IMPROVEMENTS IN HINGES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jonas Smith and Alfred Lord, both of Keighley, in the
County of York, Joiners, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN HINGES."
Sealed the 8th October 1878, and dated the 10th April 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jonas Smith and Alfred
Lord at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th April 1878.
JONAS SMITH and ALFRED LORD, both of Keighley, in the County of York,
Joiners. "IMPROVEMENTS IN HINGES."
The object of cur Invention is to construct a hinge specially adapted for school
furniture, possessing great strength and not likely to be broken by having hard
substances put into the joints of the hinges, as is the case with hinges now in
common use.
We accomplish our object in the following manner-We construct the hinge of
metal and arrange the joint in such a manner that when the plates forming the
hinge are secured together, the sides of the same will be flat at right angles with
the joint pin, or at any other angle desired.
In order to form the joint each plate is reduced to, say, half its thickness, the end
of the reduced portion of one of the plates is formed concave, into which the corre-
sponding portion of the other plate is fitted, a pin is passed through the two sides
in the centre of the joint.
The plates are so formed that when jointed together and opened in either
direction, portions of the plates forming the hinge will come in contact with each
other, and thus prevent the same being opened further than the angle the hinge is
arranged for.
By forming the hinged joint as described, we dispense with the cavity formed in
one of the plates; this cavity is liable to collect foreign matter, and when the desk
lid or other article of furniture to which the hinge is applied is moved, the foreign

page_text: matter in the cavity prevents the hinge allowing the desk lid or other article of
furniture from being raised or lowered to the desired angle, and thus a great strain
is put upon the hinge which often breaks the same.
The danger of breaking a hinge from the cause last mentioned is entirely obviated
by our improvement.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Jonas Smith and Alfred Lord in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th October 1878.
JONAS SMITH and ALFRED LORD, both of Keighley, in the County of York,
Joiners. "IMPROVEMENTS IN HINGES."
The object of our Invention is to construct hinges that are specially adapted for
school furniture, which possess great strength, and are not likely to be broken by
having hard substances put into the joints of the hinges, as is the case with hinges
now in common use.
We accomplish our object in the following manner :- -We construct our improved
hinge of metal and arrange the joint in such a manner that when the plates
forming the hinge are secured together, the sides of the same will be flat and at
right angles with the joint pin, or at any other desired angle.
In order to form the joint of the hinge each plate is reduced where the joint is
formed to, say, one-half its thickness, one end of the reduced portion of one of the
plates is formed concave, and the other end of the reduced portion is cut at an
angle, the other plate is reduced, and when the plates are put together, the last-
mentioned plate fits the concave and angular portions before mentioned; a pin is
passed through the two plates of the hinge in the centre of the joint and thus
secures the same together.
The plates are so formed that when jointed together in the manner described and
opened in either direction, portions of the unreduced plates will come in contact
with each other, and thus prevent the hinge being opened further than the angle
arranged for.
By forming the hinged joint as described we dispense with the usual cavity
formed in one of the plates; this cavity is liable to collect foreign matters, and when
the desk lid or other article of furniture to which the binge is applied is moved, the
foreign matter collected in the cavity before mentioned prevents the hinge from
working properly, and will not allow the desk lid or other article of furniture to be
raised or lowered to the desired angle, and thus a great strain is put upon the joint
of the hinge which often breaks the same.
The danger of breaking a hinge from the cause before mentioned is entirely
obviated by our improvement.
Such being the nature and object of this our Invention, we will now proceed to
describe the same in detail, and in order that the same may be fully understood, we
have hitherto annexed one Sheet of Drawings and have marked the same with
letters of reference.

page_text: Figure 1 represents a side elevation of our improved hinge; Figure 2 is a plan of
the same.
Figure 3 is a side view of one plate shewing the concave end and augular stops;
Figure 4 is a section of the same through line. b.
Figure 5 is a view of the other hinge plate.
In all the Figuros similar letters of reference indicate similar parts.
The back plate of the hinge is indicated by tho letter A, and the front plate
by B; the plate is reduced to about half its thickness at C, and is made concave at
D. A portion of plate B is reduced in thickness, and the end fits into the
concave D.
These hinges are specially adapted for short desks similar to those used in board
schools; the hinges are secured to each end of the desk, and when in position the
projection F from plate A forms a stop for the plate B to rest upon and carry the
weight of the desk lid, by which means we dispense with the usual supports at the
under side of the desk lid. The parts G and G' are cut to any desired angle, so
that when the hinged portion of the desk lid is lifted until the angular parts G
and G are in contact, the bottom or under side of the lid forms a reading
desk.
Having now described our said Invention and the manner we carry the same
into effect, we would have it understood that what we believe to be new and
original, and claim as the Invention secured to us by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent is, the arrangement of hinges for the purpose beforo
mentioned with the joints formed, substantially as before described, and illustrated
by the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said Jonas Smith and Alfred Lord, have hereunto
set our hands and scals, this Seventh day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and soventy-eight.
JONAS SMITH.
(L.S.)
ALFRED LORD. (L.S.)