb. or bearing 9, upon which the door swings. The
bulb rests and moves in a hemispherical cup formed in the bottom of the box
or case A. The cylindrical part of the axis shewn at h moves in a cor:
responding hole formed for it in the covering plate, by which means all dust
and.dirt is effectually excluded.
Fig. 6 represents a plan of one of the springs, composed of two bars or
plates detached from the box or case, and in the position it assumes before it
is.compressed in the box, as shewn in Fig. 1.
.
I shall, now endeavour to explain the way in which my improved springs
act when they are combined with the other parts, as shewn in Figs. 1 and 2.
Fig. 1, K; shews a portion or fragment (in dotted lines) of the bar to..which.
the door is fixed. This bar being placed upon the square end of the axis B,
in the usual manner, it follows, when the door is opened to a right.angle from
its closed position, the lever or cam C will compress one of the springs and
cause it to assume the position shewn in Fig. 2, and in that state the spring D
will re-act upon the lever or cam C. and return the door to the closed-position..
A similar action takes place with the other springs if the motion of, the door is.
reversed, the parts on each side of the axis B being exactly duplicates. By
comparing the spring in its open state, as shewn in Fig. 6, with which it is,com-
pressed in Fig. 2, it will be plainly seen that a very considerable range or extent
of motion is necessary; and it will be also evident, that with this form of spring.
that object may be obtained with greater certainty of success than by any other
form that can be applied to the same purpose, except the following. Where.
very heavy doors are required to be closed by springs, the following. kind of.
springs and combination of parts will be found to, answer in a very superior
manner'

page_text: Fig. 7 represents a plan of one of my improved door springs, the covering
plate being removed in order to shew the internal construction and combination
more plainly. A, A, is a cast iron box or case similar to that before described.
B is an axis, to which is attached the double lever or cam C. a, b, are the
upper ends of the two studs that are made fast in the double lever or cam C;
these project below the under surface of the cam, and they are always in con-
tact with the inclined planes 1, 2, when the door is closed. 1, 2, are two
inclined planes formed on the sliding piece D; this sliding piece moves parallel
The frames of the rollers have
to itself, being guided by the two rollers c, d.
a chase mortico formed in each, as seen at e, e, which permits a screw to pass
through and fix them to the bottom of the case. E, F, represents an cliptical
spring composed of three plates or bars on each side; the two internal plates
or bars are jointed to each other at their extreme ends, as seen at f, f. 9, 9, are
two screws fixed into the sliding piece D; these pass through holes made in the
plates or bars of the spring E, and then the slide and spring are united by the
nuts h, h. i, i, are two adjusting collars, whose use will be hereafter explained.
k represents a similar screw made fast in the side of the case, and passing
through the spring F, it receives the nut 7, which fixes that side of the spring
to the box or case. G, shewn in dotted lines, represents a portion of the iron
bar to which the door is fixed; this is seen placed upon the square part of the
axis B, and in the position it should be when the door is closed. m, m, m, m,
represent the four projecting ears, with screw holes made in them to receive
the screws that secure the flat brass or iron plate which covers the whole,
there being a cylindrical hole formed in the cover to receive the cylindrical
portion of the axis n, formed just below the square end B.
Fig. 8 represents a front elevation of the axis and double lever or cam C,
with its pins or studs a, b, the slide piece D, D, is also seen, and likewise one
of the rollers d, and its frame. The lower part of the axis O, like the one
before described, is made spherical, and it rests or moves in a hemispherical
step or cup formed in the bottom of the box or case, by which means the
friction is very greatly reduced.
Fig. 9 represents a side elevation of the axis B and the sliding piece D;
the rollers in this Figure are not shewn; o shews the spherical bulb or
bearing.
Fig. 10 represents a plan or bird's-eye view of the axis B and the sliding
piece D, also the rollers c, d, that the sliding piece moves between the parts,
being exactly similar to those shewn in Fig. 7, but in Fig. 10 the spring is
omitted, and the lever or cam C is turned round one quarter of a circle, in
which state it has forced the sliding piece D down to the position there seen.

page_text: Having shewn the form and construction of the parts that are requisite to
be combined with my improved eliptical springs, I shall now endeavour to ex-
plain their mutual action, and how they effect the desirable purpose of closing
doors and gates. When a door or gate is fixed to the bar shewn in dotted
lines at G, in Fig. 7, it will be kept very firmly in the closed position by the
spring exerting a very powerful effort against the sliding piece D, which will
force the two inclined planes 1, 2, in contact with the two studs. a, b, by
which means the lever or cam C will be kept firmly in the position it must
always assume when the door is closed. But when the door is opened, then
the lever C being turned either way, suppose, for instance, in the direction of
the darts p, p, then the stud 6 will act upon the inclined plane 2 of the sliding
piece D, and thereby cause it to recede by compressing the spring E, F,
in which state the lever or cam C, and inclined planes 1, 2, of the sliding
piece D, assume the position seen in Fig. 10. If the door or gate be left in
this state, the powerful elasticity of the spring acting upon the sliding piece
drives it forward, and by that means the stud b is pressed upon so as to
return the door or grate to the closed position, and then both studs receive
an equal degree of pressure, and the door or grate will be prevented from open-
ing until a considerable force is applied. If the gate or door should not
coincide with any given point or line, when in the closed position, an adjust-
ment may be effected by reducing the thickness of either of the adjusting
collars i, i, until the door or gate stands, when closed, in a proper position.
Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, are drawn to a scale three fourths of the real size.
Figs. 7, 8, 9, and 10, are drawn of the real size for common doors; but
where larger doors or gates are to be moved, of course more powerful springs
and apparatus must be used.
And in order to identify and distinguish my Invention more clearly, I hereby
declare that it consists entirely in the application of springs of the form and
construction shewn in Figs. 6 and 7 to door springs; and also in applying a
sperical bearing to the axis of door springs, by the use of which, when
constructed and combined in the way I have described, very much of the
friction will be avoided, and more useful and durable door springs will be
produced than any before known or made use of.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Collinge, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and twenty-five.
JN° COLLINGE. (L.S.)

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Fourteenth day of
September, in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid John Collinge came
before our Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specifi-
cation aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained, in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute in that case made and provided.
Inrolled the same Fourteenth day of September, in the year above
written.