AN IMPROVED SPRING AND FASTENING, APPLICABLE TO GATES, DOORS, AND OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Thomas Weston, of No. 4, Trafalgar Square,
(Patent Office,) in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of
"AN IMPROVED SPRING AND FASTENING, APPLICABLE TO GATES, DOORS, AND
OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES."
Sealed the 29th April 1862, and-dated the 4th November 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Thomas Weston
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
4th November 1861.
I, WILLIAM THOMAS WESTON, of No. 4, Trafalgar Square, (Patent Office,) in
the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "AN IMPROVED SPRING AND FASTENING, APPLICABLE TO GATES, Doo28, & OTHER
USEFUL PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
The Invention consists in the application of a straight rod or bar of steel,
twisted or turned upon itself so as to form a spiral, in order that in the
continual effort to regain its natural position it may exert an action or force
analogous to that exercised by springs of some other different constructions.
As an example of the operation of my Invention I will explain a method of
its application to doors or gates. I take a straight rod or bar of the best steel
of a suitable length, say, about the distance between the top and bottom
hinges, and, assuming the rod to be circular, I make its extremities of a
square or other angular form, and insert one end into a bracket, having an
aperture to correspond therewith, and screwed or fixed to the door jamb near
the top hinge. The other end is inserted through a moveable socket or nut,

page_text: and fixed into a small spindle, furnished with holes to receive a key or lever,
or even a bradawl or nail, whereby it may be turned so as to twist the rod,
and the circular portion of the spindle is caused to work in another bracket
screwed or attached to the door near the lower hinge. The spindle and socket
are formed as follows:-One end is made of a circular form, in order to work
and turn in a corresponding aperture in the bracket; the other end of the
spindle is formed exteriorly of a hexagonal or other angular form, and has a
square or other angular aperture to receive and hold the end of the rod. The
moveable socket or nut, which is circular exteriorly, is formed with a hexa-
gonal or other angular bore in order to fit and grasp the head of the spindle
when placed thereon; the middle portion of the spindle is hollow and
enlarged, and six or other number of holes, according to the faces of the
spindle, are bored through it so as to receive the key or lever. A bracket may
be placed between the top and bottom brackets, to strengthen or steady the
action of the steel rod when is of an extra length. The moveable socket or
nut is furnished with a clutch, which bears upon a projection of the bracket,
and when it is desired to twist the rod the socket must first be removed from
the spindle by sliding it on to the rod; the spindle is then to be turned by the
lever or key, whereby the rod will also be turned or twisted to any desired
extent, according to the degree of power required. The socket is then to be
drawn back and fitted on to the head of the spindle, and the clutch bearing on
the bracket will prevent the return of the spindle and rod to their original
position, when the lever or key is removed. The rod has to be twisted in a
direction away from the lever when it is desired to keep the same closed, but
when it is desired to keep the door open the moveable socket is so arranged
that when the rod is twisted in the reverse direction it shall be so retained by
the clutch and bracket.
It will be evident from the foregoing explanation that my Invention, being
based upon the application of the power exercised by a rod or bar of steel,
twisted, retained, and attached by suitable means, as described or otherwise, is
applicable to a very numerous class of useful purposes; there is no limit to
the size of the spring, and it may be applied to small articles as well as to
those which require a large spring, possessing considerable power.
A very
small extent of twist will be found sufficient for ordinary purposes, one-sixth
of a turn or less will afford ample power, but of course the extent of twist will
depend upon the circumstances of each particular case to which the spring is
applied. In some cases I prefer to form the spring of two or more rods,
the principle and action being the same as where one rod only is used.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Thomas Weston in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 3rd May 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
THOMAS WESTON, of No. 4, Trafalgar Square, (Patent Office,) in the County
of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Thomas Weston, Her special licence that I, the said William
Thomas Weston, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said William Thomas Weston, my executors, administrators, and
ássigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might maké, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "AN IMPROVED SPRING AND FASTENING, APPLICABLE TO GATES,
DOORS, AND OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said William Thomas Weston,, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Thomas Weston, do hereby
declaré the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the samé is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
My Invention consists in the application of a fastening to a straight rod or
bar of hardened and tempered steel, thereby to twist or turn it so as to form a
spiral, in order that in the continual effort to regain its natural position, it may
exert an action or force analogous to that exercised by springs of some other
different constructions.
As an example of the operation of my improved fastening and spring, I will
explain a méthod of its application to doors and gates. I take a straight rod
or bar of the best hardened and tempered steel, of a suitable length, say, about

page_text: the distance between the top and bottom hinges, and, assuming the rod to be
circular, I make its extremities of a square or other angular form, and insert
one end into a bracket having an aperture to correspond therewith, and
screwed or fixed to the door jamb near the top hinge. The other end is
inserted through a moveable socket or nut, and fixed into a small spindle
furnished with holes to receive a key or lever, or even a bradawl or nail,
whereby it may be turned so as to twist the rod, and the circular portion of
the spindle is caused to work in another bracket, screwed or attached to the
door near the lower hinge. The spindle and socket are formed as follows:-
One end is made of a circular form, in order to work and turn in a corre-
sponding aperture in the bracket; the other end of the spindle is formed
exteriorly of a partly round and partly hexagonal or other angular form, and
has a square or other angular aperture to receive and hold the end of the rod;
the moveable socket or nut, which is circular exteriorly, is formed with a
hexagonal or other angular bore, in order to fit and grasp the head of the
spindle when placed thereon; the middle portion of the spindle is hollow and
enlarged, and six or other number of holes, according to the faces of the
spindle, are bored through it, so as to receive the key or lever. A bracket
may be placed between the top and bottom brackets to strengthen or steady
the action of the steel rod when it is of an extra length. The moveable socket
or nut is furnished with a clutch, which bears upon a projection of the bracket,
and when it is desired to twist the rod the socket must first be removed from
the spindle by sliding it on to the rod; the spindle is then to be turned by the
lever or key, whereby the rod will also be turned or twisted to any desired
extent, according to the degree of power required. The socket is then to be
drawn back and fitted on to the head of the spindle, and the clutch bearing on
the bracket will prevent the return of the spindle and rod to their original
position, when the lever or key is removed. The rod has to be twisted in a
direction away from the door when it is desired to keep the same closed, but
when it is desired to keep the door open the moveable socket is so arranged
that when the rod is twisted in the reverse direction it shall be so retained by
the clutch and bracket.
It will be evident from the foregoing explanation that my improved.
fastening being based upon power exercised over a rod or bar of steel, twisted,
retained, and attached by suitable means, as described or otherwise, is applicable
to a very numerous class of useful purposes; there is no limit to the size of
the fastening, and it may be applied to small articles as well as to those which
require a large rod, possessing considerable power. A very small extent of
twist will be found sufficient for ordinary purposes; one-sixth of a turn or less

page_text: will afford ample power, but of course the extent of twist will depend upon the
circumstances of each particular case to which the spring is applied. In some
cases I prefer to form the spring of two or more rods, the principle and action
being the same as where one rod only is used.
My Invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the illustrative
Sheet of Drawings hereto annexed, and to the numeral figures and letters of
reference marked thereon; Fig. 1 shewing the fastening and spring as applied
to a door or gate, the rod being shewn broken off in two places to avoid
unnecessary length. The bracket a should be driven firmly on to the head of
the rod a', and screwed to the door jamb at a moderate distance from under
the top hinge. b is a bearing screwed to the door, through which the rod
passes; it is merely used to steady the spring, and could be dispensed with in
a short length of spring when adapting it to any particular purpose; c is a
small socket made to fit the spindle d, and fasten on the bracket e, which
bracket is to be screwed to the door just above the lower hinge; d is an action
spindle, which moves in flanges of the bracket e; it must be firmly adjusted to
the lower end of the rod, in a similar manner to that of the bracket a. To
apply force to the spindle and spring the socket c is to be removed or lifted up,
and with the thumb going towards the door; the socket is to be turned one-
sixth of a turn or more, and then allowed to rest or bear on a projection of
the bracket; a nail or bradawl or any small lever is then to be inserted in a
hole of the spindle d, and by twisting it from the door the socket will fall in
its place, and by means of a clutch cut therein it will fasten to the projection
of the bracket e, thereby obtaining gradually any amount of force required.
To keep the door open for summer use, first reduce the closing power, then
turn the socket c with the thumb from the door, and the action spindle d
towards the door, thus saving the expense of ground catches or other con-
trivances for keeping doors open. This fastening is so adapted that by
reversing the spindle d, it will answer for either left or right-hand doors, and
can be fixed in the joint between the door and door jamb; so as to appear like
the knuckles of hinges.
Fig. 2 represents another method of fastening the spring, and arranging the
same to a door or other object. a, a, is the spindle into which the rod is
inserted, the other end of which is carried up to the top of the door, and is to
be fixed thereto by a bracket. The spindle a works in the bracket b, which is
to be screwed to the door jamb. This bracket is made in two parts, as shewn,
the portion may be removed by taking out the screw, so as to allow of the
spindle being inserted or released from the bracket when desired. Instead of
adopting a socket and clutch, as in the former example, I hold the spindle
.

page_text: and spring in position by means of the lever or swing clutch c, which is to be
keyed to the hexagonal head of the spindle, as shewn, and which bears against
the door jamb, and keeps the door closed, but when the button d is turned up,
as shewn in Fig. 3, the clutch is prevented from moving away from the door
jamb, so that the door may be kept open, according to the direction of the
twist given to the rod. The lower part of the spindle is furnished with
apertures, as shewn at a', in order that it may be turned by a lever upon the
principle of the windlass.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, I would remark, in conclusion,
that I do not limit myself to the precise details or configuration of parts
expressed and shewn, as the same may be varied or modified without departing
from the principle of my Invention; but what I claim and desire to be
secured to me by the herein in part récited Letters Patent are, the "Improved
Spring and Fastening," as herein described and shewn by the Drawings
annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Thomas Weston, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of April, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-two.
Witness,
ALEX. 'PRINCE,
Agent for Patents,
W. T. WESTON. (L.S.)
4, Trafalgar Square, Charing Cross.