Improvements in Door-closing Springs and Checks.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Oct., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 16th July, 1890-Accepted, 16th Oct., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Door-closing Springs and Checks.
We, SAMUEL HILL, of 57, Hockley Hill, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Inventor, and ROWLAND HODGES of 12, Frederick Street, Birmingham, aforesaid,
Brassfounder, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:-
This invention has reference to improvements in springs for closing doors and to
checks for preventing doors slamming when closed by the said springs and the said
improvements are applicable to checks for doors which open in both direction as well
as to such as only open in one direction.
In making according to this invention a spring for a door which opens in only one
direction we provide a spindle free to turn in bearings formed with a bracket by
which the spring is fixed to the door jamb or otherwise. Round this said spindle is
fitted a coiled plate or other spring of suitable strength the inner end being fixed
to the spindle and the outer end projecting therefrom so as to act upon the door.
This outer end is preferably carried by a block through which the spring can slide
this block having a pivot turning in a bracket fixed to the door. The said spindle is
provided with a collar which is notched or otherwise formed for a ratchet to engage
with so that by this notched collar the spindle can be turned round to tighten up the
spring as may be required and when the proper degree of tension has been obtained
the recoil of the spring will be prevented by the ratchet or pawl engaging in one or
other of the said notches. When the door is opened or closed the outer part of the
said spring slides to and fro in the said block and the latter turns ou its pivot or
bearing to accommodate itself to the position of the spring.
In order to check the door and prevent its slamming when it is being closed by the
spring we provide a combined pneumatic and hydraulic check which consists of a
horizontal cylinder containing a piston provided with a piston rod projecting through
one end of the said cylinder. The outer end of this piston rod is jointed to the outer
end of the spring above described or is otherwise connected to the door, and the back
end of the cylinder is furnished with a cap to secure to a hook or other attachment on
the door frame, so that when the door is opened the piston will be drawn towards the
front of the cylinder and when the door is closed the piston will move towards the
back of the cylinder. The said cylinder is partly filled with a liquid and the piston
rod is situated as high up above this liquid as possible so as to prevent any of the
liquid squirting out through the piston-rod stuffing-box. The piston is provided with
a valve which will open only towards the back of the piston and this valve bas'a small
perforation so as to make a communication from the back to the front of the piston
when the valve is closed. The act of opening the door draws the piston towards tho
front of the cylinder and part of the air and liquid which were at the front of the
piston flow through the said valve in the same to the back of the piston when
the door is closed by the action of the spring the piston moves towards the back of
the cylinder and the valve in the piston closes and the air at the back of the piston is
compressed. As the air and the liquid at the back of the piston can only slowly
escape to the front of the same through the said perforation in the valve the door is
thus prevented from being slammed by the spring. The object of employing liquid
in the pneumatic cylinder is firstly to lubricate the piston and ensure its working air
tight in the cylinder and secondly to form a check in case the air should leak

page_text: Instead of employing a small perforation in the valve in the piston for allowing the
air and liquid to pass from the back to the front of the piston as above described a
small tube or passage may be used which communicates from the back to the front of
the cylinder.
In a modification of our invention we dispense with the use of liquid in the
pneumatic cylinder and instead of employing a piston and piston rod we use a plunger
consisting of a closed tube free to slide in the pneumatic cylinder the back end of
the pneumatic cylinder and the front end of the plunger are respectively fixed to
the end of the said spring or to the door and to the door jamb. That end of the
plunger which is in the pneumatic cylinder is provided with a cup-shaped bucket
preferably of leather the inside of which is towards the back end of the pneumatic
cylinder so that when the plunger moves towards the back end of the cylinder the
pressure of the air contained therein will tend to enlarge the said cup and cause it
to fit tightly in the pneumatic cylinder and prevent the escape of air past the
plunger. When the door is being opened air is drawn through a small valve in the
back of the cylinder into the space behind the plunger and when the door is being
closed this valve is closed by the pressure of the air in the pneumatic cylinder and
the air escapes slowly through a small orifice therein.
•
When the check above described is used for doors which open in both directions
we prefer to fix the pneumatic cylinder near the top of the door and if the door is
thick enough to mortice it into the same and to connect the piston rod to a pin on
a plate let into the underside of the door frame.
Dated this 14th day October 1889.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Door-closing Springs and Checks.
We, SAMUEL HILL, of 57, Hockley Hill, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Inventor, and ROWLAND HODGES, of 12, Frederick Street, Birmingham, aforesaid,
Brassfounder, 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 has reference to improvements in springs for closing doors and to
checks for preventing doors slamming when closed by the said springs.
We will describe this invention by referring to the accompanying drawings in
which the same letters of reference indicate the same or corresponding parts in all
the figures.
Figs. 1 and 3 represent in elevation and Fig. 2 in plan part of a door and door
frame with this invention applied; the door is shewn closed in Figs. 1 and 2 and open
in Fig. 3.
Fig. 4 shews the cushioning cylinder on an enlarged scale.
Fig. 5 is a modified form of the said cylinder.
Fig. 6 is a separate view of the expansion ring for the cup leather of the piston of
the same;
Fig. 7 is a part sectional elevation and
Fig. 8 is a plan of a modified arrangement of this invention the door being
represented as closed, and
Fig. 9 is a plan and Fig. 10 an elevation of part of the said arrangement shewing
the parts in the positions which they occupy when the door is open;
Figs. 11, 12 and 13 shew the check cylinder of the same on an enlarged scale;
Figs. 14, 15 and 16 illustrate a modified form of the said spring.
A is the door and B is the door jamb. In making according to this invention a
spring for a door which opens in only one direction we provide a spindle a (Figs. 1,

page_text: 2 and 3) free to turn in bearings a¹ formed with a bracket b by which the spring is
fixed to the door jamb.
Round the spindle a is fitted a coiled plate or other spring c of suitable strength
the inner end being fixed to the spindle a and the outer end projecting therefrom so
as to act upon the door. This outer end is made in the form of a bar c¹ which works
through a slot in the bracket or casing 6 and passes through a block d which is free
to turn in a bracket d' fixed to the door A. The spindle a provided with a collar e
which is notched or otherwise formed for a ratchet e¹ to engage with so that by the
notched collar e the spindle a can be turned round to tighten up the spring c as may
be required and when the proper degree of tension has been obtained the recoil of the
spring will be prevented by the ratchet or pawl el engaging in one or other of the
said notches. When the door a is opened or closed the outer part c¹ of the spring c
slides to and fro in the block d and the latter turns on its pivot or bearing to
accommodate itself to the position of the spring.
The spring is fixed above the door and between the door hinge y and the block d
so that as the door opens the block d will slide farther towards the outer end of the
bar c and thus cause the pressure of the spring on the door to be less when the door
is fully open than when closed which is an important feature of this invention.
In order to check the door A and prevent its slamming when it is being closed by
the spring we provide a combined pneumatic and hydraulic check which consists of
a horizontal cylinder f containing a piston g provided with a piston rod gl projecting
through one end of the cylinder f. The outer end of the piston rod g' is jointed to
the outer end of the spring above described or is otherwise connected to the door
preferably by the continuation piece g² of the piston rod which is jointed to the block.d
and the back end of the cylinder is furnished with a cap f¹ having an eye to secure
to a hook h or other attachment on the door frame B so that when the door. A is
opened (Fig. 3) the piston will be drawn towards the front of the cylinder and when
the door is closed (Figs. 1 and 2) the piston will move towards the back of the
cylinder. The cylinder f is partly filled with a liquid preferably oil and the piston
rod g' is situated as high up above this liquid as possible so as to prevent any of the
liquid squirting out through the piston rod stuffing-box. The piston g is formed
with a valve i so as to open only when the piston is moving forwards and this valve
has a small perforation; so as to make a communication from the back to the front
of the piston g when the valve is closed. The act of opening the door A draws the
piston g towards the front of the cylinder f and part of the air and liquid which were
at the front of the piston a flow through the valve i in the same to the back of the
piston g: when the door A is closed by the action of the spring the piston g is forced
towards the back of the cylinder and the valve i closes and the air at the back of the
piston g is compressed. As the air and the liquid at the back of the piston 9 can
only slowly escape to the front of the same through the perforation ; in the valve i
the door A is thus prevented from being slammed by the spring. The object of
employing liquid in the pneumatic cylinder f as described is firstly to lubricate the
piston g and ensure its working air tight in the cylinder and secondly to form a check
in case the air should leak. Instead of employing a small perforation in the valve or
in the piston for allowing the air and liquid to pass from the back to the front of
the piston as above described a small tube or passage may be used which communicates
from the back to the front of the cylinder. The piston a and its valve i may be of
any ordinary kind preferably furnished with an ordinary cup leather k and to ensure
the cup leather at all times fitting tightly the cylinder we prefer to use the expansion
spring (shewn separately by Fig. 6) inside the same. This spring is preferably
made of steel of cup shape with the sides divided into narrow bars as shewn which
have a tendency to spring outwardly.
In the arrangement illustrated by Figs. 7, 8 and 9 the hydraulic and pneumatic
cylinder (shewn separately by Figs. 11, 12 and 13) is arranged vertically at the side
of the door instead of horizontally above the door and the piston rod g is connected
to the door by the bell crank lever m, connecting rod n jointed to the latter and to

page_text: the lever o, this lever o being jointed to the door jamb at o¹ and sliding through a
swivel bracket o² fixed to the door.
In a modification of this invention we dispense with the use of liquid in the
pneumatic cylinler and in this case no valve is required in the piston, but, there is a
valve p (see Fig. 5.) in the back end of the cylinder through which air is drawn into
the cylinder when the door is being opened and the piston is moving towards the
front of the cylinder. When the door is closing and the piston is moving towards
the back of the cylinder this valve closes and the air escapes slowly through a small
orifice ५ therein thus forming a cushion or check.
At the back end of the hydraulic cylinder f and at the top thereof we may provide
an air vent (not shewn on the drawings) through which the air slowly escapes from
the cylinder, the opening of this vont being adjusted by a screw by which the speed
at which the door closes can thus be regulated. At the same time air will pass into
the cylinder at the front of the piston through the hole in the front cover through
which the piston rod g₁ passes.
It will be evident that the block d and the part or bar c' which slides therein
can be used with door closing springs other than that shewn in Fig. 1, 2, 3 and
7, 8 and 9; they may for instance be used with a door closing spring of the kind
illustrated by Figs. 14, 15 and 16 where the part or bar el is formed as a cam u at
its inner end and acts through the lever on the coiled spring w which is compressed
as the door opens.
The accompanying drawings illustrate what we consider to be the best way for
carrying the said invention into effect, but it is to be understood that the invention
in not limited to the precise details and arrangements shewn.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In a door closing check the improved construction and arrangement of the
cushioning cylinder f and its connections to the door and door jamb substantially
as herein before described and illustrated by Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying
drawings.
2. The improved arrangement of door closing spring and its connections to the
door, whereby the pressure of the spring on the door is not materially increased
when the door is opened, substantially as herein before described and illustrated by
Figs. 1, 2 and 3 and by Figs. 7, 8 and 9 of the accompanying drawings.
3. The combination of parts forming the improved door closing spring and check
arranged substantially as and for the purposes herein before described and illustrated
by Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.
4. The combination of parts forming the improved door closing check and its
connections to the door arranged and operating substantially as and for the purposes
hereinbefore described and illustrated by Figs. 7, 8, 9 and 10 of the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 15th day of July 1890.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicants.