Improvements in Door springs.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Mar., 1894
Complete Specification Left. 13th Dec., 1894-Accepted, 13th Mar., 1995
Improvements in Door springs.
I JAMES MATTHEW MATTHEWs of No. 85 Stonebridge Road, South Tottenham
in the County of Middlesex, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
:-
.
My invention has for its objects the simplifying the construction of door springs
and providing a secure and simple method of connecting or disconnecting the
springs as required, and in also adapting them for use on swing doors, to bring the
door into a closed position, when moved either inwards or outwards & capable of
adjustment so as to keep the door partially open if required.
In carrying out my improvements I by preference use a spiral spring which may
be readily mortised into the hanging style of the door by an ordinary boring bit
and is retained in the mortise by means of a plate which is screwed or otherwise
fixed to the edge of the door, the plate is provided on one side with a socket upon
which the spring can rest, and a hole through the centre of the socket through
which passes a flexible core connected at the end passing through the plate to an
eye piece formed so as not to pass through the plate, the other end of the flexible
core is connected to a screwed rod provided with a nut, by which means the spring
is secured to the plate and held in position, and may also be adjusted to the required
pressure, a somewhat similar plate provided at the back with a lever, having a
thumb piece and forming a circular bolt or pin which rocks on a centre pin, this
plate is screwed to the hanging door post or jam in such a manner, that on' closing
the door the eye piece connected to the spring will enter the opening or receptacle
provided for it in this plate, by raising or depressing the thumb piece of the lever
as the case may be, the circular part of the lever is caused to pass through the hole
or eye in the eye piece provided for the purpose, & thereby retain it in the plate in
a secure and substantial manner, when thus connected upon opening the door the
spring is compressed, by reason of the flexible core being drawn out, and upon
releasing the door the reaction of the spring closes it. The action herein described
may be reversed the act of opening the door may extend instead of compress the
spring. When the door is closed the spring can be readily thrown into or out of
action by means of the lever with thumb piece provided for the purpose.
When it is required to check the door and retain it in a partially open position, I
provide an attachment to connect to the eyepiece, and the plate fixed to the hanging
jam or door post by means of the lever, this attachment may be provided with a
spring or elastic material to form a buffer.
In my improved spring for use on swing doors, I vary the form of the plates and
eye piece to suit the construction of the doors, a convenient arrangement being to
form the plates curved to the circle having for its centre the pivot upon which the
door turns, and in the plate fixed to the hauging jam to form a groove or channel of
dovetail or T section and to substitute for the eye a solid piece running in this
groove, when it is required to bring the spring into action, to lock this piece in its
position in the groove or channel by means of a cam or excentric retained' on a
rocking bar which can be turned into or out of action by means of a thumb plate
or key or otherwise, this cam I may arrange adjustable on the rocking bar so that

page_text: it may be adjusted by a screw or other suitable means to vary the position of the
door when acted upon by the spring.
Dated 12th March 1901
JAS. M. MATTHEWS.
Improvements in Door Springs.
I JAMES MATTHEW MATTHEWS of 85 Stonebridge Road South Tottenham
in the County of Middlesex Engineer 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 has for its objects the simplifying the construction of door springs
more especially the kind used for swing doors & providing a secure and simple
method of connecting and disconnecting the springs as required and to construct
them so that they can be adjusted to retain the door partially open if
required.
In the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a spring constructed in accordance with the present
improvements for use on doors or gates shutting against a fixed stop & showing a
part of the door jamb upon which it is hinged being partly in section to show its
construction, & fittings, & connection therewith.
Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of a door jamb showing in full lines the door closed
the spring being extended and at rest, and in dotted lines the door partly opened
and the spring compressed.
Fig. 3 is an elevation of a part of a door jamb showing the plate j as fixed to the
jamb and in dotted lines the curved lever in the released position, and also, raised in
the position to hold the spring.
Fig. is a horizontal section of a spring similar to Fig. 2 but fitted in a tube
provided with an inlet valve and piston so that in opening a door air is drawn in
and acts as a buffer to prevent the door closing suddenly. Fig. 5 is a side elevation
of a similar spring with a pin or bolt to pass through the eye instead of the lever
as shown in Fig. 3, the spring is also shown contained in a case for fitting externally
to a door or a gate.
Fig. 6 is a horizontal section similar to Fig. 2 but showing the spring as fixed
externally to a door.
Fig. 7 is a horizontal section of a spring as constructed for swing doors, the full
lines showing the door at rest as held by the spring, the dotted lines show the door
moved inwards and outwards. Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the same partly in
séction.
Figs. 9 and 10 are end views of c and j.
0
Fig. 11 is a view of the box j with the plate removed showing the circular
slot which is cut out to permit of the clutch n being rotated sufficiently to clear
the stop fand with it the spindle p. The spindle p is turned down at each end to a
shoulder to form a pivot which fits into a corresponding hole in the circular plate j
thereby preventing it moving in a lateral direction, but when rotated by means of
a key or screwdriver it will cause the clutch n to travel along the square spindle
by reason of the spindle p having a screw thread on it which fits into a corresponding
internal thread provided in the clutch n, it will be seen that by turning the spindle p
and thereby moving the clutch n away from the centre line, the door may be kept
partially open, another advantage of the spindle p is to adjust the spring so that the
door will swing to its proper position. The ends of the square spindle o are recessed
into the circular plates ¹ so that by revolving the circular plates the square
spindle o is caused to revolve with it and turn the clutch n clear of the stop f
A is the door and B the door jamb or post to which it is hinged a is a helical

page_text: spring which is let into a hole bored in the edge of the hanging style of the door
to receive it the spring being confined in this hole or mortise by means of the plate c
which is let into and screwed to the edge of the hanging style, through the centre
of the spring a, a cord d is passed the end e e, of which is flexible by being formed
of plate links or woven wires, or other convenient methods, an eye piece or stop ƒ“
is loosely connected or pivoted to this end of the core d, the stop frests in a counter-
sink provided for it in the plate c and is thereby prevented from being drawn
through, at the other end of the core d a nut is provided to tighten and adjust
the spring, in this arrangement as illustrated the spring is compressed when a door
is opened, when I use a close coiled spring which is extended on opening a door,
the arrangement is somewhat varied, the spring has a loop provided at each end,
and is contained in a tube one end being fastened to the stop fand the other end to
the end of the tube, no core being required. The stop has a hole g at the outer
end through which passes the end h of the lever i pivoted at the back of the plate j
which is screwed to the hinge post B. In place of the lever i a straight pin or
bolt may be used and connected to the plate jor hinge post by means of a short
chain or cord. When the door is closed the end of the stop enters the plate j
at the opening & which is countersunk to prevent the stop passing right through,
and on the lever i being raised to the position as shown by the dotted lines the end h
enters the hole y in the stop in which condition the spring is connected with the
hinge pillar, on opening the door the spring is compressed as shown by the dotted
lines at A the flexible core e being drawn out, on the door being released the
reaction of the spring immediately closes it. When a close coiled spring is
used on opening the door the spring is extended and partly drawn through the
opening in the plate e the spring being sufficiently flexible, on the door being
released, the spring closes and immediately shuts it.
Figs. 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 show the improved spring as adapted to swing doors..
A is the door and B the hinge post. The plate or box c is curved or convex, and
the plate or box j concave to admit of the door moving inwards and outwards, the
plate e is recessed to receive two guide rollers or wheels m, the flexible end e of the
core passing over the one or the other according to which way the door is moved,
in the space between the two sides of the plate there is provided a cam or clutch n
through which passes a square spindle o which is capable of being rotated, a screwed
spindle p also passes through the clutch n, the hole in the clutch n being threaded
to receive it, two circular plates j₁ are recessed into the sides of the platej to carry
the clutch n and spindles o and p, the spindle o is threaded at each end and by
means of nuts gq the whole is held in position in the plate or box j, a part of the
sides of the plate or box j is cut away as shown at j to admit of the clutch n and
with it the screwed spindle p being rotated by means of the circular plates j
sufficiently to clear the stop f', a slot is provided in the sides of the plate or box j
through which the stop can pass when not held by the clutch n, when the
clutch n is in the position as shown at B Figs. 7 and 8 the stop is retained and
held and when the door which moves upon a pivot provided for the purpose at the
top & bottom in a line with the centre marked at ris moved in the directions as
shown by the dotted lines A' and A* the flexible core e is drawn out passing over
the rollers m, and the spring a is compressed, on the door being released, the
reaction of the spring brings the door into the position as illustrated at A, by rotating
the screwed spindle p the clutch n is moved either backwards or forwards, away
from the centre line and the door is kept partially open as indicated by the dotted
line A if the clutch n is rotated into the position as shown by the dotted lines n'
Fig. 8 the stop f₁ is free to pass in and out of the slot and the door will remain
in whatever position it is placed.
Although I have described and illustrated certain methods by which my invention
may be carried into effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not bind myself to
the precise details, the plates c and j may have to be varied to suit different doors
and gates and in some cases the adjustment spindle p may be dispensed with and
the clutch n varied.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is―
1. The improved door spring composed of parts constructed and fitted together
substantially as herein described.
2. The stop having an eye or hole through which a pin or bolt can be passed
to hold it firmly in position as and for the purposes set forth.
3. The stop f¹ constructed to be held in any desired position by means of
a revolving clutch or cam substantially as herein described.
4. The mechanism for adjusting the clutch n contained between the two circular
plates so as to revolve with the clutch n substantially as herein described.
5. The combination of the spring contained in a tube to form an air chamber or
cushion to prevent a slam or sudden closing of the door, thereby combining a door
spring and door check substantially as herein described.
Dated this 13th day of December 1894.
JAMES MATTHEW MATTHEWS.