Improvements in Concealed Hinges.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 19th June, 1894-Accepted, 28th July, 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Concealed Hinges.
1, ALFRED AUGUSTUS OAT, Sr., citizen of the United States, residing at the
City of Philadelphia, in the County of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania,
United States of America, Mechanical Expert, 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, that is to say :—
"1
"
My invention relates to a novel form of hinge for "hanging or "suspending
doors, shutters, lids or other similar articles, which improved hinges will be
concealed or invisible when the door or lid is closed and will not project beyond
the face or surface of the door or article so “hung" or "suspended"; and is
hereinafter described with reference to the annexed drawings, in which similar
letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the views:-
Figure 1 is a longitudinal elevation E F, GH, of one of my improved hinges,
having flat or straight "leaves" opened and as it will appear when in use
with the door or lid to which it may be attached swung open, and the two leaves
connected by the double segmental curved link e, the dotted lines showing parts of
the door and frame.
Figure 2, a longitudinal side elevation of my hinge, Figure 1, looking from G
toward H and open.
Figure 3, a transverse section on line G H of Figure 1, above the sockets i
and on line B C of Figure 2; one of my hinges being attached to a door, shutter
or lid band frame a, and swung open.
Figure 4 is a transverse section on same line as in Figure 3, but with the door,
shutter or lid and hinge closed.
Figure 5, a vertical longitudinal elevation E F, G H, of one of my hinges open,
and looking from B and D toward A of Figure 3, being the reverse view of
Figure 1.
Figure 6, a longitudinal elevation of one of my concealed hinges closed and
having its double segmental curved link e connected with the sockets of the
leaves by means of springs ff, which by their elasticity will close the door to
which the hinge is fitted after it is opened and released.
Figure 7, a detail plan view of one of my double segmental curved links e, with
the springs ff.
Figure 8, a detail longitudinal elevation D B of Figure 7.
Figure 9, a plan view of one of my concealed hinges having curved leaves g g'.
Figure 10, another view of Figure 6 from which the springs ff have been
omitted.
In all the figures, except Figures 1 and 10, I have shown the springs ƒ ƒ³,
f having one end attached to the walls of the socket i of my hinge, the other end
of said spring being attached to one half part of the double segmental curved
link e; the other spring having one end attached to the walls of the socket i,
and the other end attached to the other half part of the double segmental curved
link e; the springs ff being shown in solid lines in Figures 2, 5, 6 and 8; and in
dotted lines in Figures 3, 4, 7 and 9.
Any suitable form of spring may be substituted for the spiral springs fƒ¹ shown,
but I prefer the latter.
If either of the springs for are omitted the door or article will only
partially close automatically when opened and released; if both springs f
and are omitted the door or other article 6 will not close automatically, but
must be closed by hand or other suitable means.

page_text: "
"
"
Heretofore hinges have been composed of two "leaves," cach having one or
more projecting tubes or "barrels on their adjoining edges, said
barrels
being alternate, gearing into each other and connected by a pin or pivot which
passus longitudinally through them; or in the case of “butt hinges, by a barrel
on the edge of one leaf and a projecting pin on the adjoining edge of the other
leaf, the pin fitting into said barrel; these forms of hinges are objectionable for
many purposes as the tubes or "barrels" and pins project beyond the face or
surface of the door or other article to which they are attached when it is closed,
particularly where a flat surface is desired as in the case of a piano lid, flat
desk lid, table lid, burglar proof safe, folding shutters, screens or similar articles.
I am also aware that hinges have been inade composed of a link with a pro-
jection and pin in each end, the projections fitting into recesses and the pins
fitting into slots in their respective boxes, making it essential that the pins shall
not be fixed but slide in their slots thus sliding the centres of the links to
different positions, the boxes being placed, one in the frame and the other in the
door. Curved hars, pivotted at one end and with n lug at the other end have
been made to connect the two leaves. Curved sections of tubes telescoping into
each successive tube have been suggested for the samo purpose, but these devices
are not sufficiently positive in their action and consequently are not satisfactory.
6i
"י
I am aware that barrel hinges have been made self-closing by cutting away
a portion of each leaf and barrel and placing a coiled spring around their con-
necting pivot, one end of the spring pressing against one leaf and the other end
ngainst the other leaf and by its elasticity tending to press the two leaves apart
and to keep the door closed when opened and released; the door being hung
by having one leaf of the hinge attached to its face or exterior, the other leaf
being attached to the face of the door frame or "jamb"; but this form of hinge
with its spring is exposed, not concealed, when the door is closed; no concealed
hinge has to my knowledge, been made self-closing prior to my invention. By
my improvements hereinafter described, I avoid this objectionable projection of
barrel hinges, as my concealed hinge does not project beyond the surface of
the door and frame to which it is attached when the door or lid is closed. I also
avoid the defective construction of the link, bar and telescope hinges previously
referred to as my improvement is positive in its action.
"
My invention consists of two leaves each having one or more sockets i i
having abutments ss', of a double segmental curved link e, one end of said link
being loosely pivotted at into the socket of one leaf by the pivot k, the other
end of the linke being loosely pivotted at into the socket of the other leaf
by the pin or pivot or the reverse, as the two ends of the link e may be made
similar and interchangeable. My double segmental curved link is composed of
two segments each subtending an angle of about or a little more than a quarter
of a circle, and connected together at their intersection, as shown in horizontal
section at A e Figure 3; their respective centers at and having pivots & k
which oscillate ath hat fixed centers in the adjoining angles of the walls of
the sockets of their respective leaves and, as in Figure 3. I have shown
stops mm at the exterior ends of the double segmental curved link e, which will
necessarily be at or near the face r when the hinge is closed, as at Figure 4,
but when the hinge is opened as at Figure 3, will be at ', and act as stops,
preventing the door from striking the frame or wall a, but they may be dispensed
with if not wished for this purpose. The two segments of the double segmental
curved link e are made hollow to admit springs, of which 1 attach one end
of one spring to one of the walls of the socket i of my hinge, the other end of
the spring being attached to its half part of the double segmental curved link e;
the other spring being similarly attached to one of the walls of the other
socket and to the other half part of the double segmental curved link e.
When it is not desired that the hinge shall be self-closing (as in Figure 10)
the two segments of the double segmental curved link e may be made solid, but
1 prefer to make them hollow and I have so shown them in the drawings.

page_text: In use, one leaf of my concealed hinge with its socket and spring, con-
taining one end of the double segmental curved link e, are mortised into a
cavity p and fastened by screws n n (or other suitable and well known means)
into a frame a, giving space for the movement of the end or stop m of the walls.
of the socket i, a shoulder or abutments being provided on the leaf for the
engagement of said stop m when the door b is open; the other leaf l, with its
socket and spring, containing the other end m' of the link e, being mortised
into a cavity pin the door or lid b, or the reverse as the two straight leaves and
and their sockets i may be made similar and interchangeable.
If desired one leaf of this hinge may be made concave as at 7 in Figure 9, the
other leaf convex as at g' in the same figure, or the reverse, but in this case the
two leaves will not be interchangeable, although the entire hinge may be reversed
end for end, so that the curvature of the leaves will be reversed.
The operation of my hinge is as follows:-Having the door or lid closed, it
will appear with the frame a in horizontal section as in Figure 4, with the extreme
ends m m of the double segmental curved link at rr, and in rear elevation as
indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 5, the link e being shown in detail in
Figures 7 and 8. By drawing or opening the door toward the double segmental
curved link e will oscillate or partly rotate on its two centers or pivots kat h
in the angles of the respective sockets in the leaves until the door is opened
to its fullest extent, when the ends m m will have moved to ss', the link e appearing
as e Figure 1 in vertical longitudinal elevation; and at Figure 2 in side elevation
looking from G toward I of Figures 1 and 3. Where the springs and fare
used opening the door and hinge as described will tighten and distort the springs f
by drawing their ends farther apart as the relative positions of the parts and
the segments of e are changed, and when the door is released the springs by
their elasticity will have a tendency to resume their original positions drawing
back with them the parts to which they are attached, thus making the hinge self-
closing, closing the hinge and the door, shutter or other article to which it is
attached.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:―
1. In a concealed hinge the combination of the two leaves having sockets i
and and abutinents s s', with the double segmental curved linke having stops mm',
said link having one end pivotted on a fixed center in one socket and capable of
rotating or oscillating segmentally therein, the other end of said link being
similarly pivotted on a fixed center in the other socket and also capable of rotating
or oscillating in the latter, said sockets being attached to frames and doors or lids
as and for the purposes shown and described.
2. In a concealed hinge the combination of two leaves each having a socket, of
a double segmental link pivotted therein at their respective centers, with springs
attached to each half of said link, the other ends of said springs being each
attached to its respective socket and leaf as and for the purposes shown and
described.
Dated this Seventeenth day of May A.D. 1894.