Improvements in the Method or Means for Strengthening the Knuckles and Leaves of Strap Hinges.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Apr., 1994
Complete Specification Left, 5th Jan., 1895-Accepted, 9th Feb., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method or Means for Strengthening the
Knuckles and Leaves of Strap Hinges.
I, WILLIAM BUTLER DEMING of Bentonville, Benton County, in the State of
Arkausas, United States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature
of this my invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in hinges and more specially to that class
known as strap hinges in which the leaves of the hinge are secured to the jamb of
the post parallel with the plane of the door or gate when closed, and the object of
the invention is to strengthen the knuckle and the leaf of the hinge attached to the
jamb or post so as to prevent or materially lessen its liability to fracture, and also
to additionally secure the strap near the pintle of the hinge so as to prevent the
loosening or drawing out of the screws by the opening of the gate or door.
gate or door approaches a position at right angles to the plane of its closed position
it exerts an increasing outward pulling strain on the screws which tends to draw
them out of the wood and eventually loosens them to such an extent as to damage
the hinge.
As the
My invention consists in a re-inforcing plate applied to the outside of the leaf
of the hinge next to the pintle and co-extensive with the entire leaf or even larger
or smaller if desired, the object being to re-inforce the leaf next to the pintle where
the greatest strain will be exerted. This re-inforcing plate may be riveted to the
leaf of the hinge or it may be secured in place by passing the screws by which the
hinge is attached to the post or jamb, through both the re-inforcing plate and
the leaf.
To prevent the loosening or drawing out of the screws by the opening of the
gate, provide one or more tongues integral with the re-inforcing plate and bent
at right angles to the plate so as to engage the inside of the door jamb or post when
the hinge is in place. The tongue will be provided with screw holes through which
it will be screwed fast to the jamb or post. Where a single tongue is used it will
be projected through the slot between the end of the leaf and the pintle, the slot
being enlarged for the purpose by cutting away the material of the leaf.
The single tongue will be centrally located but whore both leaves of the hinge
are to be re-inforced a plate must be used for one leaf having two tongues which
will be projected in like manner through the slots between the end of the leaf and
the pintle.
To obviate the necessity of enlarging the slots for the projection of the tongues
through the leaves of the hinge, the re-inforcing plate may be extended a sufficient
distance on each side of the leaf to allow the tongues to straddle the hinge instead
of being projected through the slots.
By this construction of a supplemental plate having a laterally projected tongue
and applied as above described, the strap or leaf of the hinge is re-inforced and
strengthened next to the knuckle where the greatest strain is exerted and the
tendency to loosen or pull out the screws is prevented by the strap which receives
the strain in the direction of its length on the opening of the door or gate.
Dated this 5th day of Anril 1801

page_text: Improvements in the. Method or Means for Strengthening the
Knuckles and Leaves of Strap Hinges.
1, WILLIAM BUTLER DEMING of Bentonville, County of Benton, State of
Arkansas, United States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to improvements in hinges and more particularly to that
class known as strap hinges in which the leaves of the hinge are secured to the jamb
or post parallel with the plane of the door or gate when closed, and the object of
the invention is to strengthen the knuckle and leaf of the hinge attached to the
jamb or post so as to prevent or materially lesseu its liability to fracture; and also
to additionally secure the strap near the pintle of the hinge so as to prevent the
loosening or drawing out of the screws by the opening of the gate or door.
As the gate or door approaches a position at right angles to the plane of its
closed position it exerts an increasing outward pull on the screws which tends to
draw them out of the wood and eventually loosens them to such an extent as to
damage the hinge.
The invention consists in an independent reinforcing piece bent to form a
plurality of plates of which one will be made to overlay the leaf of the hinge and
the other or others will be secured to the adjacent sides of the gate post or door
jamb. The strap of the hinge may be cut away opposite to the knuckle or eye of
the hinge so as to leave a slot through which the reinforcing plate will be pro-
jected into engagement with the post or jamb; or the overlying plate may be long
enough to reach beyond the limits of the strap and thus allow the bent ends to
reach the adjacent sides of the post or jamb without slotting the leaf of the
hinge.
Having thus summarily stated the said invention, I will now proceed more
particularly to describe the same, reference being had to the accompanying
drawings,
Figure 1 of which being a view in perspective of a section of a post with my
improved hinge attached;
Figure 2 a detail of a hinge showing the leaf slotted near the knuckle and also
showing the reinforcing plate removed from the strap but ready to be placed in
position by projecting the tongue through the slot formned for that purpose in the
strap;
Figure 3, a detail in perspective of a modified form of hinge in which the
strengthening plate is provided with two outside tongues instead of the single
middle one, the figure showing the strengthening plate in position on the hinge;
Figure 4, a detail in front elevation of a hinge showing two outside slots near the
knuckle.
Figure 5, a detail in edge view of my improved hinge;
Figure 6, a detail in edge view of a modified form of my hinge in which the
plate is bent to follow the outline of the knuckle until opposite the axial line of the
hinge joint and then bent back at right angles to the plate overlying the strap.
Figure 7 a view of the reinforcing-plate of the modified form shown in Figure 6,
edge view;
Figure 8, view in perspective, of a second modification in which the overlaying
plate is projected beyond the limits of the strap and then turned back so as to
obviate the necessity of slots in the strap;
Figures 9 and 10 details showing different views of the modification shown in
Figure 8.
.

page_text: A represents a gate post or a door jamb, as the case may be, and B and C are the
leaves of a strap hinge, like in all respects to the strap hinge of commerce except.
that a slot B (see Figure 2) is formed by cutting the strap back from the
knuckle a distance equal to the thickness of the material of a reinforcing plate
which will be projected therethrough, in the manner as will be hereinafter described.
D is a metallic plate conforming in outline to the strap B but if so desired
may only extend a portion of the length of the strap as shown in the drawing,
or it may be maile coextensive with the entire strap or even larger or smaller
if desired, the object being to reinforce the strap next to the pintle, where the
greatest strain will be exerted.
D' is a tongue integral with the plate D and equal in width to the distance
between the knuckles of the strap B. The tongue D' is bent at right angles
to the plate D and will be projected through the opening B₁ in the plate B
when adjusted for use.
The screw holes in the plate D correspond with the screw holes in the strap B
so that the screws to fasten the hinge to the jamb or post, will pass through
both the plate D and the strap B. The tongue D' being at right angles to
the strap B will come against the inside of the door jamb or post. It is
provided with screw holes through which it will be screwed fast to the
jamb or post. The strap C will be fastened to the door or gate in the usual
manner. By this construction of a supplemental plate having a laterally pro-
jected tongue and applied as above described, the strap or leaf of the hinge
is reinforced and strengthened next to the knuckle where the greatest strain is
exerted, and the tendency to loosen or pull out the screws is prevented by the
strap which receives the strain in the direction of its length when the gate is
opened.
In the modification shown in Figures 3 and 4, the reinforcing plate D is
applied to the strap Chaving the single middle knuckle. The slots Care
cut back a distance from the pintle equal to the thickness of the plates D³.
The plate D is like the plate D both in construction and application, except that
it is provided with the two outside plates D3 instead of the single middle one.
Figure 3 shows the manner in which the several parts will be fitted together
for use.
In the modification shown in Figures 6 and 7, the reinforcing plate is formed
in such a manner that after being projected through the slotted leaf it will evade
the pintle or knuckle and enable the plate to engage the side of the post to be in
Jine with the vertical center of the hinge pin in order to obviate the necessity of
mortising the door jamb or post. The form of the reinforcing plate in this modifi-
cation is clearly shown by the drawing and will not need further explanation.
In the modification shown in Figures 8, 9 and 10, the reinforcing plate will
consist of bar iron of greater width than thickness and which will first be bent edge-
wise into a U shape in which the distance between the stems is slightly greater
than the width of the strap to which it is to be applied, and the plate connecting
the stems will then be bent at right angles to the stems in the manner clearly
shown in the drawings. These stems will form the plates D' of my device and
will be provided with holes by which the plates will be securely nailed or screwed
to the side of the door or jamb. The cross bar of the U will form the bearing
plate D and will rest upon the strap next to the knuckle of the hinge. This last
described form is specially adapted for reinforcing hinges of common form already
in use.
In the shipment of my improved hinges the hinge proper can be packed in the
usual manner and the reinforcing plates nested separately.
Having thus described the nature of the said invention and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, what I claim and desire to secure by the said Letters
Patent is,
1. The combination, with the pintie and leaves of a strap hinge, of an independent

page_text: and removable reinforcing piece bent at right angles to form a plurality of plates,
one of said plates being adapted to overlay one of the leaves of the hinge and
the balance being adapted to be secured to an adjacent side of a gate post or
jamb at right angles to that side of said post or jamb to which the leaf of the,
hinge is fastened, substantially as hereinbefore fully set forth and described and
represented in the accompanying drawings.
2. The combination, with the pintle and leaves of a strap hinge, one of which
leaves is cut away opposite to the knuckle or eye of the other leaf so as to leave
a slot when such knuckle or eye is placed in position, of a reinforcing piece bent
to form two plates at right angles to each other of which one overlies the said
cut away leaf and the other is adapted to pass through said slot, said two plates
being connected by a section of the piece integral with the two plates but formed
around the corner which otherwise would have been made by the junction of the
two plates and thereby affording an unobstructed space for the adjustment of
the plates around the knuckle of the hinge whereby the knuckle will occupy the
said corner space and whereby the plate when passed through the slot will be.
aligned with the axis of the knuckle, substantially in the manner as described and
for the purposes specified.
Dated this 22nd day of December 1894.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.