Improvements in Door Checks and Spring Hinges.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Feb., 1894
Complete Specification Left. 31st Oct., 1894-Accepted, 2nd May, 1895
Improvements in Door Checks and Spring Hinges.
We, THE ARIEL COMPANY LIMITED, and SAMUEL SEALY ALLIN, all of
85 Queen Victoria Street, in the City of London, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to door checks and hinges having springs for closing doors
and provided with means of controlling the action of the springs so as to prevent
too sudden closing.
The cylinder of a door check according to the present invention may be
imbedded in the wood of the door jamb, its piston being linked to a pin in a socket
of the door; or the cylinder may be on the door, its piston being linked to a pin
projecting from the door jamb.
When the door swings both ways the cylinder and spring are arranged in a
casing under the sill, the piston being connected to a slide against which bears a
cam on the hinge pin for the lower edge of the door. In all these cases the piston
consists of a metal cone within a cup of elastic material such as caoutchouc, which
is enclosed in a cup of leather or surrounded by a band of leather, so that the
caoutchouc while it serves for more or less expanding the leather does not rub on
the metal of the cylinder.
By means of an adjusting screw accessible from the open front of the cylinder,
or, in the case of the hinge for a swing door, by means of an adjusting nut accessible
on removing the cover plate the cone can be pushed more or less into the elastic
cup, the piston being thus made to fit more or less tightly in the cylinder producing
more or less friction. At the bottom of the cylinder there is an opening covered
by a valve consisting of a strip of elastic material having a small hole through it.
When the piston moves in the one direction the valve allows air to pass freely, but
when the piston moves in the opposite direction, the air can only pass through the
small hole, and the piston is consequently resisted. The arrangement for a door
swinging both ways may in many cases be simplified by dispensing with the cylinder
and piston and so shaping the cam, that the door is retarded as it approaches its
closing position.
Dated this 2nd day of February 1894
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.
We, THE ARIEL COMPANY LIMITED, and SAMUEL SEALY ALLIN, all of
85 Queen Victoria Street, in the City of London, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to door checks and hinges having springs for closing doors
and provided with means of controlling the action of the springs so as to prevent
too sudden closing.
The cylinder of a door check according to the present invention may be
•

page_text: imbedded in the wood of the door jamb, its piston being linked to a pin in a socket
of the door; or the cylinder may be on the door, its piston being linked to a pin
projecting from the door jamb.
When the door swings both ways the cylinder and spring are arranged in a
casing under the sill, the piston being connected to a slide against which bears a
cam on the hinge pin for the lower edge of the door. In all these cases the piston
consists of a metal cone within a cup of elastic material such as caoutchouc, which
is enclosed in a cup of leather or surrounded by a band of leather, so that the
caoutchone while it serves for more or less expanding the leather does not rub on
the metal of the cylinder.
By means of an adjusting screw accessible from the open front of the cylinder,
or, in the case of the hinge for a swing door, by means of an adjusting nut accessible
on removing the cover plate the cone can be pushed more or less into the elastic
cup, the piston being thus made to fit more or less tightly in the cylinder producing
more or less friction. At the bottom of the cylinder there is an opening covered
by a valve consisting of a strip of elastic material having a small hole through it.
When the piston moves in the one direction the valve allows air to pass freely, but
when the piston moves in the opposite direction, the air can only pass through the
small hole, and the piston is consequently resisted. The arrangement for a door
swinging both ways may in many cases be simplified by dispensing with the cylinder
and piston and so shaping the cam that the door is retarded as it approaches its
closing position.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings is a longitudinal section of a door check
and spring hinge according to our present improvements adapted to be sunk in a
door post.
Fig. 2 is a section of an improved door check adapted to be fixed on a door.
Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 shew details hereinafter referred to.
ways.
Fig. 7 is a plan of a door check adapted to a door swinging both
In Fig. 1 the cylinder A is fitted with a piston consisting of a conical piece B,
a cup leather C, between B and C, a ring D of elastic material such as caoutchou,
and behind C a washer E to which the leather C is rivetted.
Fig. 3 is a transverse section at X X shewing a back view of this washer E.
The piston rod F is screwed into the piece B, and is connected by a link G to a pin
in a socket of the door.
By the side of the piston rod F is a stem H having its end notched so that it can
be turned by a screw driver. Fig. 4 is a transverse section at Z Z shewing the
piston rod and stem. A washer K shewn in front view by Fig. 5 has an opening
and notch through it so shaped that it can be passed over F and H to the face of B
along which it is slid so as to engage a neck of the stem H in its notch. This
washer K is kept firmly in position by the pressure of the spring L which bears
upon it.
The end of the stem H is screwed into the washer E, which by turning the
stem H can be moved nearer to or farther from the piece B, thus causing the cup
leather C to be more or less forcibly pressed outwards. A small caoutchouc
washer k prevents air from leaking past H.
Over the cylinder bottom is stretched a strip M of caoutchouc or other elastic
material covering a hole through the bottom, and through the strip M is a very
small hole. When the door is opened the piston is drawn outwards compressing
the spring L, air freely entering behind the piston past the valve M. As the door
closes the valve M is pressed against its seat, and as the air behind the piston
escapes very slowly through the small hole of M, the inward movement of the piston
is rendered slow.
It can be more or less retarded by adjusting the washer E by means of H,
causing greater or less friction of the cup leather C against the surface of the
cylinder.
By means of a slight indentation of the cylinder as at N the inward movement
of the piston can be rendered very slow just before reaching the end of its stroke

page_text: and by slightly enlarging the cylinder beyond N the final speed of closing may be
increased to ensure latching.
The door check shewn in Fig. 2 is fixed on the door and its piston is connected
by a link G to a pin on a bracket projecting from the door post. As in this case
the piston is pushed inwards when the door is opened, the spring L is put behind
the piston and the washer E is in front of it, the screwed stem H operating on it as
above described.
The valve M is also stretched outside the hole through the bottom of the
cylinder with a very small hole through which air can enter but very slowly as
the piston moves outwards, the valve giving free passage as the piston moves
inwards.
Fig. 6 shews a modification in the packing of the piston, the caoutchouc being
made in the cup form D¹ provided with an external ring C₁ of leather.
As shewn in Fig. 7 the pivot P which, as usual with swing doors, enters a square
hole in a plate fixed on the lower edge of the door, is integral with a cam Q which
has a circular back bearing against the end of the casing, and a flat front with its
corners rounded at qq. Against the flat front of Q the spring L presses a plate R¹
attached to the slide R which is attached to the piston rod F. Through the piston
rod passes the regulating rod H which is fixed in the cone B of the piston and has
a screwed end passing through a nut T held in a recess between R and R'. By
turning this nut the one way or the other, the cone B of the piston is drawn more
or less into the cup leather C, causing it to have more or less friction on the interior
of the cylinder A.
As the door is swung the one way or the other turning the cam Q either of the
rounded parts g pressing on R₁ pushes the slide R and piston in opposition to the
spring L. When liquid is used as check, the valve should be of metal opening into
the casing.
By suitably curving the parts qq of the cam the desired checking of the door as
it closes may be effected without the use of a piston and cylinder, the spring
hinge being in that case constructed as shewn in plan in Fig. 8 and in section in
Fig. 9.
In this case the sliding crosshead R bears against the one end of the spring L,
the other end of which bears against another crosshead V through which the
stem F passes.
The strength of the spring can be adjusted by setting screws T by which the
crosshead V can be pushed more or less towards R.
Obviously the closing of the door may be more or less retarded by varying
the curvature of the parts q g.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:-
1. In the piston of a door check in combination with the conical piece B the
cup leather C and caoutchouc D the washer E and screw H, arranged and
operating substantially as described with reference to Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive of the
drawings.
2. The modified construction consisting of a caoutchouc cup and a leather ring
as described with reference to Fig. 6.
3. The door check for a door swinging both ways, substantially as described with
reference to Fig. 7.
4. The spring hinge and check for a door swinging both ways, as described with
reference to Figs. 8 and 9.
Dated this 31st day of October 1894.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.