IMPROVEMENTS IN HINGES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Gottfried Stierlin, of Schaffhausen, Switzerland, Patent
Hinge Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN HINGES."
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Gottfried Stierlin at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th September 1877.
GOTTFRIED STIERLIN, of Schaffhausen, Switzerland, Patent Hinge Manufacturer.
IMPROVEMENTS IN HINGES."
This Invention relates to hinges for doors, shutters, windows, and other like
moving parts, and it consists of improvements whereby the hinge is caused to perform
the double functions of a hinge and of a spring for closing the door or other moving
part completely and noiselessly, whilst it may further be utilized when desired for
maintaining the door or other moving part open, such closing or opening capacity
being also capable of increase or diminution, or of being entirely suspended as
required.
In carrying out this Invention, as applied for example to the construction of a
butt hinge for a door, the body of the hinge consists of a tube carrying a plate,
which is let into the doorpost, one portion of which tube forms a pin for the reception
of the moveable part of the hinge, which is also tubular, and carries another plate let
into or otherwise attached to the door. The tubular moveable part of the hinge and
the hollow body are respectively closed by plugs situate one at each end, with the
interposition of a ring or washer if necessary, which plugs are recessed for the recep-
tion of the ends of a series of blades extending throughout the interior of the hollow
body, and twisted so as to form a spring.
When the door is opened a further torsional strain is put upon the spring, the
tendency of which to resume its original condition is thus utilized for closing the
door.
The plug which is employed for closing the hollow body is so arranged as to be
capable of a partial rotation for the purpose of adjusting the tension of the spring,

page_text: and of being fixed by means of a pin in any adjusted position, or other suitable
means may be provided for varying the torsion of the spring.
In applying the Invention to joint hinges the apparatus is arranged in a similar
manner, the details being alone modified to suit the peculiar construction of the
hinge.
It will be obvious that the spring may be caused to act in either of two directions,
that is to say, either so as to open the door, or to close it, according to the adjust-
ment of the plug, and that by removing the securing pin the action of the spring
will be suspended, the apparatus then acting like an ordinary hinge.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Gottfried Stierlin in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 11th February
1878.
GOTTFRIED STIERLIN, of Schaffhausen, Switzerland, Patent Hinge Manufacturer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN HINGES."
The said Invention relates to a spring hinge having a straight spring inside of
the knuckles or tubular parts of the hinge leaves.
Two hinges of this arrangement are represented on the annexed Sheet of Drawings,
Figure 1 being an elevation of a joint hinge, with the leaves opened; Figure 2, a
vertical section through the tubular part of the same, supposing the leaves to be
closed; and Figure 3, a horizontal section; whilst Figure 5 is a sectional elevation
of a butt hinge.
T
The Figures 4 and 6 are outside views of the respective removeable knobs d.
With reference to the Figures 1 to 4, representing the joint hinge, the pin or
pintle m, on which the leaves a and b turn, is made hollow, and within the same is
placed the spring e, consisting of a number of blades or strips of steel properly
hardened and tempered, or of other suitable metal, and united near one end by a
ring. The knuckle a' of the leaf a is closed at one end by a knob c fixed into the
same by rivetting or otherwise, or cast together with the leaf. At the inside end of
this knob at the bottom of the knuckle there is a hole corresponding to the square
or rectangular section of the spring e. Into this hole one end of the spring projects,
whilst the other end passes into a similar hole of the knob d on the knuckle b' of
the leaf b. The knob d however is fixed to the knuckle 6' by a pin h, passing
through both, and as a number of pin holes n, crossing each other are drilled through
this knob, the same may be turned more or less so as to twist the spring e to the
desired degree, whereupon the pin is inserted. For the purpose of turning the said
knob other holes n¹ are drilled through its outer end.
According as the knob d is turned, and the spring twisted to the right or the left,
the latter will cause the door or shutter, for example, to which the binge is applied
either to be closed or to be opened. If the action of the spring is to be suspended
the pin h is taken out, and may be kept for renewed use in a hole r provided for
this purpose in the upper knob.
In the butt hinge represented in Figure 5 the knob c is permanently fixed in the
upper leaf, which turns on the hollow pintle m, the latter being by preference brazed

page_text: into the tubular part of the leaf b. The ring i, which unites the blades of the spring e,
and which is or may be made of gun metal, is with advantage placed between the
pintle and the knob c, so that the weight of the door may bear upon it, whereby the
friction of the hinge is reduced.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into effect, I
would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original, and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is,―
First. The combination of the two leaves of a hinge with the hollow pintle m,
and the straight spring e, composed of a number of elastic blades of steel or other
suitable metal, as and for the purpose described.
Secondly. In combination with a spring hinge, having a straight spring e, the
removable knob d and pin h, as and for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Gottfried Stierlin, have to this my Specifi-
cation set my hand and seal, the Sixth day of January, One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-eight.
GOTTFRIED STIERLIN. (LS)