IMPROVED HANGING AND SELF-ACTING APPARATUS FOR CLOSING SWING AND OTHER DOORS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Lazarus Threlfall, of Colne, in the County of Lancaster,
Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVED HANGING AND SELF-ACTING
APPARATUS FOR CLOSING SWING AND OTHER DOORS."
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Lazarus Threlfall at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th January 1877.
LAZARUS THRELFALL, of Colne, in the County of Lancaster, Gentleman.
"IMPROVED HANGING AND SELF-ACTING APPARATUS FOR CLOSING SWING AND
OTHER DOORS."
On the Twentieth day of April 1874, Letters Patent were granted to me for
"Improved Self-acting Apparatus for Closing Doors." Likewise on the Thirteenth
day of May 1876, I lodged a Complete Specification for Letters Patent, being an
improvement on the first, for "Improved Hanging and Self-acting Apparatus for
Closing Swing and other Doors."
My present Invention consists of a further improvements and some additions.
Such improvements and additions may readily be seen by refering to the before-
mentioned Patents and the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, which I shall now
proceed to describe.
Figs. 1 and 2 show the hinges for swing doors as seen fixed. A is a perforated
plate to receive the pivots a, a; the bottom one has a socket to be let into the floor
under the heel of the door, the other without socket screwed to the top of the case-
ment; these hangings to be let into the back edge of the door, top and bottom;
the bottom to be fixed to the door before the pivot be placed in the socket, but the
top one must be put in its place, the door edge pushed back in the shoe, and be
then firmly screwed. The bottom socket must be lubricated with flour of black
lead (if necessary).

page_text: Figs. 3-4 show a pair of double swing and a single door with the hinges
closing apparatus thereto attached, and show the self-acting principle of closing
both single and double swing and other doors in different ways. For double swing
doors I cut a groove along the centre of top rail as deep as required, say, about 1
inches deep and about 5/8 of an inch wide from the nose to near each near each
hinge for the cord to work in. I also make a few peg holes in the bottom to
regulate the stretch of the cord.
Figs. 5 and 6 are door nose pulley plates or brackets that I screw on the nose of
each door. The pullies may be made of any suitable material. These pulley plates
are smooth, level with the top of the door. I also fix a small pulley vertically in
the groove near to each hinge; (the same answers for doors opening one way only).
Then by a small loop and pegs secure one end of the elastic cord in the groove.
Near to the nose of one door I pass it under the before-mentioned small pulley
along the groove through the double ones, Figs. 5 or 6, and over the other small pulley
back to a similar point in the other door. It will thus be seen that one piece of
elastic cord, of india-rubber, or other equivalent will by securing, passing, and
again securing it so will suffice for double and single doors, and quite unseen.
For double swing doors required to act independantly of each cord I use two
shorter cords, and insert a small plug on the casement over where the doors meet,
with two slots in it to hold one end of each cord level with the pullies, pass the
cords through the pullies along the groove over the small pulley, and back again
in the bottom of the groove, to be there secured by a peg at the stretch required.
Fig. 7 is a pulley bracket for new doors, shown in plan and elevation as the
before-mentioned Figs. 1, 2, 5, and 6 are shown. This is a triangular three-pulley
bracket to be fixed in the top of the side casement level with the nose of the door.
It has two horizontal pullies c placed edge to edge, and a vertical one D just
behind. The cord being secured to the nose of the door by pulley Fig. 5 or 6, or
by small block Fig. 11, passes between the pulleys c over D and down behind the
casement to near the bottom and be there secured, provision being made in such
casement to get to it to regulate or renew the elastic cord.
Fig. 8 shews front and side views of a four-pulley bracket, by which the cord may
again be brought to the front, and be made to pass down a groove or behind a
hollow moulding on face of casement.
Fig. 9 is a four-pulley plate which fix to the top casement over where double
doors meet, the pullies hanging beneath level with and between the pulleys on the
doors, the cords to be applied in the same way as described above for Figs. 5
and 6. This, if only one cord only be used, will tend to steady the doors when
shut.
Fig. 10 shows the form of a steel spring which I fix on to or behind Fig. 9 plate
to keep the doors in their places when closed, so that whichever way the door is
opened to pass through the cord if left a little on the stretch will bring it back to
the centre and tend to keep it there.
Fig. 11 shows a small block of boxwood or ebony or any other suitable material
for single doors to be let into casement at top opposite the nose of the door, with a
slot in it to hold one end of the cord made into a loop and tied or otherwise passing
This
through such loop a peg or bit of wire, then secure it in the slot, as shown.
plan is readily adopted to any door and casement already fixed.
I use a small piece of india-rubber tubing, which I draw over the end of cord just
where it is nipped in the slot; it prevents friction, and gives freedom to that
point.
Having described my Invention and the many ways of applying it, I wish it to be
understood that I do not confine myself to the exact details I have had occasion to
describe and refer to, as many variations may be made in detail without deviating
from the principle or main features of my Invention, but what I claim as secured
to me herein is the several methods and appliances or their mechanical equivalents

page_text: combined or separate with the elastic or india-rubber cord or its equivalent, sub-
stantially as and for the purposes herein-before set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Lazarus Threlfall, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twelfth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
Witness,
JOHN LEWIS,
Engineer & Patent Agent,
Preston,
Lancashire.
LAZARUS (L.S.) THRELFALL.