Improvements in Floor Springs for Swing Doors.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 7th May, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 24th Jan, 1890-Accepted, 8th Mar, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Floor Springs for Swing Doors.
We HENRY SEPTIMUS WHITEHOUSE of the firm of John Whitehouse and Sons of
Green Street Birmingham in the County of Warwick Manufacturers and JOSIAH
CLIFFORD of Delhi Terrace Einily Street Birmingham aforesaid Brass Finisher do
hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows:-
This invention consists of the construction and combination of the parts of such
springs for swing doors as are let into the floor or door sill or door frame and act upon
the swing door through a short vertical axis or pivot on which a horizontal arm fixed
to the lower edge of the door is fitted. These kinds of springs for swing doors are
commonly called floor door springs.
The object of this invention is principally to cause the swing door to be arrested
when closed and firmly held in its middle position with respect to the box in which
the spring mechanism is contained so that the two doors in the case of a double swing
door are brought into the same line or a single swing door into the line of the door
frame. The vertical axis or pivot of the door spring turns in bearings in the bottom
and top of the box in the usual way and on the said axis or pivot a horizontal heart
shaped hollow cam is fixed the angle or junction of the two curved concave sides of
the narrow end of the hollow cam being situated in the normal position of the cam in
the middle line of the box. Within the said hollow cam a short vertical axis carrying
an anti-friction roller works the said axis and roller being connected with the spring
mechanism of the floor spring in the manner hereinafter described. The pressure of
the anti-friction roller upon one or other of the concave sides of the hollow heart
shaped cam tends to close the swing door the door being arrested and held in its
middle position by the roller seating itself in the angle at the junction of the said
concave sides of the hollow cam
The axis and anti-friction roller are supported on a sliding block working against
opposite sides of the box A guide rod at the middle of the said sliding block passes
through a fixed vertical bearing plate and its outer end is connected to a similar
sliding vertical bearing plate. Around the guide rod and bearing against the fixed and
sliding bearing plates described is a strong coiled spring and on each side of the
middle spring is another coiled spring which may either be single or double also
bearing against the fixed and sliding plates. When the swing door is opened to
the right or left one or other of the concave sides of the hollow cam acting upon
the roller presses it back and causes it to approach the pivot or axis on which the
door turns. The sliding bearing plate is thereby moved in the same direction and
the coiled springs are compressed between it and the fixed bearing plate the pressure
of the said springs acting through the roller upon the concave side of the hollow heart
shaped cam tending to close the door the closed door being held in its middle position
in the manner herein before described.
D: 71 J
C
1000
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicants.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Floor Springs for Swing Doors.
We HENRY SEPTIMUS WHITEHOUSE of the Fum of John Whitehouse and Sons of
Green Street Birmingham in the County of Warwick Manufacturers and JOSIAH
CLIFFORD of Delhi Terrace, Emily Street, Birmingham aforesaid Brass Finisher do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention and the manner in which the same is
to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention consists of the construction and combination of the parts of such
springs for swing doors as are let into the floor or door sill or door frame and act upon
the swing door through a short vertical axis or pivot on which a horizontal arm fixed
to the lower edge of the door is fitted. These kinds of springs for swing doors are
commonly called floor door springs
The object of this invention is principally to cause the swing door to be arrested,
when closed and firmly held in its middle position with respect to the box in which
the spring mechanism is contained so that the two doors in the case of a double swing
door are brought into the same line or a single swing door into the line of the door
frame.
The vertical axis or pivot of the door spring turns in bearings in the bottom and
top of the box in the usual way and on the said axis or pivot a horizontal heart shaped
hollow cam is fixed, the angle or junction of the two curved concave sides of the
narrow end of the hollow cam being situated in the normal position of the cam in the
middle line of the box Within the said hollow cam a short vertical axis carrying an
anti-friction roller works, the said axis and roller being connected with the spring
mechanism of the floor spring in the manner herein after described. The pressure of
the anti-friction roller upon one or other of the concave sides of the hollow heart
shaped cam tends to close the swing door, the door being arrested and held in its
middle position by the roller seating itself in the angle at the junction of the said
concave sides of the hollow cam.
The axis and anti-friction roller are supported on a sliding block working against
opposite sides of the box. A guide rod at the middle of the said sliding block passes
through a fixed vertical bearing plate and its outer end is connected to a similar
sliding vertical bearing plate Around the guide rod and bearing against the fixed
and sliding bearing plates described is a strong coiled spring and on each side of the
middle spring is another coiled spring which may either be single or double also
bearing against the fixed and sliding plates
Figure 1-of-the-accompanying Drawing represents in vertical-longitudinal section
and Figures 2 and represent plans of a floor spring for a swing door constructed
according to this invention. The section Figure 1 is taken through the middle of the
spring. In Figures 1 and 2 the horizontal arın to which the swing door is connected
is represented in its normal or middle position and in Figure 3, the said arm is
represented turned aside by the opening of the door and the springs compressed.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of the
Drawing.
a is the horizontal arm fixed to the bottom edge of the swing door as usual, the said
arm being fitted on the square top of the axis or pivot 6 turning at bottom in the
bearing c at the bottom of the box e and at top in the removable bearing d fixed
to the top of the box. The top bearing is represented removed in Figure 8; f is the
horizontal heart shaped hollow cam fixed on the axis or pivot b. The said hollow cam f
is so arranged on the axis or pivot b that the angle or junction at h of its two curved
sides is situated in the middle line of the box as seen in Figure 2 when the said cam
is in its normal position and the door is closed; is a short vertical axis carrying an
anti-friction roller k, supported on the sliding block working against opposite sides of
the box e. The sliding block carries a horizontal guide rod m passing through the
fixed vertical bearing plate n and its outer end is connected to the similar sliding

page_text: bearing plate p. Around the guide rod m is a double coiled spring 9 the ends of
which spring bear against the fixed and sliding plates n and p. On either side the
middle spring q is another double spring r and s also bearing against the fixed and
sliding plates n. p. The tension of the springs q, r, s may be adjusted by screwing
the nut t upon the screwed end of the guide rod m. By the pressure of the
springs q, r, s acting through the rod m, block 1, and the axis and roller " k, the said
roller is made to bear against one or other of the concave sides of the heart shaped
hollow cam and close the door the said roller k when the door is clo-ed seating itself
at the angle of the said concave sides of the cam fas represented in Figure 2.
When the swing door is opened to the right or left one or other of the concave sides
of the hollow cain facting upon the roller presses it back and causes it to approach
the pivot or axis 6 on which the door turns as illustrated in Figure 3
The sliding
bearing plate p is thereby moved in the same direction and the coiled springs q, r, s
are compressed between it and the fixed bearing plate n as illustrated in the said
Figure 3, the pressure of the said springs acting through the roller k upon the concave
side of the hollow heart shaped cam f tending to close the door the closed door being
held in its middle position by the said roller seating itself in the angle h of the said
hollow cam as herein before described and represented in Figure 2
In place of the double coiled springs at qrs single coiled springs may be used.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and the manner in which the same is to be performed we declare that we claim
as the said invention of "Improvements in floor springs for swing doors"
First The construction and arrangement or combination of parts herein before
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing for causing the swing door to
be held firmly in its closed position by the floor spring that is to say, fixing on the
axis or pivot on which the horizontal arm carrying the swing door is fitted, a heart
shaped hollow cam arranged on the said axis or pivot and having the conformation
described and represented, and the combination with the said heart shaped hollow cam
of an axis and anti-friction roller working within the said hollow cam and carried by a
sliding block connected with the spring mechanism of the floor spring for the purposes
and substantially as described and illustrated.
Secondly The general arrangement or combination of the parts of the floor
spring herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing.
Dated the 20th day of January 1890.
HENRY SEPTIMUS WHITEHOUSE.
JOSIAH CLIFFORD.