Improvements in Apparatus for Controlling the Movement of Doors and the like, having Special Reference to that Class of Apparatus known as Liquid and Pneumatic Door-checks.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 19th June, 1888-Accepted, 27th July, 1888
Improvements in Apparatus for Controlling the Movement of Doors
and the like, having Special Reference to that Class of
Apparatus known as Liquid and Pneumatic Door-checks.
We, HENRY ALONZO HOUSE Sr. and HENRY ALONZO HOUSE Jr. residing at
294 Noble Street Bridgeport, in the County of Fairfield and State of Connecticut,
one of the United States of America, Manufacturers, 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 :-
Our invention consists of improvements among others in the class of apparatus
described by Robert Adams in his specifications No. 12664 of 1884 and 2718
of 1885.
In the manipulation and practical use of said Checks, a serious objection has
hitherto existed, namely, the breaking of the casing or piston, when the door is
suddenly slammed or when the piston is forced with too great violence against the
comparatively unyielding body of air or liquid.
This breakage is of course due to the fact that the air or liquid cannot escape
through the vent provided fast enough to insure a sufficient yielding to the sudden
sbock or concussion of the piston.
While our improvement is applicable to either a liquid or a pneumatic check, we
have in the drawing, shown it as adapted for use in a liquid check, since in this
instance not only is a more severe test afforded, but all the operative parts and the
construction of the check proper are in accordance with the operation of parts and
the construction of the liquid check shown and described in our Letters Patent
No. 10,493 of July 28th, 1887.
We will therefore, in the present instance, enter into no description of said parts
and construction, as they form no part of this improvement, but we will refer to
certain of said parts according as their function has relation to and materially assists
in the understanding of our present improvement.
Our invention consists in providing a relief valve whereby abnormal pressure or
sudden concussion is compensated for, and furthermore our invention consists in the
details of construction and combination of parts such as will be hereinafter fully set
forth and then specifically designated by the claims.

page_text: In the accompanying drawings which serve to illustrate our invention:
Figure 1, is a sectional elevation showing our improved relief valve in normal
position prior to the depression of the piston, while
Figure 2, is a similar view showing the valve raised to afford a free vent for the
liquid on the sudden depression of the piston.
Similar letters denote like parts in both the figures of the drawing.
A, is the case; B, the central spindle; D, the piston; E, the annular double
inclined cam; 18, the channel in said spindle, having ports, a, b, all constructed and
operating precisely as shown and described in our patent aforesaid.
F, is the valve stem terminating at its lower extremity in a disk valve, G. This
stem extends upward through the spindle and is secured by means of an adjustable
screw cap, H, which latter is run on the upper extremity of the spindle. This stem
is secured through the top of the cap by a cross-pin, I, or in any other suitable
manner.
Near the upper end of the stem is formed a shoulder J, and around the stem and
confined between this shoulder and the top of the cap is a coil spring, K, whereby
an upward movement of the stem is rendered resilient.
The channel, 18, widens out, as seen at, c, where it leads into the ports, a, after the
manner of a cone, and within this conical passage and immediately above the
channel, 18, extends the valve disk, G.
This disk, in normal position, is slightly raised away from contact with the wall of
the passage, so as to afford an annular exit for the liquid.
The regulation of the normal elevation of the stem and consequently, the deter-
mination of the size of the said annular exit is accomplished by the manipulation of
the threaded cap, H.
The operation of our improvement is as follows:
Generally, when the door is operated to depress the piston, D, the compressed air
or liquid finds ample exit through the ports, b, the channel, 18, and the ports, a,
but when the closing of the door is forced or attempted to be accomplished by a
sudden and. violent slam, the air or liquid thus suddenly compressed beyond the
relieving capacity of the said ports and channel, acts against the valve disc and
forces the stem upward, thus widening the channel and consequently relieving the
pressure.
The degree to which the pressure may be relieved depends in a measure upon the
construction of the walls of the passage which encompass the valve, since the less
pitch that these walls have the more unobstructed will be the exit for the air or
liquid when the valve is raised.
The spring, K, returns the valve to its normal position after the pressure of the air
or liquid has been relieved.
In order to insure the working of the check with proper facility in all temperatures,
we make the valve stem from a material, such as zinc, which has a great difference
between the extremes of expansion and contraction. For instance, in warm weather, in
a check where the liquid used is oil or any lubricant in general, there will not be
sufficient resistance to the depression of the piston, owing to the fact that the liquid
has become unusually thin and finds its way through the ports and channels too freely,
thereby causing the door to shut abruptly, while the converse is true in cold weather.
By the use of a zinc or other rod which has great expansion and contraction, the
annular exit around the valve disk, is normally greater in cold temperatures and less
in warm temperatures thereby affording an exit for the liquid automatically freer in
low temperatures.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. In a liquid or pneumatic door check, the combination with the compressing
piston, of the spring actuated relief valve opposed to the direct passage of the
compressed air or liquid, substantially as set forth.

page_text: 2. In a pneumatic or liquid door check wherein the compressed air or liquid finds
vent through ports which lead into a space beyond the compressing piston, a relief
valve suspended immediately beyond the direct passage of the air or liquid, said
valve adapted to be raised by the abnormal pressure on the air or liquid,
whereby the outlet for the latter is enlarged, substantially as and for the purposes
set forth.
3. The combination with the compressing piston and the central spindle having
ports above and below said piston, and a vertical channel connecting said ports, of
the stem suspended from a vertically adjustable cap, said stem having on its lower
extremity a valve disk which extends immediately over and in close proximity to
said vertical channel, and the coil spring around said stem at the upper end thereof
and confined between the cap and a shoulder on the stem, substantially as shown and
for the purposes set forth.
4. The combination of the piston, D, the spindle, B, having at its lower end
ports, a, b, connected by channel, 18, having widened conical mouth, c, said spindle
being threaded exteriorly at the upper extremity, the interiorly threaded screw-cap, H,
adapted to the threaded end of the spindle, the valve stem, F, extending through said
spindle and attached to said cap and having near the upper end a shoulder, J, and
on the lower extremity a valve disk, G, extending immediately over the channel, 18,
and within the widened conical mouth, c, and the coil spring arranged around the
stem between the shoulder, J, and the top of the cap, substantially as and for the purposes
herein shown and set forth.
5. In a liquid door check, the combination with the outlet ports for the compressed
liquid, a valve stem characterized by great expansion and contraction under extreme
temperatures, whereby the outlet for the liquid is automatically regulated in size
substantially as specified.
Dated this 19th day of June 1888.
HENRY ALONZO HOUSE, SR.
HENRY ALONZO HOUSE, JR.
By Jensen & Son,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Patent Agents.

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Controlling the Movement of Doors
and the like, having Special Reference to that Class of
Apparatus known as Liquid and Pneumatic Door-checks.
We, HENRY ALONZO HOUSE Sr. and HENRY ALONZO HOUSE Jr. residing at
294 Noble Street Bridgeport, in the County of Fairfield and State of Connecticut,
one of the United States of America, Manufacturers, 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:-
In the manipulation and practical use of said Checks, a serious objection has
hitherto existed, namely, the breaking of the casing or piston, when the door is
suddenly slammed or when the piston is forced with too great violence against the
comparatively unyielding body of air or liquid.
This breakage is of course due to the fact that the air or liquid cannot escape
through the vent provided fast enough to insure a sufficient yielding to the sudden
shock or concussion of the piston.
While our improvement is applicable to either a liquid or a pneumatic check, we
have in the drawing, shown it as adapted for use in a liquid check, since in this
instance not only is a more severe test afforded, but all the operative parts and the
construction of the check proper are in accordance with the operation of parts and
the construction of the liquid check shown and described in our Letters Patent
No. 10,493 of July 28th, 1887.
We will therefore, in the present instance, enter into no description of said parts
and construction, as they form no part of this improvement, but we will refer to
certain of said parts according as their function has relation to and materially assists
in the understanding of our present improvement.
Our invention consists in providing a relief valve whereby abnormal pressure or
sudden concussion is compensated for, and furthermore our invention consists in the
details of construction and combination of parts such as will be hereinafter fully set
forth and then specifically designated by the claims.

page_text: In the accompanying drawings which serve to illustrate our invention :
Figure 1, is a sectional elevation showing our improved relief valve in normal
position prior to the depression of the piston, while
Figure 2, is a similar view showing the valve raised to afford a free vent for the
liquid on the sudden depression of the piston.
Similar letters denote like parts in both the figures of the drawing.
A, is the case; B, the central spindle; D, the piston; E, the annular double
inclined cam; 18, the channel in said spindle, having ports, a, b, all constructed and
operating precisely as shown and described in our patent aforesaid.
F, is the valve stem terminating at its lower extremity in a disk valve, G. This
stem extends upward through the spindle and is secured by means of an adjustable
screw cap, H, which latter is run on the upper extremity of the spindle. This stem
is secured through the top of the cap by a cross-pin, I, or in any other suitable
manner.
Near the upper end of the stem is formed a shoulder J, and around the stem and
confined between this shoulder and the top of the cap is a coil spring, K, whereby
any upward movement of the stem is rendered resilient.
The channel, 18, widens out, as seen at, c, where it leads into the ports, a, after the
manner of a cone, and within this conical passage and immediately above the
channel, 18, extends the valve disk, G.
This disk, in normal position, is slightly raised away from contact with the wall of
the passage, so as to afford an annular exit for the liquid.
The regulation of the normal elevation of the stem and consequently, the deter-
mination of the size of the said annular exit is accomplished by the manipulation of
the threaded cap, H.
The operation of our improvement is as follows:
Generally, when the door is operated to depress the piston, B, the compressed air
or liquid finds ample exit through the ports, b, the channel, 18, and the ports, a,
but when the closing of the door is forced or attempted to be accomplished by a
sudden and violent slam, the air or liquid thus suddenly compressed beyond the
relieving capacity of the said ports and channel, acts against the valve disc and
forces the stem upward, thus widening the channel and consequently relieving the
pressure.
The degree to which the pressure may be relieved depends in a measure upon the
construction of the walls of the passage which encompass the valve, since the less
pitch that these walls have the inore unobstructed will be the exit for the air or
liquid when the valve is raised.
The spring, K, returns the valve to its normal position after the pressure of the air
or liquid has been relieved.
In order to insure the working of the check with proper facility in all temperatures,
we make the valve stem from a material, such as zinc, which has a great difference
between the extremes of expansion and contraction. For instance, in warm weather, in
a check where the liquid used is oil or any lubricant in general, there will not be
sufficient resistance to the depression of the piston, owing to the fact that the liquid
has become unusally thin and finds its way through the ports and channels too freely,
thereby causing the door to shut abruptly, while the converse is true in cold weather.
By the use of a zinc or other rod which has great expansion and contraction, the
annular exit around the valve disk, is normally greater in cold temperatures and less
in warm temperatures thereby affording an exit for the liquid automatically freer in
low temperatures.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is —
1. In a liquid or pneumatic door check, the combination with the compressing
piston, of the spring actuated relief valve opposed to the direct passage of the
compressed air or liquid, substantially as set forth.

page_text: 2. In a pneumatic or liquid door check wherein the compressed air or liquid finds
vent through ports which lead into a space beyond the compressing piston, a relief
valve suspended immediately beyond the direct passage of the air or liquid, said
valve adapted to be raised by the abnormal pressure on the air or liquid,
whereby the outlet for the latter is enlarged, substantially as and for the purposes
set forth.
3. The combination with the compressing piston and the central spindle having
ports above and below said piston, and a vertical channel connecting said ports, of
the stem suspended from a vertically adjustable cap, said stem having on its lower
extremity a valve disk which extends immediately over and in close proximity to
said vertical channel, and the coil spring around said stem at the upper end thereof
and confined between the cap and a shoulder on the stem, substantially as shown and
for the purposes set forth.
4. The combination of the piston, D, the spindle, B, having at its lower end
ports, a, b, connected by channel, 18, having widened conical mouth, c, said spindle
being threaded exteriorly at the upper extremity, the interiorly threaded screw-cap, H,
adapted to the threaded end of the spindle, the valve stem, F, extending through said
spindle and attached to said cap and having near the upper end a shoulder, J, and
on the lower extremity a valve disk, G, extending immediately over the channel, 18,
and within the widened conical mouth, c, and the coil spring arranged around the
stem between the shoulder, J, and the top of the cap, substantially as and for the purposes
herein shown and set forth.
5. In a liquid door check, the combination with the outlet ports for the compressed
liquid, a valve stem characterized by great expansion and contraction under extreme
temperatures, whereby the outlet for the liquid is automatically regulated in size
substantially as specified.
Dated this 19th day of June 1888.
HENRY ALONZO HOUSE, SR.
HENRY ALONZO HOUSE, JR.
By Jensen & Son,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Patent Agents.