A NEW OR IMPROVED SPRING DOOR HINGE
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Beck Tompson, of Richmond, in the
County of Surrey, Gentleman, for the Invention of "A NEW OR
IMPROVED SPRING DOOR HINGE."-A communication.
Sealed the 3rd November 1853, and dated the 25th August 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Beck
Tompson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 25th August 1853.
1, ALFRED BECK TOMPSON, of Richmond, in the County of Surrey,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"A NEW OR IMPROVED SPRING DOOR HINGE," communicated to me by
a foreigner residing abroad, to be as follows:-
The object of the said Invention is to make hinges for doors which
shall act as spring hinges, and permit of the door opening inwards or
outwards at pleasure; that is to say, the said hinges allow of the opening
of the door in either direction, and close it when it is at liberty to
move.
The Drawing represents, in vertical section and plan, a hinge con-
structed according to the said Invention. a, b, arc the two sides of the

page_text: The slot on
said hinge. c, is a chamber constituting the middle piece of the joint;
and d, e, are two other chambers constituting the upper and lower pieces
of the said joint: the chamber c, is formed on the side 6, of the hinge,
and the chambers d, e, on the side a. The several chambers have the
relative sizes and forms shown in the Drawing. f, g, are two pins or
axes of the form shown; part of each of the said pins is situated in the
middle chamber c, and the other part of each in the chambers d, and e,
respectively.,, are steel springs coiled in opposite directions. The
inner end of the spring. h, is connected with the pin or axis f, and the
outer end to the.. chamber d; and the inner end of the spring i, is
.connected with the pin òr axis g, and the outer end to the chamber e.
Transverse slots f', y', arc formed on the small ends of the pins or
axes f, g, and half
pass
round the said pins or axes.
way
the axis f, is on the side opposite to that in the axis g. Stops or pins k,
(see Eig.-2,).on, the chamber c, engage in the slots f', g. 1, m, are
pins on the. axes f, g, which said pins engage. against stops in the
interior of the chambers d. c. The action of the said hinge is as
follows:-When the side b, opens in the direction indicated by the
arrow in Fig. 2, the pink, carries round thic axis f; the spring h, in the
chamber d, is uncoiled, and tends to- bring back the door. When the
door is looscil. it returns by the action of the said spring h, until the
side. b, assumes the position represented; when the pin 7, coming against
the stop l', the further action of the spring h, is prevented. When the
door is opened in the direction contrary to that indicated by the arrow
the spring h, is dormant, and the spring i, is brought into action, and
acts as the spring h, has been described to act, excepting in a contrary
direction. Thus the said hinge tends to close the door when opened
in either direction, and to preserve it closed.
It is desirable to have a bead running down the hinged side of the
door of a size equal to that of the joint of the hinge, and in which the
said joint is inserted, but I'do not consider it necessary here to enter
iuto a more minute description.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alfred Beck. Tompson.in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 13th February 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
ALFRED BECK TOMPSON, of Richmond, in the County of Surrey, Gen-
tleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
seventeenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Alfred Beck Tompson, Her
special licence that I, the said Alfred Beck Tompson, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alfred Beck.
Tompson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all tiines thereafter-
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,.
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"A NEW OR IMPROVED SPRING DOOR HINGE," (communicated to me by a
certain foreigner residing abroad,) upon the condition (amongst others).
that I, the said Alfred Beck Tompson, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, 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 Alfred Beck Tompson, do
liereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the saine is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof (that is to say):
.
.
The said Invention consists of a spring door hinge which permits of "
the door being opened either inwards or outwards, and which closes'
the opened door when the said door is at liberty to move.
.
Figure 1, represents the said Invention in clevation; Figure 2,

page_text: represents a vertical section of the same taken through the line a,
Figure 1; Figure 3, represents the said Invention in vertical section,
the said vertical section being made in a plane at right angles to that
in which the section, Figure 2, is made; Figure 4, represents the said
Invention in plan; Figure 5, represents a horizontal section of the
same taken through the line b, Figure 2; Figure 6, represents in
elevation a portion of the said Invention. The same letters indicate
the same parts in the several Figures. c, d, are the two sides of the
hinge. e, is a chamber constituting the middle piece of the joint; and
f. g, are two other chambers, constituting the upper and lower pieces
of the said joint. The chamber e, is formed on the side d, of the
hinge, and the chambers f, g, on the side c. h, i, are two pins or axes,
(one of which is shewn separately in Figure 6); part of each of the
said pins is situated in the chamber c, and the other part of each in
the chambers f, and g, respectively, as represented. k, l, are steel
springs coiled in opposite directions. The inner end of the spring k, is
connected with the pin or axis h, and the outer end to the chamber fi
and the inner end of the spring 1, is connected with the pin or axis i,
and the outer end to the chamber g. Or the outer ends of the said.
springs may be attached to the boxes f, and g, respectively, and the
inner ends bear against stops m, (Figure 6.) on the pins or axos h, i.
Transverse grooves or depressions n, o, p, q, are formed on the pins or
axes as represented, the said grooves or depressions passing half way
round the said axes, the grooves or depressions on the pin or axis h,
being on the side thereof opposite to that on which the grooves or
depressions are situated on the pin or axis . The shape of the said
grooves is seen at o, Figure 5. Stops or pins 7, s, t, u, engage in the
grooves n, o, p: 2, as represented, that is to say, one of the pins which
engages in a groove in the axis h, passes through and moves with the
chamber e, and side d, of the hinge; and the other pin which engages
in a groove in the axis h, passes through and moves with the cham-
ber f, and side c, of the hinge. It will be seen by reference to the
Drawing that the pins which engage in the grooves in the axis i, are
similarly situated, that is to say, one passes through and moves with
the chamber e, and side d, and the other passes through and moves

page_text: with the chamber y, and side c, of the hinge. The action of the several
parts of the hinge is as follows:-When the side d, moves in the
direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 5, the pins, bearing against
the end of the slot in which it engages carries round the piu or axis h,
and thereby partially uncoils the spring k, in the chamber f, but none
of the other pins or stops, have any action; the pin 2, is station-
ary, while the slot n, is carried round, and the pin v, comnected with
the same side of the hinge, as the pin r, remains stationary; the pin t,
is carried round in its slot, without opposition. When the side d, is at
liberty to move, it will return to the position represented in the
Drawing; the spring k, carrying round the pin or axis h, and the said
pin or axis carrying round the pins, and chamber e, by the end of the
slot in which the pins, engages, bearing against the said pin. When alb
the parts have assumed the position represented in the Drawing, they
will be in equilibrium. If the side d, is moved in a direction contrary
to that indicated by the arrow in Figure 5, the action of the several
parts will be as follows:-The pin or stop t, bearing against the end
of its slot p. carries round the pin or axis i, and thereby uncoils the
spring 7; the pin u, is stationary while its slot q, moves upon it; the pin
or stop s, moves in its slot o, without resistance, and the pin or stop ",
is stationary. When the side d, of the hinge is at liberty to move.
the elastic force of the spring 7, causes the end of the slot p, to bear
against the pin t, and to bring the side d, of the hinge into the same
plane as the side c. Thus in whichever direction the sides of the hinge
are moved to bring them into different planes one of the springs k, l, is
brought into operation, and tends to restore both the sides to the same,
plane. When the hinge is placed on a door it tends to close the said
door, whether the same be opened inwards or outwards. It is desirable
to have a bead running down the hinged side of the door of a size
equal to that of the joint of the hinge, and in which the said joint is
inserted.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood
that I do not limit myself to the precise method of carrying the same
into effect herein described, as the same may be varied without

page_text: departing from the nature of the said Invention. But I claim con-
structing a spring door hingo containing two springs, one of which
said springs is brought into operation when the door is opened in one
direction, and tends to close the said door, and the other of which said
springs is brought into operation when the door is opened in the other
direction, and tends to close the said door.
In witness whicreof, I, the said Alfred Beck Tompson, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of February, in the
voor of our Lord One thểurond nicht hundred and fifty-four
ALFRED TOMPSON. (L.S.)
Witness, CHARLES COLE.