Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Dec., 1886.
Complete Left, 16th Sept., 1887
Complete Accepted, 18th Oct., 1887
We, HENRY ALONZO HOUSE and HENRY ALONZO HOUSE jr. both of Bridgeport
in the State of Connecticut, United States of America, Machinists, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows :-
Our invention relates to door buffers and consists of a door buffer constructed in
two parts, either of which may be applied to the door or frame, to come in contact
with the other and constructed as fully set forth hereinafter, so that the movement of
the door will not be resisted in opening, and will only be resisted when the door is
closed quickly, and at the termination of its closing movement.
One part of the apparatus consists essentially of a cylinder containing glycerine,
oil or other liquid and provided with a piston, and piston rod extending through the
cylinder, the other part being an arm which will make contact with the piston rod.
When the cylinder is supported on the door frame, and the contact arm or piece
upon the door, the cylinder may be immovably fixed to a bracket which supports it,
or the said bracket may be provided with arms with bearings for trunnions projecting
from the cylinder which can swing upon the trunnions, or the piston rod may be hung
between the arms, the cylinder in this case sliding upon the piston and both swinging
upon the pivot or trunnions by which the piston rod is connected with the arms.
The parts are relatively so arranged upon the door and frame, and so constructed and
proportioned that the part carried by the door will swing freely with the latter and
will only make contact with the part carried by the frame as the door approaches the
completion of its movement in closing, and when this contact is made, the piston is
caused to traverse the cylinder and the fluid is forced from one side of the piston
to the other through a contracted orifice, which restricts the flow to such an extent
as to diminish the speed at which the piston can move, the contact piece being
provided with an inclined face, so that the part carried by the door cannot move
inward with the door until the piston has travelled to a certain extent along the
cylinder, the closing of the door being thus limited or reduced in speed to accord
with the slow travel of the piston, its sudden slamming is prevented. At the same
time although the piston can travel but slowly, it will move with but a nominal
resistance when there is no sudden application of power, and will there not prevent

page_text: As the
closing of the door under very slight pressures when it moves slowly.
contact piece is not directly connected to the piston or piston rod, it has no action upon
the piston or piston rod which will resist the opening of the door, so that after the
two parts have been separated from contact, the piston will resume its first position,
either by its weight or by the weight of the cylinder or by the action of a spring
arranged within the cylinder and bearing against the piston to lift the same when the
two parts of the buffer pass from contact.
By thus making the buffer in two parts, so that there is no action to resist the
movement of the door until it is about to close, we avoid any impediment to the move-
ments of the door except just when it is closing, we practically avoid any resistance to
the closing of the door when it is moving slowly, or when it is open whether it moves
slowly or quickly.
As it would be impossible to move the piston in the cylinder if the latter was com-
pletely filled with liquid, and the piston rod is at but one side of the piston, we either
extend the piston rod through both ends of the cylinder, or we preferably provide an
air chamber within the cylinder within which the air is confined and compressed or
relieved by the flow of the fluid to and from the same as may result from the
introduction of the piston rod to a greater or less extent within the cylinder. We
prefer to use the air chamber, as it not only permits the movement of the piston but
also acts as a slightly yielding cushion to reduce the impact of one part of the buffer
against the other, when they first make contact on the very sudden closing of the door
and as it also permits a slight movement of the piston independently of the flow of the
fluid past it, and will thus avoid the breakage of the parts, which otherwise might
result upon the application of sudden and excessive power to the door.
The air chamber may be formed by leaving a portion of the cylinder unoccupied
by liquid, or by the use of a piston with the air chamber formed within the same and
open at the bottom.
The parts may be differently constructed to permit a flow of the liquid from one
side to the other of the piston. For instance the piston may be slightly smaller than
the diameter of the cylinder, and the cylinder may contract in diameter so as to result
in a gradual contracting of the liquid passage as the piston completes its movement.
The same result may be obtained by making a longitudinal channel or passage in the inner
face of the cylinder of gradually decreasing depth, or the cylinder may be provided
with an enlargement on one side thereof, through which a passage is formed so as to
communicate with the opposite ends of the cylinder. In this instance a screw provided
with a tapering end projects into the passage and controls the flow of liquid there-
through by proper adjustment. In a modification of the device the piston. is a
rocking one, having a passage formed therein and extends from one side of the piston
rod which rocks in a cylinder, divided by means of a radial wing or partition while
an arm extending from the piston rod makes contact with a contact plate upon the
door, or with the edge of the door itself.
We prefer to provide the piston with a valve so that fluid will pass through a
contracted passage as the piston moves in one direction when the door is closed, but
will have an extended passage when the piston moves in the reverse direction upon
the opening of the door.
In one construction for effecting this result the piston has an annular seat at the
periphery, to which is adapted a ring valve slightly less in diameter than the diameter
of the interior of the cylinder, and having an opening larger in diameter than that portion
of the piston encircled by the ring, pins or shoulders being arranged as supports for
the ring when the latter is away from the valve case. When the ring rests upon the
support and the piston rises, the liquid can pass freely between the inner edge of the
ring and the piston so that no resistance results to the lifting of the piston, and when
the piston descends very slowly when the door is slowly closed, the liquid can also pass
freely without resistance. When, however, the piston is thrown quickly downward,
the resistance of the liquid causes the valve to take its position upon the seat, and the
piston can then pass downward only as fast as the liquid can flow between the edge of
the valve and the inner face of the cylinder. It will be evident that the valve may be

page_text: otherwise constructed to remain normally open when the piston moves slowly in either
direction, but to close upon a sudden movement in one direction.
When the cylinder is hung so as to swing upon trunnions, or suspended, it is used
in connection with a pivoted contact arm hung to the bracket, connected to the sliding
piston rod or cylinder, and extended to a position to make contact with the contact-
piece the swinging of the cylinder permitting it to accomodate itseft to the swinging
movement necessarily resulting from the connection with the arm.
To reduce friction the contacting parts may be provided with anti-friction
rollers.
By curving the contact piece or the contact arm we prevent too sudden a movement
of the piston and reduce the shock of the contact, and by arranging and constructing
the parts so that there is no tendency of one to rise over the other when the door is
closed, we avoid any tendency of the door to open after it is closed and any resistance
to its free opening.
Dated this 22nd day of December 1886
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
55 and 56, Chancery Lane, London,
Agent for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Door Checks or Buffers.
We, HENRY ALONZO HOUSE and HENRY ALONZO HOUSE Jr. both of Bridgeport
in the State of Connecticut, United States of America, Machinists, 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:
Our invention relates to door buffers and consists of a door buffer constructed in
two parts, either of which may be applied to the door or frame, to come in contact
with the other and constructed as fully set forth hereinafter, so that the movement of
the door will not be resisted in opening, and will only be resisted when the door is
closed quickly, and at the termination of its closing movement.
To clearly explain the nature of our invention reference is made to the accompanying
drawings in which :-
--
Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing part of a door and frame provided with our
improved buffer.

page_text: Fig. 2 is an enlarged side view showing another construction of buffer applied to
the door and frame.
Fig. 3 is a face elevation in part section of Fig. 2.
Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a door and buffer, differently constructed and arranged
from those shown in the other views, but embodying the invention.
Fig. 5 is a part sectional elevation of Fig. 4.
Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are sectional views illustrating modifications.
One part of the apparatus consists essentially of a cylinder A, containing glycerine,
oil, or other liquid, and provided with a piston B, and piston rod C, extending through
the cylinder, the other part being an arm D, which will make contact with the piston
rod. One of these parts is arranged upon the door and the other upon the frame.
In Figs. 1, 2 and 3 the cylinder is shown as supported by the frame, and the contact
arm or piece as supported by the door. In Figs. 4 and 5 the cylinder is shown as
supported by the door, while the contact piece is supported by the frame. The
cylinder may be immovably fixed to a bracket 2, which supports it, or the said bracket
may be provided with arms 3, with bearings for trunnions 4, projecting from the
cylinder, which can swing upon the trunnions, or the piston rod may be hung between
the arms 3, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the cylinder in this case sliding upon the piston,
and both swinging upon the pivot or trunnions 4, by which the piston rod is connected
with the arms 3.
The parts are relatively so arranged upon the door and frame, and so constructed
and proportioned that the part carried by the door will swing freely with the latter
and will only make contact with the part carried by the frame as the door approaches
the completion of its movement in closing and when this contact is made the piston is
caused to traverse tho cylinder and the fluid is forced from one side of the piston to
the other through a contracted orifice, which restricts the flow to such an extent as to
diminish the speed at which the piston can move, the contact piece being provided
with an inclined face, so that the part carried by the door cannot move inward with
the door until the pistou has travelled to a certain extent along the cylinder, the
closing of the door being thus limited or reduced in speed to accord with the slow
travel of the piston, its sudden slamming is prevented. At the same time although
the piston can travel but slowly, it will move with but a nominal resistance when
there is no sudden application of power, and will therefore not prevent closing of the
door under very slight pressures when it moves slowly. As the contact piece is not
directly connected to the piston or piston rod, it has no action upon the piston or
piston rod which will resist the opening of the door, so that after the two parts have
been separated from contact, the piston will resume its first position, either by its
weight or by the weight of the cylinder as in Figs. and 3, or by the action of a
spring G, Fig. 5, arranged within the cylinder and bearing against the piston to lift
the same when the two parts of the buffer pass from contact.
By thus making the buffer in two parts, so that there is no action to resist the
movement of the door until it is about to close, we avoid any impediment to the
movements of the door except just when it is closing, we practically avoid any
resistance to the closing of the door when it is moving slowly, or when it is open
whether it moves slowly or quickly.
As it would be impossible to move the piston in the cylinder if the latter was
completely filled with liquid, and the piston rod is at but one side of the piston, we
either extend the piston rod through both ends of the cylinder as shown in Fig. 1, or
we preferably provide an air chamber within the cylinder within which the air is
confined and compressed or relieved by the flow of the fluid to and from the same as
may result from the introduction of the piston rod to a greater or less extent within
the cylinder. We prefer to use the air chamber, as it not only permits the movement
of the piston but also acts as a slightly yielding cushion to reduce the impact of one
part of the buffer against the other, when they first make contact on the very sudden
closing of the door and as it also permits a slight movement of the piston indepen-
dently of the flow of the fluid past it, and will thus avoid the breakage of the parts,

page_text: which otherwise might result upon the application of sudden and excessive power to
the door.
The air chamber may be formed by leaving a portion of the cylinder unoccupied by
liquid as in Fig. 6, or by the use of a piston with the air chamber X, formed within
the same and open at the bottom, as in Figs. 2 and 5.
The parts may be differently constructed to permit a flow of the liquid from one
side to the other of the piston. For instance the piston may be slightly smaller than
the diameter of the cylinder, as shown in Fig. 6, and the cylinder may contract in
diameter as shown in said Figure, so as to result in a gradual contracting of the
liquid passage, as the piston completes its movement. The same result may be
obtained by making a longitudinal channel or passage in the inner face of the
cylinder of gradually decreasing depth as in Fig. 7, or the cylinder may be provided
with an enlargement t, on one side thereof, through which the passage a is formed so
as to communicate with the opposite ends of the cylinder, as shown in Fig. 4. In this
instance a screw u provided with a tapering end projects into the passage and controls
the flow of liquid therethrough by proper adjustment. In Fig. 8 we have shown the
piston B, as perforated to form the passage. In this case the piston is a rocking one
and extends from one side of the piston rod which rocks in the cylinder, which is
divided by means of a radial wing or partition 9, an arm 10, extending from the
piston rod to make contact with a contact plate D, upon the door, or with the edge of
the door itself.
We prefer to provide the piston with a valve so that fluid will pass through a
contracted passage as the piston moves in one direction when the door is closed, but
will have an extended passage when the piston moves in the reverse direction upon the
opening of the door.
One construction for effecting this result is shown in Figs. 3 and 5, in which the
piston B, has an annular seat y, at the periphery, to which is adapted a ring valve 12,
slightly less in diameter than the diameter of the interior of the cylinder, and having
an opening v, larger in diameter than that portion w, of the piston encircled by the
ring, pins or shoulders 13, being arranged as supports for the ring when the latter is
away from the valve case. When the ring rests upon the support 13, and the piston
rises, the liquid can pass freely between the inner edge of the ring and the piston so
that no resistance results to the lifting of the piston, and when the piston descends
very slowly when the door is slowly closed, the liquid can also pass freely without
resistance. When, however, the piston is thrown quickly downward, the resistance of
the liquid causes the valve to take its position upon the seat y, and the piston can then
pass downward only as fast as the liquid can flow between the edge of the valve and
the inner face of the cylinder. It will be evident that the valve may be otherwise
constructed to remain normally open when the piston moves slowly in either direction,
but to close upon a sudden movement in one direction.
When the cylinder is hung so as to swing upon trunnions or suspended as shown in
Figs. 2 and 3, it is used in connection with a pivoted contact arm E, hung to the
bracket 2, connected to the sliding piston rod or cylinder, and extended to a position
to make contact with the contact piece D, the swinging of the cylinder permitting it
to accommodate itself to the swinging movement necessarily resulting from the
connection with the arm E.
To reduce friction the contacting parts may be provided with anti-friction
rollers 15.
By curving the contact piece D, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, or the contact arm E,
as shown in Fig. 3, we prevent too sudden a movement of the piston and reduce the
shock of the contact and by arranging and constructing the parts so that there is no
tendency of one to rise over the other when the door is closed, we avoid any
tendency of the door to open after it is closed and any resistance to its free
opening.
We do not limit ourselves to the precise construction and arrangement of parts
shown.

page_text: 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 :-
1. The combination with a door and frame, of a contact piece carried by one of
said parts, and a cylinder carried by the other, and a piston and piston rod uncon-
nected with the door or frame and arranged to make contact with the contact piece as
the door closes, a circulating passage around or through the piston, and a liquid in the
cylinder, substantially as set forth.
2. The combination in a door buffer, of a cylinder containing a liquid, and provided
with a piston, piston rod, and contracted passage through which the liquid may flow
from one side to the other of the piston, and with an air chamber confining a body of
air, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
3. The combination of the door buffer, cylinder, piston rod, and piston, recessed
to form an air chamber, with a passage for the flow of the liquid from one side to
the other of the piston, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
4. The combination of the suspended buffer cylinder, provided with a piston,
piston rod and liquid passage and a pivoted arm connected to the piston and
arranged to make contact with an independent contact arm, substantially as set forth.
5. The combination of the buffer cylinder, piston rod, piston having a peripheral
valve seat, a ring valve, adapted to said seat, loosely encircling the piston and
sinaller in diameter than the cylinder, and carried by the piston, substantially as set
forth.
6. The combination of the cylinder, containing a liquid, a piston rod, piston, and
valve arranged to partly close the passage for the Huid from one side of the piston to
the other and to normally occupy a position away from its seat, substantially as set
forth.
Dated this 16th day of Santambor 1887
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
55 and 56, Chancery Lane, London,
Agent for the Applicants.