IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRING HINGES FOR DOORS
Year: 1885

page_text: We JOHN SANDERS STEVENS and CHARLES GEORGE MAJOR of Janus Works
Queen's Road Battersea in the County of Surrey Engineers do hereby declare
the nature of our Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRING HINGES FOR DOORS,
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to that class of spring Hinges for Doors and Gates which
are fixed in the floor, and to combined hinges and checks for doors and gates,
where no closing springs are employed.
Our object is to construct a hinge, closing spring and check, or buffer, all in one
apparatus, applicable to both single and double acting doors, the apparatus being
fixed beneath the floor, and attached to the heel of the door in the usual manner.
We are enabled by the combination hereinafter described, to effect a complete
control over the door, when passing from the open to the closed position, so that
slamming is avoided; while on the other hand, the door cannot be blown open or
rocked by the wind. The apparatus is contained in a closed box, under the floor,
and the moving parts are efficiently protected from dust and dirt. The use of a
separate contrivance for closing or checking the closing of the door, in addition to
the hinges or butts is avoided, as well as the unsightly appearance of such when
attached, as is generally the case, to the door at some point above the floor line:
The way and manner in which we attain our object will be readily understood by
the following description. The door or gate has secured to its beel a metal shoe
which is mounted upon a short spindle or pivot in such a manner that the pivot
must turn with the door. The point of the pivot rests in a socket in the con-
taining box, and the head of the pivot projects through the cover of the box.
The spindle or pivot has near its lower end two arms, projecting in opposite
directions, and lying across, or at right angles to, the line of the door. These arms
are of peculiar form, for purposes hereinafter described. Within the containing
box previously mentioned a cylinder is fixed, open at the end farthest from the
pivot, but closed at the end nearest to the pivot, save for a hole through which a
piston rod passes. The centre line of the cylinder lies beneath, and parallel with,
the centre line of the door. The piston rod has secured to it a piston working
within the cylinder. The piston has holes through it for the passage of liquid.
A small valve of metal, leather, or other suitable substance is fitted to the piston
on the side toward the pivot, so arranged as to cover and close the holes in the
piston when in contact with it, but allowed a limited amount of freedom to permit
free passage of liquid when required.

page_text: A spiral or other spring is compressed within the cylinder between the piston
and the end of the containing box.
At some point in the side of the cylinder, in that part occupied by the spring,
and over which the piston does not pass, a hole is provided, giving free communi-
cation between that portion of the cylinder and the containing box: This opening
is protected by a piece of wire gauze, perforated metal, or other straining or
filtering device, to exclude chips, dirt, and other impurities from the cylinder. At
the end of the cylinder next the pivot, a projecting boss is provided, through
which a small hole is made in a horizontal direction, to afford passage for liquid
from the cylinder into the containing box.
Through the same boss another hole is made in a vertical direction, and inter-
secting the first. The vertical hole is divided into 3 sections, the lower one is
made with an internal thread for a screw, the middle section is conoidal and larger
at the top, the horizontal hole intersecting at the centre of this section, and the
upper section is plain and parallel, of a diameter equal to the larger end of the
centre section.
A screw is exactly fitted to this vertical hole, and when screwed home intercepts
the passage through the horizontal hole, but if screwed back gradually, opens a
passage round the conoidal portion to any desired extent.
The piston rod is at its outer end formed with a T head, to which is secured a
false head or rubbing piece, the lower portion of which is provided with a vertical
flat surface lying at right angles to the centre line of cylinder, and which surface
is forced by the spring into contact with the two arms of the pivot previously
described. As both arms of the pivot are in contact with the false head, the pivot
cannot be turned in either direction without forcing back the piston rod into the
cylinder, and the pivot is therefore held firmly in the central position, to the
extent of the strength of the spring.
The false head is formed with a rounded surface where in contact with the piston
rod head, and is secured thereto by two screws. By slackening either of the screws
and tightening the other, the false head may be thrown slightly out of line in either
direction, thereby changing the position of the arms of the pivot, and setting over
the point of the door to the required position, should the containing box, or the
shoe, have been fixed inaccurately. The containing box is filled with oil, glycerine,
spirits, solution of soft soap, or other suitable liquid, and a cover plate is secured
over the whole.
The action is as follows:-
If the door is opened in either direction, one or other of the pivot arms will
thrust back the piston rod into the cylinder, forcing back the piston and com-
pressing the spring behind it. . At the same time, liquid has flowed freely through
the piston into the end of the cylinder toward the pivot, filling this portion.
When the door is released, the spring pressing upon the piston drives it back
again; but this motion is opposed by the liquid behind the piston, for immediately
the piston commences to return, the valve closes automatically, and the entrapped
liquid can only escape through the small hole provided in the closed end of the
cylinder, its rate of escape being controlled by the vertical screw. A small
additional leakage also occurs past the piston and around the piston rod, but this
is unimportant, and with liquid possessing a fair amount of viscosity may be
neglected. The speed at which the piston rod is returned, and the door thereby.
closed, is therefore slow and it may be controlled and varied to meet varying
requirements.
While the piston is being returned by the spring, liquid is flowing into the spring
portion of the cylinder, through the crevices between the end of the cylinder and
the containing box, and through the gauze protected hole, filling it, ready for a
succeeding cycle of operations.
.
The peculiar form given to the arms of pivot, is such an one that as the door
moves from the closed position, a continually. decreasing movement is given to the
piston, for an equal or regular angular movement of the door, the result being

page_text: that less spring resistance to opening is met with in the open positions; and on the
other hand the greatest spring power of holding the door is given in the closed
position:
In the mechanism hereinbefore described, though the return motion of the piston
rod and false head is positively retarded and controlled, the motion of the door is
not so controlled, its connection with the piston rod is one of contact only; while
the piston is slowly returning to the normal or closed position, the door may be
closed by hand at a quicker rate. For the same reason, if the wind is blowing in
the direction in which the door is closing, it would carry the free door past the
centre, until the opposite pivot arm met the advancing piston rod, and the door
would then be closed from the opposite side in the face of the wind.
Again, when the piston commences to return under the influence of the spring,
it has a sensible amount of free movement during the instant of time occupied in
closing the valve. This takes the form of a quick impulse, which transmitted
through the pivot arm to the door, gives the latter an impetus which carries it
considerably in advance of the piston rod; when the impetus is exhausted the door
waits for the following piston rod, and is finally carried to the closed position.
These free movements of the door are objectionable, and we prevent them by
means of an interlocking device of two cams, put into practice as follows. We
provide the upper portion of the pivot with a third arm, projecting at right angles
to the other two, and pointing to the front of the door. From the underside of
this arm a pin projects downwards.
On the top of the false head of piston rod we provide two horizontal horns
embracing the pivot, and placed at the same height as the pin on the 3rd arm of
pivot. The form given to the horns is arranged as follows." As the pivot turns;
its lower arms give to the false head a linear motion at varying rates for a given
angular movement of pivot. At the same time the pin on third arm of pivot
describes a quarter circle, in a direction at first crossing the line of motion of the
false head, and finally coincident with it, with continually varying intermediate
relationships. The combined motions of the pin and the false head, will give the
path taken by the former relative to the latter; and this path is the form given to
each horn, so arranged that the pin shall travel round the outside of the horn.
The lower arms of the pivot and the flat surface of false head produce one cain
movement; the pin on third pivot arm and the horns of false head produce another
and distinct cam movement. So long as they both work together, all is free, but
if the door has any tendency to run away from the piston rod, the pin of the
3rd arm comes into collision with the horn, and the door cannot advance till the
piston rod has moved the horn forward out of the way; the horn is in fact a
continuous obstacle to the closing of the door, which obstacle is however removed
at the proper speed by the advancing piston rod.
We apply the same device to a single action door, but in that case omit one of
the horns, and extend the other slightly past the centre line of piston rod. We
also cut away one end of the flat face of the false head, so that only one of the
lower arms of pivot shall bear against it, and the door is held in the closed position,
by being pressed tightly against the rebate or other stop provided in the door
frame. In the single acting arrangement we sometimes construct the false head
and the piston rod in one piece, as the adjustment for alignment of door is not in
this case necessary.
The check apparatus without the spring may be applied to doors closed by other,
independent springs, or to doors devoid of springs, for the purpose of preventing
slamming by wind. For the latter purpose we bore the cylinder taper, so that the
piston fits only when the door is nearly closed, the earlier part of the movement
may then readily be made by hand.
We sometimes make the spring and check for double acting doors without the
horns on false head, for positions where there is but little wind or where a perfectly
free action of door is preferred.
..

page_text: The springs we sometimes construct of helical, coiled, conical, or other convenient
form. Any description of spring, worked either in compression or in tension, may
be used in connection with our invention, without in any way departing from its
spirit or nature.
The check apparatus is sometimes worked by means of air instead of liquid, and
in that case we make the piston and piston rod passage air-tight, with leather-,
fibrous-, india rubber, or any other of the usual packing materials.
The valve on piston may be instead placed on the end or side of the cylinder, the
liquid or air being admitted through holes in the cylinder, instead of through the
piston.
Another method of carrying out our invention consists in fixing to the door
spindle, a grooved cam of peculiar construction. The piston cross-head being
preferably formed with a loose roller which is made to travel in the before
mentioned groove, so that the checking device is coupled up to the cam, and the
door as a consequence is prevented from closing faster than the spring overcomes
the check; this arrangement can be used either for double or single acting doors
the spring being used either in tension or compression, and adjusting screws for
setting the door to the true closed position, being placed at the side of the cylinder.
We do not confine ourselves to the particular method of carrying out our invention
herein-before described, as the disposition of the spring, the form of the lower arms
of the pivot, the arrangement of the upper cam movement with its relationship to
the lower cam movement, and other details of construction may be modified
without departing from the matter and spirit of our invention.
We intend the word door throughout this specification and following claims, to
include doors, gates, windows, casements, trap-doors, lids, covers, &c.
We JOHN SANDERS STEVENS and CHARLES GEORGE MAJOR of Janus Works,
Queen's Road, Battersea, in the County of Surrey, Engineers do hereby declare the
nature of our Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRING HINGES FOR DOORS, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
.
This Invention relates to that class of Spring hinges for Doors and Gates, which
are fixed in the floor, and to combined hinges and checks for doors and gates, where
no closing springs are emploved.

page_text: We will proceed to explain the way and manner in which the same is carried
into effect, by means of the accompanying drawings, throughout which similar
letters of reference refer to similar parts.
,
The Spindle or Pivot A which is shewn in Fig. 1 attached to the door shoe, has
near its lower end two arms C C, See also Figs 2, 10, 11, projecting in opposite
directions and lying at right angles to the line of the door. Within the containing
box B, a cylinder F is fixed, open at the end furthest from the pivot, but closed
at the end nearest it, except the hole through which the piston rod E passes. The
centre line of the cylinder lies beneath and parallel with the centre line of the door.
The piston rod E has secured to it a piston I see Fig 2, working within the
cylinder F, the piston having ports or holes K K, in it for the passage of liquid
which is contained in the box B. A small valve L, which may be made of metal,
leather, india-rubber or other suitable substance is fitted on the piston on the side
toward the pivot so arranged as to cover the ports or holes K K; on piston I, when
in contact with it, but allowed a limited amount of freedom to permit free passage
of liquid when required. A spiral or other spring J is compressed within the
cylinder between the piston I, and the end of the containing box B.
At one point in the side of the cylinder, in that part occupied by the spring, but
over which the piston does not pass, a hole W, see Fig I is provided, giving free
communication between that portion of the cylinder F, and the containing box B.
This opening is protected by a piece of wire gauze, perforated metal, or similar
straining or filtering device, to exclude, chips, dirt and other impurities from the
cylinder.
At the end of the cylinder next the pivot, a projecting boss M is provided
through which a small hole N is made in a horizontal direction, to afford passage
for liquid or air from the cylinder into the containing box B. Through the same
boss another hole O, is made in a vertical direction, and intersecting the horizontal
hole N. the vertical hole O is divided into three sections, the lower section being
made with an internal thread for a screw, the middle section is conoidal, and larger
at the top, the horizontal hole N, intersecting at the centre of this section, and the
upper section is plain and parallel; of a diameter equal to the upper end of the
centre section. A screw P is exactly fitted to this vertical hole O, and when
screwed home intercepts the passage through the horizontal hole, but if screwed
back, opens a passage round the conoidal portion, and permits the outflow of the
liquid or air from cylinder F to be regulated to any desired extent. The piston
rod E bas at its outer end a T shaped head to which is secured a false head or
rubbing piece e, see Figs 1. 2. 12. 13, the lower portion of which is provided with
a vertical flat surface lying at right angles to the centre line of the cylinder, which
surface is forced by the spring J, into contact with the two arms C C of pivot A.
Both arms of the pivot being in contact with the false head, the pivot cannot be
turned in either direction, without forcing back the piston-rod into the cylinder,
therefore the pivot, and by means of the shoe, the door is held firmly in the central
position, to the extent of the strength of the spring J.
The false head e, see Figs 2 and 12, is formed with a rounded surface, where in
contact with the piston-rod head, and is secured thereto by two screws dd, By
slackening either one of the screws, and tightening the other, the false head e, may be
thrown slightly out of line in either direction, thereby changing the position of the
arms of the pivot, and setting over the point of the door to the required position,
should the containing box or shoe have been fixed inaccurately.
The containing box B is filled with oil, glycerine, spirits, solution of soft soap, or
other suitable liquid, or these may be omitted, air alone being used, and a cover
plate is fixed over the whole. The action is as follows, If the door is opened in
either direction, one or other of the pivot arms C C, will thrust back the piston
rod E into the cylinder F, forcing back the piston I and compressing the spring J
behind it. The liquid or air contained in box B, has now flowed freely through
the ports KK, in the piston I, into the end of the cylinder nearest the pivot,
tilling this portion of the cylinder. When the door is released, the spring J,

page_text: pressing upon the piston I, drives it back again, but this motion is opposed by the
liquid or air behind the piston, for immediately the piston commences to return;
the valve L covering the ports K K in piston I closes automatically; and the
entrapped liquid or air can only escape through the small horizontal hole N,
provided in the closed end of cylinder, its rate of escape being controlled by the
vertical screw P. A small amount of leakage takes place round the piston I, and
piston rod E, but this is unimportant, and with liquid possessing a fair amount of
viscosity may be neglected. The speed at which the piston rod is returned, and
the door thereby closed, is therefore slow, but it can be controlled and varied by
means of the vertical screw P, to meet any requirement. While the piston is being
returned by the spring, liquid or air is flowing into the spring portion of the
cylinder through the crevices between the end of the cylinder, and the containing
box and through the gauze protected hole W filling it ready for a succeeding cycle
of operations.
The peculiar form given to the arms of pivot is such that as the door moves from
the closed position, a continually decreasing movement is given to the piston, for
an equal or regular angular movement of the door, the result being that less spring
resistance to opening is met with in the open positions, and on the other hand the
greatest spring power of holding the door is given in the closed position. In the
mechanism hereinbefore described, though the return motion of the piston rod, and
false head is positively retarded and controlled, the motion of the door is not so
controlled, its connection with the piston rod is one of contact on one side only,
and while the piston is slowly returning to the normal or closed position, the door
may be closed by hand at a quicker rate. For the same reason if the wind is
blowing in the direction in which the door is closing it would carry the free door
past the centre until the opposite pivot arm; met the advancing piston rod and the
door would then be closed from the opposite side in the face of the wind. Again
when the piston commences to return under the influence of the spring, it has a
sensible amount of free movement, during the instant of time occupied in closing
the valve. This takes the form of a quick impulse, which transmitted through the
pivot arm to the door gives the latter an impetus which carries it considerably in
advance of the piston rod. When the impetus is exhausted the door waits for the
following piston rod and is finally carried to the closed position. These inde-
pendent movements of the door are objectionable, and we prevent them by means
of an interlocking device, constructed in the following manner. The upper portion
of the door pivot A Figs 1, 2, 10, 12 is provided with a third arm c, projecting at
right angles to the other arms C C and pointing towards the front of the door.
From the underside of this arm a pin a, projects downwards. On the top of the
false head e, of piston rod E we provide two horizontal horns bb, see Figs 12, 13
embracing the pivot A, and placed at the same height as the pin a, on the third
arm c.
The form given to the horns is arranged as follows. As the pivot A turns,
its lower arms CC give to the false head e, a linear motion at varying rates for
a constant angular velocity of pivot A, at the same time the pin a, on third arm
of pivot describes a quarter circle, in a direction at first crossing the line of motion
of the false head, and finally coincident with it, with continually varying inter-
inediate relationships. The combined motions of the pin a, and the false head e,
will give the path taken by the former with regard to the latter, and the form
given to each horn b, is represented by this path, and is such that the pin a, on
the third arm c, shall travel round the outside of the horn b. The lower arm C C,
of pivot A, and the flat surface of the false head e, produce one cam movement,
and the pin on the third pivot arm C, and the horns bb, of false bead produce
another and distinct cam movement. So long as they both work together all is
free, but if the door has any tendency to run away from the piston rod E, the
pin a, of the third arm c, comes into collision with the horn b, and. the door
cannot advance till the piston rod has moved the horn forward out of the way.
The horn is in fact a continuous obstacle to the closing of the door, which obstacle

page_text: is however removed at the proper speed by the advancing piston-rod. We apply
the same device to a single acting door, but in that case, See Fig 3 we omit one of
the horns b, and extend the other slightly past the centre line of the piston rod
We also cut away one end of the flat face of false head e, so that only one of the
lower arms C, of pivot A shall bear against it, and the door is held in the closed
position by being pressed tightly against the rebate or other stop provided in the
door frame. The drawing shews the false head e, and the piston rod E constructed
in one piece, as no adjustment for alignment is needed in this case. The check
apparatus without the spring J, may be applied to doors closed by other inde-
pendent springs or to doors devoid of springs, for the purpose of preventing
slamming by wind. In this case we bore the cylinder taper see Fig 14, so that
the piston fits only, when the door is nearly closed.
The closing springs may be spiral, helical, coiled, conical, or other convenient
form, and they can be used either in compression or tension. Fig 2, shews the
spiral spring J, worked in compression, and Fig 4 the same in tension. The liquid
used for checking the too sudden closing of the door may also be replaced by air.
Fig 7 shews the arrangement we employ, in this case the piston rod E passes
through a gland or stuffing box g, and the piston is formed with a cup or collar i,
made of leather, or other suitable material, in other respects the arrangement is the
same as already described.
If more convenient the valve L on piston I may be placed on the end or side of
cylinder Figs 5 and 6 shew the arrangement we prefer to adopt in such a case,
Lis the valve K the inlet port through which the liquid or air is drawn into the
cylinder, N is the outlet the area of which is regulated by the setscrew P, as
previously described.
We do not confine ourselves to the particular methods of carrying out our
invention herein before described, as the disposition of the spring the form of the
lower arms of the pivot, the arrangement of the upper cam movement, with its
relationship to the lower cam movement, and other details of construction may be
modified without departing from the matter and spirit of our invention. For
instance two obvious methods of varying the cams are shewn; in Figs.8 and 9.
By these arrangements we are enabled to effect a complete control over the door
while dispensing with the false head e, and the third arm c, the locking pin a,
being replaced by a roller a studded on to the end of the piston rod E which is
forked to receive it. In both cases the door pivot A, has only one arm C, of a cam
shape having a groove in which the locking roller a, travels. It will be seen that
the door cannot run away from the checking device contained in the cylinder F
which is identical with those already described.
In both these arrangements we prefer to place the screws d d, for adjusting the
alignment of the door, at the side of the box B and to pivot the cylinders to the
end of the box as at x.
The springs can be arranged for working in tension, or compression, as may be.
most convenient, or they can be dispensed with, if the modifications be used for
checking doors closed by independent springs, or having no closing springs at all.
We intend the word door throughout this specification and claims following to
include doors, gates, windows, casements, trapdoors, lids, covers &c.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is
1st The combination of a double acting spring hinge, and liquid or air check
operated by the door pivot, the lower arms, false head, and horns, the adjustable
set screws, piston rod and piston, having ports, and valve, the closing spring,
working in cylinder, said cylinder being titted with a gauze covered inlet hole,
exit hole, and adjusting screw, above named working parts together with any kind
of liquid or air, used as a check, being contained in a dirt tight box, fitted with

page_text: cover, fixed beneath the floor substantially as described, and for the purposes
set forth.
2nd In the above combination the upper or third arm, and locking pin, the two
horns and the set screws in piston head for adjusting alignment of door substan-
tially as described and set forth.
3rd The combination of a single acting spring hinge, and liquid or air check,
constructed as described in claim 1, but having only one arm one horn, and no
false head, liquid or air being used in cylinder as a check, the whole being
contained in a dust tight box, fitted under floor, substantially as set forth.
4 The combination in a double, or single action spring hinge and check or a
hinge and check, of the inlet valve, fitted to cylinder end or piston having exit
hole and setscrew substantially as shewn, and for the purposes set forth.
5 In a combined spring hinge and liquid or air check, the application and use
of the gauze strainer for excluding dirt from the cylinder, and the intersecting
holes and set screw, for controlling the exit of liquid or air substantially as
set forth.
6 In a combined spring hinge and check, the interlocking device of two cam
movements formed by the lower arm or arms, and the false head and the upper
or third arm, and horns or horn for curbing the free movement of the door substan-
tially as set forth.
7 In a combined spring hinge and check, or hinge and check only, applicable
to double or single action doors, the interlocking device of the grooved arm,
substantially as described and for the purposes set forth.
8 In any of the modifications described, the arrangement permitting the closing
spring to work in tension, substantially as set forth.
9 The use of the apparatus set forth in any of the preceding claims the closing
spring being omitted, thereby constituting the apparatus a combined hinge and slam
check only, as set forth.
10 In a combined spring hinge and air check the stuffing box and leather
packed piston operated in the way and manner, and for the purposes described and
set forth.
Dated June 12th, 1885.
Witness:
JAMES E. CURRIE,
33, Auckland Road,
Battersea Rise, S. W.
FRANCIS MURRAY ROGERS,
Applicants' Agent.