IMPROVEMENTS IN FLOOR SPRINGS FOR SWING DOORS
Year: 1885

page_text: I, GEORGE FREDERICK NEWMAN of the Firm of William Newman and Sons of
Hospital Street Birmingham in the County of Warwick, Door Spring Manufacturer
do hereby declare the nature of said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FLOOR
SPRINGS FOR SWING DOORS," to be as follows:-
My invention relates to what are commonly known as floor springs for the
closing of swing doors, which said springs are used in connection with the lower
pivot or centre upon which doors turn; thus, swing doors require to be closed or
taken back to a dead centre, automatically, and retained or kept in the closed
position. The means employed for effecting the return of the door is by means of
springs acting upon a slide which takes the axis upon which the door is hung back
to a determinate position; and the object of my said invention is to supplement
certain parts as hereinafter described, which ensures certainty of action in keeping
a door closed. This is accomplished by allowing the full power of the springs to
exert itself upon the door when closed, but to gradually diminish in effect as the
door opens.
This
Enclosed within a box or case, two or more powerful springs are arranged lying
in the longer direction of the case. The front or acting ends of the springs exert
themselves upon a slide, which work within the hollow of the box or case.
slide is somewhat box form in shape, but open on one side and at top the ends and
bottom constituting slide rests, which work against the inclined inside faces of the
case. The other or abutment ends of the springs rest upon a transverse plate
provided with an adjustment expedient for increasing the tension of the springs by
decreasing the space wherein they are enclosed.
The hollow of the slide which works at one end of the case, carries two vertically
pivoted rollers, which said rollers are arranged side by side, and in a line across the
case; and situated at the back of the two rollers, an axis is situated, having upon
its lower end, a double cam formation, which engages or presses alternately upon one
or other of the two rollers on the opening and closing of a door; that is, the cam
forinations when the axis of the door is in its normal position, lies across the case;
while the front of the said cam, or that part presented to the rollers is double
scollopped, the concaves of the scollops being of about the same radius as the
wheels; and within these scollops the edges of the wheels seat themselves and form
a kind of locking or retaining device for keeping the door perfectly closed, as the
.

page_text: .
full tension of the springs is exerted upon two equi-distant points, removed from
the centre of the axis, in virtue of which, an equilibrium in the axis is thus
established.
A transverse plate crosses the case and encloses' or covers up the cam with only
the axis end protruding through it. A second plate also crosses the case lower
down. This plate is provided with a slot running in the longer direction of the
case, and within this slot or gapped part, a square stud or pin takes, which gives
steadiness to the movement of the parts and prevents rocking. The length of the
gap or opening is equal to the traverse of the slide.
A square stud on the lower or underside of the slide also traverses within a
longitudinal depression or trough opening along the bottom of the ease or box
which with the upper stud, traversing within the slot in the cross plate, gives
increased rigidity and steadiness to the movement of the parts.
Connection between the axis and the door is effected by means of a lever plate
or strap which is connected to the underside thereof by means of screws. This
lever plate has a boss at its end with a square eye through it, which said eye takes
upon the square axis on the end of the spindle.
b
On the opening of a door, the wheels leave the scollopped front, and the cam
formation upon one end presses upon one of the antifriction rollers, and urges back
the slide, at the same time compressing the spring to an extent equal to the
opening of a door. On the door being liberated, the parts resume their normal
positions by the tension of the springs forcing back the slide, and on the door
being opened in the reverse direction, the same action takes place, other than that
the opposite roller is acted upon by the other side of the cam formation.
Floor springs or swing door spring hinges constructed as berein before described,
are more certain in their action, less liable to get out of order than ordinary
floor springs, and the friction and wear upon the working parts are reduced to
a minimum.

page_text: Improvements in Floor Springs for Swing Doors.
I, GEORGE FREDERICK NEWMAN of the Firm of William Newman and Sons of
Hospital Street Birmingham in the County of Warwick, Door Spring Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FLOOR
SPRINGS FOR SWING DOORS," 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 to what are commonly known as floor springs for the
closing of swing doors, which said springs are used in connection with the lower
pivot or centre upon which doors turn; thus swing doors require to be closed or
taken back to a dead centre, automatically, and retained or kept in the closed
position. The means employed for effecting the return of the door is by employing
springs acting upon a slide which takes the axis upon which the door is hung back
to a determinate position; and the object of my said invention is to supplement
certain parts as hereinafter described, which ensures certainty of action in keeping
a door closed. This is accomplished by allowing the full power of the springs, to
exert themselves upon the door when closed, but to gradually diminish in effect as
the door opens.
Enclosed within a box or case, two or more powerful springs are arranged lying.
in the longer direction of the case. The front or acting ends of the springs exert
themselves upon a slide, which work within the hollow of the box or case. This
slide is somewhat box form in shape, but open on one side and at top, the ends
and bottom constituting slide rests, which work against the inclined inside faces
of the case. The other or abutment ends of the springs rest upon a transverse
plate provided with an adjustment expedient for increasing the tension of the
springs by decreasing the space wherein they are enclosed.
The hollow of the slide which works at one end of the case, carries two vertical
pivoted rollers, which said rollers are arranged side by side, and in a line across
the case; and situated at the back of the two rollers, an axis is situated, having,
upon its lower end, a double cam formation, which engages or presses alternately
upon one or other of the two rollers on the opening and closing of a door; that is,
the cam formations when the axis of the door is in its normal position, lie across
the case; while the front of the said cam, or that part presented to the rollers is
double scolloped, the concaves of the scollops being of about the same radius as the
wheels; and within these scollops the edges of the wheel seat themselves, and form
a kind of locking or retaining device for keeping the door perfectly closed, as the
full tension of the springs is exerted upon two equi-distant points, removed from
the centre of the axis, in virtue of which, an equilibrium in the axis is thus
established.
A transverse plate crosses the case and encloses or covers up the cam with only
the axis end protruding through it. A second plate also crosses the case lower
down. This plate is provided with a slot running in the longer direction of the
case, and within this slot or gapped part, a square stud or pin takes, which gives
steadiness to the movement of the parts and prevents rocking. The length of the
gap or opening is equal to the traverse of the slide.

page_text: .
A square stud on the lower or underside of the slide also traverses within, a
longitudinal depression or trough running along the bottom of the case or box
which with the upper stud, traversing within the slot in the cross plate, gives
increased rigidity and steadiness to the movement of the parts.
This
Connection between the axis and the door is effected by means of a lever plate
or strap which is connected to the underside thereof by means of screws.
lever plate has a boss at its end with a square eye through it, which said eye takes
upon the square axis on the end of the spindle...
On the opening of a door, the wheels leave the scolloped front, and the cam
formation upon one end presses upon one of the antifriction rollers, and urges
back the slide, and at the same time compressing the springs to an extent equal to
the opening of a door. On the door being liberated, the parts resume their normal
positions by the tension of the springs forcing back the slide, and on the door being
opened in the reverse direction, the same action takes place, other than that the
opposite roller is acted upon by the other side of the cam formation.
Floor springs or swing door spring hinges constructed as hereinbefore described,
are more certain in their action, less liable to get out of order than ordinary floor
springs, and the friction and wear upon the working parts are reduced to a
minimum.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawing the
manner in which the same is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in plan a floor spring (with top enclosing plate removed)
constructed according to my invention, the said spring being in the position which
it normally assumes when a swing door to which the said spring is applied, is
closed Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same, and figure 3 is also
a plan of the said floor spring figure 1, with some of the upper parts of the box
framing removed, in order to better exhibit the working parts-Figure 4 shows the
traversing slide separately, and figure 5 is a section of the same upon the dotted.
lines A B.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures
of the Drawing.
a is a hollow box or case, wherein the mechanism of the spring is enclosed; and
disposed in the longer direction of the said case, are three coiled springs b with
their back ends resting upon an adjustable plate a³ which is parallel to, and in
juxta position to the back of the casing, while the front ends of the said springs
exert themselves upon the back of a slide which traverses to and fro in the box
or case a, on the opening and closing of a door, and which said slide carries two
antifriction rollers d which act and are acted upon by a wing shaped cam e, which
presses alternately upon one or other of the two rollers d, on the opening and
closing of a door is the operating spindle or axis which takes within an eye
or socket formed within a bracket plate, which is secured to the underside of a
swing door; thus when a door is in its normal or closed position, the scollops es
on the back of the double cam formation e, lie or are disposed around the fronts of
the rollers as represented in figure 1, and which said scolloped parts form locking
or detaining devices, fór keeping the door perfectly closed; that is, the floor spring
mechanism is in virtue of such scollops kept in a state of equilibrium. The anti-
friction rollers d carried by the slide c work upon fixed vertical axes d' secured to
the framing of the slide The slide has upon its underside a square stud or snug c²
which traverses within a groove or channel a³ formed in the bottom of the body
of the case a, in order to give increased steadiness and smoothness to the working
of the slide f is a transverse plate crossing the top of the case and through which
said plate, the cam axis e² protrudes. g is a secondary plate which crosses the box
or case lower down, and within which a gap g³ is made, and wherein a square
stud c³ on the top of the traversing slide c moves. This stud working within the
gap Before named imparts additional steadiness to the motion of the slide, and also
prevents rattling of the parts.

page_text: On the opening of a door in one direction, the scollops e* of the double cam o
leave the rollers as represented in figure 3; that is, on the moving round of the
axis e by a door on being opened, takes the scollops from the rollers, and also
brings the face e of the said cam to bear upon the top or right hand roller, while
the turning of the axis in the reverse direction brings the other side eo of the cam
formation against the left hand or lower roller (as indicated in dotted lines), thereby
urging back the slide c, and at the same time compressing the springs 6 to an extent
equal to the amount of opening of a door-On the door being liberated or released,
the parts resume their normal positions by the force of the springs pressing back
the slide which turns or gives a semi rotation to the double armed cam or wiper e
and through its axis e³ closes or returns the door to its former position as represented
in figure 1.
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. Operating or pressing back the slides of floor springs, by means of a
double faced, or double winged cam, the wings et eo of which alternately act and
are acted upon, by anti-friction rollers or wheels d carried by the reciprocating
slide c which compresses and is reacted upon, by a spring or springs interposed
between itself and an adjustable plate running at the back of the case wherein the
spring mechanism is enclosed. The wearing and rattling of the slides and other
parts is prevented by the studs c c working respectively within the slots or
gaps a g. The further closed position of the door is determined by the scollops es
on the front of the cam embracing or seating themselves around the periphery of
the rollers, substantially as described and illustrated in the several figures of the
Drawing.
Secondly. The general construction and arrangement of the parts of floor springs
as herein described and set forth.