IMPROVED APPLIANCES OR APPARATUS FOR ADJUSTING SPRINGS FOR DOORS, GATES, WINDOWS, VENTILATORS, AND THE LIKE
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Matthew Stobbs, of Grosvenor Road, Pimlico, in the County
of Middlesex, for an Invention of "IMPROVED APPLIANCES OR APPARATUS
FOR ADJUSTING SPRINGS FOR DOORS, GATES, WINDOWS, VENTILATORS, AND
THE LIKE."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Matthew Stobbs at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd July 1880.
MATTHEW STOBBS, of Grosvenor Road, Pimlico, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVED APPLIANCES OR APPARATUS FOR ADJUSTING SPRINGS FOR DOORS,
GATES, WINDOWS, VENTILATORS, AND THE LIKE."
My Invention is intended to be applied to and to render more efficient the springs
described and illustrated in the Specification of Letters Patent, No. 3808, granted
to J. A. Fahie on the 30th September 1870. My appliances, however, are not
limited to helical springs, such as are represented in the Drawings annexed to
Fahie's Specification, and in the said Specification called "spiral springs," but
they may be advantageously applied to a straight rod or "forsion springs," or to
2 or more rods or torsion springs combined to form one spring, or to the novel
combination of helical and torsion spring hereinafter described.
I will describe my Invention as applied to a helical spring, and it will be self
evident that the apparatus can be applied in a similar manner to either of the
springs herein before mentioned.
In carrying out my Invention, I retain or hold the spring at the bottom on a
pivot pin passed through a solid block to which the spring is secured, the pivot pin
being attached to a plate by any other convenient swivelling arrangement, the plate
being secured to the door or door jamb, as the case may be.
In the top or opposite end of the spring a block or solid piece is also secured, in
which two holes traversing each other at right angles are made for the purpose of
inserting a small rod or key to act as a lever for turning or twisting spring; or
instead of holes, the solid piece may have four or more sides, so that a spauner may
be used for twisting the spring in place of a rod or key. Beyond and above this
part for holding the spring after the same has received the desired amount of torsion
or twist, either to the right or the left, I adopt one or other of the following
arrangements:—
The block or solid piece (which I will call the stem) is formed cylindrically, and

page_text: is passed through a collar cast or formed upon a plate, which is secured to the door
or the door jamb, as the case may be; a washer or a cap is passed over the extremity
of the stem, and a split or other pin or cotter is passed through the stem or through
the cap and stem to prevent the spring drawing the stem through the collar, but at
the same time allowing the stem and spring to be turned by means of a key or 5
spanner either to the right or to the left to give the spring the desired amount of
twist. A hole is made through the collar laterally corresponding with one or more
holes in the stem, and after the spring has received the desired amount of twist
and the holes are made to correspond, a pin is slipped into them and the spring is
thereby prevented from untwisting until the pin is withdrawn. Or 1 form upon
and around the cylindrical stem a segment of a sphere corresponding to a recess in
the collar, and into which it fits and acts as a cup and ball joint, and by removing
the back of the plate the collar may be adjusted to the stem before the plate is
secured, a small block being inserted in the collar between the stem and the
door or door jamb to prevent the stem having too much "play." The extremity
of the stem I make pentagonal or hexagonal recess in it to fit on the stem, such
-cap-having-one or more external sides or projections to abut against the plate, and
thus retain the spring after the same has received the desired amount of twist.-
Or one or more studs or projections may be formned on the cap and a slot made in
the plate, so that when the cap is placed on the stem the stud will pass into the
slot and so retain the spring. Or the polygonal part of the stem may be dispensed
with, and a pin may be passed through a hole in the collar corresponding to a hole
or holes in the stem as before mentioned.
The opening in the collar may be in the front instead of at the back, so that tho
cylindrical stem may pass through the opening in the collar; the segment of the
sphere on the stem will then fall into the corresponding recess in the collar, and
if the spring has been previously stretched it will be retained until removed by
force.
The spring-may-be-retained after it has been "charged" in the manner herein-
before described.
A form of spring which may be used with my apparatus, and which in some
cases I prefer, may be described as two helical springs joined together end to end
by a straight rod.
The spring is to be placed across the joint of the door in a manner similar to
other springs of the same class, by fixing the plate at one extremity to the door
jamb and the plate at the other extremity to the door; and by means of the
apparatus hercinbeforo described I can charge or set the springs at 1/4th, 1/5th,
1/6th, 1/10th, 1/12, or other sector of a revolution according to the polygonal
configuration of the stein, so that a door, gate, window, or ventilator may be caused
to shut or to open, or to remain partly open as may be desired.
The springs may be made of round, square, or other bar steel.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Matthew Stobbs in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st January
1881.
MATTHEW STOBBS, of Grosvenor Road, Pimlico, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVED APPLIANCES OR APPARATUS FOR ADJUSTING SPRINGS FOR DOORS,
GATES, WINDOWS, VENTILATORS, AND THE LIKE."
My Invention is intended to be applied to and to rendor more efficient the springs
described and illustrated in the Specification of Letters Patent, No. 3808, granted
to J. A. Fahie on the 30th September 1876. My appliances, however, aro not
limited to helical springs, such as aro represented in the Drawings annexed to
Fahie's Specification, and in the said Specification called "spiral springs," but they
may be advantageously applied to a straight rod or "torsion spring," or to two or
more rods or torsion springs combined to form one spring, or to the combination of
helical and torsion spring heroin after described.
I will describe my Invention as applied to a helical spring, and it will be self
evident that the apparatus can be applied in a similar manner to either of the
springs hereinbefore inentioned.
In carrying out my Invention, I retain or hold the spring at the bottom on a
pivot pin passed through a solid block to which the spring is secured, the pivot
pin being attached to a plate, or the spring may be attached to a plate by any
other convenient swivelling arrangement, the plate being secured to the door or
the door jamb, as the case may be.
In the top or opposite end of the spring a block or solid piece A is also secured,
in which two holes a, a, traversing each other at right angles are made for the
purpose of inserting a small rod or key to act as a lever for turning or twisting
the spring B, or instead of holes the solid piece may have four or more sides b, b, so
that a spanner may be used for twisting the spring in place of a rod or key.
Beyond and above this part for holding the spring after the same has received the
desired amount of torsion or twist either to the right or to the left, I adopt one or
other of the arrangements hereinafter described and partly illustrated on the
accompanying two Sheets of Drawing.
Upon Sheet 1 the several parts are shown detached and partly in section,-
Figure 1 representing an arrangement in which the stein is inserted through an
opening in back of top plate, and
Figure 2, a similar arrangement but having the opening in front of plate.
Figure 3 illustrates another form, the top plate being made in halves and secured
together after the insertion of the stem by means of bolts or screws.
Figure 4 shows an arrangement in which the stem is retained in the required
position by means of a stud or pin arranged to engage partly within a recess in
back plate, and partly within the cap.
Upon Sheet II.,-
-
Figures 5 illustrates a modification of the above, the opening in collar being
dispensed with, and the stem made in two pieces so that it can be passed through
the collar.
Figures 6, 7, and 8 illustrate in perspective various forms of the stems and top
plate complete.
The block or solid piece A (which I will call the stem) is formed cylindrically,
and is passed through a collar C cast or formed upon a plate D, which is secured
to the door or the door jamb, as the case may be; a washer or a cap is passed
over the extremity of the stem A, and a split or other pin or cotter is passed
through the stem, or through the cap and stem, to prevent the spring drawing the
stem through the collar, but at the same time allowing the stem and spring to be
turned by means of a key or spanner oither to the right or to the left to give the

page_text: spring the desired amount of twist. A hole is made through the collar C laterally
corresponding with one or more holes in the stem A, and after the spring has
received the desired amount of twist and the holes are made to correspond, a pin
is slipped into them and the spring is thereby prevented from untwisting until the
pin is withdrawn. Or (see Figure 1, Sheet 1) I form upon and around the
cylindrical stem A a segment of a sphere E corresponding to a recess in the collar C,
and into which it fits and acts as a cup and ball joint, and by removing the back
of the plate D the collar C may be adjusted to the stem before the plate is secured,
a small block c being inserted in the collar between the stem and the door or door
jamb to prevent the stem having too much "play." The extremity F of the stem A
I make pentagonal or hexagonal, and I provide a cap G with a pentagonal or a
hexagonal recess in it to fit on to the stem, such cap having one or more external
sides or projections to abut against the plate D, and thus retain the spring after
the same has received the desired amount of twist. Or one or more studs or
projections may be-formed on the cap and a slot made in the plate, so that when
the cap is placed on the stem the stud will pass into the slot and so retain the
spring. Or the polygonal part of the stem may be dispensed with and a pin may
bo passed through a hole in the collar corresponding to a hole or holes in the stem,
as before mentioned.
The opening in the collar may (see Figure 2) be in the front instead of at the
back, so that the cylindrical stem may pass through the opening in the collar; the
segment of the sphere E on the stem A will then fall into the corresponding recess
in the collar C, and if the spring B has been previously stretched it will be retained
until removed by force. The spring may be retained after it has been “charged”
in the manner hereinbefore described.
A form of spring which may be used with my apparatus, and which in some cases
-I-prefer, may be described as two-helical-springs joined together end to end by.
a straight rod.
The spring is to be placed across the joint of the door in a manner similar to
other springs of the same class, by fixing the plate at one extremity to the door
jamb and the plate at the other extremity to the door, and by means of the
apparatus hereinbefore described, I can charge or set the springs at ½½½
or, or other sector of a revolution, according to the polygonal configuration of
the stem, so that a door, gate, window, or ventilator may be caused to shut or to
open, or to remain partly open as may be desired.
12
The springs may be made of round, square, or other bar steel.
"
Having now described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is or may be performed,
I claim, as secured to me by the herein before in part recited Letters Patent,-
The use of the several appliances or apparatuses herein before described, for
adjusting springs for doors, gates, windows, ventilators, and the like, when
combined and arranged to operate substantially as specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Matthew Stobbs, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this First day of January, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty one.
Witness,
W. E. GEDGE,
11, Wellington Street, Strand,
London.
MATTHEW STOBBS. (L.S.)