IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SWING DOORS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Robert Leason, of Levenshulme, in the County
of Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OF SWING DOORS."
Sealed the 9th November 1877, and dated the 14th May 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Robert Leason at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th May 1877.
THOMAS ROBERT LEASON, of Levenshulme, in the County of Lancaster.
PROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SWING DOORS."
18
IM-
This Invention is designed principally to be adapted to double swing doors; but
it is also, with slight modification, capable of being adapted to single swing doors.
The object of the Invention is to obviate the danger which at present exists in
swing doors as usually constructed, of injury to persons passing through such doors
by having their fingers or hands caught between the inner edges of the doors, and
thus being sometimes seriously injured.
The Invention cousists in providing the inner edges of such doors with vertical
rollers so mounted as to be capable of freely revolving, and composed of or covered
with india-rubber or other similar elastic or yielding material, the said rollers being
mounted at the extreme edge of the doors and extending as high and as low as there
is any likelihood of a person's hand reaching; or, if preferred, extending from the top
to the bottom. The rollers may be plain or fluted longitudinally, spirally, or other-
wise; and it will be evident that in the event of any person's hand becoming caught
between the doors (as frequently happens with swing doors) no injury will occur,
owing to the elasticity or yielding nature of the material forming the edge thereof,
and that the revolving of the roller will also have a tendency to throw any person's
hand off the edge of the doors as they swing together.
In some cases where rollers are not thought desirable I substitute a thick fixed
strip or piece of india-rubber or other suitable elastic or yielding substance at the
edges of the doors, which will keep the joint close, and at the same time prevent
injury to any person's hand or fingers in the event of their being caught between
the doors.

page_text: It will be evident that this principle may also be adapted to single swing doors by
applying the roller or strip of india-rubber or other elastic or yielding material to
the edge of the door or the door post, or to both of them, if preferred.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Robert Leason in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th
November 1877.
THOMAS ROBERT LEASON, of Levenshulme, in the County of Lancaster.
PROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SWING DOORS."
"IM-
This Invention is designed principally to be adapted to double swing doors; but
it is also, with slight modification, capable of being adapted to single swing doors.
The object of the Invention is to obviate the danger which at present exists in
swing doors as usually constructed of injury to persons passing through such doors
by having their fingers or hands caught between the inner edges of the doors, and
thus being sometimes seriously injured.
The Invention consists in providing the inner edges of such doors with vertical
rollers so mounted as to be capable of freely revolving, and composed of, or covered
with, india-rubber or other similar elastic or yielding material, the said rollers being
mounted at the extreme edge of the doors, and extending as high and as low as
there is any likelihood of a person's hand reaching; or, if preferred, extending from
the top to the bottom.
The rollers may be plain or fluted longitudinally, spirally, or otherwise; and it
will be evident that in the event of any person's hand becoming caught between the
doors (as frequently happens with swing doors) no injury will occur owing to the
elasticity or yielding nature of the material forming the edge thereof, and that the
revolving of the roller will also have a tendency to throw any person's hand off the
edge of the door as they swing together.
In some cases where rollers are not thought desirable, I substitute a thick fixed
strip or piece of india-rubber or other suitable elastic or yielding substance at the
edges of the doors, which will keep the joint close, and at the same time prevent
injury to any person's hand or fingers in the event of their being caught between
the doors.
It will be evident that the principle may also be adapted to single swing doors by
applying the roller or strip of india-rubber or other clastic or yielding material to
the edge of the door or the door post, or to both of them if required.
In the annexed Drawing, Fig. 1 represents a pair of swing doors, a, a, with one
modification of iny Invention shown as applied thereto, and Fig. 2 is a horizontal
section of the same. At the inner edge of each door a, a, I mount a roller b, b, of
corrugated india-rubber or other suitable elastic or yielding substance, the rollers
being by preference made hollow at the centre and solid at the ends, and having
an axis passing through the middle from end to end, by means of which axes the
roller is mounted so as to be capable of revolving in bearings or brackets c, c, fixed
by screws or otherwise to the inner side of the door.
In Fig. 1 the roller b, b, is shown as of such a length as there is any likelihood of
a person's hand becoming caught between the edges of the doors.
Fig. 3 shows the rollers extending from top to bottom of the doors, as may be
preferred in some cases.
Fig. 4 is an elevation, and Fig. 5 a horizontal section, showing the application of
a plain strip d, d, of india-rubber or other suitable elastic or yielding substance to
the edges of the doors in place of the rollers before described. It will be evident
that the strip may be made solid or hollow, and may either extend as far only as
there is likelihood of the hand being placed, or from top to bottom of the door.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention, together with

page_text: the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical
effect, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my Invention, adapting to the inner
edges of swing doors vertical rollers, or strips of india-rubber or other suitable elastic
or yielding material, substantially, in the manner and for the purposes herein-before
more particularly set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Robert Leason, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
THO. R. LEASON. (L.S.)