Improvements in Automatic Springs for Doors, Windows, and other Hinged Articles.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 19th June, 1893-Accepted, 5th Aug., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Springs for Doors, Windows, and other
Hinged Articles.
I, ZEPHYR LEGLAY, of 14, Rue Montyon, Paris, in the Republic of France,
Locksmith, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to he particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement and accompanying drawing that is to say :—
My present invention relates to a novel system of springs for the closing and
opening of doors, windows, and the like. It is also applicable to furniture, box-
lids, seats and other hinged objects which are required to close automatically.
My invention relates more especially to the method of regulating the tension of
the spring.
As already stated, the novel arrangement of spring, with the necessary slight
modifications to suit different circumstances, may be applied to all hinged windows,
doors, and other hinged objects, and in the following description I have supposed
the invention to be applied to an ordinary door hinge, but
may equally well be
applied to double hinges for doors which are required to open in both directions.
In the accompanying drawing which is in illustration of my invention,
Figure is a front view of a door hinge provided with my improved spring
device.
Figure 2 is a front view of the male part of the hinge, and Figure 3 of the
female part of the same, the latter being arranged to receive an upper projection
upon the moveable collar, shewn in vertical section in Figure 4 and having
projections at its sides, top, and bottom.
Figure 5 is a vertical section of the piece by which the spring is attached, and
having notches corresponding with the lower projections upon the moveable
collar. In the figure is also shewn the spring consisting of a series of steel plates
held together by collars or rings at suitable distances apart.
Figure 6 shews the invention applied to a hinge of a somewhat different form
fixed by screws let into the body of the hinge itself, instead of by flanges, and more
especially applicable to doors opening in both directions.
Figure 7 is a section through X X Figure 6, Figure 8 is a section through Z Z
shewing an arrangement of stop for adjusting the door to the right or left.
Figure 9 shews, upon a smaller scale, the end of the spring acting upon a closing
lever provided with a friction roller.
It will be seen that my invention consists in principle of a tube or case A, in the
ends of which are freely fitted two connecting pieces B hollowed out to receive and
hold a spring consisting, as shewn, of several plates C held together by the collars a.
Or a single sufficiently flexible and elastic plate may be used or a suitable helical
spring.
The connecting pieces B are formed at b with a sufficient number of notches
forming a circular rack, these notches being intended to receive projecting teeth r
upon a moveable collar hereinafter described.
The pieces B are also provided with transverse holes c to receive the point of a
lever or tool by which the degree of tension can be regulated.
The pieces also receive the free end of the hinge pin i carried by the plate E.
The collars D (Figures 1 and 4) are bored through their centres to receive the
hinge pins, and they are provided below with two or more teeth which fit into
notches b in the pieces B. The collars D are also provided on their upper sides
with teeth o, which can fit either in notches H made in the lower end of the pin
socket carried by the hinge plate F, or against stops formed on the latter (as
illustrated in Figure 1).

page_text: The several parts being put together as shewn in the figure, in order to give
the necessary tension to the spring C it is only requisite to introduce the point of
a lever into the holes c in the piece B, and engage the teeth o of the collar D with
the notches H, in doing which the teeth rare disengaged from the notches b. The
connecting piece B being then free, the required torsion is given to the spring C
by means of the lever, and the small teeth rare then re-engaged, with the notches b,
and the spring is then adjusted.
In entering, the teeth o press against the projection upon one or other side of
the notches H, according as the spring is twisted to the right or to the left.
As shewn in Figures 6, 7, and 8, my improved system of spring may be applied
to doors opening in both directions, by forming the hinges in the shape of cylinders
fixed to the door and the frame by screws let into them. A special arrangement
of stop I (Figures 6, 7, and 8) serves to bring back the door to the right and left,
and this stop may itself be provided with an adjusting device, consisting for
instance of a regulating screw for other suitable equivalent device.
Finally, Figure 9 shews the lower end of the spring C fixed to a piece B¹
turning freely upon an axis fixed to the plate L. This piece B' carries an arm M
the outer end of which is forked and provided with a friction roller n running upon
a metal guide N fixed to the door.
When, for any reason, it is desired that the door should remain open, a wedge s
is inserted at vand retains the arm in the required position. The wedge being
inserted between the plate L and a flat surface formed upon the piece B¹ prevents
the spring from acting.
It is evident that the applications and arrangements of the improved apparatus
may be varied infinitely, and the accompanying drawing and description thereof are
given only as illustrations of one or two of such arrangements.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be perforined, I declare that what I
claim is :-
The improved apparatus consisting of the automatic spring for closing and
opening doors, windows, and other objects turning upon hinges or pivots and
requiring to be returned automatically to their normal position, after having been
opened or moved, substantially in the manner and for the purpose described and
illustrated.
D
Lin 10A1
1000
day
1808.
EDWARDS & Co.,
35, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.