Improvements in Means for Supporting Doors, Preventing Slamming, and the like.
Year: 1892

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Supporting Doors, Preventing Slamming,
and the like.
I, AUGUST GERBER, of No. 2 Klieverstrasse, Cologne on the Rhine, in the
Empire of Germany, Manufacturer, 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 :-
My invention relates to means for supporting doors and the like the object being
to obviate the jamming of house and room doors which so frequently happens, and
which is caused by the sinking of the door in consequence of its own weight,
and the yielding of the hinges or hooks or by the sinking or settling of the
buildings themselves.
In carrying out my invention I apply to the lower end of the outer margin of
the door a peculiar support which travelling with the door supports it almost at its
extreme point in every position whether the threshold be higher than the surface
of the floor, or continuous with the latter and so relieves the hinges or hooks from
the weight of the door.
To enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe how it can be carried
into practice by reference to the accompanying drawing in which :-
:-
Figure 1 is a vertical section of a portion of a door with my improvements applied
thereto and adapted for use with thresholds of varying heights.
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a detail illustrating a modification.
Figure 2 is a vertical section at a right angle to Figure 1.
Figures 3 and 4 are horizontal sections of Figure 1 shewing two different positions
of the door and its support.
Figure 5 is a similar view to Figure 1 but illustrating a modification.
Figures 6 and 8 are a sectional elevation and an elevation respectively representing
a simpler form of construction.
Figures 7 and 9 are horizontal sections of Figures 6 and 8 respectively.
Figures 10 and 11 are elevations of a door frame and door shewing the door
support in use, and
Figures 12 and 13 are elevations shewing two arrangements of rollers such as are
advantageously used in door supports for heavy doors.
The invention consists essentially in applying to doors, which have hitherto been
swung free and supported only by their hinges or hooks, supporting or guiding
rollers, at the extreme or almost the extreme end of the free swinging under edge
of the door, acting in every position of the door and so taking the weight off the
hinges or hooks. In doors which work over an even surface, that is to say, which
do not enter a door frame provided with a threshold which is raised above the floor
the door support may be so arranged as to be fixed at the required position in
height upon the door.
The matter is more difficult in such doors as are fitted to a threshold raised above
the floor. In this case, since the height of the threshold may vary with every house,
the door support must be so constructed that when the door is shut the support is
pressed aside by the threshold, and is thus adjustable. To this end the door
support is built up in a casing A. which is let into the outer and lower edge of
the door B:
The door supports shewn in Figures 1 to 5 consist of rollers a, a, which are so
placed upon an axle 6' within the frame c as to be able to revolve easily. The
frame c is guided on the one side by a depression in the casing A, and on the other
side by a spindle e which projects upwards through lugs or eyes f upon the wall
of the casing. The adjustment of position in height is effected from the edge of

page_text: the door by the screw which carries a wedge g. In order to diminish the
friction between the lower wall of the casing A and the frame c a small roller i
upon the latter may be employed as shewn in the drawing, Figures 1, 2 and 3.
The latter passes out of action again as soon as the door support is adjusted
downward.
It is evident that the open door, resting at its outer edge upon the rollers a a
cannot sink and that by this arrangement almost the whole weight of it is taken off
the hinges or hooks. If the door be now shut, and enter a frame with a raised
threshold C, the door support is pressed to one side by the latter as shewn in
Figure 3. When the door is opened the support takes in all positions of the same,
the position shewn in Figure 4, that is to say, it serves to support the door directly
at its outer edge. The screw and wedge h, g allow of the adjustment of the door
support to various heights of threshold and for various distances between the under
edge of the door and the surface of the floor; in the method of construction shewn
as an example this can of course only be done within certain limits.
The adjustability might also be attained in another way by providing the
spindle e with a screw thread at its upper part, as shewn in Figure 1^, and
the adjustment of the door support at the proper height be effected by screwing, up
or down, the nut K, the latter being supported by one of the eyes f.
In Figures 6 and 7 a similar door support is shewn, with the exception that,
instead of the rollers a, a, in this case an easily revolving ball / is placed inside a
casing and that here the weight of the door is taken by the ball.
Figures 8 and 9 shew a single roller a for supporting the door. This door
support is simply let into the door, and its position in height arranged by
securing the bearing m at a corresponding point on the door B, as shewn in the
methods of construction in Figures 6 and 7. The flange n on the axle e then
comes into contact with the bearing m and prevents the door support from shifting
upwards.
The door support may be made to fulfil another function of some importance
by placing a strong spiral spring on the spindle e which spring opposes a certain
resistance to the slamming of the door, inasmuch as it allows the latter to shut
only when it has been pushed back, or stretched, as the case may be (Figures 1 and 2)
or, as shewn in Figure 5, an eccentric may be arranged upon the spindle e, which
acts upon a strong flat spring placed in the casing A as soon as the door support
strikes upon the threshold C. By this plan the annoyance of a forcible slamming
of the door is prevented, the lock is spared, and the shaking of the building caused
by the door being violently closed are avoided.
The peculiarity of the invention embodied in these methods of construction
consists in supplying a support to free swinging doors so as in every position to
take off the weight from the hinges or hooks and to prevent the doors from
hanging awry, whilst this support may at the same time act as a stop to prevent
the door from being slammed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A door support for doors hung upright on hinges or hooks, which is applied
to the door in the form of anti-friction rollers or balls at the extreme edge, or
almost the extreme end of the lower edge of the door, in such a way that it
supports the door in every position, takes the weight off the hinges or hooks
of the door, and prevents the door from hanging awry, substantially as herein-
before described.
2. In a door support such as is claimed in Claim 1 the arrangement of a
frame c revolving on the spindle e which carries the roller a or ball or several
such rollers or balls, which form the door support, the spindle being furnished,
or not, with a spiral spring, or an eccentric working upon a flat spring, in order
that the door support may be capable of being used for doors fitting or passing over

page_text: thresholds, and if desired, also for limiting the motion of the door, or its slamming
when it is being closed, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to
the accompanying drawing.
3. The improved means for supporting doors and the like hereinbefore described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 7th don of July 1800
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.