Improvements in Combined Door Springs and Checks.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Jan., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 7th Oct., 1890-Accepted, 6th Dec., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Combined Door Springs and Checks.
I, NORMAN SCOTT-RUSSELL of 39 Coleman Street in the City of London, County
of Middlesex Consulting Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My invention has reference to improvements in combined door springs and
checks.
The object of my invention is to provide an apparatus for closing doors and
preventing slamming of the same, such arrangement being of an effectual, and at
the same time of a more simple construction than those now in use.
According to my invention, I attach to the door, a bracket or fulcrum plate,
centred to this plate is an air bellows.
From the near side of the said bellows is arranged a rod, to the end of this first
rod is centred a second rod, the other end of the latter rod is fixed to the door
frame.
A spiral spring is connected from a lug on the bracket or fulcrum plate, supporting
the air bellows, to a lug or projection on the end of the first mentioned rod where
the said rods join.
The action is as follows. When the door is opened the bellows draws in air, the
spiral spring is expanded, the distance between the rods becomes greater. When the
door is freed for closing, the spiral spring contracts, draws the door to, and
the bellows are compressed to exclude the air, thus preventing the door from
slamming.
The compression of the bellows does not take place until the door is just reaching
the point of closing.
It may be found convenient to employ a feather spring between the sides of the
bellows near the fulcrum to assist in opening the bellows as the door is moved
open.
1900
JOHN P. O'DONNELL,
Agent for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Combined Door Springs and Checks.
I NORMAN SCOTT-RUSSELL of 39 Coleman Street London in the County of
Middlesex 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 :-
My invention relates to improvements in means for making doors self-closing and
at the same time to make the closing noiseless. I attain these objects by the
mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which :-
Fig. 1 is an elevation and Fig. 2 a plan of the apparatus and Fig. 6 shows it in
two positions with the door closed and with it fully open, the remaining figures
relating to details and to an alternative arrangement.
Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.
Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 the apparatus consists of the bracket a attached to the
top member of the fixed door frame by screws and carrying at its end the screw b
which thus forms a fixed fulcrum; the bracket c is fixed to the door itself near the
top and has two lugs d through which the pin e' passes and forms the moving fulcrum.

page_text: The bell crank lever e is made stirrup shaped so as to come outside the lug d of the
bracket and is fixed by screws on to the plate f; it is provided with a hole g into
which a pin goes and carries the rod and also with a hole i through which one end
of a spiral spring m passes the other end being attached to the projection which
forms part of the bracket c the piece k is formed with two parallel arins through
which the pin el passes and is fixed to the plate f¹ at the other end each arm is
provided with a spring which tends to keep it against the door when the door is
closed. Fig. 3 is a side view of the rod h and Fig. 4 a side view of a. Fig. 5 is a
view of the top plate f of the bellows provided with a screw n by which the escape of
air from the bellows may be regulated as it is cut away at one side; p is the inlet
valve with a spring attached arranged in a hollow seating 9, the bellows o which is
made of indiarubber or other suitable material is fixed at the ends to the plates f
and f. Figs. 7 and 8 show two methods of attaching it; in Fig. 7 a wire is passed
outside the indiarubber and is tightened so as to hold the indiarubber in the groove;
in Fig. 8 the indiarubber itself is made with a solid ring at the end which holds
the bellows firmly on to the plate f being stretched at first so as to pass over the
point s.
In Fig. 6 the dotted lines shew the apparatus when the door t is closed, the full
lines shew it when the door is fully open. As the door opens the spring m is stretched
the rod describes an arc on ỗ as centre. The springs prevent the part from
raising until the bellows o is completely expanded by the combined movements of the
rod hand the pivot d and the lever e it has thus become filled with air through the
valve p. If now the door t be let go the spring m will cause it to close and when
the part strikes the door the bellows will be compressed by the movement of e and
as the air can only escape slowly through the regulating screw n the door will
close silently. Fig. 9 represents an alternative arrangement of Fig. 6 in which the
bottom plate of the bellows o is fixed to the door t, the top plate has a radius bar w
attached to it so that it describes an are with the point e as centre; upon f is placed
a cone shaped box in which a spiral spring w is fixed and keeps the bellows normally
distended the conical box being required merely to allow more length of spring to be
used. The end a of the lever e is not fixed to the plate fas in the other views but is
formed as a foot which the bellows strikes as the door closes; in the reverse action of
opening the door the bellows expands and is followed by the foot to a certain
distance after which the bellows leaves the foot and the two parts occupy the
positions shewn in Fig. 9 the action depends upon the same principle as set forth in
the previous figures.
v
I am aware that prior to my invention combined door checks and springs have
been made in which the spring has caused the door to close while the check has
depended upon the compression of air in a chamber from which it could gradually
escape. I therefore do not claim such a combination broadly, but what I do claim
and desire to secure by Letters Patent is
--
(1) The combination of the two brackets a and c one fixed on the door and one on
the door framing with the rod h, lever spiral spring m, bellows o, lever 1,
and springs for the purpose of closing a door silently all substantially as set
forth.
(2) In combined door checks and springs the use of a bellows o substantially as
described and for the purpose herein set forth and as illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
Datad this 7th day of October 1890 ·
.
JOHN P. O'DONNELL,
Agent for the said Applicant.