AN IMPROVEMENT IN SPRING HINGES FOR DOORS AND GATES
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Sewell, of Longton Lodge, Longton Grove,
Sydenham, in the County of Kent, Builder, for the Invention of "AN
IMPROVEMENT IN SPRING HINGES FOR DOORS AND GATES."
Sealed the 19th December 1854, and dated the 14th July 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Sewell at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 14th July
1854.
J, CHARLES SEWELL, of Longton Lodge, Longton Grove, Sydenham, in the
County of Kent, Builder, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN SPRING HINGES FOR DOORS AND GATES" to be as
follows:-
My Invention has reference to that class of hinges known as "spring
hinges," and which are intended to cause doors or gates to close of themselves;
and the Invention consists in effecting the recoil of the door by the torsion of a
steel rod, which passes through or is fixed into the centre of both hinges, the
rod being fastened at the upper end to that part of the upper hinge which is
attached to the door-post or to the soffit, and the lower end being fastened
to that part of the lower binge which is attached to the door. The Drawing
hereunto annexed represents the Invention as, applied to what are called.

page_text: "butt hinges attached to a door, the door being shewn as fully open.
a is
the jamb; b, the door; c, the steel torsion rod, keyed at the upper end to the
leaf d of the upper hinge, and at the lower end to the leaf e of the lower binge,
which is fastened to the door. The rod might be prolonged downwards, so as
to form the lower centre to work in the lower leaf of the hinge; but I prefer
using a separate pin f for that purpose. Although I have only shewn tho
Invention as applied to "butt" hinges, it will readily be seen that it may be
modified in the details to suit other kinds of hinges.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Sewell in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
4th January 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
SEWELL, of Longton Lodge,. Longton Grove, Sydenham, in. the, County of
Kent, Builder, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Charles Sewell, Her special license that I, the said Charles Sewell, my execu-
tors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles Sewell,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and
no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN SPRING HINGES
FOR DOORS AND GATES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Charles Sewell, by an instrument in writing under my band and seal,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to bo
filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Sewell, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to bo per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof (that is to say): -_

page_text: My improvement in spring hinges consists in employing as a spring for
such hinges a rod of steel or other suitable material, which passes through the
center or axis of both hinges, and is fastened at the. upper end into that part
of the upper hinge which is attached to the door-post or the soffit, and at the
lower end to that part of the lower hinge which is attached to the door, and
the torsion of this rod in opening the door effects the recoil or closing of the
door.
The Drawings in Sheet 1 represent the Invention applied to a pair of what
are called "butt hinges," attached to a door. Figure 1 represents the door as
fully open and the hinges in section; Figure 2 shows a plan in section, the
door being fully open; Figure 3, a plan in section, the door being shut; and
Figure 4, an elevation, shewing the door closed. Figures 5, 6, 7, and 8 shew
the leaves of the hinges detached. a, a, is the jamb or door-post; b,.b, the
door; c, the steel torsion rod; it is keyed at the upper end by the key d
to the leaf e of the upper hinge, which is fastened to the jamb, and at the
lower end by the key d' to the leaf e¹ of the lower hinge, which is attached
to the door. The rod might be prolonged downwards, so as to form the
lower center to work in the lower leaf of the hinge; but I prefer employing
a separate pin f for that purpose. 9 is a tube or casing attached to the
door, enclosing and concealing the torsion rod. The Drawings in Sheet 2
represent the Invention applied to a pair of hinges for a double swing
door; Figure 9 representing a vertical section of the door and hinges;
Figure 10, a plan of the top side of the door and upper hinge; Figure 11, a
plan of the upper side of the lower hinge; and Figure 12, a horizontal section
through the door and jamb. a, a, is the door jamb; a', the soflit; and a", the
floor; b, b, the door; and c, the torsion rod, secured to the boss or collar d by
the key e. The collar d passes through the lower portion f of the upper hinge,
and is keyed by the key g to the upper half f¹ of the upper hinge, which is let
into the soffit. The lower end of the torsion rod c is keyed by the key h into
a pivot k, which is keyed by a key m into the piece n of the lower hinge. The
pivot k works in an oil cup in a socket o, let into the floor. A cup p is attached
to the pivot, to exclude the dirt from the oil cup. groove q (see Figure 12)
is cut in the circular edge of the door to receive the torsion rod, and the spare
space is filled in with a fillet.
A
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood that I do not limit
myself to the precise details herein described, as they may be variously
modified without departing from the principle of my Invention; but I claim

page_text: as my Invention, the application of a rod of steel or other suitable material, as
a spring to door and gate hinges, as herein-before described, so as to cause the
doors or gates to be closed by the torsion of the rod.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Sewell, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of December, in the year of our
Lord. One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
T. M. JONES,
Solicitor,
9, Barnard's Inn.
CHARLES SEWELL. (L.S.)