Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Mar., 1887.
Complete Left, 29th July, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 30th Sept., 1887.
1, SAMUEL HILL of Lozells Road Aston, Birmingham in the County of Warwick,
Cabinet Fitter, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:―
My invention relates to that class of door springs, in which a volute, or the coils
of a ribband spring are wound around and connected at its inner end to a central axis,
connected either to a door, while the outer end is connected through the intervention
of a limb, to a door or the jamb, according to the connection of the inner end. By
means of this device, the door is closed.
The object of my invention, is to simplify the construction of the said door springs,
and to render the same adjustable; and I will describe it in connection with a single
action door.
To the top corner of the hinge side of a door, an upright sheave bracket is secured :
that is, a bracket made of the form of a sheave pulley, with an attachment foot or
flanges at its underside, by which means, it is secured to the top of the hinge side of
a door, and with the top face of the said bracket disposed in a plane nearly coincident
with the top inside of the jamb or frame; and crossing the middle part of this
bracket, an axis or spindle is disposed, around which a volute spring, or the coils
of a ribband spring are wound. The inner end of this coiled spring is secured to the
axis or spindle, while the outer end is secured by a cross bar or pin, which is
adjustable to the sides of the sheaved formed bracket; and near the outer edge of the
circular part of the said bracket, opposite equi distant holes are made, through which
the bar carrying the outer end of the spring, admits of being placed, for giving
greater or less tension to the said spring. Thus, when the spring's tension is required
to be increased, the cross pin is taken from its bearing holes, and placed in others at
the back of the first, or those in front, thereby bringing the coils of the spring
encircling one another, into closer contact.
To the top outside protruding end of the spindle, an arm is connected, which when
in its normal position, falls a little out of the perpendicular, from the back to the front
of a door; that is, this arm inclines forward, and is connected to a fixed loop or hook
on the top of a door frame, by a link or hooked connector, whose outer end, hooks
within an eye in the end of the arm. This connecting link, when the spring is in its
normal position, inclines slightly forward.

page_text: On the opening of a door, the bracket and the spring carried by it, moves with tho
door, while the link and arm pass from an acute to an obtuse angle, of which the door
frame is the base. This opening of the door, and the restraining influence of the link,
compels the arm to make a forward angular movement, and thereby compress the
coils upon each other, accordingly which compression, stores up the necessary force
or energy for the reclosing of the door, when liberated."
By constructing door springs as described, the force given out from the spring,
through the devices connected with it, is greatest at the closing point, than at others;
that is, the spring is strongest when the door is closed, and weakest when the door is
opened, being the converse, to the actual condition of the spring.
The link is made detachable, so that a door can be relieved of the spring if
necessary.
The parts of the spring other than the link and arm, and the connections, are
enclosed by a cap or covering plate.

page_text: I, SAMUEL HILL of Lozells Road Aston Birmingham in the County of Warwick,
Cabinet Fitter, 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:-
My invention relates principally to that class of door springs, in which a volute
spring, or the coils of a ribband spring are wound around, and connected at its inner
end to a central axis, connected either to a door, or to the jamb of a door, while the
outer end is connected, through the intervention of a limb, to a door or the jamb,
according to the connection of the inner end. By means of this device, a door is
closed.
The object of my invention is to simplify the construction of the said door springs,
and to render the same adjustable; and I will describe the said spring in connection
with a single acting door.
My new or improved spring consists essentially of a box like bracket, wherein
a volute or ribband spring is enclosed, and with its inner end fixedly secured to a
rotating sleeve or hollow bush, directed laterally across the middle of the said bracket,
and working within the two opposite sides, as bearings.
The other or outer end of the spring is secured to a fixed pin, carried by, and
crossing the interior of the bracket.
The sleeve or hollow bush as aforesaid, carries a detachable spindle or axis, which
has upon its outer end, an outwardly directed arm, which falls when in its normal
position, a little on one side of an axial line directed perpendicularly from the door.
The outer end of this arm, carries a jointed link, having at its free end, a cross pin
or bar, which admits of being connected to, or disconnected from a secondary link,
in the form of a series of hooks, arranged like that of rack teeth, at the edge of a bar.
This secondary link, which is simply an adjustable hook, is jointed and connected at
its inner end, to a bracket, carried by, and secured to the top of the frame of a
door, while the bracket carrying the spring is secured to the hinged side at the top of
a door.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying drawings, the
manner in which the same is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents a top side plan, of a door spring, constructed according to this
invention. The said spring is shown in its normal position, that is, the position which
it assumes, when a door is closed. Figure 2 represents a like view as figure 1, but
with the door carrying the spring partially opened. Figure 3 represents upon a
smaller scale, a front elevation of the said spring, applied to a door, and with the
linked arm bracket plate, connected to the top frame of a door. Figure 4 represents
a horizontal section through the spring enclosing easing, and taken upon the dotted
lines A B, figure 3. Figure 5 represents partly in transverse vertical section, and

page_text: partly in elevation, the said door spring. Figure 6 shows a front elevation of the
said spring, applied to a door hung or hinged on the right, instead of on the left as in
figure 3. This change of position is attained, by simply removing the detachable
spindle upon which the arm is secured, from the hollow axis, and turning around the
bracket plate to which the hooked link is connected, and then replacing the spindle
in position, on the hollow axis being slightly rotated, in order to close up the coils of
the spring for the necessary tension. Figure 7 shows in plan, the spring enclosing
casing. Figure 8 shows a front elevation of the linked arms and spindle, while
figure represents the carrying bush of the said spindle.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures of
the drawings.
a is a sheave, or drum like bracket, having enclosed within it, a volute or ribband
spring b, connected at its outer end, to a fixed cross pin or stud 62, and at its inner
end, to a hollow turning axis or bush c, wherein a spindle d, carried at the lower end
of an arm e, fits.
The bracket a is secured to the hinge side of a door by attachment flanges a²;
and the rotating hollow spindle d, turns within opposite sides of the enclosing casing,
as bearings.
is a bracket, which is secured to the top framing of a door, and g is a hooked
adjustment link, for giving greater or less tension to the spring, by decreasing or
increasing the distance between the joint of the bracket and the joint e² of the
arm e, which is a common centre to both the said link e, and an intermediate link h.
The link has at its lower end, a cross pin or stud 2, which takes into one or
other of the hooked gapped parts g², formed within the inside edge of the adjustable
link g.
:
The cross pin or stud h², as aforesaid, forms a joint centre, for connecting the
links g, together.
h
When the tension of the spring is required to be increased or decreased, for
increasing or decreasing the power of the spring, it is only necessary to disengage the
cross pin 2, from the hooked recess with which it is engaged, and then place it within
one of the others, when the desired tension can be given.
By constructing door springs as described, the force given out from the spring,
through the arranged links and arm as described, is greatest at the closing point, than
at any other; that is, the spring is strongest when the door is closed, and weakest
when it is open; this being the converse, to the actual condition of the spring..
The amount of force given out by the spring, through the intervention of the arm
and links, is entirely dependent upon the angles which they make with each other.
Thus the greater the acute angle, which the links make with the arm, the greater will
be the force given out by the spring at the closing point; and the greater the obtuse
angle, the greater will be the force for closing, which correspondingly diminishes the
spring's power at the closing point.
When the links and arms are in the positions, as represented in figure 1, the
spring's force is greatest at the closing point, when the door is closed, and weakest
when the door is open; and when the spring's force is required to be transferred,
from closed to open point, place the cross pin into one of the lower hooked parts,
thereby shortening the length of the link g, and increasing the angle between the
links and arm.
The demonstrations as above, attempt to point out, that the spring's power is entirely
influenced, by the position which the cross pin or joint centre 2 has, with respect to
the axis of the spring and spindle.
If necessary, the intermediate link g, may be dispensed with, and the lower end of
the link may be jointed directly to the bracket
The application of my invention to swing doors, differs in no essential respect from
its application to that of a door herein described; and I wish it also to be observed,
that the said springs can be placed indifferently, either at the back, or at the front of
a door, and the spring's tension can be increased by first partially rotating the hollow
axis to the desired extent, before the square spindle is placed within it.

page_text: Instead of employing a ribband spring enclosed within a casing as described, a
coiled spring may be substituted therefor, and its connection with the axis made, by a
rack and pinion, or other suitable device so that by which means, ordinary barrel
springs can be applied with my new or improved connecting means, in the form of
an arm and links connected and jointed to a spindle and bracket respectively.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
First The construction of door springs hereinbefore described and illustrated in
the accompanying Drawings that is to say, door closing mechanism, consisting of
casing or carrying bracket a, a, spring b, hollow axis or bush e, spindle d, and arm e,
fixedly secured thereto; link 4, 12, secondary link g. 2, and bracket which are
constructed, arranged, and operate in the manner, and for the purpose, substantially
as described and set forth.
Secondly The construction of door springs or door closing mechanism, consisting
essentially of a spring b, spindles c, d, arm e, link h, and bracket, which are arranged
and jointed, substantially as described.
Thirdly Making the connection between the spring of the one part, and the fixed
bracket of the other part, of a door closing appliance, through the intervention of a
compound lever, or an arm e, and links g, h, which are arranged, connected, and jointed
and working substantially as herein-described and set forth: whereby the power of
the spring to which the inner end of the arm is connected, is made stronger at the
point where a door is closed than at any other.
Fourthly Varying and transferring the power of a spring, of a door closing
appliance, from the point when a door is closed, to the closing point, and vice-versa,
by changing the angular distances between the arm e, and links g, h, substantially as
described and set forth.
Fifthly Making the connection of the link with the bracket, by an adjustable
link g, as described and set forth.
-
Sixthly Making door closing appliances interchangeable, both for a right or left
handed door, or for the inside or outside of a door by making the spindle take into
a bush or hollow axis, which is connected to, or with a spring, substantially as
described and set forth."
Dated this Twenty seventh day of Jul 1887