IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRING AND OTHER HINGES FOR DOORS AND GATES"
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Patrick O'Connor, of Wavertree, in the County of
Lancaster, Door Hinge Manufacturer, for the Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS
IN SPRING AND OTHER HINGES FOR DOORS AND GATES"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Patrick O'Connor at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th February 1877
PATRICK O'CONNOR, of Wavertree, in the County of Lancaster, Door Hinge
Manufacturer "IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRING AND OTHER HINGES FOR DOORS AND
GATES"
My Invention relates principally to sub-floor and sub-way hinges for auto-
matically closing doors and gates when such doors and gates are left free, and has
for its object to provide a spring hinge which shall be compact and durable, and in
which the spring or springs may be easily removed and replaced or adjusted as to
tension, when desired, without taking or removing the door or gate The con-
nection from the hinge to the door or gate allows of freely regulating the position
of the said door or gate when closed The sud Invention also relates to an
improved construction of top, centre, and socket for doors or gates.
First As means for obtaining a compact spring hinge suitable for use where the
depth available for fixing the hinge beneath the door is small, I place the spring
or springs horizontally in a box beneath the door The bottom centre of the door
is formed with an eccentric crank or vee piece, fitting into a notch or recess in a
sliding piece which rests against the sping or springs The turning of the door on
its centie causes the eccentric crank or vee piece to leave the notch or recess by
forcing the sliding piece against the spring or springs, so as to compress it or them
The spring or springs are adjusted as to tension by a sliding nut operated by a set
screw It will be observed that the spring or springs and working parts can be
easily removed by taking off the cover of the box.
Second As further means for obtaining a spring hinge suitable for floors, where
greater depth is available than in the case described under the first part, and in
which the length of the spring shall not be cramped, I employ two rising and
falling pieces working vertically in guides one in front of the other. The spring

page_text: to be compessed rests on the front rising and falling piece The back rising and
falling pei forins & cam, and is operated by a roller on the bottom centre of the
door The motion of the back rising and falling piece is communicated to the
front sing and falling piece through a rocking lever or levers
Third As means for removing and replacing the spring or springs in hinges, con-
structed as described under the above second head, I place the said spring or springs
such a distance in front of the operating mechanism that when the door or gate is
opened the said spring or springs shall be underneath the floor in a position fiec
from the said door or gate, part of the top of enclosing box is made removable so
as to allow of access to the said spring or springs
Fourth. As means for adjusting the tension of springs in hinges, constructed as
above described under the second head, I form part of the top of the hinge box
removable and fit the top cap against which the spring or springs rest in guides,
and adjust the position of such cap by screws or nuts
Fifth As means for connecting the said hinge to the door or gate, in such manner
that the position of the door may be regulated at will, I form the operating spindle
or bottom centre of the hinge where it is secured to the shoe of the door or gate
with two projections or lugs, one on each side, and employ two Bet BCICws screwed
m shoe of the door or gate at the same side thereof to abut against the said lugs
By this arrangement the position of the door o gato can be regulated, and any
Black between the shoe and the head of the hinge is taken up by the set screws
Sixth As means for removing the operating parts of the hinge without having
to remove the lunge box secured beneath the door or gate, in hinges constructed in
accordance with the second part, I fit the said operating parts and bearings in a
separate framework which fits freely into the said box and may be removed there-
from when necessary
Seventh. As means for guiding and steadying the top centre or hinge of a door
when being raised and lowered, as well as to obtain greater rigidity when in
position, I prolong the upper stem of the said centio and carry it through a guiding
fiame
Eighth As means for more effectually and easily oiling the top centre and socket
I provide the bolding flange or strap of the socket which fits along the top of the
door with an oiling groove
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Patrick O'Connor in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 10th August
1877
PATRICK O'CONNOR, of Wavertree, in the County of Lancaster, Door Hinge
Manufacturer IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRING AND OTHER HINGES FOR DOORS AND
GATES"
"
My Invention relates principally to sub-floor and sub-way hinges for auto-
matically closing doors and gates when such doors and gates are left fiec, and has
for its object to provide a spring hinge which shall be compact and durable, and in
which the spring or springs may be easily removed and replaced or adjusted as to
tension, when desued, without taking down or removing the door or gate The
connection from the hinge to the door or gate allows of ficely regulating the position
of the sad door or gate when closed The said Invention also relates to an improved
construction of top centic and socket for doors of gates
Fust As means for obtaining a compact spung hinge suitable for use where the
depth available for fixing the hinge beneath the door is small, I place the spring
or springs horizontally in a box beneath the door The bottom centro of the door
is formed with an eccentric crank or vee piece, fitting into a notch or recess in a
sliding piece which iests against the spring or springs. The turning of the door on

page_text: its centres causes the eccentric clank on vee piece to leave the notch or recess by
forcing the sliding piece against the spring or springs, so as to compress it or them.
The spring or springs are adjusted as to tension by a sliding nut operated by a set
SCICW It will be observed that the spring or spungs and working parts can be
easily removed by taking off the cover of the box
Second As fuither means for obtaining a spring hinge suitable for floors where
greater depth is available than in the case described under the first part, and in
which the length of the spring shall not be cramped, I employ two rising and
falling pieces working vertically in guides one in fiont of the other The spring
The back rising and
to be compressed rests on the fiont ising and falling prece
falling piece forms a cam, and is operated by a 1olle on the bottom centre of the
doo1 The motion of the back rising and falling piece is communicated to the front
rising and falling piecc through a locking lever or levers
Thud As means for removing and replacing the spring or springs in hinges, con-
structed as described under the above second head, I place the said spring or springs
such a distance in front of the operating mechanisin that when the door or gate is
opened the said spring or springs shall be underneath the floor in a position fiee
from the said door or gate, part of the top of enclosing box is made removable so
as to allow of access to the said spring or springs
Fourth As means for adjusting the tension of spungs in hinges, constructed as
above described under the second head, I forin pait of the top of the hinge box
removable, and fit the top cap against which the spring or springs rest in guides;
and adjust the position of such cap by screws or nuts
Fifth As means for connecting the said hinge to the door or gate, in such manner
that the position of the door may be regulated at will, I form the operating spindlo
or bottom centre of the hinge where it is secured to the shoe of the door or gate
with two projections or lugs, one on each side, and employ two set screws screwed
in shoe of the door or gate at the same side thereof to abut against the said luga
By this arrangement the position of the door or gate can be regulated, and any
slack between the shoe and the head of the hinge is taken up by the set screws
Sixth As means for removing the operating parts of the hinge without having
to remove the hinge box secured beneath the door or gate, in hinges constructed in
accordance with the second part, I fit the said operating parts and bearings in a
separate framework which fits freely into the said box and may be removed there-
from when necessary
Seventh. As means for guiding and steadying the top centre or hinge of a door
when being raised and lowered, as well as to obtain greater rigidity when in
position, I prolong the upper stem of the said centre and cally it through a guiding
fiame
Eighth As means for more effectually and easily oiling the top centre and socket
I provide the holding flange or strap of the socket which fits along the top of the
door with an oiling groove.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a plan view, and Fig 2 an elevation of a hinge constructed in accordance
with the first part of my Invention, a, hinge box, which is secured beneath the

page_text: the door is opened, r, levers for conveying motion from the piece m to the piece m².
The dotted lines show the position of the parts when the door is opened, r¹, cap,
free to slide in the grooves s and adjusted as to position by the screws t, thereby
regulating the tension of the spring o The bottom centre 7 is formed with two
lugs u, which fit into the shoe vat the bottom of the door or gate, the position of
the shoe is adjusted by means of the two set screws w pressing on the lugs u
Figs 5 and 6 illustrate the seventh and eighth parts of my Invention, is the
top centre carried through the frame y both above and below, z, adjusting screw
the dotted lines show the position when the door is in place, 2¹ is the strap fitting
along the top of the door, is the oiling groove
'
Having now described the nature of the said Invention in such manner that
others will be enabled to carry my improvements into effect, I claim,
First The improvements in hinges, substantially as described and illustrated
under the first part
Second Operating the sliding piece of a spring hinge by a crank or vee piece on
the bottom centre of the door, substantially as set forth and illustrated
Third The improvements in hinges, substantially as described and illustrated
under the second part.
Fourth. The arrangements of parts, substantially as described and illustrated
under the thud part.
Fifth The means of adjusting the tension of springs in hinges, substantially as
described and illustrated under the fourth part.
Sixth The improved anangement of adjustable shoe, substantially as described
and illustrated under the fifth part
Seventh The improvements in hinges, substantially as described under the sixth
part
Eighth. The improved means for steadying the top centre, substantially as set
forth and illustrated under the seventh part
Ninth The improved means for oiling the top centre, substantially as set forth
and illustrated under the eighth part
In witness whereof, I, the said Patrick O'Connor, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eighth day of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-seven