IM- PROVEMENTS IN SPRING HINGES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Thomas Hughes, of the Firm of Hughes and
Son, Patent Agents, 123, Chancery Lane, London, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN SPRING HINGES." A communication from abroad by The
Scoville Manufacturing Company, of Waterbury, in the County of Newhaven,
and State of Connecticut, United States of America.
aled the 24th April 1878, and dated the 24th October 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Thomas Hughes at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th October 1877.
EDWARD THOMAS HUGHES, of the Firm of Hughes and Son, Patent Agents,
123, Chancery Lane, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRING HINGES." A communi-
cation from abroad by The Scoville Manufacturing Company, of Waterbury, in the
County of Newhaven, and State of Connecticut, United States of America.
This Invention relates to an improvement in that class of hinges which are
provided with a spring around the pintle or joint, for the purpose of forcing the
parts to or from each other, according to the nature of the movement required.
The object is such a construction and arrangement of the spring around the pintle
of the hinge, that the movement of the binge in opening and closing will not abrade
either the spring, pintle, or other part of the hinge, as well as to afford an increased
bearing to the opposite ends of the spring, whereby the breakage incident to this
class of hinges where the power of the spring is sustained by the extreme ends of
the same resting on the leaves of the hinge is avoided, and to that end this Invention
consists, in combining with the leaves of the hinge and the pintle a spiral spring,
with tubes around the pintle between it and the spring, the said tubes being
either loosely arranged on the pintle, or in parts, secured at the ends to the
respective parts of the hinge.
On the accompanying Sheet of Drawings,-
Fig. 1 is a plan view; Fig. 2, sectional view of the same; and Fig. 3, section of a
modification

page_text: A, A', are the two leaves of the hinge, and may be made of any desired form, size,
or material, the leaves are provided respectively with knuckles a, b, and a¹, b¹,
through which the pintle B extends in the usual manner; C, the spiral spring
which is coiled around the pintle, one of its ends c bearing upon one leaf, the other
one bearing upon the other leaf.
It is desirable that the. spring should be of the smallest possible diameter, in
order that it may present as small a cylinder as possible at the joint; but it is also
essential that the spring do not come in contact with the pintle, because if it do so,
it must rub the pintle in the opening and closing of the hinge, and quickly wear
the spring so as to materially interfere with its proper action.
It is also essential that the spring shall have a bearing axially and other than
that given by the free ends, in order to prevent any lateral movement or wear at
the said free ends.
To accomplish these results an extersion of the inner ear b of one part, and 6' of
the other part, is made in the form of a collar or short tube h, h'; this may be a
tube raised or soldered to the respective knuckles, or it may be formed as a part of
the same, and should extend on to the pintile through one or two of the coils, as
seen in Fig. 2. These form a bearing for the spring independent of the pintle, and
which will turn with the coils in the movement of the hinge. The extensions h, h¹,
serve to isolate the spring from the pintle and prevent any wear or abrasion of
either, and leave a sufficient intervening space for the action of the spring.
A good result is attained by making the collars detached tubes, placed over the
pintle, as seen in Fig. 3, leaving them to work freely with their respective parts of
the spring, that is to say, the upper part will turn with its part, and the lower part
will turn with the lower part of the spring; in this case it is desirable that the
tubes fit closely at the end of the coils and be tapering or of less diameter towards
the centre; straight tubes however will accomplish a good result.
In many cases it is required that springs shall be arranged to swing both ways;
in that case a third leaf is jointed to the second by a pintle in the usual manner for
such three part hinges, and the same arrangement of the 'spring for the second
pintle, as herein-before described, for the two-leaf hinges:

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Edward Thomas Hughes in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th April 1878.
EDWARD THOMAS HUGHES, of the Firm of Hughes and Son, Patent Agents,
123, Chancery Lane, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRING HINGES." A communi-
cation from abroad by The Scoville Manufacturing Company, of Waterbury, in the
County of Newhaven, and State of Connecticut, United States of America.
This Invention relates to an improvement in that class of hinges which are
provided with a spring around the pintle or joint, for the purpose of forcing the
parts to or from each other, according to the nature of the movement required.
The object is such a construction and arrangement of the spring around the pintle
of the hinge, that the movement of the hinge in opening and closing will not abrade
either the spring, pintle, or other part of the hinge, as well as to afford an increased
bearing to the opposite ends of the spring, whereby the breakage incident to this
class of hinges where the power of the spring is sustained by the extreme ends of
the same resting on the leaves of the hinge is avoided, and to that end this Invention
consists in combining with the leaves of the hinge and the pintle a spiral spring,
with tubes around the pintle between it and the spring, the said tubes being either
loosely arranged on the pintle or in parts, secured at the ends to the respective
parts of the hinge.
On the accompanying Sheet of Drawings,—
Fig. 1 is a plan view; Fig. 2, section view of the same, and Fig. 3, section of a
modification.
A, A¹, are the two leaves of the hinge, and may be made of any desired form,
size, or material; the leaves are provided respectively with knuckles a, b, and a¹, b¹,
through which the pintle B extends in the usual manner; C, the spiral spring
which is coiled around the pintle, one of its ends e bearing upon one leaf, the other
one bearing upon the other leaf.
It is desirable that the spring should be of the smallest possible diameter, in order
that it may present as small a cylinder as possible at the joint, but it is also
essential that the spring do not come in contact with the pintle, because if it do so,
it must rub the pintle in the opening and closing of the hinge, and quickly wear
the spring so as to materially interfere with its proper action.
It is also essential that the spring shall have a bearing axially, and other than
that given by the free ends, in order to prevent any lateral movement or wear at
the said free ends.
To accomplish these results an extension of the inner ear 6 of one part, and b' of
the other part, is made in the form of a collar or short tube h, h¹; this may be a
tube raised or soldered to the respective knuckles, or it may be formed as a part of
the same, and should extend on to the pintle through one or two of the coils, as seen
in Fig. 2. These form a bearing for the spring independent of the pintle, and
which will turn with the coils in the movement of the hinge. The extensions h, h',
serve to isolate the spring from the pintle and prevent any wear or abrasion of
either, and leave a sufficient intervening space for the action of the spring.
A good result is attained by making the collars detached tubes, placed over the
pintle, as seen in Fig. 3, leaving them to work freely within their respective parts
of the spring, that is to say, the upper part will turn with its part, and the lower
part will turn with the lower part of the spring; in this case it is desirable that the
tubes fit closely at the end of the coils and be tapering or of less diameter towards
the centre; straight tubes however will accomplish a good result.
In many cases it is required that springs shall be arranged to swing both ways;
in that case a third leaf is jointed to the second by a pintle in the usual manner for
such three part hinges, and the same arrangement of the spring for the second
pintle, as herein-before described, for the two-leaf hinge.

page_text: Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, 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 as novel and original and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is,―
✓
First. In an hinge consisting of two or more leaves, the combination therewith
of a spiral spring around the pintle, its two ends bearing upon the respective leaves
of the hinge, and a collar projecting from the knuckles of each part into the
respective ends of the spring, and between the spring and the pintle, substantially
as described.
Second. In a hinge consisting of two or more leaves, the combination therewith
of a spiral spring around the pintle, its two ends bearing upon the respective leaves
of the hinges, and a collar within the spring at each end and loose upon the pintle,
substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.