Improvements in Mechanical Door Checks.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Nov., 1898—Accepted, 23rd Dec., 1898
Improvements in Mechanical Door Checks.
I, BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS, of 28, Southampton Buildings, in the
County of London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
(a communication to me from Charles Frederick Hanington, of No. 161, West
108th Street, Borough of Manhattan, in the City, County and State of New York,
Inventor) and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The invention relates to various new and useful improvements in mechanical
door checks, by which they will be adapted to elastically arrest the closing move-
ment of a door immediately before the door reaches a completely closed position,
to then allow the door to rebound and to then close easily and without shock.
In carrying out the invention a hinge is provided of any suitable type, having
two leaves and a barrel, and combined therewith are mechanical checking devices,
which will be simple in construction, effective in operation, durable in use,
capable of being easily reached for purposes of repair, and wherein, when desired,
the checking action may be discontinued.
In order that the invention may be better understood, attention is directed to
the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, and in which Fig. 1
is a sido elevation, partly in section, of an ordinary door hinge equipped with
my present invention, the hinge being represented in a closed position; Fig. 2
a similar view of parts thereof, showing the two leaves separated at an angle
of 90°; Fig. 3 a horizontal sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; showing the
position of the hinge when the door is entirely open; Fig. 4 a view similar to
Fig. 3, illustrating the position of the parts when the hinge has been closed to
the checking position; Fig. 5 a perspective view of the check pawl and the
locking dog carried thereby; Fig. 6 a sectional view through the check pawl,
illustrating the latch for the locking-dog; Fig. 7 a side elevation, partly in
section, of a modification, illustrating the hinge leaves in an open position, and
in dotted lines the position of the checking pawl after it has been tripped;
Figure 8 a section on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7; Fig. 9 a section on the line 9-9
of Fig. 7; Fig. 10 a section on the line 10-10 of Fig. 7; Fig. 11 a detail view
of a further modification; Fig. 12 a side elevation, partly in section, of a door
hinge illustrating a further modification; Fig. 13, a similar view of parts thereof
showing the two leaves separated; Fig. 14, a horizontal sectional view on the
line 14-14 of Fig. 12; and Fig. 15, a view similar to Fig. 14, showing the
position of the parts when the hinge leaves have been closed to the checking
position.
1 is a hinge barrel, and 2, 3 are the two leaves mounted thereon. One of
such leaves is secured to the frame of the doorway or jamb and the other leaf is
secured to the door.
In the drawings the barrel 1 is illustrated as being carried with the leaf 3, and
the leaf 2 as being pivoted upon the ordinary pintle 31 (see Fig. 4), which is
mounted in said barrel. Carried by the barrel is a sleeve 4, in which is formed
[Price 8d.1

page_text: - a slot 5, at the end of which slot is a shoulder 6, upon which is imposed the
checking thrust or strain.
The collar 4 is secured to the pintle or barrel in any suitable way, as by
screws 7. Extending parallel with the slot 5 above the shoulder 6, is a shorter
slot 8 which is connected to the slot 5 and is provided above and in front of the
shoulder 6 with a curved cam surface 9. It will be understood that instead of
providing a collar secured to the pintle or barrel, said collar carrying a shoulder 6
and a cam surface 9, it will be possible to make use of a separate shoulder 6 and
a separate cam surface 9 secured independently to the pintle or barrel, as shown
in Fig. 11. Adapted to work in the slots 5 and 8 is a checking pawl 10, which
in this instance is carried on the leaf 2 within a recess 11 cast to said leaf and
upon a sufficiently heavy screw 12. A small leaf spring 13 bears beneath the
locking pawl 10 and normally tends to elevate the same. Secured to the leaf 2
and in engagement with the locking pawl 10 is a checking spring 14, which in
this instance is a leaf spring secured to said leaf by the screws 15 and 16, the 1
latter working in a slotted opening 17, so as to allow for slight movement of
said spring when the latter is bowed at its centre. The checking pawl 10' is
capable of movement within the recess 11 and parallel with the spring 14: Said
checking pawl is also capable of movement outwards from the spring leaf 2
against the tension of the spring 14, and to allow of this movement the said
checking pawl 10 is somewhat loosely mounted on the pivot 12, as will be under-
stood. In order to lock the pawl 10 in a normally depressed position so as to
cause it to engage the shoulder 6 when the leaves of the spring are brought
together, there is provided (in the form of device shown in Figures 1 to 6) a
locking dog 18 which is carried by said pawl in a recess 19 formed on the under
side thereof. This locking dog is mounted on a small pivot 20, and is provided
with a projecting finger 21 which engages in a recess 22 (see Figures 3 and 4)
formed on the inner side of the spring 14. When the locking dog 18 is thus
engaged in the recess 22, its inner end 23 extends outwardly with respect to the
face of the checking pawl 10, so that when the two leaves of the hinge are
moved relatively thereto, the rear end 23 of the locking dog will engage the
shoulder 6 before the checking pawl engages said shoulder, whereby the finger 21
will be disengaged from the recess 22 to unlock the checking pawl 10.
In order to reset the locking dog 18 when the hinge is again opened, and to
cause the finger 21 to again engage the recess 22 to lock the checking pawl 103
in its depressed position, a pin 24 is provided which extends diametrically through
the barrel and pintle, as shown in Fig. 4, and which is arranged in the path of
movement of the inner end of the locking dog 18. This pin 22 is formed on
the end of a screw 25 having a milled thumb head 26 by which the said pin -
may be withdrawn out of the path of movement of the locking dog when it is
not desired to reset the same, and when a checking action is to be avoided.. In
order to secure the locking dog 18 in its operative position to maintain the
checking pawl 10 normally depressed, it is preferred to make use of a small
latch 27 (see Fig. 6) carried in a chamber 28 in the checking pawl, and normally'
pressed outward by the spring 29 to engage a recess 30 in the locking dog 18.
If desired, the operative parts of the check may be concealed by a casing 31
secured to the barrel 2 by small screws 32 and provided with a slot 33 therein,
in which slot may, work the inner end of the checking pawl, as will be under-
stood. To reset the checking pawl after the same has been moved upwards by
the spring 13 by the engagement between said pawl and cam surface 9, it is pre- 5
ferred to form the inner end of said pawl where the same engages with said cam
surface, with a bevelled or curved portion 34, by reason of which a smooth
engagement will be secured in the resetting operation.
The operation of the device is as follows: Normally the inner end of the
checking pawl 10 will work in the slot 5, the said pawl being locked, in ad
depressed position against the tension of the spring 13 by the engagement of the
finger 21 of the locking dog 18 with the recess 22 in the checking spring 14.

page_text: When the door is closed by hand or by a suitable spring device, the two leaves 2
and 8 will be moved almost together so as to first engage the rear side of the
locking dog 18 with the shoulder 6 to disengage the finger 21 from the recess 22
and thereby free the checking pawl. Before the spring 13 can force the checking
pawl 10 upwards, however, in the slot 8, the rear end of the checking pawl 10
will have engaged the shoulder 6, and the friction thus produced between those
parts will prevent upward movement of the pawl. This engagement between
the inner end of the checking pawl and the shoulder 6 takes place immediately
before the door is closed, and the strain will be thus thrown upon the checking
spring 14 which will be caused to buckle outwards at its centre by the alight
movement of the checking pawl'against the spring. An elastic checking action
is thus secured. When the door has rebounded, the inner end of the checking
pawl 10 will be disengaged from the shoulder 6'to relieve the friction between
the two, and the spring 13 will then immediately elevate the shid 'pawl and
cause its inner end to work in the slot 8 to thus allow the leaves to engage
together, as shown in Fig. 1, and to allow the door to close. When the door is
re-opened, the inner end of the checking pawl will engage the cam surface 9
and said pawl will be moved downwards into the slot 5. Immediately thereafter
the inner end of the locking dog 18 will engage the end of the pin 24 to cause
the finger 21 to again enter the recess 22 and lock the pawl 10 in its depressed
normal position. At the same time the latch 27 will engage the recess 30 in the
locking dog so that the latter will also be locked in its normal position ready
for a further checking operation,
45
When it is desired that the checking action should not take place, the thumb
screw 26 is withdrawn with the pin 24 from the path of movement of the locking
dog 18. When this is done, it will be seen that the locking dog 18 will not be
reset upon the opening of the door, so that when the door closes, there will be
no engagement between the pawl 10 and the shoulder 6, since 'the spring 13 'will
have elevated the pawl into line with the slot 8 before such engagement can take
place.
.:
Instead of making use of a locking dog carried by the checking pawl as
described, a separate locking device may be used, as shown in Figures 7 to 10,
which will be preferable since it may be made much larger and stronger without
in any way effecting the compactness of the device. With this form of 'the
device, the checking pawl is pivoted to the leaf 2, bearing against the checking
spring, with its free end working in the slots 5 and 8, engaging the shoulder 6
and being reset by the cam surface 9, as heretofore."
A separate locking-lever. 34 is employed pivoted on the leaf 2 by a screw 36
and engaging the locking-pawl on the other side from the checking 'spring. For
this purpose the leaf is cut entirely through at 36 and the checking-pawl works.
directly between the checking-spring and looking-lever 34. The latter is made
preferably of flat steel, and is secured at its other end from the pivot on
screw 37 working in a slot 38. The lever 34 is provided with a finger 39 work-
ing in a slot 40 cut in the sleeve '4 immediately below the slot 5. The said
lever is also provided on its under side with a lug 41 (shown in dotted lines
Figure 7, and in full lines Figure 10) having a recess therein forming "a
shoulder 42. Engaging normally beneath this shoulder is a hooklike projec
tion 43 on the checking-pawl, this engagement holding the checking-pawl in its
normal position, in line with the shoulder 6. The lever 34 is maintained in
position to keep these elements in engagement by a spring 44. In order to move
the lever 34 to release the shoulder 42 from the hook 43 to, trip, the pawl,, there
is provided a wedge shaped stud' in the slot 40 which engages the finger 39 and
throws it backward immediately before the end of the checking-pawl strikes the
shoulder 6, as in the device shown in Figures 1 to 6. A small pivoted' latch 45
is used to hold the lever in a retracted position when it is desired, to dispense
with a checking operation;”
!
...

page_text: Instead of employing a leaf-spring for the purpose of elevating the checking
pawl 10 after the same has been tripped, a spiral spring 46 may be employed,
located in a recess 47 on the hinge leaf 2 and mounted between lugs 48, 49, formed
on said leaf and the checking pawl respectively, as shown in Figure 12. The
recess 47 is made preferably V-shaped, so as to allow for the swinging move.
ment of the spring 46 in expanding when the pawl 10 is moved upwards. It
will furthermore be understood that instead of employing a locking-dog carried
by the checking-pawl, as hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figures 1 to 6
inclusive, a separate, small locking dog may be employed, pivoted to the leaf 2,
as shown in Figures 12 to 15 inclusive. In some instances, this will be desirable,
as thereby it is not required to weaken the checking-pawl in any way, and the
device will be somewhat simplified. This locking-dog 50 is preferably mounted
in a kerf or slot 51 formed in the leaf 2 and is pivoted on a stud 52 mounted in
a small lug 53 cast with said leaf or secured thereto. The said locking-dog. is
provided with a latch-head 54, which preferably engages over the upper surface of
the checking-pawl to hold said checking-pawl normally in a depressed position.
Obviously, the said latch-head of the locking-dog may engage with a recess
formed on the inner surface of said checking-pawl, instead of above the latter, as
described. The locking-dog projects within the barrel 1 and is adapted to be
struck at the proper moment to release the latch-head thereof from the checking
pawl to allow the latter to be moved upward by the spring 46. In order to keep
the latch-head of the locking-dog normally in engagement with the checking pawl
to lock the latter, a leaf-spring 55 may be employed pivoted to the leaf 2 and
adapted to engage with the locking-dog on either side of its pivot. In this way
the spring 55 may be employed to keep the locking-dog in a normally locked or
in a normally unlocked position, as may be desired. In order to trip the locking:
dog 50 at the proper moment, with the device shown in Figures 12 to 15 inclusive,
a supplemental shoulder 56 is made use of formed in the collar 4 and so located
relatively to the shoulder 6 that the free end of the locking-dog will be engaged
thereby an instant before said shoulder strikes the end of the checking pawl.
The operation of this device is as follows:-Normally the inner end of the
checking pawl 10 will work in the slot 5, the said pawl being locked in a
depressed position against the tension of the spring 46 by the engagement of the
latch-head 54 with the said checking pawl. When the door is closed by hand or
by a suitable spring device, the two leaves 2 and 3 will be moved almost together,
so as to first engage the auxiliary shoulder 56 with the free end of the locking-
dog to disengage the latch-head thereof from the checking-pawl. Before the
spring 46 can force the checking-pawl 10 upwards into the slot 8, the rear end
of the checking-pawl 10 will have been engaged by the shoulder 6, and the
friction thus produced between these parts will prevent upward movement of
the pawl. This engagement between the inner end of the checking pawl and the
shoulder 6 takes place immediately before the door is closed, and the strain will
be thus thrown upon the checking spring 14, which will be caused to buckle
outwards at its centre under the slight movement of the checking-pawl against
the spring. An elastic checking action is thus secured. During this checking
operation, the auxiliary shoulder 56 is still in engagement with the free end of
the locking-dog, and has simply moved the latter on its pivot against the tension
of the spring 55. If necessary, the leaf 3 may be cut away at 57 to accommo:
date this movement of the locking-dog. When the door has rebounded, the inner
end of the checking-pawl 10 will be disengaged from the shoulder 6 to relieve
the friction between the two, and the spring 46 will thus immediately elevate the
said pawl and cause its inner end to work in the alot 8, to thus allow the leaves
to engage together as shown in Figure 1 and to permit the door to close. When
the door is reopened, the inner end of the checking-pawl will engage the cam
surface 9, and said pawl will be moved downwards into the slot 5. Immediately
thereafter, the latch-head of the locking-dog will engage over the checking-
pawl 10 to hold the latter in its depressed normal position. When it is desired that

page_text: the checking action should not take place, the leaf-spring 55 is moved across the
pivot 52 of the locking-dog, so as to hold the free end thereof normally depressed,
and to thereby retract the locking head from engagement with the checking pawl.
When this is done, it will be seen that when the door closes, there will be no
engagement between the pawl 10 and the shoulder 6, since the spring 46 will
have elevated the pawl into line with the slot 8 before such engagement can take
place..
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. In a door-check, the combination with the two hinge-leaves, one of which
carries a barrel, of a shoulder movable with said barrel, a checking-pawl carried by
the stationary leaf and adapted to engage said shoulder before the door is closed,
said checking-pawl being movable with respect to its leaf in a plane parallel with
the closing movement, and a spring for resisting said movement whereby an elastic
checking action will take place, substantially as set forth.
2. In a door-check, the combination with the two hinge-leaves one of which
carries a barrel, of a shoulder movable with said barrel, a checking-pawl carried
by the stationary leaf and adapted to engage said shoulder before the door is
closed, said checking-pawl being movable with respect to its leaf in a plane
parallel with the closing movement, a spring for resisting said movement whereby
an elastic checking action will take place, and means for automatically moving
the checking-pawl out of the plane of said shoulder on the rebound, substan-
tially as set forth.
1
3. In a door-check, the combination with the hinge-leaves one of which carries
a barrel, of a shoulder movable with said barrel, a checking-pawl carried by the
stationary leaf and adapted to engage said shoulder before the door is closed,
said checking-pawl being movable with respect to its leaf in a plane parallel
with the closing movement, a spring for resisting said movement whereby an
elastic checking action will take place, means for automatically moving the
checking pawl out of the plane of said shoulder on the rebound, and means for
resetting the pawl by the opening of the hinge-leaves, substantially as set forth.
4. In a door-check, the combination with the two hinge-leaves one of which
carries a barrel, of a shoulder movable with said barrel, a checking-pawl carried
by the stationary leaf and adapted to engage said shoulder before the door is
closed, said checking pawl being movable with respect to its leaf in a plane
parallel with the closing movement, a spring for resisting said movement
whereby an elastic checking action will take place, and a cam surface with which
the pawl engages upon the opening of the leaves, and by which the pawl will
be reset to again engage the shoulder upon the closing movement, substantially
as set forth.
5. In a door-check, the combination with the two hinge-leaves one of which
carries a barrel, of a shoulder movable with said barrel, a checking-pawl carried
by the stationary leaf and adapted to engage said shoulder before the door is
closed, said checking-pawl being movable with respect to its leaf in a plane
parallel with the closing movement, and a spring carried by the movable leaf
for resisting said movement of the pawl, substantially as set forth.
6. In a door-check, the combination with the two hinge-leaves one of which
carries a barrel, of a shoulder movable with said barrel, a checking-pawl carried
by the stationary leaf and adapted to engage said shoulder before the door is
closed said checking-pawl being movable with respect to its leaf in a plane
parallel with the closing movement, and a leaf-spring carried by the movable
feaf for resisting the movement of said pawl, said spring having sufficient play
to allow of its buckling at the centre, substantially as set forth.

page_text: 7. In a door check, the combination with the two hinge-leaves one of which
carries a barrel, of a shoulder movable with said barrel, a checking-pawl carried
by the stationary leaf and adapted to engage said shoulder before the door is
closed, said checking-pawl being movable with respect to its leaf in a plane
parallel with the closing movement, a spring for resisting said movement
whereby an elastic checking action will take place, and a locking-dog carried
either by the leaf or by the pawl and normally locking said pawl in a position to
engage the shoulder, substantially as set forth.
.
8. In a door-check, the combination with the two hinge-leaves one of which
carries a barrel, of a shoulder movable with said barrel, a checking-pawl carried 1
by the stationary leaf and adapted to engage said shoulder before the door is
closed, said checking-pawl being movable with respect to its leaf in a plane
parallel with the closing movement, a spring for resisting said movement
whereby an elastic checking action will take place, a locking-dog carried either
by the leaf or by the pawl and normally locking said pawl in a position to engage
the shoulder, and a device for holding said locking dog in a retracted position
when it is desired to dispense with the checking operation, substantially as set
forth.