A SELF-ACTING DOOR SPRING
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Louis Auguste Mangin, of 39, Rue de l'Echiquier,
Paris, in the Empire of France, and of 4, South Street, Finsbury,
London, for the Invention of "A SELF-ACTING DOOR SPRING."
Sealed the 31st March 1857, and dated the 24th October 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Louis, Auguste Mangin
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 24th October. 1856.
I, LOUIS AUGUSTE MANGIN, of 39, Rue de l'Ecliiquier, Paris, in the Empire
of France, and of 4, South Street, Finsbury, London, do hereby declare
the nature of my Invention for "A SELF-ACTING DOOR SPRING," to be as
follows, that is to say:-
This Invention relates to a self-acting door spring formed of a small tubo.
at one end of which plays freely a short piston, forked at its extremity, and
abutting against and turning round upon a pin passed through a support, which
is screwed or otherwise fixed to the frame of the door. At the opposite end of
the tube and passing through its cap is a rod of suitable length. One end of
the rod is provided with a small knob, which is pressed against the door by a

page_text: wire loop or link, one extremity resting on and secured by. a small screw to
the tube before mentioned; whilst the other works in a curved notch formed
in the support. The object of the curved notch is to allow the link to play
freely when the door, by being opened, places it in a reverse position, as well
as to cause the piston to press against a helical spring contained in the tube,
and by this means cause the door to be shut. The knobbed rod screws into a
cap or washer, against which presses the helical spring, and into which cap is
fixed a small screw working in a slot in the tube.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Louis Auguste Mangin in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 23rd April 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, LOUIS
AUGUSTE MANGIN, of 39, Rue de l'Echiquier, Paris, in the Empire of France,.
and of 4, South Street, Finsbury, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, thie
said Louis Auguste Mangin, Her special license that I, the said Louis
Auguste Mangin, 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,
tlie Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "A SELF-ACTING DOOR
SPRING," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, 'the said Louis Auguste
Mangin, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 Louis Auguste Mangin, do hereby
declare the naturo of the said, Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, reference being liad to the annexed. Sheet of
Drawings; and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say

page_text: This Invention consists in an improved construction of door spring, which
closes the door to which it is applied in any position, except when the door is
opened its full width, where it will remain without any weight being placed
against it. The spring may be fitted to all doors, whether a strong or feeble
tension is required.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Sheet of Drawings is a front view of a door
spring constructed according to this Invention; Figure 2 is a plan; and
Figure 3, a partial section of the same. Figures 4 to 15 are details of con-
struction. The same letters refer to the same parts of the Drawings.
This improved door spring is formed of a small cylinder of brass or other
suitable material. At one extremity of the cylinder is a wrought-iron (or other
metal) piston B; formed with a groove C and semicircular notch D, as shewn
more clearly in detail in Figures 4, 5, and 6. The semicircular notch D of
the piston abuts against and turns upon the pin E, fixed to the support F,
which is screwed to the door post G. To the extremity H of the cylinder is
fixed, by a set screw I, the rod J, provided with a knob L, which rod passes
through a guide K, screwed to the door K. This rod is pressed against the
door by the helical spring M acting against the link M¹. One end of this link
is passed over the head of the screw N, screwed to the cylinder A, whilst the
opposite end of the link works in a curved notch or slot O, made in the support
F. The object of this curved notch is to form a fixed support for the link,
and allow it to move freely when the door is opened, as shewn in dotted lines,
Figure 3. A hole may be substituted for the curved notch in the support.
The link M' and support F are shewn in detail in Figures 7, 8, and 9:
Figures 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14 represent different views of a modification
of the same; the band M", Figure 10, being fixed to the support, Figure 13,
by a small pin, Figure 14. The support is formed with a stop P, so as to
allow the door to be opened only to a certain distance. The knobbed rod J
may be screwed to a washer P¹, placed inside the cylinder, and kept in the
proper position by a screw working in a slot Q, made in the cylinder,
Figure 15.
The action of the improved door spring is as follows:-On opening the door
the link or band causes the cylinder to slide upon the piston, and thus com-
press the helical spring, and its reaction, when released, effects the closing of
the door.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same may be carried into effect, I do not confine myself to the
precise details herein laid down; but what I claim is the method of construct-

page_text: ing a door spring for closing doors, as herein-before described, and referred to
in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Louis Auguste Mangin, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
M. F. MENNONS.
L. A. MANGIN. (L.S.)